Dystopian Giveaway Hop!

November 1st to 7th

Hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer & My Shelf Confessions

This hop features Dystopian Novels.  One winner gets to choose an e-book of their choice from the ones below.

Enter by using the Rafflecopter below!

And don't forget to hop on to the other blogs on the hop!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Living In The Dark Cover Reveal!

We have author, Rebekah Campbell with us today to talk about the cover reveal and the release of her new novel!

The intriguing LIVING IN THE DARK

Here we go;

It's today, it is actually today. How is that possible? How has today come around so quickly?! I know that time flies when you're having fun but SHUT THE FRONT DOOR. That's unbelievable. You're probably wondering what the heck I'm chuntering on about. Well, I'll tell you. Today I reveal the cover of my debut book, Living in the Dark! *thud* That was the sound of me throwing myself on the ground at how bizarre it sounds. I can never thank Claudia and Ashley enough for their superhuman powers when it comes to book covers. It's like they knew exactly what I pictured, sprinkled a bit of pixie dust and shazzam:

Look at my precious....I'd like to hug it...... Anyway, back on track, here is the blurb:

"Experiences can make us or break us and it's no different for sixteen-year-old, Emily. 

Living under the roof of her abusive Uncle, Emily is brutally attacked by a gang and wakes up from a coma with no recollection of the accident.

As the amnesia starts to clear, Emily realises that her memory is not the only thing coming back to her from the accident. There's also a wild, angry power that she has to control before it destroys her and everyone else. 

So the question remains: Will Experience make her or break her?"

Music is also a major part of my life and it was only inevitable that I created a soundtrack for this book. A couple of tracks describe the characters, and the rest describe what happens with the plot. It's a definite mish-mash of musical genres but it makes my heart happy. :)

Living in the Dark will be published Friday 9th November (eeeeek!) for kindle, nook etc. The paperback version should hopefully be ready the week after. For now you can find it on Goodreads, right here. Anyone fancy jumping about like a complete loon?

Reached by Ally Condie: TEN signed copies giveaway!

Hey, guys!

I am happy to announce that Shelf Awareness are giving away 10 signed copies of:

REACHED

Ally Condie's most anticipated book of the year!

The gripping conclusion to the New York Times bestselling trilogy!

You can enter right here (please use the link directly):

http://apps.shelf-awareness.com/signup/28/21522

Review: Resistance (SOTS #2) by Stephanie Judice

Name of book: Resistance (Saga of The Setti #2)
Author: Stephanie Judice
Publication: October 15th 2012 by Studiokae Publisher
Genre: YA Paranormal
Source: Provided by the kind author...

The world is covered in darkness. A constant gray pall reminds the Setti that reapers are still here—watching, waiting, hunting. Gabe, Clara, and their clan must leave the relative safety of Beau Chêne, Louisiana, in order to train with others gathering in the north. No one knows what lurks when night falls. Yet, Gabe and Clara both know that they must chance the danger in order to fulfill a dark destiny.

While Gabe grows in confidence, Clara begins to doubt everything, including her feelings for Gabe. Looming between them is a growing chasm. Clara’s constant defiance against Gabe begins to sever the bond between them. New clansman and fellow Guardian, Michael, steps in all too willingly to take Gabe’s place as her confidant and more. Good-looking and self-assured, Clara finds his charms difficult to resist. She wonders why she should resist at all.

Jessie, now a shadow scout, defies the reapers’ malevolent power. She reaches out to Clara, yearning for the impossible—to be free of the reapers’ enslavement.

Beyond Clara’s battle to save a lost loved one and to keep Gabe close to her heart, another threat stirs, whispering to Clara in the dark. Something evil hunts her. Will she listen to the one who calls to her in nightmares and eventually finds her in the flesh? Will she succumb to his will or will she cling to her human soul and her human heart?

-- My Rating --

-- My Thoughts --

     Wow. The first sentence that formed in my mind after reading this book was:

I am speechless. 

