Fire and Ash by Anne Patrick - Book Blast Giveaway

Fire and Ash by Anne Patrick

Fire and Ash is the story of female fire investigator Sadie McGregor.  When she was a child, Sadie lost her family in a horrific fire that still haunts her.  She's now been called in to investigate a fatality fire in her hometown of Emerald Point, Missouri. What Sadie and the handsome new police chief discover will not only affect those close to them, but will rock the entire community.

Amazon * Barnes & Noble

Amazon Kindle

Reviews and Awards

"This is a beautiful, yet hard-hitting story, fluently written, presenting characters you fall in love with." 
~ Reviewed by Fennel at LASR

"A Top Pick! Another Fantastic Novel!!!! Anne Patrick's novel, "Fire and Ash" is a well-written novel that flows wonderfully. A fantastic read!" 
~ Night Owl Reviews

"A wonderful read, this book had me laughing and crying. True to life characters and vivid descriptions, along with comedy and heart stopping moments, make this a page turner you'll want to read again." 
~ Happily Ever After Reviews

"As a forensics show enthusiast, I found that Anne Patrick, in her book, Fire and Ash, goes into great, minute detail of the fire investigation, that puts you on the scent of a perpetrator.  Her unique ability to incorporate multiple plots to throw you off course makes the pages fly by to connect the dots."  
~ Onedesertrose's Christian Book Reviews Blog

"As a retired fire investigator I have to say kudos to Ms Patrick on her research. I normally don’t read romantic suspense, but this book sounded intriguing so I couldn't resist. I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED" 
~Review from 'Fireboy' at Christianbook.com

Received Four Stars from Romantic Times Book Reviews!

LASR BEST BOOK of 2010 Nominee!

'Best Inspirational' 2010 at The Romance Reviews!

#1 Bestselling Suspense eBook, and #1 Bestselling Romance eBook at Christianbook.com!

Amazon Top 100 Bestseller in Christian Fiction!

Author Anne Patrick

Anne Patrick is the author of more than a dozen novels of Romance, Mayhem & Faith, including the award winning and bestselling WOUNDED HEROES SERIES, FIRE AND ASH, and TIES THAT BIND. When she isn't working on her next novel she enjoys spending time with family and friends, and traveling to foreign countries to experience new cultures and adventures. Born and raised in Oklahoma, she now makes her home in Kansas. 

Website * Blog * Twitter

She loves to hear from her readers!

Book Blast Giveaway
$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 4/10/13

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Grimm Chronicles Volume 2 Blog Tour - Interview & Giveaway

Tour Schedule

The Grimm Chronicles Volume 2

200 years ago, the Brothers Grimm changed everything.

With the help of a little magic, fairy tales were made real, manifesting all over the world. Charming princes. Gold-hunting dwarfs. Terrible step-mothers. Heroic animals.

Then, slowly, they began to change. Everyone—from Prince Charming to the old miller—grew more evil. Corrupted. A hero was chosen to stop them, hunting them down one by one and destroying them with the help of a magic pen and a special rabbit assistant.

For 200 years, the hero’s magic pen has been passed on from generation to generation. The newest hero is Alice Goodenough, an 18-year-old junior from Washington High School. While her friends spent their summer working and having fun, Alice found herself doing battle with creatures most human beings don’t even realize exist. A giant snake. A blood-sucking prince. A terrifying half-man, half-hedgehog. Dastardly dwarfs intent on mind-controlling everyone who uses a cell phone.

Now, senior year has begun. With it comes a new challenge at school, where bullies have grown bolder and classes more challenging. As if that’s not enough, Alice must face off against a collection of Corrupted who all share a terrible secret, one that might awaken a creature capable of doing untold damage. To uncover the secret, Alice will have to face off against a man-eating lizard, a bloodthirsty sea captain, and a mysterious wizard who can see into the future …

This book contains:

Episode four: The Orphanage of Doom
Episode five: Blood and Thunder
Episode six: The Order of the Golden Dragon

Bonus material:
The Lost Journal of Eugene Washington
Assorted fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm
A Legacy of Red

The Grimm Chronicles Volume 1

This book contains the first 3 episodes of the critically acclaimed series:
Episode 1: Prince Charming Must Die!
Episode 2: Happily Never After
Episode 3: Revenge of the Castle Cats

The Grimm Chronicles is intended for Young Adults aged 13 and up. The goal is to provide Young Adult readers with a strong, charismatic young woman in the role of the hero and provide readers with a positive protagonist who uses her brain to overcome obstacles life throws in her way.






