SHE IS NOT INVISIBLE Blog Tour: Guest Post

Today I am excited to be a part of the She Is Not Invisible blog tour, a book which I loved and highly recommend to readers looking for something thought-provoking and unique. Author of She Is Not Invisible, Marcus Segdwick, has written an amazing guest post about the title of the novel, his own life experiences that relate to the novel, and how those who are blind, like Laureth, have nothing but personalities to base others off of; they don't care about a person's appearance, but only who you are, and that was something I really loved about She Is Not Invisible. Below you will find information about the novel, and then after the jump, Marcus' guest post and a chance to win a copy of She Is Not Invisible, which the publisher was generous enough to provide. Enjoy! 

Laureth Peak's father has taught her to look for recurring events, patterns, and numbers--a skill at which she's remarkably talented. Her secret: She is blind. But when her father goes missing, Laureth and her 7-year-old brother Benjamin are thrust into a mystery that takes them to New York City where surviving will take all her skill at spotting the amazing, shocking, and sometimes dangerous connections in a world full of darkness. She Is Not Invisible is an intricate puzzle of a novel that sheds a light on the delicate ties that bind people to each other. 

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

Finding Swoons in Books: Sharon Biggs Waller

Happy Valentine's Day! Whether you're forcing your significant other to inundate you with chocolate or choose to hang with friends and that same chocolate, I'm sure every one of us has it in them to make this at least an okay day. Because chocolate. Speaking of happy places, from creepy but not too creepy romance to romantic spots in the C of A, it has been quite the eventful week over here at Finding Swoons in Books, a.k.a. the aforementioned happy place in case you didn't catch that. Now, for our final day of guest posts, we have Sharon Biggs Waller, author of the severely underhyped A Mad, Wicked Folly, here with us to talk a little about love in an Edwardian place. So give it up for Sharon, Vicky and chocolate! Always chocolate.

 

Finding Swoons in Books: Claire LaZebnik

Finding Swoons in Books is slowly coming to a close, but we're not there yet. Today's post is by Claire LaZebnik, author of last year's The Trouble with Flirting and the upcoming The Last Best Kiss. Mel recently read and really enjoyed The Last Best Kiss, and thought the romance was really cute; so, today, Claire is sharing how her main characters in The Last Best Kiss would spend their Valentine's Day together, and, mostly, what they would give each other to celebrate! If you're just tuning in right now, all the Finding Swoons posts are right here.

 

Finding Swoons in Books: Paula Stokes

The thing with Valentine's day shoving all kinds of couply lovey-dovey things in your face is that some have resorted to calling it Single Awareness Day. It's a bit morose, but I can kind of see that. As a person who's been a single lady for most of her life - and I'm being quite serious about this. Put my dating life on a pie chart and you'll have this very small sliver that says "possibly not single" - I am thrilled to announce that Finding Swoons is catering to the fun-loving single crowd today. (Not that couples don't love fun. I mean, Blythe and horse masks. Just saying.) Stopping by today is Paula Stokes, the fantabulous author of the equally fantabulous contemporary romance The Art of Lainey. Her characters Lainey and Bianca - a.k.a. 2014's hottest galmance - are here to talk about 10 ways to have fun with friends on V-Day. Let us know if you agree, if you're totally ditching you romantic type person thingy now or if you have your own suggestions!

Finding Swoons in Books: Rachael Allen

At first, there was Rosamund Hodge and the gift of Ignifex. I hope you were grateful because HOT DAMN. Then came the second day, and it brought Elizabeth Fama, and the secret to the mega-intensity of the romance in her upcoming novel Plus One. The third day, we went to find swoons with Alyssa Scheinmel, who thought these five places in The North (of California, where winter is never coming) were ideal for that sort of thing. Then came day four, which introduced us to the brilliant mind of Dahlia Adler, as she showed us around the parameters of healthy and badass romance. She called Ellis brave, so obviously everything Dahlia says is truth. And here we are. Finding Swoons  - Day Five. Let's all channel our inner Effie Trinket and Welcome! Welcome! Rachael Allen, who clues us in on what she thinks the best 17 movie kisses are. Let us know what your Top 17 Kisses are, whether it's movie-, book-, or life-related.

 

Finding Swoons in Books: Dahlia Adler

Day four! Today we have Dahlia Adler, author of the upcoming Behind the Scenes, and she is awesome and a good friend of mine. She's one of the people I come to when I look for contemporary romance (and NA) recommendations, and she'll be putting her recommending skills to use in today's post; in this post, she'll be discussing her favorite types of romances and romance-related tropes in YA, and shares some recommendations for each romance type and trope. Let us know if you've read any of her recommendations, and any other types of romance and romance tropes you like best!

