$100 Giveaway THE ONLY BOY BY JORDAN LOCKE @JordanLocke @toobusyreading

  The Only Boy by Jordan Locke 

 Mary is stuck in Section One, living with three hundred women in a crumbling hospital. She wonders what life was like two centuries ago, before the Cleansing wiped out all the men. But the rules—the Matriarch's senseless rules—prevent her from exploring the vacant city to find out. Taylor's got a dangerous secret: he's a boy. His compound's been destroyed, and he's been relocated to Section One. Living under the Matriarch means giving up possessions, eating canned food and avoiding all physical contact. Baggy clothes hide his flat chest and skinny legs, but if anyone discovers what lies beneath, he'll be exiled. Maybe even executed. Mary's never seen a boy—the Matriarch cut the pictures of men from the textbooks—and she doesn't suspect Taylor's secret. If she knew, she might understand the need to stop the girls from teasing him. If she knew, she might realize why she breaks the rules, just to be near him. Then again, she might be frightened to death of him. Taylor should go. The Matriarch is watching his every move. But running means leaving Mary—and braving the land beyond the compound's boundaries.

Amazon

Praise for The Only Boy

“It’s not a dystopia that does a good job—it’s a great book that happens to be a dystopia.” Rachel Miller, Editor “This book is one of the best of its genre I have read, it kept me gripped to its satisfying end.” Janet Love, Amazon UK Reviewer “If you like a different take on the dystopian genre then I would highly recommend this unique and amazing book.” Tamara Bass, The Avid Book Collector











  Author Jordan Locke Jordan Locke lives in Connecticut with his wife, two lively daughters and a well-behaved whippet. A graphic designer by trade, his creativity spilled over into the literary world. After years of writing, reading and learning the craft, his fifth novel, The Only Boy, brought him offers of representation from two well-known agents. Now, after the dog is fed and the kids are in bed, you will find him tapping away at the keyboard.

Website * Twitter * Goodreads

Blog Tour Schedule

     



Blast Giveaway 

 $100 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash 


 Ends 5/31/14 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 and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. 


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$50 Giveaway SCENTS AND SENSES by LOREN SECRETTS @LorenSecretts @toobusyreading

  Scents and Senses: Supernatural Friends. What the fairy tales didn’t tell you 


 Playing the role of a knight in shining armor is more complicated than it seems in the storybooks, as sixteen-year-old Joy discovers when she repeatedly comes to the rescue of a fifteen-year-old human. But when she meddles in the girl’s social life, Starra sends her packing. Starra is determined to completely dissociate herself from the subterranean creature that has manipulated her life and cast her into the limelight. However, her resolve is soon tested when she becomes involved in a critical situation where supernatural assistance can enable her to carry out a daring plot. Eventually, Starra’s involvement with her new other-wordly friends extracts a heavy price when she is beset by challenges that range from the down- to-earth struggles of a typical teenage student, to the realm of the fantastic. Nothing prepares her, however, for the ultimate challenge.  

Amazon * Smashwords

Excerpt

Joy Ever since I’ve been old enough to kick off on a condor with my own two chicken feet, I’ve been drilled to mind my own business. Mind your own business, the first of the American Ten Commandments. It’s not one I subscribe to, even though in our community, not minding my own business means more than social suicide; it’s a crime when we ascend above ground. For thousands of years we deeems have kept away from the creatures running over our heads with their five-toed feet. So if anyone in my community gets wind of the risky job I’m on these days, I’m practically a goner. But that doesn’t stop me from shadowing a certain teenage fivetoe. There’s also a totally different occupational hazard involved in this position I’ve created for myself, one I’m suffering from right now: this job occasionally makes school seem relatively stimulating. Yawn. I’ve played too many Angry Condor games to count since Starra got involved in some fantasy book a couple of hours ago and lost contact with the real world. Even if I knew how to become visible to the fivetoe eye and suddenly revealed myself, I bet she wouldn’t notice me, the cute teen perched on her windowsill. Time simply refuses to advance, and I have to resort to counting the spider eggs cocooned in their nest on a nearby tree branch. A sudden sigh interrupts my lame occupation. There’s a starry look in the big eyes, and I notice the novel is slipping out of Starra’s dreamy grip. This is my window of opportunity! I finger the starchy edge of the book jacket and coax the book forward. Thud. The book falls to the floor, and the movement seems to bring Starra back to her senses. At last she grabs a hoodie and sets out, probably for one of her night excursions on the Vista Del Mar Path. Are we running or biking tonight? Running it is. I jog behind her, finding the excursion by the shoreline an improvement to watching her read. At least we are moving. She runs for half an hour, at a speed faster than the sea turtle pace usual for fivetoes. Then she slows to a stop at a jagged rock, half-submerged in the ocean. I groan quietly and contemplate leaving. From experience, I know she’ll climb to the top of her rock and dream away. I start backing off, but when I’m some fifty feet away, I look back. Starra makes a pretty picture there, her silhouette perched high on the rock. Her long legs are tucked under her, and her head hangs back as she keeps her gaze on the stars above. If only she would let loose the heavy dark mane of hair she always twists up at the back of her neck, she would truly look like a mermaid risen from the sea. Something pulls me back to her. I can’t explain it, but I have a feeling trouble is lurking nearby, waiting to snatch her in its net. My chicken feet make an about face and follow Starra home as she takes the shorter route through town.

