Tour Excerpt & Giveaway: Dark Days by Kate Ormand

Dark Days
by Kate Ormand
Publisher: Sky Pony Press
Release Date: June 3rd 2014

Synopsis:
The future world has been divided into sectors--each the same as the other. Surrounded by thick steel fences, there is no way in and no way out. Yet a cyborg army penetrates each sector, picking off its citizens one by one, until no one is left. Behind the sectors' thick walls, the citizens wait to die. Few will be chosen to survive what's coming; the rest will be left behind to suffer. A new world has been created, and its rulers are incredibly selective on who will become a citizen. They want only those with important roles in society to help create a more perfect future.

Sixteen-year-old Sia lives in one of the sectors as part of a family that is far too ordinary to be picked to live. According to the digital clock that towers high above her sector, she has only fifteen days to live. Sia has seen the reports and knows a horrific death is in store for her, but she is determined to make the most of her final days. Sia refuses to mourn her short life, instead promising herself that she'll stay strong, despite being suffocated by her depressed mother and her frightened best friend. Just when Sia feels more alone than ever, she meets Mace, a mysterious boy. There is something that draws Sia to him, despite his dangerousness, and together, they join a group of rebels and embark on an epic journey to destroy the new world and its machines, and to put an end to the slaughter of innocent people.

BOOK LINKS:
Goodreads | Amazon Paperback | Kindle | BN | iTunes | Bookdepository | Kobo

Excerpt
I turn to leave the room, but the images on the screen stop me. It’s not the usual destroyed sectors airing.
It’s the New World.
I don’t want to see it. Inside, I’m screaming at myself to look away, but I can’t. I’ve seen it before, but this time is different. The recording is showing people arriving in the city, ready to start their new lives.
Damien Hoist, the creator of the New World, waits to greet them and smiles for the cameras. I’ve seen this man’s face once before, and I avoid seeing it again. He is responsible for all of this. I know there are others to blame now, too, but Damien Hoist started it. The very idea for the New World spilled from his lips.
The new citizens step out of the aircraft. It’s a family of three—a mother, father, and a teenage girl.
Just like my family.
Except they can’t be. They must have something special about them—something we lack—to be chosen when we are not. I wonder what they’ve done to earn their place.

About the Author
KATE ORMAND is a YA writer represented by Isabel Atherton at Creative Authors Ltd. She lives in the UK with her family, her partner, and a cocker spaniel called Freddie. She recently graduated from university with a first class BA (Hons) degree in Fine Art Painting. It was during this course that Kate discovered her love of reading YA books, prompting her to try a new creative angle and experiment with writing. Kate is also a member of an online group of published writers and illustrators called Author Allsorts. And she writes children’s picture books under the name Kate Louise. 
You can see more about Kate and her writing by visiting her website (www.kateormand.wordpress.com) or on Twitter (@kateormand).
AUTHOR LINKS:
Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram

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Blitz & Giveaway: Fan Art by Sarah Tregay @sarahtregay @harperteen

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

An Excerpt from Fan Art, by Sarah Tregay:

Chapter Six

¬

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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Review & Giveaway: Dark Metropolis by Jaclyn Dolamore

Author: Jaclyn Dolamore
Title: Dark Metropolis
Series: Dark Metropolis #1
Publication: June 17, 2014
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Source: Publisher via Netgalley

About the Book
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.

Thea had to drop out of school to work and care for her mother. He mother is getting worse and she's trying hard to keep her out of the governments clutches but one day she slips up and her world begins to change. She meets this strange boy, Freddy, who is a mystery and she senses something about him. He's drawn to her as well and as she continues to uncover what's really going on in her city, she realizing that something is different about him. Freddy has a secret of his own that will shake them both especially when he learns the truth about himself and why his life isn't truly his own. As they get closer to revealing everything, they will find themselves wrapped in a conspiracy even more horrid than they could ever imagine. I think this is an interesting story and  the pace was steady. I liked the characters but Nan was my favorite, she's so mysterious and I found her story line intriguing. Overall, anyone interested in zombies or necromancy may find this a good light read. 

Excerpt
"Mother, please, it's shining right on my face...." Mother stood at the open window, watching the birds. She liked the birds, she always had, and when Thea was a little girl Mother used to take her bird watching. They would stay with Mother's old friends in the country for two weeks during summer and hike in the woods. "There is a waxwing," she might say in a whisper-voice near Thea's ear while pointing.

Now Thea didn't even like Mother to put an arm around her. Her bound-sickness would bleed out, and Thea would know what her mother was thinking-always, always about Father: Where is he? I can still feel him. He can't be dead. But why can't I find him? On and on.

