Jane Austen + Monsters = A Shadow Bright and Burning

Imagine if Jane Austen was suddenly promoted as England's last, best hope to defeat the ancients (demons). As the only female sorcerer born in decades, she's obviously the prophesied one. Or is she? Because when her magic works, it doesn't behave like it's supposed to. But failure isn't an option; she won't return to her previous life as a nobody. Even if the only other option is death. 

Being the only female sorcerer, she has her pick of boys. Should she go with the boy she's been in love with for as long as she can remember, the dashing flirt who completely accepts her, or the stodgy benefactor who keeps her at a distance? Because one of them will betray her. 

Lovely book. I don't recommend the audiobook though, not because it wasn't well done, but because the complexity of the plot had me lost at time and I would have liked to have gone back and reread. 

Snag A Shadow Bright and Burning here. 

{Review} The Here and Now by Ann Bradshaw

An unforgettable epic romantic thriller about a girl from the future who might be able to save the world . . . if she lets go of the one thing she’s found to hold on to.
Follow the rules. Remember what happened. Never fall in love.

This is the story of seventeen-year-old Prenna James, who immigrated to New York when she was twelve. Except Prenna didn’t come from a different country. She came from a different time—a future where a mosquito-borne illness has mutated into a pandemic, killing millions and leaving the world in ruins. 

Prenna and the others who escaped to the present day must follow a strict set of rules: never reveal where they’re from, never interfere with history, and never, ever be intimate with anyone outside their community. Prenna does as she’s told, believing she can help prevent the plague that will one day ravage the earth. 

But everything changes when Prenna falls for Ethan Jarves. 

{My Review}

I really enjoyed The Here and Now by Ann Bradshaw. My very favorite part was the romance between Prenna and Ethan. Prenna lives a cloistered life, and she's suffocating inside and out. Her only relief comes from Ethan, who is everything a man should be. He's kind and gentle and determined and thoughtful. 

I found myself rooting so hard for this couple, wanting them to find a way to be together, to be safe. Every character in this book is so dimensional and realistic, even the villain(s). I totally understood why they did the things they did. I even felt sorry for them as they did terrible things, which takes real talent to pull off. 

The Here and Now is sweet and powerful and lovely. I definitely recommend you pick it up. 

{Review} The Furies by Mark Alpert

For centuries, the Furies have lived among us. Long ago they were called witches and massacred by the thousands. But they’re human just like us, except for a rare genetic mutation that they’ve hidden from the rest of the world for hundreds of years.

Now, a chance encounter with a beautiful woman named Ariel has led John Rogers into the middle of a secret war among the Furies. Ariel needs John’s help in the battle between a rebellious faction of the clan and their elders. The grand prize in this war is a chance to remake the human race.

For fans of Michael Crichton, Justin Cronin, and Stephen King, The Furies weaves cutting-edge science into an ingenious thriller, showing how a simple genetic twist could have inspired tales of witchcraft and sorcery, and how the paranormal could indeed be possible.

{Review} 

To start off with, this book is definitely not young adult. The themes as well as the content make this strictly an adult novel. But I couldn't resist another book about Witches (I wrote four of them myself) and I loved the cover. 

The Furies is well written and unique. I enjoyed the scientific explanation for why or how witches might actually have come about, and where their real power comes from--knowledge acquired over centuries and dozens of lifetimes (these witches, you see, are immortal). 

The plot progresses well, with all the right beats in the right places. If you enjoy Michael Crichton, you'll like this one as well. 

{Review} The Shadow Throne by Jennifer Nielson

Jennifer A. Nielsen takes readers on an extraordinary journey in this final installment of the NEW YORK TIMES bestselling Ascendance Trilogy.

War is coming. . . . Join Jaron as he embarks on his final adventure!

{Review}

I was lucky enough to score an ARC from Netgalley. For those of you who have to wait until release day, all I have to say is nener nener nener. 

