Book Blitz: Excerpt of Fan Art by Sarah Tregay

Fan Art

by Sarah Tregay

Release Date: 06/17/14

Harper Teen

Summary from Goodreads:

When the picture tells the story…

Senior year is almost over, and Jamie Peterson has a big problem. Not college—that’s all set. Not prom—he’ll find a date somehow. No, it’s the worst problem of all: he’s fallen for his best friend.

As much as Jamie tries to keep it under wraps, everyone seems to know where his affections lie, and the giggling girls in art class are determined to help Jamie get together with Mason. But Jamie isn’t sure if that’s what he wants—because as much as Jamie would like to come clean to Mason, what if the truth ruins everything? What if there are no more road trips, taco dinners, or movie nights? Does he dare risk a childhood friendship for romance?

This book is about what happens when a picture reveals what we can’t say, when art is truer than life, and how falling in love is easy, except when it’s not. Fan Art explores the joys and pains of friendship, of pressing boundaries, and how facing our worst fears can sometimes lead us to what we want most.

Available from:
Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Kobo * Book Depository

BOOK EXCERPT

In art, Ms. Maude has the lights off and the projector on, and we’re flying through art history at breakneck speed. We started the semester with the cave paintings in Lascaux and, with three weeks of classes to go, we are up to Marcel Duchamp and his urinal. Ms. Maude is certain we’ll get up to present-day art by the end of the term, but the class has a bet going—most of the girls say she will and the guys say she won’t.

I write $1 in my notebook and slide it across the table to Eden.

In my pocket, she writes back.

I’m about to write No way when Ms. Maude leaps ahead half a decade and sums up Dadaism in one sentence. No fair. She segues to the Bauhaus, and I know I should be listening. Those Bauhaus dudes are the founding fathers of graphic design.

But I’m not listening. You going to prom? I write. Again I slide my notebook to Eden.

She looks at me, an are-you-crazy? expression on her face.

I gesture at the note.

She writes something. Slides the notebook back. No.

Why not? I scribble.

She doesn’t wait for me to pass the notebook; she just reaches over and writes. No date.

Be mine.

She looks at me again then writes: I thought you were gay.

I freeze. How the hell does she know?

Eden takes the paper back before I write anything. And you want to go to prom with me?

Yes.

Not possible, she scribbles.

Why not?

Ms. Maude glances our way, and Eden pretends she’s taking notes on the lecture. When she slides my notebook back, it reads: You’re out of my league. Not to mention the wrong gender.

The wrong gender? I try not to look surprised and I ignore that part. What league?

The popular one.

I’m not popular. I’m in band.

Eden sighs as if I’m clueless, and she pushes my notebook back at me without an answer.

Please, I write. I didn’t know dating involved so much persuasion. 

Why?

Because you’re cool. I offer her the notebook.

She reads my note and shakes her head.

I try again. Because I want to get to know you better.

She fake gags on her finger.

Because I’ll have a good time if you’re there.

Eden smiles.

And I have a prom date.

About the Author
Raised without television, Sarah Tregay started writing her own middle grade novels after she had read all of the ones in the library. She later discovered YA books, but never did make it to the adult section. When she's not jotting down poems at stoplights, she can be found hanging out with her "little sister" from Big Brothers Big Sisters. Sarah lives in Eagle, Idaho with her husband, two Boston Terriers, and an appaloosa named Mr. Pots. Her next book, Fan Art, will be released in June.

Author Links:

   

***GIVEAWAY***

2 signed ARC’s of Fan Art (US/CAN only)

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Book Blitz Organized by:

Cover Reveal: A Dangerous Season by Olivia Hardin

Pain, joy, death, life, magic: All of it fits. Or does it…

The faery realm is in a frenzy now that the Women on the Hill are no longer united in power. The fabric of life as the fae know it is changing, and with it the dynamics of friends, lovers and neighbors. Devan will risk both her life and Kent’s love to locate her missing father. Nicky must follow Gerry headfirst into danger as she runs from the new demons within herself. Doc and Jill choose an ally in the cold war between faery factions as Robin struggles to help McKenna recover from a loss that could cripple her forever. Kristana and Langston seek answers and follow a ghost into enemy territory, while Rooney confronts the challenges of Belle’s growing powers and the path revealed for their lives.

