Luminosity by Stephanie Thomas Publisher: Entangled Publishing Date: November 13th, 2012 Series: Luminosity #1 Add it to Goodreads Summary: My name is Beatrice. When I was born, I was blessed with the Sight. I was immediately removed from my parents and enrolled in the Institution. At the age of twelve, I had my first true vision, earning my raven’s wings. And when I turned seventeen, one of my visions came true. Things haven’t been the same since.
The Institution depends on me to keep the City safe from our enemy, the Dreamcatchers, but I’m finding it harder to do while keeping a secret from everyone, including my best friend Gabe. It is a secret that could put us all in danger. A secret that could kill me and everyone close to me.
But the enemy has been coming to me in my dreams, and I think I’m falling in love with him. He says they’re coming. He says they’re angry. And I think I’ve already helped them win.
Cover reveals are so much fun and here is another book I immediately added to my TBR list. What do you guys think? Are you excited for this one?
Pretty Amy by Lisa Burstein Publisher: Entangled Publishing Date: May 15th, 2012 Add it to Goodreads Summary: Sometimes date is a four-letter word
Amy is fine living in the shadows of beautiful Lila and uber-cool Cassie, because at least she’s somewhat beautiful and uber-cool by association. But when their dates stand them up for prom, and the girls take matters into their own hands—earning them a night in jail outfitted in satin, stilettos, and Spanx—Amy discovers even a prom spent in handcuffs might be better than the humiliating “rehabilitation techniques” now filling up her summer. Worse, with Lila and Cassie parentally banned, Amy feels like she has nothing—like she is nothing.
Navigating unlikely alliances with her new coworker, two very different boys, and possibly even her parents, Amy struggles to decide if it’s worth being a best friend when it makes you a public enemy. Bringing readers along on an often hilarious and heartwarming journey, Amy finds that maybe getting a life only happens once you think your life is over.
I'm really getting into these cover reveals and Entangled Publishing has just been full of awesomeness lately. Here is the cover for PRETTY AMY and honestly, this book sounds hilarious!
Here is an excerpt!
I was just about to put out my cigarette and go back inside when I heard a skateboard coming down the street. It sounded like waves, like a conch shell against your ear. That full, empty sound. Maybe it was Aaron. I conjured up my stupid daydream, the one I used to fill my head when I couldn’t deal with any of the other stuff in there—that he would find me, that he would apologize, that he would tell me that prom night hadn’t been his fault. The difference this time was that when I looked toward the sound, he really was there. It was him.Aaron. He was skateboarding down the sidewalk like it was made of water, wearing the same loose, worn jeans from his Facebook picture. He carried a backpack, like he might have been coming from the library, but I doubted he ever went to the library. I lit another cigarette with the end of my last one; any excuse to stay put. Then I remembered I was wearing a suit. “ You got another one of those?” he asked. His eyes were blue. I hadn’t noticed that in his picture. My hands shook as I gave him a cigarette. He brought a silver-and-black Zippo to his mouth, flipped it open with one hand, lit his cigarette, and slapped it shut. The whole thing took seconds, but it felt like he was doing it in slow motion. “Thanks,” he said. Maybe he had just stopped to get a cigarette. Maybe it had nothing to do with me. It probably had nothing to do with me. “ I know you,” he said. “Where do I know you from?” I couldn’t tell him. Telling him that he’d stood me up for my own prom would have been way too embarrassing. It would tell him that I still cared enough to remember. “ I’m friends with Lila and Cassie,” I said, wishing that my hair wasn’t pulled back in a headband like I was a nun. “ What are you all dressed up for?” he asked. Of course he didn’t know me. If he had, he would have known that I’d just come from court and that I was trying to do everything I could to forget it. “ I work here,” I said, thinking fast. “I’m supposed to be a librarian.” “ You don’t have to lie,” he said, laughing. “I’m Aaron.” “ Amy,” I said, waving hello with the cigarette in my hand. He smiled. “Though you do make a cute librarian.” I tried to keep myself from coughing. “This suit sucks,” I said. It seemed cooler than saying thank you. It seemed cooler than getting all squishy over what he