Just kidding. Mostly, I just feel bad for you. Because I've checked to see if this book is up for sale probably every month (I'm an author, that's like synonymous for scatterbrained). And I don't have to wait anymore. But you do. *hands over the tissues*

Really though, if you read and loved the first two books in the series, The Shadow Throne will not disappoint. Jaron stays true to himself and his clever, trickster nature. He's still loyal and kind to a fault. Always looking for the good in everyone. I love that about him. Love that his strength isn't in his muscles, but in his mind and his kindness. 

The romance was perfect. I can't say more without spoiling things for you, but I will say that the resolution couldn't have been better. 

If you haven't started the series yet, what are you waiting for? This is a must for fantasy lovers. And for those of you who don't like fantasy, you should especially give this one a chance. Jennifer Nielson's voice is very accessible. The story is about the characters and the plot, rather than heavy-handed world building. 

I can't wait until they make this into a movie! 

Calling all book bloggers!

eARCs for Witch Fall will be going out soon. If you'd like one, fill out the form below.

{Giveaway} The Elite (Kiera Cass)

Imagine that "The Bachelor" was actually a prince complete with castle and balls. Now imagine that we're in a dystopian future where people are trying to kill the contestants. Throw in a love triangle and you have The Elite by Kiera Cass.

The flow and plot kinda remind me of something Shannon Hale might write. I totally had Cinderella vibes. A very poor girl enters the Selection (as all girls must) and is chosen by the Prince. But our main character is already in love, thank you very much. The Ugly Stepsisters are present as other contestants, and some of them are actually rather nice. 

There are no mice. Or magical pumpkins. Or glass slippers. 

There is, however, a ball. And beautiful gowns. And an evil stepmother (or possible future father-in-law/king).

Loved it. 

And you can win my ARC! Fill out the form below to enter. Thanks so much to Jean BookNerd for donating a book for the giveaway. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Elite is actually the second book in the series, so make sure to start with the first: 

Review & Giveaway of Intrinsical & Eternal Starling

And they're both SIGNED! Let's talk about two amazing debut books. Intrinsical by Lani Woodland and Eternal Starling by Angela Corbett. I had the opportunity to meet both authors at LTUE in Orem, UT this year, when we presented on a panel together. We went out to Rumbi Island Grill for dinner after and became instant friends. We all traded books for giveaways. So you have a chance to win both here, and Witch Song and one of their books on Lani's blog or Angela's blog.

Intrinsical by Lani Woodland.

From Goodreads: Sixteen-year-old Yara Silva has always known that ghosts walk alongside the living. Her grandma, like the other females in her family, is a Waker, someone who can see and communicate with ghosts. Yara grew up watching her grandmother taunted and scorned for this unusual ability and doesn't want that to be her future. She has been dreading the day when she too would see ghosts, and is relieved that the usually dominant Waker gene seems to have skipped her, letting her live a normal teenage life. However, all that changes for Yara on her first day at her elite boarding school when she discovers the gene was only lying dormant. She witnesses a dark mist attack Brent, a handsome fellow student, and rushes to his rescue. Her act of heroism draws the mist's attention, and the dark spirit begins stalking her. Yara finds herself entrenched in a sixty-year-old curse that haunts the school, threatening not only her life, but the lives of her closest friends as well. Yara soon realizes that the past she was trying to put behind her isn't going to go quietly.

My review: Equal parts mystery, ghost story, and romance, Intrinsical delivers a wicked twist that will leave you racing towards the conclusion. The mystery will keep you guessing to the very satisfying end--yay for no cliffhangers! I loved the romance between Brent and Yara--no insta love here. She's attracted to him, but isn't even sure she likes him at the beginning. Their relationship starts as a slow burn that stutters at times, as a realistic relationship does, until the end when Lani fans it to full on flames.

  Eternal Starling by Angela Corbett

A love so strong, even eternity can’t separate them.

Evie Starling has lived a relatively uneventful life hanging out with friends, gossiping about boys, and driving her 1966 Mustang. All of that changes when she moves to Gunnison, Colorado, to start college and meets two mysterious men.

