Blog Tour: Dragonswood - Janet Lee Carey - Book Party

Before I begin about the fun ways we’re celebrating the Dragonswood book launch, special thanks to Corrine for hosting this post!

Book Tour

We’ve been celebrating Dragonswood in a number of ways beginning with Kari’s terrific blog tour for the book on The {Teen} Book Scene (http://theteenbookscene.weebly.com/dragonswood-tour-details.html) the day after Christmas. Now here we are at Lost for Words for the last book tour post. It’s flown by so fast.

Book Birthday

On the official book birthday (January 5th) I lunched with Justina Chen (http://justinachen.blogspot.com/) award-winning author of North of Beautiful, Girl Overboard, and Nothing But the Truth: and a Few White Lies. We “dined and signed” stopping by the local bookstore for me to sign fresh copies of Dragonswood. I love the cracking sound when I open a new book for the first time. Later that day I went canoeing on Phantom Lake and spotted a bald eagle soaring overhead = perfect way to spend a book birthday.

Giving Back

We like to celebrate a new book by giving back in some way. Since Dragonswood features the endangered fairies and dragons of Wilde Island, we put Defenders of Wildlife (http://www.defenders.org/index_v2.html) on the website (http://www.janetleecarey.com) supporting the protection of endangered animals in our modern-day world.

The Party

The celebration will continue when we throw our big Dragonswood Medieval Masquerade Party at Parkplace Books on February 25th. We always throw a huge party for readers, writers, and friends with delicious eats and treats. This year along with our traditional salmon, fresh bread, and chocolates, we’ll add seaweed to the table. Why? Because Tess and her friends eat seaweed when they’re on the run from the witch hunter, so guests will be asked to nibble some. Luckily I found the perfect seaweed treat.

Here are some party photos by Heidi Pettit.

It’s traditional for folk to come in costume.

 We’ll have our Dancing Dragon

Henna tattoos

Raise funds for Defenders of Wildlife. And along with dining and dancing, I’ll read a scene and sign copies of Dragonswood.

Of course the best celebration of all is a secret one. The moment a reader unknown to me picks up Dragonswood and slips into the story.

Thank you for sharing all about the book launch and party for Dragonswood, Janet!
Thank you so much for being here today!

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Wilde Island is in an uproar after the recent death of its king. The uneasy pact between dragons, fairies, and humans is fraying, and a bloodthirsty witch hunter with a hidden agenda whips villages into frenzies with wild accusations. Tess, a blacksmith’s daughter from a tiny hamlet near the mysterious Dragonswood, finds herself caught in the crosshairs of fate when she is accused of witchery and has to flee for her life along with her two best friends.

Not even Tess’s power to see the future can help the girls as they set off on their desperate journey, but she keeps having visions of a man wielding a sword. And when she finally meets him, Tess has no idea how to handle the magnetic attraction she feels for him, or the elusive call she hears from the heart of the Dragonswood.

In this epic romance, an ancient prophecy comes true in a way neither dragon, fairy, nor human would have predicted.

Synopsis taken from goodreads.

Blog Tour: Truth - Julia Karr - Sal This or That

Julia Karr is here today with a character this or that list for Sal, courtesy of the Teen Book Scene blog tour for her brand new release, Truth. Thank you for being here today, Julia! You can follow along with the tour here, or by clicking through the banner. Enjoy! 

cartoons or comics - Comics - he goes for the graphic novels, actually

day or night - Night - so much of what he does is covert, he likes the dark

aftershave or cologne - Aftershave - he considers cologne primping

smurfs or gnomes - Gnomes - they aren’t cute & they aren’t necessarily nice!

cats or ducks - Cats - he’s a total cat person

cd's or tapes - CDs - no time to mess with tapes

pants or shorts - Pants - definitely pants

clean shaven or mustache/goatee - Clean shaven - if he needs a mustache or goatee, he’ll use it as a disguise

reading or writing - Reading - he’s not much for writing, preferring to talk in person if he has to say something

milk or water - Water - unless that milk has cookies nearby!

tattoos or piercings - Tattoos - especially the really cool ones, like Wei’s

bananas or grapefruit - Grapefruit - bananas are too mushy

steak or vegetables - Vegetables - who would eat an animal - that’s disgusting

truth or dare - Truth - although, among friends he might be up for a dare

Thank you for sharing Sal's preferences with us, Julia! Thank you so much for being here today! 

