Tuesday, January 30, 2018

AMBER EYES by S.D. Grimm // Blog Tour, Interview, & Giveaway


HELLO, MY LOVELY DRAGONSES. Today, I am thrilled to be sharing an AMAZING new series with y'all -- S.D. Grimm's Children of the Blood Moon! Book two, Amber Eyes, released a couple weeks ago, and I've some exciting content to share in celebration!

ABOUT THE BOOK


Book II of Children of the Blood Moon

Destiny can be cruel.

Darkness retreated from the light of the scarlet moon, but has since grown even stronger. The Mistress of Shadows has found a new pawn -- one that may be the key to unlocking the door to her underground prison. Now evil threatens to escape its shackles and destroy the land.

In the aftermath of loss and betrayal, Jayden's fight with the enemy still isn't over. But while she isn't sure she can stop the Mistress alone, leaving her friends might be the only way to keep them from being consumed by the darkness. With lives hanging in the balance -- and no time for error -- can Jayden make the right choice?




INTERVIEW

Hi, Sarah! Welcome to the blog! I'm so delighted to have you here! 😃

I am SO excited to be here! Thank you for having me.

First off, would you mind sharing a little bit about yourself? Rain vs. snow, hot cocoa vs. tea, Marvel vs. DC...? 😉

Rain vs. snow? Rain! I love both, but rain more. I've always wanted to wash my hair in it. And my main character of Scarlet Moon (Jayden) is a pluviophile like me.

Tea. Hands down. I don't really like chocolate. *ducks*

Marvel vs. DC? Totally both. I read both, love both, I call my husband Captain America, my first crush was on Dick Grayson, but my first comics were Dark Horse.


What was the inspiration behind your Children of the Blood Moon series?

A couple of things. I love animals and wanted to write about people who had a special bond with animals in which they could communicate. Second, the Bible verses: 1 Corinthians 13:7-8a. And third, one scene (that actually doesn't happen until book three!) that popped into my head while I was coming up with this story. But I can't tell you what the scene is! #spoilers


Who are your top favorite characters in Scarlet Moon and Amber Eyes, and why?

Gah. You had to go for a hard question! Okay. I love Ethan and Ryan. Guys. I love them. No spoilers... okay. Ryan has so much to lose. And his fighting spirit amazes me. Ethan is a protector to the core. And that resonates with me deeply. And the struggles they have with their dark sides punch me in the gut while I'm writing their stories.

Without any/too many spoilers, how are the stakes raised in Amber Eyes?

More than one new villain rises. Mwahahaha! New loved ones' lives are at stake, and basically, if our heroes fail, the evil that would be unleashed -- *shudders* -- would break the world.

Last question before you go: if you could meet any of your favorite authors, who would you meet, and why?

I have the pleasure of being friends with a few of my favorite published authors, but I would love to just hang out with CJ Redwine, Maggie Stiefvater, and Cornelia Funke. Their characters... the emotion in their books... I am just, yes. Just, that would be an awesome cup of chai in a coffee house that would hopefully last hours.

Thank you so much for your time, Sarah! 💕

My pleasure!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR


S.D. Grimm's first love in writing is young adult fantasy and science fiction, which is to be expected from someone who looks up to heroes like Captain America and Wonder Woman, has been sorted into Gryffindor, and identifies as rebel scum. Her patronus is a red Voltron lion, her spirit animal is Toothless, and her favorite meal is second breakfast. She is represented by Julie Gwinn of the Seymour Agency, her office is anywhere she can curl up with her laptop and at least one large-sized dog, and you can learn more about her upcoming novels at www.sdgrimm.com.


FACEBOOK PARTY


Calling all book readers! Join author S.D. Grimm as we chat about her fantasy novel Amber Eyes on January 30th from 8 PM to 11 PM EST (6 PM CDT and 5 PM PST). Grab your favorite drink and snack and be prepared for a fun time of chatting, games, and giveaways. Special guest authors Nadine Brandes (Out of Time from Enclave Publishing, Fawkes from Thomas Nelson), Lindsay A. Franklin (Adored from Zondervan, The Story Peddler from Enclave Publishing), and Sara Baysinger (Black Tiger from StarFinder Press, The Vanishing Spark of Dusk from Entangled Teen) will also be sharing their books and joining in the fun.


