Posts Categorized: Blog Tour

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Interview with Martina Boone, author of Compulsion + Giveaway!

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Compulsion
I’ve got the wonderful Martina Boone on the blog today for an interview as part of her blog tour. And you can also enter to win before you go! 😉 First, let’s see what her book is all about:

Interview with Martina Boone, author of Compulsion + Giveaway!Compulsion by Martina Boone
Series: The Heirs of Watson Island #1
Published by Simon Pulse on October 28th 2014
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads

Three plantations. Two wishes. One ancient curse.

All her life, Barrie Watson has been a virtual prisoner in the house where she lives with her shut-in mother. When her mother dies, Barrie promises to put some mileage on her stiletto heels. But she finds a new kind of prison at her aunt’s South Carolina plantation instead--a prison guarded by an ancient spirit who long ago cursed one of the three founding families of Watson Island and gave the others magical gifts that became compulsions.

Stuck with the ghosts of a generations-old feud and hunted by forces she cannot see, Barrie must find a way to break free of the family legacy. With the help of sun-kissed Eight Beaufort, who knows what Barrie wants before she knows herself, the last Watson heir starts to unravel her family's twisted secrets. What she finds is dangerous: a love she never expected, a river that turns to fire at midnight, a gorgeous cousin who isn’t what she seems, and very real enemies who want both Eight and Barrie dead.



Interview with Martina Boone


Hi Martina,
I actually met you at BEA where I got a signed copy of your book so I’m excited to be a part of your blog tour! 🙂

YAY! Thank you so much for being willing to host me. I’m excited to have that personal connection, because this whole process all kind of scary and exciting! : ) I’m thrilled to be here with you and your readers though, and I love the questions you sent!

Let’s start with how the idea for Compulsion came to you?

I wrote a short story about a plantation and two sisters who were separated by a father and an accident. The characters wouldn’t let me go, and then I dreamed about a ball of fire drifting through the woods each night and setting a river on fire. I couldn’t stop thinking about that image and what it meant. Who was doing it and why? The answer came when I researched the history of the Charleston, SC area, and that’s when I knew I had to write the book.

“Highly atmospheric” is something I’ve seen in many reviews for Compulsion so far, what’s your secret to creating such a vivid setting?

The mysteries at Watson Island all stem from the setting in one way or another, so it was really important to me that the plantation and the whole island became a character in the book. I can see the place so clearly that i feel like I’ve lived there myself.

What were your biggest challenges in writing Compulsion?

There are so many things going on. There are mysteries on three different timelines, not to mention the romance; the paranormal elements and the development of the setting, atmosphere, and history; Barrie’s coming of age and family story; the awakening of Pru and Watson’s Landing . . . that kind of layering requires a very specific kind of pacing, but at the same time I wanted to have it accessible.

If you had a do-over, would you tackle anything differently?

I stopped writing for twenty years after a set-back. I had a legitimate reason—raising kids, starting a business—but really, i could have done more if I’d had the courage and the drive. I regret not pushing myself to keep going.

If I were to ask you for the perfect snacks to go along with your book once I sit down and read it, what would you send me?

A chocolate whoopie pie! : )

What’s on your winter to-be-read list?

I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater
The Young Elites by Jandy Nelson
Clariel by Garth Nix
This Shattered World by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner


About the Author




Martina Boone writes contemporary fantasy set in the kinds of magical places she would love to visit. She is the founder of YASeriesInsiders.com and AdventuresinYAPublishing.com, a two-time Writer’s Digest 101 Best Websites for Writers blog. If you like romance steeped in mystery, mayhem, Spanish moss, and a bit of magic, she hopes you’ll look forward to meeting Barrie, Eight, Cassie, Pru, Seven and the other characters of Watson Island.




This post is part of the Compulsion blog tour.
Click on the banner for the full tour schedule!

 


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Giveaway

Thanks to Martina and Rockstar Book Tours, you can enter to win some fab prizes! Up for grabs:

(1)  $100 Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Book Depository Gift Card.  International.
(1) Prize pack with 10 books! SWEET EVIL, DEATH SWORN, MADMAN’S DAUGHTER, ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD,ECHOES OF US, A THOUSAND PIECES OF YOU,THE BODY FINDER, THE TAKING, and STONE COLD TOUCH. US Only.
(3) Swag packs containing a Compulsion necklace, key bookmark, signed bookplate, and “I have a Compulsion for reading” temporary tattoos. International.

Use the Rafflecopter below to enter:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow Me Through Darkness Playlist + Giveaway!

Follow Me Through Darkness Playlist + Giveaway!

Posted by on 10/21/2014 • 5 Comments

The Follow Me Through Darkness tour is stopping by the blog today with the book’s playlist along with a giveaway! I haven’t read this one yet, but it sounds like a really interesting dystopian book that sounds right up my alley! Here’s some info on the book if it’s new to you:

Follow Me Through Darkness Playlist by Danielle Ellison

I spent four years between first draft and the release of Follow Me Through Darkness. Music was instrumental in setting the mood, in keeping me in the zone, and in creating the tension that I wanted to build in the novel. This is a longer playlist, because it’s four years of music! I found that I kept adding to the songs I already had, and none of…

Interview with Cat Winters, author of The Cure for Dreaming + Giveaway!

