Thursday, 31 March 2016

Cover Reveal: Polaris by Beth Bowland with Giveaway #tantrumbooks

TantrumBooksComingSoonBanner

 

Welcome to the cover reveal for

Polaris by Beth Bowland

presented by Tantrum Books!

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

Be on the look out for this fun upcoming MG title from Tantrum Books!

 

Polaris_1800x2700

 

Bixie, Montana is in the middle of nowhere, not connected to any place, and not needed to get to any destination. But one snowy evening, a lone visitor walking down an old country road changes thirteen-year-old Aaron Martin’s life forever. Aaron thinks he’s being a Good Samaritan by inviting the nearly-frozen visitor into his home, but he’s unwittingly initiated “The Game.”

A group of Elders, known as the Council of the Legend, come together from time to time to enjoy a rousing event they playfully call “The Game.” Now, Aaron’s town is the playing board and he and his fellow townspeople are the players. The rules are simple. Win. Because if Aaron loses, he won’t just lose his family. He’ll lose his very identity.

add to goodreads

Polaris by Beth Bowland Publication Date: August 16, 2016 Publisher: Tantrum Books

Available for Pre-Order: Google Play | BAM | Chapters | Amazon | B&N | Kobo | TBD | iBooks

About-the-Author2

Beth Bowland

Beth Bowland, a native Ohioan, has always enjoyed reading and creating stories of her own. As a child she devoured every book she could get her hands on and spent numerous hours at the library each week. She loves writing stories for tweens and young teens and her characters are often described as quirky and fun, but always relatable. When she’s not writing, she loves watching HGTV. She has one daughter and resides in Arlington, Texas with her husband, Phillip.

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

 

giveaway2

Complete the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Chapter-by-Chapter-blog-tour-button

Wednesday, 30 March 2016

YA Scavenger Hunt Spring 2016 is LIVE!


YA Scavenger Hunt is Live!
Don't miss out!!

March 29th – April 3rd, 2016
It’s the YA Scavenger Hunt Spring 2016!

Ah!! It's here and I'm on TEAM TEAL.
Start this leg of the Scavenger Hunt from my website:

GO TEAM TEAL!


Tuesday, 29 March 2016

How I Got My Publisher by A.C. Land, Author of A SHOT OF BOURBON

Today, I have the pleasure of hosting a blog tour stop for BookFish Books' latest young adult contemporary novel, A Shot of Bourbon by A.C. Land! Stay tuned at the end of the post for an amazing iPad giveaway!

About A Shot of Bourbon



TitleA Shot of Bourbon (Bourbon Series, Book 1)
Author: A.C. Land
Genre: Young Adult
ReleasedMarch 29, 2016
PublisherBookFish Books

In the little highway town of Bourbon, Missouri, deadly secrets lurk behind Southern charm. 

Seventeen year old Charli Valentine didn’t expect to spend the last few weeks of summer break nursing a broken heart, icing a black eye, and watching her ex kiss another girl. Since being a good girl has gotten her nothing but heartache, Charli decides to give rebellion a try. She pigs out, drinks, and hangs with Luke Parker, the son of the infamous Bourbon Butcher. 

But there’s more to Luke than meets the eye. His tough exterior and terrible dialect hide a good person despite his bad boy reputation. No matter how hard he tries to fight it, Luke is drawn to Charli’s innocence and finds her clumsiness too charming to resist. Though they’re from opposite sides of the tracks, neither can resist the magnetism drawing them together. 

When Charli discovers a box in her mother’s closet, she pieces together the truth about Bourbon’s past and uncovers a deadly secret about her family. And once Luke learns of it, he vows to protect Charli no matter the cost. 

A photo from the real Bourbon, Missouri
Photo Credit: BGI Photography

Teaser




How I got my publisher


First of all, thank you so much for hosting A Shot of Bourbon. This is my debut novel so this is my first blog tour and this has been an insane experience. I cannot tell you how awed I am at the bloggers who have taken the time to look at my book. You all are such a hard worker, organized group of people.