A collision of forces could create a new order between the faery and human realms, but will everyone survive the fallout of the cataclysm?

Pre-Order now to get the release day price of just 99cents. Only guaranteed for the date of release!

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Buy books one and two Sweet Magic Song: iBooks / Barnes and Noble / Amazon Transcendent: iBooks / Barnes and Noble / Amazon

Cover Reveal and Giveaway: The Perilous Journey of the Not-So-Innocuous Girl by Leigh Statham

Welcome to the Cover Reveal for

The Perilous Journey of the Not-So-Innocuous
Girl by Leigh Statham

presented by Month9Books!

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

Lady Marguerite lives a life most 17th century French girls can only dream of: Money, designer dresses, suitors and a secure future. Except, she suspects her heart may be falling for her best friend Claude, a common smithie in the family's steam forge. When Claude leaves for New France in search of a better life, Marguerite decides to follow him and test her suspicions of love. Only the trip proves to be more harrowing than she anticipated. Love, adventure and restitution await her, if she can survive the voyage.

Title: THE PERILOUS JOURNEY OF
THE NOT-SO-INNOCUOUS GIRL
Publication date: 2015
Publisher: Month9Books, LLC.
Author: Leigh Statham

Leigh Statham was raised in the wilds of rural Idaho, but found her heart in New York City. She worked as a waitress, maid, artist, math teacher, nurse, web designer, art director, thirty-foot inflatable pig and mule wrangler before she settled down in the semi-quiet role of wife, mother and writer. She resides in North Carolina with her husband, four children, five chickens and two suspected serial killer cats. If the air is cool and the sun is just coming up over the horizon, you can find her running the streets of her small town, plotting her next novel with the sort of intensity that will one day get her hit by a car.

Connect with the Author: Website |Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

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Interview with Ella Martin

Good morning! Today we have a lovely interview with Ella Martin, author of WILL THE REAL PRINCE CHARMING PLEASE STAND UP? So let's jump right in, shall we?

Welcome to We Do Write, Ella!

Thank you for having me! I'm glad to be here.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I'm a Southern California native, and I call myself a prep school survivor, mainly because I think that's the best description for having escaped prep school mostly unscathed. =) All kidding aside, I'm a contemporary young adult author who writes about kids who are way cooler than I've ever been. I'm also the mom of an extremely precocious 7-year-old who provides me with ample writing fodder and inspiration. In my non-writing life, I'm a sales analyst for a multinational restaurant chain, and I've been known to dabble in photography, needlework, and culinary experimentation on occasion.


You sound like a busy lady! How long have you been writing?

I started writing with the intent of being a published author when I was about 10 years old, but then around high school, I didn't do much writing besides the angst-filled scribblings in my journals.
Throughout my 20s, I was focused on building a career and going to graduate school, and writing took a back seat. But a few years ago, I started thinking about some of my high school classmates and thought it might be fun to kind of rewrite history, if you will. I started dabbling again, but I didn't get serious until NaNoWriMo 2012, when I wrote WILL THE REAL PRINCE CHARMING PLEASE STAND UP?

Tell us about WILL THE REAL PRINCE CHARMING PLEASE STAND UP. What’s
the story about?

I hooked my agent when I pitched it via Twitter as a YA contemporary retelling of Snow White where we discover Prince Charming is anything but. That's the super-condensed version. But it's really about a girl discovering that sometimes the guy who's supposed to be The One isn't, especially when he starts behaving like a control-freaky misogynist. But it's a romance, after all, so she does get a Happily Ever After. Or, at least a Happy for Now.

How did the idea of the story come to you?