Julia Karr can be found on her website, and on twitter. 

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Nina Oberon’s life has changed enormously in the last few months. When her mother was killed, Nina discovered the truth about her father, the leader of the Resistance. And now she sports the same Governing Council–ordered tattoo of XVI on her wrist that all sixteen-year-old girls have. The one that announces to the world that she is easy prey to predators. But Nina won’t be anyone’s stereotype. And when she joins an organization of girls working within the Resistance, she knows that they can put an end to one of the most terrifying secret programs the GC has ever conceived. Because the truth always comes out...and the consequences can be deadly.

Synopsis taken from goodreads.

Blog Tour: Forbidden - Megan Curd - This or That

Megan Curd is here today with an author this or that list courtesy of the Teen Book Scene blog tour for her new release, Forbidden. Thank you for being here today, Megan! You can follow along with the tour here, or by clicking through the banner. Enjoy!

Sunshine or Thunderstorms? I love thunderstorms! Curling up on the couch with my son, a good book, or my xBox on a rainy day is the best. But, if it’s sunny, I’ll be floating the Chippewa River with friends if I’m in Eau Claire and it’s summer.

Hot or Cold? Cold if there’s snow involved. I love to snowboard, so I’m the weirdo who actually enjoys Wisconsin winters.

Camping or Cabin? Cabin by far. I love being outdoors and enjoying the woods, fishing, etc, but I NEED a bed. With cell phone reception and wifi if possible, lol. I’m all about being connected.

Sweet or salty? Generally salty. I love McDonald’s French fries, but if I’m in a sweet mood, give me cheesecake. I’m all about tiramisu cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory!

Magazine or newspaper? Magazine. I like getting a specific type of thing to read.

Contemporary or Fantasy? Definitely fantasy. I love being able to get away and be in a different world for a little while.

Pen or pencil? Pen. I hate the sound a pencil makes against the paper. Call me crazy, it just drives me nuts. I have to use a pen! Lol

Yogurt or Ice cream? Ice cream…I’m so bad, haha. My mom actually had some awesome ice cream I raided – pumpkin pie cheesecake! It was soooo good!

Zombie or Unicorn? Unicorns are too girly for my taste, but I am deathly afraid of zombies or any other scary thing. I used to love scary movies, but now if I watch them, my brain goes nuts afterward. My husband can’t handle me after scary movies. Every light is on in the house for like a week afterward. If a zombie apocalypse happens, I’m the first to go I hope. My heart can’t take anything else lol.

Gothic or Victorian? Can I vote steampunk? It’s a happy medium, and there’s so much cool stuff for it!

Slytherin or Ravenclaw? Ravenclaw! They’re so clever. If the zombies come after me, I want a Ravenclaw on my side. With the elder wand. And an invisibility cloak. And preferably a broom. 

Movies at the theater or on dvd? I like DVDs, because they usually have extra material, and I love seeing stuff behind the scenes!

Lip gloss, or lipstick? Lip gloss. I’m a total tomboy, and I always seem to lose my lipstick anyway. Lip glosses tend to have better tastes, too. :-P (ah, the important aspects of makeup!)

Thank you for being here today, and sharing your preferences with us, Megan! 

Megan Curd can be found on her website, her blog, and on twitter. 

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Levi's job is to protect his human until it's their time to go. That's what a Guard does. He's done it for years on end, and he'll spend his eternity doing the same, mundane thing, following the same, mundane rules.

...Watch from afar.

...Never share your name.

...And above all, never touch a human.