The question of how I got my publisher is a bit long winded. First of all, I didn’t go about the process of writing A Shot of Bourbon the way a normal person writes a book (I guess that means I’m not normal—go figure). I’d written other books, and had absolutely no luck with agents so I decided I was going to stop trying pretty much. I wrote A Shot of Bourbon because even though I was done trying to be published I couldn’t just stop writing.

As you may, or may not know, A Shot of Bourbon is a series (the Bourbon Series). I wrote it out of order. The second book in the series (A Double Shot) was actually the first book I ever had a full rough draft on. Then the third book (A Flaming Shot). From there I’m not exactly sure who’s book came next or in what order. I had about seven rough drafts all laid out and I loved all of them equally, and none of characters would leave me alone. I think the one that I decided to write and polish was the first standalone (Straight Bourbon) from there I wrote all of the standalone books. Then I wrote the series (All three Shot books). To me, the story has always been the same so it didn’t really matter what order I wrote it in.

Then the tricky part. I had seven fully completed books—the three shot books; four standalone books.

Anyone who has ever pitched an agent or publisher knows you cannot pitch a series like that. I decided that I didn’t want to pitch agents because I thought that I’d spent enough time writing the series, I was just going to self-publish A Shot of Bourbon and then go from there.

I’m not sure if it’s kismet or fate, but I was actually researching self-publishing when I stumbled on MSWL and I saw BookFish Books Twitter feed. I actually had a very inactive twitter account at the time, but I perused through BookFish’s feed and noticed the things they were looking for seemed to fit not just my first Shot book, but almost every book in my series. I typed out—looking back, a very poor—query and just sent it. I didn’t even question myself or let self-doubt sink in. In the back of my head I said that if they rejected I’d have the first book edited and I’d make a cover and self-publish. That would be it.

The day I sent them the query and first few chapters, I called my mom and told her I’d sent out another query. I’ll never forget it because she said, “Another one, I thought you were done with all of that.”

It wasn’t a day later they wanted the full manuscript.

I researched them and learned there was basically no information about them which was pretty disheartening. So I sent out my book to other publishers who all seemed just as eager to take it—along with my sloppy query. Which just kinda irked me that I’d spent weeks (sometimes months) fretting over different queries before!

All summer I bit my nails waiting to hear back from these publishers, but I couldn’t shake this really good feeling I had about BFB. Sometimes before I went to sleep I’d look them up, just to see if anyone was saying anything bad about them, or if they had any bad buzz. There was never anything new (the way there will be about new publishers sometimes!)

My birthday’s in June and when I was blowing out my candles (because I’m an adult child) I wished that BookFish Books would take my book. I didn’t even think about the other publisher (there was only one other one left at that point and I didn’t even care that they were bigger).

So when I got the message back from them that BFB weren’t just interested but IN LOVE with A Shot of Bourbon I was ecstatic. I’d mentioned the other books in the query, of course, so they wanted to see all of them.

In the meantime, I heard back from another publisher that was also interested, which felt like a dream come true.


BookFish Books decided they wanted four of the Bourbon books right away, and the enthusiasm and love they showed for my characters was really what made me go with them. I knew that I was going to need just a little bit of extra attention because I’m so new to all of this, and BFB has been able to help me the way a larger publisher wouldn’t have. I signed my four-book contract at the end of last summer/early fall and I’m so glad I did. I feel like I’ve joined a family and my books are getting the love they deserve.



Author of the Bourbon series, A. C. Land has been a lover of stories since she first read about Peter Pan giving Wendy an acorn and teaching her to fly. She always dreamed of telling big stories about small towns.
Residing on a cattle farm in Missouri, A. C. loves playing with her rambunctious Jack Russell, Riley, making decorative cakes, taking pictures, drinking pumpkin spice coffee, and hanging out with her nephews.

Find A.C. online: 


Thursday, 24 March 2016

#FridayFandom: Author Interview with Janice Gable Bashman




Hello, Janice!
Thank you for joining us today on #FridayFandom!


1. Tell us about your novel PREDATOR in 140 characters or less.

Bree injects herself with an untested version of her dad’s gene therapy to become a werewolf so she can save the world and those she loves.

2. If PREDATOR was made into a movie, who should portray the main characters?

My protagonist Bree Sunderland—Shailene Woodley dominated in her leading role as Tris in the film DIVERGENT. Her character was both tough and sensitive. She’s perfect to play Bree.



