Crossroads Blog Tour: Guest Post and Amazing Giveaway: E-book & Kindle Fire!

The amazing J.J. Bonds and Parajunkee asked me to be included in the Crossroads Blog Tour and I'm very excited to bring you a guest post as a part of my stop. You can also enter to win an e-book by commenting and every comment automatically gets entered for the BIG prize at the end of the tour: a Kindle Fire!

For my stop I have a character profile of Nikolai Petrov... Ooooh, smoldering!

Hey there, beautiful. Haven’t seen you around here before. New at Crossroads? I figured as much. There’s no way I’d forget a face like yours.  What? Tall, dark, and handsome doesn’t get it done, huh? Guess I’ll have to try a little harder to impress you with my boyish charm and stunning good looks. Alright, how about this? I’m a Sagittarius, I like long walks on the beach, and I enjoy romantic candlelight feedings.Wait! Don’t go. I’m just teasing. I can see that approach isn’t going to work though. You’re not like the other girls here. Most of them are rather superficial… and mind-numbingly boring.  What? Is there a nice way of saying they’re vapid, shallow, social mongers? No? Well, the truth hurts, doesn’t it? Besides, you can’t blame the kids. Byproducts of their elitist parents if they’re anything like mine. We may have some of the oldest and purest bloodlines in the world at Crossroads, but it doesn’t come without a price.You on the other hand, well, I’d be willing to bet you’re different. Don’t look so skeptical. I have a feeling about you and my instincts are quite good. I don’t want to brag, but I’m hardly ever wrong.Nikolai Petrov, by the way. And you are? Come on. Don’t be shy. I won’t bite. Not today, anyway.  We’re just getting to know one another after all. The real me? I’m only at Crossroads because it’s the furthest I can get from my parents and their conniving political aspirations. If I never saw them again, it might be too soon. I have a sister I love more than life itself and I’d do anything for her. My real passion is martial arts and I can’t wait to see the look on my parents faces when they find out I want to serve the Elder’s Council, not become a member. No way in hell am I going to spend my life being a political pawn. My future lies with the Linkuri brotherhood. I was born to hunt, to punish, to deal in justice. And if I get paid to kick a little ass in the process? I’ll consider it a bonus. After all, I’ve got a wicked spinning back kick. Relax. I may like to throw down, but I prefer to limit my training to the gym. I’m actually a teaching assistant in a couple of the MMA and self-defense classes. Surprised? I’m actually a pretty decent guy.Look, I get it. You probably think my friends are a bunch of tools and I don’t blame you. But if you knew them like I do, you might actually like them. They’re not so bad. And they’re loyal which is a trait I value above all else.Come on. That’s got to be enough to get us on a first name basis? Might as well tell me. It’s a small school and I’ll figure it out eventually. Besides, I’m not one to give up easily.

J.J. Bonds is an independent author who writes young adult and speculative fiction. Her debut novel, Crossroads, was released in fall of 2011. It is the first in the Crossroads Academy series. J.J. lives in Carlisle, Pennsylvania where her love of all things paranormal keeps life interesting. She lives with her husband and two rambunctious dogs and is expecting a new addition to the family in March. 

GIVEAWAY DETAILS

1. Comment to win!

2. One random comment will be selected to win a digital copy of JJ Bonds Crossroads

3. All comments will be counted to win a KINDLE FIRE with a Crossroads Gel Cover

4. Collect Clues along the tour for a chance to win

5. Comment at each tour stop for extra chances to win

6. Tweet and use #crossroadsbooktour for extra chances to win along with random drawings to win digital copies of the book

6. Collect clues to find the final entry to win the Kindle Fire

7. Winners will be selected January 31st

CLUE CLUE CLUE... :)

Find Crossroads

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Hushed Blog Tour Stop: Kelley York Interview

Hello everyone! I am happy to be apart of the Hushed blog tour hosted by Entangled Publishing! Today Kelley York is stopping by my blog for an interview! 

He’s saved her. He’s loved her. He’s killed for her. 
Eighteen-year-old Archer couldn’t protect his best friend, Vivian, from what happened when they were kids, so he’s never stopped trying to protect her from everything else. It doesn’t matter that Vivian only uses him when hopping from one toxic relationship to another—Archer is always there, waiting to be noticed. 
Then along comes Evan, the only person who’s ever cared about Archer without a single string attached. The harder he falls for Evan, the more Archer sees Vivian for the manipulative hot-mess she really is. 
But Viv has her hooks in deep, and when she finds out about the murders Archer’s committed and his relationship with Evan, she threatens to turn him in if she doesn’t get what she wants… And what she wants is Evan’s death, and for Archer to forfeit his last chance at redemption.

1. What inspired you to write this story?

Archer. I wanted to write about a boy who killed people for the girl he loved. I don’t know if there was something in particular that sparked the idea for Archer, but he was what came first. I abandoned all the other projects I had going at the time and threw myself completely into HUSHED.

2. Which character do you relate to the most in Hushed?

Probably a combination of Evan and Archer. I spent a lot of time in high school being the friend who was the voice of reason, trying to get others out of bad relationships and situations. I was also the friend who got used a lot, who people ran to when it was convenient for them.

3. Do you have any other novels in the works?

I have another contemporary book with a male/male romance. I don’t want to say too much more than that, especially since it’s still in its early stages!

4. Which 5 books would you say are your absolute favourites?

(1) HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE by Diana Wynne Jones

(2) MRS. FRISBY & THE RATS OF NIMH by Robert C. O’Brien

(3) A MONSTER CALLS by Patrick Ness

(4) GONE, GONE, GONE by Hannah Moskowitz

(5) WARM BODIES by Isaac Marion

Hard narrowing it down like that, but those were the first ones that came to mind.