     I was, truly, perfectly, and utterly speechless. Stephanie Judice turned my heart into an elastic rubber band. With every page of the book, she stretched it, coiled it, tore it apart. Finally, she fixed it and put it back together inside me. She had me so under her spell that while reading, I wanted to scroll down to another page, but it wasn't working, I patted the mouse a hundred times but it didn't work. Then, I looked up and realized that I was at the last page, I didn't even notice how quick I was turning the pages.

" Warning: If you haven't read Rising (see my review here) then this might contain minor spoilers... Read at your own risk!"

     In this book, we are thrust back into Clara and Gabe's world. They are on a road trip to find the other Setti clans, so they can gather in New York, and train to fight the monsters. On their journey, they find two other clans. Since Clara left her home town, she has been insecure, afraid of something inside her that she didn't even know existed. At the same time, Gabe grows more and more confident and his abilities get stronger. They start pulling apart from each other, little by little. 

     Clara thinks that Gabe cannot understand her. So she makes friends with one of the members of another Setti clan. Michael is captivating, alluring, and gorgeous. He is everything Clara should stay away from, but with everything going wrong, why should she resist anyway?

     Will Clara and Gabe put down the wall between them? Will they be able to defeat the monsters by the help of the other Setti clans? 

The monsters are here! 

The Setti are putting up Resistance...

     I LOVED this book.  EVERY single part of it. I can lengthen my review to a hundred pages if I want to describe all the great things in this book. Stephanie Judice is one of my favorite authors of all time, and believe me, she is such a wonderful and friendly person,  I ADORE her! She really puts her heart into the story, you can feel every single thing that the characters feel.

     In the first book, the characters were dealing with the apocalypse, but in this one, they are learning to fight it. So the tension and the fear are evident throughout the book. This book broke my heart a thousand times but it also gave me hope to go through the thousand heartbreaks and still want to continue reading.

     I assure you -with every fiber of my being- that the Saga of the Setti will be one of the best series YOU will ever read. It has something for everyone, and you will never hear of someone being disappointed after reading it. i just cannot stop biting my nails while waiting for the next book. 

Please, Ms. Stephanie, hurry up! Please! 

P.S. Now, that I have experienced it: the best way to describe my situation after reading this book is:

Book Hangover!

Review: Legacies by Mercedes Lackey & Rosemary Edghill

Name of book: Legacies (Shadow Grail #1)
Author(s): Mercedes Lackey & Rosemary Edghill
Publication:  July 6th 2010 by Tor Teen
Genre: YA Paranormal
Source: E-book Owned

Spirit White has survived from a deadly car crash that has killed her mother and father and her sister. She has been discovered by a school with special talents, called magic. A couple of months after staying, people begin to disappear, some vanish to be never seen again, so Spirit and her new friends begin the investigation. But will they find out the truth of what is going on? Or will Spirit and her friends suffer a terrible fate from which they don't know about yet?

-- My Rating --

-- My Thoughts --

     I LOVED the cover of this book, it drew me right into the story. I admit it, I haven't read the blurb, yet. But I dove blindly into this one, and I don't regret a second spent reading this wonderful work of art!

     Spirit (don't you just ADORE her name!) had loving parents, and a wonderful sister, but she didn't appreciate it. Until the day they were all taken away from her by a car crush. Spirit saw something on the road before the car crushed, it was something dark, unimaginable, and she was sure that no one would believe her if she described it.

     So Spirit hides away in her world on a hospital bed, until an organization, called Oakhurst take her to their mansion (private school). But teaching in Oakhurst isn't about History and Biology only, it's also about magic. Every student in Oakhurst is a mage from one of the different element schools. Still, Spirit makes many new friends, the mysterious Loch, the adorable Burke, the sweet Addie, and the sarcastic Muirin. But Oakhurst isn't all fun and magic, there is something sinister going on. Suddenly, students are disappearing and nobody knows why.

     What was the creature on the road when Spirit had the accident? Who is abducting the Oakhurst students? What is Spirit's school of magic? And can she be able to trust anyone in the school? Find out much more in this action-packed, thrilling, and magical adventure, Legacies..

