Blog Tour and Giveaway: End Times by Anna Schumacher

Today we have the pleasure of hosting the End Times Blog Tour!  Anna has graciously given us a wonderful question and answer guest post!!!  Thanks Anna!  

Don't forget to comment on this post for a chance to win a copy!!!

Carbon County, Wyoming is like a current running through Daphne’s heart.

When life gets too tough to bear in Detroit, Daphne flees to her Uncle Floyd’s home, where she believes she’ll find solace in the silent hills of her childhood summers. But Daphne’s Greyhound bus pulls over in downtown Carbon County and it’s not silence that welcomes her. It’s the sound of trumpets.

Daphne’s desire to start again in simple country comfort is instantly dashed as the townsfolk declare that the End Times are here. And incredible occurrences soon support their belief. Daphne does all she can to keep her head down and ignore the signs. She works a job at the local oil rig, helps around the house, hangs out with her pregnant cousin Janie and gets to know Owen, a mysterious motocross racer and fellow roustabout at the rig. But soon a startling discovery shatters her resolve and calls into question all her doubts and fears.
               
Daphne landed in Carbon County for a reason. She only has to read the signs—and believe

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Q&A with Anna Schumacher

What are 7 things you learned from writing your first book?

Here are 7 things I learned from writing my first book:

It is, in fact, possible to write and sell a novel while working fulltime, maintaining friendships and a relationship, and still enjoying your life. It just takes a little extra discipline, and the willingness to make the time.

Your work is only as good as the team around you. I was so fortunate to have an amazing editor, agent, and publicist who believed in the book as much as I did – sometimes more! I couldn’t have done this without them.

Nothing kills writer’s block like a hoop jam! Sometimes the only way I could get unstuck was to get up, grab my hoop, and move. 

When it comes to time, more is more. I wrote END TIMES over the course of a summer because I was super excited about the idea and wanted to get it all down before it was gone. Then everything happened so fast: Penguin bought it, and wanted it for their spring list, and all of a sudden I had to turn around two new drafts in a month! I’m really happy with the book, but there are things I would have changed if I had more time. It still bothers me that Luna eats bacon in one scene, because in Book 2 I wanted her to be a lifelong vegan!

Some days will be more productive than others. It’s important to grab the productive days by the horns and ride them as hard as you can. 

You can’t just be a writer. You also have to be a reader, a movie-watcher, a theater-goer, an occasional Netflix-binging couch potato. You have to go play outside, go dance, spend time with friends, do yoga – whatever feeds your soul besides writing. Your life becomes unbalanced if you spend all your time producing and none consuming, just as it gets out of whack if you’re always consuming without ever producing. They feed each other, and you need both to survive. 

I thought all I ever wanted was to get a book published. Now, all I want is to write and publish more! 

END TIMES synopsis

When life gets too tough to bear in Detroit, Daphne flees to her Uncle Floyd’s home, where she believes she’ll find solace in the silent hills of her childhood summers. But Daphne’s Greyhound bus pulls over in downtown Carbon County and it’s not silence that welcomes her. It’s the sound of trumpets.

Daphne’s desire to start again in simple country comfort is instantly dashed as the townsfolk declare that the End Times are here. And incredible occurrences soon support their belief. Daphne does all she can to keep her head down and ignore the signs. She works a job at the local oil rig, helps around the house, hangs out with her pregnant cousin Janie and gets to know Owen, a mysterious motocross racer and fellow roustabout at the rig. But soon a startling discovery shatters her resolve and calls into question all her doubts and fears.

Goodreads page for END TIMES: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18667788-end-times

Author bio

Anna Schumacher is an award-winning copy writer who has worked for DailyCandy, Night Agency and is currently the Associate Copy Director at Hearst Digital Media, which manages all marketing for 25 websites including seventeen.com and luckymag.com. A strategic thinker with strong digital expertise and social media fluency, Anna is a fiction writer at heart. She received an MFA in fiction writing from The New School. She lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband and their two cats, Gus and Alexis.