Bree’s boyfriend Liam ––Logan Lerman portrayed an endearing and sensitive Charlie in THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER and the hero Percy Jackson in PERCY JACKSON: SEA OF MONSTERS. Logan is Liam for sure since he’s able to portray a strong yet caring character. (Liam is into science, he coaches kids, and he’s caring. But he’s tough and strong too.)


Isabella—Isabella is a leader who prefers to work behind the scenes. She’s strong, responsible, and one kick-ass woman when forced to take action. Angelina Jolie is incredible when it comes to portraying a strong woman.



Dr. Sunderland (Bree’s scientist dad)—I’d cast Sam Trammell as Dr. Sunderland. Sam can easily play super smart and caring, traits that define Dr. Sunderland. Bree’s dad is a driven and determined man. His work consumes a lot of his life but for good reason. And he cares for others but doesn’t always know to show it.



3. Bree is a strong female protagonist. Why is that important in your work?

I love a strong female protagonist, someone who stands up for her beliefs no matter what the consequences and is willing to do whatever necessary to protect those she loves. Bree embodies these characteristics. But she’s not only strong. She’s smart, intuitive, and curious. She’s really into science, but she is also a typical teen who falls in love and experiences all the emotions that go along with it. Yet she is also caring and kind. The combination of these characteristic make for a compelling read.

4. What is your favorite "book" movie and why?

I love THE PRINCE OF TIDES and THE FAULT IN OUR STARS. Both movies stay true to the books in that they explore important subjects and feelings on a deep level. They also show that despite all the difficulties we may face in life there is always hope.

5. What are you currently reading?

THE WALLS AROUND US by Nova Ren Suma. I’m about half-way through it and loving it.
Here’s a short description of the book: “Ori’s dead because of what happened out behind the theater, in the tunnel made out of trees. She’s dead because she got sent to that place upstate, locked up with those monsters. And she got sent there because of me.”


Thank you for joining us Janice!
Predator sounds awesome - here are some details:

The hunt is on!
Sixteen-year-old Bree Sunderland must inject herself with an untested version of her father’s gene therapy to become a werewolf in order to stop a corrupt group of mercenaries from creating a team of unstoppable lycanthrope soldiers.
When Bree went with her scientist father to Ireland , she thought it would be a vacation to study bog bodies. She never expected to fall in love with a mysterious young Irishman and certainly never expected to become the kind of monster her father said only existed in nightmares. Dr. Sunderland discovers that lycanthropy was not a supernatural curse but rather a genetic mutation. When they return home, her dad continues his research, but the military wants to turn that research into a bio weapons program and rogue soldiers want to steal the research to turn themselves into unstoppable killing machines.
 Bree’s boyfriend Liam surprises her with a visit to the United States , but there are darker surprises in store for both of them. As evil forces hunt those she loves, Bree must become an even more dangerous hunter to save them all.
Predator gives the werewolf legend a couple of new spins by introducing the Benandanti (an actual folkloric belief that certain families of Italy and Livonia were werewolves who fought against evil), as well as a modern scientific approach to mutation and the science of transgenics

Praise for PREDATOR:
“Predator is a fast-paced, creepy page-turner! Bashman had me at the opening sentence and she’s still got me. I want more!” —New York TimesBestselling Author Nancy Holder

“Every twist and fascinating revelation fell into place smoothly, with an ending that will leave readers wanting more. With this kind of originality on the page, it is exciting to speculate at the surprises Bashman will unveil next”Suspense Magazine

“Werewolf fans will howl with delight once they get their paws on this spine-chilling YA novel.”—RT Book Reviews

“Tightly written, energetic, and imaginative, Predator is a gripping adventure story teeming with vivid characters and locales, driven by compelling ideas.”—Mystery Scene Magazine



 Janice Gable Bashman is the Bram Stoker nominated author of PREDATOR (Month9Books 2014) and WANTED UNDEAD OR ALIVE (w/NEW YORK TIMES bestseller Jonathan Maberry) (Citadel Press 2010). She is publisher of THE BIG THRILL (International Thriller Writers’ magazine).  Her short fiction has been published in various anthologies and magazines. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, Mystery Writers of America, Horror Writers Association, and the International Thriller Writers, where she serves on the board of directors as Vice President, Technology.
You can visit her website here.

