Precious Blood by Tonya Hurley Giveaway

Precious Blood by Tony Hurley Giveaway

Simon and Schuster has contacted me to ask if I wanted to host a giveaway on my blog. Of course I said yes, because I love giving you guys goodies! So I have 2 books to giveaway to 2 lucky US addresses! Check out a little about info about the book and enter to win below:



About the Book

What if martyrs and saints lived among us? And what if you were told you were one of them?


Agnes, Cecilia, and Lucy are three lost girls—each with their own personal demons. These girls meet one night when they all end up in the same hospital…and each wake up with a token from a boy they’ve only just met. Sebastian is gorgeous, mysterious, and has a plan for all of them. As each girl gets wrapped up in finding out just who Sebastian is, they each discover their own strengths, and realize the only way to save themselves is to save each other.

The story begins in PRECIOUS BLOOD and continues in PASSIONARIES, available 1/7/14.

About the Author

Photo by Kevin Mazur

Tonya Hurley is the New York Times best-selling author of the highly acclaimed “ghostgirl“ book series; creator, writer and producer of animated and live action hit television series; writer and director of independent films; writer and director of commercials for Playstation, Gameboy and Warner Home Video; and creator of groundbreaking videogames. Her new young adult trilogy, THE BLESSED, begins with Precious Blood.

Praise for Precious Blood
“Our new favorite dark, sexy rock-n-roll thriller.” (SugarScape.com)
“Intriguing premise, fiery dialogue, and digs about celebrity-obsessed culture that moves at the speed of Twitter…” (Publishers Weekly)

"...Hurley brings her deadpan wit and blackest humor to the first tale in this trilogy about spirituality, sacrifice and supernatural romance." (MTV Hollywood Crush)

So now, make sure you enter to win you're own copy:

Marissa Meyer Book Signing Re-cap and Giveaway!

Yesterday I went to Marissa Meyer's book signing event that was hosted in my little hometown of Vero Beach. We get a few YA authors through here every year but not very many so I was stoked when I found out Marissa was going to be there and that the event was early enough that I could go before going to work.

After a really nice opening from a young fan on the book, Marissa came out and talked a little about how she came up with the idea for The Lunar Chronicles and her road to publication.

Here are some highlights:

• Marissa Meyer started writing fan fics for Sailor Moon (a show I loved growing up)
• She got the idea for The Lunar Chronicles while writing a fan fic she entered into a contest
• Wrote first drafts of Cinder, Scarlet and some of Cress during NaNoWriMo.
• She wrote over 150,000 words that month for a contest going on. The winner got to visit the set of Star Trek. She came in third. The winner beat her by 1,000 words.
• Marissa Meyer comes from a family of proud nerds!
• She can entertain you with a bunch of history about fairy tales
• The movie rights for Cinder are in talks right now (doesn't mean anything is going to happen but there is interest)
• Marissa Meyer thinks Angelina Jolie would make an excellent Lunar Queen
• She just sold a standalone fantasy which is probably going to be her next book after The Lunar Chronicles ends

The question she answered that I found most interesting was when she answered why Cinder is set in China. Marissa explained that several historians believe that Cinderella was first told in 9th Century China because of the fixation on small feet and foot binding.  

Marissa Meyer reading from Scarlet

I have to say that I was pretty dang impressed. I've been to a lot of book signings but they're usually with multiple authors. To get up there and pull off talking by herself for almost an hour was really impressive. She was personable, knowledgeable, and completely engaging. This is even more notable because she had to handle some tough questions (like a little girl asking her why she was even in Vero) and she did it with grace.

Me, Marissa Meyer and my friend Andi (see Andi, you're famous now too)

After we all got our books signed and since it was such an intimate crowd we got to spend quite a bit of time chatting with her. 

My book signed. I got Scarlet signed too!

While I was there, I snagged an extra signed copy and some swag for you! So if you live in the US and want a signed copy of Scarlet, make sure you fill out the form below!

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Who is Marcus Finch Final Clue and Giveaway!

In honor of The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead releasing February 12th, my blog is part of a campaign to introduce you all to Marcus Finch. Each day (minus weekends) you are going to get a clue about who this mysterious man is. I hope you'll join me as we go over the clues and there may or may not be a copy of the book for one lucky winner at the end of my 15 clues. So here's the final clue detectives!

