Posts By: Giselle

Monday, February 06, 2012

Airel-Arson-Pyxis Tour Stop

Posted by 22 Comments

Three authors have come together for a 3-book blog tour. I’m happy to have it stop by Xpresso Reads today. My stop consists of a guest post with Aaron Patterson, one of 2 authors of Airel, as well as a couple of giveaways.

Before we head on to the guest post, have a look at Airel:

Airel
Aaron Patterson & Chris White

Release date: August 31st, 2011
by Stonehouse Ink

Goodreads / Purchase

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 to close in and take away everything she loves? Will she have what it takes when the truth is finally revealed?

Now let’s see what Aaron has to say about the character Airel:


AIREL. KEEPING IT REAL.

Airel is a story about an angel who falls so deeply in love with a woman that he chooses to fall from heaven to be with her. She gives birth to a daughter in Arabia, 1250BC. The girl is pursued ferociously, relentlessly by an enemy in the deepest darkness. In present day Boise, Idaho is just a girl: Airel. She’s just your average high school student…who turns out to be anything but average. It’s because of who she is, because of her ancestry, because of her lineage. Past and present crash in on each other in the final pages as what has been twisted comes dangerously unraveled.



EXCERPT:


There, standing two feet from me, was Michael Alexander. My heart jumped and — I swear — it stopped. Now he was right in front of me, with a slight smile on his face. He had the most gorgeous crystal blue eyes I had ever seen in my life. I didn’t know how I kept from fainting. 



Kim stepped into the middle of all of us, cutting in between us. Some other jock guy I hadn’t noticed was standing next to Michael. “Hi, I’m Kim… you new to town? How do you like it here?” I groaned, hiding my face behind my locker door, secretly peeking out, wondering what I did to deserve this. Kim and her big fat mouth. 



Michael looked at her, then around her, in my direction, and smiled. “Hey, I’m Michael Alexander.” Clearly, he was answering her politely, but not talking to her at all. I looked at him from behind my locker door and flushed. 



“Michael…” Kim said, as if pondering his name for the first time. “Good to meet you! This is my friend Airel.” She pointed to me and I could see the wicked smirk on her face. I was going to kill her. Murder, kill — and then for sport — unfriend her on Facebook.

“Hi…” I trailed off. Yep. I said, “hi,” and probably sounded like I had some disease — which I wasn’t ruling out just yet. Nothing cool. Nothing memorable. Just, “hi.” I tried to say my name but Kim had already spilled those beans, and besides, I couldn’t for the life of me remember what my name was. I flashed back to the coffee shop, blushing even more, which made Kim giggle. From the smirk on his face, I could tell Michael was enjoying my discomfort. Boys are just evil.



“You’re Airel? I heard you got sick yesterday.” The smirk took on just the slightest hint of compassion, which nearly killed me. “You okay today?” Great, he knew I was a sicko… that meant the whole school knew. Perfect.

FROM THE AUTHOR:
I read a lot of books and the one thing that annoys me is how the hero seems to always do the right thing or once they make a decision they stick with it. If you are like me and a human, we do things we know we shouldn’t and make a plan only to break it or change our minds.

I didn’t want Airel to be like this and some people get it and some do not. But she is real, she tends to do something stupid knowing full well it is the wrong thing but she just can’t help herself. I like this about her and sometimes it is frustrating to watch her walk into a dumb situation but it makes her more real.

I like her the way she is, faults and all… to me that is what makes her so darn adorkable!

Aaron Patterson
Please stalk me on Twitter @Mstersmith or on Facebook.
I also have a wicked cool blog @TheWorstBookEver.blogspot.com


Aaron’s Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter 

Aaron Patterson is the author of the best-selling WJA series, as well as two Digital Shorts: 19 and The Craigslist Killer. He was home-schooled and grew up in the west. Aaron loved to read as a small child and would often be found behind a book, reading one to three a day on average. This love drove him to want to write, but he never thought he had the talent. His wife Karissa prodded him to try it, and with this encouragement, he wrote Sweet Dreams, the first book in the WJA series, in 2008. Airel is his first teen series, and plans for more to come are already in the works. He lives in Boise, Idaho with his family, Soleil, Kale and Klayton.

Make sure to check out the other books that are part of this tour:
Pyxis
KC Neal
Relase date: November 4th, 2011
by Stonehouse Ink

Corinne lives an average teenage life working at her dad’s cafe, hanging out with her best friend, and trying to forget a falling-out with her almost-boyfriend Mason. Things take a strange turn when she uses her late grandmother’s food dyes for a bake sale, and her customers suddenly find her irresistibly alluring. Then she discovers she and Mason are haunted by the same dreams of a dark force that consumes everything in its path. Pursued by shadowy figures and a crazy woman with secrets from the past, Corinne must find out who her grandmother really was. In her quest to unravel her family’s history, she learns she is destined to protect this world–and the dark world of her dreams. She races to find the answers she seeks before her nightmares break free.

Arson
Estevan Vega
Release date: May 4th, 2010
by Tate Publishing

Arson Gable feels like a freak. He can create fire. He never asked for it. He never wanted it. But he can’t shut it off. Before now, three things were true: he both loved and despised his grandmother; his life was going nowhere; and he was alone. But when a strange girl—who feels more normal behind a mask than inside her own skin—moves in next door, Arson hopes to find something he’s never had: purpose. Using what he fears most about himself, Arson must face his consuming past and confront the nightmare that is his present as he walks the fine line between boy and monster.

Next stop on the Airel-Arson-Pyxis Blog Tour:
February 8th: The Book Bag
Giveaway 1 
The blog tour has offered one signed paperback copy of Airel for my stop.
Open to US addresses only
Giveaway ends February 16th, 2012
Use the form below to enter

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

*The blog tour is responsible for shipment of the goods. We are not responsible for lost or damaged mail.

GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED
WINNER IS: Zee – A Voracious Reader
 
Giveaway 2
The blog tour is giving away a Kindle (Wi-Fi 6″ w/ special offers)
Must be 13 or older to enter
Ends February 20th, 2012
Open to US residents only
Use the Rafflecopter below to enter

a Rafflecopter giveaway<a href=”http://rafl.es/enable-js”>You need javascript enabled to see this giveaway</a>.

Giveaway: I Zombie I by Jack Wallen

Posted by on 02/05/2012 • 8 Comments

I Zombie IJack WallenRelease date: January 30th, 2011by Autumnal Press

Goodreads / Purchase

The virus has spread.

In a moment of pure chaos, the majority of the Earth’s population has become the walking dead. One man promises to help bring the truth to light.  The lies have spread.

When journalist Jacob Plummer is infected, Jacob turns to the written word to not only ease the pain of change, but to bring to surface a truth far deeper and deadlier than anyone could have imagined.  The truth must now be spread.

With the help of a rag-tag group of survivors, Jacob helps to fight off the growing undead horde in hopes of saving himself and the planet from the rot growing within.

This giveaway was made possible by Kat from…

In My Mailbox (21)

Posted by on 02/05/2012 • 81 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. 

Hello my lovelies friends! I’m in a great mood today! So in case you missed it, Zombies Vs Unicorns month has launched! This event is hosted along with Literary Exploration, YA-Aholic and YA Bookmark, and so far it’s going great. There are already a few giveaways posted amongst the hosts and we have a fabulous month planned. Have you missed anything so far? Click here for all Zombies vs Unicorns months posts. I was also interviewed over at Reading A Little Bit Of Everything, if you want to know a bit more about me – click here for the post. Now for books, I had…

Review: New Girl by Paige Harbison

Posted by on 02/04/2012 • 29 Comments

New GirlPaige HarbisonRelease date: January 31st, 2012by Harlequin Teen

Goodreads / Purchase

Ever since I arrived at exclusive, prestigious Manderly Academy, that’s who I am. New girl. Unknown. But not unnoticed—because of her.

Becca Normandy—that’s the name on everyone’s lips. The girl whose picture I see everywhere. The girl I can’t compare to. I mean, her going missing is the only reason a spot opened up for me at the academy. And everyone stares at me like it’s my fault.

Except for Max Holloway—the boy whose name shouldn’t be spoken. At least, not by me. Everyone thinks of him as Becca’s boyfriend but she’s gone, and here I am, replacing her. I wish it were that easy. Sometimes, when I think of Max, I can imagine how Becca’s…

Fresh Batch (Feb. 5th – 11th)

Posted by on 02/04/2012 • 15 Comments

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

=”1″> In Too Deep

Amanda Grace (Mandy Hubbard) Goodreads / Purchase 

I never meant for anyone to get hurt. All I wanted to do that night was make a play for Carter Wellesley. His heartless rejection was mortifying, but people got the wrong idea when they saw me leaving his bedroom, crying. That’s how rumors of rape started.

Now girls at school are pouring out their sympathy to me. Guys too. But not everyone’s on my side. The school has become a war zone and the threats are getting scary. What began as poetic justice has morphed into something bigger–forcing me to make a terrible choice.

More books…

Guest post – Lia Habel

Posted by on 02/03/2012 • 22 Comments

I’m excited to have Lia Habel drop by the blog today as part of the Zombies vs Unicorns month here at Xpresso Reads (along with Literary Exploration, YA-Aholic and YA Bookmark). If there was a zombie apocalypse, would you survive? Or would you fall by the hands of zombies? Lia’s here to talk about how to survive a zombie apocalypse, so you can be well prepared (because it’s coming). Before we get started, let’s make sure you know of her book!

Dearly DepartedLia HabelRelease date: October 18th, 2011By Del Rey Books

Goodreads / Purchase

Love can never die.

Love conquers all, so they say. But can Cupid’s arrow pierce the hearts of the living and the dead—or rather, the undead? Can a proper young Victorian lady find true…

Blue Sky Days Tour Stop

Posted by on 02/02/2012 • 21 Comments

I’ve gotten to know Marie on Twitter and on her blog so I was happy to get on the blog tour for her book Blue Sky Days which just came out  recently. I have a fun post for you today that includes an interview with Marie as well as a giveaway for my lovely readers.

Blue Sky DaysMarie LandryRelease date: January 17th, 2012

Goodreads / Purchase

A year after graduating from high school, nineteen-year-old Emma Ward feels lost. She has spent most of her life trying to please her frigid, miserable mother – studying hard, getting good grades, avoiding the whole teenage rebellion thing – and now she feels she has no identity beyond that. Because she spent so many years working hard and planning every moment of…

Zombies Vs Unicorns Event Giveaway

Posted by on 02/01/2012 • 38 Comments

 *This post is a part of Zombies Vs. Unicorns month hosted by Xpresso Reads, Literary Exploration, YA-Aholic and YA Bookmark.

As part of the Zombies Vs. Unicorns month here at Xpresso Reads, I’m hosting a month long giveaway where the winner will chose a book from some awesome zombie books listed below. And don’t worry unicorn lovers can still enter (but I give you the evil eye). The other blogs hosting this event are also throwing giveaways which are linked at the bottom. So don’t forget to pay them a visit as well!

Here are the fabulous zombilicious books you get to choose from (click for Goodreads):

 *note: If the book becomes unavailable on The Book Depository, winner will need to chose another book. OR a pre-order…