Rival Dreams Tour: Interview with Natalie Decker PLUS Giveaway

Today we're joining the Rival Dreams blog tour by chatting with author Natalie Decker. Come get to know all about Natalie and her books, and be sure to enter the rafflecopter at the end of the post!

Hi, Natalie! Welcome to We Do Write. Tell us a bit about yourself.  

Hi! I am the author of RIVAL LOVE series. I love oceans, sunsets, sand between my toes, and carefree days. My imagination is always going, which some find odd. But I believe in seeing the world in a different light at all times. My first passion for writing started at age twelve when I had to write a poem for English class. However, seventh grade wasn’t my favorite time and books were my source of comfort. I took all college prep classes in High school, and attended the University of Akron. Although I studied Mathematics, I never lost my passion for writing or my comfort in books. I'm a mean cook in the kitchen, love my family and friends and my awesome dog infinity times infinity.

Tell our readers a bit about RIVAL DREAMS.

This is the third book in the series. We continue following Caleb and Skylar into their college years. Skylar Fletcher and Caleb Morgan have been together for almost two years. On the surface, everything is great. Skylar is kicking major butt in swimming and has been offered the captain spot. Caleb is the top quarterback in the league. And even though their schedules can be a little hectic at times, they’ve always seem to make time for one another.

But once Caleb is approached by the NFL, his behavior turns odd. He flakes out on appointments to check out apartments and doesn’t call her on the nights when they’re apart. 

Pro football has been Caleb’s dream since forever. But what kind of idiot asks a girl to drop everything so he can follow his dream?

How did the idea of the story come to you?

This particular series came from an article I read about a rival teams making fun or bullying each other. This made me think about my high school and the crap we did when we were playing our rival teams. And it branched off from there.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Plotter

What’s the hardest part of writing for you?

When I’m in the middle of a scene and my hour for writing time is up. I obviously don’t want to stop typing but I must because M-F I only have an hour of writing time. Then it’s either getting kids ready for school, off to work, and the rest of my daily chores, or it’s my bed time.

What do you absolutely have to have nearby when writing?

My cow print throw blanket is usually around me when I’m writing. As well as my plotting chart. This has all my plot points on sticky notes and in order as they need to be weaved into the book.

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

To Fly. I’d save a ton on airfare.

What's the weirdest thing you've googled?

I don’t really google odd or weird things, but when I googled certain cities, for book ideas there are a lot of strange laws that sometimes show up. Which makes me wonder who in their right mind actually sat around and declared: When you pull up to a stop sign you must fire a gun out the window to warn horse carriages that you are coming. (I’m sorry what?) Or: It is illegal to transport an ice cream cone in your pocket. (Okay what moron would do such a thing in the first place?)

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

I’m getting my children ready for Jr High and Elementary, then I’m answering emails and doing work at the day job: Collecting data, working or updating files, answering phones, taking orders. Then I’m picking up kids, cooking dinner, going over homework, bed times and that’s my typical day when I’m not writing M-F Sat-Sun I’m usually catching up on all my TV shows I missed during the week. Pretty boring huh?

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

I love all of my family, fans, readers, my publisher Georgia McBride, Swoon Romance for publishing my series, all the staff at Swoon Romance, and Xpresso book tours for doing this amazing tour. Thanks!

Thanks for stopping by the blog and chatting with us!

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Back To School Reads

Today we recommend some of our favourite books to read when we go back to school.

M9B Friday Reveal: Cover Reveal - Super Freak by Vanessa Barger with Giveaway #M9BFridayReveals

Welcome to this week’s M9B Friday Reveal!

This week, we are revealing the cover for

Super Freak by Vanessa Barger

an MG title presented by Tantrum Books!

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

Thirteen-year-old Caroline is a freak. Her parents have uprooted her to a town full of Supernaturals. You'd think she'd be thrilled. But, with someone without a magical bone in her body, this daughter of tree sprites feels like even more of an outcast than she has ever before.

To make matters worse, her new home is cursed. But when Caroline takes to investigating the mysterious and strange happenings of Harridan House, her BFF goes missing. Seems someone doesn't want Caroline sticking her non-magical nose where it most certainly does not belong. Determined to prove herself, Caroline uncovers a plot to destroy her new hometown.

Undeterred, Caroline can't give up. But what's a human without magical powers to do? Caroline better figure it out fast, before she loses everything she has ever loved and the whispers she's heard all her life prove true: Caroline is a useless superfreak.

