Blog Tour: All That Burns (All That Glows #2) by Ryan Graudin @ryangraudin @RockstarBkTours

http://www.rockstarbooktours.com

Welcome to The Cover Contessa's stop not he All That Burns blog tour!

 Title: ALL THAT BURNS

Author: Ryan Graudin

Pub. Date: February 10, 2015

Publisher: Harper Teen

Pages: 464

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Find it: Amazon, Barnes & Noble

In this thrilling sequel to All That Glows, the worlds of magic and mortal are colliding as London celebrates its new king, marking an era of unity between the Faery realm and the human one. Emrys, the Faery guard to the British royal family, sacrificed her powers to be with King Richard, choosing love over immortality. But now, as Emrys struggles to navigate her place between the Faery queen’s court and London’s lavish galas, danger looms beyond the Thames.When a prisoner with dark, strange magic breaks out of Queen Titania’s labyrinthine prison, endangering Emrys's king and sparking an uprising, Emrys must make the hardest decision of all.

Will she reclaim her magic to save Richard’s life and lose him forever? Or stay powerless as the kingdom goes down in flames?

Today we get to welcome Ryan for a guest post! So excited to have her here! Let's see what she has to say! This is what we asked:

 You can choose any other profession but being a writer. What would you choose? Why? How do you think you could make it work to ensure you are still able to channel your artistic expression as a writer?

When I hold Q&A at bookstore events, or attend cocktail parties, there is one question that will inevitably be posed: “How long have you known you wanted to be a writer?” My answer is usually a longer-winded version of “forever.” Ever since I can remember I’ve wanted to tell stories. What began as a dream became a hobby, which then became a college degree, which then became a passion, which then became a job.

But there were moments when I doubted. Moments when I was forced to look at other more “realistic” options for my life’s path. If I weren’t writing full time, what would I be doing? Although I was pursuing a creative writing in college, the prospect of soon being ejected into the real world’s cold embrace had me considering other options. So I began exploring my other passions: traveling and teaching. I used summers that would have been spent waitressing at a seafood restaurant (decidedly not my passion) to go volunteer for non-profits in developing countries. Teaching English to kids in the slums of Phnom Penh fed my soul in a way no nine to five office job would have, and with graduation rapidly approaching, I began exploring ways I could travel and teach on a non-volunteer basis.

Teaching, I’ve found, is a job that requires an abundance of creativity, especially with young kids. Capturing attention spans and holding them is no easy task. Traveling is also something that feeds and fuels my creativity. Though to be honest, I’d probably be writing anyway.

If I ever come to a point in my life where I’m no longer able to write professionally (which I hope, hope, hope never happens), I’ll probably go back to teaching in some form or fashion.

Wow, Ryan, awesome answer! Thanks so much for stopping by today and telling us a little about yourself!

Ryan Graudin grew up in Charleston and graduated from the College of Charleston with a degree in Creative Writing in 2009. She is the author of ALL THAT BURNS, All That Glows and The Walled City. She resides near Charleston with her husband and wolf-dog. You can find her online at www.ryangraudin.com.

Her work is represented by Josh Adams of Adams Literary.

 Website |Blog |Twitter |Facebook |Goodreads |Pinterest

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Tour Schedule

Week One:

2/2/2015- The Eater of Books!- Interview

2/3/2015- Crossroad Reviews- Review

2/4/2015- The Cover Contessa- Guest Post

2/5/2015- DanaSquare- Review

2/6/2015- Once Upon a Twilight - Interview                                                         

Week Two:

2/9/2015- Jump Into Books- Review

2/10/2015- Two Chicks on Books- Guest Post

2/11/2015- Tween 2 Teen Book Reviews- Review

2/12/2015- Bittersweet Enchantment- Interview

2/13/2015- Seeing Double In Neverland- Review

Waiting on Wednesday #46: Halfway Perfect by Julie Cross and Mark Perini @Juliecross1980 @MarkTPerini @SourcebooksFire

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases we are eagerly awaiting!

