B2W2014: White Hot Kiss by Jennifer Armentrout +SWAG giveaway

Today I'm featuring

White Hot Kiss (The Dark Elements #1)

by Jennifer L. Armentrout

One kiss could be the last. 

Seventeen-year-old Layla just wants to be normal. But with a kiss that kills anything with a soul, she's anything but normal. Half demon, half gargoyle, Layla has abilities no one else possesses. 

Raised among the Wardens—a race of gargoyles tasked with hunting demons and keeping humanity safe—Layla tries to fit in, but that means hiding her own dark side from those she loves the most. Especially Zayne, the swoon-worthy, incredibly gorgeous and completely off-limits Warden she's crushed on since forever. 

Then she meets Roth—a tattooed, sinfully hot demon who claims to know all her secrets. Layla knows she should stay away, but she's not sure she wants to—especially when that whole no-kissing thing isn't an issue, considering Roth has no soul. 

But when Layla discovers she's the reason for the violent demon uprising, trusting Roth could not only ruin her chances with Zayne…it could brand her a traitor to her family. Worse yet, it could become a one-way ticket to the end of the world.

Publication Date: Already available in US and Bookdepository.

(February 25th 2014)

SHORT INTERVIEW

I'm sure you're sick of this question but what made you think of writing a book with a main character that's HALF demon and HALF gargoyle?

 I wanted to write about something a little different, and there aren’t a lot of gargoyle books out there.  I thought that a girl who is half gargoyle and half demon might be interesting.

What's your favorite line or scene from the book?  

Hmmm…I’m not going to choose my favorite line or scene, but I will tell you that I love Bambi, who you will meet in the book.

Where do you get the inspiration for the HAWT guys in this book?

  I like to write about guys who have traits and characteristics that I find attractive, so I tend to draw from my own personal taste.  Daemon, from my Lux series, is actually loosely based on Roth from this series.  I wrote White Hot Kiss before Obsidian, and I wrote Daemon as a toned down version of Roth.

Are you ever going to write a complete book from a guy's POV? 

 I’m not sure if I would write an entire book from a guy’s POV, but it’s always a possibility.  I prefer to write from the female POV or dual POV.

How did you come up with the name of the series and the books in this series? 

 I don’t want to give too many details, but the title of the first book, White Hot Kiss, is a play on Layla’s ability to kill anything with a soul with her kiss.

GIVEAWAY

The author has been kind enough to offer bookmarks and postcards from various books for giveaway! 

CONTEST IS INTERNATIONAL.

Just comment on this post with 

Which was your favorite Jennifer Armentrout book 

OR

 Why you want to read this book ?

And fill in your email in the rafflecopter below :) 

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B2W2014: Lady Thief by A.C.Gaughen (Interview +GIVEAWAY)

Today I'm featuring

Lady Thief (Scarlet #2)

by A.C. Gaughen 

Scarlet’s true identity has been revealed, but her future is uncertain. Her forced marriage to Lord Gisbourne threatens Robin and Scarlet’s love, and as the royal court descends upon Nottingham for the appointment of a new Sheriff, the people of Nottingham hope that Prince John will appoint their beloved Robin Hood. But Prince John has different plans for Nottingham that revolve around a fateful secret from Scarlet’s past even she isn’t yet aware of. Forced to participate at court alongside her ruthless husband, Scarlet must bide her time and act the part of a noblewoman—a worthy sacrifice if it means helping Robin’s cause and a chance at a future with the man she loves. With a fresh line of intrigue and as much passion as ever, the next chapter in Scarlet’s tale will have readers talking once again.

Publication: Already available (February 11th 2014)

INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR 

How did you come up with the idea to write Scarlet?

SCARLET was a little strange.  I had this voice kind of nagging in my head, and I started going back through old work.  I found this story I had written in grad school in this voice, and it all collided--I knew who she was, I knew who the hero she had been wishing after was, I knew it all.  And I just started writing, and it came out very very fast. 

How is Lady Thief( the sequel) different from Scarlet?

It's a little darker.  It's time for some serious consequences to catch up to Scar, the band, and the shire.  Everyone is really dealing with the fact that they can't run away from their pasts.  Scarlet is also put in the position of deciding who she really is;  the things that define her, like her knives, dressing as a boy, holding on to her secrets, even her love of Rob, have all been stripped away and she has to figure out what it means to be Scarlet.  What, in all of that, is inalienable.   

Your favourite version of Robin Hood?

BBC!  People draw a lot of parallels, and while I see some of it, I also see some pretty gigantic divergences.  But yeah, Jonas Armstrong, Richard Armitage...some serious man candy in that.  Never was a big fan of their portrayal of the sheriff, though.  

Any clues/hints/information you can share with us about book 3?

Hmm...well I'm secretly a huge history geek, and I have had some pretty serious intentions for this series and what major historical event it contributes to in the future.  I can't wait to share that!  (Well, I guess I can wait a LITTLE.... ;-) )  It's still very much in the process of editing and changing, but I think while I was writing it I definitely enjoyed seeing two characters (and a third, actually) have some happiness for once.  BEFORE I MESS IT ALL UP AGAIN!