Twitter: http://twitter.com/SchumacherYA

Tumblr: http://anna-schumacher.tumblr.com/

Goodreads author page: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7341043.Anna_Schumacher

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All you have to do is comment on this post to be entered to win a copy of End Times!!!

My Last Kiss Blog Tour Guest Post: Top 10 Fictional Crushes

Hi everyone, today we have the pleasure of hosting the Blog Tour for Bethany Neal's book, My Last Kiss. Bethany has been so gracious to give us her list of TOP 10 FICTIONAL CRUSHES!!!!!  The YA Sisterhood especially loves her #1 Choice!!!!!

What if your last kiss was with the wrong boy?

Cassidy Haines remembers her first kiss vividly. It was on the old covered bridge the summer before her freshman year with her boyfriend of three years, Ethan Keys. But her last kiss--the one she shared with someone at her seventeenth birthday party the night she died--is a blur. Cassidy is trapped in the living world, not only mourning the loss of her human body, but left with the grim suspicion that her untimely death wasn't a suicide as everyone assumes. She can't remember anything from the weeks leading up to her birthday and she's worried that she may have betrayed her boyfriend.

If Cassidy is to uncover the truth about that fateful night and make amends with the only boy she'll ever love, she must face her past and all the decisions she made--good and bad--that led to her last kiss.

Bethany Neal's suspenseful debut novel is about the power of first love and the haunting lies that threaten to tear it apart

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Bethany's Fictional Crushes

Top 10 Fictional Crushes – YA Sisterhood

10. Louis (Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice):

Anne Rice invented tall, dark, and brooding when she wrote Louis de Pointe du Lac. Doesn’t hurt that he’s played by a young, icy-eyed Brad Pitt in the movie adapt either.

9. Joe (The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson): He’s one of the few crushes I have that would actually work in real life. He could play me songs on his horn and we could cuddle away entire days in that bed in the forest. So much sigh for this boy in this effervescent book.

8. Rio (Jem TV show):

I know most of you are too young to know about Jem and the Holograms, but this was by far and wide my favorite 80s cartoon about a music biz exec, Jerrica Benton, who transforms via hologram earrings (I know, right!) into the international superstar lead singer Jem. This double life of awesomeness leads to the world’s most complicated love triangle ever because Jerrica’s main man, Rio Pacheco, also has a crush on Jem—who is actually still Jerrica. It’s a head scratcher, but he has purple hair, so we overlook the minor detail that he’s cheating on his girlfriend…with his girlfriend.

7. Ruby (Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma): I’m an equal opportunist when it comes to crushes, and there’s nothing wrong with a good healthy hetero-girl crush. Chloe may be the narrator, but her saucy older sis, Ruby, steals the show in the novel. Girl loves fiercely and is willing to trade a life for those she loves—literally—but, man oh man, is she magic!

6. Jay Gatsby (The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald):

Oh, Gatsby. You asked too much of your flighty paramour Daisy Buchanan, but our love will shine brighter than her briny green light ever could. 

5. Bruce Wayne (Batman): He’s frickin’ Batman, people! And rich and dangerous and has terrible taste in women. We’re meant to be.

4. Adam Wilde (If I Stay/Where She Went by Gayle Forman): Rockstar: check. Famous and tormented: double check. Dedicated to loving you no matter what as long as you stay safe: big world tour of love-sized swoony check.

3. Edward Cullen (The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer):

I wonder what it would feel like to kiss him on a sunny day on a private beach in the Caribbean with his sparkles washing over my tanned skin… I’m sorry, what were we talking about?

2. Romeo (Romeo and Juliet  by William Shakespeare): Of course, I have a very specific image of my Romeo, and it is Leo DiCaprio in 1996 wearing that untucked suit, smoking as he scribbles all the feels in his journal underneath the Grove of Sycamore, pining over his ex, Rosaline. I shall make thee forget, smexy sir.  I shall make thee forget.