said, even though that was how I felt. I looked at his skateboard. “You wanna try it out?” he asked. The deck had a mural of blue sky and white-capped mountains hand-painted on it. The wheels were covered with stop-motion birds, so that when they spun it must have looked like the birds were flying. There was more to this boy. More that I wanted to know. “ I guess I could,” I said, but then I remembered my mother. She would come looking for me soon. I shook my head. “I should go.” “You got a cell phone?” he asked. “ Not that I’m allowed to use anymore.” “ Parents,” he said. He pulled a sketchbook from his backpack. Maybe he had painted that beautiful mural. He ripped out a piece of paper, wrote something down, and handed it to me. It was his phone number. I tried not to act surprised, tried to act like boys gave me their numbers all the time, especially when I hadn’t asked for them. “ See you around, Amy,” he said. He dropped the skateboard next to him. It landed perfectly on its wheels like a cat would on its legs. As he skated away, I looked at his number; the paper was as soft as fabric. I folded it smaller and smaller and hid it in my bra. Maybe he hadn’t said what I wanted him to say, but he had found me. He had found me. And, what's even more fun?In addition to the PRETTY AMY cover reveal, Lisa and Entangled Publishing will be hosting a Worst Prom Photo contest in the weeks leading up to AMY's release on May 15. So make sure to dust off your old prom photos—the more tulle, bows, and big hair the better!—and watch Lisa's site, http://www.lisaburstein.com, for details on how to submit/enter to win a beauty package.How cool is that??
Hey everyone! Today kicks off the Baby, It's Cold Outside blog tour! Aimee, Kate, Heidi and Amy have stopped by today to do a few fun"This or That" and Fill in the Blank questions. Be sure to check out the giveaway below for a $10 Gift Card! A new giveaway will be featured during each week of the tour.
FOLLOW THE TOUR
AIMEE CARSON This or That List:
Hot or Cold: Cold! I grew up in Florida and I hate hot weather. Hot Chocolate or Coffee: In answer to your question, I lugged my espresso maker all the way to last year’s Romance Writers of America conference in Anaheim. I’ll be taking it next year too. Real Tree or Fake Tree: Real. You just can’t beat the wonderful scent of pine on Christmas morning. Spending time by the fire or Spending time in the snow: I’m gonna be greedy here and say I want to play in the snow and then snuggle up in front of the fire afterward. The two kinda go together like peanut butter and chocolate. Fill in the Blank: My story is perfect for the holidays because_______ my feisty heroine has just suffered through the worst year of her life when she runs into the hero on New Year’s Day. ‘Tis the Season to be Tempted is all about new beginnings, and having the courage to start over. My characters begin the story as (friends, enemies, strangers, etc.)_______ Hmm, this is a tough one. My hero is best friends with the heroine’s older brother. They grew up together, with the hero always being a little disapproving of the heroine’s questionable choices. She’s … ah, kind of a nonconformist. And there’s always been this lingering unspoken attraction. Of course, they were too different to consider a romantic relationship. So… friends? Sort of. Enemies? Sometimes. Strangers? In all the ways that really count. This book is about them revealing their true selves. A perfect gift for the characters in my story would be_________ a gourmet set of kitchen utensils, but you’ll have to read the book to find out why! *insert evil laugh* If I could spend Christmas with any celebrity it would be_________ Conan O'Brien, because he makes me laugh!
KATE HARDYThis or That List:
Hot or Cold Cold — I can't sleep if I'm too hot!
Hot Chocolate or Coffee — Coffee (especially if it's a skinny latte — though after my one proper coffee a day I tend to drink instant whole bean decaf)
Real Tree or Fake Tree — I would love a real one, like the one we had when I was a child, but we have a fake one which is narrow and doesn't take up quite so much room
Spending time by the fire or Spending time in the snow — as long as I don't have to drive in it, snow (otherwise, please let me stay by the fire with a good book!)
Fill in the blank
My story is perfect for the holidays because _________ it's all about second chances and learning the true meaning of Christmas
My characters begin the story as (friends, enemies, strangers, etc.) ___________ total strangers
A perfect gift for the characters in my story would be __________ exactly what they get — each other!