Super Freak by Vanessa Barger
Publication Date: October 13, 2015
Publisher: Tantrum Books
Genre: MG, Fantasy

BAM | Chapters | Amazon | B&N | Kobo | TBD | iBooks

Vanessa Barger was born in West Virginia, and through several moves ended up spending the majority of her life in Virginia Beach, Virginia. She is a graduate of George Mason University and Old Dominion University, and has degrees in Graphic Design, a minor in Medieval and Renaissance Literature, and a Masters in Technology Education. She has had articles published in Altered Arts Magazine, has had some artwork displayed in galleries in Ohio and online, and currently teaches engineering, practical physics, drafting and other technological things to high school students in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. She is a member of the SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators), the Virginia Writer's Club, and the Hampton Roads Writers. When not writing or teaching, she’s a bookaholic, movie fanatic, and loves to travel. She is married to a fabulous man, and has one cat, who believes Vanessa lives only to open cat food cans, and can often be found baking when she should be editing.

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

Complete the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win!

Titles not yet released will be upon its publication.

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T4T: Scion of the Sun and The Looking Glass!

 

 

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:

Scion of the Sun by Nicola Marsh and The Looking Glass by Jessica Arnold

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

 

 

When she least expects it, sixteen-year old Holly Burton’s unremarkable life is shaken to the core. A vision of the mother Holly never knew leaves her questioning everything she believes.

Eager for answers, Holly enrolls at a boarding school for highly gifted students in Wolfebane, New Hampshire. But things will get worse before they get better, as Holly accidentally transports to a parallel existence where she's confronted by a dark and ancient evil.

With the help of Joss, a sexy alpha warrior sworn to protect her, and her new BFF, the equally swoon-worthy Quinn, Holly faces her fears and an unlikely adversary in a showdown that is worse than anything she could’ve possibly imagined …

Amazon | B&N | Kobo | TBD | IndieBound | iBooks | Chapters | BAM | Google Play

 

WHAT READER’S ARE SAYING:

 

“Charmed and drawn in by Holly’s spunk and snark, Scion of the Sun will leave you spinning and falling for Joss right along with Holly. Marsh’s unique story is packed with action, mystery, romance and suspense. This is not to be missed!” – Jennifer L. Armentrout, USA TODAY Bestselling Author

 

 

 ” It's a unique novel in YA literature, and I hope it won't be under-appreciated! An excellent start to a new mythology-based series, this is!” – Alyssa – Eater of Books

 

“This was a unique tale about a heroine who is not perfect by any means, but does her best despite her failings.” –Grace – Grace Books of Love

 

 

 

Nicola currently writes for Harlequin Mills and Boon Romance and Riva/Presents series, Entangled Publishing, Month9Books, Harlequin Teen and Crimson Romance, has published 39 books and sold over 3.5 million copies worldwide. She’s a Bookscan, USA Today, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Waldenbooks bestseller, has finalled in several awards including the prestigious HOLT (Honoring Outstanding Literary Talent), Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, Booksellers’ Best, Golden Quill, Laurel Wreath, More than Magic and won several CataRomance Reviewers’ Choice Awards. Nicola loves the hip, vibrant, cosmopolitan vibe of her home city, Melbourne, where she’s set the bulk of her novels, highlighting  fabulous cultural and food havens like Acland Street (St. Kilda), Brunswick Street (Fitzroy) and Lygon Street (Carlton). When she’s not writing she’s busy raising her two little heroes, sharing fine food with family and friends, cheering on her beloved North Melbourne Kangaroos footy team and her favorite, curling up with a good book!

 Author Links:  Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

 

 

Find the diary, break the curse, step through The Looking Glass!

Fifteen-year-old Alice Montgomery wakes up in the lobby of the B&B where she has been vacationing with her family to a startling discovery: no one can see or hear her. The cheap desk lights have been replaced with gas lamps and the linoleum floor with hardwood and rich Oriental carpeting. Someone has replaced the artwork with eerie paintings of Elizabeth Blackwell, the insane actress and rumored witch who killed herself at the hotel in the 1880s. Alice watches from behind the looking glass where she is haunted by Elizabeth Blackwell. Trapped in the 19th-century version of the hotel, Alice must figure out a way to break Elizabeth’s curse—with the help of Elizabeth's old diary and Tony, the son of a ghost hunter who is investigating the haunted B&B—before she becomes the inn's next victim.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | The Book Depository | IndieBound | Google Play | BAM | iBooks | Chapters

 

WHAT READER’S ARE SAYING:

 

“Curses, ghosts, betrayal and love. All elements to a perfect ghostly story..” – Jasmyn, Bitten by Romance

 

 

 “I think one of the creepiest things about The Looking Glass was the way it made me feel so claustrophobic. It was similar to the way I felt when I read Stephen King's Under the Dome--trapped and a bit panicked.” – Kelly, Reviewer

 

 

“It was so different and so beautifully written and detailed that I really could not put this story down and I felt as though I was there with Alice throughout the story.” – Melissa, Simplistic Reviews

 

 

 

Jessica Arnold writes YA, codes ebooks, and is currently a graduate student in publishing at Emerson College in Boston. She spends most of her time in class or work or slogging through the homework swamp. If she has a spare moment, she’s always up for a round of Boggle. Given the opportunity, Jessica will pontificate at length on the virtues of the serial comma, when and where to use an en dash, and why the semicolon is the best punctuation mark pretty much ever.