Tour Schedule

Author Loren Secretts


Loren Secretts was raised in a book-filled home, in a sleepy east coast suburb of the US. These factors are undoubtedly responsible for her early design of a number of exciting imaginary worlds that she could escape to from time to time during her childhood. In her teen years, between schoolwork and lending an ear to her friends, Loren had less opportunity to go AWOL. Instead, her experience as a confidant to others inspired her to major in psychology in college and earn her M.A. in the field on the west coast. As an adult, Loren has found fulfillment in her work with children and families for more than a decade. Her passion for writing was revived when she discovered that she enjoyed delving into the human psyche to write psychological reports. But clients' reports are safe with Loren, who guards secrets fastidiously. Indeed, one of her aspirations is to work as a psychotherapist for the CIA, but since she now lives with her family in Canada, that dream will have to await its turn…

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Blast Giveaway $50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash


 Ends 5/27/14 


 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 and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. a Rafflecopter giveaway --

EMMY LAYBOURNE and the TRUTHS AND MYTHS OF MULTI-AUTHOR BOOK TOURS @EmmyLaybourne @FierceReads

Truths and Myths About Multi-Author Book Tours

  

Hello! What a delight to be here on BookHounds YA 

I'll be out on tour in June with Fierce Reads. I love going on tour and multi-author tours are a big thing now. Publishers are finding that grouping debut authors with experienced authors both makes for a really exciting event and helps spread awareness of the new talent to the (excellent! delightful!) devoted readers that love books so much they show up!

As fun as touring is, there are some misconceptions about what happens on the road. I'm here to shed my perspective on what goes down behind-the-scenes.

Here are some questions I've crowd-sourced about life on a multi-author book tour:

Q: Do you stay at nice hotels or do you have to BYO Sheets at fleabag motels?

This was the biggest question I had myself when I arrived in Los Angeles for the first night of the first Fierce Reads tour in June 2012. I literally had no idea if we'd be staying at mom and pop roadside joints or at fancy schmancy hotels with concierges and mini-bars. Turns out it's SCHMANCY! We've stayed at the most beautiful hotels on tour - luxurious, starry places with world-class restaurants. Macmillan really knows how to treat their authors! Also - they encourage us to have room service! Encourage!

Q: Do the authors feel super-competitive with each other?

Hmmm. That's a tricky one. My answer is: not for long. You can't brave the ups and downs of a tour without doing some serious bonding.

If I feel any little spikes of envy for the success of my tour-mates, they quickly melt away when I remember how thankful I am to get to be a novelist in the first place. I get to do what I love every day – all the rest is gravy.

Q: Do authors hate taking pictures with fans?

Gosh NO! Well, I don't. It's actually my favorite part of an event. I like to do one straight photo and then do one silly photo - like, we'll pretend a black swirling cloud of destruction is coming over the horizon or I'll pick up a book off the shelves and me and the fan will pretend to be having a meaningful discussion about it. Fun!

Q: What's it like to fly every day for two weeks?