     I liked this book soooo much! Ok, so I have read quite a few books about magic, but what surprises me is; every magic-related book is different from the other. They all take very different turns and work on specific aspects. I have loved every one of them! And this book was no exception! I don't know how the two authors blended their writing together, since it's in third person,  but it was perfect and spotless!

      The main characters are all three-dimensional, with back-stories and all. But my favorites were Spirit and Burke, I would love to see them as a couple! Lacey and Edghill did a great job at creating a mystery filled with intrigue. Even though half way through the book, we know who the villains are (kind of...) , it's still lovely and exhilarating.

Character Quest: Gabe's "swoon" Interview!

We have come to our 7th and final day of the Resistance Character Quest. For our final day, we are welcoming Gabe to the blog!

Gabe's Bio: Vanquisher in Homer’s clan, Gabe is a compassionate, giving leader, but sometimes brooding and introspective. While leadership is a natural role for him, he sometimes longs to be the one who is taken care of.

Welcome, Gabe. Glad to have you here to SUBDUE our snooping minds! Let's get down to the nitty gritty of it all...

What’s your favorite book?

1984 by George Orwell. My favorite short story is “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut. Funny, I was always drawn to dystopian stories in high school, and now look where I’m at.

What worries you most these days?

Never getting rid of the reapers, never getting back to normal, never getting back home. But mostly, losing those I care about.

What do you like most about Clara? Least?

What I like most? Her smile, her honesty, her eyes. The way she bites her lip when she’s thinking about something.

Least? When she closes herself off to me. I can’t help her when she pushes me away. Sometimes, I wish I was a Tracer like Homer so I could just talk to her directly mind-to-mind. I wonder if she could block me out then. Hmmm…that’s something I’ll have to ask Homer.

In your Setti clan, who is the most difficult to live with and why?

Well, no one is really difficult, but Ben snores really loud sometimes. Honestly, I’m probably the most difficult because I tend to always think I’m right about things. (Of course, that’s because I usually am.)

What’s a quote that would represent your life right now?

“Faithless is he who says farewell when the road darkens.” J.R.R. Tolkien

Thanks so much for stopping by and chatting with us today, Gabe. It's been great having you here!

If you would like to purchase a copy of Resistance, click on one of the following links: Amazon, Barnes and Noble


We would like to take this opportunity to thank the author, Stephanie Judice, for allowing us to delve deeper into the minds of her characters. It has been a wonderful experience getting to know them. We cannot wait to learn more and more about them throughout this series!

If you'd like to add Stephanie's Books to your Goodreads list, click on the links below:
Rising
Resistance
If you'd like to stalk Stephanie, click on the links below:
Stephanie on Goodreads
Stephanie Judice's Fan Site on Goodreads
Stephanie on Twitter
Saga of the Setti on Facebook
Stephanie's Blog

I'd also like to take the opportunity to thanks all the blogs that participated in this great event, as well as all the Facebookers and Tweeters! It's been a great experience working with you all! Please visit thes other blogs to show your support:

1.      Brooke DelVecchio The Cover Contessa: http://thecovercontessa.blogspot.com/

2.      Rebekah Campbell Reflections of a Bookworm: http://reflectivebookworm.blogspot.com/

3.      Amanda Cowley Blog: http://amandaleighcowley.blogspot.com/

4.      Christina M Condy  Blog: http://www.recentread.com/

5.      Bethany/YA Vixens: http://yavixens.blogspot.com

6.      Rhomy Blog: http://iknowthatbook.wordpress.com/

7.      Soma/ Insomnia of Books  Blog: http://insomnia-of-books.blogspot.com/

8.      Marni Jarman/Word to Dreams: http://wordtodreams.blogspot.com/p/contact-me.html

9.      Helena Ison/Accepted Wisdom: http://icanonlybehele3.blogspot.com

10.   Stephanie Judice/ A Writer’s Rest Stop: http://stephaniejudice.blogspot.com/ 

Character Quest: Sonya's Interview!

Welcome to day #6 of the Resistance Character Quest. We hope you are all finding our bios and questions interesting and enlightening. Today we are privileged to welcome Sonya to the blog.