Author Links:  Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

 

Complete the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win!

 

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Punished Tour: Interview with Krys Fenner

Did you all notice the new blog look? I thought I'd spruce it up for fall. Even if fall hasn't officially arrived yet. I'm sure it will be here any minute. *checks watch*

Anyway, today we're taking part in the PUNISHED blog tour by chatting with author Krys Fenner. Grab a cozy seat and come get to know Krys and her book. And don't forget to enter the rafflecopter at the end of the post.

Hi, Krys! Welcome to We Do Write. Tell us a bit about yourself.  

I was kind of nerdy growing up and a bit of a loner (even with two younger siblings); for me books were a way to escape and be somebody else for a little while. I started with Nancy Drew and Goosebumps and worked my way up to Stephen King and Dean Koontz. Writing I fell in love with when I was about sixteen. I had taken a Creative Writing class in high school as an elective. My first stories were all fantasy, but my final project was a short story about a young woman visiting her father in the cemetery. It wasn't until the end of the story that you realized he was also her abuser and she had gone there to forgive him. I hung on to those two front and back pages until the writing faded, but the words stuck with me. It had been my best work. In college, I turned that same story into a poem. I started working on Punished during that time and later Destroyed. I dealt with a lot of emotional issues when I first started writing them and my family encouraged me through the whole process. Something they still do.

Tell our readers a bit about PUNISHED.

Punished is the second book in A Dark Road Series. It is the continuation of Bella and Jeremiah's story. In the first novel (Destroyed), Bella was raped and their newly built relationship has suffered because of it. Each deals with the situation differently. Bella turns to drugs to cope and pushes away those who care about her; Jeremiah becomes a bit reclusive blaming himself for everything that has happened. Certain events force them to reconsider how they see things, including one another.

How did the idea of the story come to you?

Part of Punished I pulled from my own personal experiences. The rest of I really have to attribute to the characters. When I first wrote Punished, I hadn't realized how bad things were going to get or even how cold-hearted my antagonist would be. It wasn't until I wrote Destroyed (yes, I went backwards) that any of this really came to full conclusion. I wrote Punished (Book 2) before I wrote Destroyed (Book 1). There was so much in the story to cover that I after I finished Punished, I knew I could never cover it all in one book. At least not to write the situations appropriately. Once I gave the events and characters life using my experience as the basis, it took on a life of its own.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

A little bit of both. I have about 3-4 hand written pages, front and back of dates and things that happened or had to happen on those dates. However, I jot down notes whenever ideas come to me (shower, driving, getting ready to go to sleep, etc.). Sometimes nothing will become of those ideas, but most of the time they spark the best parts of the story (in my opinion).

What’s the hardest part of writing for you?

Convincing my family to leave me alone while I work. Well, that is difficult, but the hardest part is when I know in my gut a certain event, good or bad, has to take place, but not quite getting the story to flow. I'll give you an example. There is a scene in Punished that I knew needed to happen, but I had to consider certain legalities being that the person in question is sixteen. Originally it occurred about one-quarter of the way in; during the revision as I was taking this scene out I realized it could still happen, just a few key components had to be altered. For one, it had to occur with a parent available and toward the end of the novel. The flow changed in a way I hadn't thought about when I first wrote that scene. I'd tell you what it is, but I don't want to give too much away.

What do you absolutely have to have nearby when writing?

Pen, paper, headphones and my cell phone.

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

Mind-reading.

What's the weirdest thing you've googled?

I thought about this question a lot. Honestly, I don't think I google anything weird (death, suicide, street value of drugs, street names for drugs, teen rights); then I thought this may not be weird for a writer. To everyone else, it might a little strange.

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

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

First, I'd like to thank God. It may be a bit cliché, but I believe he gave me the ability and the words. Second, I'd like to thank my mom and my sister. They are both awesome women. I don't think I could do this without either of them. I'd also like to thank my editor, cover artist, and publisher. They worked hard to make Punished a possibility. I happen to think my cover artist reads minds (at least mine) and my editor always has the best advice on my work.

Awesome! Thanks for stopping by the blog!