If I could spend Christmas with any celebrity it would be _________ Antonio Banderas, because he's utterly gorgeous (as well as coming across in interviews as a really, really nice guy) and he dances the tango beautifully (see 'Take the Lead' for details): o) And as we're learning the tango in ballroom dance class next term, I would love to dance the tango with him. (Or the waltz. I bet he waltzes perfectly, too!)
HEIDI RICE This or That
Hot or Cold: Cold (and snuggly)
Hot Chocolate or Coffee: Coffee with Skimmed milk when I'm being good, Hot Chocolate with cream when I'm being bad (I'm usually bad!)
Real Tree or Fake Tree: Real tree, gotta be, it's not Christmas if you can't smell the Norwegian spruce in our living room.
Spending time by the fire or Spending time in the snow: Time by the fire (after time in the snow!)
Fill in the blank My story is perfect for the holidays because _______ it'll whisk you away to a luxury department store on Fifth Avenue where there are no queues, you can have anything you want without paying for it and there's a hunky guy on hand to rub your feet when you're done! And there's a really hot romance in there somewhere, too!
My characters begin the story as (friends, enemies, strangers, etc.) ______ strangers with misconceptions about each other.
A perfect gift for the characters in my story would be________ Each other! If I could spend Christmas with any celebrity it would be _______ Pierce Brosnan who would take me to Mauii. Why? Because I've heard he looks super cute in a sarong!
AMY ANDREWS This or That Hot or Cold — Hot Hot Chocolate or Coffee — Hot Chocolate Real Tree or Fake Tree — Fake Spending time by the fire or Spending time in the snow — By the Fire (whilst watching the snow out the window)
Fill in the blank My story is perfect for the holidays because _it’s about two strangers in a snowed-in cabin, perfect for long, lazy days snuggled up in bed!______ My characters begin the story as (friends, enemies, strangers, etc.) ___strangers. A perfect gift for the characters in my story would be ___a super-size box of condoms! If I could spend Christmas with any celebrity it would be _George Clooney because I couldn’t think of any other celebrity I’d want to kiss under the mistletoe quite as much as George!
Baby, It's Cold Outside by Amy Andrews, Aimee Carson, Kate Hardy, and Heidi Rice Published: Entangled Publishing (November 19th, 2012) Reading Level: Adult
Four novellas from four of the biggest names in romantic fiction!
Kate Hardy's 'TIS THE SEASON TO KISS SANTA
With the help of a sprig of mistletoe and some snow angels, a recently single pastry chef teaches a highly successful and sexy Scrooge the true meaning of the holidays on a snowy Christmas Eve that quickly heats up.
Heidi Rice's 'TIS THE SEASON TO GO SHOPPING
When a Christmas Day blizzard strands an up-and-coming marketing manager and her boss's very off-limits, very hot playboy son in his department store, the two toe the line between naughty and nice as they unwrap their holiday presents—and each other!
Amy Andrews’s ‘TIS THE SEASON FOR KISSING
A down-on-her-romantic-luck kindergarten teacher plans to drown her New Year’s Eve sorrows in a gallon of spiked eggnog, but the arrival of her best friend's sexy brother threatens to melt the snow piling up outside the tiny Vermont cabin.
Aimee Carson’s ‘TIS THE SEASON TO BE TEMPTED
After the worst year ever, a jilted music manager rings in the New Year alone, swearing off men forever. But things get complicated when her brother's best friend, the perfect man with the perfect body, tempts her to break her vow—if only for one hot night!
Olivia Twisted by Vivi Barnes Coming out November 5th, 2013 Entangled Teen Book Summary:
Olivia He tilts my chin up so my eyes meet his, his thumb brushing lightly across my lips. I close my eyes. I know Z is trouble. I know that being with him is going to get me into trouble. I don’t care. At least at this moment, I don’t care.