Just can't wait for more The Indigo Spell fun? Check out these sites here:

• Bloodlines Website: http://www.bloodlinesseries.com/Bloodlines Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/BloodlinesBooks
• Bloodlines trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bMJEaT41b4
• Bloodlines excerpt: http://www.scribd.com/doc/102759112/THE-INDIGO-SPELL-by-Richelle-Mead-Bloodlines-3-First-Chapter

But wait, now that you've done all that hard work, why not get a little reward? US detectives only can enter to win a copy of The Indigo Spell by filling out the form below:

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Thanks for hunting with me!

Whovember Event Winners

Now that the holidays are firmly over, I'd like to announce the winners of all the wonderful Whovember giveaways I had. Thanks so much to everyone who participated. I had such a wonderful time!

The winner of Doctor Who Season 1 DVD is...

Kassidy Hughes!

The winner of the Tardis computer mate is...

Carl Scott!

And the winner of a book like Doctor Who is...

Enbrethiliel! (She wanted to win The Time Traveler's Wife!)

All winners have been notified by email. Thanks again to all those who entered and joined in during Whovember!

Books Like Doctor Who Giveaway

You can check out my full post here to find out why these books are like Doctor Who. I wanted to give everyone a chance to win these babies so as long as The Book Depository ships to you, you are welcome to enter this giveaway. The lucky winner can choose one of these books:

As per usual, you must be 13 years or older to enter and you may only enter once. This contest ends December 12th. Good luck!


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Whovember Giveaway: Tardis Computer Mate!

Since my latest blog post is about all the Doctor Who merchandise out there, I thought it would be fun to give away a small piece of said merchandise. So for your winning pleasure is a small Tardis Computer mate. That way when you are browsing Amazon or Goodreads for the latest books or blogging, you can have the Tardis by your side!

Rules:

• Must be 13 years or older
• Must fill out the form
• May only enter once
• This is a US giveaway only

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Good luck and Allons-y!

Whovember Giveaway: 1st Season of Doctor Who

For my first giveaway and in honor of the Newbie Guide to Who, I'm giving away season 1 of Doctor Who to get you started. Meet Rose and the 9th Doctor and watch as they go adventuring together. This season has "Father's Day", "The Empty Child" and "The Doctor Danes" on it which are some of my favorite episodes. I do hope you enjoy!

Rules:

• Must be 13 years or older
• Must fill out the form
• May only enter once
• This is a US giveaway only

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Envy by Elizabeth Miles Signed Copy Giveaway

Today I've got a wickedly good giveaway going on thanks to the folks at Paper Lantern Lit. Up for grabs is a copy of Elizabeth Miles' second novel Envy and as you can see from the photo above, the series has gotten a cover change. I really did enjoy Fury so this is definitely one to aim for guys!

Up for grabs is a signed copy of Envy! Here's more about the book:

The Furies are back in the second book of a chilling paranormal trilogy where revenge rules the day—and “sorry” isn’t going to cut it.
Spring is coming, and the ice is slowly melting in Ascension…revealing the secrets buried beneath. 

Emily Winters knows the Furies have roots in Ascension, Maine—but she’s about to discover that they’re deeper than she ever imagined. With the help of her new friend Drea, she vows to dig them out. But it’s hard to focus when she’s desperate to make up with JD, and to figure out why Crow, a mysterious Ascension High dropout, seems to be shadowing her. 

Meanwhile, new girl Skylar McVoy is determined to leave her own dark past behind. So she’s thrilled when popular Gabby takes her under her wing, and the stunning and sophisticated Meg offers to give her a major makeover. But everyone knows what happens to the vainest girl of all… 

It’s tempting to be naughty. But beware: the Furies are always watching, and their power grows stronger by the day.

 Envy is out September 4th 2012 by Simon Pulse.

Now, since Envy is one of the 7 deadly sins and since most of the people in Fury suffer from at least one of these, I thought that it'd be fun to talk about them. I happen to know of a really cool set of drawings depicting the Seven Deadly Sins so I want to know which you like most and why! To win this book, all you need to do is fill out the form below and tell me which of the Seven Deadly Sins photos below is your favorite. Check them out:

1) Vanity by Dahlig

2) Gluttony by Dahlig

3) Avarice (to covet wealth or gain) by Dahlig

4) Sloth by Dahlig

5) Wrath by Dahlig

6) Lust by Dahlig

7) Envy by Dahlig

Rules:

• You may only enter once
• Must be 13 years or older
• Must fill out the form below and follow all instructions
• Giveaway is international
• This giveaway ends August 15, 2012.

