Monday, March 31, 2014

Author Spotlight #2: Lynne Matson, NIL Playlist

This is Lynne's third post for the month,  Lynne has so kindly provided you guys with a playlist for the main characters on NIL this week! Enjoy and make sure to enter the amazing giveaway Lynne has so graciously offered! 

If you missed her other posts check it out here: Lynne Matson Intro Post and NIL Teaser, Lynne Matson NIL Character Sekrits

NIL: The Tracks Behind the Words


Confession: I can't write without without music. 

Sometimes it’s the melody, sometimes it’s the lyrics. Sometimes it’s just the vibe the song conveys, but regardless, I always listen to music as I brainstorm, draft, and revise. (And revise . . . and revise LOL)

NIL was no exception! There were certain songs I listened to over and over as I wrote various scenes; same for the different characters's points of view. Since NIL is told from two different perspectives, I ended up with different playlists for each character, and as you'll see, each playlist has a very different feel.

First up is Thad’s playlist. He’s been on Nil longer than Charley and it shows. My favorite song on Thad’s playlist? Either Underdog by Kasabian (epitomizes Thad's fight against the island) or Ready To Fall (perfect as Thad's days run out). Oh, and I LOVE Pendulum's Watercolor and 30 Seconds to Mars! I'll stop. :) Here's the full playlist:


THAD’S PLAYLIST









Next up, Charley’s playlist. Totally different, as it should be. She’s just landed on the island, and everything is scary fresh. My favorite tune on Charley’s playlist? Maybe See You Again by Carrie Underwood (because it shows Charley's fierce optimism), or Blue Jeans by Lana Del Ray (love the vibe). Also I Can't Do This by Plumb (that's Charley's lowest point). And Hannah Trigwell--oh, her voice is AMAZING, with a hint of longing. I could ramble on, but I'll stop. :)  Here you go! Charley’s playlist:


CHARLEY’S PLAYLIST





Maybe the most important song for all of NIL was Pendulum's The Island (Part 1) Dawn. So creepy good with haunting lyrics---LYRICAL PERFECTION from the island's point of view.

So there you have it! The words behind NIL! :) Happy reading and happy listening!

Oh--and my new favorite song these days? Dust & Bones by NIght Terrors of 1927. What's yours? 

Thanks again Crystal for having me! 

-- 
Lynne Matson

Keep Up To Date With Lynne:


Giveaway:
(Thanks so much Lynne for sharing such an awesome giveaway!) 

*US ONLY
*13 yrs or older to enter
*Entries will be checked, if found cheated all entries will be removed
*You have 48 hr to respond to winner email before someone else is chosen
♥ GOOD LUCK ♥




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Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Twelve Steps by Veronica Bartles Blog Tour: Character Interview + Giveaway


Thank you YA Bound Book Tours for letting me be apart of this tour! I hope everyone enjoys this cute character interview and make sure to leave Veronica some love and add TWELVE STEPS to your TBR list! 

 Sixteen-year-old Andi is tired of being a second-class sibling to perfect sister Laina. There in Laina's shadow, Andi's only noticeable feature is her pretty awesome hair. And even that is eclipsed by Laina's perfect everything else.

When Andi’s crush asks her to fix him up with Laina, Andi decides enough is enough and devises a twelve-step program to wrangle the spotlight away from Laina. After all, great hair must count for something.

Step 1: Admit she’s powerless to change her perfect sister, and accept that her life really, really sucks. OK, maybe that's two steps in one.

Step 4: Make a list of her good qualities besides great hair. There have got to be at least three good qualities, right?

Step 7: Demand attention for more than just her shortcomings, and break out of her shell. Easier said that done, but worth the effort in the long-run. 

When a stolen kiss from her crush ends in disaster, Andi finds that her prince isn’t as charming as she'd hoped, and realizes she may need a new program--perhaps with less steps!

As cracks in Laina’s flawless façade begin to show, the sisters work together to find a spotlight big enough for both to shine.

Add It:

Buy Links:
Amazon | Amazon UK


As the second of eight children and the mother of four, Veronica Bartles is no stranger to the ups and downs of sibling relationships. (She was sandwiched between the gorgeous-and-insanely-popular older sister and the too-adorable-for-words younger sister.) She uses this insight to write stories about siblings who mostly love each other, even while they’re driving one another crazy.   When she isn’t writing or getting lost in the pages of her newest favorite book, Veronica enjoys knitting fabulous bags and jewelry out of recycled plastic bags and old VHS tapes, sky diving (though she hasn’t actually tried that yet), and inventing the world’s most delectable cookie recipes.  TWELVE STEPS is Veronica Bartles's first novel. 