Tossed from foster home to foster home, Olivia’s seen a lot in her sixteen years. She’s hardened, sure, though mostly just wants to fly under the radar until graduation. But her natural ability with computers catches the eye of Z, a mysterious guy at her new school. Soon, Z has brought Liv into his team of hacker elite—break into a few bank accounts, and voila, he drives a motorcycle. Follow his lead, and Olivia might even be able to escape from her oppressive foster parents. As Olivia and Z grow closer, though, so does the watchful eye of Bill Sykes, Z’s boss. And he’s got bigger plans for Liv…
Z I can picture Liv’s face: wide-eyed, trusting. Her smooth lips that taste like strawberry Fanta. It was just a kiss. That’s all. She’s just like any other girl. Except that she’s not. Thanks to Z, Olivia’s about to get twisted.
About the author: Vivi Barnes was raised on a farm in East Texas where her theater-loving mom and cowboy dad gave her a unique perspective on life. Now living in the magic and sunshine of Orlando, Florida, she divides her time writing, working, goofing off with her husband and three kids, and avoiding dirty dishes.
Find her on her blog: http://4chicks.wordpress.com/ Find her on twitter: https://twitter.com/ViviBarnes Find her on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/vivibarnes.author
Inbetween by Tara Fuller Entangled Publishing (August 7th, 2012) Paperback: 400 pages Series: Kissed by Death #1 Since the car crash that took her father’s life three years ago, Emma’s life has been a freaky—and unending—lesson in caution. Surviving “accidents” has taken priority over being a normal seventeen-year-old, so Emma spends her days taking pictures of life instead of living it. Falling in love with a boy was never part of the plan. Falling for a reaper who makes her chest ache and her head spin? Not an option.
It’s not easy being dead, especially for a reaper in love with a girl fate has put on his list not once, but twice. Finn’s fellow reapers give him hell about spending time with Emma, but Finn couldn’t let her die before, and he’s not about to let her die now. He will protect the girl he loves from the evil he accidentally unleashed, even if it means sacrificing the only thing he has left… his soul.
Wow, this sounds so good! I can't wait to get my hands on this one. What do you guys think?
Paperback Available for Pre-Order from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Inbetween-Tara-Fuller/dp/1620610833/ref=lh_ni_t
Add to your Goodreads TBR: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13055677-inbetween
Today I am a tour stop for Janenifer L. Arme ntrout and her book Opal.
Be sure to check out the post and DO NOT miss the giv eaway. I have a copy of O pal SIGNED by J ennifer and cov er mo del Pepe Toth!
A List of what Katy bought the people in her life for Christmas. What did Katy buy:
Daemon — Besides me??? Season 5 of Ghost Hunters
Dee — Pink toe socks. Take that, Daemon
Dawson — Um, not sure. Will have to talk to Daemon about that.
Mom — Dummies Guide to Cooking and Not Killing Yourself
Ash/Andrew — New personalities. Can I get that on Amazon? You can order everything on Amazon.
Opal by Janenifer L. Armentrout Publisher: Entangled Publish ing (December 11th, 2012 ) Reading Level: Yo ung Adult Paperback: 452 pages Series: Lu x, # 3 No one is like Daemon Black.
When he set out to prove his feelings for me, he wasn’t fooling around. Doubting him isn’t something I’ll do again, and now that we’ve made it through the rough patches, well… There’s a lot of spontaneous combustion going on.
But even he can’t protect his family from the danger of trying to free those they love.
After everything, I’m no longer the same Katy. I’m different… And I’m not sure what that will mean in the end. When each step we take in discovering the truth puts us in the path of the secret organization responsible for torturing and testing hybrids, the more I realize there is no end to what I’m capable of. The death of someone close still lingers, help comes from the most unlikely source, and friends will become the deadliest of enemies, but we won’t turn back. Even if the outcome will shatter our worlds forever.
Together we’re stronger… and they know it.
Prize:1 winner will get a paperback copy of OPAL signed by Janenifer L. Armentrout and cover model Pepe Toth.
Rules:
You must be at least 13 to enter.
Name and email must be provided and counts as 1 entry.
Extra entries are possible and links must be provided.
Contest is US Only and ends January 11th.
Once contacted, the winner will have 48 hours to respond.
