seNsational summer blog tour -- Katlyn Duncan

 

Today I'm really excited to host Katlyn Duncan, the author of Soul Taken here on the blog. This cover just makes me tingle all over, it's sooo pretty! For a chance to win Amazon Gift Card worth US$ 20 from the author, the rafflecopter is located at the end of this post.

Soul Taken by Katlyn Duncan

Release date: June 4, 2013, Carina UK

Genre: YA Paranormal

ISBN: 978-1-472-01709-3

Summary: After-life just got a lot more complicated

Maggie is a Soul Collector. It’s her job to transport souls from the Living Realm to the After – but during a mission to find a stolen soul, she ends up stuck in a teen mean girl’s body.

Trapped, Maggie’s soul is catapulted into Ally’s life – and the human world she hasn’t experienced for one hundred years. But, as a descendant of the most powerful beings in the After, Maggie must rescue Ally before the girl’s soul dies…

To survive, Maggie must uncover devastating secrets – because with one soul taken by a terrifying enemy, Maggie’s could be next!
   
Excerpt:

I knelt down again next to Ally and reached out to touch her skin. Even though the sensation was unpleasant, I could feel her pulse as it rapidly declined.
"No," I moaned. I looked up again to see if any of the Guard could help, but no one was around.
I looked back down at Ally. Her face was paling by the second. My soul started to tingle. I leaned closer to her body, reaching my hand out to touch her face again, when her arm moved toward mine.
I jumped back.
Heather pushed through the crowd. “Did she just move? Did I see her move?” Streaks of black mascara ran down her cheeks.
A ringing sensation tickled my ear and I tuned in to the True Soul’s presence. I looked at each human. The True Soul was close, but who had it? They all seemed equally shocked at the tragedy.
An uncomfortable pressure in my chest drew me closer to her body. My soul slanted toward hers until I was practically on top of her. I helplessly watched my hand morph and stretch toward her body.
"What the—?” I tried to pull back but the strength of whatever was happening had other ideas. My hand disappeared first, then my arm, then my torso.
But before I could call for help, my world went dark. 

Buy Links

Mills & Boon Kindle US Kindle UK Nook UK Kobo Google Play Sony Diesel ebooks  iBooks US
iBooks UK

Add Soul Taken on Goodreads

 About the Author

Katlyn Duncan was born and raised in a small town in western Massachusetts. Her overactive imagination involved invisible friends, wanting to be a Disney Princess and making up her own stories. Her bibliophile mom always encouraged her love of reading and that stayed with her since. Even though she works full time in the medical field Katlyn has always made time for books, whether she is reading or writing them.

Katlyn now lives in southern Connecticut with her husband and adorable Wheaten Terrier and she is thrilled to finally share her stories with the world.




Contact Links
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Google+ | Goodreads | Carina UK

Interview with Katyln

Tell us a bit about Soul Taken. How did you come up with the idea. Did you plot or let the story tell itself?

Soul Taken is quite a different story compared to what I submitted initially. The idea came to me one day as a question then I explored it for about four drafts. When I was offered a three-book deal I had to narrow the scope of the story to tell the first part to get the ball rolling for readers.

I didn’t plot the first few drafts since I was just doing it for fun. I did a general outline after deciding on what story was to be told, but it was a very loose outline. When writing the second in the series, Soul Possessed, I created a more detailed outline, which is very helpful for me.

I know that when I am writing, I can’t help but put a little bit of myself, say a quality in a character. Does Maggie have some of your characters traits or quirks or is she modelled after anyone in particular?

Maggie came to me fully formed and she just happens to share a few of my physical qualities (blue eye and brunette hair) but I don’t see her as me, not at all. Her personality is a lot different from mine and she is quite an extrovert while I am not. We do share a love for cemeteries though.

If I would cast her in a movie, Sarah Hyland from Modern Family comes to mind. Adorable yet feisty with strength behind her eyes.

 If you were to choose a song to describe Soul Taken which one would it be?