Praise

“5 stars!” ~ Bookies Book Blog

"Highly recommended for all who love fairy tales and the YA genre." ~ My Cozie Corner

"All in all the books were excellent." ~ LilyElement

"If you love fairy tales and them being turned into modern day stories you will love these short stories." ~ Mom With a Kindle

5 stars (out of 5) ~ I Am, Indeed

“Isabella Fontaine and Ken Brosky’s incredible talent for storytelling takes the reader on an amazing action-packed ride fueled by endless creativity and limitless imagination. TGC is like a high-stakes version of Harold and the Purple Crayon meets a contemporary, above ground Alice in Wonderland. “ ~ Bookfetish

“I absolutely loved this book! No, let me rephrase that, I FREAKING LOVE THIS BOOK! Nope, that doesn't even do it justice. Vol. 1 has the first three stories from the 12 that will ultimately make up the chronicles.” ~ Jesse Kimmel-Freeman

Purchase:

The Grimm Chronicles: Volume 1

Book 1: Prince Charming Must Die!

Book 2: Happily Never After

Book 3: Revenge of the Castle Cats

The Grimm Chronicles: Volume 2

Book 4: The Orphanage of Doom

Book 5: Blood and Thunder
Book 6: The Order of the Golden Dragon

About the Authors
Ken Brosky received his MFA in fiction writing from the University of Nebraska-Omaha. He also teaches English at Madison College. This is his first Young Adult series.

Isabella Fontaine owns a farm in Wisconsin and enjoys reading weird books like House of Leaves. This is her first Young Adult series.

Website * Facebook

Interview with author Ken Brosky

What is one book everyone should read?

Cloud Atlas, by David Mitchell. It's so insane and unlike anything I've ever read. Definitely one of my favorite books, hands down. A close second would be something by George Saunders, like "CivilWarLand in Bad Decline." Great short story, and very easy to read. I'm a big fan of stories that are a little quarky and take you to a place you're not expecting. Jim Shepard is an author who can do that really well.

Please tell us in one sentence only, why we should read your book.

It's getting great reviews by book bloggers, and there's definitely some buzz about it; readers are enjoying the action, but they're also really enjoying the fact that our hero uses her brain as well as her butt-kicking skills; sorry for using semicolons to extend this sentence; it's a perk of being an English teacher.

Any other books in the works? Goals for future projects?

We want to finish this series, which will have a total of 12 books. Then I'm going to move on to some other projects that aren't YA-related. But we might do another YA series ... we've been toying with the idea of a science-fiction/paranormal tale set on another planet. It sounds great when we talk about it, but it might be tough to write.

Tell us your most rewarding experience since being published.

I think the coolest thing in the world was when I read a review about a month ago--it was a positive review, which was cool enough as it is, but then I scrolled down to the COMMENTS section and I saw a couple of people had posted things like: "I love this series" and "I totally agree. I've been hooked on this series since the first book." Coolest feeling in the world.

Is there a song you could list as the theme song for your book or any of your characters?

"Only if for a Night" by Florence and the Machine. Definitely. Or "Rabbit Heart (raise it up)" by Florence and the Machine.

Can you see yourself in any of your characters?

I've put a lot of my goofy quirks in Seth. Like him, I definitely end up with ketchup on my face after a big meal.

How do you react to a bad review?

Learn from it. We've been pretty lucky so far, but I think there are a couple things we can do differently moving forward. One of our characters needs to be pulled back a bit, because some bloggers are noticing he's a little too involved in the action. This is Alice's story, and Alice--our hero--needs to start being the hero. So we're going to work on that for the last 6 books. She's developing slowly. She's going to need to develop a heckuva lot faster if she wants to survive this mess.

Give us a glimpse into a typical day in your day starting when you wake up till you lie down again.

This is a typical day in which I'm not too busy teaching:

7:00 am - Wake up.

8:00 am - Teach English.

10:00 am - Prep for classes.

11:00 am - Write.

11:15 am - Check Facebook.

11:20 am - Write.

11:30 am - Search Wikipedia for "The Joe Schmo Show."

12:00 pm - Eat lunch.

12:30 pm - Write.

12:45 pm - Check email.

1:00 pm - Write.

1:30 pm - Play with iPhone.

2:00 pm - Reserved for class/advising prep.

3:00 pm - Write.

3:15 pm - Surf the net.

4:00 pm - Grade papers, etc.

5:00 pm - Write.

5:15 pm - Give self pep talk on the importance of writing.

5:30 pm - Give up, go work out.

6:00 pm - Dinner.

7-10 pm - Prep, editing, Facebook, email, writing, read book or watch movie.

Do you prefer to write in silence or with music?

I like music. I like listening to Earth, or "Ghosts" by Nine Inch Nails. Atmospheric music with no vocals can really get me in the writing groove.

What is your favorite scene in the book?

I'm especially proud of Alice's confrontation with the hedgehog monster. It was a challenge to create a scene that was both nerve-wracking and action-packed, but I think we nailed it. Also, a lot of Volume 1 deals with the theme of Fear and how it can affect a person. Alice has to learn to confront her fear and be able to control it and think straight in any circumstance if she wants to be the hero.

How do you come up with the characters names/personalities?

