Where I share my love of books with reviews, features, giveaways and memes. Family and needlepoint are thrown in from time to time.
Showing posts with label Book Tour. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Book Tour. Show all posts

Friday, June 26, 2015

Grey by Christi J. Whitney Book Tour



About the Book:

Title: Grey (The Romany Outcasts Series, Book 1)
Author: Christi J. Whitney
Publisher: HarperCollins/HarperVoyager
Pages: 400
Genre: Young Adult (Urban Fantasy)
Format: Paperback/Kindle
Sebastian Grey always thought he was a fairly normal teenager – good friends, decent grades, and a pretty sweet job in his foster brother’s tattoo shop.

But when strangers arrive in town, Sebastian soon realizes that his world is nothing at all what it seemed. Secretive gypsies surround him, shadowy figures stalk him, and the girl he’s been dreaming about turns up at school.

Now Sebastian must protect this girl at all costs, even if it means he will never be normal again.

For More Information





Read an excerpt:


‘Sebastian!’

I hear my name, but I can’t answer. I’m trapped by the image in my head.

It flashes again.

Rainbow-scorched leaves. Gypsy music.

Caravans of faded paint.

‘Sebastian Grey!’

Dark and nothing.

I struggled for words. ‘Yes, sir?’

Are you joining this group or not? I need to get a list . . . ’

Another flash.

Bonfires. Starless night.

A girl dancing. Ribbons in her hair.

‘For the last time, Mr Grey, wake up!’
My mind ripped free. I jolted, launching papers into orbit. For a split second, I wasn’t convinced of my surroundings. Then, as fluorescent lights bored through my skull, it hit me.

I was in the middle of class.

And twenty-five pairs of eyes were staring straight at me.

All my school supplies littered the floor – textbooks, papers, colored index cards. Everything except the pencil that I’d somehow snapped between my fingers. I coughed and hunkered in my seat. Across the aisle, Avery leaned sideways in his desk, giving me the look I’d seen way too many times: the one that questioned my sanity.

‘Crap,’ I whispered.

I’d done it again.

Mr Weir moved closer. He glowered at me from under spidery eyebrows. I prepared myself for the tirade. But just as he took a wheezing breath, the bell rang. I shrugged and gave him my best smile as the room reverberated with slamming books and screeching chairs.

Mr Weir grunted and waddled back to his desk, my outburst promptly dismissed as more important matters – like the end of the school day – took precedence. I dropped to one knee and recovered my textbook.

‘Hey, Sebastian, you okay?’ Avery towered over me. ‘What just happened there?’

I blinked away the lingering haze. ‘It appears I must have dozed off.’

‘Seriously, man,’ said Avery, his brows shooting up. ‘Who talks like that?’ He knelt and picked up one of my library books, examining it with a shake of his head. ‘I swear, sometimes I think you read way too many old books. They’re messing with your head.’

I snatched it out of his hands. ‘I don’t read old books.’

‘You read Shakespeare.’

‘That’s different.’

Avery laughed, shoving papers at me. ‘Sure it is.’

I stuffed them in my bag, taking care to hide my tattered copy of Hamlet from Avery’s prying eyes. We squeezed into the crowded hall, avoiding locker doors banging open and shut around us.

‘You never answered my question, you know,’ Avery continued.

‘I realize that.’

We strolled in companionable silence down the hallway. Okay, maybe I was the one who was silent. Avery Johnson – senior superlative and social giant – had something to say to everybody we passed. At the end of the corridor, he stopped.

‘Okay, what was it this time?’

‘Nothing,’ I replied. ‘I fell asleep.’

‘Yeah, right,’ Avery said in an amused huff. ‘That wasn’t a nap. That was a complete zone out. Same as this morning in gym, when you stood there like a zombie until Alex Graham smacked you in the face with the ball.’

‘I’m athletically challenged.’

‘Try strange,’ he replied.

‘Can you maybe find another expression to stare at me with? It’s not helping.’

Avery went dramatically serious. ‘Sorry.’

‘Oh, that’s better,’ I replied. ‘I feel much more comfortable now.’ Avery’s features didn’t change. There’d be no avoiding it this time. I worked out my confession. ‘Okay, so you know when you stare at a camera flash and then you keep seeing the glow, even after it’s gone?’

‘Yeah . . . ’

I gripped the strap of my backpack. ‘Well, I keep seeing this same thing in my head, like a camera flash. Only not a light. An image. It used to just happen at night, but now I’m starting to see it during the day.’

‘What exactly do you keep seeing?’

‘A girl.’

Avery whistled slyly. ‘Must be some dream, eh?’