For centuries, Alex Night and Emil Stone have yearned for Evie—but they each have their own reasons for wanting to be with her. When both men claim to be her soul mate and tell her about an unbelievable past, Evie learns that she’s not the person she thought she was. Soon, Evie finds herself in the middle of an age-old battle between the Amaranthine Society—the soul protectors, and the Daevos Resistance—the soul destroyers. With a past she doesn’t understand, and a future rife with danger, Evie has to decide who she can trust. But Alex and Emil aren’t the only ones who want Evie, and her soul is about to become the rope in an eternal tug-of-war.
 
My review: Oh the kissing. The delicious, fan your face kissing. I loved Evie. She's confident about her curves and has no fear about eating ice cream or pizza. And she drives a classic mustang! Hello! These two guys have been fighting over her for centuries, and they love her curves as much as she does. Plus their both hot beyond words. I kinda want to be Evie. Wouldn't you? 
 
I have a hardcopy of both books to give away. Honestly, I'm kinda tired of the "follow me!" option for contests. I think you should follow me because I'm awesome and so are my books, not because you want to win something. 
 
So surprise me. You could do something as simple as share the contest on twitter or facebook (or, you know, follow me), or something as complex as creating a trailer. Or, I don't know, buy the book. Or you could follow Lani and Angela's blog, or add their books to Goodreads. I really don't care what you do, as long as it's something.

Then tell me how many points you think you deserve for your effort (If I think you're being realistic, I'll agree.)

And don't forget to head over to their blogs to win a copy of Witch Song and either Intrinsical or Eternal starling.
http://angcorbett.blogspot.com/
http://laniwoodland.blogspot.com/

Books you should read. . .

Some books I've read lately that are well worth your time to pick up:

From Goodreads: Also Known As: Two Pearls of Wisdom, Eon: Rise of the Dragoneye, and Eon (All the same book just published with different publishers)

Eon has been studying the ancient art of Dragon Magic for four years, hoping he'll be able to apprentice to one of the twelve energy dragons of good fortune. But he also has a dark secret. He is actually Eona, a sixteen-year-old girl who has been living a dangerous lie for the chance to become a Dragon-eye, the human link to an energy dragon's power. It is forbidden for females to practice the Dragon Magic and, if discovered, Eon faces a terrible death. After a dazzling sword ceremony, Eon's affinity with the twelve dragons catapults him into the treacherous world of the Imperial court, where he makes a powerful enemy, Lord Ido. As tension builds and Eon's desperate lie comes to light, readers won't be able to stop turning the pages.
 

My review: Some books burn bright and hot but quickly fade. Some burn steady and strong for generations. Eon is the latter. With it's detailed worldbuilding and intricate plot, Eon is sure to become a classic of high fantasy.

In a word: Brilliant.

*And it's a high fantasy with a female MC! BONUS! Plus, I have a really hard time finding writers that write in a similar vein as me--high fantasy with a female MC. Alison is my girl. She's a lot heftier on the world building side than I am, but we're close enough to use the "if you like Alison Goodman, you'll like Amber Argyle."*

From Goodreads: Yara Jones doesn’t believe in sea monsters—until she becomes one.

When a hurricane hits her island home and she wakes up with fins, Yara finds herself tangled up in an underwater world of mysterious merfolk and secretive selkies. Both sides believe Yara can save them by fulfilling a broken promise and opening the sealed gateway to their realm, but they are battling over how it should be done. The selkies want to take her life. The merfolk want something far more precious.
Treygan, the stormy-eyed merman who turned Yara mer, will stop at nothing and sacrifice everything to protect his people—until he falls for Yara. The tides turn as Yara fights to save herself, hundreds of sea creatures, and the merman who has her heart. She could lose her soul in the process—or she might open the gateway to a love that’s deeper than the oceans.

Young Adult fans of Mermaids, Selkies, Sirens and Gorgons will love this tale of the sacrifice one makes for genuine love. Love that could be lost at any moment to the ever-changing tides.

