RENEGADE by J.A. Souders (review + contest)

Seriously, I couldn't be more excited to be participating in this blog tour today.  Not only is Jessica (J.A.) a friend and an Oasis sister, but RENEGADE was freaking amazing.  She allowed me to get an advance peek at the novel and I devoured it.

Since the age of three, sixteen-year-old Evelyn Winters has been trained to be Daughter of the People in the underwater utopia known as Elysium. Selected from hundreds of children for her ideal genes, all her life she’s thought that everything was perfect; her world. Her people. The Law.

But when Gavin Hunter, a Surface Dweller, accidentally stumbles into their secluded little world, she’s forced to come to a startling realization: everything she knows is a lie. Her memories have been altered. Her mind and body aren’t under her own control. And the person she knows as Mother is a monster.

Together with Gavin she plans her escape, only to learn that her own mind is a ticking time bomb... and Mother has one last secret that will destroy them all.

From the very first pages, Evie's world is palpably real.  You can easily imagine living in the darkness of the seas, surrounded by water, never having experienced sunshine or the outside world.  Evie herself is an instantly likable character, and although she is "perfect," you know right away that she's been brainwashed.  Perfection is a forced perception and that perception is slowly shattered.

Which is another thing I loved about the story.  There's not one cataclysmic event that turns Evie's world upside down.  There is a slow building of little events - the clicking in of little puzzle pieces - that leads up to a very dramatic conclusion.  You get to figure out what's happening right along with Evie (and a very delicious Gavin) and live the nightmare right along with her.  And because (as the description tells you), Evie's memories have been altered, the realization of what really happened in Evie's past and what Mother has planned for the future, are just as shocking to Evie as they will be to you.

To sum this story up, it was like a futuristic, underwater Nazi Germany, where a perfect race is being cultivated and anyone who stands in the way meets death at the hands of a crazed dictator.  Only in this case, the dictator is known as Mother.  How creepy is that???

Trust me when I tell you that this book is AMAZING.  There was never a moment when I felt bored.  Instead, I turned the pages as quickly as I could and loved every minute of it.  I'm so happy and proud for my friend, Jessica, and can't wait to see what the next book in the series has in store for Evie and Gavin!

Jessica was awesome enough to share a few of her favorite quotes from the novel. I think the second is my FAVORITE!!  :)

"How can you even know who you are, if you can’t remember who you’ve been?”

"A woman’s best weapon is her smile, unless there’s a loaded Beretta 9mm nearby."

"So many memories. So much lost. So much to regain . . . again."

"No matter what cataclysmic event you’re facing, please be sure to double- check the seals on all of your samples and the tamper- proof container before reporting to your designated evacuation area."

AUTHOR BIO:

J.A. Souders lives in Florida with her husband and their two children and is an active member of RWA, DFRW, YARWA, SCBWI, and SFWA. RENEGADE is her first novel.

To get your hands on a copy of RENEGADE or to follow Jessica, check out these links:

http://jasouders.com/ (Website)

http://jasouders.com/blog/ (Blog)

https://www.facebook.com/JASouders (Facebook)

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4880398.J_A_Souders (Goodreads)

http://twitter.com/jasouders (Twitter)

BUY:

Amazon

The Book Depository

Oh, and you want to win something, right?  Here's the Rafflecopter.  :)  (Sorry, open to U.S. Residents only for swag and RENEGADE pre-order copies)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

YA Mythology Giveaway Hop (US only)

Hello fellow mythology lovers and welcome!  If you already know me, then you know I LOVE mythology.  Enough to major in Classics in undergrad.  Enough to write a novel based on Greek myth and a short story based on Egyptian mythology.

Yes, I love mythology THAT MUCH.

To share my love of mythology with you, I'm offering the winner her choice between two prizes. The winner (US only, sorry) can pick from either:
1.  An autographed copy of Destined (my Greek myth novel) or
2.  An e-book copy of Two and Twenty Dark Tales (the anthology containing my Egyptian myth short story)

Just fill out the Rafflecopter and hop on over to the next blog.  Very simple, very easy.  But before you go, scroll down to the last blog entry for a chance to win some more spooky stories from C. Lee McKenzie.  Happy Halloween!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Ghost Story Anyone? (+ giveaway!)

