Blog Tour: Lunar Court by Aileen Erin @aileen_erin

Lunar Court
Aileen Erin
(Alpha Girl #8)
Published by: Ink Monster LLC
Publication date: June 11th 2019
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult

From USA Today Bestselling Author Aileen Erin

Chris is the guy Cosette always wanted.

Fun. Funny. Lighthearted and sweet. Chris always manages to find beauty and laughter, even when fighting a chapel full of demons. He’s exactly what she needs. Except he’s a werewolf and she’s a member of the Lunar Court — the only fey court that holds sway over the werewolves. Even on his best day, Chris isn’t strong enough to last a few hours in the Lunar Court without becoming a slave. No matter how much Cosette’s heart wants him, she knows she has to let him go.

But when Chris goes missing, Cosette realizes how much she has to lose if the worst happens. Except her mother — the Queen of the Lunar Court — won’t let her go after Chris. Being forced to stay at court is dangerous for Cosette. Assassins keep coming after her, and unless she accepts a mate, it’s only a matter of time before one of them kills her.

Cosette is the girl Chris has always dreamed of.

Chris sees through the tough facade to the girl exhausted from a lifetime of fighting off assassins and court politics. She needs a true friend, someone who she can be herself around, and craves solitude. The same solitude that Chris craves. But he knows he’ll never be enough to survive in her world. So, when Eli — a mysterious archon — requests his help, he figures why not? The guy might be a little shady, but he needs every distraction he can get.

But when Eli says that Cosette’s in trouble, Chris is more than ready to play by Eli’s rules. At least until Eli takes him to the Court of Gales. Chris knows he’s about to play a very dangerous game. Bargaining with the fey is something only a desperate person would do. But what wouldn’t Chris give up to save Cosette’s life?

“These books go by so very quickly, with the pacing making me think I just started reading. I could gobble up a dozen of these novels!” – Carrie Reads a Lot

“Aileen Erin: You did a great job as usual and I’m so excited for Invocation and Lunar Court.” – Lenniland

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play

I used to love to blog, but I’ve gotten so busy since having Isabella, that I haven’t had time to blog. So, I’m taking the author’s choice topic for my guest post to do one of my old Top Five posts. It’s not a top five of something, just five things that I’m digging right now.

1.    Sound Baths – I know you’re probably thinking what kind of hippie nonsense is this, but it’s actually really neat. My mood has always been very affected by the music I’m listening to, and a few years ago, I went into a rabbit hole of healing sound frequencies. Of course, I had to use it in a book! The alien Aunare in my YA Space Opera series use it (Off Planet is book 1!), and since I’m currently writing Off Balance – the second book in the series—I thought I’d try one out.

They’re legit intense. There usually are a mix of crystal singing bowls and bronze Tibetan singing bowls. But what’s weird is that the sound feels like it’s coming from inside your head. If you have a chance to go to one, it’s definitely worth it! Check out a clip here: https://youtu.be/oCPoG3EGwVw

2.    Podcasts – Lately I’ve been a guest on a few podcasts, with more records coming up in June. I’m such an introvert that I rarely leave the house these days, but I’ve found guest hosting on podcasts to be really fun. I’ve even thought about starting my own podcast—either on writing or publishing or maybe a bit of both. You can check out some of my guest spots here and here!

3.    Writing – This seems like a silly thing to put on a top five list, but I’m really into my writing. After a stressful and difficult pregnancy, I had a tough time getting back into the groove of writing. I released books slower as I took time to learn how to be a new mom and take a hold of my mental health. But both those things are going great, and I’m finally out of the weeds with my deadlines. I fought long and hard to keep going in those early months of motherhood, but right now—I’m back! Writing has always been my love and passion, and I’m in a place where I’m hitting my groove daily. That’s something that I’m excited about and proud of. I’ve also been dedicating some time to improving the craft, and I’m loving seeing it pay off on the page.

4.    Above & Beyond – Okay, so this isn’t new for me, but I love their Group Therapy podcast. It comes out every Friday, and I look forward to it every week. If you’re into EDM at all, it’s worth a listen.

