Posts Categorized: Excerpt

Monday, November 10, 2014

Sneak Peek + Giveaway: Court by Cat Patrick

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CourtXpresso
I  really enjoyed Cat Patrick’s Just Like Fate when I read it a year ago, so I’m excited to be a part of her sneak peek tour today where you can get a glimpse at her newest novel, Court, as well as enter to win!

Sneak Peek + Giveaway: Court by Cat PatrickCourt by Cat Patrick
on October 23rd 2014
Genres: Fantasy, YA
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads

For more than 400 years, a secret monarchy has survived and thrived within the borders of the US, hiding in plain sight as the state known as Wyoming. But when the king is shot and his seventeen-year-old son, Haakon McHale, is told he will take the throne, becoming the eleventh ruler of the Kingdom of Eurus, the community that's survived for centuries is pushed to the limit. Told through four perspectives, Court transplants us to a world that looks like ours, but isn't. Gwendolyn Rose, daughter of the Duke of Coal, is grudgingly betrothed to Haakon -- and just wants a way out. Alexander Oxendine, son of the Duke of Wind and Haakon's lifelong best friend, already grapples with external struggles when he's assigned to guard Haakon after the king dies. And commoner Mary Doyle finds whispers in the woods that may solve -- or destroy -- everything, depending on your bloodline.

Money. Love. Power. Community. What's your motivation?



Sneak Peek


MARY

No matter how much money was in their family bank, every kid in Eurus had a place at the in-Realm college. It was in the bylaws. Of course, most of the courtiers bought their way out to better schools in the Democracy and beyond.

“Giddap,” Mary said firmly as she drove the heels of her boots into Carrot’s burnt-orange sides. Her faithful friend dove headfirst into the wind and somehow gained speed, forcing tears from Mary’s light green eyes and stealing her breath for a moment.

The faster Carrot went, the smoother the ride, and at this speed, Mary felt like she was flying. They soared across the wide expanse, then hit the bottom of the hill, where Mary pulled back on the reins and slowed Carrot to a walk. She leaned forward in her saddle to help with the ascent.

“Hey, now,” Mary said, pulling back hard when Carrot started to trot. “You know you can’t do hills like you used to. Nice and easy, remember?”

Carrot snorted but kept his pace in check. Mary was soothed by the clap-clop, clap-clop of Carrot’s climb, his steady breaths, and the gentle swing of his low-hanging head. The sounds and movements of Carrot’s body were as familiar to Mary as if she were hiking the terrain herself.

“Whoa,” Mary said gently at the crest of the hill. Carrot stopped and waited, panting and flicking his ears in interest toward the landscape ahead of them. Mary looked over the expanse: it was without buildings or development of any kind—just earth and sky—and seemed as massive as the universe itself.

She and Carrot had an unobstructed view of the entirety of Corby, and to call the place a town was being generous. The speck of a dot on the map was on the fringe of the county and housed the Realm’s maximum-security prison, many of the county’s natural gas wells, and nothing much else. Those who lived here either worked at the prison or the wells, and prisoners outnumbered average Joes and Janes. Occasionally those prisoners escaped; occasionally the drills caught on fire.

In general, the land out here at the edge of the Realm wasn’t as safe as, say, being tucked cozily into the middle of the bustling kingdom. With not a highway in sight, it was virtually impossible to stumble upon, and if something bad were to happen, there’d be no one around to see, and to help.

And its woods were home to the homeless. A former neighbor of Mary’s had spent his entire family bank on a leave tax to gamble in the Democracy. He’d wanted to move to Brambrough, and you need money to do that. Instead, he’d lost everything. His farm failed, so he wasn’t contributing to the Realm—meaning nothing was added to his bank. Eventually penniless, he took to the woods. Mary had seen him one time. She hoped she never did again.

Corby and its thick forest were, to many, the hell of Eurus. But Mary had always seen the good in the land.

So had her mother.

Twelve years ago, her mother had left the Realm. Mary had only been four and a half years old, but she remembered the last moments she spent with her vividly. That day, they’d walked to this very hill and had a picnic lunch of turkey sandwiches, pretzels, and lemonade. After they’d eaten, her mother had braided wildflowers into Mary’s hair, humming.

“Close your eyes,” Mom had said gently. Mary had done it without question: She’d loved games and this had seemed like one. Mary had felt the soft brush of her mom’s lips on her left, then her right eyelid. “Okay, Mary, you can open them now.”

“What did you did?”

Her mom had laughed softly. “I kissed your eyelids, silly.”

“But why?” Mary’s favorite word back then had been why. Come to think of it, it might have been now, too.

“I’m going on a trip tonight,” Mom had said. “I could be gone a long time.” She’d paused, looking away, wiping her eyes. When she’d faced Mary again, her nose was red and she was smiling hugely—Mary knew now it was the kind of smile you force your face into lest you lose it completely. “I kissed your eyelids so everything you see, I’ll see it, too. I’ll always be with you, Mary. Don’t ever forget that.”

