In My Mailbox -37- Winners, and Swati Avasthi's "Before the Split" Blog Tour and Auction News

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren every Sunday. In My Mailbox is a weekly meme that lets everyone see what books you have received or bought that week.

For Review

1. It Started With a Dare - Lindsay Faith Rech - review.

2. Karma Bites - Stacey Kramer and Valerie Thomas

3. Dead is Just a Rumor - Marlene Perez

4. Once a Witch - Carolyn MacCullough - review.

5. The Secret of Ka - Christopher Pike

6. Fairview Felines - Michele Corriel

7. Crescendo - Becca Fitzpatrick

8. The World of the Polar Bear - Norbert Rosing

I received a surprise package of books in the mail from Thomas Allen Publishers courtesy of Anita (books 1-5). I had already reviewed 2 of the books, but was happy to receive the titles as I didn't have my own copies of them. (I used the library and netgalley to review them.) Thank you Anita!

I also would like to thank Michele Corriel for sending me her book as part of the blog tour hosted by The Teen Book Scene. 

Many thanks also goes to Loretta from Simon & Schuster for sending me a copy of "Crescendo" for review. 

I also would like to thank Raz for asking me to be a part of the Green Books Campaign and for sending me a "green book" for review. If you would like to be part of the Campaign, you can find more information here. 

Winners

Both the giveaways for the Wind Warrior Blog Tour, and Scars by Cheryl Rainfield are over. I sent in the 5 finalists from my blog to Cynthia, but alas none of them won the grand prize. :( The finalists from my blog were: ~dab, Cindy, Melissa, Linda and abitnerdy. The grand prize winners, as per Cynthia, were:

Kara Piehl - Basket for Two - from the Book of Secrets Blog

Barbara Platt - Godiva Tier - from the Shibley Smiles Blog

Jan Herberger - Necklace - from the Intense Whisper Blog

Pamela Shockley- $25 Amazon Gift Card - from Cakeblast.com

Melissa Barnes - $25 Amazon Gift Card - from the Simply Stacie Blog

I'm sad to see that none of my finalists won any of the grand prizes, however Cynthia did mention that she is hoping to have another promotional tour like this one, when her next book comes out.

The winner of a signed copy of Scars by Cheryl Rainfield, as well as 2 bookmarks is none other than Marie from Marie LOVES books. 

Congratulations to all of the winners! 

Swati Avasthi "Before the Split" Blog Tour and Auction News

To honor National Domestic Violence Awareness month, author Swati Avasthi has combined a blog tour for her debut novel, Split, with a charity auction. Over 40 authors, agents and editors have donated manuscript critiques, personalized books, and more to an online auction that anyone –reader, writer, booklover -- can bid on and buy. All proceeds go to the Family Violence Prevention Fund. In addition to the auction, Avasthi is donating $1/comment on her 26-stop, month-long blog tour, coordinated by Kari Olson at Teen Book Scene. If she reaches her goal and cap of $250, she will double the donation. Follow the tour, get stuff you want, and make a difference.

I think that is all of the news I have today. I hope you all follow along with the tour, and help support this worthwhile cause. If you can't bid on the items, please comment on the blog tour posts. Every little bit helps. :) 

With that said, that is all I received in my mailbox this week, what did you get in yours?

Blog Tour: Knight Angels: Book of Revenge - Abra Ebner - Excerpt

I'd like to welcome Abra Ebner here today. This is one author that I have been wanting to read ever since I heard about her! Today's tour post features an excerpt from Knight Angels: Book of Revenge. To learn more about the author and her works, you can visit her website here. You can also follow along with the rest of the tour here. 

Emily:

I woke in the dark of my room. “Wes?”

No one answered me.

I threw the coverlet off of me, sweat coating my body. My stomach growled with hunger after skipping dinner, and as hard as I tried to remember how I got home, I couldn’t.

Sitting up, I felt weak, drained—craving. Not only was I hot, but my room was humid, a strange thing for Colorado. I slowly stood and walked to the window, pulling the blinds and cranking it open. I let the cool night air stream in and across my face. Sighing with tired eyes, I thought I was seeing things as a shadow moved outside, ducking behind the bend of the house. My brows pressed together, squinting in the direction but seeing nothing. A dreadful shiver broke across my skin, making me think of Greg. I leaned further out the window, trying to crane my neck around the corner, trying to convince myself that what I’d seen was nothing, perhaps just the cat.

