Book Blitz: Tempting Death by Elizabeth Holloway

Today we're joining the book blitz for TEMPTING DEATH by Elizabeth Holloway! Take a look at that cool cover! Be sure to read an excerpt from this thrilling YA paranormal!

Tempting Death
Elizabeth Holloway
(The Grim Trilogy #1)
Publication date: May 30th 2016
Genres: Paranormal Romance, Young Adult

The truck should have turned Libbi Piper into a Libbi pancake, but a mysterious boy named Aaron saved her life. The problem? Aaron’s the local Grim Reaper. The bigger problem? He saved Libbi’s life so she can take over his job.

Libbi has just days to choose between dying like she was supposed to or living a lonely life as Death Incarnate. The choice only gets harder when she learns Aaron’s reasons for wanting out of the whole morbid business. Basically, his job sucks.

Still, when Aaron looks at her, there’s something more in his eyes. Something dark and secret. Something he’s hiding. Libbi will be damned if she’ll die without figuring it out. And she’ll be damned if she lets him go.

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EXCERPT:

The creep is back.

I may not be able to see him, but I know he’s here, somewhere. Call it intuition. Or maybe it’s just the eerie memory of when the guy stared me down last night. I don’t know, but I’m not taking any chances.
I hunch over my history final and release my thick hair from behind my ears. It swings forward like a dark-brown curtain and hides my face.

Show’s over, buddy.
I can’t look around, not with Mr. Winkler on “cheater duty.” Hopefully, the guy will get bored and go wherever the hell he went last night when he took off.
The final is what’s important. I need to focus on this test.
I read the next question on the page, but the loser’s gaze bores through my dark shield of hair and my arms erupt in gooseflesh. Before I can skim the multiple choice answers, my eyes betray me and shoot up to scan the classroom.
Mr. Winkler sits at his desk scratching at some poor schlub’s paper with his red pen of doom. His bald head gleams in the harsh fluorescent light. God, I hope it’s not my paper he’s destroying. I can’t afford another bad grade in this class.
I quickly scan the rest of the classroom through the part in my hair, but everyone is working. Eerie feeling or not, nobody’s looking at me.
But I know someone is watching. Just like last night, I can feel his stalker stare.
This is ridiculous. I shake my head and rub my arms to dispel the goose bumps. This guy has freaked me out so much I’m imagining his eyes on me now. I don’t have time for this. I have an exam to finish.
The tip of my pencil hovers over the letter C, and something in my peripheral vision shifts. I snap my head up and finally see him.
The guy I caught staring at me at the art show last night, the guy who warned me something bad was going to happen to me today, stands at the tiny rectangular window in the door. He tilts his head and his ice-blue eyes lock on mine, sending a shiver through my body.
Shake it off, Libbi, I tell myself. He’s just a crazy boy with a crush.
Actually, with his tousled black hair and his nose pressed against the glass like that, he looks a little like a lost puppy. If he wasn’t so creepy, I’d almost feel sorry for him. But couldn’t he choose a better time than the middle of my history final to eyeball me? Plus, he said he wanted to talk to me alone, and this is most certainly not alone.
I point to my partially finished test and mouth, “Final exam.”
He nods. A half-smile lifts the corners of his lips.
“Bye.” I wave my hand.
“I need to talk to you,” he mouths.
“No,” I reply, but he continues to stand at the door.
Dude, catch a clue already. I spin away from the door, sneak a peek at Mr. Winkler, and shove the eraser of my pencil between my teeth. I yank the eraser out of its metal holder and flick it at the back of Haley’s head. Her chair squeaks as she jumps and whips around to glare at me.
“What?” she whispers.
“Look.” I point over my shoulder with my pencil to the classroom door. “That crazy guy I told you about is at the window.”
We turn to the door together, but the window’s empty. He must be a shy creeper.
“Where?” Haley says.
“Never mind. He’s gone.” I slump back in my chair. At least I can finish my test in peace.

Author Bio:
Elizabeth Holloway is a writer of young adult fiction living in Southern Pennsylvania with her two teen children and their growing number of pets.
In addition to writing, she is a registered nurse, an avid reader, an out-of-practice artist, a karaoke singer, and a music lover. She is still trying to decide what she wants to be when she grows up.