Author Links:

Character Interview:

12 Questions with Laina Andersen

1.      If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would you want to have with you?
I guess I’d want enough food and water to keep me alive. And my journal and purple sparkly pen. (Does that technically count as four things?)

2.      Describe your perfect day.
I wake up in the morning, without even needing an alarm clock, and there’s a thick fog covering everything, making the whole world beautiful. Jarod and I go for a long walk, and just talk about everything and nothing at all. Then, when the sun comes up and burns the fog away, I come back home and curl up in my reading chair with a great book and a fuzzy blanket and no distractions for the rest of the day.

3.      What is your biggest fear?
I worry that, no matter how hard I try, I’ll never be good enough. I wish I could be more like Andi, breezing through life without a single care in the world. Everything comes so easy for her. She never has to work for anything, whereas I am always one step away from total failure.

4.      What is your biggest pet peeve?
Swearing.

5.      If you could fly or be invisible, which one would you choose and why?
I’d be invisible. Sometimes, I wish I could just melt away into nothingness. I guess that’s what I love about the fog.

6.      Who is your hero?
Honestly? I’d have to say my little sister, Andi. She’s so smart and beautiful, and everything I could never hope to be. But don’t tell her I said that. She kind of has an over-inflated ego, and I’d hate to make it worse.

7.      Favorite movie?
27 Dresses – The sisters in that movie are just like me and Andi. But I’m not quite as compulsive as the older sister in the movie.

8.      Favorite song?
That song Andi sings in Cinderella, where the stepsisters complain about the beautiful girl who steals the prince’s heart. I understand exactly how they feel. Every guy I know thinks Andi is gorgeous. I think even Jarod has a secret crush on her.

9.      Favorite book?
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll – Although, I guess that’s technically two books, isn’t it?

10.  Favorite food?
Smoked salmon with steamed asparagus

11.  Favorite drink?
water

12.  Favorite cartoon character?
That’s a tough one. I’m not really into cartoons. Can I just choose Alice, from the Disney version of Alice in Wonderland? 

Giveaway:


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Monday, March 24, 2014

Infinite by Jodi Meadows

** This is the 3rd installment in a series, there may be spoilers if you have not read the previous two books.

**Thank you HarperTeen for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review

13085374DESTRUCTION
The Year of Souls begins with an earthquake—an alarming rumble from deep within the earth—and it’s only the first of greater dangers to come. The Range caldera is preparing to erupt. Ana knows that as Soul Night approaches, everything near Heart will be at risk.

FLIGHT
Ana’s exile is frightening, but it may also be fortuitous, especially if she can convince her friends to flee Heart and Range with her. They’ll go north, seeking answers and allies to stop Janan’s ascension. And with any luck, the newsouls will be safe from harm’s reach.

CHOICE
The oldsouls might have forgotten the choice they made to give themselves limitless lifetimes, but Ana knows the true cost of reincarnation. What she doesn’t know is whether she’ll have the chance to finish this one sweet life with Sam, especially if she returns to Heart to stop Janan once and for all.

With gorgeous romance and thrilling action, the final book in the Incarnate trilogy offers a brilliant conclusion to the compelling questions of this fascinating world, where one new girl is the key to the lives of millions.

My Thoughts:

*WARNING* This review feels very VAGUE to me, BUT I feel like if I say more I will be giving things away, so it was very hard to write in my opinion! 

This book was a PERFECT ending to a perfect series. Ana once again showed me and everyone else in Heart that when she sets her mind to something and believes in something she WILL accomplish it. This book wrapped everything up perfectly and threw in some very unexpected things along the way. Some were heart warming while others were heart breaking.

Meadow's writing was beautiful, as always. I can see Heart and Range and everywhere else Ana's quest takes her perfectly in my mind. It is so easily to get lost in Ana and Sam's world and never want to leave. I could hear and feel the music when they were playing and the Sylph when they were singing. It was also nice to see more areas of Range and outside of Range in this installment. Makes me wish we would get a novella with the characters spending more time outside of Heart. 