Interview with Cat Winters, author of The Cure for Dreaming + Giveaway!

Posted by on 10/13/2014 • 20 Comments

I read The Cure for Dreaming a few weeks ago and I absolutely loved it – see my review here! – so I’m stoked to have Cat Winters on the blog  today for an interview, and then you can enter to win something pretty sweet! And in case you haven’t stumbled upon this little gem, yet, here’s a bit about the book:

Interview with Cat Winters

The One About VooDoo

Hi Cat! Thanks so much for dropping by my little space on the web! I loved the Shadow of Blackbirds and am very excited to read this one!

Thank you so much for hosting me, Giselle! I’m thrilled you enjoyed In the Shadow of Blackbirds! Blogger support of that novel truly helped the book gain…

The One About Voodoo: Guest Post by Lisa Maxwell

The One About Voodoo: Guest Post by Lisa Maxwell

Posted by on 10/08/2014 • 9 Comments

I’m excited to be a part of the Sweet Unrest tour which is a perfect Halloween season read! Today I’ve got Lisa Maxwell on the blog talking about Voodoo! And before you leave, don’t forget to enter to win! 😉 In case it’s new to you, have a look at what Sweet Unrest is about:

Guest Post by Lisa Maxwell

 The One About VooDoo

In SWEET UNREST, native-Chicagoan Lucy Aimes is thrust into the world of New Orleans mysticism and is swept into a century-old vendetta that puts everything and everyone she loves into danger.

When I was writing the book, I had to learn what I could about Voodoo—as a belief, as a religion, as an art form. The Voodoo that appears in the…

Halloween Thrills & Chills: Deleted Scene from Mary: The Summoning

Halloween Thrills & Chills: Deleted Scene from Mary: The Summoning

Posted by on 10/06/2014 • 19 Comments

Who else is excited that Halloween is just around the corner? Well today I’ve got a sweet treat for you as part of the Halloween Trills & Chills event hosted by The Midnight Garden! I’ve got Hillary Montana here with a deleted scene from her book, Mary: The Summoning. I read this one a few weeks ago and let me tell you it’s one awesome creep-fest! In case you missed it, you can find my review here! Also, don’t miss out on any more Halloween fun and giveaways by visiting the other stops on this tour. You can find the schedule on this post below, or on the kickoff post here! And before getting to the deleted scene, have a look at what Mary: The Summoning is…

Exclusive Sneak Peek at The Gifted Dead + Giveaway!

Exclusive Sneak Peek at The Gifted Dead + Giveaway!

Posted by on 09/10/2014 • 18 Comments

For fans of Urban Fantasy, I’ve got a treat for you today: an exclusive sneak peek at The Gifted Dead by Jenna Black as well as a chance to win!

Unique and Catchy Scene from The Gifted Dead!

Paris, France

Lynda Powell shut the bedroom door in her son’s face, turning the deadbolt despite Patrick’s Gift. If he wanted in, the lock would open for him, but at least she’d made her wishes clear.

“Mother, don’t be like this,” he said in the overly patient voice he’d been using with her ever since his father, her beloved Harry, had died.

Had it been only two months ago? The seemingly endless cycle of appeals had made it seem so much longer. Now word had come from the Abbey…

Tour: The Art of Getting Stared at by Laura Langston

Tour: The Art of Getting Stared at by Laura Langston

Posted by on 09/03/2014 • 10 Comments

I am so excited to be able to take part in the blog tour for The Art of Getting Stared At by Laura Langston. This book had such an important message that I think needs to be shared with girls of ALL ages. The unifying theme of this tour is for each participant to share what we would tell our younger self about body image/confidence if we had the opportunity to go back in time and do so. I would love to be able to go back to myself in high school and get it into my teen self’s head that the opinion of the people around me isn’t going to matter in a few years and that I should just make sure I am happy with myself and not…

Interview with Alexandra Adornetto + Giveaway!

Interview with Alexandra Adornetto + Giveaway!

Posted by on 08/13/2014 • 40 Comments

As a big fan of ghost stories, I’m excited to have the Ghost House tour stop by today where I got to interview Alexandra Adornetto, and you can enter to win before you go!

Interview with Alexandra Adornetto

What’s the best word to describe Ghost House?

Haunting.

What’s the biggest challenge you had while writing this book?

Allowing Alex to be a 19th century gentleman with 19th century values, without making him come across as an oppressive or controlling figure in Chloe’s life. I feel like this was best avoided by making Chloe sassy and confident within herself. I couldn’t change Alex, but I could make sure she knew how to hold her own!

Do you have a favorite scene from Ghost House?

The flashback sequence where Alex…