I do have a playlist for my main characters which get me in the mood for writing but for the overall story I feel that “Moonlight Sonata: Adagio “ encompasses the whole story for me. It’s eerie enough to tell you to stay on your toes the whole time, which is what I wanted for my readers.

Do you have upcoming projects you would like to share with us?

I am currently working on the second book in The Life After trilogy, Soul Possessed, which should be out this fall.

Music or books?

Books! Hands down.

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What's up Wednesday

Welcome to  What's Up Wednesday, a weekly meme started by Jaime Morrow and Erin Funk. If you'd like to join this fun meme, please head over to Jaime's blog to sign in the linky list. :)   


What I'm reading:

I finished reading  Sara V. Old's

All I can say is READ this book! It's YA contemporary romance, and the protagonist is so funny and snarky. Completely refreshing. I really enjoyed being inside her head for the 200 something pages. Plus the guys *swoon*!

I'm currently reading: 

 and 

I'm enjoying the stories so far.

What I'm writing:

I submitted the sequel for Truly Madly Deeply You to Inkspell Publishing, and sent Homecoming to my editor last week. YAY!

Right now I am revising my NA/Adult contemporary romance, A Need so Insatiable, and really wanted to share with you a snippet. I'm really loving this project. I met my goal revising about 10 pages per a day. For the coming week, I'll keep the same goal--1o pages per day. :)




 So, here we go! :) Enjoy.


Pasting a smile of my face, I swivel on the stool to face Lilli, and freeze. My hands clutch the edge of the kitchen counter to stop myself from grabbing the crochet afghan on the sofa and covering her. Plus the challenging glare in her eyes has me rooted on the spot.

I scan her new dressing code, trying not wither under her glower.

Her boobs are almost spilling out of the purple shirt which, I’m sure is two sizes smaller, barely covering her torso. The skirt is so tiny if I was to tilt my head, I’ll catch a glimpse of her underwear. And dear God, how will she manage to walk on those stilts without twisting her ankles?

I try not to choke on my own breath as I gulp for air.

Enough is enough. I’ve let things go too far, making up excuses for her behavior. I keep telling myself things will get better with us. With our situation.

That she will eventually stop hurting from Dad's death.

I hop from the stool and dash upstairs, grab a pair of black jeans from her room. By the time I race back, she’s already perched on the stool I vacated, and pouring milk in her bowl of cornflakes.

“You’re not leaving the house looking like that, Lilli.”

She tilts her hear to face me, reminding me of a cobra about to strike. “Says who?”

“Me.” I clench my jaw so hard I feel the teeth at the back of my mouth crack. “I’m telling you.”

She laughs, but not the kind of laugh that might inspire kittens to roll on their back or purr. “Last time I checked you were not my mother.”

My fingers clench around the course fabric in my hands. “I am your legal guardian. I’m your sister, and if that isn’t enough for you, tough love, baby. As long as you’re living under this roof, you will do as I say.”

Wow. I sound like my grandmother and that’s not shudder-worthy or anything.

I fist my hands to stop them from shaking.

Lilli shoves a spoonful of cornflakes in her mouth, chews very slowly then swallows. She flashes her teeth at me, white against the ultra red lipstick. “You can’t make me, Soph.”

Lord, just give me strength. “I know someone who can, though.” She shoves another spoonful inside her mouth, then lifts one brow. “Grandma Louise.”

Her face pales under all the layers of foundation and face powder.

Satisfaction courses through my veins like vintage wine, then sizzles as I watch that façade of hers crumble. She lowers her gaze. Her bottom lip trembles as she swirls the contents in the bowl in front of her.

Crap! Crap! Crap.

“Look, Lilli,” I say, moving to stand next to her. I lift my hand to touch her, but when she stiffens, I drop it to my side. Hope is the only thing that stops my heart from splitting in two.

“Things don’t have to be like this between us. I miss you. I miss Mom and Dad as well. I’m really trying here, can’t you just give me a break?”


What inspires me right now?