All of the monsters in the story come from Grimms' Fairy Tales. Some were bad in the fairy tales, and some were good. It doesn't matter. What matters is finding characters who can fit into the themes of the series and move the story forward. It's been a lot of fun. Sometimes, we happen across a character in the fairy tales who we've never heard of and we absolutely HAVE to use them. Like the takling sausage.

What is next on your to read list?

Alice Munro's Dear Life. I'm a big fan of her short stories.

Tour Giveaway
5 Kindle ebook copies of The Grimm Chronicles Volume 2
Ends 4/11/13


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Volume 2 Tour Schedule

March 25th
Oh, The Books You'll Read! - Review
Cover2CoverBlog - Review
Inside BJ's Head - Review
Sher A Hart: Writing Art - Guest Post

March 26th
Living a Goddess Life - Spotlight
Peace from Pieces - Guest Post

March 27th
Fade Into Fantasy - Tens List
An Avid Reader's Musings - Review
Bunny's Review - Spotlight
A Backward's Story - Review

March 28th
Free Ebook Daily - Tens List
Bookshelf - Review
The Crafty Book Nerd - Review

March 29th
Curling Up with a Good Book - Guest Post
Fictitious Musings - Review & Tens List
Books and their Worldly Realm - Spotlight
Fae Books - Spotlight
Why Not? Because I Said So!! - Review

March 30th
Vonnie's Reading Corner - Review
Moosubi Reviews - Review
Gobs & Gobs of Books - Spotlight

March 31st
Frankie Blooding's Bookshelf - Spotlight
Mythical Books - Review
Writer Mike - Spotlight

April 1st
Spellbindings - Review & Tens List
My Devotional Thoughts - Review
Magical Manuscripts - Review
Living, Learning, and Loving Life - Spotlight

April 2nd
Read to My Heart's Content - Review
The LUV'NV - Review
Ciska's Book Chest - Review
Indie Author How-to - Spotlight

April 3rd
Auggie-talk - Review
Bookworm Lisa - Review
Christy's Cozy Corner - Review
From the Bootheel Cotton Patch - Spotlight

April 4th
Laurie's Thoughts & Reviews - Review & Guest Post
Proud Book Nerd - Review
A Little Shelf of Heaven - Review & Tens List

April 5th
The Muse Unleashed - Review
Brooke Blogs - Review

Family Ever After Blog Tour & Book Blast Sign Ups

I'm setting up a blog tour & book blast for Family Ever After by Michelle Packard
The is a Family/Self Help/Motivational Book.

The $50 Book Blast will take place on Friday, April 26th.  In exchange for putting up a book blast post you can have a spot on the rafflecopter for your facebook fan page or twitter account.

The Blog Tour will run from May 3rd to 15th.  There is a shared $25 Gift Card Giveaway that is part of the tour.  This is mainly a review tour.  Interviews & guest posts are only available to those with a well established, high traffic blog.

Family Ever After: Simple Ways to Achieve Perfect Happiness in an Imperfect Family

Got Your Ever After? That is the question of a lifetime.  When your Ever After began I’m sure it was a happy one, but, over time, something about family life becomes a little less perfect and likely a lot less glamorous. Call me crazy but I got married so I could be with my husband. See what I said…Crazy. If you are anything like me, and probably the rest of the world, this book is for you. It gives perspective on what we call marriage and family life. Let it be your guide to making your ever after truly, sublimely happy.

In Family Ever After: author Michelle Packard explores and advises on everything from time management to identifying what’s really important in any family, how to celebrate play to solving conflicts without making it worse, and managing expectations to developing a positive outlook on real patience.



"This book is an incredible reminder to be happy loving the ones who are most important in our life—our family. Through Michelle’s wit and wisdom, I found myself looking at my family with a clearer perspective of what happiness means in this reality we’re living. I ditched the rose-colored glasses long ago, but Michelle’s book provided the window cleaner I needed to see that it’s okay if everything doesn’t turn out right as long as we realize that happiness can be found within the simple things. And sometimes the simplest moments hold the most joy.

Amazon

Praise
Family Ever After is a must-read for every happily married Cinderella who wonders why she’s still holding the broom."
--Rachelle J. Christensen, award-winning author of Wrong Number and Caller ID

"Michelle is open enough to have given readers an intimate look into her life and those close to her, allowing us to learn from both painful and sweet experiences.  Her self-reflective style and meaningful insights, if applied, would clearly make a profound impact in the lives of readers."
--Shawn Edgington Ph.D.



Michelle Packard is a mother to her four very human and totally fabulous kids. Her oldest, Ella is always in charge and leads the pack with creativity and curiosity, Daniel follows with loyalty and loves tenderly, Julia is a doll and always buzzing over something beautiful, and Jackson could hunt down the last sharpie on earth to create art on your bathroom wall. She has been married ten years and is quite taken with her guy. Date night is her favorite and she dreams of weekend getaways with her man. She loves creating beauty through floral design, but apparently has no gift with living flowers (They end of upside down and pressed in books). She finds parties alluring. They beckon her to invite people over, spend way too much time preparing food for murder mystery dinners, and totally enjoy friends and family. Michelle holds a bachelors degree in Home and Family Science from Brigham Young University. She has spent a great deal of time working with children and young adults and finds her greatest joy is happy families.

