Posts Categorized: Blog Tour

Saturday, March 30, 2013

Vengeance Bound Tour Stop: Guest Post + Giveaway

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Today I’ve got the Vengeance Bound blog tour dropping by Xpresso Reads! I’ve got a guest post by Justina, as well as a fab giveaway! Thanks to AToMR Tours for having me on this tour!

Vengeance Bound
Justina Ireland
Publication date: April 2nd 2013
by Simon & Schuster BFYR

The Goddess Test meets Dexter in an edgy, compelling debut about one teen’s quest for revenge… no matter how far it takes her.

Cory Graff is not alone in her head. Bound to a deal of desperation made when she was a child, Cory’s mind houses the Furies—the hawk and the serpent—lingering always, waiting for her to satisfy their bloodlust. After escaping the asylum where she was trapped for years, Cory knows how to keep the Furies quiet. By day, she lives a normal life, but by night, she tracks down targets the Furies send her way. And she brings down Justice upon them.

Cory’s perfected her system of survival, but when she meets a mysterious boy named Niko at her new school, she can’t figure out how she feels about him. For the first time, the Furies are quiet in her head around a guy. But does this mean that Cory’s finally found someone who she can trust, or are there greater factors at work? As Cory’s mind becomes a battlefield, with the Furies fighting for control, Cory will have to put everything on the line to hold on to what she’s worked so hard to build.

The Paranormal in Vengeance Bound, by Justina Ireland


So, writing about the paranormal aspect is kind of hard for me.  Quite a few folks have asked me where I came up with using the Furies in the way I did, and the short answer is “Because I solve plot problems by throwing in something ridiculous.”  

The long answer?  I find writing books without magic to be incredibly boring.
Don’t get me wrong.  I love reading contemporary, especially contemporary YA.  But I cannot write it.  It’s boring.  I find my characters moving from place to place, doing mundane things like buying groceries and having conversations about the weather.  And every time I think to myself that I need to spice things up, well, that’s when things like chimaeras show up.
But that’s another book.  This post is about Vengeance Bound.
I settled on using the Furies because I needed a vehicle for Amelie to exact her Justice.  She’s an angry girl, and with good reason.  She’s had a lot thrown at her, a lot of pain and a lot of loss.  At first I thought to make her a Harpy, but that didn’t jive with her personality (although I do have a Harpy character in my arsenal.  Again, another book).
But the Furies? They worked perfectly.  I tweaked their back story a little to fit the needs of my story (my Furies are evolved from a serpent and a hawk, and they only prey on men), but otherwise, they are very nearly the same creatures that populate Greek mythology.  By placing them in Amelie’s head I was able to create this back and forth that really propels the plot forward.
And that is always a good thing.

About the Author


Justina’s Website / Goodreads / Twitter

Justina Ireland enjoys dark chocolate, dark humor, and is not too proud to admit that she’s still afraid of the dark. She lives with her husband, kid, and dog in Pennsylvania. Vengeance Bound is her first novel.

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If You Find Me Blog Tour: Guest Post + Giveaway

Posted by on 03/26/2013 • 19 Comments

Today I’m excited to have the If You Find Me blog tour drop by–a book I absolutely loved! (find my review here). I have Emily here today with a great guest post and you can enter to win this fantastic pretty! Thanks to Wendy at The Midnight Garden for having me on this tour!

If You Find MeEmily Murdoch Publication date: March 26th 2013by St. Martin’s Griffin

There are some things you can’t leave behind…

A broken-down camper hidden deep in a national forest is the only home fifteen year-old Carey can remember. The trees keep guard over her threadbare existence, with the one bright spot being Carey’s younger sister, Jenessa, who depends on Carey for her very survival. All they have is each other,…

The Look Blog Tour: Guest Post, Sneak Peek + Giveaway

Posted by on 03/14/2013 • 15 Comments

Sophia Bennett, author of The Look, is over at Xpresso Reads today for her US blog tour–her book having released in the US this month. We’ve got a guest post and sneak peek to her book for you today, as well as a giveaway! First though, let’s see what The Look is all about:

The LookSophia Bennett Genre: YA ContemporaryPublication date: March 1st 2013by Scholastic

Can she be a supermodel and a super-sister? She finds her answer in just one look.