5.    The Magicians – I’m a season behind. I was behind on my deadlines, which meant that everything in my life that wasn’t essential got pushed back. So, the final season of The Magicians came out early this year, but I’m finally watching. I heard that there is some uproar with how it ends, but I’ve managed to stay spoiler free up until now. Fingers crossed. But if you’re reading this and haven’t watched the show, think very dark, adult Harry Potter. Worth the watch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CPCoqF1F0U

Author Bio:
Aileen Erin is half-Irish, half-Mexican, and 100% nerd–from Star Wars (prequels don’t count) to Star Trek (TNG FTW), she reads Quenya and some Sindarin, and has a severe fascination with the supernatural. Aileen has a BS in Radio-TV-Film from the University of Texas at Austin, and an MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University. She lives with her husband in Los Angeles, and spends her days doing her favorite things: reading books, creating worlds, and kicking ass.

Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Instagram / Facebook

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Blog Tour: Frost Like Night by Sara Raasch @seesarawrite

Title: FROST LIKE NIGHT

Author: Sara Raasch

Pub. Date: September 20, 2016

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Pages: 496

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Find it: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Goodreads

Angra is alive, his Decay is spreading—and no one is safe.

Meira will do anything to save her world. With Angra trying to break through her mental defenses, she desperately needs to learn to control her own magic—so when the leader of a mysterious Order from Paisly offers to teach her, she jumps at the chance. But the true solution to stopping the Decay lies in a labyrinth deep beneath the Season Kingdoms. To defeat Angra, Meira will have to enter the labyrinth, destroy the very magic she’s learning to control—and make the biggest sacrifice of all.

Mather will do anything to save his queen. He needs to rally the Children of the Thaw, find Meira—and finally tell her how he really feels. But with a plan of attack that leaves no kingdom unscathed and a major betrayal within their ranks, winning the war—and protecting Meira—slips farther and farther out of reach.

Ceridwen will do anything to save her people. Angra had her brother killed, stole her kingdom, and made her a prisoner. But when she’s freed by an unexpected ally who reveals a shocking truth behind Summer’s slave trade, Ceridwen must take action to save her true love and her kingdom, even if it costs her what little she has left.

As Angra unleashes the Decay on the world, Meira, Mather, and Ceridwen must bring the kingdoms of Primoria together…or lose everything.

Today we welcome Sara Raasch for an interview. Take it away!

1.    Did you always know you wanted to be a writer or did you want to be something else? 

I always wanted to be a writer. One of my earliest memories is of trying to sell hand drawn picture books at a lemonade stand.

2.   How long does it take you to write a book from start to finish?

It really depends—I spend a lot of time world building/plotting beforehand, which can take anywhere from a few months to a few years. Drafting is usually fast in comparison, generally six months to a year, then add in editing…it really all just depends on the book!

3.   How do you come up with themes for your stories?

Sometimes they develop organically, but with SNOW LIKE ASHES, for instance, I went in knowing what I wanted the book to leave with people. It’s a spoiler, but I will say that the main thing I hope people take away is that they are enough.

4.   Do you have a schedule of when you write?

I try to write in the morning (or edit or whatever needs done) then do marketing stuff in the afternoons. 

5.   How are you able to balance other aspects of your life with your writing?

By making sure I shut down when I need to. It’s SO important to have other things that ground you in the non-writing world, because it can be all too easy to lose yourself in the insanity of publishing. Taking time to breathe makes everything better!

6.   What elements do you think make a great story line?

Unpredictability. If a book can take me by surprise, it will earn a permanent place in my heart! 

7.   What was the hardest thing about writing a book?

For me, it’s always editing, heh. All the other stuff—drafting, world building, plotting—is quite fun, but going back through and making it all make sense/fit/figure out why it doesn’t make sense/fit…ick.

8.   How many books have you written so far? Do you have a favorite? 

Oh gosh, a dozen? Maybe more? I lost count! I think my favorite though is always the one I’m working on, because I try to put a lot of who I am at the time into it.

9.   Do you have a favorite character?

Again, I think it’s always someone from my current project, for the same reason. But as for SNOW LIKE ASHES—I loved writing scenes with Shazi and Ceridwen!

10. Where do you write?  

I have an office in my house and I LOVE it—I can go there and know it’s time to get to work!

11.When deciding on how to publish, what directed you to the route you took? 

I always knew what I wanted for my books: to be on shelves in bookstores. And that, for me, seemed to come easiest through traditional publishing!

12.  Have you gotten feedback from family about your book(s)? What do they think?

I have! They’re super supportive—I’m so lucky to have such a family!

