Category Archives: Giveaways

Halloween Book Trail

201410-HBT14 - banner

Welcome to the next stop on The Woods trail of Zoraida Córdova’s Halloween Book Trail! I got to answer some fun questions about Halloween and desert islands and fear and all sorts of things. Check it out here and then continue on your journey through The Woods!

201410-HBT14-The-WoodsIf your MC went trick or treating, what would they dress up as and why?

The last time Mariella went trick or treating it was in sixth grade. She and K.T. teamed up and they went as Antony (Mariella) and Cleopatra (K.T.). They made pretty much everyone treat them like royalty all week and everyone called them Tony and Cleo for the rest of the year.

Hudson didn’t go trick or treating much as a kid, but J.R. thought Halloween was amazing. The October before J.R. died, Hudson took him trick or treating for the first time. J.R. dressed up like Hulk—Hudson even painted the kid entirely green for the occasion—and he picked out Thor for Hudson. Since Hudson’s hair is so short, J.R. insisted on a wig. This insistence came in at the last minute so the only one Hudson could get was meant for young girls and was therefore too small for his head, too long, and had bangs. It looked ridiculous on him but it made J.R. happy and that was pretty much all that mattered anyway.

 

What scares the pants out of you?

Honestly, the intangible is more frightening to me than the tangible. And I’m not talking about ghosts. Spiders and heights and small, dark places are all less frightening to me than betrayal and abandonment. Those concepts and actions can do much longer lasting damage than a lot of other things worth being afraid of.

 

Do you legit believe in ghosts and things that bump in the night? (We won’t think you’re cray)

I’ve never seen anything, but yes! The universe is too vast and complex for there not to be things that we haven’t seen or can’t understand. What I don’t think is that any of it exists in the forms we have stories about. Vampires, werewolves, quasi-corporeal ghosts, etc. all may be based in something real, but most of that probably comes from the collective imaginations of humanity. Speaking of the human collective, the theory of universal consciousness is something I’m pretty much 100% sure is real.

 

If you were stranded on a deserted island or haunted house, what number are you to die and how?

Probably first. And it would be some stupid accident on my part or the fact that I exercise, like, never and am incapable of pulling myself up should I fall through broken floorboards or over a cliff or off a roof or something. Or, since I know nothing about shooting guns, I’ll misfire and hurt myself. Really, don’t trust me when things go to hell. I am not the person you want with you in a horror movie or zombie apocalypse or even on a deserted island.

 

What magical/supernatural creature do you secretly want to be?

I’ve never had an extremely strong desire to be a magical/supernatural/mythological creature (it seems like the cons really outweigh the pros most of the time; I would possibly make an exception for having the Gift out of Tamora Pierce’s Tortall world), but there are a few I would have loved to meet and/or have. Pegasus has always fascinated me as have fairies (the tiny, spritely ones, not the evil, manipulative ones). What I’ve really always wanted, though, is a dæmon out of The Golden Compass. I would jump on a chance to visit that world and meet my dæmon in a heartbeat!

 Want to continue on the trail? Next up is our fantastic hostess Zoraida Córdova! Visit her blog and study up! There will be a quiz. 😉

The Sing Sweet Nightingale blog tour starts tomorrow!

The fabulous Jamie and Rachel at Rockstar Book Tours have organized a phenomenal two-week tour for the release of Sing Sweet Nightingale! Monday through Friday for the next two weeks, you’ll find two posts a day–one review and one interview or guest post. And, guys, some of these guest posts are pretty fun!

Below is the full schedule of events so you can follow the fun! Please help me celebrate the birth of my first book baby by visiting these phenomenal blogs and entering the giveaway for an annotated copy of Sing Sweet Nightingale!