1. Angel (Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV show):

Louis may have founded the brooding business that is hunky vampires with a conscience, but Angel turned that billowy trench coat startup into a world-wide enterprise. I’m actually so in love with Angel that I hate David Boreanaz (the actor that played him). He’s on Bones now and not telling Buffy “in 243 years I’ve loved exactly one person.” It’s a crime. A crime I tell you!

Waiting on Wednesday: Zac and Mia by A.J. Betts

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. It spotlights books that have not yet been released, but ones that you should pre-order today! This week's book that we are anxiously awaiting is ZAC AND MIA by A.J. Betts.  It will be released September 2, 2014 from HMH Books for Young Readers.

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The last person Zac expects in the room next door is a girl like Mia, angry and feisty with questionable taste in music. In the real world, he wouldn’t—couldn’t—be friends with her. In hospital different rules apply, and what begins as a knock on the wall leads to a note—then a friendship neither of them sees coming.

You need courage to be in hospital; different courage to be back in the real world. In one of these worlds Zac needs Mia. And in the other Mia needs Zac. Or maybe they both need each other, always.

Yeah, I'm getting shades of The Fault in Our Stars, too! But the first chapter really rocks, and the voice of this book is so different. And if you need proof that this book isn't a wannabe follower of that other bestseller, this one won an Australian Literary award in 2012.

I, for one, can't wait.

YA Book Giveaway!!! Hosted by Martina Boone, Author of Compulsion

We want to thank Martina Boone for hosting this giveaway!!!!  Be sure to add her upcoming book, Compulsion, to your Goodreads To Read  List!!!!!  The giveaway runs to the end of June.

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Blog Tour Review and Giveaway: Dark Metropolis by Jaclyn Dolamore

Today we have the pleasure to host the blog tour for Jaclyn Dolamore's new book, Dark Metropolis!  Be sure to enter the giveaway at the bottom of the post.

Cabaret meets Cassandra Clare-a haunting magical thriller set in a riveting 1930s-esque world.

Sixteen-year-old Thea Holder's mother is cursed with a spell that's driving her mad, and whenever they touch, Thea is chilled by the magic, too. With no one else to contribute, Thea must make a living for both of them in a sinister city, where danger lurks and greed rules.
Thea spends her nights waitressing at the decadent Telephone Club attending to the glitzy clientele. But when her best friend, Nan, vanishes, Thea is compelled to find her. She meets Freddy, a young, magnetic patron at the club, and he agrees to help her uncover the city's secrets-even while he hides secrets of his own.

Together, they find a whole new side of the city. Unrest is brewing behind closed doors as whispers of a gruesome magic spread. And if they're not careful, the heartless masterminds behind the growing disappearances will be after them, too.

Perfect for fans of Cassandra Clare, this is a chilling thriller with a touch of magic where the dead don't always seem to stay that way.

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Dark Metropolis was one of those books that immediately caught my eye (while I was book stalking on Goodreads of course).  The cover was so provocative and alluring, and then I read the synopsis.  This book sounded new and exciting, and I couldn't wait to get my hands on it.  The 3 things that drew me in,  you ask?

1.) A world with good and bad magic (I love paranormal!)

2.) The Telephone Club--sounds like something right out of the 20s (my favorite decade)

3.) Freddy--magnetic and mysterious with secrets to hide....love!

Jaclyn's world is gritty and spell-binding, and I found myself turning the pages faster and faster.  Just like it's cover, Dark Metropolis is beautiful and haunting.

I love that this book doesn't get weighed down in history.  It has just enough to introduce you to their world and the past that led them to the current underground revolution.  I don't like getting bogged down in the details; I much prefer to get to know the characters more intensely.  As a result, the pacing was well-done.  I didn't find myself bored, double checking when the chapter was going to end.  On the contrary, I didn't want to stop reading--even when I needed to!

I really (I mean really) loved the Telephone Club, and I do wish we could have seen more of what really goes on in dark corners of the club.  It was by far the most interesting setting in the book, and I found myself waiting to get further and further into it's lavishness.