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Blog Tour: Death Becomes Me by Elizabeth Holloway @eholloway300

Today I have the pleasure of interviewing Elizabeth Holloway for the blog tour of DEATH BECOMES ME, book two in the Call Me Grim series. I've had the honor of reading this book while in its development stage, and let me tell you, it's awesome! For the low-down on the first book, click here. Let's dive right into the interview, shall we?

Hi, Elizabeth! Congrats on your second book! Tell us what the sequel to Call Me Grim is about.

Thanks, Dorothy!

Death Becomes Me picks up where Call Me Grim ends. Libbi and Aaron have broken their vow to be Reapers of their hometown, Carroll Falls, and have escaped. Now they are on the run from Abaddon, aka Death himself, and he’s not one to let things like that go.

Without giving too much away, how have your characters changed in this book?

Libbi has grown a lot since the last book. In this book she struggles with her devotion to her family and friends and her need for survival. It’s a hard path. And when her relationship with Aaron comes into question it becomes almost impossible.

Aaron also has his struggles. But, I’m afraid if I say anything about them, I’ll give too much away, so I’ll shut up now.

What is the biggest challenge for you when writing a sequel?

For me, the biggest challenge was writer’s block. I hate it. So. Much.

I also fought with trying to condense the series into a duology, but I ultimately found that I just couldn’t fit the whole story into two books. That was the hardest thing, I think, deciding the story needed to be a trilogy. It caused a lot of trouble for me. ☺

How have you changed as a writer now that you are published?

Writing as a published author is completely different from writing as an aspiring author. First, there are those dreaded deadlines, which somehow manage to drain me of all of my creativity. Then I worry about the readers and what they’ll think of the story. Self-doubt is my biggest enemy. But I do love the editing process. I love going over the story with an editor and shining that thing up.

What are your writer aspirations for the next five years?

I’m about to start working on the third and final book in the Call Me Grim series, which is untitled at the moment. I also have a YA thriller in the works called Drive. It’s about a teen petty thief who finds a girl tied up in the back of a van and decides to follow the van. I hope to have that one finished next year. After that, I may take a break. I have to go back to school for my job, so I’ll likely have all of my spare time taken up with that for a while.

Thanks for letting us take part in your tour, Elizabeth! Good luck with Death Becomes Me!

Thanks, Dorothy! It was a pleasure being here!

T4T: Call Me Grim and Predator

 

Welcome to this week’s Two for Thursday Book Blitz #T4T presented by Month9books/Tantrum Books!

Today, we will be showcasing two titles that may tickle your fancy, and we’ll share what readers have to say about these titles!

You just might find your next read!

This week, #T4T presents to you:

Call Me Grim by Elizabeth Holloway and Predator by Janice Gable Bashman

Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

 

The truck should have turned Libbi Piper into a Libbi Pancake—and it would have, too, if Aaron hadn't shown up and saved her life. The problem? Aaron's the local Grim Reaper . . . and he only saved Libbi's life because he needs someone to take over his job. Now, Libbi has two days to choose between dying like she was supposed to, or living a lonely life as Death Incarnate. Talk about a rock and a hard place. And the choice goes from hard to sucktastic when her best friend shows up marked: condemned as a future murderer. Libbi could have an extra week to stop the murder and fix the mark . . . but only if she accepts Aaron's job as Reaper, trapping herself in her crappy town forever, invisible and inaudible to everyone except the newly dead. But, if she refuses? Her best friend is headed straight for Hell.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Chapters Indigo! | TBD | iBooks | Google Play | BAM | Indiebound

 

WHAT READER’S ARE SAYING:

 

“Call Me Grim is humor, brilliance and a success altogether.” – Paula, Her Book Thoughts

 

“Okay, just the story line over all was GENIUS. I have NEVER EVER read a book like this before. It was just so original and plain awesome. MEGA props to the author. I'm still grinning from what I've read.” – Rachelann, Goodreads Reviewer

 

“Call Me Grim is one of those books that you do not want to put down. At the same time there is something about it that makes you just want to savor it - you want to know what is going to happen next but at the same time you do not want it to end.” – Mike, Goodreads Reviewer

 

Elizabeth Holloway is a writer of young adult fiction living in Southern Pennsylvania with her two teen children and their growing number of pets.

In addition to writing, she is a registered nurse, an avid reader, an out-of-practice artist, a karaoke singer, and music lover. She is still trying to decide what she wants to be when she grows up.