GIVEAWAY


Want to dive into a new world? Enter to win a signed copy of both Amber Eyes and Scarlet Moon, a grimmlie dragon of the dragon on the cover (made by the author), a charm bracelet (made by her Captain America), and a $10 amazon gift card. (US only. Sorry!)

TOUR SCHEDULE

  • Monday, January 22nd
  • Book Review – Backing Books
  • Guest Post – Thinking Like a Fangirl
  • Tuesday, January 23rd
  • Book Review – Sheri Yutzy – young adult author
  • Book Review & Interview – Blooming with Books
  • Wednesday, January 24th
  • Book Review – Deeply shallow
  • Guest Post – dolphin18cb
  • Thursday, January 25th
  • Author Interview – Unicorn Quester
  • Friday, January 26th
  • Book Review – Sarah, Plain & Average
  • Book Review – Abba's Prayer Warrior Princess
  • Saturday, January 27th
  • Author Interview – Jebraun Clifford dream.write.repeat
  • Monday, January 29th
  • Book Review – The Artisan Penguin
  • Tuesday, January 30th
  • Author Interview – Liv K. Fisher
  • Review – Reality Reflected
  • Facebook Launch Party!
  • Wednesday, January 31st
  • Author Interview – So Few Books
  • Thursday, February 1st
  • Book Review – Lands Uncharted
  • Guest Post – Quills & Inkblotts
  • Friday, February 2nd
  • Book Review – Thinking Like a Fangirl
  • Saturday, February 3rd
  • Book Review – Tricia Mingerink
  • Book Review – Blushing Bibliophile
  • Book Review – RJ Metcalf
  • Monday, February 5th
  • Blog Tour Wrap-Up – Unicorn Quester


Eeeeep! I'M SO EXCITED. Are you excited? 😍😍😍

Scarlet Moon is SUCH a unique story; S.D. places terrific, original spins on her characters, the setting is captivating, and the magic of her writing... *sighs happily* Go read Scarlet Moon and Amber Eyes, my friends. You shan't regret it. 💖

What say you, Dragons? Have you read any S.D. Grimm books? Who's your favorite character in Scarlet Moon or Amber Eyes?

❤,


Saturday, January 20, 2018

No Post Today


HELLO, MY DRAGONS!

I just wanted to pop in and let you know that there won't be a new post today (but this counts as a new post, so... IDK?). I will hopefully be back next Saturday with some January Highlights for y'all, but my laptop is visiting the computer doctor soon, so we'll have to see. 😉

Have a marvelous weekend, my dears! 💕

❤,


Friday, January 19, 2018

ALLEGIANCE by Sarah Addison-Fox // Blog Tour & Guest Post


HELLO, MY DRAGON FRIENDS!!!! Today, I'm thrilled to be sharing my tour stop for Twitter and Goodreads friend, Sarah Addison-Fox's, novels, Disowned and Dissemble!

ABOUT DISOWNED


Book I of the Allegiance Series

Two countries, two choices, one life.

When Kyraenean slave Celeste risks her life to reach the free nation of Etraea, a country filled with technology and wealth, she unknowingly sets off a chain of events that will change her life forever.

After escaping her new owner, Celeste awakens in the home of an Etraean soldier, sworn to protect the fragile peace.

For Corporal Mick Haynes, life is simple. Follow the rules, do your job and work your way up the ranks. Getting shot and finding a wanted slave at his family's farm wasn't part of the plan.

When a Kyraenean bounty hunter locates Celeste, Mick's loyalty will be stretched to the limit.

With war on the horizon, Celeste faces two impossible choices. Both securing her freedom, but both at a cost she could never have imagined.

Will Etraea provide the freedom she's longed for or shackle her to an entirely new master?



ABOUT DISSEMBLE


Book II of the Allegiance Series

Once you're in, you're in for life.

Plunged into the heart of the country she fled, with one chance to unlock her past, Celeste must employ every skill to protect the unsuspecting family she's grown to love.

With her future, and that of the Haynes family, dependent on her success, a newly trained Celeste is sent undercover to the capital city of Kyraenea.

