Category Archives: YA
Happy 1st Birthday to Evernight Teen! #Giveaway #BlogHop #BloodHex
EVERNIGHT TEEN turns one this month and I’m helping them celebrate during their 1st Birthday Blog Hop! It’s EVERNIGHT TEEN’s birthday but you get the presents. Enter below for a chance to win a $100 iTunes gift card!
EVERNIGHT TEEN books feature fresh teen fiction that’s raw, gritty and real. Whether paranormal, contemporary, sci-fi or suspense, EVERNIGHT TEEN stories are about real issues and pack a strong emotional punch. You’ll find cutting edge fiction that today’s young adults can relate to and will keep you turning the pages long into the night. Upper Young Adult titles, include…
Blood Hex by Erin Butler
Two girls. Four centuries. One curse. Isabella started it—all because a boy fell in love with her—but it ends with Sarah. Isabella and Thomas meet in secret during the witching hours while the rest of the villagers hide behind locked doors. And even though Isabella’s scared, she wants Thomas more. He’ll protect her from the night, from his father who’ll decide her future, and from the paranoia-fueled hunting parties taking away innocents. Centuries later, seventeen-year old Sarah runs away to an aunt she never knew she had. Her dad? Dead. Her mother? A liar. She wants the memories of a father she never got, but instead, discovers her father’s death wasn’t innocent. Everyone—the Wiccans, the townies, even her quasi-boyfriend—is hiding something. The history-rich town has a secret they will kill to keep, entangling Sarah into a centuries old witch curse.
14+ due to violence and adult situations
Blood Hex by Erin Butler is now 25% off at Evernight Teen until January 31st!
Leave a comment about Blood Hex below for a chance to win an Evernight Teen eBook of your choice. Then follow the Rafflecopter link below to enter the grand prize of a $100 iTunes gift certificate.
Evernight Teen Celebrates Teen Read Week #TeenReadWeek
Teen Read Week™ is a national adolescent literacy initiative created by the Young Adult Library ServicesAssociation (YALSA). It began in 1998 and is held annually during the third week of October. Its purpose is to encourage teens to be regular readers and library users.
Seek the Unknown @ Your Library is Teen Read Week’s theme this year. Explore and learn about the unknown through mystery, adventure, sci-fi, and fantasy books!
Evernight Teen authors are playing a game of hide and seek this week with a fun Scavenger Hunt you can even play in your pajamas!
What’s up for grabs? Evernight is giving away an All-New Kindle Paperwhite eReader randomly chosen from all correct entries!
Plus, three lucky commenters will be randomly chosen to receive $10 Evernight gift certificates!
Ready to play? Click here!
Visit our participating authors:
Evernight Teen Summer Kick-Off Blog Hop: Spotlight on Slayer for Hire #YALit #giveaway
Welcome to Evernight Teen’s Summer Kick-off Blog Hop!
It’s a great opportunity to get to know Evernight Teen: Gritty Fiction for Today’s Young Adult. Our stories include fresh teen fiction that’s raw, gritty and real.
My spotlight is on Slayer for Hire by P.E. Cunningham
Blurb:
Nineteen-year-old Billie Eshleman loves the TV show Slayer for Hire, and has a major fangirl crush on its hunky star, Dylan Garber. When the show comes to her home town to film a movie version, it’s her greatest dream come true. Unfortunately, she’s not the only fan trying to crash the set. A real vampire has fixated on the fictitious “slayer,” and is determined to make Dylan her mate—like, for the rest of eternity.
With help from Dylan’s co-star, Matt—an actor with vampire-related secrets of his own—it’s up to Billie to keep her idol from joining the ranks of the undead long enough to finish the movie. And, incidentally, keep herself alive in the process.
14+ for adult situations
Excerpt:
The guy with the cross tattoo shook himself all over like a dog. Then he grinned at me with those big prosthetic teeth. His B.O. hit me with a stench like three-week-old hamburger. “You look tasty,” he said. He started toward me.
All of a sudden my sight of those scary teeth was blocked by a shapeless wool poncho. I never heard Dina run up. She just appeared between me and Tattoo Boy. They started to circle like dogs. I backed out of reach, but didn’t run. I’d just seen this skinny guy toss Rolly like a basketball. Dina would need help. What I could do with no weapons, I had no idea. Kick, maybe? Worked on the hockey field.