This holiday season, get Entangled Under the Mistletoe! Entangled Publishing is hosting its very first blog hop and with over 50 authors participating, all of whom are signed with Entangled Publishing, this is your chance to win a ton of fantastic prizes from your favourite authors! The hop runs from December 7th to 14th, and make sure to visit all these authors’ blogs during that week! You really don’t want to miss these giveaways. The authors participating in the hop are: Links have now been updated. They go to the direct page where the giveaway can be located. Diane Alberts Rachel Harris Ophelia London Lisa Burstein Nicola Marsh Jenna Bennett Barbara DeLeo Sarah Gilman Chloe Jacobs Kate Avelynn Aleah Barley Candace Havens- Tiffany Allee Natalie J. Damschroder Robin Covington Coleen Kwan Karen Erickson Crista McHugh Patricia Eimer Roxanne Snopek Taryn Elliott Michelle McLean Melissa Bourbon Ramirez Victoria James Annie Seaton Boone Brux Robin Bielman Lisa Kessler Christine Warner Jus Accardo Rosalie Lario Stacey Kennedy Robyn DeHart Laura Kaye Cari Quinn Stephanie Draven Paige Cuccaro Katee Robert Bronwen Evans Rita Oberlies Nina Croft Marisa Cleveland Michele de Winton Jennifer Shirk Amy Andrews and Heidi Rice Ros Clarke Rachel Lyndhurst Hope Tarr Aimee Carson and Kate Hardy Sara Daniel Lea Nolan Abby Niles Jane Kindred
In celebration of it, there will also be a #EntangledUndertheMistletoe Twitter Party!
Yes, that means more giveaways!
If you’re a fan of the holidays, believe me, you want to be a part of this.
We have loads of fun stuff planned for the party so, join us!
Date: 7th December, 2012 (Tonight).
Time: 9pm EST.
Hash-tag: #EntangledUndertheMistletoe
What: We’ll be asking fun holiday themed questions and each question has prizes to be won! Answer right for a chance to win some of the many fabulous prizes!
Where: Follow the instructions below!
Go to http://tweetgrid.com/party
Fill in the the hash-tag as #EntangledUndertheMistletoe
Fill in the hosts @entangledpub @thebestreader @babsbookbistro @anjanavasan
Enter your twitter handle, follow the tweets, answer the questions and you may just get lucky!
Don’t forget to mention the #EntangledUndertheMistletoe hash-tag in your replies! Hope to see you there!
Stephanie Thomas has stopped by today to tell us a little about the world we will see in her book Luminosity. Be sure to sign up for the giveaway below!
Can you describe the world we will read about in Luminosity?
Luminosity is set in a dystopian world. The first book of The Raven Chronicles mostly takes place in The City, which is… exactly what it sounds like: a city! This city was created after a war that destroyed most of what was formally known as America. The survivors rebuilt on the East Coast, in this city that is protected with a force field-like shield and an electric barrier fence.
The City is mostly a dark place. In my head, I pictured it kind of like Gothim City. The “normal” people who live inside The City are called Citizens. They are kept inside the barricades for their own safety from whatever lies outside the fences. They must abide by curfew and other rules, but they don’t think of themselves as being oppressed. In fact, they are quite happy to have a place that is deemed safe enough to thrive.
The Seers are those who have the ability to see into the future and have been tasked with protecting the Citizens to the best of their ability. They live in the Institution, which is the tallest and most central building of The City. You’ll have to read to find out more about this mysterious place!
The only other place mentioned in book one would be Aura, where the Dreamcatchers live. Little is known about Aura as it’s so far away and houses the enemy.
Technology also has a huge role to play in Luminosity, though it is staggered and a bit inconsistent at best. The Seers definitely have some advanced technology, but there are times where it might be thought the Dreamcatchers know a bit more about what they are working with in that regard. It’s an interesting element to explore, since science and technology can be used to help and to hurt depending on whose hands it falls into.
I hope you enjoy the world I’ve created! I wish I could say more, but I don’t want to give anything away, so if you are curious, you’ll have to take a peek for yourself and see! Happy Reading!