Jaclyn did a good job of switching from one character's setting to the next, but I do wish that there were fewer characters that we had to follow so intensely.  There were times when I felt like there were too many characters that she focused on (not too many to keep up with), and at times it made the book feel disjointed. I wish that somehow the stories could have been told with more connection.

And finally, the romance.  The romance progressed pretty slowly, and I do wish that it would have had more passion.  This world was so well built and so intoxicating that the romance just didn't live up to what was going on everywhere else.  I almost wish this were written as a NA as I think there could have been some amazing romance that really makes you swoon.

Overall, this was a great book and a welcome change from what we see everyday in the YA genre.  I will definitely be reading more of Jaclyn Dolamore!!!

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Cover Reveal: Gone by Michelle Flick

Today we are happy to reveal the cover of Michelle Flick's Gone.  We love Michelle, so go add Gone to your TBR today!!!

Tess Waters’ life is perfect. She has everything she’s ever wanted all wrapped up in her boyfriend Alec. But Alec has a different plan and one day, he’s gone. 

Tess is devastated. She doesn’t remember how to be herself and she doesn’t want to. Her family believes she needs to move on and get over him. It’s easier said than done. Tess doesn’t know where to begin because everywhere she turns, she thinks of Alec. She doesn’t think this heartbreak will ever stop. 

Eventually, Tess finds comfort in places she never realized she had. From there she discovers a person she never knew she could be. 

Find out more about Michelle and GONE here:

My information is @mflick729, https://www.facebook.com/mflick729, and www.flickspicks1.blogspot.com.

Waiting on Wednesday: Compulsion by Martina Boone

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. It spotlights books that have not yet been released, but ones that you should pre-order today! This week's book that we are anxiously awaiting is MORTAL DANGER by Ann Aguirre.  It will be released August 5, 2014 from Feiwel and Friends (Macmillan).

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Three plantations. Two wishes. One ancient curse.

When loss is all you know, how do you find true love?

Beautiful Creatures meets The Body Finder in this spellbinding new trilogy.

All her life, Barrie Watson has been a virtual prisoner in the house where she lived with her shut-in mother. When her mother dies, Barrie promises to put some mileage on her stiletto heels. But she finds a new kind of prison at her aunt’s South Carolina plantation instead--a prison guarded by an ancient spirit who long ago cursed one of the three founding families of Watson Island and gave the others magical gifts that became compulsions.

Stuck with the ghosts of a generations-old feud and hunted by forces she cannot see, Barrie must find a way to break free of the family legacy. With the help of sun-kissed Eight Beaufort, who knows what Barrie wants before she knows herself, the last Watson heir starts to unravel her family's twisted secrets. What she finds is dangerous: a love she never expected, a river that turns to fire at midnight, a gorgeous cousin who isn’t what she seems, and very real enemies who want both Eight and Barrie dead.

“Darkly romantic and steeped in Southern Gothic charm, you’ll be compelled to get lost in the Heirs of Watson Island series.” — #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Jennifer L. Armentrout

"Beautifully written, with vivid characters, a generations-old feud, and romance that leaps off the page, this Southern ghost story left me lingering over every word, and yet wanting to race to the compelling finish. Martina Boone’s COMPULSION is not to be missed." — Megan Shepherd, Author of THE MADMAN’S DAUGHTER

“A shivery, delicious Southern Gothic with feuding families, dark spirits, ancient curses… and caught up in the middle, a young girl learning to live and love for the first time. Atmospheric and suspenseful, Compulsion will draw you in and hold you until the very last page.”
— Leah Cypess, Author of DEATH SWORN

"Ancient spirits, mystery, and Southern charm—what more could you ask for? COMPULSION mixes dark magic with darker family secrets in a way that'll make you relieved there are two more books. I can't wait to continue reading about Barrie and the rest of Watson island!"— Kat Zhang, Author of WHAT'S LEFT OF ME

"Martina Boone's Compulsion is a southern gothic romance, a captivating thriller with the perfect dash of charm. Barrie's story is one of transitions: west to east, present to past, realism to supernatural. Readers of Sarah Reese Brennan's The Lynburn Legacy and Maggie Stiefvater's The Raven Cycle, will appreciate the ambiguity -- real? or not real? -- until suddenly the not real feels very very real." — Sara Hines, Eight Cousins Bookstore

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It's being described as a Southern Gothic Romance--count me in!!!!  Plus, I can never seem to resist a book with a good curse :)

Teaser Tuesday: Mortal Danger by Ann Aguirre

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB over at Should Be Reading!