Title: Halfway Perfect

Author: Julie Cross and Mark Perini

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Expected Publication Date: May 5, 2015

Blurb:

Bestselling author Julie Cross teams up with Ford model Mark Perini to pen a poignant and gritty YA novel about love and the dark side of modeling and the fashion industry.

Eve's time as a fashion model nearly destroyed her-now she's determined to build a career behind the camera lens. But landing a coveted photography internship brings her face to face with her dark past-and her ex.

While Eve is snapping pictures, up-and-coming male model Alex is launching his career-which, for him, involves maintaining a fake relationship with his (secretly) underage co-star, Elana.

But Alex is falling for Eve, and Eve won't let herself get hurt again. If Alex can pull off a fake love with Elana, can he convince Eve to risk a secret affair with him?

I'm the author of the YA sci-fi trilogy, the Tempest series (St. Martin's Press). I'm also the author of the YA contemporary novel, Letters To Nowhere. 

But even more importantly than the above, I'm a fan of books and an avid reader/reviewer. Keep in mind, however, that a review is just one person's opinion, one perspective. My goal is to show as much bias in my reviews as possible because this makes it easier for you to decide if your perspective is similar to mine or different. Everyone's tastes are different. I like books with emotion and believability. I don't mind edgy and heavy themes. I also like humor and quirk. I like weird characters in odd situations. 

I have low tolerance for insta-love, flowery sex scenes, or mushy declarations of feelings. Not a fan of possessive/controlling male characters who get the girl in the end. When I recommend books, I always ask about favorite current reads and cater to each person's taste. 

I believe every book plays an important role whether I love it or hate, it's having an effect on society. It's changing, shaping, and molding the future of publishing. Regardless of my feelings about a book, I value the author's time and effort put into creating their work. I only rate books available for purchase (or soon-to-be available) and consider those books as published works and their creators as professionals in their field therefore I treat them as professionals, giving my honest opinion on the work itself and not the person producing it.

If I rate a book and don't provide any written review and you'd like to hear my thoughts, feel free to comment on the review and if I can, I'll explain my reasoning behind the rating. I don't mind authors commenting on any review I post - negative or positive. Also happy to email to discuss Juliecrossauthor (at) gmail (dot) com please alert me if I misled readers or given false information (accidentally of course) and I'll correct the situation as soon as possible.  

Check out my Facebook Fanpage 
https://www.facebook.com/FansOfJulieC...

and my publisher's page for the TEMPEST SERIES

https://www.facebook.com/TempestSeries

Mark Perini, is a New York City based author debuting his first YA novel, Halfway Perfect. Additionally, Mark is a featured author in the upcoming anthology, 50 First Times.

Mark began his career as an international fashion model 8 years ago, while simultaneously obtaining a business degree from Seton Hall University. He has a passion for traveling the world, and he's made a blood pact with friends to see all seven ancient wonders of the world before he's thirty. Four down three to go.

Release Day Blast: Better When He's Bold by Jay Crownover @InkSlingerPR @JayCrownover

 

We are thrilled to be able to bring you the Release Day launch for BETTER WHEN HE’S BOLD by Jay Crownover! BETTER WHEN HE’S BOLD is a New Adult Contemporary Romance novel being published by HarperCollins, and it is the 2^nd book in The Point Series. This amazing book releases today!! Check it out below then grab your copy.

 