Blog

Feed Your Reader with these Freebies!

Grab these Freebies while you can!

The Ugly Stepsister Strikes Back by Sariah Wilson 

Everyone knows how all those fairy tales go. The princess gets beautiful, nabs her prince, falls instantly in love, lives happily ever after and leaves her evil stepsisters in the dust.

But what happens when you’re the ugly stepsister and your obnoxiously perfect—read pretty, smart, and, worst of all, sickeningly nice—stepsister is dating the charming, tall, devastatingly handsome guy you’ve had a thing for since you were nine years old?

Quirky, artistic and snarky Mattie Lowe does not lead a charmed life. Her mother is constantly belittling her on Skype. Mercedes, the school mean girl, has made it her personal mission to torment Mattie. But worst of all? Her stepsister Ella is the most beautiful, popular girl in school and is dating Mattie’s secret longtime crush, Jake Kingston.

Tired of being left out and done with waiting for her own stupid fairy godmother to show up, Mattie decides to change her life. She’ll start by running for senior class president against wildly popular Jake.

Ella can keep her Prince Annoying. Mattie’s going to rule the school.

And no one, not even a cute and suddenly flirty Jake, is going to stop her.

Amped by Douglas E. Richards

Kira Miller is a brilliant scientist who discovers how to temporarily boost human IQ to dizzying levels. But this transcendent intelligence brings with it a ruthless megalomania. Determined to use her discovery to propel human civilization to a higher plane, despite this side effect, Kira and ex-special forces operative David Desh recruit a small group of accomplished scientists, all of whom are safely off the grid. Or so they think . . .

Soon Kira and her team are fighting for their lives against unknown but powerful adversaries. Worse still, while on the run and being relentlessly attacked from all quarters, Kira comes across evidence of savage acts that the enhanced version of Desh kept hidden, even from himself. Now both she and Desh must question everything they think they know. Can they trust each other? Can they even trust themselves?

And all the while, the greatest threat of all may be coming from an entirely unexpected direction. A threat that could lead to devastation on a global scale. And time is quickly running out . . .

Like its predecessor, AMPED is a smart thriller crammed with breakneck action, unexpected twists, mind-blowing science, and philosophical and ethical concepts readers will be contemplating long after they've read the last page.


Grab them QUICK! Both are currently FREE on Amazon.



Visit Feed Your Reader for more great ebook freebies & deals: http://www.feedyourreader.com/

Earth-Sim by Jade Kerrion - Interview & Giveaway

Welcome to Author Jade Kerrion

Jade Kerrion unites cutting-edge science and bioethics with fast-paced action in her award-winning Double Helix series. Perfection Unleashed and its sequels, Perfect Betrayal and Perfect Weapon, have been described as “a breakout piece of science fiction” and drawn rave reviews for their originality and vision. Her latest novel, When the Silence Ends, is a Young Adult spinoff the Double Helix series. She is also the author of Earth-Sim, a whimsical and compelling view of Earth’s history through the eyes of the two students assigned to manage our planet.

Blog / Facebook / Twitter

Interview

1. When did you start writing, and was there a significant event that prompted you to do so?

I started at the age of thirteen when my school essays were returned to me with a bunch of “A”s scrawled over the top. Teenagers are impressionable. Being much more impressionable than most, and believing that my teachers knew what they were doing, I figured I was destined to be a writer. It’s only taken me tens of thousands of hours of work since then to be halfway decent at writing (and I’m still learning each day), but one has to start somewhere.

2. What's your book about?

Earth-Sim is a Young Adult / New Adult science fiction novel about Jem Moran, a college student with a reputation to prove and a secret to protect. The prestigious world simulation program seems the answer to both her problems, but only if she can succeed in spite of her partner, Kir Davos, and the uncooperative human beings who populate her planet. Earth-Sim unravels the mystery of Jem’s true identity, but the novel is also about our planet, and most especially about the history of civilization. It’s about humanity with all our foibles, our courage and our weaknesses, and most of all, our ingenuity and resilience. Earth-Sim showcases Earth’s history in a seamless blend of popular culture, science, and religion, through the eyes of the two students and the android assigned to manage the planet.

3. What inspired you to write Earth-Sim?

Earth-Sim has a distinctly whimsical, and sometimes irreverent slant, which makes it quite different from other books I’ve written thus far. I wanted to try my hand at something tongue-in-cheek, and of course, the best inspirational material already exists. Our planet’s history is loaded with natural disasters, our planet is pockmarked with fascinating geological formations, and our mythology is rife with fantastic tales. What if all of those could be explained by the decisions and choices of two students with differing management styles, and not to mention the accidents along the way (Did I mention, water and technology don’t mix…and you should never sneeze on a planet…)

4. What do you enjoy the most about writing?

The creative process. I write the movie that I see in my mind. It’s amazing to see the words take shape on paper and realize that it’s bringing to life something that had previously only existed for me. My readers have likened my novels to action movies, anime, and graphic novels—that’s a huge compliment. That tells me I actually succeeded in sharing with them the movie in my mind. 