 

Finding Swoons in Books: Alyssa Sheinmel

Welcome back to day three of Finding Swoons in Books! If you're just now catching up, yesterday Elizabeth Fama wrote about her upcoming novel, Plus One, as well as her writing process while creating the romance. Also, The Princess Bride. Yeah. Then, to kickstart the event, Rosamund Hodge wrote about the romance in her amazing debut, Cruel Beauty, and how she tried to make it creepy, but at the same time not too creepy. And now today, Alyssa Sheinmel is writing about the top five places in California (where her upcoming novel, Second Star, takes place) her MC, Wendy Darling (I know, right?) thinks are romantic. Enjoy! And if you live in California, let us know what your top five romantic places are, or if you agree with any of Wendy Darling's picks!

Finding Swoons in Books: Elizabeth Fama

Hey, everyone! Today as part of Finding Swoons in Books, Elizabeth Fama, author of the fantastic Monstrous Beauty and upcoming Plus One shares a bit about her writing process for the romance in Plus One and just Plus One in general. Enjoy!

 

Finding Swoons in Books: Rosamund Hodge

As most of you probably know, Mel and I are huge fans of Cruel Beauty (which Ellis hasn't read yet, so you could, you know, go after her with pitchforks later). It's seriously one of my favorite books of all time, and it has one of my favorite romances of all time as well. And today's kick-off post by Cruel Beauty author Rosamund Hodge explains exactly why: it's creepy, but not "too creepy," and it's realistic and Ignifex is complex and fantastic and ah, I could go on for hours. 

But this is Rosamund's post; so now, find out how Rosamund Hodge managed to make her romance in Cruel Beauty creepy but not too creepy!

 

VITRO Blog Tour: "Vitros Unveiled" Guest Post

Vitro
Jessica Khoury
Series: Vitro (Companion)
Publisher: Razorbill
Buy: Amazon / Book Depository

You can read my review here!

 

When Sophie is summoned by her long-absent mother, a scientist who works in a classified lab, Sophie throws caution to the wind and heads to the South Pacific. She sweet-talks her way onto a tiny supply plane piloted by Jim Julien, who lives on Guam with his alcoholic father. Jim is captivated by Sophie and against his better judgement agrees to take Sophie to the secretive and tropical Skin Island where her mom has been working for so many years.

There Sophie and Jim are met not by her mother but instead by Nicholas, a handsome, brilliant boy who leads them to Lux--a girl who looks exactly like Sophie. Lux is Sophie's genetic twin and was bred using in vitro fertilization. But why? And just what have the scientists created Lux to be capable of?

With lyrical writing and ever-increasing tension, Jessica Khoury draws out the explosive answers in her much-anticipated followup to Origin.

Welcome to the VITRO blog tour! Jessica Khoury, the talented author of Origin, is back with a death-defying tropical adventure. Follow along over the next two weeks as Jessica takes readers behind the scenes of her latest novel.

VITROS UNVEILED

Finding Fright in Books: Melissa Walker's Perfect Halloween

Hi, everyone! Today on the blog we have Melissa Walker, author of the upcoming Ashes to Ashes, who is sharing both her perfect Halloween, and the perfect Halloween for her main character's best friend in Ashes to Ashes! Check out Melissa's video response to the topic below, and make sure to tell us what your perfect Halloween is! 

 

Thanks for stopping by, Melissa! You can also find Melissa on her website, her blog, and on twitter!

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Finding Fright in Books : Michelle Krys' Favorite Witches

Hexed

Michelle Krys

Series: The Witch Hunter, #1

Released: June 10th, 2014

Publisher: Delacorte Press

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 it’s when a frustratingly sexy stranger named Bishop enters Indie’s world that 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.

In honor of Halloween and my debut novel HEXED (which, spoiler alert, is about witches), I’ve compiled a list of *some of my favorite pop culture witches.

*The list originally included movie, TV, and book witches, but it ended up being 15 + pages long, so now it’s just movie and TV show witches. Even though I’m an author—don’t judge.

*I haven’t included Hermione on this list. I mean, she’s everyone’s favorite witch, right? No one needs me to explain why.

*Ok I’ll start the list now.

Of Beast and Beauty Blog Tour Stop: Guest Post

I'm really glad and excited to be taking part in Rockstar Book Tours' blog tour for Stacey Jay's Of Beast and Beauty. I am currently reading Of Beast and Beauty and it is absolutely original and gorgeous so far, and the world (which is on an alien planet) is so interesting and captivating. In fact, I found the world in the novel to be so interesting and captivating, that for the guest post I asked Stacey Jay what her inspiration was for writing her Beauty and the Beast retelling on an alien planet. Check out what Stacey has to say after some information for Of Beast and Beauty!

