Showing posts with label xpresso book tours. Show all posts
Showing posts with label xpresso book tours. Show all posts

Tuesday, 13 October 2015

Book Blitz: The Summer Marked by Rebekah L. Purdy (Excerpt, Guest post & Giveaway)




The Summer Marked by Rebekah L. Purdy 
(The Winter People #2) 
Published by: Entangled: Teen
Publication date: September 22nd 2015
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

Synopsis:

The sequel to the chilling Winter People returns to the world of Faerie, and is a romantic and enchanting follow-up.
Salome left humankind behind to be with her boyfriend, Gareth, in the Kingdom of Summer. But now forces of darkness are rising. Her happily-ever-after is coming apart, and the Kingdom is on the brink of war.
Newly-single Kadie Byers is on her way home for Thanksgiving, imagining a visit filled with hot chocolate, a hot guy for a little rebound action, and some girl time with her bestie, Salome. Except she receives a message from Salome with two important words: PLEASE HURRY.
When Kadie rushes to help Salome, she’s ripped from the human world and pulled into the kingdoms of Faerie, where she’s shocked to learn that Salome’s monsters are real, and that she’s now at the mercy of one extremely vengeful Winter Queen…
Now both Salome and Kadie must find a way to survive the deadly chaos…or lose themselves to Winter’s deadly, icy grasp.


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EXCERPT 2 SALOME:

Bubbles and foam rose from the river floor as if there was an eruption below. Water sprayed my left cheek. A gurgled snort sounded beside us as a great black horse rose from the depths, river-weed tangled in its mane. This was no ordinary horse. It was a Kelpie. It turned to face me, eyes blazing like hot coals. The beast’s lips peeled back to reveal blood covered teeth. Crap. If I could reach the saddlebags, then maybe I could pull out the sword Gareth had gotten for me. I leaned to the side, reaching for the buckles. Moving at this pace and bouncing around, I couldn’t get hold of it.

Come on. 

Adaba jerked to the side in an attempt to get to the shore. But it was too late. In one swift movement, the Kelpie latched onto my arm.

“No!” Pain shot through me like a bullet. I fought to stay in the saddle. My horse kicked out his hind legs, catching the Kelpie in the side. Still the creature wouldn’t release me. 
Instead, it tugged harder ripping me halfway off my saddle. My knees tightened around Adaba’s sides, my fingers loosened as water slickened what grip I had. The Kelpie’s teeth sunk deeper into my arm. My hands slipped; my hold lost. Horror washed over me when I plunged into the dark, icy depths of the river. The coldness stung my skin. The creature dragged me deeper, and I kicked my legs, thrashing to free myself from it. Above me, all I saw were the distorted images of the sky as it faded from sight.

Guest Post:

Writing From Two POVS (Point of View):

I had a blast writing The Summer Marked (book two in the Winter People series), but mostly because I got to create the story from two different characters’ points of view. Kadie and Salome are SUCH different people. Kadie is more bad ass and hardcore, where Salome, who can be tough if she needs to, is a more “soft” kind of character. She kind of wears her heart on her sleeve and cares SO much about people. So it was nice being able to see how each character reacted to their environments.

But these two girls are both in very different types of places within Faerie. Kadie has been dropped right into something out of a horror flick or a fairytale gone wrong. Winter is filled with so much darkness, violence, and nightmarish stuff—a very macabre place. It was tough to write Kadie’s character, because we see how all this evilness is starting to break her down. She’s struggling to remain strong and protect her friend at all costs. But her whole situation seems helpless. It’s like every ray of hope that she has just keeps getting sucked away.

Salome, on the other hand is in Summer. When I was creating Summer all that kept popping into my head was something out of Tolkien novel, kind of like Rivendell. Summer is a HUGE contrast from Winter. It’s beautiful, with fountains, waterfalls, flowers, trees, castles etc. But underneath all the beauty there is a danger for Salome as well—and she learns quickly that not everything that’s “pretty” is nice. She has her own battles to fight, especially since not all the Fae like humans. She trying to find her place in a world where she really doesn’t totally belong or fit into. I had a different kind of fun writing her character. I liked showing her contrast from Kadie. How she had her own “horrors” and political issues she was dealing with. But also showing her grow more of a backbone and into her own so to speak.

The great thing about duo povs is being able to give the reader a bigger look at the setting and characters your writing about. To give them an idea of things outside just the main protagonist’s thoughts. I seriously love this book and hope the readers do as well.


AUTHOR BIO:



Rebekah was born and raised in Michigan where she spent many late nights armed with a good book and a flashlight. She’s lived in Michigan most of her life other than the few years she spent in the U.S. Army. At which time she got a chance to experience Missouri, Kansas, South Carolina, and California. Rebekah has a business degree from University of Phoenix and currently works full time for the court system. In her free time she writes YA stories, anything from YA Fantasy to YA Contemporary Romance. Rebekah also has a big family (6 kids) she likes to consider her family as the modern day Brady Bunch complete with crazy road trips and game nights. When not hiding at her computer, Rebekah enjoys reading, singing, soccer, swimming, football, camping, playing video games, traveling, and hanging out with her family and gazillion pets.