Thank you to Jamie and Rachel at Rockstar, all of the sweet bloggers who volunteered their time and their websites, and to all the readers who jump on board! This should be a fun ride! 😀

SingSweetNightingaleTour Schedule

Week One:

3/3/2014- Bookish Things & moreReview

3/3/2014- Bibliophilia, PleaseInterview

3/4/2014- Lola’s Reviews Review

3/4/2014- A Backwards StoryGuest Post

3/5/2014- YaReadsReview

3/5/2014- Addicted ReadersInterview

3/6/2014- Once Upon A TwilightReview

3/6/2014- The Unofficial Addiction Book Fan ClubGuest Post

3/7/2014- Seeing Night ReviewsReview

3/7/2014- The Irish Banana ReviewGuest Post

 

Week Two:

3/10/2014- Chasm of Books Review

3/10/2014- Lost in Ever AfterInterview

3/11/2014- The Demon LibrarianReview

3/11/2014- Paulette’s PapersGuest Post

3/12/2014- Poisoned RationalityReview

3/12/2014- The Best Books EverInterview

3/13/2014- Spiced Latte ReadsReview

3/13/2014- Dark NovellaGuest Post

3/14/2014- A Dream Within A DreamReview

3/14/2014- Parajunkee’s ViewInterview

Happy release day, Doorways to Extra Time!

It’s finally here! Happy book birthday to Doorways for Extra Time! If you already preordered it, THANK YOU! If you haven’t, the wait is over! Buy it now and download the ebook or have the paperback shipped to you ASAP.

As promised, I have one last snippet to share with you from my story, “Whatever it Takes”:

WhateverItTakes-FirstCopy-8162013-1This is what it must be like to have your life flash before your eyes. Everyone I’ve ever met exists here, and their faces and words pass me by in an instant. But then I begin to see places I’ve never been, people I’ve never seen, and hear words I don’t understand. Trying to focus on it all at once increases the pressure in my head until I worry my brain might explode out my ears, so I relax and let it pass me by, concentrating only on the moment I want to find.

Everything blurs past faster and faster, and I feel like I’m falling. I think my eyes are open, but everything is black.

Want to look back at the other snippets? Links, then!

Hopefully, those of you who buy the book and read the story will come back and tell me what you think! Also, my giveaway is almost up! Enter via the Rafflecopter link below and once a month we’ll pick a winner starting in the beginning of September. The entries will be good for all five drawings. Good luck!! 🙂

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Buy it from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million | IndieBound
Add this book on Goodreads.

Counting down to release day! 1 day!

I am always forgetful. If I don’t do something right when I’m thinking about it, I forget. Which explains why the post for Friday never went up and I didn’t realize it until today! On the plus side, that means I’ve accidentally saved a snippet for release day! So, today you get snippet number five and tomorrow I’ll get to post snippet six.  Worked out well, I think. 🙂

doorwaystoextratimeStill interested? Read on!

I light the candles and the incense, meditate while chanting foreign-sounding words, and lie down on my bed, concentrating on the exact time I want to go back to. I pour all my energy into that thought and the image of a clock stuck at exactly 10:05 PM on Friday, October 19th. Keeping that image in my head, I close my eyes and focus.

Time isn’t a line or a circle or any 2-D object, Aisling had written. It’s more like you’re standing inside of a sphere of constantly flowing energy. When you find that center, you can reach out and touch any part of your life.

I imagine a ball of bluish-white light. I concentrate solely on that image and hold it in my mind. I do nothing but concentrate.

I wake up the next morning in exactly the same position.

Tomorrow details will go up about my giveaway, but there’s still time to enter to win one of five copies on Goodreads! The Dragon Con launch party is a go, but unfortunately I won’t be there. Travel arrangements and a place to sleep kind of fell apart. It would have been fun, though! And I know some of my fellow contributors will be there. Track them down if you can!

The updates to thedreamwarsaga.com go up this weekend with a playlist for Sing Sweet Nightingale and character bios from “Whatever it Takes” and I can’t wait until people get to read the book! So exciting!

Pre-ordering is almost over, but you can still pick up a copy of Doorways to Extra Time from one of the stores below:

Buy it from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million | IndieBound
Add this book on Goodreads.

Counting down to release day! 6 days!

doorwaystoextratimeToday, I’m jumping right in to the fun stuff. Snippet number four!

“The time jump won’t work the first time you try it,” Aisling says as she rings up my supplies.

I watch the total growing higher and higher with a knot in my stomach. If this doesn’t work, how am I going to explain spending all this money to Mom?