To participate all you have to do is:

•Grab your current read

•Open to a random page

•Share "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page

•BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)

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"'We'll be okay,' I whispered.  How I wished I believed that.  It felt like I'd fallen down a well rapidly filling with dark water.  As I wrapped my arms around Kian's back, I felt the tremor that ran through him and wondered how long I could hold my breath."  ARC, pg 151

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This is one of those books that I had been waiting on for what felt like forever!!!  So glad I now have it in my hands!!!!

Blog Tour/Giveaway and Character Interview: Of Neptune by Anna Banks + Toraf Interview!!!

Today we have the pleasure of hosting the Blog Tour for Of Neptune by Anna Banks.  We love this series so much, and we were so excited to get to interview Toraf, our favorite comedic merman!

Emma and Galen’s kingdom and their love is threatened by long-lost Syrena in the brilliant conclusion to Anna Banks bestselling trilogy.

Emma, half human and half Syrena, and her Syrena love, Galen, need time together alone. Away from the kingdoms of Poseidon and Triton. Emma’s grandfather, the Poseidon king, suggests the two visit a small town called Neptune.

Neptune is home to both Syrena and Half-Breeds alike. But Emma and Galen didn’t sign up to be peacemakers between the ocean and the land-dwelling, freshwater Syrena. They didn’t bargain for meeting a charming Half-Breed named Reed, who can barely disguise his feelings for Emma. And they especially didn’t expect to find themselves in the middle of a power struggle that threatens not only their love but their ocean kingdoms.

In this stunning conclusion to her bestselling Syrena Legacy, Anna Banks thrills fans with more action and romance than ever

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And now.....let's get to that interview!!!!

1.)  Toraf, we at the YA Sisterhood love your sense of humor.  How has it helped you with a certain mermaid girl (who we are all jealous of)?

Mermaid girl? Oh you mean Rayna. I don’t know. Sometimes she calls me immature and she never laughs at my jokes unless I’m making fun of Galen. Mostly she doesn’t like me. Sometimes she does.

2.)  If you could go anywhere on land, where would you go?

I would go where the real Tartessos used to be so that I can imagine the huge waves that pulled it into the sea. Plus, there’s got to be some keepsakes still hiding under the sand there that Rayna would like for her human treasure collection. Or something valuable Galen could sell for me so I can get one of those car things that he has. When I learn how to drive.

3.) Tell us a secret no one else knows about you. :)

Okay look. I’ve been teaching myself how to drive while Galen’s asleep. I’ve only hit three things so far and one of them wasn’t even alive.

4.) What's your greatest fear?

I always have nightmares that Rayna will unseal us. And there’s this one lionfish that I tormented when I was just a fingerling. I always have dreams that he found me again only he’s bigger and…I don’t want to talk about it anymore.

5.)  Ok, last quick question...to make us swoon.  What's the most romantic thing you've ever done?

One time Rayna was looking for some pretty shells to put on her…on her…I think you call them breasts…She searched for days and days and couldn’t find any that fit quite right and then I found some. I knew they would fit right away because of the way they felt in my hand—uh, they seemed to the perfect shape, I meant. So I brought them to her. She was really surprised at first—she actually didn’t say anything. Then she got mad for some reason and snatched them out of my hand. But I knew she liked them because she wore them the next day. 