13.  What kinds of things do you like to do outside of writing?

Cook! My husband and I are huge foodies!

14. What kinds of advice would you give to someone who wants to start writing? 

The one piece of advice I always give is Keep Moving Forward. This industry can seem very intimidating (writing books in general is intimidating!) but perseverance is key!

15. What is your favorite book? favorite author? Do you have an author that inspired/inspires you to write? 

One favorite book?? HA! I’ll list a few: Prince’s Gambit by CS Pacat; the Twelve Houses series by Sharon Shinn; The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson; and lots, lots more. Those authors are my favorites too!

16. Do you have any go to people when writing a book that help you with your story lines as well as editing, beta reading and such? 

I have a few author friends I bounce ideas off of, namely Kristen Simmons (METALTOWN, coming out the same day as FROST LIKE NIGHT!).

17. Are you working on anything now? 

My next series, a YA pirate fantasy!

18.   Tell us 5 things that make you smile

Ducks, babies in Halloween costumes, seeing my book on shelves, dairy-free ice cream that doesn’t taste like dairy-free ice cream, and when my friends/family get good news

19. Tell us 5 things that make you sad

That commercial about the miniature horse that gets shunned by the big horses so the woman has to buy it a tiny horse door so it can come in the house to be with her (NO ONE LOVES THE MINI HORSE EXCEPT THAT WOMAN OH GOD), dairy-free ice cream that tastes like dairy-free ice cream, when the grocery store stops selling the one brand of insert food item here that I can actually eat because allergies, food allergies in general, and Twitter trends (which are usually depressing as hell)

20.If you could travel anywhere in the world to visit a place so you could use it as a background for a book, where would it be?

At the moment, it’d be super useful to go to Barcelona, for Pirate Book.

Thanks so much for being here today, Sara. Pirate fantasy sounds fantastic! It was great having you with us!

Sara Raasch has known she was destined for bookish things since the age of five, when her friends had a lemonade stand and she tagged along to sell her hand-drawn picture books too. Not much has changed since then — her friends still cock concerned eyebrows when she attempts to draw things and her enthusiasm for the written word still drives her to extreme measures. Her debut YA fantasy, SNOW LIKE ASHES, came out October 14, 2014 from Balzer + Bray, and the sequel, ICE LIKE FIRE, comes out October 13, 2015. Neither features her hand-drawn pictures.

Website | Twitter |Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest | Google+ | YouTube | Amazon | Reedsy | Wattpad

3 winners will receive a signed copy of FROST LIKE NIGHT, US Only. Rafflecopter Embed Code: a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

9/12/2016- Young Adult at Heart- Interview

9/13/2016-  Reviews from a Bookworm- Review

9/14/2016- Fiktshun- Guest Post

9/15/2016- Tween 2 Teen Book Reviews- Review

9/16/2016- The Cover Contessa- Interview

Week Two:

9/19/2016- Quartzfeather- Review

9/20/2016- Writing My Own Fairy Tale- Guest Post

9/21/2016- Bookish Lifestyle- Review

9/22/2016- Two Chicks on Books- Interview

9/23/2016- Mundie Moms- Review

Blog Tour: The Swan Riders by Erin Bow @erinbowbooks

Greta Stuart had always known her future: die young. She was her country's crown princess, and also its hostage, destined to be the first casualty in an inevitable war. But when the war came it broke all the rules, and Greta forged a different path.

She is no longer princess. No longer hostage. No longer human. Greta Stuart has become an AI.

If she can survive the transition, Greta will earn a place alongside Talis, the AI who rules the world. Talis is a big believer in peace through superior firepower. But some problems are too personal to obliterate from orbit, and for those there are the Swan Riders: a small band of humans who serve the AIs as part army, part cult.

Now two of the Swan Riders are escorting Talis and Greta across post-apocalyptic Saskatchewan. But Greta’s fate has stirred her nation into open rebellion, and the dry grassland may hide insurgents who want to rescue her – or see her killed. Including Elian, the boy she saved—the boy who wants to change the world, with a knife if necessary. Even the infinitely loyal Swan Riders may not be everything they seem.

Greta’s fate—and the fate of her world—are balanced on the edge of a knife in this smart, sly, electrifying adventure. 