Celeste's new handler Torrance Kyle has plans that don't involve doing his job or playing by the rules. Can she trust Torrance with her life, or is he hiding as many secrets as she is?

Will a disillusioned Mick risk everything to find Celeste, or settle for guarding the home front in Etraea?

Can Celeste find the truth in a world built on deceit, or will her mission lead her straight to the place she fears the most?

COMING SOON TO AMAZON


PRAISE FOR DISOWNED
"If you like non-magical fantasy with a strong dash of romance about a girl who fights against incredible odds to find freedom and her place in the world, then this is for you!"
~ Amazon reviewer

"If I could give ten stars, I would. This book was difficult to put down and when I finished it I really didn't know what to do with myself. I felt as though a part of me was missing and wandered around in a daze for days! How refreshing to read a book without being offended in any way. This author has a God-given talent and I wish her the very best!"
~ Amazon reviewer

ABOUT THE AUTHOR


Sarah Addison-Fox is a New Zealand-born home-schooling mother of two who loves action-packed, clean, fantasy with strong heroines. She has an astonishing amount of nail polish, all her creative writing credentials shoved in a drawer somewhere, and a husband who, after twenty-seven years, can still make her blush. When she's not working on both her YA fantasy series she can be found fangirling on Goodreads or sending GIFs on Twitter.


GUEST POST: SARAH'S WRITING PROCESS

My writing process is pretty simple. When my son takes a nap in the morning, I grab my laptop, line up a can of coke, chocolate and put on some epic music.

I usually begin by reading over the last scene I wrote. Revising, and making changes, but I try not to dally too long on that. Maybe half-an-hour maximum. Then I try to get out as many words as I can before the thing (my son) needs to get up.

Sometimes I don’t get to write as long as I'd like to, "the thing" and life sometimes intercede, but I always make a commitment to write one-thousand words per day. My usual writing spot is in the dining room, on the couch, with only my dog for company. I'm a shocker for starting to write then losing myself in the story. Quite often I'll check the clock to find it's waaay past lunchtime and I haven't gotten dressed or cleaned my teeth!

My gorgeous daughter is most obliging and is usually doing her school work while I write (we homeschool), and since my husband works crazy shifts, and is mostly gone during the mornings, it works really well for our family.

I do get more writing time in the evenings when my husband works, but I have to put a limit on that because if I write too late, my brain gets wired and I don't sleep! No fun when "the thing" wakes at 6AM, and you didn't get to sleep until 2AM thinking about plot bunnies!

I don't spend too much time researching. That's something I do on my phone when I'm away from my laptop. If I do get stuck on something while writing, I’m fairly disciplined about looking something up if I need it and hopping off the internet. It's so easy to fall down rabbit holes and get lost looking at swords, parkour, forges, etc. All good fun, but all suck away the limited amount of time in the day I have.

If the words aren't flowing freely, my default is dialogue. A scene can always be fixed later. Descriptions can be added later. But it's the dialogue that moves a scene to where I need it to go. I call it bare bones writing. It still counts towards the word count even though the writing is minimal, and it’s much easier to flesh a scene out afterwards.

My writing day typically looks like this:

9.30 am: Drink first can of coke. (Caffeine takes approx. 30 mins to jump start my system)

10-11AM: "The thing" goes to bed. Clear the area of all remaining family members. Daughter to room. Husband to gym (if he's home).

11-1PM: Revise for thirty minutes, write till get to one-thousand words, taking breaks to check "the thing" is okay, while drinking another can of coke and trying not to consume all the chocolate.

7PM: Revise for thirty minutes. Write as much as possible. Leave self a note on what needs to happen in the scene. Yesterday when I finished writing I left this note to myself: steel capped boots, broken ribs. It's enough to make me remember where I was heading with my train of thought, and really helpful if I was interrupted before I could wind up a scene.

I don't always leave myself notes, and I don't always follow them. I am a die-hard "panster", so every when I do have something in mind, I often change it as I let the characters lead me.

I'm pretty regimented with my system. But it's a good formula that must work since I've finished eight first drafts this way.

It's really just revise, write, repeat.

Simple. Just like me.