Aisling snaps her fingers in front of my face. “Hey! It won’t work the first time. It may not work the tenth time, but it will work eventually if you keep at it. Maybe not for as long as you hope, but you should be able to get half an hour. An hour at most. Luckily, when you’re dealing with time, it doesn’t matter when it works or how long it works for, as long as it does.”

Oh the tricks of time travel! Will Valari be able to make it work? And if she does, will it solve her problems or leave her with more of them?

Less than a week now until people will have their copies of Doorways to Extra Time! There’s still time to enter to win one of five copies on Goodreads! And the appearance I mentioned at Dragon Con? Well, my publisher is hosting a super-cool invitation only party on September 1. My presence at this party and the convention is still contingent on me finding somewhere to sleep over the weekend, but you may see my editors walking around that weekend! 🙂

My first giveaway on my site will happen next week, so make sure you come back to celebrate the release with me! Also, don’t forget to check thedreamwarsaga.com later this month for the first extras from the series including a playlist for Sing Sweet Nightingale and character bios from “Whatever it Takes”!

Buy it from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million | IndieBound
Add this book on Goodreads.

Counting down to release day! 8 days!

Just over a week from now, you’ll be able to get a copy of Doorways to Extra Time! In case you haven’t preordered (and even if you have), enter to win one of five copies on Goodreads! Also, don’t forget to check thedreamwarsaga.com later this month for the first extras from the series including a playlist for Sing Sweet Nightingale and character bios from “Whatever it Takes”!

doorwaystoextratimeAfter today’s post, only three snippets remain. It’s hard to believe we’re already halfway through the wait! For now, we’ve arrived at snippet number three:

When I was little, I saw a man disappear before my eyes. I was in a park at the edge of town. Although the playground was crowded, the rest of the park was almost deserted. I saw a man in a purple coat standing in the middle of a field, his arms stretched high over his head. He was gone before I could get anyone’s attention. Vanished. Nothing to hide behind and no holes to drop down into. I know. I looked. My mom didn’t believe me, but I know what I saw.

That one instant made me think that the word “impossible” is overused. It’s why I’ve taken the train a couple hours north of New York City, to a town most people haven’t even heard of, so I can go to a store most people avoid, and ask a question most people would call ridiculous. I’m here because, despite my belief in possibilities, I’ve run into too many dead ends on my search for the key to time.

Sometimes dead ends can lead you exactly where you need to go! Will that be the case for my dear Valari, though?

FIND OUT BY READING! If you want to know more, preorder the paperback or ebook version of Doorways at one of the links below! On Wednesday, come back for another look into “Whatever It Takes.”

Buy it from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million | IndieBound
Add this book on Goodreads.

Counting down to release day! 11 days!

Getting closer and closer, everyone! Only 11 days left until Doorways to Extra Time releases and, with it, my story “Whatever it Takes“! Details are still in the works for my personal giveaway program, but… soon! Don’t forget, though, there’s still time to enter to win one of five copies on Goodreads! Also in the works, a possible appearance at Dragon Con later this month, which would be more than a little epic. I’ll let you know once I’m 100% positive I’m going to be there.

Today I’m posting another peek at “Whatever It Takes” and there are still four more to come! These posts will also be cross-posted on thedreamwarsaga.com where, later this month, you’ll be able to find a list of songs that remind me of Sing Sweet Nightingale as well as the character bios I mentioned on Wednesday!

doorwaystoextratimeNow for snippet number two:

My mother always told me that you could make anything happen if you wanted it bad enough. Anything, she promised.

Problem is, even she thinks what I want is impossible.

The one thing I want is to change a night I can never get back. The night I could’ve saved him. I want that chance more than I want food, water, and air combined, but everyone tells me it’s impossible. “There’s no use crying over spilled milk.” “You can’t unring a bell.” “Those who walk looking backward fall behind.” It all translates to one thing: you can’t change the past, so don’t bother trying.

Do you get the feeling she’s going to try anyway? Cause I do. 😉

I forgot to add these last time (which is very silly of me!) but, just in case you’re interested in picking up your own paperback or ebook version of Doorways, check out one of the fabulous sites below! And come back on Monday for another look into “Whatever It Takes.”