My review: Finally! A mermaid book I can sink my teeth into. The main character is bull headed and brave, which I love. Paranormal is usually a young, innocent girl falling in love with a monster. This time, Yara is the monster, and the weight of the mermaids' fate rests on her shoulders. A refreshing twist. I can't wait to see more from Karen Hooper.
 
What are you reading?

Review of Vanish by Sophie Jordan

I love this series. Love it. Love it. Love it. If you adore paranormal, this is a must have for your library.

Jacinda has returned to her pride of dragons, determined to forget the boy she's fallen for. After all, how can a hunter and his prey fall in love?

And of course there's Cassian, who Jace has been convinced only wants her because she's a coveted fire breather. Or does he? Time after time, Cassian proves himself as he goes out of his way to protect and care for Jace.

No matter what choice Jace makes, she loses something. Being with Will means abandoning her family and her way of life. Staying with Cassian means losing her freedom for the tyrannical rule of her pride.

This is one of the best written love triangles I've ever read--and this coming from the girl who is sick to death of love triangles. In the first book, I was totally a Will fan. Now I'm totally in Cassian's camp.

I can't wait for the final installment!

Review of Bloodborne by Gregg Luke

If you like Dan Brown or medical/techno thrillers, you'll love Bloodborne by Gregg Luke.
Received from his publicist in return for an honest review.
Goodreads
Amazon

From Goodreads: One ordinary afternoon, research specialist Dr. Erin Cross steps into a local deli to get some lunch and nearly takes a bullet instead. Thanks to timely intervention from a former Marine, she walks away from the seemingly freak incident. But when she returns to find her lab under security lockdown and her apartment ransacked, she realizes the attack was anything but random. Erin can’t make sense of the threat, given her low profile after a disastrous H1N1 vaccine trial. She doesn’t know that her former colleague has used the virus to develop a potent bioweapon or that her recent research holds a key to his success. And she doesn’t know that his collaborators want her dead before she blows the whistle.

Fleeing for safety with her research in hand, Erin unravels the threats with help from the timely Marine, former Special Ops agent Sean Flannery. But the closer they come to finding answers, the more questionable Sean’s behavior becomes. His erratic moods and suspicious communications are more fitting for an enemy than a friend. And as the crisis comes to a head, Erin can’t be sure who harbors more secrets—the bio terrorists pursuing her or the one man who can give her protection.

My review:

Right from the beginning, the action pulled me in and dragged me along for a fun ride. Super scientist Erin finds herself the target of a hit man. Before long, she's on the run, not sure who she can trust or why they're after her.

After a good deal of luck and a get away in her sports car, she reaches out to the only person she dares trust, the man who saved her from the first hit, but everything is not as it seems. The mystery builds as we're introduced to not one, but two secret societies in a centuries old battle involving current bio weapons distributed by the perfect assassins-mosquitoes.

I really enjoyed this book. That's saying something coming from someone who mostly reads some sort of fantasy. The books is clean in content, style, and grammar.

I struggled a bit with believability in the middle, but it didn't stop me from staying up until midnight to finish the book.

Great job by Gregg Luke!

Random Acts of Publicity

The 3rd Annual Random Acts of Publicity, September 6-8, is a week to celebrate your friend’s book, or your favorite book, by doing a Random Act of Publicity: Blog, Link, Like, Review, or Talk about the book . (BLLuRT it Out!)

The event is hosted by Elana Johnson. Go to Elana's blog and enter to win a free copy of Variant by Robison Wells.

So today, I'm talking about my friend Michelle Argyle's Monarch.

Here's my review from Goodreads: Monarch is an intricate blend of the literary and thriller genres. The pacing is relentless. The scenes gritty and real. The characters as intricate as the plot that twists around them.


If you crave literary books with a plot as strong as the writing, you'll love Michelle Argyle's Monarch.

Here's the BLLuRT's for Michelle's book.