5. What was the hardest part about writing your book?

The hardest part was stopping. After multiple rounds of self-editing, several weeks of working with my editor, and several rounds of proofreading, I had to put the book away and say “done.” I think it is entirely possible to edit forever, but at some point, you have to stop and send the book out into the world.

6. Where do you get the inspiration to write?

I think I’m past the stage of needing inspiration; writing is more of a compulsion now. In general, I have a compulsive personality; people like me should never get exposed to alcohol, cigarettes, or recreational drugs—we’re easy prey. Years ago, computer gaming and writing used to go hand-in-hand for me. My characters from my computer games inspired my writing. Since then, however, my characters have taken on a life of their own and thus, I have been freed to happily obsess about them without needing the occasional computer gaming boost to sustain them.

7. Who is your favorite author and why?

Neil Gaiman is pure genius in his storytelling ability.

8. What do you like to do when you are not writing? What is your ultimate luxury?

I love reading, and read widely across genres. The ultimate luxury would be to do nothing! However, I’ve realized that I don’t have the right personality type to do nothing. For example, sunbathing on a lounge chair in front of a swimming pool is agony for me (and for the people watching me.) I twitch, I sit up, switch positions, twitch some more. That said, I would love to spend several hours at a spa, getting pampered from head to toe. Maybe, sometime during those few hours, I’d learn to relax for a few minutes.

9. When you were little, what did you want to be when you "grew up"?

A fireman! My parents even bought me a fireman helmet to wear.

10. If you could have any superpower what would you choose?

The ability to transform matter. For example, if you were falling from a building, I could save your life by transforming asphalt into an air mattress. More practically, however, I could transform leftover pizza into sushi, or spin air into fabric to increase the size of my denim jeans. In theory, I’d never have to buy anything ever again, which I suppose makes irrelevant my ability to turn dirt into gold…

11. If you were stranded on a desert island what 3 things would you want with you?

My computer, an unlimited source of electricity, and a wireless connection. What else does anyone else need?

12. If you could take over the world, would you?

You know, prior to writing Earth-Sim, I might have said yes, completely under the delusion that I could have a good job managing the world. Now, a great deal wiser, my answer is an unequivocal “NO!” You couldn’t pay me enough to take over the world.

13. Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?

I just want to say thank you. Thank you for your support, your enthusiastic reviews, and your outraged e-mails over what I did to some of my characters. Thank you for loving them. Thank you for rereading my novels. Thank you for trusting me with your time. I do promise to honor that trust and keep delivering fantastic novels that keep you reading past your bedtime.

Earth-Sim

Jem Moran has a reputation to prove and a secret to protect. The prestigious world simulation program seems the answer to both her problems, but only if she can succeed in spite of her partner, Kir Davos, and the uncooperative human beings who populate her planet. From the Great Extinction to the Renaissance, from world wars to intergalactic treaties, Jem’s conflict with Kir will shape Earth’s history, and their opposing management styles will either save or doom our planet. Either way, you finally have someone to blame for the shape our world is in.





Giveaway Details
1 copy of Earth-Sim
Open Internationally as long as The Book Depository ships to you
Ends 4/2/13



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Know Me Better 3/2

 

"Know Me Better"

Each week I will pick 5 questions off of my author interview lists to answers.

I invite you to share your answers to these questions as well.  You can share them as a comment on this post or share them on your own blog and link up to this post.

This post goes up sometime during the weekend. I "TRY" to get it up by Saturday morning but life happens.


This weeks questions all come from my Tens List Ideas. You don't have to come up with 10 answers to each one.  You can come up with whatever comes to mind.

Books You Are Dying to Read
Foods you wish you could eat and never gain a pound
Things you have in your purse/bag/wallet now
Movies you never want to see again
Movie you watch over and over again

Books You Are Dying to Read 
Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo
Midnight Masquerade by Marcia Lynn McClure
Scent of Magic by Maria Snyder
Requiem by Lauren Oliver
Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

Foods you wish you could eat and never gain a pound 
Ice Cream
Brownies
White Cheddar Popcorn
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Pizza
Lasanga
Donuts
Lucky Charms
Homemade bread slathered in butter
Bacon

Things you have in your purse/bag/wallet now 
Granola Bar
Cash
Wallet
Receipts from Costco, Walmart & Olive Garden
My Kindle
Checkbook
Pencil & Pen
Olive Garden Gift Card
Chapstick
Chocolate (well it was in there until I just found it, now it's gone)

Movies you never want to see again
Signs staring Mel Gibson (freak me out, I don't do scary)
Twilight movies

Movie you watch over and over again
Ever After
Disney's Little Mermaid & Beauty and the Beast
Musicals like Sound of Music, Oklahoma
Pride & Prejudice, Emma, Sense & Sensiblity and romances along those lines
All the old Disney movies like Snowball Express, Happiest Millionaire...