Guest post by author C. Lee McKenzie ~

You’re seated around the campfire, light flickering over the faces of those huddled there with you, and one of your friends is telling a story--not just a story--a ghost story.

That prickling at the back of your neck, the way your breathing grows shallow and you wrap your arms around yourself bumps your heart up to high. It’s a cool night, but tiny beads of sweat collect at your hairline. 

It’s fear time, baby, and your body’s reacting to that familiar emotion, the one you experience whenever you’re scared by something and you’d like to pull the covers over your head or--better yet--run!

And you’re thrilled, right? Fear heightens awareness and cancels all the mundane concerns. For this moment you’re transported, you’re “alive” and “tingly.” This is one reason everyone loves a good ghost story. Another is that ghost stories try to demystify death, that one inescapable universal. This is why Halloween with its seasonal creepiness has such appeal and why this ancient Celtic celebration, steeped in ghostly myths, has continued in some form into the present day. 

A few literary facts: 

• + The thirteen stories nominated for the Booker Prize in 2011 were about death. Here’s an interesting link on how to get published by writing about death.

• + Some of the best known and loved classics in literature are ghost stories: The Raven [Poe], A Christmas Carol [Dickens], The Turn of the Screw [James]. 

• + Today ghost stories are among the favorites of young readers. Dead Connection, The Body Finder, The Ghost Sitter, Stonewords: A Ghost Story and on and on. 

• + No Pulitizer for fiction this year, but Train Dreams was a finalist and it was an excellent ghost story.

So I’ve written some ghostly tales. Some have been published in magazines, some are still on my C drive waiting for a publisher to find them :-), and some are still in my head. But this time of year I’m stirred to read and write about ghosts who walk in the night, about restless spirits seeking revenge, about pumpkin-evil stuff. 

And you? Do you love to read ghost stories? Do you love to write them? What are your favorite ones? Want to give us a sample of a ghostly scene? That would be fun and it might help you win some SWAG. Here’s what’s up for grabs while I’m visiting Jessie’s super blog.

2 pdf of my ghostly short stories
2 eBooks of Alligators Overhead (Witch alert here!)
1 signed hardcopy of The Princess of Las Pulgas (It has some small ghostly moments.)
1 signed hardcopy of Sliding on the Edge (This ghost is more like a monster, but haunting in its own way.)
** hard copies are available for U.S. only **

Thanks, Lee! That's so generous of you to offer up so many great prizes! And because Lee is as cool as she is generous, she doesn't even want you to have to work that hard to win.  You don't have to follow her (although you should). You don't have to buy her books (although you should do that too).  All you have to do is tell us a ghost story.  It can be real or made up.  

1.  Leave the story or a link in the comments.

2.  Also include your e-mail address in the comments so we can notify you if you win.

3.  Let us know if you're US or International so we know what contest to enter you for.

4.  Get your stories in by midnight on All Hallows Eve.  When the witching hour arrives, your chance to win will disappear.

And that's it!  Of course, if you win, pretty please with cherries on top review the story somewhere.  It's one of the nicest things you can do for an author.

And before you go, please stalk find Lee on line.  She's an amazing person and author!  And don't forget to check out her new creepy tale, Alligators Overhead. The links are below.

TRAILER: http://youtu.be/YP9I401gWNQ

WEBSITE: http://cleemckenziebooks.com

BLOG: http://writegame.blogspot.com

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/cleemckenziebooks

TWITTER : @cleemckenzie

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B0042M1KYW 

GOODREADS

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2809083.C_Lee_McKenzie

ALLIGATORS OVERHEAD:

AMAZON KINDLE 

http://tinyurl.com/7hv8j5a

AMAZON PAPERBACK

http://tinyurl.com/9kvezg5

B & N

http://tinyurl.com/8ywogjt

SMASHWORDS

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/204548

Cover Reveal for THE SECOND SIGN + ARC tour sign-up

The Second Sign by Elizabeth Arroyo

Publisher: Sapphire Star Publishing

Genre: Young Adult Dark Fantasy/ Paranormal Romance

Release Date: February 07, 2013

   

Synopsis:

 

Bred to believe in the war between angels and demons, Gabby has come to the conclusion that love is responsible for war, jealousy, and all the other deadly sins she can think of. So when she’s exiled to the middle of nowhere for getting kicked out of her fifth school for fighting, she doesn't expect to meet Jake. Much less fall in love. But Jake is quickly drawn to the eerie beauty of her violet eyes while Gabby is unsettled by their undeniable connection.