I got attached to so many more characters in INFINITE. I already loved Ana, Sam, Stef, Sarit, and Armande, but I really grew attached to Orrin and Witt during these adventures. There are so many things that happen to the characters during this book that is just heartbreaking. Thinking about it still makes me want to cry (something I did way too many times while reading). 

The action is this book was on point also. There was never a dull moment and I was always learning something new. Somethings I saw coming others I was in complete shock. All the things built up to a really spectacular ending. I got really nervous towards the end on how it would all be wrapped up but I think it was done in the best way. I hope others enjoy this book as much as I did and I highly look forward to anything that Jodi Meadows writes in the future.

Rating:
♥♥♥♥♥


Author Spotlight #2: Lynne Matson, NIL Character Sekrits

This is Lynne's second post for the month, I am a little behind on getting posts up due to unexpected events, which seems to be my life in general this year! But bare with me PLEASE :) Lynne has so kindly provided you guys with some awesome little tidbits this week! Enjoy and look out for her Playlist post for NIL this Thursday with a giveaway tacked on! 

If you missed her first post check it out here: Lynne Matson Intro Post and NIL Teaser

Character Sekrits

As y'all may know, NIL is told from a dual POV. There's Thad, a boy who, at the start of the book, has already been on Nil for 267 days, and Charley, the girl who lands on Nil as the book opens.

Charley and Thad view the island differently throughout the novel. Thad's been there longer, and it shows. Charley, on the other hand, is still trying to figure everything out. 

But what were they like before they arrived on Nil? 

For me, figuring out who they were before Nil helped me decide how the island affected them--and how it changed them. Each character had a life before Nil…a life that was very different from their life on Nil. Each character left behind family, friends, hopes, and dreams. I don't want to spoil ALL THE SEKRITS, but I wanted to give you a glimpse into each main character's world before they woke up on Nil.

Here's a glimpse of Thad's life before Nil; it's what he lived to do. He's not in this video of course, because when it was made, he was on Nil...


Cool, right?

And here's a glimpse of Charley's life before Nil. This isn't her high school, but it's the closest representation of what drove Charley before Nil...


Now that you know what Charley and Thad's life was like before Nil, aren't you a *teeny* bit curious to see what they're life is like on Nil?! :) #ShamelessPlug

Happy Reading! And thanks again Crystal for having me! xo

Friday, March 7, 2014

Author Spotlight #2: Lynne Matson Intro Post and NIL Teaser

SO every month I'm planning on doing an author spotlight! This will include 4 posts from the author of the month and a giveaway. Most of the authors participating will be spotlighted during the month their book releases!! YAY!! There will be a post done each week about the author or their book. 

Today I want to introduce you to the author of March, Lynne Matson!!! She has provided us with an Intro Post and a lovely NIL teaser!!

Intro Post….plus NIL scoop!

Crystal, thank you so much for having me! I’m so excited to be on your blog, talking about NIL.:)

Here’s the synopsis (the long version :D):



On the island of Nil, the rules are set. You have one year. Exactly 365 days--to escape, or you die.

Seventeen-year-old Charley doesn’t know the rules. She doesn’t even know where she is. The last thing Charley remembers is blacking out in an Atlanta parking lot, and when she wakes up, she’s naked in an empty rock field.

Lost and alone, Charley hunts for a way out. She discovers desolate beaches and human remains, but no sign of civilization--until she meets Thad, the gorgeous leader of a clan of teenage refugees. Soon Charley learns that leaving the island is harder than she thought . . . and so is falling in love. With Thad’s time running out, Charley realizes that to save their future, Charley must first save him. And on an island rife with hidden dangers, their greatest threat is time.

The short version? Think Survivor meets LOST with dashes of The Maze Runner, TWILIGHT ZONE, and a star-crossed romance.

On to the scoop & the teaser!

As some of y’all may know, NIL was born in Hawaii, on the big island. It was our first real getaway from our four boys, EVER. (Baby boy #4 was 2!). As we left the airport after landing, we drove through miles of ancient lava fields. Broken red rock stretched endlessly on each side, gorgeous and desolate. No roads, no buildings, no people–just the eerie sound of wind blowing over the barren rocks. I remember thinking how much it all looked like an alien planet. And I remember thinking how scary it would be as a teenager, to wake up there by yourself, all alone without a clue where you were or how you how got there, and even worse--what if (because isn’t this every person’s worst nightmare?!)you woke up naked?! NIL was born in that moment. That barren-red-rock visual locked in my head, and that's what Charley sees when she first wakes up in Nil. 