• Michelle's Website
• MONARCH on Amazon
• Michelle on Facebook
• Michelle on Twitter
• My review of MONARCH on Goodreads
• Enter to win MONARCH on Goodreads list (make sure you add it to your "to read" list!)
• Become a fan of Michelle on Goodreads

What's one of your favorite reads for 2011?

Book Tour links for those following along:

Monday, September 5: (The Interview with Jessica's will be moved to another date and time). Instead, you can read a real life recipe from the book (Honeycakes and Golden Curry Soup) as created by Christy Dorrity at Dearest Dreams. http://www.dearestdreams.com/2011/08/tasty-tuesday-golden-curry-soup-and.html

Tuesday, September 6: Cassandra at CA Marshall (Character Interview) http://www.camarshall.com/2011/09/witch-song-desert-island-edition.html

Wednesday, September 7: Amy at Reading Teen (Review) http://ReadingTeen.net/

Thursday, September 8: Christie at The Fiction Enthusiast (In Her Own Words) http://thefictionenthusiast.blogspot.com/

Friday, September 9: Nicole at Books Complete Me (Tens List)
http://www.bookscompleteme.com/2011/09/witch-song-by-amber-argyle-top-ten.html

And another review: http://ayareader.blogspot.com/2011/09/review-witch-song.html

Read the first 5 Chapters of Witch Song +

One chapter is posted on each of the following blogs:

Sunday, August 28- Page Turners Witch Song Chapter 1
Monday, Aust 29: Fire and Ice Witch Song Chapter 2
Tuesday, August 30: Once Upon A Twilight Witch Song Chapter 3
Wednesday, August 31: We Fancy Books Witch Song Chapter 4
Thursday, September 1: Mundie Moms Witch Song Chapter 5 

Thanks to Mundie Moms for setting the tour up.

And the Teen Scene Blog Tour links for the week (links will be updated when they're posted):

Monday, August 29: Katie at Mundie Moms (Guest Post)
Tuesday, August 30: Jodie at Jodie's Book Reviews (Character Interview)
Wednesday, August 31: Precious at Fragments of Life (Review)
Thursday, September 1: Melissa at Mel's Books and Info (Into the Past) http://bookgirl-mel.blogspot.com/2011/09/into-past-with-amber-argyle-author-of.html
Friday, September 2: Lexie at Poisoned Rationality (Character Tens List) http://www.prationality.com/2011/09/pr-special-edition-51-amber-argyle.html
And reviews links:
My Writing Bug
Esther's Ever After

I want to thank all the people who follow my blog. All the bloggers who've been part of one of my three tours (I *heart* Book Lovin' Bitches, The Teen Book Scene, and Mundie Moms!). All the readers who've taken the time to write a review and share a little of Witch Song with the world.

You have a part in Witch Song's success; in the fact that we're going up against books with big marketing budgets and we're holding our own--and in some cases kicking butt.

And if you've gone through all that and you're still here, I commend you. Now I'm going to share some personal stuff. My book's official release date is tomorrow. Reviews are going up EVERYWHERE. This is super awesome. I'm beyond thrilled that people are reading something I spent years writing and then taking their valuable time to write a review. By and large, they're loving it.

But a few people aren't. That's okay. Not every book is for every person. I don't expect everyone to love Witch Song, and I don't want anything other than honest reviews. BUT I've come to the point where I can't read them anymore. I've talked to other authors, and most of them are adamant that you don't read your reviews. I can see why.

The honest truth? I need positivity in my life. I need encouragement and people in my corner rubbing my shoulders and shooting water in my mouth so it can run down the front of my shirt. I need cheerleaders. And part of writing reviews (for some) is about criticising. That's important for many readers in deciding whether or not to buy a book, but it's crippling for writers (kinda like having one too many alpha readers after the fact).

IF you'd like me to read/comment on your review or post a link on my blog, please feel free to send it to me: amberargyle at yahoo dot com But please don't bother if your review is negative. I don't want to hurt any one's feelings here. I'm just trying to preserve a positive aura.