When a demon guardian comes to collect her soul, she refuses to give it up. She’s not a demon. She can’t be. Her father and twin brother are angels. The demon gives Gabby twenty-four hours to decide her allegiance, and then starts killing her short list of friends, leaving a message behind: She is the Second Sign.

As Gabby and Jake begin to unravel the mystery behind the Second Sign, she learns Jake may be the key to saving her soul. But it means a sacrifice has to be made that will change their lives forever.

Check out Elizabeth:

Website: www.elizabetharroyo.com

Blog: http://chandarawrites.blogspot.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/EArroyo5

Facebook Author Page: http://www.facebook.com/elizabetharroyo.author

Interested in reading the ARC?  Here are the details:

Anita Saxena is hosting an ARC Tour of The Second Sign. We would like as many people as possible to read THE SECOND SIGN before the release in February and we'd like the participants to blog about the book after they've read it. 

So the blogger commits to:

1. Reading the book fast
2. Blogging about it
3. Paying to ship the book via priority mail (which typically costs $4.95) at post office. All post offices supply free envelopes so that way the reader doesn't have to pay for envelope/packing material

In addition, you're encouraged to write in the book, not only to sign it, but on any page where you think something is good/cool/whatever. Smiley faces and hearts are always welcome! Due to postage, this is only for US residents. If you are interested, please contact Anita at anita@anitasaxena.com so that she can put you on the list!

TAKING BACK ETERNITY Cover Reveal

Karen Amanda Hooper, author of Tangled Tides and Grasping at Eternity, is sharing her newest cover today. The sequel to Grasping at Eternity, book 2 of The Kindrily series, is titled Taking Back Forever. 

Karen and her cover designer, Alexandra Shostak, have worked side by side to create the Taking Back Forever cover. After lots of hard work (and a lot of love) here it is…

Want to know more? Here’s a summary of Taking Back Forever. 

Forever is worth the fight. 

Maryah erased all memory of her past lives, but she couldn’t erase her soul mate Nathan, or his undying love. Now, Maryah and Nathan have a second chance at a future together, but first Maryah must remember the person she used to be and embrace her supernatural gifts—more than one kindrily member’s life depends on it. 

Maryah’s power is Harmony’s best hope of finding her kidnapped soul mate, Gregory. But Harmony isn’t big on asking anyone for help, and she’s tired of waiting, so she’s taking matters into her own hands. Heaven help anyone who stands in her way. 

To celebrate, Karen and Alexandra are giving away signed paperbacks of Grasping at Eternity. (Signed by Karen AND Alexandra!) 

Contest is open internationally!

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/YmFlODE0ZTNiYjMwNDdkM2MxZjE1N2VmZjNhYjFjOjA=/

Alexandra Shostak is a writer of dark and fantastical things, mostly meant for teenagers. She is a freelance cover designer, and is available to do covers and interior artwork directly for authors. She is also a former Irish dancer, a guitar player, and the person who can get you through the zombie apocalypse without getting bitten.

If you’re especially worried about the zombie apocalypse, you can find her in one of these places:

www.alexandrashostak.com

www.coversbyalexandra.com

www.yaconfidential.com

or on Twitter as @a_shostak

Karen was born and bred in Baltimore, frolicked and froze in Colorado for a couple of years, and is currently sunning and splashing around Florida with her two beloved dogs. She's addicted to coffee, chocolate, and complicated happily-ever-afters. Due to her strong Disney upbringing, she still believes in fairytales and will forever sprinkle magic throughout all of her novels.