That’s when I noticed Tattoo Boy’s eyes. When he’d grinned at me, they’d been blue. They were red now. I don’t mean bloodshot. I’m talking solid scarlet, with a black pit of pupil in the centers. He hadn’t had a chance to slip contacts in. My gut did a ten-story plummet. Reality had just run off the rails here.
He bared his pointy teeth at Dina and hissed.
She bared her own pointy teeth and hissed right back at him.
Okay. Totally freaked now.
In a move almost too fast to follow, Dina whipped off her poncho and flung it in Tattoo Boy’s fangy face. Under the poncho she had on a scoop-neck top, jeans, and a bandolier full of wooden stakes. She yanked one free. Once Tattoo Boy untangled himself from the poncho and flung it away, she dove in and rammed her stake into his chest.
He looked at the stake. Then he looked at her. His lips started to move. Before any words could form, lips, face and everything else cracked and crumbled and collapsed on the mall’s worn linoleum with a little puff.
I kept waiting for Rog to yell, “Cut.”
Dina calmly plucked another stake from her bandolier. She looked over at me. Her eyes were solid crimson.
“You might want to run now,” she suggested.
She left me before I could speak or scream, or do anything other than pant. I stared around at everything except that pile of ash on the floor, and realized our part of the mall was almost deserted. I glimpsed Matt, recognizable by his height, up at the other end, herding people toward the exits.
What about Dylan? Surely they’d gotten him to safety when this disaster started, right?
I ran, but not for the nearest exit. I headed for the spot where I’d last seen Dylan. Matt seemed to have his own safety under control, but I couldn’t cut out until I knew for sure Dylan was all right. What kind of fangirl would I be if I did?
But first, I detoured for the sporting goods store. I needed a weapon. I grabbed a hardwood baseball bat from the front-of-the store display. Not my first choice, but it was handy. Then I plunged toward the junkyard of abandoned cameras, dollies and cranes where Dylan had last been filming.
I didn’t see anyone around. Maybe they’d all got out. Then two shapes buzzed past me, so fast I only saw blurs, like the vampires on Slayer for Hire, just without the SFX.
Trust me, I did not like how the evidence was mounting up.
The blurs slowed enough to resolve into two of the fang-faced attackers. They grabbed two people struggling to wedge themselves out through an emergency exit. One was Rog. The captain of this flick had stuck with his sinking ship past the last minute. He had Dylan with him, at least until the leather boys yanked them apart. I hefted my bat and pelted toward them.
“Hey, I know you,” one of the Fango Brothers said to Rog. “You were on Leno. You directed RoboSoldier II. Man, that movie sucked.” He swooped in close. He looked like he was biting Rog’s neck.
The other one had hold of a struggling Dylan. “Relax, pretty boy. We’re part of your fan club. Our president wants to meet you. She sent us to pick you up, seeing as how you won’t answer her letters.”
“I don’t see her letters or emails or anything. We’ve got people who do that.” Dylan abruptly stopped struggling. He’d finally noticed the guy sucking on Rog’s neck. “What the hell?”
His captor shrugged one shoulder. “He skipped breakfast.”
“Are you friggin’ insane?” Dylan exploded. “Slayer’s not real! It’s a goddamn TV show! It isn’t real!”
The guy showed his fangs. Dylan shut up. “It’s real enough, bucko.”
“So’s this,” I quipped, and swung the bat. Go for the legs, that’s what they taught us in field hockey. Okay, no, not the coaches. Sarah McClosky, our team captain. She could trip an opposing player six different ways and make ’em all look like an accident. Her dad was a cop, so she knew what to aim for. Her tricks were also effective against grabby dates who wouldn’t listen to “no.”
I cracked the bat against the guy’s knees with all the strength I could muster. Considering the weight of the trays we have to lift at the dinner rush, that’s a lot more than you’d think.
He let go of Dylan and staggered back. He should have gone down, but he didn’t. I retreated a couple of steps. Dylan whirled toward the exit door and clawed at the unyielding bar, totally ignoring the “Push” sign.
I took another swing at Fango’s legs. I thought I was fast, but he beat me. He caught the bat on the downswing and yanked it out of my hands. He tossed it away. It clattered and rolled across the floor, too far away for me to make a dive for. Fango grinned at me, and licked his lips.