‘No, it’s not like that.’ My head throbbed. I pinched the bridge of my nose between my fingers. ‘It’s not a dream.’

‘A vision, then,’ said Avery, lighting up like Christmas. ‘You can see the future! Or maybe the past. You know, like that guy on TV. The one that helps the cops solve cases and junk.’

I grinned sideways. ‘If only. ’Cause that would be kind of cool.’

‘And profitable,’ added Avery. ‘We could totally . . . ’

‘Hate to disappoint,’ I said, holding up my hands before he could spout off some money-making scheme that I would – mostly likely – lose cash on. ‘But I don’t have dreams, visions, premonitions, or anything worth printing up business cards for. It’s just an image. I probably saw it in a book somewhere.’

‘Well, whatever it is, when you come out of it, you do this jerking spaz thing.’ He demonstrated for my benefit. ‘Like a bad episode of Sebastian Can’t Dance. Maybe you should ease up on the caffeine.’

‘Oh, you’re hilarious,’ I said, shoving him towards the exit doors. I wasn’t about to tell Avery I’d seen the image every night for two months, and I couldn’t remember the last time I’d had any decent sleep. I’d reached the limits of sharing. ‘Glad to know I covered all the basics of self-embarrassment. Maybe next time I’ll work up a drool.’

Avery pushed open the set of metal doors, flashing a Cheshire grin as he passed through. ‘Hey, don’t worry too much about it, Sebastian. It’s not like it’s the first time you’ve done something weird.’

About the Author
Christi J. Whitney is a former high school theatre director with a love for the arts. She lives just outside Atlanta with her husband and two sons. When not spending time with them or taking a ridiculous number of trips to Disney World, she can be found directing plays, making costumes for sci-fi/fantasy conventions, obsessing over Doctor Who, watching superhero movies, or pretending she’s just a tad bit British.
Her latest book is the young adult urban fantasy novel, Grey (The Romany Outcasts Series, Book 1).
For More Information




Friday, October 7, 2011

Denise Grover Swank (author of Chosen) is visiting! (Guest Post, Book Review, Giveaway)



I am thrilled to have Denise Grover Swank as a guest on Books and Needlepoint today. She is touring with her book, Chosen, which was winner of The Beacon-- 2010 Unpublished Division, Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal category.

Write What You Know?  Nah, Just Google It
by Denise Grover Swank


The computer has revolutionized writing. Hundreds of years ago people scratched their thoughts onto parchment paper using squid ink and a quill. Now we tap, tap, tap on our keyboards. Not even those little bottles of White Out for us. Make an error? That’s what the delete key is for.


But an added benefit to the computer is research. Hello, Google. Years ago if you wanted to know about the Vietnam War, you had to go to the library and do a search in periodicals and texts—and hope that the library had the publication you were interested in. Now, all it takes it the entry Vietnam War into the search bar and a click. Instant gratification. (Although I suggest you narrow down your search a bit more. Talk about information overload.)


I couldn’t have written Chosen without my bestie Google. We had already become well acquainted with my previous, unpublishable novel. But suffice it to say, when it came to writing Chosen, I was out of my element. I knew nothing about guns. Street racing. Bullet proof glass. How to blow up a truck. My Google search engine worked overtime for several months finding articles and YouTube videos, and I’m sure put me on a government watch list. I’ve said many times that if I’m ever accused of a crime, they’ll throw me in jail based on my search engine history alone.


But the advent of Google takes write what you know and throws it out the window and onto its head. (Oh, look—there it goes rolling down the street.) I can assure you that I had no idea how to make your car do a 180 degree turn or how to fire a shotgun. I had no idea if bullets could penetrate a regular, unfortified car. (They can, by the way.) If I followed the write what you know philosophy, I wouldn’t have gotten past page two. And I would have been the poorer for it.


There’s a whole big world out there just waiting for me to Google about it.

Title: Chosen
Author: Denise Grover Swank
Publisher: Create Space


About the book: Everything Emma Thompson owns fits in a suitcase she moves from one roach infested motel to another. She and Jake, her five year old son who can see the future, are running from the men intent on taking him. Emma will do anything to protect him even when it means accepting the help of a stranger named Will. Jake insists she needs Will, but Emma’s never needed help before. And even though she’s learned to trust her son, it doesn’t mean she trusts Will.


Mercenary Will Davenport lives in the moment. Hauling Emma to South Dakota should have been an easy job, but his employer neglected to tell him about Emma’s freaky son and the gunmen hot on her trail. Instinct tells him this job is trouble, but nothing can prepare him for Jake’s proclamation that Will is The Chosen One, who must protect Emma from the men hunting her power. A power she doesn't know she has.