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H.A.L.F. The Deep Beneath Blog Tour: Interview with Natalie Wright PLUS Giveaway

Happy Tuesday! Today, we are joined by Natalie Write, author of H.A.L.F. Let's get to know all about Natalie and her book, and be sure to enter the rafflecopter at the end of the post for your chance at winning a cool prize.

Hi, Natalie! Welcome to We Do Write. Tell us a bit about yourself.  

My day-to-day life in the “real” world is like vanilla ice cream. It’s delicious and easily palatable but not exactly exciting!

I’ve been happily married to the same man for twenty-seven years, we have a tween daughter (seventh grade), and two cats. I live in the suburbs, take my daughter to school, help her with homework, cook dinner and do laundry. I run errands on the weekend and go to the movies for entertainment. It’s completely ordinary.

But that only describes my “outer” life in the “real” world. In fact, I spend most of my days living in a world where a teenage girl with magical abilities can kick the ass of a black hole (Emily’s House); where an alien-human hybrid walks the Arizona desert; and where the shadow government is very real. I spend most of my waking hours creating worlds that I hope seem so real to readers that they begin to question if I know something they don’t!

Tell our readers a bit about H.A.L.F.

H.A.L.F.: The Deep Beneath is a young adult/adult science fiction story. H.A.L.F. 9 is seventeen and he’s lived his whole life in a secret, underground lab but he has just escaped into the Arizona desert. Coincidentally, Erika Holt and two of her friends are in the desert that night as well. When they cross paths, they all begin a journey that will change their lives forever.

The H.A.L.F. series will appeal to people who enjoy shows like The X-Files, Roswell, Ancient Aliens or anything with an alien theme. Government conspiracies and black ops. Alien-human hybrids and genetic engineering. It’s at times eerie, other times humorous, always adventurous.

How did the idea of the story come to you?

I first conceived of the idea back in 2010. I was driving around my hometown (Tucson, AZ), running errands. It was summer. A very hot day (like in the 100’s hot!). I was driving home and this song, “Cowboys & Aliens” by Gram Rabbit came on. I had a view down across the desert valley, out to the mountains to the south near Mexico. And the big picture storyline came to my mind. I got home and wrote pages and pages of an outline of the story that would become, five years later (!!), H.A.L.F.: The Deep Beneath.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Both. I use the “Snowflake” method to help me plan the plot and use various tools to develop characters before I begin the first draft. This process of planning/researching/interviewing characters, etc. may take a month or more. I try to think out the major scenes of the book and write them down on scene cards. The book I’m working on right now, The Makers (Book 2 of H.A.L.F.), is told in multiple POVs so the cards help me see what’s going on in each storyline and where they’ll all coalesce into one through line.

The pantsing comes in while actually writing. I’ve done all this planning and thinking, but when it comes down to it and I’m in the zone, anything can happen! I go with it. The end result is always so much better than I’d originally planned.

What’s the hardest part of writing for you?

Starting. I’m now writing my fifth novel and it is every bit as hard to begin as each one prior. Maybe even more difficult because I now have higher expectations for myself.

The blank screen never gets less intimidating. Each time I write a first draft, I have to summon my courage and talk myself out of giving up.

What do you absolutely have to have nearby when writing?

A cat. :-) And coffee. Lots of coffee. Oh, and music. I absolutely have to have my headphones on and I listen to ambient, electronic, meditation or brainwave stuff.

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

To be able to fly. I would love to be able to defy gravity. I envy birds that ability.

What's the weirdest thing you've googled?

Oh, I’ve googled lots of weird things! Probably the strangest one so far was when I researched what drug someone might use to put a pregnant woman to sleep during childbirth. This was necessary for the Prologue to H.A.L.F.: The Deep Beneath. And since doctors don’t do that anymore, I had to dig a bit to find something that would work.

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

reading about alien conspiracy theories. ;-)

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

Thank you for the opportunity to give thanks. I’m very grateful to the ladies at Red Adept editing for their content editing services. Great work at a reasonable price. I love them! And thank you to Pauline Nolet for eagle-eyed line editing; to Jason Anderson for perfection in digital formatting; and to Dane at eBook Launch for great cover work on H.A.L.F.

But I’d never have a manuscript to edit without the love and support of my husband, daughter and my oldest sister. The three of them provide such encouragement and at times tough love (if that’s what’s necessary to get me back into keyboard monkey mode). And thank you to my writer pal Bridget Magee. She is a great cheerleader and the one in my life that totally gets the issues I deal with in my life as a writer and mom. And I’m very grateful for my Writer’s Table group. We get together every Tuesday and write for two hours. That’s it. Just writing. But the synergy of the creative energy of these women always ends up being the most productive two hours of my week. And they are gracious, lovely women.

Thanks so much for chatting with us, Natalie. And thanks for stopping by the blog!

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