Sonya's Bio: Vanquisher for Herrald’s clan. There is no one who will tell you like it is the way Sonya will—whether you like it or not. She’s strong-willed almost to a fault. Jeremy’s nickname for her is “she-cat.” And she totally deserves it.

It's so great to have you with us here today, Sonya! We're glad you stopped by to QUELL our inquisitive minds! On with our interview...

 What is your favorite movie?

Kill Bill by Quentin Tarantino. Uma Thurman kicks ass in that movie. So cool.

What is a special childhood memory?

Well, I certainly don’t divulge this kind of information often, but I’ll be honest with you. My favorite childhood memory was Christmas when I was 9 years old. My dad was on tour in Afghanistan, and I knew he wouldn’t be home in time. Still, I also knew that he would send me something special. That morning, it was just Mom, Grandpaw and me. I kept opening presents, every time hoping it was the special one from Dad. After opening everything under the tree, Mom finally gave me a small, red-wrapped package the size of a jewelry box.

The way my mom smiled with tears in her eyes, I knew this was the one. But what could it be? The box was so light. My dad knew I didn’t care for jewelry, not really. I’ve always been a bit of a tomboy. Very excited, I unwrapped it and opened the box gently. Inside, there was a small, square sheet of paper. In my dad’s handwriting, it said, “I love you, Buttercup.  Look outside.”

I ran to the window and pushed opened the curtains. There in the middle of the front yard was my dad, beaming from ear to ear with a giant red ribbon wrapped around him. Needless to say, it was a happy reunion—the best Christmas ever.

(If you tell any of the others my nickname was ‘Buttercup,’ I might have to kill you.)

 In your clan, who is the easiest to get along with?

That’s easy. Hannah. Sometimes I think she should’ve been a Healer. She’s got that serene, giving spirit, like an angel or something. Sooooooo not like me. Nice to have her around though.

Do you like to sing and dance?

Sing? Uh, no. Never. But I like to dance, or at least I used to. My best friend Jenny and I used to hang out at the top of the bleachers with the band during football games and dance right alongside them. That was so much fun. Wow. I haven’t thought about that in a long time. Feels like years ago, not months.

 What’s a quote that would represent your philosophy on life?

“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.” By Dr. Seuss. I’ve always been one to do and say what I mean and what I feel. Sometimes, I piss people off, but whatever. Like the quote says, those people don’t matter. I am who I am. No apologies.

Thanks so much for stopping by and letting us into your world a bit, Sonya, it was great having you here!

If you'd like to purchase a copy of Resistance, click on one of the following links: Amazon, Barnes and Noble

Tomorrow we are excited to welcome Gabe to the blog. So come back and join us for our final day of Character Quest with these wonderful characters from Resistance.
Please visit these other blogs to show your support:

1.      Brooke DelVecchio The Cover Contessa: http://thecovercontessa.blogspot.com/

2.      Rebekah Campbell Reflections of a Bookworm: http://reflectivebookworm.blogspot.com/

3.      Amanda Cowley Blog: http://amandaleighcowley.blogspot.com/

4.      Christina M Condy  Blog: http://www.recentread.com/

5.      Bethany/YA Vixens: http://yavixens.blogspot.com

6. Rhomy Blog: http://iknowthatbook.wordpress.com/

7.      Soma/ Insomnia of Books  Blog: http://insomnia-of-books.blogspot.com/

8.      Marni Jarman/Word to Dreams: http://wordtodreams.blogspot.com/p/contact-me.html

9.      Helena Ison/Accepted Wisdom: http://icanonlybehele3.blogspot.com

10.   Stephanie Judice/ A Writer’s Rest Stop: http://stephaniejudice.blogspot.com/ 

Character Quest: Michael's Interview!

Today we're moving on the day #5 of the Resistance Character Quest. We're gonna be having a little chat with Michael today!

Michael's Bio:  Guardian for Herrald’s clan, there is one word that describes Michael—confident. Some might say he’s cocky, but he doesn’t think so. A motto he lives by? “Know what you want in life then go for it.”