Author Links: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

 

The hunt is on! Sixteen-year-old Bree Sunderland must inject herself with an untested version of her father’s gene therapy to become a werewolf in order to stop a corrupt group of mercenaries from creating a team of unstoppable lycanthrope soldiers.

When Bree went with her scientist father to Ireland, she thought it would be a vacation to study bog bodies. She never expected to fall in love with a mysterious young Irishman and certainly never expected to become the kind of monster her father said only existed in nightmares. Dr. Sunderland discovers that lycanthropy was not a supernatural curse but rather a genetic mutation. When they return home, her dad continues his research, but the military wants to turn that research into a bio weapons program and rogue soldiers want to steal the research to turn themselves into unstoppable killing machines.

Bree’s boyfriend Liam surprises her with a visit to the United States, but there are darker surprises in store for both of them. As evil forces hunt those she loves, Bree must become an even more dangerous hunter to save them all.

Bree will become the thing she hates, to protect those she loves!

'Predator' gives the werewolf legend a couple of new spins by introducing the Benandanti (an actual folkloric belief that certain families of Italy and Livonia were werewolves who fought against evil), as well as a modern scientific approach to mutation and the science of transgenics.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Google Play | BAM | Chapters | Kobo | TBD

 

WHAT READER’S ARE SAYING:

 

“Predator is a fast-paced, creepy page-turner! Bashman had me at the opening sentence and she's still got me. I want more!” – Nancy Holder, New York Times Bestselling Author, The Rules

 

“Every twist and fascinating revelation fell into place smoothly, with an ending that will leave readers wanting more. With this kind of originality on the page, it is exciting to speculate at the surprises Bashman will unveil next.” – Suspense Magazine

 

“Predator" by Janice Gable Bashman is clean-teen fiction at it's best. It's smart, scary and suspenseful. The main character Bree is a super positive role model for teen girls--no mater what shape she takes” – Jennifer, Author

 

Janice Gable Bashman is the Bram Stoker nominated author of Wanted Undead or Alive and Predator. She is managing editor of the The Big Thrill (International Thriller Writers’ ezine). Janice lives with her family in the Philadelphia area, where she at work on her next novel. Visit her at janicegablebashman.com.

Author Links: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

 

Complete the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win!

 

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Cover Reveal: Death Becomes Me by Elizabeth Holloway

You guys! I am so excited to finally be able to share the cover of Death Becomes Me with you. Death Becomes Me is the second book in my Call Me Grim series, which is set to release November 3rd. Let me just tell you, this cover is gorgeous and I LOVE it so much. But first, here's a bit about the book:

Libbi and Aaron are Grim Reapers on the run. They may have escaped their hometown of Carroll Falls unscathed, and are together and alive (well, more or less), but they’ll soon find there’s a price to pay. A deadly one.

By escaping Carroll Falls, Libbi and Aaron have broken the Reaper’s covenant with Abaddon, aka Death himself – and now they’re right at the top of Abaddon’s Most Wanted list. There’s nowhere to hide, and not a single person, alive or dead, they can turn to for help.

But just as it's looking like the end of the line, Libbi hears word of a Reaper in hiding – a Reaper who once escaped Abaddon's wrath. Finding this mysterious Reaper might be the perfect solution… if Death doesn’t find them first.

GOODREADS

And now... Without further ado... The Cover!

Isn't it pretty?

M9B Two for Thursday Book Blitz – Call Me Grim by Elizabeth Holloway and Into the Fire by Ashelyn Drake with Giveaway #T4T

Hello and welcome to this week’s Two for Thursday Book Blitz #T4T
presented by Month9books/Tantrum Books!

Today, we will be showcasing two titles that may tickle your fancy,
and we’ll share what readers have to say about these titles!

You just might find your next read!

This week, #T4T presents to you:

Call Me Grim by Elizabeth Holloway and
Into the Fire by Ashelyn Drake

Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

The truck should have turned Libbi Piper into a Libbi Pancake—and it would have, too, if Aaron hadn't shown up and saved her life. The problem? Aaron's the local Grim Reaper . . . and he only saved Libbi's life because he needs someone to take over his job. Now, Libbi has two days to choose between dying like she was supposed to, or living a lonely life as Death Incarnate. Talk about a rock and a hard place. And the choice goes from hard to sucktastic when her best friend shows up marked: condemned as a future murderer. Libbi could have an extra week to stop the murder and fix the mark . . . but only if she accepts Aaron's job as Reaper, trapping herself in her crappy town forever, invisible and inaudible to everyone except the newly dead. But, if she refuses? Her best friend is headed straight for Hell.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Chapters Indigo! | TBD | iBooks