TOUR SCHEDULE


Thank you so much for sharing your writing process with us, Sarah! And thanks to Livy Lynn for coordinating and organizing this tour! 💜

And Dragons, don't Disowned and Dissemble look amazing? They're high near the top of my TBR, and I've heard nothing but praise for them! I do believe that someday, they'll be sitting on many a bookshelf, right alongside Jaye L. Knight's The Ilyon Chronicles and Tricia Mingerink's The Blades of Acktar. 😉

Have you read any books in the Allegiance series, yet?

❤,


Thursday, January 18, 2018

THE PURSUED by Willowy Whisper // Blog Tour


Happy Thursday, my dear Dragons! Today, I'm thrilled to be sharing author Willowy Whisper's new novel -- The Pursued, the final book in the Hills of Innocence trilogy -- with you!

ABOUT THE BOOK


Fawn Wendell has no choice but to flee. Her life depends on it. She has no where to go, but that doesn't matter. She has to disappear. She has to get lost, never to be found again, before her pursuer attacks.

Adam Preston loves his children. They're all he has left. But with the ranch to run, is there any way he can give them what they need, especially when he's hurting himself?

Jake Sumner returns to an old house, a place that arouses too many memories. If he decides to stay, he may have trouble on his hands... trouble a whole lot bigger than him.

Sadie is an injured, silent bird, locked in a cage she can't free herself from. Her nightmares are real. The fear kills her voice. Will she ever fly again?



BOOKS ONE (THE INNOCENT) & TWO (THE LETTER)

         

               

                             

ABOUT THE AUTHOR


Willowy Whisper is a young, Christian fiction author. She lives in a beautiful place called West Virginia, nestled between mountain and field. She is the author of nine novels, eight of which are published, and numerous short stories. She is also a born-again believer in Jesus Christ, an incurable romantic, and a passionate dreamer. To follow her, visit her blog, at willowywhisper.com.


That cover is simply lovely! And I've heard nothing but praise about Willowy's books! 💗

Have you read any books in Willowy's Hills of Innocence trilogy, before? Which cover is your favorite?

❤,


Monday, January 15, 2018

SLEEPING HANDSOME by Rebekah Eddy // Cover Reveal


First a Sunday, and now a Monday, too? Le gasp! That's right, Dragons -- and today I'm here with even more BOOKISH NEWS! 😄 I get to share with y'all the cover reveal for Rebekah Eddy's upcoming release, Sleeping Handsome!

Now, get scrolling. 😉














More. Because I'm awful. *cackles*















You're-- almost-- there!















Eeep! You're finally here! (It took you long enough. 😜)

ABOUT THE BOOK


Minnie's goal was to have a fun, worry-free vacation with her best friend Amy. A few weeks spent in their favorite far away place before they both went back to their respective colleges. A visit to the many famous sights across the British Isles has been on both their bucket lists for a very long time, after all.

However, when a mysterious taxi driver mentions a legend that somehow concerns her ancestral heritage, she decides to dig deeper. After being accused of stealing the famous statue and tourist attraction known as Sleeping Handsome, Minnie and Amy are plunged into a world they would never have imagined existed.

Prince Gregory, after being awakened from being frozen in stone for hundreds of years, finds himself searching for his true love in order to reverse the stone spell on his kingdom and awaken the rest of his people. With his faithful horse Brutis by his side, he sets out to destroy his greatest enemy, release his kingdom from the stone spell, and win the heart of his princess.

COMING VALENTINE'S DAY 2018


ABOUT THE AUTHOR


Rebekah grew up surrounded by family members who appreciated and read good literature. First, she fell in love with the stories her parents read aloud to her from the Bible and books like The Chronicles of Narnia, Great Expectations, The Hobbit, and Anne of Green Gables. After learning to read on her own, she discovered other fantastic books which helped to build her ever growing imagination.

She completed her first written work at the tender age of eight and now uses it to humble herself whenever the need arises. The story did serve to show her that God had given her a desire to write, however, and from that moment on Rebekah has never looked back or regretted picking up her pencil and becoming an author.

This nineteen-year-old homeschool graduate lives in rainy, western Washington and is currently working on receiving her BA in English in order to further her passion for creating worlds on paper.

Website // Story Blog

MORE BOOKS BY REBEKAH EDDY

 

              

                          


Aaaah! A gender-swapped Sleeping Beauty retelling? Set in THE UK?! *flails* We only have to survive one more month until Sleeping Handsome releases, and then, WE GET TO READ IT!!!! Aaaaahhh!