It's so great to have you stop by here today, Michael. We want to welcome you and hope you can break the BUBBLE of curiosity we hold about you! On with our questions!

What’s your favorite book?

Well, I’m not a big reader, but our English teacher once made us read Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. That story has always stuck with me. Jean Valjean was a good guy, but was corrupted by a cruel world, becoming sort of heartless after a 19-year stint in prison for stealing a loaf of bread. When he finally leaves prison, one man teaches him that anyone can change from bad to good, from darkness to light. Valjean ends up doing just that. I love this kind of story. I have to believe that there is redemption for anyone, no matter what dark path they are on.


What do you miss most about high school?

I miss football the most—the guys, my coaches, my best friend, Daniel. There was something about being on that field with my offensive line, calling out plays in the huddle, hearing the crowds in the stands and the coaches calling from the sidelines that made sense to me. Everything was simpler, easier to figure out. Now, the world’s upside-down and we don’t know what’ll happen from one day to the next.


What’s a quote that would represent your life right now?

I remember this guy reciting a monologue from Henry V on Speech Night the very week before the Reapers came. His words are constantly in my head. Well, I guess they’re actually Shakespeare’s words. He said, “From this day to the ending of the world, we in it shall be remembered. We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; for he today that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother.”

Yeah, that’s how I feel these days, but it goes for the girls, too. I feel tied to the Setti. We’re in this together till the end.

What is a special childhood memory?

Daniel has been my best friend since 1st grade. Even then he was a big kid. He’s always been the big kid. He’s also always been the nice guy. Well, Daniel and I lived about a block apart. When we were in 5th grade, I remember there was this middle-school bully that lived in a house between ours. What was his name, Gary or Jerry, something like that.

One day, I was waiting for Daniel to meet me at my house, and he was taking forever. So I got on my bike and rode after him. Halfway there, I see Gary what’s-his-face with two other scrawny kids surrounding Daniel, throwing globs of dirt at him. Daniel’s just standing there, taking it, even though he was bigger than all of them.

So I rush into the circle, pushing one of the kids to the ground and asked Daniel what was going on. He sort of whispered that his mom told him it was bad to fight. I told him there was always a time to fight and this was that time. It was like a light went off. Daniel pushed skinny kid #2 to the ground then punched Gary right in the nose. Gary squealed like a girl and ran off.

That might seem odd to define a “special childhood memory,” but I’m fond of it, because it was the day Daniel stood up for himself and never looked back. Yes, he was still the nice guy, but no one tried to pick on the “big guy” after that.


What draws you to Clara? Do you think she feels the same?

What’s not to draw me? Number one, there’s undeniable chemistry between us. She’s hot, and well, she seems to like what she sees in me. It’s kind of obvious the way she looks at me all the time. Number two, we’re both Guardians. We just fit in every way.

And yes, she definitely feels the same way. No doubt.

Michael your answers to these questions were certainly enlightening! Thanks so much for stopping by and spending time with us!

If you'd like to purchase a copy of Resistance, click on one of the following links: Amazon, Barnes and Noble

Stop by tomorrow to meet and hear all about Sonya!
Please visit these other blogs to show your support:

1.      Brooke DelVecchio The Cover Contessa: http://thecovercontessa.blogspot.com/

2.      Rebekah Campbell Reflections of a Bookworm: http://reflectivebookworm.blogspot.com/

3.      Amanda Cowley Blog: http://amandaleighcowley.blogspot.com/

4.      Christina M Condy  Blog: http://www.recentread.com/

5.      Bethany/YA Vixens: http://yavixens.blogspot.com

6.      Rhomy Blog: http://iknowthatbook.wordpress.com/

7.      Soma/ Insomnia of Books  Blog: http://insomnia-of-books.blogspot.com/

8.      Marni Jarman/Word to Dreams: http://wordtodreams.blogspot.com/p/contact-me.html

9.      Helena Ison/Accepted Wisdom: http://icanonlybehele3.blogspot.com

10.   Stephanie Judice/ A Writer’s Rest Stop: http://stephaniejudice.blogspot.com/ 

Character Quest: Jeremy's Interview

It's day #4 of the Resistance Character Quest. We hope you're enjoying getting to know these characters! Today we're gonna hear a bit about Jeremey!