Monday, 21 March 2016

YA Scavenger Hunt: Spring 2016 Announcement #YASH


SAVE THE DATE!!
March 29th – April 3rd, 2016
It’s the YA Scavenger Hunt Spring 2016!

I am so excited to be a part of #YASH (aka YA Scavenger Hunt). There are 20 authors assigned to each team by color. There are nine teams total this round! Check me out on TEAM TEAL!! Woohoo!
Check out the teams below to see which teams your favorite authors will be on and what their featured book will be. Remember - enter each teams hunt to be eligible to win over 180 books!! Also, each author's host page may hold a separate giveaway.
Oh the humanity!!
It’s getting close folks!
YASH BLUE TEAM SPRING 2016
  1. Eric Lindstrom
  2. Kate Karyus Quinn
  3. Leah Bobet
  4. Emily Hainsworth
  5. Sarah Ahiers
  6. Sara B. Larson
  7. Alyxandra Harvey
  8. Brendan Reichs
  9. Julie Mayhew
  10. Julie Eshbaugh
  11. Joy Preble
  12. Ava Jae
  13. Marissa Kennerson
  14. Lyn Miller-Lachmann
  15. Tobie Easton
  16. Jodie Andrefski
  17. Brynn Chapman
  18. Lea Nolan
  19. Emily Ross
  20. Vicki L. Weavil

  1. Colleen Houck
  2. Jessica Brody
  3. Roshani Chokshi
  4. Matthew Phillion
  5. Livia Blackburne
  6. Christine Fonseca
  7. Patty Blount
  8. Lori M. Lee
  9. Lisa Maxwell
  10. Gina Damico
  11. Sarvenaz Tash
  12. Heather Young-Nichols
  13. Lisa Amowitz
  14. Amalie Howard
  15. Pintip Dunn
  16. Carly Anne West
  17. Julie Reece
  18. Dhonielle Clayton
  19. Deirdre Riordan Hall
  20. Brenda Drake

  1. Dax Varley
  2. Jenny Perinovic
  3. Jessie Costin
  4. Robert L. Slater
  5. Sarah Neeve
  6. Tanya Lisle
  7. Katie Hayoz
  8. L.A. Starkey
  9. Michelle Madow
  10. Stacy Claflin
  11. Clara Stone
  12. Kimberly G. Giarrantano
  13. Marilyn Peake
  14. Rachel Shane
  15. T. H. Hernandez
  16. Janet Lee Carey
  17. Jennifer M. Eaton
  18. Melisa Giorgio
  19. Cheyanne Young
  20. Lisa T. Cresswell
YASH ORANGE TEAM SPRING 2016

  1. Paula Stokes
  2. Kathy MacMillan
  3. Sarah Jude
  4. Elle Cosimano
  5. C.J. Redwine
  6. Maria E. Andreu
  7. Kathryn Holmes
  8. Daw Kurtagich
  9. Leah Konen
  10. Marieke Nijkamp
  11. Yvonne Ventresca
  12. Melissa Gorzelanczyk
  13. K.C. Held
  14. Sarah J. Schmitt
  15. Rin Chupeco
  16. Amy Christine Parker
  17. Kimberly Sabatini
  18. Austin Aslan
  19. Amy Evans
  20. E. Katherine Kottaras


  1. Stephanie Keyes
  2. Julia Ember
  3. Christopher Mannino
  4. Nina Rossing
  5. Kristi Helvig
  6. Dorothy Dreyer
  7. Dawn Rae Miller
  8. Emily Skrutskie
  9. Catrina Burgess
  10. Karen Kincy
  11. Angela Myron
  12. Kat Ellis
  13. Chanda Stafford
  14. Jessica L. Brooks
  15. Kat Stiles
  16. Amy McNulty
  17. Phillip W. Simpson
  18. Michelle K. Pickett
  19. A. Lynden Rolland
  20. Gillian Bronte Adams