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Alright guys, that's it! Good luck to everyone that enters!

Once by Anna Carey Playlist and Giveaway

Today, I'm lucky enough to post a playlist for Once on the blog straight from Anna Carey. Check out some of the music will you look over my review and enter to win a copy of Once!

Once Playlist

Bon Iver, Skinny Love

The novel opens with Eve living in Califia. She’s spent months thinking about what happened to Caleb, wondering if he’s alive and where. This song reminds me of that churning, torturous place she’s in—wanting to be with him, but hating the pain of the situation.

Ani DiFranco, Swan Dive

There’s a moment in the beginning of Once when Eve sets out to find Caleb. This song perfectly captures the risks inherent in loving someone. Eve knows it’s dangerous, but cares about him more than she does herself.

Jose Gonzalez, Crosses

The imagery in this song reminds me of the first night Eve goes to meet Caleb in the City, how the streets are dark, how there are shadows in the windows above. His is the reassuring voice that sees her through.

Ryan Adams, So Alive

This song is all energy. There’s a scene in Once that takes place under a bridge, and I could nearly hear this song playing as I wrote it. It speaks to how exhilarating it is to be in love.

Passion Pit, Sleepyhead Acoustic version

Sleepyhead was originally one of my favorite dance songs, but when I heard the acoustic version it nearly made me cry. Slowed down it’s so tender and intimate, and the lyrics capture this simple, private moment between two people.

Iron & Wine, The Trapeze Singer

Eve makes several painful decisions throughout the course of the story. In one, she says good-bye to Caleb indefinitely. This song is one of the most painful and beautiful love songs I know. “Please, remember me” is repeated eight times.

Sia, Breathe Me
There’s a scene at the end of Once where Eve is in intense pain, and can’t fully comprehend what just happened to her. This song articulates that confusion and loss.

Florence and the Machine, Seven Devils

This song builds to a slow, simmering rage, and reminds me of the last chapter in Once. I can’t say more than that for fear of giving too much away…

Giveaway Time!

One lucky US winner is going to get their hands on a copy of Once. Just check out these rules and make sure to fill out the giveaway form!

Rules:

• Must be 13 years or older
• Must be in the US
• May only fill out form once
• Must enter before 8/9/12

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Cover Reveal and Giveaway: Broken by A E Rought

Today, I've got a really awesome treat for you guys. Myself and seven other blogs are revealing the cover for BROKEN by A E Rought from the amazing awesome Strange Chemistry and I'm going to be hosting a giveaway for US/Canadian readers. Not one of those readers? I'll leave links to the other reveals and giveaways and maybe you can find someone giving an ARC away to where you are!

So without further ado, I give you the cover that makes me go squee, BROKEN by A E Rought:

Eep, holy cow and fantastic! Told you this cover was something to go crazy for. I am so in love with how the title is displayed like it's woven into the gate and the background is pretty amazing too! They used my favorite color (red), threw in some rose petals to really pop the white in the dress and made the model look like a dream. Wanna know the even better part? This novel is a modern retelling of Frankenstein!

Broken by A E Rought

Imagine a modern spin on Mary Shelley's Frankenstein where a young couple's undying love and the grief of a father pushed beyond sanity could spell the destruction of them all.

A string of suspicious deaths near a small Michigan town ends with a fall that claims the life of Emma Gentry's boyfriend, Daniel. Emma is broken, a hollow shell mechanically moving through her days. She and Daniel had been made for each other, complete only when they were together. Now she restlessly wanders the town in the late Fall gloom, haunting the cemetery and its white-marbled tombs, feeling Daniel everywhere, his spectre in the moonlight and the fog. 

When she encounters newcomer Alex Franks, only son of a renowned widowed surgeon, she's intrigued despite herself. He's an enigma, melting into shadows, preferring to keep to himself. But he is as drawn to her as she is to him. He is strangely... familiar. From the way he knows how to open her locker when it sticks, to the nickname she shared only with Daniel, even his hazel eyes with brown flecks are just like Daniel's. 

The closer they become, though, the more something inside her screams there's something very wrong with Alex Franks. And when Emma stumbles across a grotesque and terrifying menagerie of mangled but living animals within the walls of the Franks' estate, creatures she surely knows must have died from their injuries, she knows.