Q4U: If you're an aspiring writer, do you think you'll read your reviews? Do you think reviews should be brutally honest or tactful? Can you really do both?

~Amber

Read Witch Song Chapter 2 For Free

Witch Song Chapter 2 is now up on Fire and Ice. Click here to read it.

If you missed chapter 1, go to Page Turners.

Chapters 3,4 and 5 will be posted over the next three days.

You can also read another interview of me on Just Another Book Addict as part of the Book Lovin' Bitches tour.

And learn about how I how my upbringing affected my writing on Mundie Moms.

Another great review on Katelyn's blog.

I love book blogs! Thanks to all of you!

Amber

My Teenage Garage Sale

Okay, I giggled when I saw how Casey had put together my teenage garage sale, complete with pictures--though she missed one.

<--- *the horse should look familiar, see the crescent moon marking on his forehead? He was my barrel and pole bending horse. His name is Knight, and he's in the book. :)

Corrine put up her fantastic review of Witch Song on her blog: Lost for Words 

Also, The Reader Bee just put up a great review.

And Esther's Ever After is giving away a copy of Witch Song.

Review of Forbidden Sea by Sheila A. Nielson

From Goodreads

 

When Adrianne comes face-to-face with the mermaid of Windwaithe Island, she is convinced that the mermaid means her harm. After all, the island is steeped in stories of mermaids' curses and the ill-luck that they bring. But Adrianne is fierce-willed and courageous and is determined to protect her family and the islanders from danger. Yet when the islanders find out about Adrianne's encounters with the mermaid, her family is scorned. They believe that once active, the mermaid cannot be quieted until an islander sacrifices herself to the sea. But is the legend true? And will their fear make them force Adrienne to test it? This is a haunting story of love, surrender and strength.

My review:

Forbidden Sea is my favorite book of 2011 (besides my own, of course), easily catapulting itself onto my list of favorite books of all time. Sheila has a talent for seamlessly weaving beautiful descriptions and metaphors into this fast-paced novel. A few examples: "Despite the dancing sunshine . . . Seeing it now, so empty and dark, caused gossamer strands of sadness to drift over me like webs caught in the wind."

Like Cinderella, Adrianne is basically the mistreated servant of those who should love her. From the book, "They see only with their eyes, and are blinded to the truest treasure that stand before them dressed in the ordinary dust and sweat of a hard life." But unlike Cinderella, Adrianna isn't some damsel in distress waiting to be rescued by the prince. She's scrappy and loyal to a fault.

My only misgiving about the book was the ending felt a little rushed. Still, I'm positive the sequel (ahhh! I WANT!) will wrap things up rather nicely.

Full disclosure: I listened in on a presentation by Sheila and I loved the concept for her book. Thinking it would make a great giveaway book for my blog, I bought a copy.

I burned through the whole thing in one setting. Sorry people. I refuse to give up my white knuckle grip. IT'S MINE. Luckily for you, I told Sheila how much I adored her book and she sent me another to use in a giveaway.

*contest closed* So yes, you have the AMAZING opportunity to own a signed hardcover of this absolutely fantastic book.

Here's how you enter:

• Post somewhere that you're excited about Witch Song OR Forbidden Sea with a backlink to my blog http://www.amberargyle.com/
• Everywhere you post, you get one point.

Examples:
On Twitter: Two fantastic book's I'm looking forward to: Witch Song by @amberargyle and Forbidden Sea by @sheilaanielson. http://www.amberarygle.blogspot.com/

On Goodreads: Witch Song author Amber Argyle has been gushing about Forbidden Sea, now I have to go read it! http://www.amberarygle.blogspot.com/

 On Facebook: @amberargyle and @sheilanielsonauthor should totally do a signing together for Witch Song and Forbidden Sea. http://www.amberarygle.blogspot.com/

TALLY UP YOUR OWN POINTS AND LEAVE LINKS or you will not be counted.