So here’s the teaser. It’s the opening of Chapter Three, when Charley first wakes up on Nil.:)  Happy reading!


Chapter Three
Charley
Day 1, time unknown


A sharp pain in my hip woke me. When I opened my eyes, I saw red.
Literally.
Jagged rocks the color of rust stretched as far as I could see. Boulders as big as buses, small chunks like cars, and a million smaller rocks the size of balls¾golf balls, baseballs, volleyballs, you name it. All were uneven, with weird serrated edges, and all were the same exact shade of burnt red. I lay on a raised outcropping, on my side.
And I was naked.
Outside, in a creepy rock field I’d never laid eyes on before in my life.
I scrambled to my feet, and brushing off grit, I stumbled toward the edge. Spiky gravel covered the rock like sprinkles on a cupcake. That explains the pain in my hip, I thought randomly. I slipped twice but didn’t fall.
My rock, shaped like a mushroom with a fat stem, was mashed against a clump of smaller rocks masquerading as petrified red cauliflower. Using the smaller rocks as stairs, I worked my way down, moving as fast as the prickly rock would allow. At the bottom, I scrunched into the wisp of shade.
Frozen against the rock, I listened.
The only noise came from me. Air whistling in and out of my lungs, blood slamming against the chambers of my heart. The surrounding silence was so vast, so complete, it had a presence all its own: it was eerie, almost otherworldly. And with the desolate red landscape stretching for miles, I felt like I’d woken on an alien planet.
An. Alien. Planet.
I began shaking, violently, with the kind of icy fear I’d felt only once before, when Em and I were t-boned by a drunk driver and I’d seen Em sandwiched behind the wheel, bright red blood running down her forehead, into her closed eyes. She’d turned out to be fine. I couldn’t say the same for myself right now. Stark naked, goodness knows where, wherever here was. My last memory was of scalding heat, burning cold, and pain.
Jerking my head down, I expected my skin to be fried, but it looked fine. All of it, which I could see, because I was naked.
Slowly, I pressed my head back against the rock. The red rock landscape stayed silent, and still. At least the sky was blue. Brilliant, clear blue.
Maybe I’m dead.
I thought I’d passed out, but maybe I actually passed. Did that awful heat mark the entrance into death? Absorbing my God-forsaken surroundings, I abruptly thought, Hell. Hell was a red rock desert, where you woke up naked and alone. I’d always thought Hell was an underground cavern teeming with the moaning damned, but maybe everyone got their own personal Hell, crafted just for them, because mine sure looked a lot like this: no clothes, no people, and definitely no clue.
But it didn’t feel like Hell. And even though I’d skipped church lately, I was a pretty good kid. Sneaking out at night to drink beer on the local golf course with Em was the worst thing I’d ever done, and that really wasn’t so bad. Not bad enough to wind up in Hell anyway. My gut told me I was alive, then my gut told me I should be afraid. Very afraid.
My Em-bleeding-behind-the-wheel fear was back. Was the air thinner here? I couldn’t seem to get enough air.
Around me, nothing moved.
I swept the area, looking for something to tell me where I was, or wasn’t, but all I saw was rock. It coated the ground, hunkered in clumps, and giant piles of it blocked my line of sight. If I wanted to see anything, I’d have to climb. But I knew if I could see past the rock hills, then anything lurking out there could also see me.
Trapped, I thought humorlessly, between a rock and a hard place. Revealing myself seemed like a really bad idea. On the other hand, I couldn’t stay plastered against this rock forever.
Hunching over, I crept toward the largest pile and started up. Scaling the rocks was like walking barefoot over spiky balls from our giant sweetgum tree—uncomfortable, but doable, as long as I watched my step. Near the top, I peeked over the edge. All I could see was more rock. I hesitated, hearing my volleyball coach’s voice in my head. Use your height, Charley. Make it work for you. Okay, well, on the court in a uniform is one thing, outside stark naked was another.
I took a deep breath—and then I climbed. On the summit, I stood, but I couldn’t help covering my chest with one arm and my privates with the other. Feeling like an idiot, I surveyed the broken landscape.
A blue haze rose in the distance, speckled with green. Mountains, I thought, feeling a spark of hope. Green meant life, and more importantly, water. Are there mountains on Mars? I wondered. Then I wanted to slap myself. I didn’t—because that would mean flashing more of my already-over-exposed-self—but I wanted to, because mountains or not, there was no oxygen on Mars, and I was definitely breathing oxygen-filled air. This wasn’t Mars.
But that didn’t mean it was Earth.