Blecch. It's hard. It's the flying that makes touring difficult. It's the security lines! Every day, security lines. But at least the airlines are giving out free peanuts again. And I rack up the miles.

Q: What makes the difference between a good event and a bad event?

Do you already know the answer? It's the readers. It's the energy in the room. We've had some events where we rocked the roof off the joint. I'm thinking of Miami, 2013. Provo, 2012. Houston, 2013 - we almost burned the joint down with our collective mind power.

Q: What advice would you give to an author going on his/her first tour?

Hard to give just one piece of advice, so here's my 5 top tips:

1.  Pack sweatpants and super comfortable, slip-on shoes to wear as you travel.

2.  Go to some author events like the ones you will be participating in so you can study how to give a good summary of your book, how to be funny, and how to be brief and to the point. I know that middle one's hard.

3.  Practice your book pitch before you go. Get it short and really good. DO it for your friends and get their feedback.

4.  If you have enough lead time, try to engage with local schools or libraries close to your events. There's nothing better than having a bunch of teens show up who've read your book (this is particularly important for debut authors, but still helpful for all).

5.  Eat and drink responsibly! I know that sounds school-marmish, but you need to eat three meals with protein every day. I like to eat dinner at 4 pm when I'm on tour. There, I said it. Why? Because we usually leave for the events at 5, do a blog interview at 6, then the event at 7 and you don't get to a restaurant until 10! I can't do a good gig on an empty stomach and I sure as heck can't wait until 10 to eat dinner. Not when I have to be up at 6 the next day to make a flight to Petoski! I eat like an athlete when on tour.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR STOPPING BY BOOKHOUNDS ya!

and check back later for my review and a giveaway of SAVAGE DRIFT

(omg - awesome!) 

Book Description

Publication Date: May 6, 2014

In Monument 14: Savage Drift, the stunningly fierce conclusion to the Monument 14 trilogy, author Emmy Laybourne ups the stakes even higher for a group of kids who have continually survived the unthinkable. Can they do so one last time?

Pre-order SAVAGE DRIFT and send your proof of purchase to: savagedriftbonus@gmail.com to receive exclusive bonus content!

It's over. 
Dean, Alex, and the other survivors of the Monument 14 have escaped the disaster zone and made it to the safety of a Canadian refugee camp. Some of the kids have been reunited with their families, and everyone is making tentative plans for the future. And then, Niko learns that his lost love, Josie, has survived!

Or is it? For Josie, separated from the group and presumed dead, life has gone from bad to worse. Trapped in a terrible prison camp with other exposed O's and traumatized by her experiences, she has given up all hope of rescue. Meanwhile, scared by the government's unusual interest in her pregnancy, Astrid--along with her two protectors, Dean and Jake--joins Niko on his desperate quest to be reunited with Josie.

About the Author

Emmy Laybourne, author of the Monument 14 trilogy, is a writer and actress. She has appeared in movies like Superstar and The In-Laws, and has performed original comedy on Comedy Central, MTV, VH1, and with UCB and Chicago City Limits. She lives in Upstate New York with her husband and their two children. Visit her online at emmylaybourne.com.

Website * Facebook * Twitter  * Goodreads 

Giveaway Excerpt FIELDS OF ELYSIUM BLOG HOP - Molly's Diary Entry Day 1 @AuthorABWhelan @toobusyreading

Day 1: Molly

Molly Elizabeth Bennett is sixteen years old, lives in Los Angeles, attends Beverly Hills High School, likes to play the guitar, hike in the woods with her family and mutt Pandora. 

What so special about her? She's the one who discovers the secret wormhole to New Earth, Arkana.

EXCERPT

Fields of Elysium

A YA romantic fantasy 

I crouched in front of my box of clothes and started to rummage for an outfit. The movers had delivered our stuff yesterday but there wasn’t time to organize it yet. Not that seeing the dreary attire in my closet would be any better than seeing it folded in a box. The principal of my school in Hopewell tried to be conservative about dress codes, and my dad was very strict about what he allowed me to wear. In BHHS the kids had their own style and whatever they wore seemed effortless. I had already tried sporty, funky, stylish, but none of them felt as my own. Most of the time, I ended up putting on jeans and a plain T-shirt.