It came from a "what if," really. I was reading the original Grimm version of Snow White and was kind of appalled that Prince Charming purchased her from the dwarves while she was in her glass coffin. That's not the version Disney showed us. Anyway, in the original tale, the prince has his servants carry the coffin with the princess still inside--to his castle. Along the way, the servants stumble and dislodge the piece of apple that was in Snow White's throat. So she wakes up, she and the prince fall in love, and poof! Happily Ever After. But what if the prince was really a jerk? I mean, he essentially bought her to be a decorative element in his castle. So I played off of that, and Dante was born.

How incredibly delicious! I can't wait to read it! Do you have a critique group/partner or beta readers, or do you self-edit?

I do a lot of self-editing, but I have a handful of trusted readers, too. My friend Sara has read WTRPCPSU at least 6 times, all after my agent had already signed me (and once more before it went to galleys), and I have other friends who have read it at least twice. For me, self-editing before I let anyone else look at it is key because it's so hard to slough through poorly written pages. My friend Kirsten is reading my current work in progress, and even now I cringe  as I hit send on the email when I send her each chapter.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Definitely a bit of both, but I think I lean more on the side of plotter. I can't begin to write a story until I know how to begin it and exactly how it will end. Then I lay out three plot points to hit, and I continue from there. I work off a very loose outline, so it still allows for a lot of exploration and discovery, but I still know which dots I absolutely need to connect.

What’s the hardest part of writing for you?

Self-doubt. No, seriously. I look at an empty page, see the blinking cursor, and kind of freak out. It might sound a little crazy, but I'm always so worried about being true to the characters. In my mind, these aren't just imaginary figures I put on a page. They're real, breathing people with fears and ambitions and baggage. So I struggle sometimes (okay, often) with making sure they maintain integrity. It's all a result of me second-guessing myself, and I know it. But self-doubt, man. That's a hard thing to overcome.

I feel your pain ... (((hugs))) What do you absolutely have to have nearby when writing?

Headphones. Or at least earbuds. I've actually bought several pairs of earbuds from the drugstore by the coffee shop where I write just because I've forgotten to bring my headphones. Music is such a critical part of my creative process. It's what helps me remember what it was like to be a teenager.

What are you reading right now?

Nothing right this very second. I have a terrible tendency to read a book in its entirety in a single sitting. Like, if I know I won't have time to read it all at once, I won't even start it. That said, the last book I read was GUITAR NOTES by Mary Amato (loved it), and I'm anxious to start TEASE by Amanda Maciel soon, as I'd wanted to read it from the moment I heard about it, and it's now staring at my from its perch on my bookshelf.

If you could have any super power, what would it be?

The ability to control time. I don't even need to be able to travel through time. I'd be perfectly content to be able to pause or stretch the time I already have. Interestingly enough, I've given this considerable thought and really pondered the implications of having this ability. But that's a whole other conversation.

What's the weirdest thing you've googled?

Hmm. That's a tough one. I think I've looked up a lot of craziness. But I think the grossest thing I've searched for was a diagram of the human eye. There were a lot of images that I wish I could unsee.

Quick writing test! Use the following words in a sentence: stand,
realistic, and croissant.
   
The fake croissant staring at me from the boulangerie stand looked so realistic, I wondered if the real thing tasted half as good.

Finish this sentence: If I'm not writing, I'm probably ...

... obsessing about how to move the next scene--and story--forward. Or I'm at the day job, running errands, chauffeuring my son, doing laundry, cleaning the house, reading, or sleeping. No, wait. Scratch sleeping. That doesn't happen often enough to count. ;-)

Here’s the part where you thank the people who are supporting you.
Let's hear your shout outs.

Ooh! I wrote a little something for this very occasion! You know, just in case. *unfolds paper* I'd like to thank the Academy for this honor-- *receives note* Oh, sorry. Wrong thank you speech. ;-)

So much thanks goes to my agent, Julia A. Weber, who believed in Bianca and the rest of the kids at Westgate from the very beginning and was such a staunch supporter that I couldn't help but believe in
myself, too.