--end of teaser—

I hope you liked the teaser of Charley’s POV! NIL was so fun to create; I hope you have as much fun reading it as I did writing it! :) Thanks for having me, Crystal!

SO what did you guys think? Have you read NIL? Or are you dying to read it? Come back next Thursday to check out some Character Sekrits Lynne is going to share!!! ♥

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Cover and Synopsis Reveal for STONE COLD TOUCH by Jennifer L Armentrout

**WARNING**

If you have NOT read WHITE HOT KISS yet I would advise NOT reading the synopsis for STONE COLD TOUCH yet! It is spoilery for a MAJOR points from WHITE HOT KISS!!!! 

I also want to say real quick that I finished WHITE HOT KISS last night and it was AMAZING!! This is a definite MUST READ and I am definitely going to be pre-ordering STONE COLD TOUCH and can not wait to get my greedy hands on it!!!! 


It's Time!! The STONE COLD TOUCH cover is here!

We cannot wait to share the cover for Jennifer L. Armentrout's STONE COLD TOUCH with you all! STONE COLD TOUCH is a young adult paranormal romance by Jennifer L. Armentrout and is the second full-length novel in The Dark Elements Series being published by Harlequin Teen. You'll want to add this to your TBR pile ASAP. Check out this amazing cover!  

Cold Stone Touch

Isn't it awesome?! You can Pre-order it right now!

**Amazon** **Barnes and Noble** **iTunes** **Kobo**

STONE COLD TOUCH Synopsis: 

Every touch has its price Layla Shaw is trying to pick up the pieces of her shattered life—no easy task for a seventeen-year-old who’s pretty sure things can’t get worse. Her impossibly gorgeous best friend, Zayne, is forever off-limits thanks to the mysterious powers of her soul-stealing kiss. The Warden clan that has always protected her is suddenly keeping dangerous secrets. And she can barely think about Roth, the wickedly hot demon prince who understood her in ways no one else could. But sometimes rock bottom is only the beginning. Because suddenly Layla’s powers begin to evolve, and she’s offered a tantalizing taste of what has always been forbidden. Then, when she least expects it, Roth returns, bringing news that could change her world forever. She’s finally getting what she always wanted, but with hell literally breaking loose and the body count adding up, the price may be higher than Layla is willing to pay…

"Constantly entertaining...the narrative sizzles with as much tension as romance." Kirkus Reviews on White Hot Kiss

And...Don't forget to check out the first book in The Dark Elements Series,

WHITE HOT KISS!



White Hot Kiss

ABOUT WHITE HOT KISS: 

One kiss could be the last. Seventeen-year-old Layla just wants to be normal. But with a kiss that kills anything with a soul, she's anything but normal. Half demon, half gargoyle, Layla has abilities no one else possesses. Raised among the Wardens—a race of gargoyles tasked with hunting demons and keeping humanity safe—Layla tries to fit in, but that means hiding her own dark side from those she loves the most. Especially Zayne, the swoon-worthy, incredibly gorgeous and completely off-limits Warden she's crushed on since forever. Then she meets Roth—a tattooed, sinfully hot demon who claims to know all her secrets. Layla knows she should stay away, but she's not sure she wants to—especially when that whole no-kissing thing isn't an issue, considering Roth has no soul. But when Layla discovers she's the reason for the violent demon uprising, trusting Roth could not only ruin her chances with Zayne…it could brand her a traitor to her family. Worse yet, it could become a one-way ticket to the end of the world.

**Amazon** **Barnes and Noble** **BAM** **iBooks** **IndieBound** **Kobo** **Walmart**


 About Jennifer L. Armentrout:

Author Photo # 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki. Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV. She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

The Dark Elements Series Website

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Jennifer L. Armentrout Goodreads

STONE COLD TOUCH Goodreads

WHITE HOT KISS Goodreads