 Pinterest. I've had a Pinterest account for a while now, but I tend to avoid it especially when I'm revising because I get distracted very easily. Three days ago, I was having a problem with a particular scene in A Needs so Insatiable, and decided to browse Pinterest just for fun. Five minutes later, I found a photo that literally knocked my socks off. All I can say is, Pinterest rocks! :)


What else I've been up to:

I'm spending  more time with my kiddies. The deadline to move out of the flat we are currently living in is end of next week. I've been dilly-dallying with this move, it's not funny..hehe I guess after living in a place for about ten years, I'm attached to it.

How about you? What have you been upto?

Liebster Award

Two weeks ago, the lovely Emaginette honoured me with the Liebster Award--Thank you so much, Em. *hugs* I've been working to finish the revisions for my contemporary romance, the sequel for Truly Madly Deeply, You for Inkspell Publishing. and my Paranormal Romance novella, Homecoming and haven't had so much blogging time. Now that things have settled down a bit after submitting the manuscripts, I can lay back and relax a bit. :)

The Liebster Award has been around since 2010, and over the years the requirements have changed. No one is required nor obligated to do any or all of the following, but accept the award.
1.Post the award on her/his blog.
2.Thank the nominator and link back to his or her blog.
3.Write 11 random facts about yourself.
4.Answer 11 questions about yourself that the nominator has asked.
5.Nominate 11 fellow bloggers.
6.Make up 11 original questions for your nominees to answer.
7.Let you nominees know they have been nominated.

11 random facts about me:

1. I love afternoon tea with biscuits
2. I knit and crochet.
3. I'm a slow reader. It takes me almost a week to finish a book.
4. I'm a Gemini. :)
5. I'd rather use the escalators than climb the stairs
6. I work as an assistant nurse
7. I'm a huge fan of Avatar: The Last Airbender --The animated series. or as we call it here The Legend of Aang.
8. I prefer spicy foods over chocolate
9. I don't look 38. At least my kiddies tell me I look like I'm twenty..haha. I love them so much
10. I still can't get a handle of tweeting. :( why is it so difficult for me?
11. I'm 5'3 and somehow most of my characters end up being the same height.


Now, to answer these fun questions from Em:


If you could be a movie star which one would you be?

Johny Depp. This guy impresses me how seamlessly he slips from one role to another. The first time I 'met' Johny was on 21 Jump Street. He's grown on me, this man.

What is the first thing you remember as a child?

How my mother used to dress us up -I have three sisters-- in similar dresses. 

Do you paint your toenails? What color?

Red. 

What is your favorite saying?

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. :)

If you could write with any color of ink, what color would it be?

Purple. I love purple. :)

When you go out for fun, where and what do you do?

Movies- both with friends and my kiddies, go dancing with friends, playing UNO and pretending to be Draculaura from Monster High. Yep, my kiddie loves those dolls. Exploring the city and taking photos of historical buildings,

If someone put a small box in front of you, what would be in it?

 A key to unlock a hidden door to another world.

Which would you prefer ice cream or wading in a mountain stream?

Wading in a mountain stream, especially on a hot summer day. One word. Heavenly.

When you finish work, what do you do first?

I hug my kiddies.

If you wrote a fairytale about a princess saving a prince, what would it be called?

Oh this is s nice one because I have a WIP I'm working on, where the princess saves the prince from the certain jaws of death. Two Kingdoms that have been enemies for centuries, and a war is brewing on the horizon. The prince literally falls on the princess' lap when he trespasses their lands and is shot by a stray bullet. Lots of action and romance and Oh my, swoon moments. :) Keep an eye on this one in 2014.

Blow out the imaginary candles on this cake and tell me, what did you wish for?

So many wishes, but one stands out among the cluster of wishes. That  I live long enough to see my kiddies all grown up and happy.