“Come to think of it,” he said, “I could do with a bite myself.”
Slayer for Hire is available here!
What’s up for grabs?
- One lucky hopper will win a KINDLE PAPERWHITE eREADER sponsored by Evernight Teen.
- Every book blogger/reviewer site is giving away one free eBook from Evernight Teen (winner’s choice of any eBook from Evernight Teen’s website).
- Plus, each author offers their own unique prize! So visit each blog hop stop for a host of fabulous prizes to win.
How to enter? Leave a comment answering the question below, along with your email address to be eligible to win a prize. Copied and pasted entries will be disqualified — so make your answer unique in some way, so I know you didn’t just copy someone else’s response. (Sorry I have to do this, but you’d be surprised how many times this actually happens)
Question: What is your favorite Vampire book or movie character of all time?
Don’t forget to continue hopping to the next stop!
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Blog Tour: My #review of Remember Me by Amaleen Ison and a #Giveaway (@Amaleenison) #YALit
Welcome to my stop on the Remember Me Blog Tour. I’m so excited to finally have a chance to lend my support to one of my favorite authors, as well as having an advanced look at her new release, REMEMBER ME so I could write the review. It’s really one of the best things about reviewing books. All that great literature (you hope) for free. What’s not to like?
I digress…
I fell in love with Ms. Ison’s work with her first solo release, THE TROUBLE WITH NIGHTINGALE. If you haven’t read this one, folks, you really need to get on that right after you finish picking up this latest endeavor.
But, we aren’t talking about that story today. Today is ALL about the newest tale to spawn from Ms. Ison’s fanatically creative mind.
Before we get to my review of the tale, let’s have a closer look at the book beyond its spectacular cover.
Remember Me
by Amaleen Ison
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Decadent Publishing
Release Date: June 11th, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-61333-545-1
Cover Artist: Scott Carpenter
Blurb: Sera isn’t living. She’s existing—barely. Bedbound by illness, she has no memory of life before the freezing barn she now calls home. A mournful song haunts her dreams and hints at a past not completely buried—one she’s desperate to uncover. Yet Father’s whirlwind visits to draw blood and administer medication don’t provide answers. He only confirms the one thing she already knows; she’s dying.
A lonely death without ever knowing her past seems inevitable until a sudden, mystifying return to health coincides with the arrival of a boy in the opposite out-building. The inextricable pull to the stranger, and the broken memories that storm her mind when he’s near, warn of a history quite different to any she could have imagined. If she’s to uncover the truth she craves, she’ll have to decide whether knowledge of the past is worth forfeiting her second chance at life.
Excerpt:
Father snatches the cover away and yanks my bare arm straight. Angry-looking bruises and red track marks riddle my paper-thin skin from wrist to elbow crease. He flicks a spidery-looking vein. “Dammit. Next.” My sluggish movements prove too slow for his liking, and he grabs my other arm. “We’ll give this one a try.”
I turn to Noah. Although younger than Father and not yet graying, his straggly black beard and tired-looking eyes make him appear older. He wears a worried expression and avoids my gaze. Perhaps he pities me, or my condition embarrasses him. Probably both.
The fog of medication descends in my mind and sends its glacial water surging through my veins. The barn wobbles, and my head lolls back on the pillow, giving me a view of the rafters. When it comes, the prick of the needle doesn’t hurt. Only the beautiful, melancholy song that plays constantly in my mind accompanies the odd sense of draining life.
Minutes, hours, days later—I can’t tell—Father holds up a full vial of blood to a shaft of sunlight streaming through the hole in the roof. “Thank you, my angel.” He kisses my forehead and squeezes my hand at the same time. I smile at the show of relief in his eyes, before my heavy lids close.
“She’s sleeping,” he says.
Footsteps draw near.
“She looks worse.” The disembodied comment comes from somewhere near the foot of the bed.
Father grunts.
“Her blood isn’t working anymore.” Noah’s voice sounds tight.
Silence.
“We ought to let her die peacefully.”
Yes, they ought to let me die peacefully.
“No!” Father’s breath comes in heavy gusts. “I won’t give up on her. We’ll capture the other one.”
“We’ll be damned.”