Now it's your turn! Share an answer to one or more of these questions as a comment or post your answers on your blog and link up here!  If you are posting on your blog you can grab the linky to include with your post if you would like to do so.

Grimm Chronicles Volume 1 Blog Tour Guest Post & Giveaway

Tour Schedule

About the Authors
Ken Brosky received his MFA in fiction writing from the University of Nebraska-Omaha. He also teaches English at Madison College. This is his first Young Adult series.

Isabella Fontaine owns a farm in Wisconsin and enjoys reading weird books like House of Leaves. This is her first Young Adult series.

Website * Facebook

Guest post: The Importance of Role Models by Ken Brosky

I'm often amazed at how many Young Adult novels don't consider the fact that their characters might be held up as models by the readers. It seems to basic. Think back to when you were a kid. Think about the books you read. Did you ever idolize any of the characters in those books? I certainly did. Not only was I reading books by Roald Dahl, I was also reading books with female leads like the Ramona series.

I'm not entirely sure why I chose such a wide variety of books, but I can say without a doubt that they influenced how I behaved.

Right now, we're in a renaissance of sorts with Young Adult novels. They're being gobbled up by voracious readers, both young and not-so-young. But what kinds of role models are appearing in these books? More importantly, how can writers provide role models in their books without being too preachy and still maintaining a good story?

I would recommend giving the main character of your stories at least one positive attribute. Let that attribute guide the main character. Sure, the main character can still stumble, still fail and still get sidetracked. But by giving the main character some quality that the reader can emulate, Young Adult authors will have an opportunity to be a source of inspiration.

Case in point: The Grimm Chronicles. We've designed a couple of rules for our main character, Alice. One of them is that Alice absolutely will not use violence against fellow human beings as a means to an end. There are no easy ways out for her. She's not allowed to go "above and beyond the law" like so many of our action movie heroes do nowadays. The message we're trying to send to readers is that, contrary to what we see on TV and in movies, there are alternatives to violence. Solutions that work without the necessity of harming another human being.

That doesn't mean Alice is perfect. Nor are the solutions always right in front of her face. She screws up sometimes, and that's OK. Because at the end of the day, she holds strong to her values. She's complex, but she doesn't fall into the tired cliche of punching her way out of every situation regardless of the real-world consequences.

YA is a fantastic genre, and by creating characters who are more complex and responsible than what people are used to seeing on TV and in movies, we can leave a lasting positive impression on our readers.

The Grimm Chronicles

200 years ago, the Brothers Grimm unleashed their stories upon the world. Literally. Now the characters of the Grimms' stories walk among us. With every day that passes, they grow more evil. They are the Corrupted, and only a hero can stop them.

For 18-year-old Alice Goodenough, that means taking precious time off from her summer vacation. In addition to volunteering at the local library, Alice must stop the Corrupted who are now actively hunting her down. With the help of her magic pen and her trusty rabbit friend, the world has suddenly gotten a lot more complex. The Corrupted are everywhere, and only Alice can see them for what they truly are.




This book contains the first 3 episodes of the critically acclaimed series
Episode 1: Prince Charming Must Die!
Episode 2: Happily Never After
Episode 3: Revenge of the Castle Cats

Additional features for this special edition:
- An introduction
- Two special "Lost Diaries"
- A behind-the-scenes interview
- A collection of original Grimms' Fairy Tales

The Grimm Chronicles is intended for Young Adults aged 13 and up. The goal is to provide Young Adult readers with a strong, charismatic young woman in the role of the hero and provide readers with a positive protagonist who uses her brain to overcome obstacles life throws in her way.

Also Available Volume 2 of the Grimm Chronicles

Book 4: The Orphanage of Doom
Book 5: Blood and Thunder
Book 6: The Order of the Golden Dragon


Praise

“5 stars!” ~ Bookies Book Blog

"Highly recommended for all who love fairy tales and the YA genre." ~ My Cozie Corner

"All in all the books were excellent." ~ LilyElement

"If you love fairy tales and them being turned into modern day stories you will love these short stories." ~ Mom With a Kindle

5 stars (out of 5) ~ I Am, Indeed

“Isabella Fontaine and Ken Brosky’s incredible talent for storytelling takes the reader on an amazing action-packed ride fueled by endless creativity and limitless imagination. TGC is like a high-stakes version of Harold and the Purple Crayon meets a contemporary, above ground Alice in Wonderland. “ ~ Bookfetish

“I absolutely loved this book! No, let me rephrase that, I FREAKING LOVE THIS BOOK! Nope, that doesn't even do it justice. Vol. 1 has the first three stories from the 12 that will ultimately make up the chronicles.” ~ Jesse Kimmel-Freeman

Purchase:

The Grimm Chronicles: Volume 1

Book 1: Prince Charming Must Die!