I yanked out a pair of khaki shorts and a black tee from the box, quickly assured myself that they weren't wrinkled too much, and started to get ready for a hike. The Griffith Observatory seemed like a great place to start. My dad drove us there yesterday, so I kind of had the idea what I was getting myself into.

  As I pulled my shirt on, I glanced at my left wrist. There was a faint mark on it, where my skin was still lighter from the watch I had been wearing my entire life and I felt a shiver run down my spine at that sight.

Due to the Lindbergh baby's kidnapping that happened in my hometown, my dad had declared the world an unsafe place for children. When I turned two, he secured a built-in-GPS watch on my wrist, and he did the same to my brother when he turned the same age. My parents didn’t track our every step, only paid a monthly fee for the service of a company that offered to locate us in case we went missing or got kidnapped. The strap of the watch needed a special code to unlock, and if someone tried to cut it, it would set off a silent alarm. As a little kid I never paid too much attention to it, but in the past few years it made me feel as if I were some kind of an endangered species. The only good side about our moving was that my dad removed the watch and granted me more freedom. My brother still wore his watch.

“I’d never lie to you or do anything you wouldn't approve, I'd promised him, rubbing the spot where the straps almost became part of my skin. Without it I felt a little bit naked, vulnerable. 

"You know. You're a smart girl and I trust your Dad said, a mixture of worry and love crossing his face. 

I launched myself into his embrace. I was like a caged bird on her way to freedom.

Once we separated, he held the watch in his hand for a moment, then slipped it into his pocket. Just like that. A part of my life was over, and a new era was about to begin.

As I bolted down the stairs to eat breakfast, my dog joined me. Pandora was an interesting mix, having a small chicken head and barrel body. Her food had always been measured to avoid overfeeding; still she was always fat, while her head was way too small for her body. Years ago, we saved her from a pound when she was about to get the fatal needle. You would expect that after being rescued she would be the most obedient and grateful dog ever. Wrong. She never listened to me. Never listened to any of us for that matter. But I loved her. Well, who couldn’t love a dog that wakes you in the morning with a slobbering tongue, brings your cell phone when it rings, and sheds her short golden hair onto your pants every day? She was just a sweet nuisance that I would miss if gone.

Pandora followed me to the dining room excitedly. She recognized my hiking shoes; they always meant great walks for her.

The rest of the family was busy in the kitchen, getting ready to eat. I grabbed the plates to help set the table.

Our new rental home was a charming courtyard, Spanish-style house with an open floor plan, three bedrooms and two baths. For reasons I didn’t understand, I got the only upstairs bedroom, and even though Nick had to mount the rust-colored tiled stairs to share a bathroom with me, the whole top floor was pretty much mine. Still the house did lack privacy, as it was half the size of our former home. But I had a balcony and together with my sanctuary, I had no reason to complain.

While having breakfast, I announced my plans for the day. To my surprise Dad didn’t try to talk me out of hiking on my own, but instead encouraged me. He only insisted that I take my emergency bag with me.

Dad was the type of man who kept a survival backpack in his car, with non-perishable food and basic tools, enough so we could outlive a major disaster. Of course he packed a smaller, portable version with pepper spray, a knife, a light stick, water, and a protein bar for me. I thought he was being way too paranoid, but if my carrying all this made him happy, I would gladly do that for him. Besides, carrying a survival pack instead of a tracking device didn’t sound so bad.

When I’d finished eating, I hit the road with Pandora.

It was hard to believe that I was driving my first car. It gave me a feeling of independence yet scared the heck out of me. This mixture of emotions turned my toes and fingers cold. Yet the leather smell in the car enchanted me, even though the car wasn’t new, and the soft touch of the steering wheel set every hair on my arm bristling.

Following the GPS, I navigated the route, gripping the black wheel so tightly that my knuckles turned white. The traffic was just as crazy as always, typical L.A., but getting to the park didn’t require driving on the freeway so I managed.

To avoid the busy lot by the observatory, I parked closer to the bottom of the hillside. The parking was easier here because I didn’t need to back up or maneuver my car into tight spaces.

There was no one around so I let my dog off her leash and ordered her to follow me.