Amazon ** Barnes & Noble ** iBooks ** Kobo ** IndieBound ** Other

  About BETTER WHEN HE’S BOLD

 From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jay Crownover, comes the second book in a combustible new series, Welcome to the Point, that is sexier, darker, and better than ever. There’s a difference between a bad boy and a boy who is bad. . . . Welcome to the Point. In a dark and broken kingdom, a ruler has be fearless to control the streets and the ruthless people who run them. Race Hartman is just bold enough, just smart enough, and just lost enough to wear the crown. Places like The Point will always have bad things and bad people, but the man in control of all that badness can minimize the devastation. Race has a plan, but can he prevent total annihilation without destroying himself? Brysen Carter has always seen the real Race—a guy too pretty, too smooth, and way too dangerous. Basking in his golden glow is very tempting, but Brysen knows she’ll eventually get burned. She has enough problems without the risky danger and mayhem that comes with a guy like Race. Too bad Brysen faces a threat close to home that might be more dangerous than anything The Point has ever produced.. And the only person interested in keeping her safe is the one man she can’t allow herself to have. Sometimes being bold is the only way to stay alive. But can she let Race save her life . . . if it means losing herself to him?   Excerpt: I wheeled the Mustang into the compound and watched to make sure the gates swung closed behind us. The security lights flickered on overhead, casting her in an ethereal, bluish glow. Everything about her was refined and pure looking. God, I wanted to mess her up. I wanted my hands in her hair, my marks on her skin, and my taste in her mouth. I wanted her to look as rough as she made me feel on the inside. No one had ever riled me up like that before. Maybe because I was so used to just getting without having to ask, and Brysen never offered that to me. I always had to ask her what the next move was going to be, and her answers often surprised me. She was not a sure bet, and I think the challenge of that made her even more desirable. “The lengths we go to in order to keep our family safe, to do right by those we love, is often a weighty burden to bear.” I got out of the car and went around to let her out of the passenger side. When I pulled her up, I pressed her back into the side of the car with the full length of my body and bent down so that my mouth hovered enticingly over the plump ridge of hers. “I would do anything for Dovie, anything. I have done things for her that made me hate the man I had to be in order to do them, but it was in her best interest. I admire you being able to put your own life down and pick up a different one out of loyalty to your sister, but somewhere in there, you need to remember she’s going to have to learn to take care of herself. She’ll eventually have to admit that your parents are fucked and move on with her own life. Dovie found the one person in the world to love who has the ability to insulate her from anything the Point wants to throw at her. Your sister will eventually have to find her stability as well. She won’t need you forever.” I saw something flare deep in those cerulean eyes, a spark of pain, maybe of realization that I was right, but then it was gone and she was pressing up on her tiptoes and sealing her mouth over mine. I let my hands glide down her sides and fall under her backside. She had the nicest butt on any girl I had ever seen, the nicest body really. There was no end to all her curves and dips, and anywhere my hands decided to land, they were filled with firm and sexy flesh. The brief glimpse I had had of her out of her towel the last time we were this close together had been enough to burn out the image of any other female I might’ve seen naked in the last few years. All I could see was Brysen and her pretty, pale skin, her high breasts with perfectly pink nipples, and her most private of places that were just at elegant and alluring as the rest of her. She was a blond bombshell and I could feel my body urging me to stop playing around and finally seal the deal with her.    

And don’t miss the previous book in The Point Series!

BETTER WHEN HE’S BAD

About Jay Crownover: Jay Crownover is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men and The Point series. Like her characters, she is a big fan of tattoos. She loves music and wishes she could be a rock star, but since she has no aptitude for singing or instrument playing, she'll settle for writing stories with interesting characters that make the reader feel something. She lives in Colorado with her three dogs.      

Website ** Blog ** Facebook ** Twitter

BETTER WHEN HE’S BOLD Goodreads ** Jay Crownover Goodreads

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Book Blast: How (Not) To Fall in Love by Lisa Brown Roberts @LBrownRoberts @NereydaG1003 @entengledteen

How (Not) To Fall In Love

by Lisa Brown Roberts 

Release Date: 02/03/15

Entangled Teen

Summary from Goodreads:

Finding true love on the other side of the tracks was never so much fun in this heartfelt and hilarious contemporary novel.

Seventeen-year-old Darcy Covington doesn't know the difference between a pawn shop and a thrift shop. Even her dog eats gourmet food, so she’s totally unprepared when her car is repossessed from the parking lot of her elite private school. Turns out her father, a semi-famous motivational speaker, has skipped town, abandoning his family while his business collapses. Even David Letterman comes up with ten reasons why her father won’t ever return home.

Desperate to sell her expensive jewelry for much-needed cash, Darcy discovers that her dad’s brother runs a funky thrift shop on a street full of eccentric characters, including a coffee shop owner named Liz and one supremely hot fix-it guy named Lucas.