“Too late.” A loud clunk and something metallic skitters across the floor. “We’re already damned.”
Buy Links:
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The descriptions are so vivid, as if Ms. Ison is painting a portait in your mind. So clear you can just sit back and watch the story unfold. I just love when a story can do that. Make the words disappear and you are left watching a film — a mental movie of the book you’re reading. I really felt IN the story beside Sera throughout her struggles to understand what is happening to her.
The characterizations are just as strong. Each of the characters in the story, from the more prevalent, Sim, Father and Noah, to the less seen, Martha and Angela — each one completely flesh out and three dimensional.
I don’t do spoilers in my reviews, so the excerpt and blurb will have to give you enough clues to go by. I’ll not be adding any. Sorry, folks. You will have to just content yourself with knowing how much I enjoyed the short read, and how highly I recommend it to all the YA fan out there, as well as anyone who just enjoys a great, well written story.
5 Enthusiastic Pirate Skulls for this well woven YA tale.
Amaleen Ison is offering a giveaway as part of the Blog Tour. You could snag yourself an eCopy of Remember Me as well as a $20 Amazon Gift Card. The giveaway is open to International entrants.
Since I can’t host Rafflecopter on a free wordpress blog, you will have to swing over there to enter. The link is below. Good luck!
Remember Me Rafflecopter Giveaway Link
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Author Bio: Amaleen Ison is a married mother of one. She lives with her family in Hertfordshire, England, along with her cats (Oscar and Winston), guinea pig ( LouLou), and gerbils (Blackberry and Pumpkinseed). She writes Young Adult fantasy stories that meander into a variety of sub-genres.
As a child, Amaleen lived most of her life in her head. She imagined herself in mystical lands populated by the weird and wonderful. She still spends way too much time daydreaming, but now she writes about her imaginings and weaves them into stories. The fantasy element is always important, but more so the hodgepodge of emotions that arise from her characters first time experiences.
Her Links:
Facebook | Twitter | Website/Blog | Goodreads
Cover Reveal: Remember Me by Amaleen Ison (@AmaleenIson) #YALit
Welcome and Happy Memorial Day to all of you. I am pleased as punch to be participating in a fantastic cover reveal today for a friend and fellow author, Amaleen Ison. Her newest release, REMEMBER ME is coming soon from Decadent Publishing, and I can tell you after having a chance to beta read some of this story… you are in all for a treat. I LOVED it… and I didn’t even get to read all of it yet.
Here are the details on the release:
Title: Remember Me
Author: Amaleen Ison
Release Date: TBA
Publisher: Decadent Publishing
Editor: Lea Finley
Cover Artist: Scott Carpenter
Genre: Young Adult
Format: E-book
Blurb: Sera isn’t living. She’s existing—barely. Bedbound by illness, she has no memory of life before the freezing barn she now calls home. A mournful song haunts her dreams and hints at a past not completely buried—one she’s desperate to uncover. Yet Father’s whirlwind visits to draw blood and administer medication don’t provide answers. He only confirms the one thing she already knows; she’s dying.
A lonely death without ever knowing her past seems inevitable until a sudden, mystifying return to health coincides with the arrival of a boy in the opposite out-building. The inextricable pull to the stranger, and the broken memories that storm her mind when he’s near, warn of a history quite different to any she could have imagined. If she’s to uncover the truth she craves, she’ll have to decide whether knowledge of the past is worth forfeiting her second chance at life.
Remember Me Goodreads Link:
About the Author: Amaleen Ison is a married mother of one. She lives with her family in Hertfordshire, England, along with her cats (Oscar and Winston), guinea pig ( LouLou), and gerbils (Blackberry and Pumpkinseed). She writes Young Adult fantasy stories that meander into a variety of sub-genres.
As a child, Amaleen lived most of her life in her head. She imagined herself in mystical lands populated by the weird and wonderful. She still spends way too much time daydreaming, but now she writes about her imaginings and weaves them into stories. The fantasy element is always important, but more so the hodgepodge of emotions that arise from her characters first time experiences.