“I won’t,” Mary had promised, not understanding what words like long time and always had meant, but liking the day and the food and the pretty hair with wildflowers and the explanation. And mostly liking time spent with her mom.


About the Author



Cat Patrick Raised in a house that was struck by lightning–twice–Cat Patrick is the author of young adult books Forgotten, Revived, and The Originals, and the co-author of Just Like Fate.

As a child, Cat could be found making up stories like her first book, Dolly the Purple Spotted Dolphin; growing corn in the backyard; or performing with a traveling sign-language troupe. She earned a journalism degree from the University of Wyoming and a master’s degree from Boston University, and worked in public relations for fifteen years. She lives outside of Seattle with her husband and twin daughters, and is on Twitter @seecatwrite, or Facebook at authorcatpatrick.



 

 


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Giveaway

Cat Patrick has generously offered up 2 sets of signed copies of ALL of her previous books (4 in all!) for giveaway!

Use the Rafflecopter below to enter:
Open to US entries only. International entries will receive a gift card instead.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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…

Meet Penelope from A Breath of Frost + Exclusive Excerpt!

Meet Penelope from A Breath of Frost + Exclusive Excerpt!

Posted by on 01/03/2014 • 25 Comments

Today we all get to meet Penelope from A Breath of Frost by  Alyxandra Harvey! I love witch books and this one sounds awesome. I also have heard great things about the author’s other series so let’s see what this new one is all about!

Official Book Trailer:

An Introduction to Penelope! Penelope Chadwick Age: 18 Hair: black Eyes: dark brown Familiar: Spider Magic: Pscychometry: sensing the history of an object and the people who have touched it

Penelope is romantic and spoiled and kind and very talented at the pianoforte. She’s mad for anything Shakespearean and likes to use odd random bits of Shakespearean insults. She also has a rather prickly temper when her loved ones are insulted.

Her…

Shadowlark Tour Stop – Sneak Peek + Giveaway!

Posted by on 09/23/2013 • 6 Comments

Today I’m happy to have the Shadowlark blog tour stop by to give you a sneak peek as well as a giveaway! I enjoyed Skylark when I read it last year and I’m excited to find out what the sequel has in store for us! If you missed if, you can find my review of Slykark here!

Chapter 1 Sneak Peek

Chapter 1:

The clockwork dawn is loudest in the old sewers. The sound of the machines pushing the sun across its track in the sky echoes through the tunnels, shaking the ground beneath my feet. Mortar crumbles from the ceiling and falls like snow- flakes, surrounding me in a column of white. “Don’t worry,” I say, reaching out for Tansy’s hand. “This happens every day. It’s…

Altered by Gennifer Albin Chapter Reveal + Giveaway

Posted by on 05/22/2013 • 52 Comments

If you do not know yet how much I loved Crewel you can read my review here (it has giraffe balls)! For the rest of you, you must know how excited I am to be on this chapter reveal tour for its sequel, Altered. On each stop, you will ge part of the 1st chapter until you’ve read it all! Plus, you get a chance to win an ARC!

*Altered, the sequel to Crewel, does not yet have a cover* Altered Chapter One (Part 3) […Continued from Part 1 at Bewitched Bookworms and Part 2 at Cuddlebuggery Book Blog] “Clearly the fact that we are in some type of forsaken alternate reality is much less important than your grudge against me, so can we get this over with and move…

Damaged Sneak Peek + Giveaway!

Posted by on 04/17/2013 • 11 Comments

Today on Xpresso Reads I have an awesome sneak peek of Damaged by H.M. Ward and a giveaway for your very own copy! 😉

DamagedH.M. Ward Series: Damaged #1Genre: NA Contemporary Publication date: April 7th 2013by Laree Bailey Press

Life sucks. And, as soon as Sidney picks up the pieces something always knocks her back onto her butt. It’s never pretty, but this time is different. This time pretty isn’t even the right word.

Peter is the personification of perfection. It’s like he fell off his angel perch in purgatory, because let’s face it–any guy that hot has got to be naughty. He was probably sent here to ruin her life.

Peter is beyond beautiful with his sexy blue eyes, dark hair, and toned body. Add in his…

Bitter Angel Sneak Peek + Giveaway

Posted by on 04/03/2013 • 21 Comments

Today on Xpresso Reads I’m showing you a sneak peek at Bitter Angel and you can enter to win a copy! Let’s see what this pretty is all about:

Bitter AngelMegan Hand Genre: NA Contemporary/Thriller Publication date: April 1st 2013

Torn between two realities.A choice that will mean life or death.But she won’t know anything… until she wakes up. College sophomore, Lila Spencer lived Friday night twice. She doesn’t know how or why, just that she did. As if she split in half and went in two different directions.

Out clubbing with her friends, Heather and Nilah, the girls rock it out and party hard. What begins as an innocent night will lead to a deadly fight for their lives, and Lila might be their only chance…

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…