So, my nominees are: (in my case, I think I'll break the "11 nominees rules" a bit)

Meradeth Houston

Angela Brown

Priya Kanaparti

Lexa Cain

C. Lee

My questions to the nominees:

1. What is the best gift anyone has ever given you?
2.What's your favourite place on earth?
3. Would you say your current job has always been your dream job?
4. If you were given a chance to learn to play a musical instrument, which one would it be?
5. If you could choose to be anything, what would you be?
6. Do you believe in Horoscope?

Oh boy! That's all I could come up with. hehe

Thank you so much for dropping by!
<3

Cover Madness Giveaway Hop --2013 (INT)

Sooo,I'm taking part in Cover Madness Giveaway Hop hosted by Giselle @ Xpresso Reads and Jenny @Alluring Reads  which runs from July 1st, 2013 to July 14th. , I am a huge fan of beautiful book covers, so I went ahead and found some covers of upcoming books (and of course, fascinating description ) for the giveaway. One winner will be selected  through Rafflecopter. Book will be sent through Bookdepository ,**as long as they deliver to your country**

Thank you for stopping by!! :)

 

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For a chance to win more prizes, here is the list of other bloggers taking part in this awesome hop. Goodluck, everyone!!

Book Blitz: We Are Made Of Stardust by Mimi Strong

Happy Saturday, Friends!! Today I'm taking part in Mimi Strong's We are Made Of Stardust book blitz, and I would like to thank Xpresso Book Tours for including me in this tour. The author has offered to give away two ecopies of this book. How awesome is that??!!! Want to win a copy? Please comment below, and I will choose a winner through random.org on 17th July.  Check out the Rafflecopter at the end of the post and enter for a chance to win $25 GC.

Book Description:

Peaches Monroe, age 22, is a plus-sized beauty who spends quiet days with books, in the small town of Beaverdale, Washington.

One Saturday afternoon, she's balancing precariously on a chair, in a bridesmaid dress, when a handsome dark-haired man comes running into the bookstore. He knocks Peaches over, she lands in his muscular arms. They lock gazes, and ...

She recognizes him.

As the sexy vampire heartthrob she watches on TV once a week.

Peaches and Dalton Deangelo are completely wrong for each other. He's only in town temporarily, working on an indie movie. She should stay away. He should stay away, too.

But they're drawn to each other. Dalton claims it's because they're made from the same stardust. He says a lot of dramatic things, but it's his carbohydrate-free perfect body and sexy touch that turns Peaches to Jell-O.

**Genre: NEW ADULT ROMANCE / Contemporary Romance / Erotic Romance**


We are Made of Stardust is available now at:

Amazon - http://amzn.to/14vIWmi

Barnes & Noble - http://bit.ly/1abvAl6

Kobobooks - http://bit.ly/12ib911

AllRomanceEbooks - http://bit.ly/1aKWgYG

Paperback coming soon


Q&A with MimiStrong

Q. Is sexy, smooth Dalton Deangelo based on a certain real actor who plays a vampire on TV?

A. Yes and no. It's based on the mile-high girlie crush one of my friends has on the actor Ian Somerhalder, and the hypnotic hold he seems to have on this grown, married woman, much to my amusement! She blushes when she talks about him.

Q. Where did the idea for We are Made of Stardust come from?

A. My favorite romantic movie is Notting Hill, and I think any of us who've worked a retail job have fantasized about our favorite actor walking through the door! I think this story has been in my head for years. Most people would get so nervous, they wouldn't even speak to the actor, so I needed a girl who could hold her own and then some. Along came Peaches. She doesn't see herself as a fun girl, but oh boy is she fun.

Q. How long does it take you to write a novel?

A. I wish I was one of those speedy authors who can write a full-length novel in one week, but it takes me about 5 weeks to complete a first draft of something as long and involved as We are Made of Stardust. Then I still have to do research and editing. I think the second novel in the series will go faster, as I know the characters better. I'm always working hard so my readers don't have to wait long.