WHAT READER’S ARE SAYING:
“Call Me Grim is humor, brilliance and a success altogether.” – Paula, Her Book Thoughts

“Okay, just the story line over all was GENIUS. I have NEVER EVER read a book like this before. It was just so original and plain awesome. MEGA props to the author. I'm still grinning from what I've read.” – Rachelann, Goodreads Reviewer

“Call Me Grim is one of those books that you do not want to put down. At the same time there is something about it that makes you just want to savor it - you want to know what is going to happen next but at the same time you do not want it to end.” – Mike, Goodreads Reviewer

Elizabeth Holloway is a maternity nurse living in Southern Pennsylvania with her two teen children and their pets, Bam-bam the dog and Tinkerbell the cat. In addition to nursing and writing, she’s also an avid reader, an artist, a karaoke singer, a music lover, and a kick-ass Pictionary player. Her debut YA novel, CALL ME GRIM, will be released from Month9Books in Fall 2014.

Author Links: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Seventeen-year-old Cara Tillman’s life is a perfectly normal one until Logan Schmidt moves to Ashlan Falls. Cara is inexplicably drawn to him, but she’s not exactly complaining. Logan’s like no boy she’s ever met, and he brings out a side of Cara that she isn’t used to. As the two get closer, everything is nearly perfect, and Cara looks forward to the future.

But Cara isn’t a normal girl. She’s a member of a small group of people descended from the mythical phoenix bird, and her time is running out. Rebirth is nearing, which means she’ll forget her life up to this point—she’ll forget Logan and everything they mean to one another.. But that may be the least of Cara’s problems.

A phoenix hunter is on the loose, and he’s determined to put an end to the lives of people like Cara and her family, once and for all.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Chapters Indigo! | TBD | iBooks

WHAT READER’S ARE SAYING:

“You witness a major loss to the main character that does not involve a death, and also fully understand just what is about to face the main character. It was such a hook for me and I just had to find out what would happen next.” – Maria, The Paisley Reade


“I love finding series about unique paranormals, and Ashelyn Drake did a really good job with this one.” – Michelle, Book Briefs

“Kelly Hashway aka Ashelyn Drake has created an impeccable story surrounded around mythology, romance, family and deceit.” – Nay Denise, Nays Pink Bookshelf

Ashelyn Drake is a New Adult and Young Adult romance author. While it’s rare for her not to have either a book in hand or her fingers flying across a laptop, she also enjoys spending time with her family. She believes you are never too old to enjoy a good swing set and there’s never a bad time for some dark chocolate. She is represented by Sarah Negovetich of Corvisiero Literary Agency.

Author Links: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Complete the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win!

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Read 'Em & Reap Blog Hop! Tons of Grim Prizes!

All of this week Dorothy and I are participating in the Read 'Em & Reap Blog Hop! Why let witches, vamps, and ghosts hog all the Halloween fun? Grim Reapers need some love too! That's why author Lisa Medley put together this reapers only blog hop. So, if you like stories about Death Incarnate, hop around to all the different participating authors, play games, read interviews, and enter to win tons of reaper-esque books, plus a $100 dollar Amazon GIFT GARD! You can also enter to win a special prize from me (details below).

For those who are new to me and my book, here's a little tidbit about Call Me Grim!

"His icy eyes penetrate mine and a chill prickles over my arms, despite the early summer heat. I don't believe in ESP, or mind reading, or crap like that, but there's something deep in his eyes. He knows something. More than he should."

The truck should have turned Libbi Piper into a Libbi Pancake—and it would have, too, if Aaron hadn't shown up and saved her life. The problem? Aaron's the local Grim Reaper . . . and he only saved Libbi's life because he needs someone to take over his job. Now Libbi has two days to choose between dying like she was supposed to, or living a lonely life as Death Incarnate. Talk about a rock and a hard place.

In order to participate in this blog hop I must answer three questions, then I'd like to play a game with you all (there will be a PRIZE!). But first, the questions!

• What first piqued your interest in writing about reapers?

There's something very intriguing about a creature whose sole purpose is to deal with death and the souls of the freshly dead. It seemed to me that watching people die, possibly in horrific ways, and not being able to do anything about it would be an awful existence. I am a Registered Nurse, so I guess it's not surprising that powerlessness in the face of death frightens the heck out of me.