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Thursday, 26 February 2015

***Blitz*** Lighter by Gia Riley (Excerpt & Giveaway)





Lighter by Gia Riley 
Publication date: February 16th 2015

Genres: New Adult, Romance



Synopsis

What do you do when you can't save the one you love? 
Sophie can’t survive without control. Growing up with an alcoholic father, she craves the discipline of gymnastics. Feeling lost on a brand new college campus, she lets loose for the first time in her life. But with freedom comes consequences. Is one night everything she hopes? Or will she become her own worst nightmare?

Kipton's one year away from graduation. He's never thought beyond a one night stand until meeting his sister’s new roommate. Finally setting his sights on the girl he can't resist, he's more determined than ever when she won't give in to his persuasions. He's always gotten the girl, and he's not about to give up without a fight.

Will Sophie be able to salvage her dreams and wage a war against her own vices? Can she finally let love in? Or will history repeat itself causing her to self-destruct?

Lighter isn't your typical college romance. Darkness suffocates, dreams are dashed, and battles are lost. Love takes on a whole new meaning.




Excerpt - Prologue


Two Years Ago
“Sophie, wait! I’m sorry. I’m just worried about you,” Megan yells from the double doors leading from the locker room into the hallway.
She saw the bruises on my body.
I knew better than to change in front of everyone after gym class, yet I did it anyway because I was running late to meet my boyfriend. Blaine doesn’t like it when I keep him waiting. Tossing my book bag over my shoulder, I round the corner and smack right into him – and he doesn’t look happy.
“What did you say to her?” He questions with a deadly stare.
“Nothing. I didn’t say a word.” I didn’t but I still avert my eyes, choosing to stare at the tile on the floor instead of him. Without warning, he grabs my arm and pulls me into the bathroom. It’s empty.
“Please, Blaine.” I’m begging him to stop. He hears me, but he doesn’t listen.
“I told you what I would do, didn’t I?”
I swallow, my hands shaking. “Yes.”
He pins my arms against the wall, hovering over me. “And yet you still couldn’t keep your damn mouth shut.”
I try to yank my arms from his grasp, but his grip is too tight. His fingertips dig painfully into my arms, his nails breaking through the skin. “I swear I didn’t tell her anything.”
He inches closer to my face, the warmth of his breath hits my cheek. “Don’t fucking lie to me, Sophie. What happened the last time you lied to me?”
“I’m not lying. Please, Blaine. I wouldn’t.”
“What happened, Sophie?”
He’s going to make me say it – as if I’d ever need a reminder. It’s impossible to forget. “You had to teach me a lesson.”
“But you never learn. No matter how hard I try to protect you.”
“I’m sorry,” I plead. Regardless of the fact that I’m innocent, he morphs my apology into an admission of guilt.
“Damn right you are,” he spits through gritted teeth. His calmness now completely gone and replaced with anger. “Don’t you ever lie to me again, you hear me?”
“Yes,” I whisper.
He grabs my chin, roughly scraping his calloused thumb over my lips. His dilated pupils pierce straight through me sending chills down my spine. “Tell me you love me.” My words get lodged in my throat and I make the mistake of pausing a second too long. “Say it!” he warns as his fist pounds against the wall next to my head.
“I love you, Blaine.” And maybe there was a time I actually did. He wasn’t always like this, but neither was I. If I could go back in time, I’d tell him no. I’d push him away from me and keep my distance. But I’m just like my mother - unable to get away and desperate enough to stay. “Please let go of me. You’re hurting me.”
Finally he releases me, replacing his harsh words with sweet promises – his rough touches with gentle caresses. With a flip of a switch, he’s back to the Blaine I fell for, masking any signs of the evil he’s become.
“You make me so crazy, Sophie.” He runs his fingers through my long blond hair, leaving a trail of light kisses on my neck. “I only get mad because I love you so much.”
“I know.” Painfully well. My scattered bruises a daily reminder of his temper.
His hand falls from my hair as he latches onto my hip, pulling me flush against his body. “Baby, I need you. You’re everything to me.”
Everything I don’t want to be. Not anymore.
Beneath the surface, I’m scarred and broken; a much darker version of the girl I once was. There was a time I believed I was worthy of true love. But now, living in a hell littered with reminders of broken promises, I know what we have is anything but love.
It’s in this moment that I know I’m not strong enough to fight another day unless I get away from him. But I don’t know how. I need a plan – something to get me away from this town and its memories.

Closing my eyes, I say a silent prayer that my luck will change – that someone will save me from the hell my life has become.



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AUTHOR BIO

Gia is a lover of all things romance and a firm believer that everyone deserves a happily ever after. She resides in the small but mighty state of Delaware with her husband and son. Mother and wife by day, writer by night - she's a girl with a dream to write.

When she's not busy writing, she can be found roaming the isles of Kirkland's or up to her elbows in Play-doh.

"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." ~Maya Angelou

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Giveaway




Blitz-wide giveaway (INT)
  • A signed copy of Lighter by Gia Riley 
  • 2x $5 Amazon giftcards