Are you excited for Sleeping Handsome? What do you think of the cover?

❤,




Sunday, January 14, 2018

THE VANISHING SPARK OF DUSK by Sara Baysinger // Blog Tour, Guest Post, Excerpt, & Giveaway


HELLO, MY DRAGONS. I'm here on a Sunday (#whaaa) to bring you an exclusive look behind-the-scenes of Sara Baysinger's writing process! Sara is the author of the Black Tiger series -- a dystopian trilogy for Christian readers -- and The Vanishing Spark of Dusk, a shiny new YA sci-fi, which I'm here to share with you, today! 😄

ABOUT THE BOOK


Stand up.

When Lark is stolen from Earth to be a slave on the planet Tavdora, she's determined to find her way back home to her family, no matter the cost. Placed in the household of a notorious slave trader, Lark quickly learns her best assets are her eyes and ears. And if she's brave enough, her voice.

Be heard.

Kalen is the Tavdorian son of a slave trader and in line to inherit his father's business. But his growing feelings for Lark, the new house slave who dares to speak of freedom, compel him to reveal his new plan for the slave ships returning to Earth -- escape. Together, they just might spark a change that flares across the universe.



ABOUT THE AUTHOR


My name is Sara Baysinger and I write books. I was born in the heart of the Andes Mountains in Ecuador, where I spent my early life exploring uncharted lands on horseback and raising chickens. I now make my home among the endless cornfields of Indiana with my husband and two children... and I still raise chickens. My dystopian novel Black Tiger was self-published in 2016. My science fiction / romance novel The Vanishing Spark of Dust released with Entangled Teen on January eighth, 2018. When not getting lost in a book, I can be found gardening, star-gazing, or drinking my favorite vanilla chai tea.



GUEST POST: SARA'S WRITING PROCESS

The writing process is something I love to hear others talk about because everyone does it differently. So here's what my process looks like:

First of all, I am what writers call a pantser, meaning I write by the seat of my pants. As in, no outline, other than what I think the ending might look like. (My endings never turn out as I plan, though, so never mind.) Outlining takes the fun out of writing for me. Would you want to finish reading a book if someone gave you scene-by-scene description of the book? Exactly. I let the story flow naturally, and follow whichever rabbit hole looks most interesting. Unfortunately, this does make for some extensive rewrites and revisions, but I’m okay with that. *shrugs*

I prefer to write in the mornings, but since having kids, that has been near impossible. I try not to write when the kids are awake, because I get so lost in my story world that I forget my surroundings, which isn't the greatest parenting tactic, especially with toddlers. 😉 So now I wait until after they're asleep to write. And yes, I have a ritual. I usually fix a cup of tea, light a few candles, occasionally put on music, and settle into my favorite recliner.

And write.

It's a beautiful thing to have the privilege of doing this every day. A good ending after a hard day's work, where I can escape for a little while and do something for me.

Because I write such messy first drafts, there are many, many, many rounds of revisions that follow. And once I think it's perfect and ready to publish, my editor gives me many, many, many more revisions. And I love every part of it. Every. Single. Stage.

About the publishing process -- when I self-published, I had a process that really worked for me. After I did everything I could with my book, I sent it out to a select group of beta readers and usually allowed about a month for them to read it and get it back to me. I would then work on their suggestions, then send it off to my editor. Once I received the manuscript back from my editor and cleaned it up to my satisfaction, it was off to the typesetter. After that, I sent it to my advance readers, who would send me a list of typos I missed, then back to the typesetter, and then off Amazon -- and my readers!

It's a busy process to self-publish, and while I don't think I’ll ever do it again (*not a business owner type personality*) I am glad I tried it out. It gave me a glimpse into the publishing process so I knew what to expect when I actually had people counting on me. It also forced me to set my own deadlines and challenged me to meet them. (I'm proud to say I met every deadline I set for myself. 🙂)

So there it is! Like I said, everyone has a different writing process, so if you are trying to write a book, and you don't understand why you're stuck when you're doing the exact same thing that famous author does, then try something else. Do you want to write out an outline or see where the story takes you? Do you want to start at the beginning, or write that scene that’s been burning in your mind since you got the idea for the book? Do what works for you, and the writing process will be so much easier and FUN. Plus your readers will love your books (and you!) for it.