LINKS: Amazon | B&N

Last book you read:

An advanced copy of THE BEAST IS AN ANIMAL by Peternelle van Arsdale

Last trip you took:

A very dull jaunt to Michigan to see my uncle and teach my kids to body surf.  We had fun but the most exotic part of the whole thing was the coconut cream milkshake from the Sonic beside the somewhat skeevy hotel (instead of a “what to do in MICHGAN” magazine they had “What To Do If the Sirens Go Off At the Nuclear Power Plant Next Door” flyer.). 

On the other hand, last year I was on 33 airplanes, including the six you have to take to go backpacking in Mongolia.

Last thing that made you smile:

The rainstorm this afternoon.  I love thunder. 

Favorite quote:

That’s hard to narrow down.  Maybe this, which is part of the baptism speech for the twins in Kurt Vonnegut’s GOD BLESS YOU MR. ROSEWATER:

Hello babies. Welcome to Earth. It's hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It's round and wet and crowded. On the outside, babies, you've got a hundred years here. There's only one rule that I know of, babies-"God damn it, you've got to be kind.”

Favorite memory:

So not sharable. 

Handy substitutes:  getting down on one knee to propose to my boyfriend at an airport.   Letting my infant sleep on my chest.  Eating hot spicy crawfish in Hong Kong.  Bringing a puppy home to surprise my kids.   Flying a hunting eagle for the first time. 

Best moment as an author:

I sold my first novel on election day in 2008, the day Obama got elected.  I’d been a campaign volunteer; it was a heady day.  I remember leaving my horrible, horrible job to have lunch with my family and sneak a glass of champagne.  My three-year-old didn’t get why I was so excited, what was so special about the day.  I told her that a good man had been elected president, and that I had sold my book for a lot of money, and therefore we could change the way we lived, and be happier.  It would be a better world.

She thought for a moment then asked:  “Can all my jellybeans be red?” 

Last thing you treated yourself to:

A new notebook: moleskin soft cover with dotted paper, in turquoise.  I use a fountain pen too – I do a lot of writing long hand. 

Favorite place in the world:

My friend has a game she calls magic doors, where your apartment has five magic doors that open onto any neighbourhood in the world.  I could never narrow it down.  BUT, I do have a pretty awesome writing shed to put the magic doors in.  (See attached photo.) 

Last emoticon you used:

I RARELY use emoticons of any kind, but this morning we ran out of coffee.  I sent this FB message to my husband.  FB does not have mushroom cloud mushroom cloud skull, which is what I wanted, so I went with this.  Somehow even though it’s less dramatic, it’s way more threatening.  In my defense, we were out of coffee. 

Hi!  My name is Erin Bow -- physicist turned poet turned author of young adult novels that will make you cry on the bus. I'm a white girl, forty-something, feminist, geeky enough to do the Vulcan salute with both hands -- in public.  I live in Canada.  I love to cook, hate to clean, and yes, I do own a cat.  

In the beginning, I was a city girl from farm country—born in Des Moines and raised in Omaha—where I was fond of tromping through wood lots and reading books by flashlight. In high school I captained the debate team, founded the math club, and didn’t date much.

In university I studied particle physics, and worked briefly at the European Centre for Nuclear Research (CERN) near Geneva, Switzerland. Physics was awesome, but graduate school kind of sucked, and at some point I remembered that I wanted to write books.  

Books:  I have six of them — three novels, and two volumes of poetry and a memoir (the poetry under my maiden name, Erin Noteboom). My poetry has won the CBC Canadian Literary Award, and several other awards. My two novels, Plain Kate and Sorrow's Knot, also have a fistful of awards, including Canada's top award for children's literature, the TD.   The third novel, The Scorpion Rules, still faces its award season. No one read the memoir.  

Right now I'm looking forward to the publication of my fourth novel,  a companion piece to The Scorpion Rules called The Swan Riders, which will be out September 20 from Simon & Schuster.  I'm at work on an new an entirely different novel, and a book of poetry about science. 

Did you notice I got to Canada in there somewhere?   Yeah, that was true love.  I'm married to a Canadian boy, James Bow, who also writes young adult novels.  We have two small daughters, both of whom want to be scientists.  