About Stephanie: Stephanie Thomas has been writing ever since she could put letters together to form words. When she was a small child, she would present her mother and father with self-made newspapers filled up with make believe stories and pictures. Her love for writing followed her all throughout her schooling, where she entered and won writing contests of all sorts. Stephanie decided to become an English teacher and completed her B.A. at The Pennsylvania State University. While teaching, she later went on to get her Master’s in writing from The Johns Hopkins University. She completed her very first manuscript during her graduate studies, and by the end of the program, she had completed two more. Stephanie is quick to tell anyone that she’s a born and raised Philadelphian, and her heart will always belong there. She moved to Baltimore with her husband, and they’ve been living there for the last five years with their doggie, Sailor, and their rabbit, Buns (aka “T Sizzle).
Luminosity by Stephanie Thomas Published: Entangled Publishing (November 13th, 2012) Reading Level: Young Adult Paperback: 296 pages Series: Raven Chronicles #1 My name is Beatrice. When I was born, I was blessed with the Sight. I was immediately removed from my parents and enrolled in the Institution. At the age of twelve, I had my first true vision, earning my raven’s wings. And when I turned seventeen, one of my visions came true. Things haven’t been the same since.
The Institution depends on me to keep the City safe from our enemy, the Dreamcatchers, but I’m finding it harder to do while keeping a secret from everyone, including my best friend Gabe. It is a secret that could put us all in danger. A secret that could kill me and everyone close to me.
But the enemy has been coming to me in my dreams, and I think I’m falling in love with him. He says they’re coming. He says they’re angry. And I think I’ve already helped them win.
Tour Wide Giveaway! Prize: A Signed Copy of Luminosity, A Raven Pepsi Bottle Cap Necklace, and Swag.
“Ray, I don’t think we’re alone in this house.” My mother held her breath, waiting for my father’s response. They’d just moved into the old cottage that faced the highway. Finding another place to live was probably out of the question.
“Of course not, Alice. The baby’s here, too.”
“No, that’s not what I mean. We, the three of us, aren’t alone. Someone else is here too.”
My father’s shoulders stiffened. “Like an intruder?” His voice filled with a fierce mixture of testosterone and the urge to protect his own.
“No,” she shook her head, trying to explain the recent events to her no-nonsense spouse. “It’s a… presence. And it’s here all the time.”
His brow furrowed. “A ghost?”
She nodded. “Yes, I think so. I’m pretty sure it’s a child.”
He narrowed his eyes. “And how would you know that?
“During the day, when you’re at work and I’m here with Lea, it plays with me. When I’m in the kitchen with the baby, I’ll hear something moving or jingling in the living room. As soon as I go in there to see what it is, the pots and pans start rattling in the pantry. This happens all day long, no matter where I am.” She gazed into my father’s pale blue eyes. “It’s happening so much, I’ve started talking to it, telling it I know it’s there. I think it believes we’re playing a game. And… I can almost see it. Not if I look at it straight on, but once in a while, I’ll catch a glimpse of something that looks like a wisp of smoke from the corner of eye.”
As my father stared hard at her, my mother knew he was working to make sense of all he’d just heard. Yes it was far-fetched, and sounded completely crazy, but it was also the truth.
He rubbed his chin. “Are you afraid?”
“No. It hasn’t done anything to hurt me or Lea, so I think we’re safe.”
Sometime later as my parents were watching television one evening, they heard me babbling in my bed.
My mother sighed. “I don’t know why she won’t go down. Would you go in there and see what she’s up to?”
Dutifully, my father headed to my room and found me sitting up in bed speaking to no one he could see.
“What are you doing?” he asked, scanning the room.
I turned my head toward the doorway. “Talking to my friend.” Though I was just over a year old, I was an unusually early talker.
“Your friend?” he asked.
“Yes.” I smiled and glanced back at the empty space before me.
“Is your friend here?”
Nodding, I pointed directly in front of me. “Right there.”
He drew a deep breath. “Well, it’s time to go to sleep, so tell your friend you can see him in the morning.”
“Okay,” I answered as I lay down.
Over the next few months, the ghostly presence became a part of our little family. Eventually my father began to see it too, hovering in a corner between the living and dining rooms, its diaphanous appearance vanishing whenever he attempted to look at it straight on. If he had any doubts of the ghost’s existence, they evaporated the night he heard my Fisher Price toy xylophone tinkling out a distinct tune. Sure I’d gotten out of bed to strike the multi-colored keys with my wooden mallet, he charged into my room and found me sound asleep. The xylophone was deep in my toy box, well out of reach.