As we hiked higher up on the bluff, I spotted tiny light beams dancing on the ground where the sunlight found its way through the parched, bare branches. This was a different type of forest, more open and baked, nothing like the dense and green woods I had grown up with. Still it was nice, and the diamonds of dew glistening on the spider webs added a magical touch. Surrounded by nature, and despite the obvious differences in the landscape, I felt a little bit like being back in Hopewell.

After a good twenty minutes of climbing the steep hillside and inhaling the dust that rose from the ground, I was out of breath. I slumped down onto a fallen tree trunk to rest and called Pandora closer. She positioned herself between my knees, seeking a little petting. I rubbed her head and she wagged her tail in contentment.

This path was peaceful and solitary. My eyes could wander as far as downtown Los Angeles where skyscrapers yearned to reach the heavens, surrounded by small buildings and houses as far as the eye could see. The entire picture looked as if slaves were about to bow before their masters. One of those slave-houses is ours I thought smiling.

Still stroking Pandora’s chest, I closed my eyes and controlled my breathing in order to hear every little sound. One minute just the usual forest hissing was audible, followed by the waft in the crown of the trees; then I heard a soaring hawk’s shriek right above us. I looked up at the clear blue sky when Pandora flexed and tapered her ears between my legs. I followed her gaze and got a glimpse of a squirrel, making its way along the dirt path, jumping nimbly on the dry, lackluster leaves.

“No!” I shouted, and tried to get a firm hold on my dog, but it was too late. She was gone, chasing after the little ball of fur. I leaped to my feet and ran after them. I knew if Pandora had a lead on an odor trail or she was hunting, she would not listen to anybody. I gathered all my strength to sprint between the trees, and yelled at her to stop. Even though I lost sight of them both I still heard Pandora’s barking clearly and it kept me running.

As I advanced higher on the hillside the whispering of the trees intensified. The wind picked up noticeably. Then the sun hid behind a single cloud and the bright light disappeared around me. I wondered if it would be wiser to head back to my car and hope for my dog to find me, but I loved her way too much to risk losing her.

Beginning to feel uneasy, I kept moving forward, deeper into the untamed area, while dry branches and twigs tore at my skin and scratched my legs. I only stopped when I reached a clearing, which I already learned was a firebreak.

I waited and listened when a repressed yip made me shiver.

“Pandora, where are you?” I cried in frustration.

I heard heavy panting and the sound of thumping paws, but I couldn’t identify from which direction. With a throbbing heart, I stood where I was, turning my head around and scanning my surroundings.

And there she was, behind a cluster of bushes by the mouth of a dark hole, padding into my view. She spotted me and started jumping elatedly on the edge of the rock shoulder, barking as if to give me a signal to follow her.

“Stop fooling around, girl! Let’s go home!” I yelled and motioned to her by slapping my thigh. She leaped back inside the gloomy opening, not paying attention to me at all. My anger began to rise from being ignored, but I was curious as to what was behind those bushes.

I opened the oversized pouch I wore across my chest to make sure I had everything I might need for an expedition. I did so I moved over to the jagged rock wall, trying to follow Pandora’s path.

About half way up I slipped and scraped my skin near the ankle. Although not a bad wound, it made me stop and think things through. But just when I was close to change my mind about this adventure, the sun peeked out from behind the clouds once again, and the warm sunrays drove all uncertainty from my mind.

I positioned my foot on the last jutting rock rim before I could pull myself up on the top of a boulder. Pandora showed up again, scaring me so badly that I almost slipped off the ledge. She must have seen something to get her so excited. My curiosity grew with every passing second.

With one last pull, I was finally in.

The temperature was much lower inside the cavern than out in the open and a moldy stale smell caused my nose to twitch. With my pulse throbbing rapidly, I advanced deeper toward the darkness, the hair standing on my arms.

Some light still penetrated from the side where I came from, through the barren bushes that concealed most of the entrance, but the stomach of the spacious cave was chillingly black. I pulled the light stick out of my bag and cracked it. The green neon glow vaguely lit up my path.

I wanted to yell for Pandora, but not one sound left my mouth. There was no sign that anybody had ever been here, but the darkness alone was enough to scare the wits out of me.

Running my fingers along the uneven wall, I pushed forward cautiously, sideways. The sounds of nature began to weaken but now my ears tuned in to a new noise.