Thank you so much, Sara! It's very exciting to hear how your writing/publishing process goes -- especially when you have a family to take care of! 🙂

EXCERPT FROM THE VANISHING SPARK OF DUSK

"What have we here. A runaway?"

I can't think. In my panic I can hardly breathe--

"Easy there." His voice is lucid and smooth, not rough and unkind like I imagined it would be. He releases me. "I'm not going to hurt you."

The first scattered thought that crosses my mind when I look at him is, he's not really too different from Humans. I mean, apart from being exceptionally tall, he really could pass for a Human. His tanned face is clean-shaven, and when he smiles, dimples appear. Dark feathery hair the color of molasses curls around two pointed ears. Amusement flickers in his eyes -- and for the first time I notice the strange color of them. They're not crazy at all, the way Johnson described. They have a purple hue, soft and deep like lilacs. Never look them in the eye. One of Johnson's many lessons. I avert my gaze.

"What are you doing outside the plantation?" His voice is not accusing but slightly curious. "You shouldn’t be out here unless you have a death wish. Correct?"

My stomach drops. Yes. He thinks I'm a slave. This could be good.

Or really bad.

I glance at the sky, think of something to say, but every Tavdorian word I've ever learned has decided to take a vacation.

"The sunset," I finally say in his language. "You can get the best view from here." It's the weakest excuse ever, but it'll buy me some time.

"The sunset?" He crosses his arms, and I notice how strong he is, his forearms corded in muscle. "You risked your life leaving the plantation... for a sunset?"

One swallow. Two blinks. "It's worth it, don't you think?" I gesture toward the sky, now turning a deep shade of crimson.

He swivels his eyes toward the sunset, then back at me. A confused smile forms on his two perfect lips, and I briefly wonder if all Tavdorians are this good-looking or if I've officially lost my mind.

"Alno must be lenient. Not many slaves get the privilege of enjoying a sunset."

My heartbeat spikes. Look away. Johnson told me Tavdorians never speak civilly to Humans. It's all orders and reprimands. So why is this one speaking to me? Why isn't he reacting in anger at my "privilege"?

"But you don’t have to worry about a lashing from me." The Tavdorian steps closer, and my shoulders stiffen. He's so tall my head barely reaches his chest. If he thought I was a runaway, he could easily swing me over his shoulder and carry me to the plantation himself.

"What do you want with me?" The question comes out in a breathless whisper. I allow myself to peek up at him. He stares back, his eyes sparking with curiosity.

"Simple conversation would be enough."

A conversation. With a Tavdorian. There's nothing simple about that.

"You don't need to tremble so much. I'm not going to harm you." He waves his hand in the air. "Or tell on you for running away."

"Thank you," I manage to whisper, realizing after I speak the words that I just confirmed his suspicion.

"I would suggest you run with more resources, though. Food. Water." His eyes drift over my threadbare tunic, and he frowns. "Layers of clothing, perhaps."

"I'm fine, really."

"Do you know how to hunt?"

I'm starting to wonder if this is an interrogation.

He narrows his eyes and lowers his voice a notch. "Or are you meeting with other runaways? I heard there were two who ran from the plantation. Alno must have a terrible time keeping his fence intact."

I can't speak. My mouth has been bolted shut, my fear threatening to choke me.

He sighs and drags his hand through his hair. "This conversation is seriously getting boring. You can either speak to me like a civil... being. Or you can walk away and leave me hanging, wondering who the mysterious copper-haired runaway was that I met on the riverbank."

My brain screams at me to walk away, but this Tavdorian isn't the only curious one here.

GIVEAWAY

Sara has kindly offered to give away a signed paperback copy of The Vanishing Spark of Dusk, along with a $25 Amazon gift card and a handmade, adjustable "be heard" ring! Enter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

TOUR SCHEDULE


Eeep! I'm so, so excited for The Vanishing Spark of Dusk! Doesn't it sound EPIC? And that gorgeous cover, too...! *drools*

Have you read any of Sara's books, before? What's your favorite thing about her cover?

❤,