Not long after, as my nearly six-month pregnant mother reclined on the couch one evening, both she and my father saw the apparition hovering in the corner, but this time it appeared to linger longer than usual. It disappeared and a few seconds later, an eerie, cold sensation crawled across my mother’s body and the icy impression of a small hand clutched her foot.
It was the last time they ever saw or heard from the ghost again.
So what about you, readers? It’s one thing to think you may have a ghost in your house, it’s another to see it. Would you rather retain that comfortable distance (and plausible deniability), or would you prefer to confirm its existence with your own eyes?
Lea Nolan writes the kinds of stories she sought as a teen—smart paranormals with bright heroines, crazy-hot heroes, diabolical plot twists, plus a dose of magic, a draft of romance, and a sprinkle of history. She’s holds degrees in history and women’s studies concentrating in public policy and spent fifteen years as a health policy analyst and researcher. She lives in Maryland with her heroically supportive husband and three clever children.
Her debut YA novel, CONJURE, book one in The Hoodoo Apprentice Series releases on October 23, 2012 from Entangled Publishing. In CONJURE, three teens discover a mysterious 18th-century pirate treasure and inadvertently unleash a wicked flesh-eating curse. To save her brother’s life and the soul of her unrequited secret-crush, Emma Guthrie must apprentice herself to an elderly Gullah root worker to learn hoodoo magic and break the hex.
Conjure by Lea Nolan Publisher: Entangled Publishing (October 23rd, 2012) Reading Level: Young Adult Paperback: 314 pages Series: The Hoodoo Apprentice, #1 Be careful what you search for…
Emma Guthrie expects this summer to be like any other in the South Carolina Lowcountry--hot and steamy with plenty of beach time alongside her best friend and secret crush, Cooper Beaumont, and Emma’s ever-present twin brother, Jack. But then a mysterious eighteenth-century message in a bottle surfaces, revealing a hidden pirate bounty. Lured by the adventure, the trio discovers the treasure and unwittingly unleashes an ancient Gullah curse that attacks Jack with the wicked flesh-eating Creep and promises to steal Cooper’s soul on his approaching sixteenth birthday.
When a strange girl appears, bent on revenge; demon dogs become a threat; and Jack turns into a walking skeleton; Emma has no choice but to learn hoodoo magic to undo the hex, all before summer—and her friends--are lost forever.
Prize:
1 winner will receive an ebook of Conjure, magnet, and a signed bookmark.
Rules:
You must be at least 13 to enter.
Name and email must be provided and counts as 1 entry.
Extra entries are possible and links must be provided.
Contest is US Only and ends November 10th.
Once contacted, the winner will have 48 hours to respond.
The form must be filled out to enter.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook
Amazon | Barnes & Noble Reminder: If you are interested in the COMMENT CONTEST, remember to include your email address with your comment for an extra entry! Please read full entry rules here. Don't forget to check out Lisa's Haunted Halloween post for today!
The Biology of Scary by Chloe Jacobs I’m a huge fan of Halloween. I love everything scary, but for the longest time I couldn’t watch horror movies. It’s not that they were too scary. Just the opposite, in fact. Scary movies left me bored because the cinematography could never match up to the ambition of the storyline. It was always so obviously fake I was annoyed instead of scared, which feels like a rip-off when you’ve paid the money to go to the theatre and you want to come out of there on the adrenaline high from a really good scare. Granted, movies have gotten better as the ability to make them look and sound more real advances, but what really gets me is a good scary book! But what makes a story really scary, w hether it be a movie or a book? Of course, the answers can be found in human psychology and our own biology. The hormonal storm that trips through you just before, during and after a frightfully fun moment is like nothing else. It covers everything from anticipation to anxiety to experiencing the fear and having the adrenaline rush, to coming down afterward. Fear and hilarity are very close to each other. The same neurotransmitter is being engaged. That’s why a lot of times when you’re startled you’ll find that the very next reaction is to laugh to release that tension.
