Yearly Archives:: 2012

Sunday, March 04, 2012

Entangled: Guest Post + Giveaway

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Today I’ve got Nikki Jefford, who came to bring you behind the scenes of her recently released novel Entangled, and give you a chance to win a copy!

Entangled
Nikki Jefford
Release date: February 20th 2012

Goodreads / Purchase

Twin witches Graylee and Charlene Perez agree on one rule: No dating warlocks.

Not so easy when a certain rogue warlock is convinced he and Graylee belong together and will use anything, including magic, to try and impress Gray. When Charlene’s boyfriend dumps her, she threatens to kill either herself or the girl who stole Blake. Somehow, Gray ends up dead.

A Resurrection Spell Gone Wrong:

Two months after dying, Gray wakes up in Charlene’s body. As a witch, can anyone blame her mother for attempting to bring her daughter back to life? Only now Gray’s stuck sharing her sister’s body 50/50 in twenty-four hour shifts.

The race is on for Gray to find a way back inside her own body before Charlene purges her from existence. Raj McKenna is rumored to meddle in the black arts, not to mention he’s after Gray’s invisibility spell and worse – her heart. But Raj might be the only one powerful enough to save Gray from fading away forever.

Entangled book trailer:

Without further ado, let’s welcome Nikki!


Behind the Scenes with Entangled author, Nikki Jefford

Seven Times a Charm

I wrote six “practice” novels before I felt ready to publish Entangled. (Lucky #7.)

Crazy Things that Happened While Writing Entangled

Grandma died, dad had open heart surgery, uncle’s heart was stopped then restarted, sister-in-law almost died of food poisoning, mother-in-law tried to kill herself, and – horror of all horrors – my editor dropped off the face of the planet.

Fantastic Fluke

When I sent Entangled to my #1 beta reader, Nicole Steinhaus, she said, “By the way, I’m a twin.” My book is about an identical twin – could I ask for a more perfect beta?!

Book Cover

Three attempts before I was happy. Designer Najla Qamber is a saint. She did exactly what I asked the first round and I recoiled at the outcome. For the second go, she put together a scene using various stock imagery I chose. Me: “Add a tombstone. Make her hair blow in the wind. Change the color of her skirt. Make the sky gray.” Finally, I found a stock image that grabbed me and Naj nailed it. Of course, being neurotic, I had one final request: “Can you add some swirls to the title?”

Book Trailer

HOURS scouring royalty free stock sites and listening to music. Then I remembered hearing something of composer Simon Wilkinson’s on MSN’s homepage a year back. Lucky for me, he licenses out royalty free music. My brother did the video editing and yes, I was neurotic and requested multiple redoes.

Links:

Designer Najla Qamber

Composer Simon Wilkinson


Thanks so much for dropping by, Nikki! I look forward to reading your book! And for my readers, make sure to look for my review this summer! 🙂

Nikki’s Website / Goodreads / Twitter

Nikki Jefford is a third generation Alaskan who found paradise in the not-so-tropical San Juan Islands where she is, once more, neighbors with Canada.

GIVEAWAY
Nikki has generously offered one ebook copy of Entangled + a bookmark for giveaway
Open internationally
Giveaway ends March 14th, 2012
HOW TO ENTER:
Leave me a comment answering the question below, don’t forget to add your email address so I can contact you if you win.
The witches and warlocks in Entangled share basic magical abilities. They also know advanced spells of their own. If you could choose one of the following powers, which would it be?
–          The power to freeze people in place and take away their voice
–          Body transfers
–          Invisibility
–          Teleportation
–          or Mind reading?

*Winner will be chosen by random number generator.
*Winner will be contacted by email and will have 48 hours to reply before a new winner is chosen.

In My Mailbox (25)

Posted by on 03/04/2012 • 103 Comments

“In My Mailbox” is a meme, created by Kristi at The Story Siren, that features books I have received/ purchased/ borrowed during the week. 

Guess what lovelies? Spring is in a few weeks! EEP. Can’t wait to go out again in the warm sun *sigh*. This week was pretty busy here on the blog. Zombie month is over and I hope you all enjoyed the fabulous zombie posts. March is already starting with a bang: have you all seen the gorgeous Black City cover reveal? You can even read the 1st chapter, AND win an ARC: Click here! It’s even open internationally so that’s pretty awesome – big thanks to Penguin Books for Young Readers. I also revealed the cover for Karice Bolton’s upcoming New Adult book – Lonely…

Review: Airel by Aaron Patterson & Chris White

Posted by on 03/03/2012 • 22 Comments

AirelAaron Patterson & Chris WhiteSeries: The Airel Saga, #1Release date: August 31st, 2011by StoneHouse Ink