I love how you have such a strong feminine character in this series, any specific characters fictional or real that inspired you to come up with such a strong female character?

It will become much more clear in LADY THIEF, but Eleanor of Aquitaine is one of my ultimate favorite historical figures, bar none.  Writing her was like fangirling history.  And whenever people tell me Scarlet is anachronistic, I just point to her.  Eleanor was hardcore.  And I think as far as fiction goes, Tamora Pierce's work was an INCREDIBLE influence on me when I was young, and I think Ann Rinaldi was the coolest way to learn about girls in history.  Ever! 

Lady Thief in one line?

Forced to participate at court alongside her ruthless husband, Scarlet must act the part of a noblewoman to protect Rob and the shire--but there are things that cannot be undone, and secrets that Scarlet never knew she lost.  

Books you would recommend to

A) YA readers

B) Adult readers

So I am going to skirt this question because I think YA readers and Adult readers are one and the same.  Hmm recent favorites...I'm a total Rainbow Rowell convert, FANGIRL and ELEANOR AND PARK are books I want to slip in between the pages of.  I just finished BRIGHT BEFORE SUNRISE (Schmidt) and MANOR OF SECRETS (Longshore) and totally obsessed over both.  This is less a recommendation, but I just did a lot of graduate work on the New Adult emerging genre and I'm really dying to see some stellar entries in this field--I think it has so much potential that hasn't fully been tapped yet. 

If Scarlet was trapped on a deserted island , what would she do?

Hm.  Is Rob there?  If so, enjoy it.  If not, rope a couple of sea turtles together and sail right out of there.  

Rapid Fire(what it the first thing that comes to your mind when I say....

Twilight Midnight

Black  Cat

Harry Potter  Flying on Broomsticks

Hot  Toddy  (okay, maybe I should explain that it's REALLY cold here...)

Hood  Shadows

Wings  Broken

Coffee  Ew.  (I'm a tea drinker)

T.V.  Scandal

Scarlet   Should meet Olivia Pope. 

I for one loved Scarlet and cannot wait to dive into this book. 

GIVEAWAY

The author has been kind enough to offer an ARC(Advanced Readers Copy of Lady Thief ,a tote bag and minor swag. 

How awesome is she? 

INTERNATIONAL 

(told you she's awesome)

Follow her on 

Twitter

Website

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B2W2014: Salt by Danielle Ellison (GIVEAWAY + Interview & Excerpt )

The book I'm featuring today is 

Salt (Salt #1)

by Danielle Ellison

Penelope is a witch, part of a secret society protecting humans from demon attacks. But when she was a child, a demon killed her parents—and stole her magic. Since then, she’s been pretending to be something she’s not, using her sister’s magic to hide her own loss, to prevent being sent away.

When she’s finally given the chance to join the elite demon-hunting force, Penelope thinks that will finally change. With her sister’s help, she can squeeze through the tests and get access to the information she needs to find "her" demon. To take back what was stolen.

Then she meets Carter. He’s cute, smart, and she can borrow his magic, too. He knows her secret—but he also has one of his own. 

Suddenly, Penelope’s impossible quest becomes far more complicated. Because Carter’s not telling her everything, and it’s starting to seem like the demons have their own agenda…and they’re far too interested in her.

Publication: January 7th 2014 

The author of Salt was kind enough to provide an excerpt , giveaway and even answered a few of my questions.

EXCERPT

 “Penelope, I knew you’d be here,” Connie says, walking up to us. Her voice trails off when she sees Carter. I don’t know how much longer we stand that way before he breaks our gaze.

“Who’s this?” Connie asks in our silence. She’s got that singsong tone to her voice like when she was up to something as a kid.

“Carter,” he says. He reaches out for my sister’s hand and kisses it awkwardly. She cocks an eyebrow while I just roll my eyes.

“And you are?” he asks.

“Connie,” she says.

“My little sister,” I add.

Carter nods toward her. She eyes me suspiciously as he lets go of her hand and clears his throat. “Tomorrow afternoon then?” he asks me.

Connie narrows her eyes in my direction. I see the question brewing in her mind. I don’t want another incident like the time I told her how Mike O’Connor kept borrowing my pencil when he had a whole bag full, and then she convinced him to ask me out because he obviously liked me. He didn’t; he liked my mechanical pencils.

I nod quickly. Please go away now. He flashes another bright smile from the corner of this mouth and he’s gone at least three minutes before Connie speaks.

“How do you know him?”

“I don’t,” I say. “He’s a stranger.”

“A hot one.”

“He could be crazy. I think he’s a stalker.”

“Again, a hot one.” She pauses. I shrug. “And you like him,” she says in my ear.

I shake my head and swat her away. It must be a rule that little sisters have to be irritating. “No. I don’t even know him, Con.”