Book 2: Happily Never After

Book 3: Revenge of the Castle Cats

The Grimm Chronicles: Volume 2

Book 4: The Orphanage of Doom

Book 5: Blood and Thunder
Book 6: The Order of the Golden Dragon

Tour Giveaway
5 Kindle ebook copies of The Grimm Chronicles Volume 1
Ends 3/15/13


a Rafflecopter giveaway


Volume 1 Tour Schedule

February 25th
Cover2CoverBlog - Review
Inside BJ's Head - Review
Bunny's Review - Spotlight
Peace from Pieces - Interview

February 26th
Free Ebook Daily - Guest Post
Spellbindings - Review
Living a Goddess Life - Spotlight

February 27th
Fade Into Fantasy - Interview
Frankie Blooding's Bookshelf - Spotlight
Pika Pages - Interview
The Crafty Book Nerd - Review

February 28th
Curling Up with a Good Book - Interview
Fictitious Musings - Review & Guest Post
Bookshelf - Review & Interview
Writer Mike - Spotlight

March 1st
My Not So Vacant Shelf - Review
My Devotional Thoughts - Review & Tens List
Books and their Worldly Realm - Spotlight
An Avid Reader's Musings - Tens List

March 2nd
Read to My Heart's Content - Review
Vonnie's Reading Corner - Review
Sher A Hart: Writing Art - Review

March 3rd
Moosubi Reviews - Review & Tens List
Mythical Books - Review
Magical Manuscripts - Review & Tens List

March 4th
Oh, The Books You'll Read! - Review
Bookworm Lisa - Review
A Little Shelf of Heaven - Review & Interview
Indie Author How-to - Spotlight

March 5th
Fae Books - Spotlight
The LUV'NV - Review
Ciska's Book Chest - Review
Living, Learning, and Loving Life - Spotlight

March 6th
Proud Book Nerd - Review
Christy's Cozy Corner - Review
Gobs & Gobs of Books - Spotlight

March 7th
Into the Mystic - Review & Guest Post
Laurie's Thoughts & Reviews - Review & Character Interview
Brooke Blogs - Review
From the Bootheel Cotton Patch - Spotlight

March 8th
Auggie-talk - Review
Why Not? Because I Said So!! - Review
The Muse Unleashed - Review

Innovera Yakov - Blast & Tour

Innovera Yakov: The Journey of a Thousand Eyes


Innovera Yakov – The Journey of A Thousand Eyes takes you into a world of excitement and danger where thoughts and feelings are overheard and minds can travel to other worlds.

Be prepared to immerse yourself in a world where falling in love could cost you your life and nothing is as it seems. Innovera Yakov – The Journey of A Thousand Eyes is the first book in an action-packed fantasy drama series where characters with powers of healing and destruction live, love, compete and disappear without a trace while they are being prepared for the Journey.

Audio Link

Innovera Yakov - Audio of Chapter 1

Read the First Chapter

Innovera Yakov - Chapter 1

Author Kia Garriques

Kia Garriques studied writing and English literature at University and has been a published short story writer since 2009. Her first story “The Invisible Alien Watcher” was published by Micro Horror in 2009 and reprinted by Pill Hill Press in 2011. Innovera Yakov: The Journey of a Thousand Eyes – is her first novel in the ‘Worlds’ series.

Twitter * Goodreads * Facebook 

Tumblr * Wattpad 
 Pinterest * Website

Excerpt

Blu Tara stared her sister in the face. ‘Let me tell you what you don't know about love, Gamma. It is a curse. You will scoop out your core and abandon it just to have the Being that you love. You will steal another person's life force if it makes it easier to get it. You will abandon the world you have been cradled in, betray everything and everyone you care for. You’ll give up your name for it.’

Blu Tara's voice went soft and dreamy. ‘You will gladly close your eyes and embrace the world of darkness. You will kill or die for it. And you will hate yourself for the weakness that it brings on you. So don’t talk to me about love.’

Gamma shook her head. ‘You're not making sense,’ Blu Tara. ‘You talk as if... I’m the one who should be upset about all this.’

Blu Tara lifted her hand dismissively. She pointed a hot finger at Gamma. ‘Anyway don’t forget what we are.’

'And what are we?’ Gamma glared at her..

'Different. Strange. Something to be frightened of. Two Beings that can fuse and burn everything to ashes. That's the way they all see us down there. That's what the Stardog wants from you - the powers you possess.

‘I hate them all. With their suspicious, shiny faces and their empty games. I hate that Voice which drones on and on at us in the Learning Dome as soon as we've finished resting.

Innoverans! All those perfect, pretty Beings; they remember nothing — it’s the curse of this shallow, shining world. Tell me, Gamma - what do you remember of the world we come from before your Odors Apeno dumped us here?’