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All Airel ever wanted was to be normal, to disappear into the crowd. But bloodlines can produce surprises, like an incredible ability to heal. Then there’s Michael Alexander, the new guy in school, who is impossibly gorgeous…and captivated by her. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she can hear the sound of pages turning, and another, older story being written. It is the story of an ancient family, of great warriors, of the Sword of Light, and the struggle against an evil so terrible, so far-reaching, that it threatens everything. Airel knew change would be an inevitable part of life. But can she hold on when murder and darkness begin…

Fresh Batch (March 4th – 10th)

Posted by on 03/03/2012 • 15 Comments

Exclusively titled for Xpresso Reads, Fresh Batch features the hottest releases of this upcoming week. Flavour of the week:

Illuminate

Aimee Agresti Release date: March 6th, 2012by Harcourt Children’s Books

Goodreads / Purchase 

Haven Terra is a brainy, shy high school outcast. But everything begins to change when she turns sixteen. Along with her best friend Dante and their quiet and brilliant classmate Lance, she is awarded a prestigious internship in the big city— Chicago—and is sent to live and work at a swanky and stylish hotel under the watchful eyes of a group of gorgeous and shockingly young-looking strangers: powerful and alluring hotel owner Aurelia Brown; her second-in-command, the dashing Lucian Grove; and their stunning but aloof staff of glamazons called The Outfit.

As Haven begins falling…

Review: Blood Red Road by Moira Young

Posted by on 03/02/2012 • 38 Comments

Blood Red RoadMoira YoungSeries: Dust Lands, #1Release date: February 28th, 2012 (Paperback)by Doubleday Canada

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Saba has spent her whole life in Silverlake, a dried-up wasteland ravaged by constant sandstorms. The Wrecker civilization has long been destroyed, leaving only landfills for Saba and her family to scavenge from. That’s fine by her, as long as her beloved twin brother Lugh is around. But when a monster sandstorm arrives, along with four cloaked horsemen, Saba’s world is shattered. Lugh is captured, and Saba embarks on an epic quest to get him back.

Suddenly thrown into the lawless, ugly reality of the world outside of desolate Silverlake, Saba is lost without Lugh to guide her. So perhaps the most surprising thing of all is what Saba learns about herself: she’s…

Review: The Haunted by J.A. Templeton

Posted by on 03/01/2012 • 20 Comments

The HauntedJ.A. TempletonSeries: MacKinnon Curse, #2Release date: January 8th, 2012

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After battling a malevolent ghost that held the spirit of her friend Ian MacKinnon bound to the land for two hundred years, sixteen-year-old reluctant psychic, Riley Williams, felt as if she was finally easing into her new life in Scotland.

Or so she thought.

Laria, the spirit of the witch who had cursed Ian wants revenge for Riley’s interference and she’s bringing along friends—dark entities who thrive on evil.

The one bright spot in Riley’s world is Ian’s descendent, Kade MacKinnon, who could easily be Ian’s modern day twin. The parallels between the two guys are undeniable. As Riley’s relationship with Kade blossoms, she begins to realize Laria has grown in her power since…

Cover Reveal: Lonely Souls

Posted by on 03/01/2012 • 21 Comments

Lonely SoulsKarice BoltonRelease date: June 2012by Purely Persistent

Add it to your Goodreads

It’s two weeks before Triss turns 18, and her world is about to change into the most magical one imaginable as she readies herself to enter The Witch Avenue Order… that is until her mother’s disappearance. Determined to find out what happened to her mother, Triss uncovers cryptic messages that lead her to the dark side of magic that she never wanted to believe existed. Forced on a journey that may not give her the answers she was hoping for, it’s up to Triss not to fall victim to the realm of Lonely Souls.

I fell in love with this cover as soon as I saw it in my inbox. It’s so gorgeous. I love the spider…

Black City Cover Reveal + Giveaway (INTL)

Posted by on 02/29/2012 • 340 Comments

Black CityElizabeth Richards Release date: November 13th, 2012by G.P. Putnam’s Sons BYR

Add it to your Goodreads

Deep in the heartland of the United Sentry States are the burning ruins of the Black City, a melting pot simmering with hostility as humans and Darklings struggle to rebuild their lives in the aftermath of a brutal and bloody war. A wall now divides the city separating the two races. Trapped on the wrong side of the wall is sixteen-year-old hustler Ash Fisher, a half-blood Darkling who’ll do whatever it takes to survive, including selling his addictive venom ‘Haze’ to help support his dying mother.

Then there’s Natalie Buchanan, the daughter of the Sentry Emissary, who feels imprisoned by her life of privilege and fame. When their paths cross, they…