But Father was dead. He had to be dead. Surely he would have found them by now if he were alive, even if he had to fight his way out of a foreign prison or overcome amnesia or any of the other scenarios she'd envisioned. The binding spell would call him home. 

About the Author
Jaclyn Dolamore was homeschooled in a hippie sort of way and spent her childhood reading as many books as her skinny nerd-body could lug from the library and playing elaborate pretend games with her sister Kate. She skipped college and spent eight years drudging through retail jobs, developing her thrifty cooking skills and pursuing a lifelong writing dream. She has a passion for history, thrift stores, vintage dresses, David Bowie, drawing, and organic food. She lives with her partner and plot-sounding-board, Dade, and two black tabbies who have ruined her carpeting.
WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK

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Reveal & Giveaway: What's Left of Us by Amanda Maxlyn

Amanda Maxlyn and Bandit Publishing are excited to share with you the beautiful cover for Amanda Maxlyn's "What's Left of Us", the heartwarming conclusion to What's Left of Me. Make sure to join the FB Release Event, add to your Goodreads, and enter the GIVEAWAY for a $25 Amazon Gift Card below!

Expected Release: Summer 2014

Book Title: What’s Left of Us

Author: Amanda Maxlyn

Cover Designer: Mae I Design and Photography

The heartwarming conclusion to What's Left of Me.
Love found me three years ago.
I’m cancer free, happily married to the love of my life, and working toward my dream career.
Our life is complete. Perfect, really.
Or is it?
I’ve always wanted a family of my own, but never dreamed I could have one. Now Parker’s ready to make my dream our reality.
But sometimes our dreams are haunted by our deepest fears. Fears of failure, having a child, and in our case … death. How do I help the person I love get over his fear when I’m still trying to overcome that same fear myself?
Together we must learn What’s Left of Us.

Life works in mysterious ways.Four years ago I became known as the girl with cancer.I refuse to cry.And I refuse to give in.A relationship with a man is the last thing I’m looking for right now, but one night with Parker changes everything. He is persistent, and he knows what he wants. Me.He doesn’t treat me like I’m fragile.But he doesn’t know, and I’m not ready to tell him.What if it changes everything?Tragedy found me when I was seventeen.Love found me when I was twenty-one.My name is Aundrea McCall, and this is my journey.

About the Author
I am the mother of two little boys, married to the love of my life, and living in one of the smallest towns in Minnesota. When I’m not chasing or cleaning up after my boys (yes, all three), I can be found writing or snuggled up with my kindle, a glass of wine, and spending time with my fictional friends and family.
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Reveal & Giveaway: A Beauty So Beastly by RaShelle Workman

Genre: Fractured Fairy Tale

Book 1 in the Beastly Series

Release date: July 3, 2014

About A BEAUTY SO BEASTLY: 
“For your vanity, your cruelty, and your cold unfeeling heart, a curse I leave upon you . . .”

What happens if the beauty is also the beast?

The stunning Beatrice Cavanaugh is considered American royalty. She has everything except the ability to love. Cursed on her eighteenth birthday, she becomes more beastly than ever, having a newfound craving for raw meat, and an undeniable yearning for the night. Bitterness is her only companion.

After accusing a maid of stealing, a disgustingly kind and exquisitely handsome guy named Adam shows up asking Beatrice to drop the charges against his mother.

Infuriated by his goodness, Beatrice vows to break him. Destroy him. Make him hurt the way she hurts. So she agrees. On one condition: Adam must take his mother’s place as a servant in the mansion. 

Because Beatrice won’t stop until he’s more beastly than she is.

Buy Links:

Amazon

Special Note: A BEAUTY SO BEASLTY will be available for 99 cents until its release date on July 3rd! Then it'll go up to $2.99. So pre-order now!

About the Author
RaShelle Workman is an international bestselling author. She writes fractured fairytales with bite and young adult science fiction that's out of this world. RaShelle likes cherry pie, movies, family adventures, and chocolate. If you want to get on her good side, send chocolate. RaShelle's sold more than 500,000 copies of her books worldwide. Sleeping Roses, Exiled, Beguiled, and Dovetailed have foreign rights contracts with a Turkish publisher. 
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Her books include:

Sleeping Roses

Exiled
Beguiled
Dovetailed
Blood and Snow (1-12)

The Cindy Chronicles

Vampire Lies (Blood and Snow Season 2)

Short stories:

Rose, Undercover

Cindy Witch

The Hunter's Tale

Gabriel
After the Kiss
Zaren's Travels

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