Buy it from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million | IndieBound
Add this book on Goodreads.

Counting down to release day! 13 days!

My short story “Whatever It Takes” releases in 13 days! That’s when the anthology, Doorways to Extra Time, will be available to the big, wide world. August 27th is coming up fast and so is the start of my monthly giveaways! I’ll be giving away one copy of the Doorways anthology every month between now and December. Details are still forthcoming, but it will happen soon! Until then, you can enter to win one of five copies on Goodreads!

To celebrate the ever-nearing release, I’ll be posting short snippets of my story here. Six total before release day! And, yes, my story is long enough to pull six snippets from without spoiling anything! At the end of the month, I’ll also activate the first character bios on thedreamwarsaga.com, the four named characters from “Whatever it Takes.” From there, we’ll be getting closer and closer to the release of Sing Sweet Nightingale and your first really deep dive into my dreamworld.

Whatever It TakesFor now, though, without further ado, here is snippet number one!

A shadow passes over her face, but she shakes it off fast as she leans forward, her bright-blue hair swinging over her shoulder and clashing with her pumpkin-orange shirt. “You think you’re the only one who wants to bring back someone they love? Everyone loses someone. It’s inevitable. Everyone thinks they’re willing to give up everything to get that person back. There aren’t many who are actually capable of it.”

My breath catches in my throat as my brain processes her words. Nowhere in that speech did she say what I wanted was impossible. She just said most people aren’t willing to make the necessary sacrifice.

“I’ll do it. Anything. Whatever it takes.”

So excited to share this story with everyone! And even more excited to see this book release. That means we’re one step closer to celebrating Sing Sweet Nightingale!

Want to win some cool stuff?

I am one of the members of the fabulous OneFour Kid Lit debut group and we just unveiled a super shiny look created by the talented Patrick Samphire and Grant Gaither. To celebrate this fun new site, we all got together and donated a bunch of books and writer-centered prizes for you to enter to win!

We’ve made it simple to enter. Click on the Rafflecopter link here or at the bottom of this post. Earn extra entries by following us on our various social media sites and helping us spread the word. Contest is open until May 31st midnight EST.

Interested? Read on to see what you can win!

contest
 
READER PACK 1 (worldwide)

1. Copy of THE NIGHTMARE AFFAIR by Mindee Arnett donated by Lori M. Lee (GATES OF THREAD AND STONE, Spring 2014)
2. Copy of REBOOT by Amy Tintera (worldwide) donated by Michelle Krys (HEXED, March 11, 2014)
3. Dragon charm and sticker + PROPHECY by Ellen Oh donated by Christina Farley (GILDED, Mar. 11, 2014)
4. $10 Itunes card donated by Jaye Robin Brown (No Place To Fall, Fall 2014)

 
 
READER PACK 2 (worldwide)

1. Copy of THE DISENCHANTMENTS by Nina LaCour donated by Dahlia Adler (BEHIND THE SCENES, 2014)
2. ARC of I HEART BAND (worldwide) donated by Michelle Schusterman (I HEART BAND, Jan. 9, 2014)
3. Copy of SIEGE AND STORM by Leigh Bardugo donated by Rachel Searles (THE LOST PLANET, January 28, 2014)
4. Copy of THE 5th WAVE by Rick Yancey donated by Meredith McCardle (THE EIGHTH GUARDIAN, Feb. 25, 2014)

 
 
READER PACK 3 (US only)

1. ARC of DARE YOU TO by Katie McGarry donated Mary McCoy (DEAD TO ME, Fall 2014)
2. Copy of DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE donated by Kelsey Macke (DAMSEL DISTRESSED, October 2014)
3. ARC of QUANTUM COIN by E.C. Myers donated by Elle Cosimano (NEARLY GONE, March 25, 2014)
4. ARC of IN TOO DEEP by Coert Voorhees + SEMV bookmarks donated by Julie Murphy (SIDE EFFECTS MAY VARY, March 2014)

 
 
READER PACK 4 (US only)