I just had to share this review.

Those of you who follow my blog know how hard it has been for me to put my work out there for judgement. So when a review shows up in my inbox like this, I grin for a minimum of 24 hours.

Big thanks to Ashley Knight! Ya'll go check out her Fins series. And no, I don't know her.

Review of the Wild Soccer Bunch by Joachim Masennek + Updates

Review by my 9 year old son. *disclosure: we received this book from LibraryThing earlier reviews.
This book is about kids who love to play soccer. Their coach is Larry, but they’re not really an official team; they mostly just play in a field for fun. Fabio, the son of a
famous Brazilian soccer star, wants to practice with the Wild Soccer Bunch. Instead, he plays for the Furies and his famous dad won’t let him switch.


The Wild Soccer Bunch finally gets a chance to play the Furies. They have to find a sponsor and logo. The game goes back and forth. The Wild Soccer Bunch eventually looses 11-4. Fabio’s dad is so impressed by the Wild Soccer Bunch’s courage that he hosts a party in their honor and announces that he’ll allow his son to play on their team. He buys them jerseys and helps them get their team going.

I liked this book because it shows that you can face really hard challenges and even if you don’t win, good things can come out of it. The funniest part where when they jumped off the eight foot bridge. My favorite part of the book was when the Wild Soccer Bunch faced the Furies.

Corb

There he is, folks, my uber cute son. He's also writing two books at present. I'm so proud I could pop. :)

Random:

• I still have two giveaways going on. Both books are signed. Matched by Ally Condie and The Third by Abel Keogh
• ARCs for Witch Song aren't in yet. For those of you eagerly awaiting your copy, patience young padawans. It will get done.
• My kitchen faucet is broken. Water will only come out the sprayer. This has been going on for 3 weeks, and the part is on backorder. Do you have any idea how many times I soaked myself when I've turned on the faucet without thinking? (There may or may not but definitely was swearing involved.)
• I have a cold that has rendered my nose much like my kitchen faucet. Broken. This has been going on for over a week now.
• I am, once again, freaking out. MY BOOK COMES OUT IN 3.5 MONTHS! What if everyone hates it! What if there's a big grammatical error! . . . I am forcing myself to replace this crippling fear with positivity. What if everyone loves it! What if it sells like crazy! What if . . . well, you get the idea.
• BIG BIG BIG things are in fact happening with WITCH SONG. And I can't tell you about any of them. Gosh, don't you just hate teasers?!?
• My current WIP is up to 60,000 words. I'm kinda stalled out on how to delve deeper into my magical system. The magic comes from trees, so the trees have to communicate with people somehow. Mindspeach and dreams feel so cliche. Any ideas?
• Barnes and Noble has increased the price of WITCH SONG from $9.44 to $13.99. Those of you who have already preordered the book have therefore saved over $4 bucks! So sorry for the rest of you. :(

Blogger Shout Out

In keeping with my post last month about authors who have helped me succeed, I wanted to give a shout out to all the bloggers who've featured Witch Song on their blogs. Thank you so much for your enthusiasm and for loving books! Check them out!

Fragments of Life

The Bookish Type

Tales of a Ravenous Reader

Amaterasu Reads

Books Are Wonderful

Girl About Books

My Precious

Stalking the Bookshelf

The Reader Bee

Utah Writing

The Book Faery

Book Flame

iLive iLaugh iLove Books

Splash of Our Worlds

Alise On Life

Book Lovin' Bitches

Simona

Dallen Rose

Benjamin Rose

Book Purring

Luke Piper

Krystal

The Teen Book Scene

Michael Offutt

Jemima Valentina

Fade into Fantasy

Book Fantatic

If I've missed you, send me your link and I'll add it!
Also, don't forget to enter both the contests I have going this month.

• Win Matched by Ally Condie
• Win The Third by Abel Keogh
• Sign up to review an ARC of WITCH SONG on the tabs at the top of my blog.