Huge thanks to Sara, Melissa, and Wendy who were ultimately my Alpha readers. They read multiple versions of WILL THE REAL PRINCE CHARMING PLEASE STAND UP? and provided insanely helpful feedback every time.

I don't know how I would have lasted these last few months without my agency-sisters: Ellis, Precy, Gail, Amanda, Robin, Andrea, and Rebecca. They've all entrusted me with their cell phone numbers and have endured countless freakouts via text from me.

I would be remiss if I didn't thank Nicole Brinkley, whose insight helped me shape my characters into who they are, and a massive shout out also goes to my friends Brad, Jason, Sean, and Juan who all humored me and pretended to be guys on numerous occasions for the sake of research.
   
And I can hear the orchestra starting to play, so I'll hurry with the rest. Thanks to my amazing publicist Natasha who has been a tremendous help in getting WILL THE REAL PRINCE CHARMING PLEASE STAND UP? ready for launch, to my publisher Stephanie and the rest of the team at Astraea Press, to my beautiful nieces for being my audience, to my sister for never doubting me, and to my husband and son for intermittently putting up with piles of laundry because I'm in The Zone. I love you guys!

And finally, where can people find you and your book online?
   
I am (in the order of how often you'll find me):
Twitter
Tumblr
Instagram
Facebook

And you can my book will soon be available online at Smashwords, Barnes and Noble, and Amazon.

Blog Tour: Threats of Sky and Sea by Jennifer Ellison

Today we're joining the THREATS OF SKY AND SEA blog tour. Author Jennifer Ellison has written a great guest post for us, so let's get right to it. Don't forget to enter the Rafflecopter at the end of the post.

“How to Write a Strong Female Protagonist in YA Fantasy”

The urge to write this blog post in recipe format was strong, but I resisted the compulsion to make you read my weird list of female MC “ingredients” and instructions to “mix well.” I hope you’re all proud of me.

In all honesty, this post could be really short for me. I could say: “let your female characters define themselves” and be all:

MIC DROP.

But I’ll say a little bit more.

Having strong female characters in Threats of Sky and Sea was really important to me, but it wasn’t essential to me that that meant they were busy kicking ass and taking names throughout the book. There’s nothing wrong with that, of course. I like Katniss Everdeen and Tris Prior as much as the next girl.  

But my main goal in creating these characters in Threats of Sky and Sea was that I wanted them to be their own people.

(This GRRM quote was necessary. Necessary.)

That’s what defines strength in characters for me, be they female or male. That they have strong personalities, no matter what their physical strength or prowess with a weapon may be. That they fight to be the ones making decisions for themselves.

In Threats of Sky and Sea, there are three women who take center stage. On the protagonist side, there’s my main character, Breena Perdit and Princess Aleta. On the antagonist side, we have Lady Katerine.

Bree is snarky and a little loud-mouthed, while Aleta can be cold and cutting. Lady Katerine revels in holding power. Aleta and Bree have little to no combat training, while Katerine has a great deal. Bree is used to wearing torn breeches, Aleta uses the impressions that clothes can give as a tool, and Kat is a straight-up snob about jewelry and titles.

(A quick aside: Female characters don’t have to eschew those things that are traditionally feminine. Dresses don’t make someone weak.)

The point I’m trying to make by telling you about Bree, Aleta, and Katerine is that they all have different motivations. Different interests, different ways of handling things, different personalities.

And maybe I’m biased, but I think that they’re all strong women.

No matter your genre, your characters can make mistakes. They can have flaws, frivolous interests, and they can even make you want to scream at them. But give them inner strength. Give them something that pushes back at the world when it’s beating them down.

They can fall down and fail… but it’s their decision to get back up again that makes them strong.

Threats of Sky and Sea by Jennifer Ellision
(Threats of Sky and Sea #1)
Publication date: May 20th 2014
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

Sixteen year-old Breena Perdit has spent her life as a barmaid, innocent to her father’s past and happily free from the Elemental gifts that would condemn her to a life in the Egrian King’s army. Until the day that three Elemental soldiers recognize her father as a traitor to the throne and Bree’s father is thrown in jail—along with the secrets from his last mission as the King’s assassin. Secrets that could help the King win a war. Secrets he refuses to share.