Will protects Emma and Jake on a cross-country chase from the men pursuing them, while struggling with memories from his past, his apprehension of Jake, and his growing attraction to Emma. Will’s overwhelming urge to protect Emma surprises him, especially since it has nothing to do with his paycheck and possibly everything to do with the tattoo Jake branded on his arm. Rich and powerful men are desperate to capture Emma, and Will must discover why before it's too late.

My thoughts:  This was one of the best books that I have read in awhile.  From the very first paragraph I was hooked.  Now, is this because I have a little boy named Jake just a little older than the one in the book? - Maybe, but the resemblance ends after the name and the age. 

I love thrillers and this one grabs you and holds on - and it contains elements of the paranormal as well.  Emma and Jake have been on the run for about 3 years.  All they know is that The Bad Men are after them and that Jake can see them when they are getting close.  Emma does not know why they are after them, just that she would protect her son at all costs. 

They have always been on their own, so when Will shows up and starts trying to protect them, Emma puts up a little bit of a fight.  She does not trust anyone, and only agrees to letting him go along because of her son. Will does have another agenda that he is keeping hidden from Emma, though.  I like the way that the dynamics among the three characters start to change when Will arrives.  The author blends these changes in so that the reader becomes aware of them as the characters in the book do also. 

I don't know how much more I can say without including spoilers - so just pick this up!  It is the first in a series and you can visit Denise's blog to find out more - and to see a trailer!

~I received a complimentary ebook from Bewitching Blog Tours in exchange for my review.~


GIVEAWAY!
Bewitching Blog Tours is giving away one ebook of Chosen to one of my readers!  This contest is open internationally!  Following not necessary but is appreciated! Please fill out form to enter.  This giveaway will end on Oct 21 at Midnight, CST.  Bonus entries are available!


Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Love at Absolute Zero by Christopher Meeks (Blog Tour and Giveaway!)


Love at Absolute Zero
by Christopher Meeks


Love at Absolute Zero is the story of Gunnar Gunderson, a 32-year-old star physicist at the University of Wisconsin.  The moment he's given tenure at teh university, he can think of only one thing: finding a wife.  His research falters into what happens to matter near absolute zero (-459.67 F), but he has an instant new plan.  To meet his soul mate within three days -- that's what he wants and all the time he can carve out -- he will use the Scientific Method.  His research team will help.  Can Gunnar survive his quest?  What happens if and when he goes to Denmark?



Please visit the remainder of the blogs on this tour:

Oct 6 -   The Book Addict (review)
Oct 7 -   The Book Addict (interview)
         -    Laurie's Thoughts and Reviews (review)
Oct 10 - Laurie's Thoughts and Reviews (interview and giveaway)
           - Gabriel Reads (review)
Oct 11 - Gabriel Reads (interview)
           - Dan's Journal (review)
Oct 12 - Dan's Journal (guest post)
            - Words I Write Crazy (review)
Oct 13 - Ramblings of a Daydreamer (review)
Oct 14 - Ramblings of a Daydreamer (review)
           - Drey's Library (review and giveaway)

I hope to have my review up later today.  You can get a bonus entry if you comment on it!


GIVEAWAY:

This giveaway is open internationally!  I have one copy of Love at Absolute Zero to giveaway.  If winner is international, they will receive a coupon for the ebook at Smashwords.  If the winner is from U.S. they will have a choice of a papercopy or the Smashwords coupon.  Giveaway is open until Midnight, Oct 19, CST.  Comments are appreciated, but must use form to enter giveaway.  Thanks!!



Monday, October 3, 2011

Book Tour: The Story of Noah's Ark: Wall Clings (Oct 3-7)


The Story of Noah's Ark
Story book and wall clings

Lori C. Froeb; illustrated by Luana Rinaldo

The story of Noah and his ark is one of the most beloved stories in the Bible.  With this deluxe set, kids can use the wall clings to recreate the awesome scene of all the animals boarding the ark. As they read about Noah and his adventure, children can stick the vinyl clings on any painted wall to retell the story.  The clings peel right off, so kids can rearrange them however they choose -- over and over again.

About the author: Lori C. Froeb lives and works in Westchester County, New York. As a children's book editor, Lori has had the opportunity to write many books for kids -- which she finds both challenging and rewarding.  Lori tries to carry God's promises with her every day and it was a blessing to write this book. Her other titles include A Child's Book of Parables, The Acorn and the Oak Tree, and The Newborn King puzzle book.