Q. What kind of music do you listen to when you write?

A. The band that lives below me. But! Not anymore, because I've just moved. Me, Mr. Strong, and our two handsome kitties are now in a quieter neighborhood. Actually, We are Made of Stardust is the reason we moved. All that writing about quaint, quiet small town life in Beaverdale gave me a ferocious craving to move. So, in the middle of writing the book, we gave notice and started looking for a new place! I uploaded the book to Amazon about 8 hours before the movers showed up.

Q. Is the Peaches Monroe series going to be long? Is it a love triangle? Will every book end on a brutal cliffhanger?

A. I've never written a long, multi-book series. I hope that you readers will guide me. Please post reviews and talk about the book. Tell me what you'd like to see happen. I have some big, big plans, but nothing is locked in until it's published.

Q. Why do you self-publish?

A. I started self-publishing in 2011 when I couldn't find a publisher for my first novel, Charlie. (Written under my YA pen name, Dalya Moon.) That's when I first discovered the amazing indie community, with book bloggers and other fun authors such as the folks who hang out in the Kboards' Writers' Cafe. From then, there was no stopping me! Stardust is book #15 for me, and I'm having a lot of fun. Oh, it's stressful at times, and there are low moments, but those times are when you find out what you're made of. I think what keeps me grounded are the great friends I've made, and giving back to the indie community.

Q. Thong or granny panties?

A. I like a little coverage, but not so much that it sticks out above the waistband of my jeans.


Q. When people find out you write erotic romance, do they treat you like a freak?

A. Yes, but the cool people treat you like the right kind of freak. People already think I'm weird that I self-publish. Actually, most random acquaintances find the topic quite dull until I mention I write “dirty billionaire stuff,” which is why I usually keep it under my hat. It's hard for me to really cut loose if I'm thinking about people reading the books.

We Are Made Of Stardust Excerpt

“Are we telling secrets now?”

“Either that or kissing. Your choice.”

I shook at the thought of divulging my secrets.

“Kissing.”

His gaze went to my lips and he leaned forward slowly.

He murmured, his voice low and barely audible, “I'm going to give you a dramatic on-screen kiss.”

I giggled in response, which normally would have made me cringe at my stupidity, but the way he was looking at me was so serious and sexy. I felt like my body was under water, with pleasant pressure pushing me together in all directions, but that at any moment, I might fly apart like so much stardust.

Dalton's expression got ultra-serious, and just like that, he turned into Drake Cheshire, the cultured vampire with a taste for big-lipped girls under one hundred pounds. He stared intensely at my eyes, my lips, my cleavage, my throat, my lips, and then up to my eyes again. I melted like a pat of butter on summer pavement.

He moved in closer, so our noses were an inch apart, and he repeated the intense look. Eyes. His, green like precious emeralds. Lips. Mine, slightly parted and trembling. Throat. Feeling very exposed. Cleavage. Mine, heaving. Probably. By the way I couldn't quite catch my breath.

His gaze slid back dreamily to my lips, and he tilted his head to the side, not yet touching his mouth to mine.

We held steady, the only movements our breathing and minor swaying with the motion of the vehicle. I could feel the heat from his skin against my lips. He tipped his head back and looked me in the eyes again.

Oh, the slow torture.

His hand moved from the outside of my thigh to the inside. I gasped. No nylons. Bare flesh. His hand was only at the hem line of my bridesmaid dress, but the way he was looking at me, it felt much more intimate. He took one of my legs firmly in both hands and pushed it to bring space between my legs, and then his hand traveled up further.

He breathed against my lips and blinked slowly as his hand moved in, up under the peach-hued tulle skirt of my dress. His fingertips grazed the silky material of my underwear.

I arched my back as the sensation of his touch blazed through me. A tiny sigh escaped my parted lips. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog tour spotlight: My Life as a Lumberjack by Sara V. Olds

Hello friends! Today I'm really happy to be part of Sara V Old's blog tour. I'd like to thank Elana Johnson for including me in this tour. I am supposed to post the review today-- and I really wanted to, because this book is awesome!!-- Unfortunately I wasn't able to finish reading on time. Please keep an eye on the review in the coming days.  In the meantime, if you would like to win one of the 5 ecopies of this book, the Rafflecopter is located at the end of this page.