Jeremy's Bio: Sounder for Homer’s clan. Jeremy is calm, cool, and confident.  And, yes, he knows it. His favorite hobbies besides listening to his iPod? Annoying Ben and teasing Clara. Something no one really knows about him? He loves playing the piano.

So excited to have you with us today, Jeremy! Welcome! I hope you have a BLAST answering our questions! Let's get down to them....

What do you miss most about life before the Reapers came?

Let’s see, I hated school, so I didn’t miss much there. Except maybe art class. That was cool. I hated my home-life, so not much to miss there. I know my parents weren’t much of parents, but I do hope they made it out okay. (I doubt it though, so I don’t like to think about that.)

I’d say the only thing I really miss is downloading new songs to iTunes and listening to my favorite bands’ new music. I mean, the idea of no new music being created is driving me crazy! Is this it? Will there be nothing else? That’s insane to think about. We’ve gotta do something about that.

If you could have any three people from history over to dinner, who would it be?

Beethoven, Napoleon Bonaparte, and Amy Lee. Dude, that would be so awesome! Napoleon could tell us stories about fighting in battles and all that, Beethoven could compose music for it, and Amy could sing while I play the piano. Cool, right? I mean, I’ve always wanted to know if Napoleon really was as short as they say he was. I think history experts just make up a lot of stuff. History books are probably full of just made-up opinions by some stuck-up professor somewhere along the line.

I’d bet my iPod that Beethoven was probably a Sounder, too. I just really wanna know. And, why Amy Lee? Have you seen the woman? Have you listened to her? She’s got a set of pipes that light me on fire. If Beethoven and Napoleon stand me up, that’s fine by me. Amy and I will just have a candlelight dinner for two.

What is your most embarrassing moment?

Don’t have one. I don’t get embarrassed.

In your Setti clan, who is the most difficult to live with and why?

Melanie is by far the most difficult. She’s gotta have everything in order and in its place. It’s like living with Mary Poppins or something. I mean, who really cares if there are socks on the floor or Ding-Dong wrappers in the car?

What’s a quote that would represent your philosophy on life?

“Now remember, things look bad and it looks like you’re not gonna make it, then you gotta get mean. I mean plumb, mad-dog mean. ‘Cause if you lose your head and you give up then you neither live nor win. That’s just the way it is.” That’s Clint Eastwood in Outlaw Josie Wales, one of the greatest movies ever made. Next to the Star Wars movies, of course

And you can’t forget Obi-Wan Kenobi’s advice: “May the force be with you.” Don’t ever lose the force, dude.

Thanks so much for coming by and chatting with us today, Jeremy. It's been really great learning a bit more about you!

If you'd like to purchase a copy of Resistance, click on these links: Amazon, Barnes and Noble

We're excited to welcome Michael here tomorrow to answer some of our questions! Stop by to see what he has to say!

Please visit these other blogs to show your support:

1.      Brooke DelVecchio The Cover Contessa: http://thecovercontessa.blogspot.com/

2.      Rebekah Campbell Reflections of a Bookworm: http://reflectivebookworm.blogspot.com/

3.      Amanda Cowley Blog: http://amandaleighcowley.blogspot.com/

4.      Christina M Condy  Blog: http://www.recentread.com/

5.      Bethany/YA Vixens: http://yavixens.blogspot.com

6.      Rhomy Blog: http://iknowthatbook.wordpress.com/

7.      Soma/ Insomnia of Books  Blog: http://insomnia-of-books.blogspot.com/

8.      Marni Jarman/Word to Dreams: http://wordtodreams.blogspot.com/p/contact-me.html

9.      Helena Ison/Accepted Wisdom: http://icanonlybehele3.blogspot.com

10.   Stephanie Judice/ A Writer’s Rest Stop: http://stephaniejudice.blogspot.com/