Darcy finds some solace hanging out with her uncle and Lucas in the thrift shop and working in Liz’s coffee shop, while the rest of her life falls apart. The time she spends with the uber hot Lucas helps takes her mind off her family’s troubles, even though she’s sure he’s only nice to her because he works for her uncle, especially when she meets the cover girl beauty she thinks he’s dating.

Can Darcy find the courage she needs to adapt to the necessary changes brought about by her family’s drastically reduced lifestyle? And will she open her eyes to the amazing realization that Lucas wants much more than friendship from her?

Pre-Order Links:

Amazon│Barnes & Noble│Kobo Books│iBooks

EXCERPT:

The tray slammed down, sending cups and plates clattering. I whirled to look at him. He bent over the counter, picking up the spilled cups, his hair hiding his face.

“Are you okay, Lucas?” I didn’t know what was happening, or understand the energy rolling off of him in waves. I could practically reach out and touch it.

He ignored me as he washed dishes in the sink.

“I used to think I was in love with him,” I said, surprised by my confession. “If you can believe it.”

Lucas stilled, then straightened and turned to look at me. “I can believe it. Girls are suckers for a pretty face.”

“You would know.” Oh my God. I’d said that out loud.

And I couldn’t take it back.

He watched me silently, waiting. I turned back to the counter, scrubbing hard, wishing I could erase my words the way I erased the coffee stains.

“But you’re over him,” Lucas said from behind me.

I nodded, but didn’t turn around. “There’s not much to be over,” I muttered. “He never really knew me. And he’s not very…aware of what other people are going through.”

Unlike you, I wanted to say, but this time I kept my mouth shut.

About the Author
Lisa Brown Roberts still hasn't recovered from the teenage trauma of nearly tweezing off both eyebrows and having to pencil them in for an entire school year. This and other angst-filled memories inspire her to write YA books about navigating life's painful and funny dramas, and falling in love along the way.

Her almost forever home is Colorado, though she occasionally pines for the days when she lived within walking distance of the Pacific Ocean. Her house is full of books, boys, several four-legged prima donnas, and lots of laughter. 

Author Links:

   

GIVEAWAY:
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Blog Tour: Eleven Weeks by Lauren K. McKellar @LaurenKMcKellar @NereydaG1003

Welcome to The Cover Contessa's stop on the Eleven Weeks blog tour!

Eleven Weeks (Crazy in Love #2)

by Lauren K. McKellar 

Release Date: 01/2015

Summary from Goodreads:

Seven shots

Five siblings

Two boys

One heartbeat …

***

Stacey is good at pretending.

She pretends that the boy she's in love with doesn't exist.

She pretends that she's happy to live and die in this small town.

She pretends that her life is carefree while her best friend's life crumbles before her very eyes.

But Stacey's got a secret ...

And it's going to ruin everything.

Amazon│Barnes & Noble│Kobo Books

Links to Book One – The Problem With Crazy:

Goodreads│Amazon│Barnes & Noble│Kobo Books

Writing Playlist

Fact: I’m not mad on listening to music while I’m writing. I find I get too excited, too caught up in the song, and next thing you know, I am belting that sucker out at the top of my lungs while I interpretive dance through the living room, with my two dogs looking at me like I’m a crazy person.*

Having said that, before I write a certain scene, or if I’m in a bit of a mood before I put pen to paper, I will listen to a tune to help me get in the mood! Here are some of the songs on my playlist while I wrote Eleven Weeks:

“Shake It Off” – Taylor Swift

“Coffee & Cigarettes” – Jimmy Eat World

“One Headlight” – The Wallflowers

“Ta Douleur” – Camille

“Talk is Cheap” – Chet Faker

“Home” – Edward Sharp and the Magnetic Zeros

These songs all had the right mix of happy and emotional to make me feel I could get words on the page, and hopefully, if you read the book, you’ll feel what I did while listening to those songs, too!

*Dogs may be right.

Lauren K. McKellar is an author and editor. Her debut novel, Finding Home, was released through Escape Publishing on October 1, 2013, and her second release, NA Contemporary Romance The Problem With Crazy, is self-published, and is available now. She loves books that evoke emotion, and hope hers make you feel.

Lauren lives by the beach in Australia with her husband and their two dogs. Most of the time, all three of them are well behaved.