Of Beast and Beauty

Stacey Jay

Series: None

Release: July 23rd, 2013

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Purchase: Amazon | BD | B&N

In the domed city of Yuan, the blind Princess Isra, a Smooth Skin, is raised to be a human sacrifice whose death will ensure her city’s vitality. In the desert outside Yuan, Gem, a mutant beast, fights to save his people, the Monstrous, from starvation. Neither dreams that together, they could return balance to both their worlds.

Isra wants to help the city’s Banished people, second-class citizens despised for possessing Monstrous traits. But after she enlists the aid of her prisoner, Gem, who has been captured while trying to steal Yuan’s enchanted roses, she begins to care for him, and to question everything she has been brought up to believe.

As secrets are revealed and Isra’s sight, which vanished during her childhood, returned, Isra will have to choose between duty to her people and the beast she has come to love.

Blogoversary Day 2: Josin McQuein

Hey! Welcome back to my Blogoversary Celebration! Thanks for coming back. :) Today I am thrilled to feature author Josin McQuein, who has an amazing guest post for us on the thought process of the spine-tingling creatures, the Fades, from her debut novel ARCLIGHT! I've had the pleasure to read both Josin's ARCLIGHT and her novel releasing in October, PREMEDITATED, and I enjoyed them both immensely, and I can't wait for the rest of the world to have to opportunity to read both novels. But until then, without further ado, Josin McQuein's awesome and creepy guest post on her thought process for the Fades!

Fighting to Survive Book Blitz: Guest Post

Today on the blog I'm taking part in the Book Blitz for Fighting To Survive by Rhiannon Frater, book two in the As the World Dies trilogy! I myself haven't read any books in this trilogy, or any books by this author, but I've heard awesome things about this author's work. Below, after the book information, I have an amazing guest post for you all by Rhiannon Frater, which I hope you enjoy! (Psst, there's also a giveaway!)

Fighting to Survive
Rhiannon Frater
Series: As the World Dies, #2
Release Date: January 29th, 2013
Publisher: Tor Books

It’s time to clear the hotel.

The fort has grown crowded as survivors of the zombie apocalypse have found safety between its walls.  Winter is coming; soon it will be too cold to live in tents and other makeshift shelters.  The leaders of the survivors—Katie, Jenni, Juan, Travis, and Nerit—decide it’s time for an assault on the zombie-occupied hotel that looms over the town square.

A pitched battle in the banquet room is the start of a harrowing, room-by-room struggle from Reception to roof.  As the sun sets, the people of Ashley Oaks gather in the hotel’s rooftop ballroom and gazebo to celebrate their survival.  Gazing out over the beauty of the surrounding Texas countryside, it’s hard to believe that death and danger lurk around every corner.

The fort’s search and rescue teams have attracted unwanted attention from bandits who see the fort as competition for food . . . and as a ready source of women.  The first attacks are minor, but everyone knows there is worse to come.

And beyond the fort’s walls, the zombies shamble, moaning, eyes fastened hungrily upon the living.

Guest Post by Helen Keeble + Giveaway!

Today on the blog I am so happy to have a hilarious guest post on The Three Things Vampires Don't Want You To Know by Helen Keeble, author of Fang Girl, as part of the Fang Girl Promo Blitz hosted by the fabulous Giselle at Xpresso Book Tours. Below you will find some information about Keeble's novel, Fang Girl, as well as her awesome guest post and an equally as awesome giveaway! 

Fang Girl
Helen Keeble
Series: None
Release Date: September 11th, 2012
Publisher: HarperTeen
Purchase: Amazon|B&N|Book Depository

Things That Are Destroying Jane Greene’s Undead Social Life Before It Can Even Begin:

1) A twelve-year-old brother who’s convinced she’s a zombie.
2) Parents who are begging her to turn them into vampires.
3) The pet goldfish she accidentally turns instead.
4) Weird superpowers that let her rip the heads off of every other vampire she meets.(Sounds cool, but it doesn’t win you many friends.)
5) A pyschotic vampire creator who’s using her to carry out a plan for world domination.

And finally:
6) A seriously ripped vampire hunter who either wants to stake her or make out with her. Not sure which.

Being an undead, eternally pasty fifteen-year-old isn’t quite the sexy, brooding, angst-fest Jane always imagined....

Helen Keeble’s riotous debut novel combines the humor of Vladimir Tod with Ally Carter’s spot-on teen voice. With a one-of-a-kind vampire mythology and an irresistibly relatable undead heroine, this uproarious page-turner will leave readers bloodthirsty for more.