“Pandora? Are you there?” I asked in a low voice and stretched out the arm holding the glowing stick.

The same stupid squirrel ran by, down at my feet, sending adrenaline shockwaves through me.

This is not a good idea, I thought. I should turn back now and maybe come back tomorrow with my dad.

Ready to leave, I made one last attempt to call my dog back to me. My voice first echoed in the tunnel then was followed by silence. I narrowed my eyes as I thought I spotted a flickering blue light. My mind kept ordering me to head back to the safe open air, but my curiosity won the battle.

I made a few more steps forward when Pandora appeared in front of me, scampering back and forth toward the light.

What is that? I stared in wonderment at the sparkling bluish swirl blocking the path that looked like the gas in a fluorescent tube. Rays of violet, blue and turquoise swirled around in it slowly, while sparkling stars twinkled randomly on the mesmerizing surface. I saw a similar image in a planetarium once. It was called Aurora. But this couldn’t be an Aurora. That effect is caused by the solar wind with charged particles that get agitated by the magnetic field of the Earth. But how could a solar current get into a cave? It made no sense.

Moving closer, I stared at the phenomenon, clueless, as the many different shades of blue and purple light beams began to coil together, turning the core into a blindingly bright white. I’d never seen a more beautiful thing.

Standing in the cavern and hypnotized by the light, I wasn’t frightened. I was calm. I felt that going closer to it was the most natural thing ever. It called me, invited me nearer.

From the corner of my eyes I saw movement.

“Stop!” I screamed at Pandora, throwing myself at her. But I couldn’t reach her. She jumped into the field and disappeared. Just then a strong, overpowering energy seized me and started to pull on me. I tried to get a safe grip on the wall, and strained my feet, but it was no use. In spite of all resistance I was sucked in as well.

Written and illustrated by A.B. Whelan

Thank you for reading,

                              

Follow the Blog Hop to the next chapter For the daily schedule click here

Find the series on Barnes&Noble and Smashwords

Paperback on Amazon 424 pages (book 1) Fields of Elysium List Price: $14.99 Price: $9.99 Kindle Edition on Amazon Fields of Elysium (a romantic fantasy, book 1)

List Price: $2.99

Price: $0.99

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Paperback on Amazon 438 pages (book 2)

Valley of Darkness (Fields of Elysium, #2) (Volume 2)

List Price: $14.99

Price: $10.99

Kindle Edition on Amazon:

Valley of Darkness Part 1 (Fields of Elysium, #2)

Valley of Darkness Part 2 (Fields of Elysium, #2)

List Price: $1.99

Price: $0.99

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Paperback on Amazon 146 pages (Novella) List Price: $8.99 Price: $5.99 Kindle Edition on Amazon: List Price: $1.99 Safe and Sound (A Fields of Elysium Novella) Price: FREE AMAZON EXCLUSIVE!!

Fields of Elysium Book Trailer

Giveaway

Ends 5/18/14
Open only to those who can legally enter and have a US postal address. 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 fromI Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. INTERNATIONAL WINNER will receive a Fields of Elysium eBook, Valley of Darkness Part 1 and Part 2 eBooks and a Safe and Sound eBook. 


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From the Author 

I'm a Hungarian born American writer, who was lucky enough to travel Europe, Africa, and The Middle East and live in Ecuador, Crete and Italy. I graduated as a computer engineer, thus if anybody tells you math and literature can't walk hand in hand, don't believe them. *smile* I'm the author of the Fields of Elysium saga, which I like to call a young adult romantic fantasy. The first book of the series was inspired by amazing movies like Dirty Dancing, Avatar, and Twilight and earned praise from prestigious review companies and readers. I'm currently working on book three and four, and planning to write one more novella to finish the series, dedicated to another very interesting character in my story, The Prophet, the mysterious leader of the Arkanians. Find me on Social sites. Friend me. Follow me. Message me. I love to connect.