Two sisters, both beautiful in different ways: Fifteen-year-old Ted has got “The Look.” That’s what the scout for the modeling agency tells her, and she can’t believe her luck. But just as Ted’s jet-setting off on her new career, Ava is diagnosed with cancer. Can…

Review: Sacred by Elana K. Arnold

Posted by on 03/05/2013 • 20 Comments

SacredElana K. Arnold Genre: YA Realistic FictionPublication date: November 13th 2012by Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Growing up on Catalina Island, off the California coast, Scarlett Wenderoth has led a fairly isolated life. After her brother dies, her isolation deepens as she withdraws into herself, shutting out her friends and boyfriend. Her parents, shattered by their own sorrow, fail to notice Scarlett’s pain and sudden alarming thinness. Scarlett finds pleasure only on her horse, escaping to the heart of the island on long, solitary rides. One day, as she races around a bend, Scarlett is startled by a boy who raises his hand in warning and says one word: “Stop.”

The boy—intense, beautiful—is Will Cohen, a newcomer to the island. For reasons he can’t or won’t explain, he’s…

Ashes Tour Stop: Interview with Estevan Vega

Posted by on 03/04/2013 • 12 Comments

Today I’ve got the Ashes blog tour stopping by, I’ve got a fun interview with Estevan that I’m sure you’ll enjoy, he’s a pretty… interesting guy! 😉

Ashes Estevan Vega Series: Arson, #2 Genre:YA ParanormalPublication date: September 11th 2012by StoneGate Ink

ASHES is a YA paranormal thrill-ride. Book 2 in the gripping Arson trilogy.

MORE THAN THREE MONTHS HAVE PASSED SINCE ARSON AND EMERY WERE SUDDENLY TAKEN. TAKEN AND THEN SEPARATED. AND EXPERIMENTED ON.

The minds running Salvation Asylum have abducted them for a dark purpose. A campaign has been set in motion to genetically alter mankind. Unknowingly, Arson has become the most vital instrument in this global scheme, initiated by a select group of brilliant scientists and cunning world leaders. Confused, trapped, and unable to fully…

Things I Can’t Forget Tour: Review + Giveaway

Posted by on 02/26/2013 • 151 Comments

Today I’m kicking off the Things I Can’t Forget blog tour that will run from Feb 26th to March 19th! You will find my review below, and then a pretty fab giveaway that you cannot miss!

Things I Can’t Forget Miranda Kenneally Series: Hundred Oaks, #3Genre:YA ContemporaryPublication date: March 1st 2013by Sourcebooks Fire

Companion to Catching Jordan and Stealing Parker.

Kate has always been the good girl. Too good, according to some people at school—although they have no idea the guilty secret she carries. But this summer, everything is different…

This summer she’s a counselor at Cumberland Creek summer camp, and she wants to put the past behind her. This summer Matt is back as a counselor too. He’s the first guy she ever kissed, and he’s…

Pieces Tour Kick Off + Giveaway!

Posted by on 02/18/2013 • 6 Comments

Today I’m kicking off the Pieces blog tour that will run from Feb 18th to Feb 23rd! check out the book and an excerpt, along with an awesome giveaway for all your swag needs! 😉

Pieces Michelle Davidson Argyle Series: The Breakaway, #2 (companion) Publication date: February 14th 2013by Rhemalda Publishing

Staying in love can mean running away…

Two years after watching her kidnappers go to prison, Naomi Jensen is still in love with one of them. Jesse will be released in a few years, and Naomi knows college is the perfect distraction while she waits. But when her new friend Finn makes her question what is right and what is wrong, she begins to wonder if Jesse is the one for her…until she discovers he’s out on…

Review: Wish I Could Have Said Goodbye

Posted by on 02/11/2013 • 19 Comments

Wish I Could Have Said Goodbye Shari A. Brady Genre: YA Contemporary Publication date: June 11th 2012

Before my older sister Francesca died, I worked at the bakery and wrote songs, but now I write lists. Lists like ten reasons why it’s my fault Francesca’s dead, or five reasons why I should try and win Howie back, or one reason why I need to stop lying to everyone, including myself.

Wish I Could Have Said Goodbye is an extraordinary novel about one family’s struggle to make sense of their world after losing a family member to addiction. Through sixteen-year-old Carmella’s eyes, we witness the courage and strength it takes to overcome the consequences of grief, guilt and co-dependency. WIth conviction and determination, Carmella shows us what can happen when…