What Levi doesn't know is that his newest human to protect, Hannah, just might be the catalyst to tipping the scales between good and evil, and he will be forced to decide which side he belongs to. Which friends will he side with, and who will he ultimately protect: his human, or the delicate balance that hangs on stopping the heartbeat of the person he has sworn to protect?

And, when you're already condemned, what's there to lose by breaking the rules?

THE GUARDIAN CHRONICLES: FORBIDDEN will take you into a world of Guards and Guardians, Light and Darkness. What side will you take?

Synopsis taken from goodreads.

Blog Tour: Untraceable - S.R. Johannes - Grace This or That List

S.R. Johannes is here today with a character this or that list for Grace courtesy of the Teen Book Scene blog tour for her new release, Untraceable. Thank you for being here today, S.R.! You can follow along with the tour here, or by clicking through the banner. Enjoy!

Lipstick or Lip gloss? I won’t wear much makeup but if I had to choose I would say lip-gloss because it doesn’t get on your teeth.

Spring or Fall? Any season outdoors in the Smokies is beautiful. But if I had to choose, I would say fall. I love when it is crisp and cool. When I get to wear jackets and boots.

Art or Music? Music. I like in a small town so I don’t see much art. Unless you count Tommy’s wooden carvings.

Country or City? If the woods count as “country”, I say country. I am definitely not a city girl. Though I would like to visit one someday.

Guy friends or Girl friends? Do animals count? They aren’t as dramatic and don’t need much.

Music or solitude? Solitude. I don’t mind being alone. Thinking about things. I can’t think with noise. Probably why I like the woods so much.

Roughing it with a tent, or Cabin? Tent definitely. With a tent, I can go anywhere. With a cabin you are limited to places you can get to with a car. That means there are people around and you get less privacy.

Bear or Mountain Lion? If you know about my book, anyone can guess this. Definitely bears. Black bears to be more specific. Though I do know Mountain Lions are also called panthers and pumas. And the black panther is very endangered so I’d like to get close to one someday.

Rely on oneself, or on others? The only person you can always rely on 100% of the time is yourself.

Daredevil or more laidback? I don’t jump off cliffs if that is what you are asking. But I am not afraid to do what I need to do.

Books or magazines? Shelli would kill me if I didn’t say book.:) Though we only have a library in our town so I don’t get that many and magazines are a waste of trees in my opinion.

Mountains or Beaches? Mountains. It’s where I have lived my whole life

Coniferous or Deciduous? Coniferous. I love the smell of pine at the holidays.

Thank you for sharing your preferences with us, Grace! Thank you S.R. and Grace for being here today! 

S.R. Johannes can be found on her website, and on twitter. 

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16-year-old Grace has lived in the Smokies all her life, patrolling with her forest ranger father who taught her about wildlife, tracking, and wilderness survival.

When her dad goes missing on a routine patrol, Grace refuses to believe he’s dead and fights the town authorities, tribal officials, and nature to find him.

One day, while out tracking clues, Grace is rescued from danger by Mo, a hot guy with an intoxicating accent and a secret. As her feelings between him and her ex-boyfriend get muddled, Grace travels deep into the wilderness to escape and find her father.

Along the way, Grace learns terrible secrets that sever relationships and lives. Soon she’s enmeshed in a web of conspiracy, deception, and murder. And it’s going to take a lot more than a compass and a motorcycle (named Lucifer) for this kick-butting heroine to save everything she loves.

Synopsis taken from goodreads.

Blog Tour: Under the Same Sky - Genevieve Graham - When I'm Not Writing

First of all, a big THANK YOU to Corrine for allowing me to pop up here on your screen and say hello. Blog Tours are wonderful. Especially for someone living in a teeny tiny town in Nova Scotia.

Corrine suggested I write about what I do when I’m not writing, and I really had to think hard on that. Because when I’m not writing, I’m editing, since I have my own editing business (www.WritingWildly.com). But that’s relatively boring. What else?