 You can snag a copy of Broken in paperback or ebook format in January 2013.

But before we get to the ARC giveaway, I've got one more exclusive to share with you. Here's a snippet from Broken like one you might seen on Swoon Thursdays:

_________________________________________

IT DOESN’T BEAT FOR ME

A heavy breath escapes me, and if he wasn’t holding me so close, I might melt and pour from this dress.

Alex clings to me like I may honestly be a fairytale princess and when he lets go, I’m going to disappear. He pulls off one glove, tingles following his bare hand as it glides over the curve of my back, up my neck to tangle in my curls. He guides my head to his chest. Thunder rumbles in his heartbeat, and his electric surge slicks over my skin like warm oil.

Neither of us speak. Words have less meaning than time in his arms.

“There’s so much I want to say,” he whispers in my ear. I press my fingers to his lips. My heart jolts when Alex kisses them. Then he curls them in his gloved hand and holds my hand pressed above his heart. “Feel that? It doesn’t beat for me, Emma.”

______________________________________________

Awesome, right? I'm so excited to snag a copy of this book. It sounds epic and sweeping and romantic and just a little bit creepy sticking with the original Frankenstein. 

Giveaway Time!

So now on to how you can snag an ARC early. All you have to do is check out these rules and fill out the form. Oh and I should note that these pretty little ARC won't be ready for a month or so but you can bet that as soon as they are Strange Chemistry will send you one hot off the press!

Rules:

• Must be 13 years or older
• Must fill out the form
• May only enter once
• Must be either in the US or Canada

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So want even more chances to win or not from the US/Canada? Check out these blogs here and enter:
Writing from the Tub
Daisy Chain Book Reviews
My Book Journey
YA Reading Group
Chapter by Chapter
I Like These Books
Poisoned Rationality

Most of all, good luck!

Spring Into the Future Signing (and giveaway) with Tahereh Mafi and Veronica Rossi

This weekend, my hubby and I made the trek down to Miami because I read a bout a super cool tour going on called Spring Into the Future with two of my very favorite authors Tahereh Mafi and Veronica Rossi. I was so stinking stoked for this even because I love both of these books. To get ready, I made a Down the Rabbit Hole t-shirt and I also made bags as presents for the authors.

The bags I made

Me in my Down the Rabbit Hole shirt and my hubby

The events that I've attended at Books & Books in the past have normally been very structured but I liked the laid back atmosphere of this event. The aythors weren't formally introduced, they introduced themselves and they conducting the entire Q & A section.

These two were seriously funny. I'd seen Tahereh Mafi talking about how they were like a married couple on Twitter so it was funny to see them laugh and "argue" with each other about who was going to answer the questions first (Mafi almost always got Rossi to talk first).

So here are some of the cool things we found out during the Q & A from each author that you need to know.

Tahereh Mafi

This photo basically captures who Tahehreh Mafi is

• Warren is not Warren's first name but rather his last. We'll find out his first name in the next books. She chose it because it has the word "war" in it
• Mafi normally names her character with whatever pops into her head but for Shatter Me, she picked out specific names for Adam and Juliette.
• The original title of Shatter Me was Touching Juliette which she gets endless amusement out of (we all did as a matter of fact).
• When Mafi recieved the call that her book sold, she was at a day job and ran out. She says she literally fell over (in high heels) and then had to act like nothing happened. Her mother texted and called her a million times after her intial text that her book sold but she ignored them all because she had to work.
• Mafi had to wait 3 months before she could announce her book sold.
• Her character Adam has a tattoo on his back of a bird. Her brother does also. She said when her brother read the book, he felt scadalized and it's made Thanksgiving dinners awkward.
• A line of dialog that will appear in the book is (and I'm paraphrasing) "I like to hear myself talk. It's the best part." It was originally said by her brother and will be said by Kenji.
• This wasn't confirmed by her but I walked away with the feeling that Kenji might be her favorite character in the book, mostly because he's inapproriate and funny. We do know that there will be more of Kenji in the next two books. Also, Kenji is Japanese for those of you who don't know!
• Mafi's best advice to aspiring writers is to never give up, even when it feels like you are getting nowhere. At the moment when you feel you should just give up is the moment you push yourself and you will have a breakthrough.
• Mafi is a self-proclaimed fashion guru with a special love for shoes, bags, scarves and jackets.