Gamma swung around to face her sister fully. ‘Blu Tara! What's got into you? Where’s all that coming from? I've never heard you speak like that before. This is about Krave and I- not you!’

Krave and you - don't make me laugh. And, oh! Here’s a big difference — between you and I this time, Twin Sister. It’s the answer to your question that you brought me up here to ask.’ Blu Tara mimicked Gamma's soft and musical voice, Why do you want to kill Krave?

Here's the answer, Gamma. I will do whatever I have to do to save myself. I'm the half of you that's not like you. I don't have a weeping heart. Now I'm out of here. I need my Rest.

Tour Giveaway
$25 Amazon Gift Card


Tour Schedule

April 19th
I Am A Reader, Not A Writer - Interview
Crafty Zoo - Guest Post
Books, Owls and Tea - Interview

April 20th
Cuzinlogic - Interview
Peace from Pieces - Interview

April 22nd
My Random Life - Promo Post
Pika Pages - Interview

April 23rd
Bookworm Avenue - Tens List
Fire & Ice - Review

April 24th
Reading Away the Days - Tens List
Dustykatt's Stuff - Review

April 25th
Bookmarks, Spoilers and Happily Ever After - Promo Post
Rogue Mission - Review

April 26th
A Blog Hop Place for Books - Promo Post
A Casual Reader's Blog - Promo Post

April 27th
Fantasy Books - Review
Sweeping Me - Promo Post

April 29th
Mythical Books - Review
From the Bootheel Cotton Patch - Promo Post

April 30th
Pretty Opinionated - Promo Post
Musings of a Blogder - Interview

Journey of Promise by Vickie Hall Blog Tour Sign Ups

I'm setting up a blog tour for Journey of Promise by Vickie Hall.

Journey of Promise is an LDS historical fiction novel.  Part One, All That Was Promised, is about a Methodist minister in 1840s Wales who converts to the Church and battles prejudice and persecution for his decision. Part 2, Journey of Promise, takes the characters from the United Kingdom to America, but along the way the find they're unprepared for the exacting toll the journey takes.

Journey of Promise does stand alone if you have not read Part One.  I have ebook review copies of both books available for those who would like to read both.

Vickie is also available for a limited number of guest posts, interviews, tens lists, etc.

There will be a shared $25 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway as part of the tour.


The tour will run from May 8th to May 17th.

Journey of Promise

When converts Richard and Leah Kenyon leave Wales and heed the call to Zion, they are unprepared for the toll exacted by the journey. To face the incredible odds mounted against them they call upon the Lord's tender mercies to see them through and strengthen their love for one another. Their story will remind you where to turn during your trials.

All That Was Promised

In 1847 Wales Methodist Minister Richard Kenyon converts to Mormonism. Richard’s newfound faith is put to the test when he faces the anger of his former congregation, his wife’s indecisiveness, his brother’s betrayal, and the murderous intentions of misinformed villagers.

Author Vickie Hall

Vickie is a native of Utah, but growing up, lived in the states of Colorado, Idaho, Montana, and Nebraska. When she's not writing, she's composing music, or shopping with her sister. She loves animals of all kinds and camping with her family. Her favorite pastime is watching old movies on TCM, and unashamedly has a crush on Cary Grant.

Links:

Blog * Website 
Facebook * Goodreads

Tour Schedule

May 8th
I Am A Reader, Not A Writer - Guest Post
Love. Pray. Read. - Spotlight
Spellbindings - Excerpt
Deal Sharing Aunt - Review & Guest Post
LDS & Lovin' It - Review
Bookworm Lisa - Review

May 9th
Crafty Zoo With Monkeys - Guest Post
BCM Unlimited - Review & Interview
From the Bootheel Cotton Patch - Spotlight
Sweeping Me - Excerpt

May 10th
Aimee Laine - Interview
Gamila's Review - Review
Fantasy Books - Interview
Sarah Balance - Guest Post or Tens List

May 11th
Cuzinlogic - Interview
Free Ebooks Daily - Spotlight
I Love to Read and Review Books :) - Review & Tens List
Kerrific - Excerpt

May 13th
Taking Time for Mommy - Review
readalot - Review & Guest Post
Peace from Pieces - Interview
Dustykatt's Stuff - Review

May 14th
Beck Valley Books - Excerpt
Hott Books - Spotlight
Kaisy Daisy's Corner - Review
Books4Tomorrow - Excerpt

May 15th
Wall-to-Wall Books - Review
Bookworm Family - Review
Fly High - Excerpt
Brooke Blogs - Spotlight

May 16th
Mythical Books - Review
Tribute Books Reviews & Giveaway - Interview
A Blog Hop Place for Books - Excerpt
Gwynneth White YA Author - Review
Deal Sharing Aunt - Review

May 17th
My Book A Day - Review
Libby's Library - Review
The FirstLink - Excerpt
Bookmarks, Spoilers and Happily Ever After - Spotlight