Author Links:

Website│Goodreads│Twitter│Facebook

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ARC Review: Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard @harperteen

Blurb: The poverty stricken Reds are commoners, living under the rule of the Silvers, elite warriors with god-like powers.

To Mare Barrow, a 17-year-old Red girl from The Stilts, it looks like nothing will ever change.

Mare finds herself working in the Silver Palace, at the centre of
those she hates the most. She quickly discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy Silver control.

But power is a dangerous game. And in this world divided by blood, who will win? 

Title: Red Queen Red Queen #1)
Author: Victoria Aveyard
Publisher: HarperTeen
Expected Publication Date: 2/10/2015

Brooke's Review:

I want to thank Harper Teen for providing me with an early copy of this book to read and give an honest review. Receiving this book for free has in no way altered my opinion or review.

I had very high expectations for this book. First of all, the blurb drew me right in. It's dystopian but it has that slight fantasy/sci-fi feel? BOO YA! Then all my friends were reading it and loving it. And finally, that COVER! Wow! So simple yet still has so much power to it! So you can imagine I was really excited to read this book!

Mare is a red. She has no privilege, like the silvers. She's expect to work or to serve in the war. There is no in between. She's seen her brothers do it, and now it's encroaching on her turn.  I liked Mare's character well enough. She was very focused on family and keeping them sage and happy. I can connect with this. I will say that she had a bit too much angst in the romance department for me. I like that Mare has a special power that others. It made her interesting and different. What I didn't like was that she knew nothing of it until she got a job in the palace. You mean to tell me in all her 17 years she's never had a time when her powers might have shown? I found that hard to believe. Of course, there's more to her power and how it blurs the line between red and silver, but I won't get into that so as not to be spoilery.

Let's talk a bit about the male characters who gave Mare a run for her romance money. I didn't connect with any of them. None of them made me feel like they really were right for Mare. Two prince vying for her attention plus her best friend at home. A love QUADRANGLE if you will.I didn't feel her connection with any of them. And to be honest, I think the romance could have been left out all together. It dragged the story line down for me. And it didn't help that even though we do see the one person Mare focuses on in the story, she still is drawn to the others. So it's not concrete enough for me. Like it's left open enough just in case things happen, she can turn to another.

Then there's her teacher/tutor/mentor Julian. I really liked him, a lot. I wanted more of him. I really hope we end up with more than what we got in this one. He definitely filled that fatherly role for Mare when she wasn't at home.

This plot is very story driven. This quite a bit of world building and background that the author chooses to reveal. But it's not quite enough for me. I don't see how the world works completely, or how it really came to be. All of it important to understanding what is actually going on between the reds and silvers. I will say there are a few plot points that are original, but I also felt a lot of plot points that I've read in so many other books. The originality was right there, but then it wasn't. I had mixed feelings about this. I know that sometimes certain elements are just going to fit, but I was really wanting to see this take turns I hadn't seen anywhere else. The plot does focus on politics and lies and has a bit of mystery and intrigue wound in. It kept my interest for sure. And there is that rebellion factor and the group who is going to fight the powers that be to try and win. I like it and I'm intrigued to see how they set about doing it.

Unfortunately, this book had a bit of a predictability factor for me. I figured out early on who was not to be trusted and I was right. I also figured out the big twist at the end, or at least had an inkling about it. I wanted to be more surprised by things. I needed a bit more originality for that wow factor to happen for me.

The writing was very good. It flowed well and there was never a time when I felt like information was being dumped. I was never bored.

Overall I liked the book enough to say I will move on to the next one so I can see what happens, but it wasn't anything that I haven't really read before. I don't think this will appeal to fantasy fans, but will more than likely be something fans of dystopia enjoy.


I'm a screenwriter/YA author who likes books and lists. This site is the nexus of my universe.

My book RED QUEEN will be published Winter 2015 from HarperTeen at HarperCollins. I'm repped by the incomparable Suzie Townsend at New Leaf Literary & Media, Inc. 

The genres I'm into include YA, Fantasy, Historical, Adventure, Apocalyptic - if people are dying, I'm buying.