1. Signed ARC of SOLSTICE by PJ Hoover + SEMV bookmarks donated by Julie Murphy (SIDE EFFECTS MAY VARY, March 2014)
2-4. TWINMAKER by Sean Williams, ACROSS A STAR-SWEPT SEA by Diana Peterfreund, and CONTROL by Lydia Kang all donated by Emily Lloyd-Jones (Illusive, Spring 2014)
5. Signed paperback copy of GRAVE MERCY by Robin LaFevers + SEMV bookmarks donated by Julie Murphy (SIDE EFFECTS MAY VARY, March 2014)

 
 
READER PACK 5 (US only)

1. Finished, autographed copy of Tessa Gratton’s THE LOST SUN (US only) donated by Natalie C. Parker (BEWARE THE WILD, Fall 2014)
2. ARC of IN TOO DEEP by Coert Voorhees + SEMV bookmarks donated by Julie Murphy (SIDE EFFECTS MAY VARY, March 2014)
3. Signed ARCs of THE TESTING by Joelle Charbonneau + SEMV bookmarks donated by Julie Murphy (SIDE EFFECTS MAY VARY, March 2014)
4. ARC of INDEPENDENT STUDY by Joelle Charbonneau + SEMV bookmarks donated by Julie Murphy (SIDE EFFECTS MAY VARY, March 2014)

 
 
WRITER PACK 1

1. One free entry to Critique Camp, http://nataliecparker.com/critique/ donated by Natalie C. Parker (BEWARE THE WILD, Fall 2014)
2. 5-page critique donated by Corinne Duyvis (OTHERBOUND, spring 2014)
3. Critique of first chapter donated by Patrick Samphire (SECRETS OF THE DRAGON TOMB, Fall 2014)
4. First chapter critique donated by Kate Kelly (RED ROCK, September 12th 2013)

 
 
WRITER PACK 2

1. First chapter critique donated by Robin Constantine (The Promise of Amazing, Winter 2014)
2. First chapter critique donated by Rebecca Behrens (WHEN AUDREY MET ALICE, February 4, 2014)
3. Query and first chapter critique donated by Stefanie Gaither (FALLS THE SHADOW, September 2014)
4. Query critique 1st page critique donated by Stephanie Diaz (EXTRACTION, Spring 2014)

 
 
WRITER PACK 3

1. Query and first 5 pages critique donated by Lauren Magaziner (THE ONLY THING WORSE THAN WITCHES, Summer 2014)
2. Vintage daisy necklace AND one chapter critique of a middle grade donated by Tracy Holczer (THE SECRET HUM OF A DAISY, May 2014)
3. Three chapter or 30 page critique donated by Erica Cameron (SING SWEET NIGHTINGALE, March 2014)

Want to win a cruise? Yes, seriously.

Kimberly Ann Miller’s debut novel, Triangles, takes place on a cruise to Bermuda, so it was only obvious that we would have to give away a frikkin’ CRUISE to celebrate its release.

Yeppers, Spencer Hill Press is giving away a cruise to one lucky winner. Really. This is not an April Fool’s joke–it’s a travel voucher that can be used to cover the cost of a cruise (or some other kind of travel–they’re flexible that way). Two runners up will receive gift cards from either Amazon or Book Depository (winners’ choice).

Official rules and entry forms are available online on Spencer Hill’s website or you can download a PDF of the entry form here.

And don’t forget to check out the inspiration for this awesome contest, Kimmy’s book Triangles!

Triangles
by Kimberly Ann Miller
Coming June 18, 2013

A cruise ship. A beautiful island. Two sexy guys. What could possibly go wrong?

In the Bermuda Triangle–a lot.

Hoping to leave behind the reminders of her crappy life–her father’s death years ago, her mother’s medical problems, and the loser who’s practically stalking her–seventeen-year-old Autumn Taylor hops on a ship with her sister for a little distraction. When she wakes up in the Bermuda Triangle, she fears she’s gone nuts for more than one reason: that loser’s suddenly claiming they’re a happy couple… a hot guy is wrapping his arms around her and saying “Happy Anniversary”… and suddenly, she’s full of bruises, losing her hair, and getting IV medication. Autumn visits the ship’s doctor, hoping for a pill or a shot to make the craziness go away. Instead, she’s warned that these “alternate realities” could become permanent.