Let’s see. Well, to begin with—oh, would you mind waiting a second? My daughter needs me to find something for her …

There. When I’m not writing I enjoy—Sorry. One sec. Other daughter calling me …

I’m back! I’d say reading is my favourite past time, and—Really? Right now? Okay. Sorry. I have to go grab a book for my husband.

Sorry sorry sorry. Back to what I was saying. I love to read, but for some reason I have trouble finding enough time for that. I suppose that explains the stack of half-read books on my bedside table, though—Just a sec. Something’s boiling over. Actually, l think I smell smoke …

Anyway, my favourite author, Diana Gabaldon, says the best thing you can do as a writer is to read … everything. That way you know what to aim for, and what to avoid. I aim for her brilliance in description, wordage, humour, well, basically in everything I write. Her books inspired me to write, and the greatest compliment I have received (from a few readers) is that my main male character reminded them of her incredible Jamie Fraser.

Other than writing, editing, and reading? We have a little dog named Murphy, who likes to walk a lot, and occasionally (not often enough) we go to the beach, which is ten minutes away. We also have chickens (with whom Murphy is not allowed to visit). I, a former Torontonian, never imagined I would enjoy chickens nearly as much as I do. We have five (one recently passed away), and each of them has a different personality. I let them out of their coop almost every day (they hate rain, so they’d rather stay indoors on those days) and they make a beeline to our pile of mulch, where they roll in it like puppies. They’re perfectly at home getting a pedicure from our daughters.

Two nights a week I—*sigh* Hang on. Laundry’s beeping …

Where was I? Right. Two nights a week I teach piano to children. My university degree is in music, and while I no longer perform on my oboe, I feel fortunate that I can pass along my love and knowledge of music. With all the electronic devices kids can choose to pound on these days, it’s a miracle to hear them say, “I want to learn piano.” I honestly believe every child should be raised within a cocoon of music. Preferably classical. There is nothing quite so healing for the soul. At any age.

And I love movies. We live a fair distance from town, so we don’t go to theatres much anymore, but the library is a wonderful source for movies, as is Netflix. And once I’m snuggled up in front of a movie, nobody asks me to do anything. Maybe that’s one of the reasons I love them so much.

Above all, I love hanging around with my family. We drive each other crazy, then end up hugging and tickling and laughing. Or we have quiet times where we’re each curled up around our own favourite/most recent books, sometimes with a candle burning in the background. I’m incredibly proud of the family we’ve become.

So what do I do besides write? I guess not much …

Would you please add after my blog on Jan 18 that I will be at http://evie-bookish.blogspot.com/p/my-favorites.html on Jan 19?

Thank you so much for being here today, Genevieve! It sounds like you keep pretty busy! ;) 

Genevieve Graham can be found on her website. 

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The year is 1746. A young woman from South Carolina and a Scottish Highlander share an intimacy and devotion beyond their understanding. They have had visions of each other their entire lives. And yet they have never met.

Now, with their lives torn asunder, Maggie Johnson and Andrew MacDonnell's quest to find each other is guided only by their dreams—and by the belief in the true love they share.

On the Carolina frontier Maggie Johnson’s family struggles to survive. Maggie’s gift of “the sight” and her visions show her a presence she calls Wolf. She watches him grow from a boy her age to a man even as she goes from child to woman.

Andrew MacDonald has always wondered about the girl he sees in his dreams. He is able to talk to her through their thoughts and vows that even if he must cross an ocean he will find her. They are thrust into different situations: Andrew fights for the doomed Jacobite cause and Maggie is captured by slavers, then rescued and brought into a kind, loving Native American tribe. They each believe in destiny and the power of the love they have shared forever.

Synopsis taken from goodreads.

Blog Tour: May B - Caroline Starr Rose - Tens List

Caroline Starr Rose is here today with a tens list courtesy of the Teen Book Scene blog tour for her new release, May B. Thank you for being here today Caroline! You can follow along with the tour here, or by clicking through the banner. Enjoy! 

10 places Caroline has visited/lived.