She does this little huff like she doesn’t believe me. I stick my tongue out at her because I’m mature like that.

INTERVIEW

Why Salt? 

Why did I write SALT? Because it was fun and Penelope was loud and she had a story that she wanted to tell. 

Why is SALT the title? Penelope is a witch, and in her world, salt is one of the tools used against demons. 

I have to ask are you an Angelina Jolie fan?

You know, I’ve honestly only seen like 1-2 of her movies (love Mr. & Mrs. Smith) but I did hear after the fact that she’s in a movie called SALT. I haven’t seen it, but I can promise that it’s nothing like my book at all. 

Salt in one line?

Sassy, magical romance with kick-ass fighting, sarcasm, creepy demons, a hot boy and kissing.

Your favourite book?

It’s constantly changing depending on my mood, but I love HARRY POTTER, A NORTHERN LIGHT by Jennifer Donnelly and anything by Neil Gaiman.

Your favourite movie or/and TV show?

My favorite TV show is Supernatural! But I love TV—love it. I talk about it a lot, and watch more than one person should. 

GIVEAWAY

The author was kind enough to offer up an ecopy of Salt and a Salt necklace for giveaway. 

As there are different restrictions on both the prizes please fill in whether you are US/Canada or INTERNATIONAL in the rafflecopter below. 

The ecopy of Salt is INTERNATIONAL.

The necklace can be won only by US/Canada.

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YRAH Bday: Interview with Rachel Vincent+ GIVEAWAY

YOUNG READER blog is now 2 years old!

And 

THAT

calls for a celebration!

Don't forget to check out the previous posts

Character Interview of Frigid by Jennifer Armentrout

Interview with Kimberly Ann , author of Triangles

Ok I know it's been a LONG time since I posted anything interesting or related to this event but it's because I suddenly have absolutely NO free time!

Also, I'm not exactly the most organised person so I forgot to schedule this...

Anyway without further delay I present to you ,one of my favorite authors Rachel Vincent.

(I can't get over the fact that this is happening ! She's an author that I've been wanting to interview for AGES)

 Rachel do you have any advice for budding authors?

I have only the advice every writer seems to give out. Write a lot to refine your voice and hone your craft. Read a lot to see how that is done.

If there was a zombie apocalypse would you still pursue a career in writing?Also what do you think you would be incharge of?

By definition, if there were an apocalypse, no one would have a career in anything except staying alive, right? After the apocalypse, maybe I would return to writing. But I'm not sure how much value that particular skill would have in a world so devastated.

Can we expect any YA or New Adult novel from you in the coming year? (Preferably next year *gives puppy dog eyes*)

I announced a new YA sale last week. ANATHEMA and PANDEMONIA have sold to Wendy Loggia, at Random House/Delacorte. But the first one won't be out until 2015, so the only YA I'll have in 2014 is the Soul Screamers Volume 4 omnibus, which will contain one original story.

Books you would recommend to adults & children.

I typically recommend Holly Black, Stephen King, Courtney Summers, Scott Westerfeld, Simone Elkeles, etc... 

I don't want to read the last soul screamer novel, how did it feel to actually end such an amazing series?

Draining, but exciting. Bittersweet. It's strange and kind of scary to say goodbye to characters who've been in my life for so long. But I'm pleased to have been able to give them a good ending.

How would you explain what the soul screamers series is about to a person who hasn't read it?

I'd probably direct them to online descriptions of the books, then add that the books are full of complicated family- and friendship dynamics, an array of supernatural beings (some I made up entirely), high stakes, lots of romance, and humor.

All your books in the soul screamers series are based on a certain theme can you tell us about the themes in order?

Each of the seven Soul Screamers books has as its theme one of the seven deadly sins. (Not the plot, but the theme.) In order, they are:

Vanity (MSTTake)

Greed (MSTSave)

Gluttony-as addiction (MSTKeep)

Envy (MSTSteal)

Lust (If I Die)

Sloth-as depression (Before I Wake)

Wrath (With All My Soul)

Rapid Fire(what it the first thing that comes to your mind when I say....)

Twilight

-dawn 

Black

-white 

Harry Potter

-book 

Hot

-cold 

Wings

-fly 

Coffee

yum 

T.V.

-screen 

Tod

-death

ABOUT THE SOUL SCREAMERS SERIES 

Source(couldn't find the original page so linking to image source )

The series consists of 7 books and has been completed. The books in order are:

My Soul To Take     *Goodreads* My Review* 

My Soul To Save      *Goodreads* My Review*

My Soul To Keep      *Goodreads*My Review*

My Soul To Steal       *Goodreads*My Review*

If I Die                        *Goodreads*My Review*

Before I Wake          *Goodreads*My Review*

With All My Soul       *Goodreads*My Review*

GIVEAWAY

I'm giving away a SIGNED copy of With All My Soul by Rachel Vincent.

This giveaway is 

INDIA only 

If you're international and will  pay for shipping you can enter the giveaway as well.

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