Giveaway of The Third (signed!) by Abel Keogh

First impressions: As I've said before, I love the cover. It conveys the dystopian feel of the novel perfectly. The white, embossed font is a great contrast against the gritty earth colors. Here's the cover copy:

When Ransom Lawe, a recycler in the Pacific Northwest, finds out his wife is pregnant with their third—-and therefore illegal—-child, he’s forced to choose between the government who proclaims a desire to save the planet and his hope for a place where his family can live in freedom. But with the Census Bureau Sentinels closing in on his wife and unborn child, Ransom’s choice will either save his family or tear them apart forever.


My thoughts:

I love a good dystopian novel, but to be honest, they're all starting to read alike. The Third is completely different. First, the main character is male, married, and mid-thirtiesish. No love triangles. No hiding secrets from mom. Honestly, it was a refreshing change.

My favorite character was Esperanza. I like characters that are a bit of a juxtaposition. Esperanza is a little Hispanic woman with a baby--totally helpless, right?

 Nope. Esperanza runs an underground operation to smuggle women pregnant with illegal thirds out of the city. She also carries a little dart tipped with a powerful sedative which she uses to knock out men twice her size.

As tough as she is, she's also compassionate and full of confidence. In all honestly, I wouldn't mind a whole book centering around Esperanza and how she got her start in the baby/momma smuggling business.

If you'd like an adult dystopian, I think you'll enjoy it. Check out Abel Keogh's website to read the first chapter.

OR you could win your very own signed, numbered (#57) copy. All you have to do is read and share your thoughts on the first chapter of WITCH SONG <--this is a link, click on it to read the first chapter.

• 1 point for sharing a quick thought on Facebook or Twitter (2 pts for sharing on both) with a link to the first chapter: http://bit.ly/kpXDzf 
• 5 pts for blogging about the first chapter, make sure you include the link: http://bit.ly/kpXDzf 
• 5 pts for mentioning it in on forum/website/anywhere else. 
• Leave me all appropriate links.

Have fun!

Also, don't forget to enter to win a signed hardcopy of MATCHED by Allie Condie.

Calling All Book Bloggers (And a Contest)



Bookmarks



Witch Song ARCs are going to print! Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh! I'm so excited!

My publisher is starting to go through the list of those who have signed up for an ARC. So if you're a blogger and you want to get your hands on a copy, make sure to fill out this form. It's not your last chance to get an ARC, but it's probably your best one.

Also, they've indicated their willingness to send out lots and lots of eBooks, so I've included an option for "prefer a hardcopy but will accept an eBook."

I've decided on the method of my ARC tour. One book will circulate through ten bloggers--all of which will receive two bookmarks (one to giveaway, one to keep). The last blogger will be one who's willing to host a giveaway.

If you indicated that you'd like to do an interview, please shot me an email with your questions (I'll be going through the list and sending out email reminders as we get closer).

I'd love you forever if you spotlight Witch Song on your blog, whether by a "Waiting on Wednesday" or type of meme or simply announcing your interest in the book. Let me know and I'll come comment. I'll also post links to your blog on my own.

Big Announcement:



Back of Bookmark



Any blogger who reviews Witch Song will receive two signed bookmarks (if you want them that is). One you may do with what you like, the other I ask that you give away in a contest on your blog. The top picture is the front of my bookmark, the bottom is the back. Aren't they pretty??? My friend, Michelle Argyle, designed them for me. Her prices are super reasonable too. Thanks Michelle!

Also: to anyone who shares this post or the form via Facebook, Twitter, Blog, etc, you'll be entered to win a prize pack including Alyson Noel's Dark Flame in hardcover and Radiance in softcover and three bookmarks--Cinders by Michelle Davidson Argyle, a signed bookmark of Elana Johnson's Possession and a signed bookmark of Lisa Mangum's The Hourglass Door (see pic below).

ps Don't forget to leave me your links!

pps This is going to be so much fun!

ppps You don't need to refill out the form. The contest is for FBing, Tweeting, or Blogging about the contest or the form. :)