Social Media Links: Facebook | Twitter | Website/Blog | Goodreads
Book #Review: The Watcher by Lisa Voisin #YA #Paranormal #Romance @inkspellpublish
The Watcher by Lisa Voisin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The Watcher is a well written YA tale of eternal love, redemption and impossible romances. 17 yr old student, Mia Crawford is your typical HS senior until a trip to the park changes everything. The story features a love triangle, lots of tension, emotion, suspense, a rich history, and strong characterizations. While I think the main theme of the story has been done before, the author gives the tale enough twists and turns to keep the reader from feeling they have seen this all before — just with different characters.
I’m not one for spoilers in reviews, so I wont rehash the story or plot, but I will say I was drawn into the story from the beginning and Ms Voisin did an excellent job of keeping me there until reaching the end. I never felt the story line was predictable or felt I knew what was coming before it did — something that I come across a lot when reading YA stories. That was a nice change for me.
Even the secondary characters felt real and well defined. I would have like to “Like” Michael a bit better, but for me at least, he was a bit annoying in that he was forever sending Mia mixed signals that at some points made me want to reach into the book and throttle him. That being said, he did get me to react emotionally — which I can appreciate because it means despite his flaws, he was a nicely complex character.
I’m giving this 4 stars because of the Michael annoyance factor and because I would have liked to see some of the ancient lore referenced in the tale to be a bit more fleshed out and a bigger part of the overall story.
I would highly recommend this story to any YA romance fans and anyone who enjoys a good Angels and Demons tale. Looking forward to checking out more work by this author.
Guardians Inc.: The Cypher Book Blast #YALit
GUARDIANS INC.: THE CYPHER
A chance reading of a newspaper ad will send 16 year old Thomas Byrne into the world within our world.
Following the ad he will find Guardians Incorporated. A seven thousand year old organization charged with protecting the balance between Magic and technology.
Through their guidance, technology has kept Magic at bay since the Renaissance, but the balance is shifting and soon all those creatures we’ve driven into myth and legend will come back with a vengeance.
To protect the present, Guardians Incorporated needs to know the future and to unlock the future
they need a Cypher.
Book Trailer
Praise
USA Book News 2012 Finalist -Young Adult Fiction
“Rosado-Machain brings a light, humorous touch to themes of teenage love, loss and betrayal wrapped up in a tasty package of magical coming-of-age.”
~Kirkus Reviews
“It’s like Julian Rosado-Machain took everything that I love about middle grade children’s fiction and slammed it into one awesome, well-paced fantasy”
~Emi London Oktopusink.blogspot.com
“The Cypher hooked me from the beginning. And kept my attention right through to the very end.”
– Heidi Roth reviewthebook.com
Author Julian Rosado-Machain
Julian has enjoyed pizza in three continents, holds a degree in graphic design, built armored vehicles and computers, handcrafted alebrijes and swears has seen at least one ghost.
He is the Co-owner of Hacienda de Vega Restaurant in San Diego, California and enjoys the sun with his wife, three children and cat.
Book Blast Giveaway
$100 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 3/13/13
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
Cover Reveal: TIED by Laney McMann #YAlit #coverreveal @jtaylorpub #Fantasy
TIED
(Fire Born #1)
by Laney McMann
Release Date: September 9, 2013
Target Reader: Young Adult
Keywords: Fiction, Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy, YA
Back of the Book: Normal people don’t believe their nightmares stalk them. They don’t fall in love with boys who don’t exist, either.
Seventeen-year-old Layla Labelle, though, is far from normal. Her delusions walk the earth. Her hallucinations hunt her, and her skin heats to a burn every time her anger flares.
Or is that all in her head?
Layla doesn’t know what to believe any more because if none of that’s true, Max MacLarnon must be an illusion, and her heart must still be broken.
No matter how much she wants to believe Max is real, doing so would mean everything else is, too. How, then, is that possible?
The answers lie in an age-old legend the supernatural aren’t prepared to reveal, and with a curse that could tear Layla and Max apart forever—if it doesn’t kill them both first.
In TIED, book one in the Fire Born trilogy, learning the truth will mean fighting an arsenal of demons, and being with Max will put Layla on a path toward her own destruction.
Just how far will Layla go to protect the one she loves?
The answer may never be far enough … away.