Saudi Arabia (lived from 1977-1980)

Spain

Germany

Switzerland

France

Hong Kong / mainland China

Jamaica

Australia (lived there as an exchange student in 1989)

Mexico

England

Thanks for hosting me!

Thank you so much for sharing this list with us, Caroline! Thank you for being here today! 

Caroline Starr Rose can be found on her website, and on her blog. 

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I've known it since last night:

It's been too long to expect them to return.

Something's happened.

May is helping out on a neighbor's Kansas prairie homestead—just until Christmas, says Pa. She wants to contribute, but it's hard to be separated from her family by 15 long, unfamiliar miles. Then the unthinkable happens: May is abandoned. Trapped in a tiny snow-covered sod house, isolated from family and neighbors, May must prepare for the oncoming winter. While fighting to survive, May's memories of her struggles with reading at school come back to haunt her. But she's determined to find her way home again. Caroline Starr Rose's fast-paced novel, written in beautiful and riveting verse, gives readers a strong new heroine to love.

Synopsis taken from goodreads.

Blog Tour: Don't Breathe a Word - Holly Cupala - Asher This or That List & Giveaway Details

Holly Cupala is here today with a character this or that list courtesy of the Teen Book Scene blog tour for her brand new release, Don't Breathe a Word. Thank you for being here today, Holly! You can follow along with the tour here, or by clicking through the banner. Enjoy!

Thanks to Corrine for inviting me to stop by on the Don’t Breathe a Word blog tour!

When Joy must escape from her safe suburban life, no one knows she is suffocating—from life-threatening asthma, from her smothering parents, and from Asher, whose words crush her from the inside out. She flees to the streets of Seattle, where she finds friends, hope, and even love.

Asher—alluring and abusive—is the power behind Joy’s imprisonment. Corrine has invited him here to see what he has to say for himself…

Rock or Hip Hop?

I’m not that into music.

But Asher had never taken me there. Music—and any feeling it might inspire—was a mystery to him, and Asher didn’t like mysteries. He liked things he could touch. Manipulate.

Coffee or Coke?

What kind of coke are you talking about?

“What do you think she’s doing?” Asher exhaled, giving her a look familiar to me—the one where she’s supposed to come to the conclusion that every word out of her mouth was equivalent to windshield spatter. When Neeta said nothing, he spelled it out patiently. “She’s trying to score with the Ave Rats.”

Tattoos or Piercings?

I don’t think I would do it myself, but I do find it interesting on other people.

Asher came close enough for me to smell his mint and nicotine. He breathed his soft breath on my neck and his words into my ear: “I don’t like what you did last night, Joy. We’re going to have to fix it.”

That’s when I knew there was no way out.

Long or Short hair?

On women? Long.

He came in close and took my jaw in his hands, so close I could taste the sugar and smoke on his breath. I almost wished he would hit me, because then I would have a reason to call for help.

Instead, he pinched a lock of my hair and let it fall through his fingers. Gently. So gently.

Committed relationship, or Dating around?

It depends.

“We met at the zoo party,” I said, slightly incredulous. Did he meet and kiss and buy bags of Nirvana stuff for so many girls that he couldn’t remember who I was? “Joy,” I said. “Joy Delamere.”

“Joy,” he repeated, this time with an intimacy that shocked me. He could do that—go from cold and distant to inside my skin in an instant.

Glass half empty, or half full?

I own the glass.

The idea behind Don’t Breathe a Word is that words have power—Joy must recognize Asher’s abuse and find her own voice. So we are running a contest: the Words Have Power Video Contest! Read more about it and enter to win awesome prizes! Also, if you or someone you know may be involved in an abusive relationship, learn more about the signs and what to do. Your words have power, too.

Thank you, Corrine, for inviting me to your blog (although I’m glad I don’t have to be in Asher’s head all the time!). I hope your readers love Don’t Breathe a Word.

Thank you so much for being here today, Holly, and sharing this glimpse into Asher's character!

Holly Cupala can be found on her website, on facebook, and on twitter.