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Author Links/Info

• Learn more about Of Poseidon.
• Learn more about Of Triton.
• Learn more about Girls Day Out.
• Join in on social media with #OfNeptune.
• Add Of Neptune to your to-read list on Goodreads.
• See Anna Banks on the Spring 2014 Fierce Reads tour!
• Visit Anna’s website, like her on Facebook, and follow her on Twitter.

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Cover Reveal: Opposition by Jennifer L. Armentrout

I can't believe that the final book in the Lux series is so close to being here!  It's a bittersweet feeling. Whereas, I'm dying to know what's going to happen, I am so sad for it be over.  Katy and Damon have become staples in our lives, and it will be hard to say goodbye!  Good thing is, JLA is basically The Flash when it comes to writing, and I can just go get lost in another of her series.  Thanks Jennifer for giving us Katy and Damon and their wonderful story! Now check out this awesome cover!!!!

Opposition by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Entangled

Releases: August 5th, 2014

Katy knows the world changed the night the Luxen came.

She can't believe Daemon welcomed his race or stood by as his kind threatened to obliterate every last human and hybrid on Earth. But the lines between good and bad have blurred, and love has become an emotion that could destroy her—could destroy them all.

Daemon will do anything to save those he loves, even if it means betrayal.

They must team with an unlikely enemy if there is any chance of surviving the invasion. But when it quickly becomes impossible to tell friend from foe, and the world is crumbling around them, they may lose everything— even what they cherish most—to ensure the survival of their friends…and mankind.

War has come to Earth. And no matter the outcome, the future will never be the same for those left standing.

# 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer Armentrout lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell, Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen.

She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

Where You Can Find Jennifer:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jlarmentrout

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JenniferLArmentrout

Website: http://www.jenniferarmentrout.com/

Entangled website : http://www.entangledpublishing.com/category/jennifer-l-armentrout/

Blog Tour & Excerpt: Don't Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout

It's a bird, it's a plane, no it's Jennifer Armentrout!  Seriously, JLA is better than Superman, Superwoman, Wonder Woman etc.  It's just not possible for her to be human with the amount of writing she does and how magnificent it all is!  I refuse to believe she is 100% human!  She has to be something more!  And, once again we are here to gush over a new book that is coming out!  This time it is:

About The Book
By: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Published by: Disney Hyperion
To Be Released on: April 15th, 2014
Pre-Order from: Amazon | Barnes and Noble
Add it to Goodreads

Samantha is a stranger in her own life. Until the night she disappeared with her best friend, Cassie, everyone said Sam had it all-popularity, wealth, and a dream boyfriend.

Sam has resurfaced, but she has no recollection of who she was or what happened to her that night. As she tries to piece together her life from before, she realizes it’s one she no longer wants any part of. The old Sam took “mean girl” to a whole new level, and it’s clear she and Cassie were more like best enemies. Sam is pretty sure that losing her memories is like winning the lottery. She’s getting a second chance at being a better daughter, sister, and friend, and she’s falling hard for Carson Ortiz, a boy who has always looked out for her-even if the old Sam treated him like trash.

But Cassie is still missing, and the facts about what happened to her that night isn’t just buried deep inside of Sam’s memory-someone else knows, someone who wants to make sure Sam stays quiet. All Sam wants is the truth, and if she can unlock her clouded memories of that fateful night, she can finally move on. But what if not remembering is the only thing keeping Sam alive?

About The Author

# 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV.

She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

Follow Jennifer via:  Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook 

About the Giveaway
Thank you to Disney Hyperion, each site has 1 copy of Don't Look Back to giveaway. To enter today's giveaway, please fill out the form below. 

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The Tour
Don't by tomorrow's stop to read the next excerpt! Follow the tour here.

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EXCERPT

Chapter 1  

I didn’t recognize the name on the street sign. Nothing about the rural road looked familiar or 

friendly. Tall, imposing trees and overgrown weeds choked the front of the dilapidated home. 

Windows were boarded up. There was a gaping hole where the front door had been. I shivered, 

wanting to be far away from here…wherever here was. 

Walking felt harder than it should be, and I stumbled off the chilly asphalt, wincing as 

sharp gravel dug into my feet. 