URL: http://www.jtaylorpublishing.com/books/31
Se tell me, what do you think of the cover? Does it make you want to pick up the book? Excite you? Confuse you? I’m always curious what sort of reactions readers have to a cover, so please feel free to share. Of course, I wouldn’t ask you all to share without being willing to do so myself, so…
My Thoughts: I absolutely love the fiery phoenix looking image in the center of the cover. It really draws you in right away and gets the eyes wandering over the rest of the cover. Eye catching is always a good thing. I find the wolfish gargoyle like creature in the corner a bit odd — maybe a bit too computer generated or sci-fi looking for me? The keywords mention fantasy, not sci-fi, so Im not sure how fitting it is to the overall cover. Without reading the story, it is of course really impossible to tell how it fits in. In general, I find the cover makes me curious about the story, so I have to give it a Thumbs UP. 🙂
Trailer Reveal: The Watcher by Lisa Voisin @inkspellpublish #YAlit
Author Lisa Voisin’s THE WATCHER will be releasing exactly one month from today, on March 4th, 2013 and we’re super excited to be able to share with our blog’s readers a short excerpt from the book and to be a part of the book’s awesome trailer reveal!
There is also a giveaway for a pre-order copy of THE WATCHER for US/Canada residents. So be sure to enter below.
THE WATCHER is author Lisa Voisin’s debut novel and is a book Eileen Cook says, “…is sure to keep readers turning the pages late into the night.”
And after having read both the excerpt and the book’s description, we couldn’t agree more! But we’ll let you decide for yourself. They’re both included below.
As is the book’s wicked cool trailer!
With some gothic techno beats, super cool images and a description that is meant to tease, this trailer totally sets the mood for this story. What do you think?
About the Book
Title: THE WATCHER
Author: Lisa Voisin
Publisher: InkSpell Publishing
Publication date: March 4, 2013
Pages: 508
Format: Available to pre-order in Paperback
Find it: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Inkspell | Kobo
Millennia ago, he fell from heaven for her.
Can he face her without falling again?
Fascinated with ancient civilizations, seventeen-year-old Mia Crawford dreams of becoming an archaeologist. She also dreams of wings—soft and silent like snow—and somebody trying to steal them.
When a horrible creature appears out of thin air and attacks her, she knows Michael Fontaine is involved, though he claims to know nothing about it. Secretive and aloof, Michael evokes feelings in Mia that she doesn’t understand. Images of another time and place haunt her. She recognizes them—but not from any textbook.
About the Author
A Canadian-born author, Lisa Voisin spent her childhood daydreaming and making up stories, but it was her love of reading and writing in her teens that drew her to Young Adult fiction.
When she’s not writing, you’ll find her meditating or hiking in the mountains to counter the side effects of drinking too much coffee.
She lives in Vancouver, B.C. with her fiance and their two cats.
Find her: Twitter | Facebook | Website | Blog
Instead of saying more, he brushed his fingertips along my cheek, and his halo glimmered. I could hear the waves slapping the rocks behind us, the wind driving them in. That same wind whipped against my skin, but the touch of his hand on my face was all I could think about. It sent a current through both of us and filled me with longing for something I wasn’t sure I understood.
“I’m sorry.” He stepped back and shoved his hands into his pockets as the light around him faded. “You don’t know what it’s like. Being near you now, remembering those moments we had…” His hair blew into his eyes, but this time he didn’t move. I wanted to brush it back, but I didn’t know how he’d react. Would touching him be bad?
“You want to know who you were?” he asked. “You may look different, but you’re the same. I look into your eyes and see you.” He took in a deep breath, fixing his attention on the horizon. I’d seen and heard so much now that the logical part of my brain had long since given up arguing with me. I could feel what he was saying was true. All of it.
- ONE pre-order copy of THE WATCHER by Lisa Voisin open to US/Canada.
- Must be 13 or older to enter.
- ONE entry per household.
- Winner will be announced in the Rafflecopter and contacted by email.
- Winner will have 48 hours after notification to respond or another winner will be chosen.
Enter below…
a Rafflecopter giveaway Please Visit the Link to Enter — as I cannot host Rafflecopter on WordPress 😦 Darnit!
Character Interview: Jake Morris from SHRAPNEL by Stephanie Lawton @EvernightTeen #UpperYA
Welcome back to the blog. Today I have a special treat for you all — an interview with Jake Morris, one of the main characters from Stephanie Lawton’s newest YA release, SHRAPNEL.
Jake is a pretty blunt guy. Just the way I like em, so I’ll forgo the fluff and get right to the questions.