Don't Breathe a Word is available for purchase on Amazon, Chapters, and Indiebound.

To learn more about Don't Breathe a Word, you can visit the official website here.

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Joy Delamere is suffocating...

From asthma, which has nearly claimed her life. From her parents, who will do anything to keep that from happening. From delectably dangerous Asher, who is smothering her from the inside out.

Joy can take his words - tender words, cruel words - until the night they go too far.

Now, Joy will leave everything behind to find the one who has offered his help, a homeless boy called Creed. She will become someone else. She will learn to survive. She will breathe... if only she can get to Creed before it’s too late.

Set against the gritty backdrop of Seattle’s streets and a cast of characters with secrets of their own, Holly Cupala’s powerful new novel explores the subtleties of abuse, the meaning of love, and how far a girl will go to discover her own strength.

Synopsis taken from goodreads.

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Giveaway Details

Harper has been kind enough to give Holly enough copies of Don't Breathe a Word to do a prize per day of the tour!

*There will be one book given per day, drawn weekly. Everything entered by Saturday night will be put into a drawing on Sunday.

*The points DO accumulate, meaning entries put in for week one are still going to count for the drawings in weeks 2 and 3. (This is to reward those of you who follow/enter from the start, and doesn't punish you later because your entries are more spread out.)

ENTRIES:

*There is one automatic entry.

*For every post someone comments on, it is one entry.

*You will have to link to the blog post you commented on.

*There is an extra entry if you tweet, facebook, do a blog post or somehow include it on your blog. It is one for each of these, but only 1 per type (meaning you can't tweet every day and get points for it... its just one tweet)

*You need to fill out the form EACH time you do something to enter. If there is no link, the entry does not count (beyond the first initial entry, that you can just enter to win from.)

There will be ONE international winner a week, assuming an international person gets drawn. If the winner is international, you will be getting a copy from The Book Depository.

US/Canada copies will be mailed from Holly and those copies will be signed.

The final drawing will held Sunday, January 15, and will include all entries through midnight CST Saturday, January 14.

You can enter through this FORM.

Blog Tour: Cracked - K.M. Walton - Word Association

K.M. Walton is here today with a Word Association post courtesy of the Teen Book Scene blog tour for her book, Cracked. Thank you for being here today, K.M.! You can follow along with the tour here, or by clicking through the banner. Enjoy!

Thank you for having me here today, Corrine. This word association was actually quite fun to fill out!!

Red – Christmas, my favorite holiday. Giving gifts makes me happy.

Glee – talent

Milk – leads to ice cream

Words – matter

Horses – beautiful creatures

Country – side, as in the Irish countryside. My favorite place on Earth.

Chris Hemsworth - Thorlicsous

Tour – Radiohead, and I want them to go on one.

Fearless – Anderson Cooper. I love everything he stands for.

Kitchen – family, that’s where my family always congregates.

Suspense – LOST, I don’t think any television show will ever be able to top the brilliant suspense in that series.

Buffy – I know she’s a vampire slayer and all but, I never watched this series. So “Buffy” makes me think of a 1984 Valley Girl with teased bangs and neon earrings, saying, “Ew, gag me with a spoon.”

Maple – syrup, which should always be real because real is just better.

Apple – pie, I make a mean one from scratch.

Thank you for being here today K.M.! 

K.M. Walton can be found on her website, her blog, and on twitter. 

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Sometimes there's no easy way out.

Victor hates his life. He has no friends, gets beaten up at school, and his parents are always criticizing him. Tired of feeling miserable, Victor takes a bottle of his mother's sleeping pills—only to wake up in the hospital.

Bull is angry, and takes all of his rage out on Victor. That makes him feel better, at least a little. But it doesn't stop Bull's grandfather from getting drunk and hitting him. So Bull tries to defend himself with a loaded gun.

When Victor and Bull end up as roommates in the same psych ward, there's no way to escape each other or their problems. Which means things are going to get worse—much worse—before they get better….

Synopsis taken from goodreads.