Desperate to escape before the King’s capricious whims prove her and her father’s downfall, Bree bargains with him: information for their lives. It’s a good trade. And she has faith she’ll get them both out of the King’s grasp with time.

But that was before the discovery that she’s the weapon the King’s been waiting for in his war.

Now, time is running out. To save her father’s life and understand her own, Bree must unravel the knot of her father’s past before the King takes his life– and uses her to bring a nation to its knees.

Goodreads | Kindle | Paperback | B&Noble Nook | iBooks | Smashwords 

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AUTHOR BIO:
Jennifer Ellision spent a great deal of her childhood staying up past her bedtime with a book and a flashlight. When she couldn’t find the stories she wanted to read, she started writing them. She loves words, has a soft spot for fanfiction, and is a master of the fangirl flail. She lives in South Florida with her family, where she lives in fear of temperatures below 60 Fahrenheit.

Threats of Sky and Sea, a young adult fantasy, is her first novel.

You can find Jennifer online at www.jenniferellision.com, or on twitter @JenEllision.

Author Links:
http://speakingjenerally.wordpress.com/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7753988.Jennifer_Ellision
https://www.facebook.com/JenniferEllision
https://twitter.com/JenEllision

Happy Book Birthday: Hexed by Michelle Krys

Today, my baby girl turns sixteen! Crazy, right? Where did the time go?

Today also marks the book birthday of HEXED by Michelle Krys.

It's The Craft meets Bring It On in Hexed, the first novel in a brand-new series from debut author Michelle Krys in which a snarky sixteen-year-old cheerleader is forced into a centuries-old war between witches and sorcerers only to uncover the first of many dark truths about her life...

If high school is all about social status, Indigo Blackwood has it made. Sure, her quirky mom owns an occult shop, and a nerd just won't stop trying to be her friend, but Indie is a popular cheerleader with a football-star boyfriend and a social circle powerful enough to ruin everyone at school. Who wouldn't want to be her?

Then a guy dies right before her eyes. And the dusty old family Bible her mom is freakishly possessive of is stolen. But when a frustratingly sexy stranger named Bishop enters Indie's world, she learns her destiny involves a lot more than pom-poms and parties. If she doesn't get the Bible back, every witch on the planet will die. And that's seriously bad news for Indie, because according to Bishop, she's a witch too.

Suddenly forced into a centuries-old war between witches and sorcerers, Indie's about to uncover the many dark truths about her life--and a future unlike any she ever imagined on top of the cheer pyramid.

Book Blitz: The Artful by Wilbert Stanton

A post-apocalyptic spin on Oliver Twist? Heck yeah, that sounds cool! Take a look at THE ARTFUL by Wilbert Stanton.

The Artful by Wilbert Stanton
(Shadows of the City #1)
Published by: Curiosity Quills Press
Publication date: May 27th 2014
Genres: Post-Apocalyptic, Young Adult

New York City, 2025: Everything is changed. The city that never sleeps is now a land of death and decay. A rampant virus has taken over and the survivors have become carriers, quarantined from the rest of the world.

Twist and Dodger grew up in the streets, the sewers and underground tunnels – their playground. They aren’t heroes. They just like attention; and stealing meds from the rich and giving them to the poor is their golden ticket.

On their latest raid, they unknowingly steal a cure that puts them square between the ailing Emperor of Manhattan and the war hungry Governor of Brooklyn and forces them on a quest into the darkest shadows of their putrefying world.

AUTHOR BIO
Wilbert Stanton was born and raised in New York City. From an early age, Wilbert decided he would either write books or take over the world; everything else was just a precursor to his end game.

Along the way, he has studied Psychology, English, and Computer Science. He’s held jobs in a wide range of fields and met people from all walks of life. Wilbert is constantly learning and growing as a person, in order to solidify his dreams.

In the end world domination was a bit tedious, so he decided to focus on writing books.

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