Can you tell us your name and the title of the book you live in?
I’m Jake Morris, and the book was originally called Surrender, but got changed to Shrapnel.
Describe to our readers your role in the book.
I’m seventeen, and I guess I’m the romantic underdog. I prefer the term ladies’ man, but whatever. I’m also empathic, so there’s that.
How did you convince your author to put you in this book? For example, did you visit a dream or make yourself known some other way?
Heh, I showed up in the shower. Granted, there were a couple other characters that also showed up, but we all know she likes me best. And may I just say, MILF.
Is your author easy to work with or controlling?
Who, Steph? She’s awesome. I mean, yeah, she put me through some crappy stuff, but she surrounded me with hot chicks, fed me bacon and gave me some damn hilarious lines in the book. What’s not to love?
Would you tell us about one of your favorite friends from this book?
Hmm, I guess she’s a friend, though I’d really like more, but her name is Dylan, short for Dylanie. She’s a really cool chick. Hot as hell, but really funny, too, and she knows what she wants. Plus, she slaps me on the ass, so I’m her friend for life.
What would you like our readers to know about you?
I’m not a complete freak. I mean, yeah, I have these weird abilities, and they sometimes make me do weird things and have epic freak-outs in front of packed movie theaters, but if you put that aside, I’m still a normal guy. I notice when you give me the side-eye or move to the other side of the hall. It hurts and it blows.
Did you learn anything during your adventure in this book?
Holy shit, did I ever! I learned how to … wait, I can’t give that part away. I also learned that girls … crap. I can’t give that away either. Okay, here’s something I can spill. I learned that looks can be deceiving. Oh, and that I love black lace underwear. *grins*
Can you tell us what you think is the most exciting thing that happened to you in your book?
You wouldn’t believe me if I did. You’ll have to read the book.
Introduce us to your main adversary?
Well, in some ways, I’m my own worst enemy, but overall, the guy’s name is Jackson. He’s a ghost from the Civil War that makes all of our lives hell. He hates me because I’m competition for Dylan, plus I know a lot about Civil War history and I’m a major threat to his plans and secrets.
Is there anything you would like to have done but your author stopped you?
Dude, I was in a house with two hot chicks. What do you think? Granted, I really only wanted one of them, but still. This is the stuff dreams are made of.
Here’s your chance to speak your mind. What do you want to tell everybody?
I’m not crazy. Also, I’m a damn good kisser. I read can your emotions so I know if what I’m doing is working or not and adjust. Pretty wicked, right?
Flash questions:
- Craziest thing you’ve ever done?
Freaked out in front of a packed movie theater filled with everyone I know from school, including the girl I was crushing on. I don’t remember it, but they said I jumped over a couple rows of seats before I fell down the stairs.
- Biggest regret?
I let things go too far at the end of the book. I should have stepped in way earlier and not let Dylan do what she did.
- If you were to get a tattoo, what would it be, where, and why?
Hmm, when I turn eighteen I’d like to start some sleeves. On one arm I’d get representations of all the emotions I get from people, and on the other arm, I’d put representations of all the ways I’m able to help them. You know, like fear on one arm, and a guiding hand on the other. Or love on one arm, and two hearts joined on the other. Pretty mushy, huh?
- Favorite book?
The Complete Poems of Christina Rosetti
- Someone asks you to go skydiving. What’s your answer?
Oh, hell yeah!
- If they were to name a crayon color after you, what would it be?
Emo Orange
- Were you easy or hard to write?
Easy. I’m the guy version of her.
- Absolute worst thing you’ve ever done?
I scared the crap out of my parents. I didn’t mean to, but they didn’t know what was wrong with me or how to fix it. I think they lost a lot of sleep and my mom totally dyes her hair to cover the gray. (She’s going to kill me for telling you that!)
- Detail about yourself that’s not in your book?
I kick ass at Guitar Hero.
There ya have it. Thanks so much Jake. If the ladies weren’t interested in you before, they sure are now.
If you want to get your hands on a copy of SHRAPNEL, here are the BUY Links:
- Amazon (Kindle); Amazon (paperback)
- Barnes and Noble (paperback)
- Evernight Teen
- All Romance ebooks (digital)
- CreateSpace (paperback)
Bex Book Nook 