Description:

Me, Mercedes Bennion? Working for the US Forest Service? I’ve never thought of myself as the outdoorsy, hard-working type. But one quick glance at those mouth-watering forest rangers and oh, baby, sign this seventeen-year-old up for a whole summer of fresh air, mountains and starry, starry nights!

About Sara Olds: 

Sara V. Olds has been telling stories for as long as she can remember. One of her favorite memories is of unfolding a tale for friends while they were all bundled in sleeping bags watching a comet shower in the Uintah Mountains.

Mother of three: Large, Medium and Small, she welcomes her newest role, that of mother-in-law.

Life has taken her from thither to yon and back again—she's moved 22 times during her marriage. She breathes to travel. Longs to fulfill a lifelong dream of owning a horse. Is an addictive reader. Enjoys swimming, skiing, violin and movies. Wonders if she'll ever get to SCUBA dive again. And has found a calling that fulfills her in ways she never could have imagined—teaching history to—wait for it—8th Graders.

Her stories consume her. There's nothing she'd rather do than spend all day, all night and the next day conversing with her latest set of characters. History, adventure, action, romance, humor. Adults, YA and kids. Yep, she does it all. Looking for something to enjoy on a quiet rainy afternoon? Or wanting a pulse-pounding, stay up all night turning pages adventure? Or a you've-GOT-to-be-kidding romp? You'll find them in her pages.

Sara’s social media links:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/saravolds

Website: http://www.saravolds.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaraVOlds

Buy links for LUMBERJACK:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Life-Lumberjack-Fell-Wrong-ebook/dp/B00D3D42KK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1369924206&sr=8-1&keywords=my+life+as+a+lumberjack

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/my-life-as-a-lumberjack-or-how-i-fell-for-the-wrong-guy-sara-v-olds/1115454537?ean=2940016705811

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Book Blast + Giveaway: Breaking Glass by Lisa Amowitz

BREAKING GLASS from Spencer Hill Press, July 2013

by Lisa Amowitz

On the night seventeen-year-old Jeremy Glass winds up in the hospital with a broken leg and a blood alcohol level well above the legal limit, his secret crush, Susannah, disappears. When he begins receiving messages from her from beyond the grave, he’s not sure whether they’re real or if he’s losing his grip on reality. Clue by clue, he gets closer to unraveling the mystery, and soon realizes he must discover the truth or become the next victim himself.

ISBN: 978-1937053383

Add Breaking Glass to Goodreads

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Buy it from Barnes and Noble

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Author bio:

 
Lisa Amowitz was born in Queens and raised in the wilds of Long Island, New York where she climbed trees, thought small creatures lived under rocks and studied ant hills. And drew. A lot.

When she hit her teens, she realized that Long Island was too small for her and she needed to escape. So she went to college in Pittsburgh. Go figure.

On leaving college, Lisa became a graphic designer living in New York City. She eventually married her husband of a zillion years, had two lovely children, and was swept away to a fairy tale life in the Bronx, where, unbelievably there are more trees and wilderness than her hometown. She can see the Hudson River from her kitchen window.

Lisa has been a professor of Graphic Design at her beloved Bronx Community College where she has been tormenting and cajoling students for nearly seventeen years. She started writing eight years ago because she wanted something to illustrate, but somehow, instead ended up writing YA. Probably because her mind is too dark and twisted for small children.

BREAKING GLASS which will be released in July, 2013 from Spencer Hill Press, is her first published work. VISION, the first of the Finder series will be released in 2014, along with an unnamed sequel in the following year. LIFE AND BETH will also be released in the near future, along with graphic novel style art.

Find Lisa on Facebook

Follow Lisa on Twitter

Giveaways:

2 signed ARCS

1 original work of Breaking Glass related art created and signed by the author.
1 custom pendant like the one pictured on the book cover





To download the prequel for Shards, click Spencerhill

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