It also explains why so many of us love to be scared by movies/books/costumes/haunted houses/etc: It’s an internal roller coaster ride that delivers a safe, but chemical surge of controlled danger. Your body can’t discern between the intentional thrill you ignite by, say, parachuting for sport and the anxiety that grips you if you stumble into true peril. The old “fight or flight” reaction is a major building block of our evolution. Development and civilization might have calmed everybody down but we began to feel restless, missing the excitement of living on the edge.
In an alarming situation, your adrenal glands (which sit atop your kidneys) dump the hormone epinephrine into your blood stream. That gush triggers a series of bodily reactions including a burst in heart rate and breathing. The very exciting experiences, the anxious experiences, and the sexually stimulating experiences are so close as to be difficult to differentiate just on a physiological level. So if you’re going bungee jumping or you’re having a panic attack, being scared out of your skin, or having the best orgasm of your life, biologically speaking, it’s almost identical.
After the initial burst of adrenaline lifts, the body unleashes a wave of hormones to restore heart and breathing rates, giving you that peaceful, relaxed after-glow. People get addicted to that feeling as much as they get addicted to the excitement.
Horror is an emotion. An extreme one. And while we might lie and say we have an aversion to real violence, why does everyone crane their heads to stare at the scene of a car accident on the side of the highway? Because on some level we are drawn to it, attracted to it.
The great thing is that horror can be about reality-based situations (ie. serial killers), or it can be supernatural in theme (werewolves or aliens). It can be soft, psychological, weird, graphic, etc. There’s no limit, especially in books, because the reader isn’t hampered by limited technology and cinematography.
What do you think about scary movies v. scary books? Which is better? Do you have a favourite?
Greta and the Goblin King by Chloe Jacobs Publisher: Entangled Pub ishing (November 13th, 2012) Reading Level: Young Adult Pa perback: 400 pages Series: Mylen a Chr onicles, #1 While trying to save her brother from the witch three years ago, Greta was thrown into the fire herself, falling through a portal to a dangerous world where humans are the enemy, and every ogre, goblin, and ghoul has a dark side that comes out with the full moon. To survive, 17-year-old Greta has hidden her humanity and taken the job of bounty hunter—and she’s good at what she does. So good, she’s caught the attention of Mylena’s young Goblin King, the darkly enticing Isaac, who invades her dreams and undermines her determination to escape. But Greta’s not the only one looking to get out of Mylena. The full moon is mere days away, and an ancient evil being knows she’s the key to opening the portal. If Greta fails, she and the boys she finds stranded in the woods will die. If she succeeds, no world will be safe from what follows her back..
Prize:
1 winner will receive a n ebook copy of Greta and the Goblin Kin g.
Rules:
You must be at least 13 to enter.
Name and email must be provided and counts as 1 entry.
Extra entries are possible and links must be provided.
Contest is International and ends November 9th.
Once contacted, the winner will have 48 hours to respond.
The form must be filled out to enter.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook
Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Reminder: If you are interested in the COMMENT CONTEST, remember to include your email address with your comment for an extra entry! Please read full entry rules here. Don't forget to check out Lisa's Haunted Halloween post for today!
First, for those of you who follow my blog, or me on twitter, you have probably witnessed me raving about Janenifer L. Armentrout's book Half-Blood. It's one of my top 3 from this year so far. Hands down! Then I heard Janenifer had another book coming soon and I was flipping out! I just had to know more so I stalked her blog for a bit and now we officially have the cover and blurb from the book. EEK!
Obsidian by Janenifer L. Armentrout Release date: December 6th, 2011 Series: Lux #1 Add it to Goodreads Starting over sucks.
When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I’d pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, outhouses, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring. Until I spotted my hot neighbor with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.
And then he opened his mouth.
Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something… unexpected happens.
The hot alien living next door marked me.
You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and the mark he left on me has me lit up like Las Vegas strip to the bad guys. The only way I'm getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.
If I don't kill him first, that is.
How amazing does that sound?! And how HOT is that cover? I am from West Virginia but I sure as heck didn't have a neighbor who was that smokin' hot!
Find Janenifer L. Armentrout Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Blog
+800K+FINAL+FINAL.jpg)