That nugget of an idea festered in my brain. I decided that Death Incarnate would be a really crappy job and that whoever had it probably wouldn't want it for long. That's how Aaron, my reluctant Grim Reaper, was born.

• What makes your reapers different?

In the world of Call Me Grim, there are many Reapers all over the world, but they are all alone, isolated in the territory they are required to reap. Reapers are invisible to the living (unless that person happens to be scheduled to die within twenty-four hours), so their only interactions with other living people are with the soon-to-be dead. So, yeah, pretty sucky, but that's the point.

• Are your reapers Heroes or Villains?

The Reapers in Call Me Grim are 100% human. And every human (good or bad) is the hero of their own story.

And now, time for you to put on your WRITER HAT for a chance to win a PRIZE!

It's Halloween, so how about something spooky? In the comments, leave the creepiest, funniest, or most horrific ghost story you can squeeze into 300 words or less (real or fiction, but please, keep it clean). Leave your email in this format: email at server dot com, then spread the word about the giveaway. That's it! At the end of the Read 'Em & Reap Blog Hop (Oct 31st) I will choose a winner and post that entry on the blog, PLUS the winner will get a signed copy of Call Me Grim, a book mark, creepy candy, and a plastic skull (US entries ONLY, please)!

An InLinkz Link-up

Also, don't forget to sign up for the Read 'Em & Reap blog-hop-wide Rafflecopter giveaway below!

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Call Me Grim Blog Tour: Interview with Libbi Piper @eholloway300 @month9books @chapterxchapter

Today we're joining the Call Me Grim blog tour by chatting with main character Libbi Piper. Let's get to know Libbi and find out what her "life" is all about.

Hi, Libbi! Thanks for stopping by and chatting with us. Tell us a bit about yourself.

Hello! Thanks for having me.

My name is Libbi Piper and I’m a sixteen-year-old aspiring artist, though the aspiring part sort of went out the window recently. You see, I was supposed to get hit by a truck and die, but the local Grim Reaper, Aaron, saved my life. He gave me the chance to either take over his job—which pretty much sucks, by the way—or die like I was supposed to. Not much room for moving up in the art world in either of those scenarios.

He wants you to become a Grim Reaper? What a horrible job! But I guess it’s better than death, right?

I guess … if you don’t mind being trapped inside Crappytown, U.S.A., invisible and inaudible to every living person, forced to see death daily (including the deaths of the people you love), plus you have to deal with the worst boss in the history of worst bosses. Seriously, only Hitler can compare. So, to answer your question, I’m not sure.

What is your worst fear?

This one’s easy. My worst fear is knowing someone I love is about to get hurt and there’s nothing I can do about it. Oh, and heights. I’m terrified of heights.

If you could make one wish, what would it be?

Honestly, I wish I didn’t have to make this choice at all. I wish that truck just passed me by without Aaron’s help. I wish I could finish high school, go to college, have a family, and a career, and a life. I want to live. But, I guess that’s too much to ask.

If you could turn back the hands of time, what one thing would you change?

Barring the answer to the above question, I would probably go back in time a few months and NOT kiss my best friend. Big mistake.

How do you plan to get out of this mess?

I think, if I decide to stick it out with Aaron, I might be able to find a loophole. Only time will tell, I guess.

Any last words?

Wow! That sounds so final, like we’re already at my funeral! I haven’t given up hope yet, people. Give a girl a chance!

ABOUT CALL ME GRIM:
Call Me Grim
Publication date: September 9, 2014
Publisher: Month9Books, LLC.
Author: Elizabeth Holloway

The truck should have turned Libbi Piper into a Libbi Pancake — and it would have, too, if Aaron hadn’t shown up and saved her life. The problem? Aaron’s the local Grim Reaper… and he only saved Libbi’s life because he needs someone to take over his job. Now, Libbi has two days to choose between dying like she was supposed to, or living a lonely life as Death Incarnate. Talk about a rock and a hard place.

And the choice goes from hard to sucktastic when her best friend shows up marked: condemned as a future murderer. Libbi could have an extra week to stop the murder and fix the mark… but only if she accepts Aaron’s job as Reaper, trapping herself in her crappy town forever, invisible and inaudible to everyone except the newly dead. But, if she refuses? Her best friend is headed straight for Hell.

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