My bare feet? 

I stopped and looked down. Chipped pink nail polish peeked through the dirt…and blood. 

Mud caked the legs of my pants, leaving the hems stiff. It made sense, seeing as how I wasn’t 

wearing any shoes, but the blood…I didn’t understand why there was blood staining the knees of 

my jeans. 

My vision clouded and dulled, as if a gray film had been dropped over my eyes. As I 

stared at the weathered asphalt under my feet, large and smooth rocks replaced the tiny stones. 

Something dark and oily seeped over the rocks, slipping through the cracks. 

Sucking in a sharp gasp, I blinked and the image was gone. 

Hands trembling, I raised them. They were also covered with dirt and scratches. My nails 

were broken, bloodied. A silver ring wrapped, encased in soil, around my thumb. Air froze in my 

chest as my gaze crawled over my arms. The sleeves of my sweater were torn, revealing pale 

flesh covered in bruises and gashes. My legs started to shake as I swayed forward. I tried to 

remember how this had happened, but my head was empty—a black void where nothing existed. 

A car drove by, coasting to a stop a few feet in front of me. Somewhere in the trenches of 

my subconscious, I recognized the flashing red and blue lights as a source of safety. Elegantly 

scrawled along the black-and-gray side of the cruiser were the words ADAMS COUNTY SHERIFF’S 

DEPARTMENT. 

Adams County? A flash of familiarity came and went. 

The driver’s door opened, and a deputy stepped out. He said something into the radio on 

his shoulder before he looked at me. 

Steadfast by Claudia Gray Blog Tour and Giveaway: Steadfast Soundtrack

STEADFAST

Author: Claudia Gray

Release Date: March 4, 2014

Pages: 352

Publisher: HarperTeen

Goodreads/Amazon/Barnes & Noble

The second book in the dazzling Spellcaster series from New York Times bestselling author Claudia Gray is perfect for fans of the Beautiful Creatures and Hex Hall series.

Nadia, Mateo, and Verlaine saved Captive's Sound from the dark sorceress Elizabeth . . . or so they thought. But despite their best efforts, a crack opened and a new, greater evil seeped through. With Mateo as her Steadfast, Nadia's magic is magnified but her training is still incomplete. And a darker magic has begun to call Nadia. . . .

With her Steadfast, Mateo, and her best friend, Verlaine, Nadia must fight the black magic that tempts her and stop the One Beneath before he comes to claim what is his.

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STEADFAST Soundtrack

I love putting together soundtracks for my movies. Usually, when I write a series, I carry over a few songs throughout the soundtracks for each book – the big themes, you’d say. (Also, some instrumental music from movie scores always plays a part; it really helps set a mood. That said, the movie scores I’ve written the SPELLCASTER series to were for Danny Elfman’s score for “Alice in Wonderland” and … Daft Punk’s score for “Tron: Legacy.” No, I can’t explain that last one.)

Even with continuing music through all the series soundtracks, I always find some unique songs for each book. Here’s what I listened to while writing STEADFAST:

“White Diamonds,” by Friendly Fires

This is one that makes me think of Verlaine and spoiler spoiler I can’t tell you! during their last scene together in STEADFAST, which takes place during the first snow of wintertime in Captive’s Sound.

Stuck in a world that would pull them apart, and it cost in time

If only they knew that ahead loomed a cloud that was black as night

She'd do anything for him

She'd do anything for him

Oh they were strong, they could take on the world and put up a fight

And even the clouds couldn't stand in the way when they held on tight

He'd do anything for her

He'd do anything for her

“Velvet,” by The Big Pink

Mateo, the main male character in the story, is cursed with visions of the future. While they allow him to foresee some of the dangers they face – and are the reason he found Nadia in the first place – they also exact a painful price.  He and Nadia have some conflict in this book, which makes these lyrics ring very true for him.