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ORENDA by RUTH SILVER Release Day Blitz with Giveaway! @WriteAwayBliss

ORENDA by Ruth Silver

a Young Adult Fantasy Adventure series

published by Patchwork Press

Join forces with a parallel universe. Dark forces, magical creatures, and the world Lil thought she knew collide when a dream transports her to the strange world of Orenda. Stunned and terrified, Lil comes face to face with her doppelganger, Willow, who possesses the ability to travel between the two worlds. Everything Lil knows logically says that Orenda can't exist, but a small clue may be proof that it was more than an ordinary dream. With the threat of her younger sister in danger, Lil crosses dimensions but it may cost her even more than she bargained for. A sword wielding girl, the eternal suit, and a parallel universe come together in this action-packed Young Adult fantasy adventure that will keep readers of all ages turning the pages. Orenda is the first novel in the Orenda series.

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  Excerpt: Lil stood firm, sword-in-hand, staring at the beast as it flew directly at her. “How do I kill it?” She raised the sword above her head with two hands. Hudson glanced at her. “With what we taught you. The dragon is no different than a man.” “It has wings and is flying at me. I’d say it’s different!”   About the Author: Ruth Silver is the best-selling author of ABERRANT, a young adult dystopian adventure series published by Patchwork Press and Lazy Day Publishing, in 2013. Silver attended Northern Illinois University and graduated with a Bachelor's in Communication in the spring of 2005. While in college, she spent much of her free time writing with friends she met online and penning her first novel, Deuces are Wild, which she self-published in 2004. Her favorite class was Creative Writing senior year where she often handed in assignments longer than the professor required, because she loved to write and always wanted to finish her stories. Her love of writing led her on an adventure in 2007 to Melbourne, Australia. Silver enjoys reading, photography, traveling and most of all writing. She loves dystopian and fantasy young adult stories. Ruth has been actively writing since she was a teenager. Upcoming works include Royal Reaper, a young adult series about grim reapers, due for release June 3rd, 2014. She currently resides in Plainfield, Illinois.


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Review EXILE by KEVIN EMERSON @kcemerson @EpicReads @HarperTeen

Book Description

Publication Date: April 29, 2014

Kevin Emerson's Exile combines the swoon-worthy romance of a Susane Colasanti novel with the rock 'n' roll of Eleanor & Park. Summer Carlson knows how to manage bands like a professional—minus the whole falling-for-the-lead-singer-of-the-latest-band part. But Caleb Daniels isn't an ordinary band boy—he's a hot, dreamy, sweet-singing, exiled-from-his-old-band, possibly-with-a-deep-dark-side band boy. She also finds herself at the center of a mystery she never saw coming. When Caleb reveals a secret about his long-lost father, one band's past becomes another's present, and Summer finds it harder and harder to be both band manager and girlfriend. Maybe it's time to accept who she really is, even if it means becoming an exile herself. . . .

About the Author


Kevin Emerson is the author of The Lost Code: Book One of the Atlanteans, The Fellowship for Alien Detection, the Oliver Nocturne series, and Carlos Is Gonna Get It. He is also a musician and has most recently released two albums with his band, the Board of Education. A former science teacher, Kevin lives in Seattle and teaches writing to teens through Writers in the Schools, Richard Hugo House, and 826 Seattle.

SOURCE:  PUBLSIHER

MY THOUGHTS - LOVED IT

Catherine Summer Carlson knows how to manage a band and make them successful, so successful that they are stolen away from her by a major label. She also has a thing for lead singers and now in her senior year at Mount Hope, the local art magnet school in Los Angeles, she must face the fact that there is not a band for her to take to stardom and ends up making college plans. Then she meet Caleb who just had a nasty break up with his band. She sees the potential in Caleb and starts to put together a solid foundation for a new stellar act. She doesn't plan on the chemistry that is ignited between them though. Caleb also confesses to her that he has just learned that his father was one of rock's brightest stars when his untimely death brought an end to his stardom.

Without giving away any plot details, Summer (as she is known professionally) helps Caleb track down his father's last songs as well as deal with despicable music corporations that own everything about his father. As the pair become closer and have all of the ups and downs a new relationship and mix that in with volatile musicians, the story really comes together. Summer is likable and Caleb seems like every girl's rock star dream. I really enjoyed this one and want to read more by this author. And yes, I really want to read the next one.  


Parents:  Mentions of adults with substance abuse, some alcohol references, a bit of language and some sexual situations but overall handled nicely and in context.  The story also imports the necessity of doing well in school, acting responsibly and being true to yourself.  

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