About the illustrator: Luana Rinaldo has authored and illustrated many picture books for babies and children. Her work has been translated into more than 14 languages.  Luana's illustrations have also appeared in magazines and on greeting cards and children's clothes.  Luana lives and works in Zurich, Switzerland. 
The Story of Noah's Ark: Wall Clings
Publisher/Publication Date: Kregel Kidzone, July 2011
ISBN: 978-0825455520
Ages 4-8




Book Tour: Spin the Plate by Donna Anastasi (Oct 3-7)


Spin the Plate
by Donna Anastasi

Spin the Plate is the story of Jo, a woman who has come through a traumatic childhood not battered and broken, but powerful and enraged. A tattoo artist by day, she roams the streets of Boston nightly to forget her past and feed her two passions: rescuing mistreated creatures and inflicting bodily harm on their perpetrators. Unassuming and unafraid, Francis, a man harboring his own back story, is the one person Jo can't seem to scare off. Right from the start, he sees clearly the caring soul buried deep within Jo's hard exterior and puts into motion a succession of life-altering happenings for them both.

It is hard to imagine two characters as unique as Jo and Francis, yet Anastasi places them so convincingly in the world we know that it makes you take a fresh look at the people you pass on the street and wonder about what back story they may be hiding. Every character in this book, including the minor ones, has a distinct personality and practically jumps off the page into your world.

GOLD MEDAL WINNER, Women's Fiction, 2011 Living Now Book Awards
SILVER MEDAL WINNER, Contemporary Romance, 2011 Readers Favorite Book Awards
International Book Award Finalist, Romance
International Book Award Finalist, Women's Literature

Touring with Walker Author Tours.
Spin the Plate
Publisher/Publication Date: Black Rose Writing, May 2010
ISBN: 978-1935605393
198 pages



Sunday, October 2, 2011

Book Tour: The God Girl Bible (Oct 2-8)

God Girl Bible
Snow White/Pretty Pink
Tree Design Duravella
Hayley DiMarco


Now the popular God Girl Bible is available in a fantastic new color! The perfect companion to the #1 CBA bestseller God Girl, the God Girl Bible merges GW with incredible new material that helps a girl become the woman she was meant to be. Jam-packed with special features created just for them, the God Girl Bible offers teen girls

  • Book Intros: including quick facts about author, audience, themes, and more God Girl Stories: 26 full-page profiles of women in the Bible
  • Know This Devotions: 200 half-page devotions on topics related to becoming a God Girl
  • Ask Yourself: sidebars that encourage girls to consider how God's Word applies to their lives on a practical level
  • Prayers: 40 timeless prayers rewritten in language today's teen girl understands
  • Quick Relief: index of helpful verses on topics and issues teens face
  • GodGirl.com: a site where girls can interact with Hayley and other God Girls diving even deeper into their Bible study

Available September 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

    Saturday, October 1, 2011

    Book Tour: Hello Hollywood by Janice Thompson (Oct 2-8)

    Say Hello to Hollywood!
    Find out just how funny life can be when you try to script it.

    Popular romance author and screenwriter, Janice Thompson, is charming her readers once again with a behind-the-scenes look at life in Hollywood. Her new book, Hello, Hollywood! (ISBN: 978-0-8007-3346-9, $14.99, 288 pages, September) is the second installment in the Backstage Pass series. This time, Thompson takes her readers inside the writer’s room.

    At 28, Athena Pappas has a pretty great gig. She’s the head writer of one of the most popular sitcoms in television history, Stars Collide. Yet, something’s still lacking: her love life.

    Athena finds nothing wrong with still living at home with her large, wacky Greek family and making her bed with the same Strawberry Shortcake sheets she had as a kid. None of that has prevented Athena from plotting her characters’ romances. So why is her own love life so hard to script?

    Athena’s love life gets the shakeup it needs when her boss hires up-and-coming Vegas comedian, Stephen Cosse, to help boost the show’s sagging ratings. Feeling her position as head writer threatened, she starts to doubt her talents, and the fact that Stephen is as good looking as Adonis doesn’t escape Athena’s attention either.

    Sparks fly as the competition—and attraction—between the two heats things up. While they struggle to create conflict and comedy for their characters on the page, Athena and Stephen develop a relationship they never would have scripted for themselves and discover that not being in control of the plot of their lives may just be the best thing that’s ever happened.

    Hello, Hollywood! delights readers with its charm and humor. Every character will jump off the page and into the readers’ hearts.

    Janice Thompson is a seasoned romance author. An expert at pulling the humor from the situations we get ourselves into, Thompson affords an inside look at TV land, drawing on her experiences as a screenwriter. She is the author of the Weddings by Bella series and lives in Texas. To learn more about Janice visit her at: www.janicethompson.com

    Available September 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

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