“Emily?”

I jumped, my grip slipping from the window frame. A firm hand grabbed me just before I tumbled forward out the window, pulling me back in. I thrashed against the contact, nearly screaming before another hand clasped over my mouth. His skin was cold and sizzling, like ice thrown on a fire. He let go once I was safely rooted back inside the room. I spun to face the intruder.

“Emily, it’s just me.” Max loomed over me in the dark, hands in the air. His palms were blistered from touching me.

“What just happened?” I demanded.

Max’s hands healed before my eyes. He dropped them. “The lingering snake venom in your blood. It does that.”

“What are you doing here?” I hissed, shrugging away the chill of that feeling against my skin.

He knelt to my level to whisper. “I just heard you open the window. I wanted to make sure you were alright.”

“I’m fine,” I crossed my arms over my chest, remembering that I didn’t have much more than a t-shirt on. “You’re supposed to be watching Jane, not me.”

Max grinned. “You’re a part of Jane. So I watch you, too.” He said it in a very obsessive fashion.

I snorted. “It’s all you think of, seriously. Get a hobby. Jane, Jane, Jane,” I mocked. His mind was all about it since the first day I’d seen him.

Max shrugged and turned away from me, not giving into my attempts to fight. “Goodnight, Emily.”

Just as quickly as he had appeared he was gone, a shadowy smoke dissipating in the air he once occupied.

The room had cooled now, so I shut the window, being sure to fasten the lock. I glanced once more outside by the corner of the house; there was nothing there. I gave up and climbed back in bed, twisting under the covers to get comfortable. Resting on my side, I noticed that the stuffed animals that once sat in the chair across the room had been rearranged onto the floor. They sat in a semicircle, perfectly placed, but not by me. I lifted my head from the pillow, my heart jumping. The chair they were once in was empty, but a part of me believed it hadn’t been that way long. I swallowed, slowly crawling back out of bed and approaching the chair, warily keeping an eye on the stuffed animals at my feet. I pressed my hand against the fabric of the seat—it was cold, too cold…

Greg cold…"

© Copyright by Abra Ebner 

Now, doesn't that make you want to pick up the book as soon as possible? It sounds so good! Thank you, Abra, for being here today and for allowing me to post this excerpt for you!

Blog Tour: Fairview Felines - Michele Corriel - Interview

 I would like to welcome Michele Corriel here today. She is the author of Fairview Felines, which looks like a cute read! Michele is here courtesy of The Teen Book Scene. If you would like to follow along with the rest of the tour, you can follow along here. 

What is your favorite line from FAIRVIEW FELINES: A NEWSPAPER MYSTERY?

I would have to say the last line in the first chapter. It’s right before Thomas is going to sleep, thinking about starting his own school newspaper, “I lifted my palms to my face and breathed deeply, hoping to dream about deadlines, police sirens, three-alarm fires and the flash of a front page photograph.”

What are Thomas’ favorite subjects in school, and why?

Thomas loves Social Studies because a) he gets to turn in his assignments like they’re newspaper stories and b) he has a gigantic crush on Ms. Penny, the teacher.

If you were in Thomas’ shoes, having to find out where all of the cats disappeared to, what would you have done?

Well, it doesn’t take much to get Thomas fired up about something. He’s very passionate about his work and his friends, and so am I, but Thomas jumps into things pretty quickly, whereas I’m more of a thinker. I would’ve interviewed a few more people about exactly where and when their cats disappeared and then come up with a plan.

What would the front page headline of a newspaper say about you?

WRITER OVERCOMES ODDS, GETS BOOK DEAL, GREAT AGENT, AND HEADS BACK TO OFFICE TO WRITE MORE!

If you could be any cat (wild or domestic) which cat would you be, and why?

I would be my cat, Higgins, who lives the life of leisure, sleeps whenever he wants, eats whenever he wants, and secretly goes down to the basement at night and retrieves Christmas bows. (I love Christmas!)

Excellent interview, Michele. It was great having you here! Thank you for stopping by and answering some questions.