Mafi's awesome bag and shoes

Veronica Rossi

• Under the Never Sky was always called Under The Never Sky. It was taken from a piece of dialog and everyone agreed that it fit. In fact, Rossi has names already picked out for all her novels.
• Rossi intended for Under the Never Sky to be four books but after talking with her agent and editor decided to make it a trilogy.
• Aria was pretty much always named Aria since she was genetically designed to be an opera singer. It was Perry's name that Rossi was unsure of. She wasn't sure if it fit him until she was reading up on the beach she imagined is where Perry's tribe stays and found out it is the nesting ground of the peregrine. It sealed his fate.
• Under the Never Sky was written quickly and needed very little revision. The second book, which Rossi is currently writing, is much more difficult. She said she's rewritten it about five times.
• Rossi's family was in the audience and so darned excited for her. When I was up getting my entire stack of books signed, Rossi's mother kept coming up to see why they were excited.
• Rossi doesn't really care who plays her characters in movies as long as they are able to capture their essence. She says it is particularly important for Perry as she considers him part creature.
• Rossi is a painter and now a writer. She says she often threatens her husband that she is going to start song writing next even though she is in no way musical.
• If Rossi has a super power it would either be the ability to double herself (so she could go on enternal vacation) or to fly.
• Rossi's best piece of advice to aspiring authors is to find some friends. They will pick you up, help you make your manuscript better and encourage you along the way.

The biggest thing I walked away from was how funny, witty, kind and generally thankful these two authors are. I really got the sense that they knew how rare it was for dreams to come true and that they are very lucky. I also thought it was interesting that my friend only bought Under the Never Sky at the beginning because it sounded really good but loved Mafi's personality so much that she purchased Shatter Me at the end. (On a side note, once she read the first page of Shatter Me, she said she was angry I didn't force her to buy both at the beginning)

When I put up my stack of books for them (5 for each) they squealed that I had so many but when I gave them their presents, Mafi said something to the affect of "screw work, we have presents". They both seemed to like their tote bags which is awesome since I spent a long time in the store trying to find the perfect things to attach to them. In fact, they seemed to like them so much that they filled my books with hearts on the inside!

As if I wasn't already the biggest nerd in the place, I also painted my fingernails to match the covers of both books. Check out my Under the Never Sky and Shatter Me inspired nails:



*Photos of the signatures coming soon*

Giveaway time!

I've got a signed copy of SHATTER ME and a signed copy of UNDER THE NEVER SKY to giveaway to 2 lucky readers (1 will get SHATTER ME, the other will get UNDER THE NEVER SKY). So here are the rules:

• US only giveaway (sorry, international guys, I just can't pay for the shipping right now)
• May only enter once
• Must fill out form
• Must be 13 years or older
• Giveaway ends 5/13/12

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Good luck!



Purchase Fated and get a present!

See those lovely pair of earrings? They could most definitely fall down your rabbit hole. All you have to do is pre-order Fated in any format (print, e-book or audiobook) and submit your receipt and you will receive a pair of soul seeker inspired earrings–while supplies last.

Now, I'm not sure about you guys but getting a book and a pair of earrings sounds like a darn good time to me.

If you'd like to learn more about this epic deal, head over to http://stmartins.com/fatedpreorder and learn about all the rules and what not.

Fated by Alyson Noel

The first book in a magnificent new series about a girl who can navigate between the worlds of the living and the dead by #1 New York Times bestselling author Alyson Noël.

Lately strange things have been happening to Daire Santos. Animals follow her, crows mock her, and glowing people appear out of nowhere. Worried that Daire is having a nervous breakdown, her mother packs her off to stay in the dusty plains of Enchantment, New Mexico with a grandmother she’s never met.

There she crosses paths with Dace, a gorgeous guy with unearthly blue eyes who she’s encountered before...but only in her dreams. And she’ll get to know her grandmother—a woman who recognizes Daire’s bizarre episodes for what they are. A call to her true destiny as a Soul Seeker, one who can navigate between the worlds of the living and the dead. Her grandmother immediately begins teaching her to harness her powers—but it’s an art that must be mastered quickly. Because Dace’s brother is an evil shape-shifter who’s out to steal her powers. Now Daire must embrace her fate as a Soul Seeker and find out if Dace is one guy she’s meant to be with...or if he’s allied with the enemy she’s destined to destroy.

Just thought you ought to know!