LINKS: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | Instagram

Giveaway: 3 Finished Copies of THE SWAN RIDERS (US Only) Rafflecopter Code: a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week 1:

9/12: Fangs and Fur Fantasy Book Review - Review

9/13: The Cover Contessa - Guest Post

9/14: Live to Read - Review

9/15: Such A Novel Idea - Q&A

9/16: Intellectual Recreation - Review

Week 2:

9/19: Novel Ink - Q&A

9/20: The Story Sanctuary - Review

9/21: Book Stacks Amber - Playlist

9/22: Lisa Loves Literature - Review

9/23: A Backwards Story - Q&A

Blog Tour: Future Perfect by Jen Larsen

Future Perfect
by Jen Larsen
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: October 6th 2015

Genre: Young Adult, Chick Lit, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction, High School

Synopsis:

Every year on her birthday, Ashley Perkins gets a card from her grandmother—a card that always contains a promise: lose enough weight, and I will buy your happiness.

Ashley doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with the way she looks, but no amount of arguing can persuade her grandmother that “fat” isn’t a dirty word—that Ashley is happy with her life, and her body, as it is.

But Ashley wasn’t counting on having her dreams served up on a silver platter at her latest birthday party. She falters when Grandmother offers the one thing she’s always wanted: tuition to attend Harvard University—in exchange for undergoing weight loss surgery.

As Ashley grapples with the choice that little white card has given her, she feels pressured by her friends, her family, even administrators at school. But what’s a girl to do when the reflection in her mirror seems to bother everyone but her?

Through her indecisions and doubts, Ashley’s story is a liberating one—a tale of one girl, who knows that weight is just a number, and that no one is completely perfect.

1.     What elements do you think make a great story line?

I think a character who wants something, needs something, will collapse and melt away without something is my favorite element of a great story. A character propelled by something important—an idea or a wish or a dream that feels vital and huge. A character who makes you root for her and want that thing just as bad as she does, no matter what it is.

I also love stories with strong relationships between the characters, connections that feel real and as important to the story as the character’s motivation. It’s what makes a book feel alive and three-dimensional to me.

And no matter what genre or style or tone, some central Big Idea feels really essential to me. A heart for the story, a reason the story was written, a reason it is good and important that that story exists.

2.     What was the hardest thing about writing a book?

Trusting myself! Every time I sit down to write it’s a little bit of a fight with my own fear of messing up, of saying the wrong thing or screwing up this story I want to tell and writing something terrible and bad that I should just be embarrassed to even look at. I think anyone who writes has to be really, really brave to do what they do. Writers have to push past doubt and insecurity but also be brave enough to ask for support, and brave enough to listen to feedback. Mostly, be brave enough to believe that their story is important enough to be told.

Though maybe actually making myself get off the internet and sit down and write was the real hardest part.

3.     What kinds of things do you like to do outside of writing?

I’m a big reader and I buy way too many books and stuff my library hold list full of books and borrow books all the time. I also play a lot of video games—role playing and adventure games that are heavy on story and quests, and preferably with great female main characters who are awesome.

4. What is your favorite book? Favorite author? Do you have an author that inspired/inspires you to write?

My favorite book of all time is Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. The way Douglas Adams used language and turns of phrase made me want to be a writer too. I loved his absurdity and silliness and the fact that his books were ridiculous and outlandish but there was also that central heart to them, a kind of pessimistic optimism about humankind.

The authors who inspire me are also my favorites right now—there so many SO MANY brilliant young adult novelists who are passionate about all the things, about writing and their books and the teenagers reading them, like E. Lockhart and Nalo Hopkinson and Tahereh Mafi and Rainbow Rowell and Zen Cho and Lauren Oliver and VE Schwab and Stephanie Kuehn and Maggie Stiefvater and Maureen Johnson and Marie Lu and Julie Murphy and Nnedi Okorafor and and and.

5. Are you working on anything now?

I am super excited about my two current projects, both YA. One is about two ex-girlfriends, still very much in love but reluctant to admit it to each other or themselves, thrown together one violent night in San Francisco when riots break out during an All Lives Matter rally.

The other is based on the Princess and the Pea fairytale, about a con artist fairy godmother and a princess who doesn’t realize she is one.

Follow the Future Perfect by Jen Larsen Blog Tour and don't miss anything! Click on the banner to see the tour schedule.

Jen Larsen is the author of Future Perfect and Stranger Here: How Weight Loss Surgery Transformed My Body and Messed With My Head. She has an MFA in creative writing from the University of San Francisco and currently lives in Madison, WI. Find her at jenlarsen.net.

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