  1. Faye Bird
  2. Robin Constantine
  3. Amy Allgeyer
  4. Jolene Perry
  5. Meredith Moore
  6. Natasha Sinel
  7. Caroline T. Patti
  8. Erin E. Moulton
  9. Jennifer Brody
  10. Jenny Martin
  11. Joe Beernink
  12. Joshua McCune
  13. Jennifer DiGiovanni
  14. Kate Elliott
  15. Beck Nicholas
  16. Kassy Tayler
  17. Lori Goldstein
  18. Nina Berry
  19. Michelle Levy
  20. Debra Dockter


  1. Amy Plum
  2. LH Nicole
  3. Beth Revis
  4. Joshua David Bellin
  5. Kelly Hashway
  6. Victoria Scott
  7. Becky Wallace
  8. Rita Arens
  9. Vicki Leigh
  10. Michelle Andreani/Mindi Scott
  11. Lisa T. Bergren
  12. Kay Honeyman
  13. Lucy D. Briand
  14. Evangeline Denmark
  15. Jeff Garvin
  16. Madeline Dyer
  17. Christina Farley
  18. Kimberly Derting
  19. T. A. Maclagan
  20. Everly Frost


  1. Ripley Patton
  2. Hilary Thompson
  3. Eliza Tilton
  4. Delfy Hall
  5. Annie Cosby
  6. Michael Alan Peck
  7. Dale Furse
  8. Gerard O’Neill
  9. Melanie Hooyenga
  10. Anne Zoelle
  11. A. G. Henley
  12. Deidre Mapstone
  13. Ty Drago
  14. CK Dawn
  15. Lisa Voisin
  16. Kimberly Loth
  17. Jessica Hawke
  18. Meredith Zeitlin
  19. B. Kristin McMichael
  20. Shonna Slayton


  1. Adi Rule
  2. Leo Hunt
  3. Melanie McFarlane
  4. Tera Lynn Childs
  5. Wendy Higgins
  6. Krystal Wade
  7. Sharon Biggs Waller
  8. Kady Cross
  9. Lyne Matson
  10. Liz Braswell
  11. Cynthia Hand/Jodi Meadows/Brodi Ashton
  12. Patricia B. Tighe
  13. Dawn Ius
  14. Darren Groth
  15. Sarah Tomp
  16. Amy K. Nichols
  17. Emil Sher
  18. Alexandra Sirowy
  19. Brianna R. Shrum
  20. Ilsa J. Bick

So authors and readers, like I said...
SAVE THE DATE March 29- April 3, 2016!
For more information go to www.yash.rocks

Or ENTER HERE on March 29th (Noon PST)
http://www.yash.rocks/p/enter-here.html

Friday, 18 March 2016

#FridayFandom: Author Interview with Patricia B. Tighe


Today we have Patricia B. Tighe, author of LIFE IN THE NO-DATING ZONE & LIFE IN THE LUCKY ZONE.

1. Tell us about your books in 140 characters or less.

Life in the No-Dating Zone — A teenage girl, who vows not to date in high school, falls for the guy she’s helping to romance her best friend.





Life in the Lucky Zone — A drama queen and a gamer boy journey from mutual dislike to friendship and finally to love.



2. What would be the theme song for your books?

You Found Me by Kelly Clarkson works for Life in the No-Dating Zone because my main character Claire is confused about a lot of things. 



For Life in the Lucky Zone, I’m going with Got to Get You Into My Life by The Beatles. That theme is going through my couple before they even realize it.


3. What is your favorite “book” movie and why? 

As much as I love the Harry Potter movies, my favorite book movie is The Princess Bride. Author William Goldman wrote both the book and the screenplay, and I love his clever dialogue.



4. What are you currently writing? 

Since turning in the third book in The Zone series in February, I’ve been taking a break. But I’ll be soon be working on another young adult romance that I hope will be the beginning of a new series.

5. What are you currently reading?

In a World Just Right, a contemporary young adult fantasy by Jen Brooks.

Thank you for joining us Patricia!

I can't wait for book two!!





The mother of two grown sons, Patricia B. Tighe lives in West Texas with her husband and two dogs. She eats too much pizza, drinks too much coffee, and watches way too much NFL football. On the bright side, she loves to read and write young adult fiction. Especially if there’s kissing involved.