She's the only one, lost the best I had


I found her in a dream, looking for me


This heart's on fire, I'll bring myself


Up to fall, and down again

“Red Right Hand,” by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

Of course this is a classic! But when your villain has actually been seduced by the Lord of Hell, only a song as great as this will do.

He'll wrap you in his arms,

tell you that you've been a good boy

He'll rekindle all the dreams

it took you a lifetime to destroy

He'll reach deep into the hole,

heal your shrinking soul

Hey buddy, you know you're

never ever coming back

He's a god, he's a man,

he's a ghost, he's a guru

They're whispering his name

through this disappearing land

But hidden in his coat

is a red right hand

“Fire From Heaven,” by Sleepthief and Roberta Carter Harrison

A friend of mine, after hearing this song, said it sounded more like Katniss Everdeen than Nadia Caldani … and since then I can’t unhear it. Still, I think this song works for any heroine who’s realized the deck is stacked against her, and plans to strike back.

Somebody's stolen fire from heaven

Maybe the skies have been broken

Somebody's taken fire from heaven

How could we be so forsaken?

“Through Glass,” by Stone Sour

The lyrics of this song refer to romantic disillusionment, I think. For me, though, they come from the demon Asa, who spends a lot of STEADFAST watching our heroes, and learning all their weaknesses, one by one. 

'Cause I'm looking at you through the glass

Don't know how much time has passed

All I know is that it feels like forever

But no one ever tells you that forever feels like home

Sitting all alone inside your head

“Many Shades of Black,” the Raconteurs

Yet again I repurpose a breakup song. As you might remember from SPELLCASTER, Mateo believed he’d had a long friendship with Elizabeth Pike – which turned out to be an illusion she’d planted inside his head. Mateo’s figured out the truth now, but that doesn’t mean he’s forgiven Elizabeth.

Yeah, see if I care


And see if I stand firm or if I fall


'Cause in the back of my mind


And on the tip of my tongue


Is the answer to it all

And everybody sees


And everyone agrees


That you and I are wrong


And it's been that way too long

“Break My Soul,” by Hybrid

Verlaine is probably the single most outcast person in Captive’s Sound. All her life, she’s tried to tell herself that it’s the people around her that have the problem – that someday she’ll find friendship and love. Then, in SPELLCASTER, Verlaine learned that dark magic was responsible for setting her apart from people, maybe forever. This song captures both the loneliness she feels and her determination to keep going.

I'm not drowning in your sea

Believing in you will not be the death of me

Not waiting for the curtain drop

Or waiting for the hurt to stop

Not drowning in a teardrop for your love

“Help I’m Alive,” by Metric

Sure, there’s romance in STEADFAST – but the characters deal with a lot of deeply scary stuff. This song captures the constant tension of living in Captive’s Sound when you actually know what’s going on.

I tremble, they're gonna eat me alive

If I stumble they're gonna eat me alive

Can you hear my heart beating like a hammer?

Beating like a hammer

“Harbor,” by Vienna Teng

Despite everything they go through, Nadia and Mateo’s love remains powerful. So they deserve a beautiful love song.

Fear is the brightest of signs

The shape of boundary you leave behind

So sing all your questions to sleep

The answers are out there in the drowning deep

Sail your sea, meet your storm

All I want is to be your harbor

The light in me will guide you home

All I want is to be your harbor

You’ve got a journey to make

There’s your horizon to chase

So go far beyond where we stand

No matter the distance, I’m holding your hand

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Tour Schedule

Week One:

2/24/2014- Fiktshun- Guest Post   

 2/25/2014- Two Chicks on Books- Guest Post          

2/26/2014- Fantasy Book Addict- Interview

2/27/2014- Magical Urban Fantasy Reads- Character interview with Verlaine

2/28/2014- Jenna Does Books- Author interview

Week Two:

3/3/2014- Mundie Moms- Review and an excerpt

3/4/2014- Parajunkee- Interview

3/5/2014- Bookalicious- Guest Post         

3/6/2014- Tales of a Ravenous Reader- Guest Post

3/7/2014- YA Sisterhood- Guest Post     

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