5. Your house is ON FIRE and you only have time to grab three things, what are they??

Assuming my family doesn’t count... MY PETS!! Do they count as one thing? (Growing up, when Mom tried to talk to me about what to do in case of a fire, she always worried I’d end up dying because I insisted I would not leave the house without my animals.) Computer. Probably my sketchbooks.  

Kelley was born adn raised in central California, where she still resides with her lovely wife, daughter, and an abundance of pets. (Although she does fantasize about moving across the globe to Ireland.) She has a fascination with bells, adores all things furry - be them squeaky, barky or meow-y - is a lover of video games, manga and anime, and likes to pretend she's a decent photographer. Her life goal is to find a real unicorn. Or maybe a mermaid.
Within young adult, she enjoys writing and reading a variety of genres from contemporary with a unique twist, psychological thrillers, paranormal/urban fantasy and horror. She loves stories where character development takes center stage.

Find Kelley

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Remembrance Blog Tour: Review + Interview // Remembrance (Transcend Time Saga #1) by Michelle Madow

I feel horrible right now because this post was actually supposed to go up yesterday. And I just realized. Somehow my little date planner book has me marked down as the 14th - how that happened, I have no clue! Apparently I'm a major idiot. So, without further ado... This is a stop in the Remembrance Blog Tour hosted by Stuck in YA Books! 

Remembrance (Transcend Time Saga #1) by Michelle Madow

Published: July 27th 2011

Publisher: Dreamscape Publishing
Page Count: Paperback, 314

Source: E-arc provided by Author

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance
Find the Author: Website, Good Reads, Twitter, Blog
Buy This Book:  Amazon, Book Depository, B&N

Add It To Your Good Reads Shelf

New Hampshire high school junior Lizzie Davenport has been reincarnated from Regency Era, England ... but she doesn't know it yet. 
Then Drew Carmichael transfers into Lizzie's school at the beginning of the year, and she feels a connection to him, almost like she knows him. She can't stop thinking about him, but whenever she tries talking with him about the mysteries behind her feelings, he makes it clear that he wants nothing to do with her. Reaching him is even more difficult because she has a boyfriend, Jeremy, who has started to become full of himself after being elected co-captain of the varsity soccer team, and her flirtatious best friend Chelsea starts dating Drew soon after his arrival. So why can't she seem to get him out of her mind?
Even though Lizzie knows she should let go of her fascination with Drew, the pair of them soon find that fighting fate isn't going to be easy. - Good Reads

I've always been fascinated with reincarnation. As a child, without anyone telling me anything, that was my natural assumption. I thought I was someone before and I thought I'd be someone else again after I died. I also wanted to name my future son Lucifer after I watched Cinderella. I think some might have considered me to be a little demonic as a child. Ha ha! But jokes about my childhood aside, I love the reincarnation aspect of Remembrance. That is definitely what drew me to it. Even more than the gorgeous cover that happens to fit in perfectly with the story inside! 

Lizzie, the main character of our story is a good girl who is focused on all of the right things. Sometimes though, she was a little too good. Overall I still enjoyed her as a character, but I wish I would have seen her take charge more than she did. Though I can say I was immensely proud of her the times she took charge with Drew. I just wish I could have seen that part of her character reflect more in her relationships with some of the other characters, like her boyfriend who treats her, in my opinion, quite badly and her best friend who I felt was more of a frenemy than anything. There were also times with Drew, the love interest in this story, that I felt that he was a huge jerk and I couldn't understand why Lizzie was still wasting her time, because at times he felt irredeemable, but there was a huge surprise towards the end that revealed a lot and I definitely understood his previous actions and the reasonings behind them.

Overall, I really did enjoy Remembrance and I'm looking forward to reading the next book Vengeance. It wasn't perfect, but I did get caught up in this tale and I look forward to hearing more! 

RECOMMENDED TO

To Young Adult readers who love a reincarnation twist. Also, this had inspiration from Pride and Prejudice, which I love and could see throughout the story, so that was another quality I love and would throw out there for recommendations. And if you have a Kindle or Nook, you can get this for only $1.99! That's a STEAL!

                             4 out of 5 Hello Kitties!

Character Interview: Entangled Blog Tour: Touch (Denazen #1) by Jus Accardo

 Touch (Denazen #1) by Jus Accardo

Published: November 1st 2011

Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Page Count: Paperback, 251

Source: E-arc provided by Publishers

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance
Find the Author: Website, Good Reads, Twitter, Blog
Buy This Book:  Amazon, Book Depository

Add It To Your Good Reads Shelf

When a strange boy tumbles down a river embankment and lands at her feet, seventeen-year-old adrenaline junkie Deznee Cross snatches the opportunity to piss off her father by bringing the mysterious hottie with ice blue eyes home. Except there's something off with Kale. He wears her shoes in the shower, is overly fascinated with things like DVDs and vases, and acts like she'll turn to dust if he touches her. It's not until Dez's father shows up, wielding a gun and knowing more about Kale than he should, that Dez realizes there's more to this boy, and her father's "law firm," than she realized. Kale has been a prisoner of Denazen Corporation -- an organization devoted to collecting "special" kids known as Sixes and using them as weapons -- his entire life. And, oh yeah, his touch? It kills. The two team up with a group of rogue Sixes hellbent on taking down Denazen before they're caught and her father discovers the biggest secret of all. A secret Dez has spent her life keeping safe. A secret Kale will kill to protect. 

You may have recently seen my review of Touch by Jus Accardo, but in case you haven't: go check it out! I want to send a big thank you to Entangled Publishing for including me in the Entangled Blog Tour for Touch and Jus Accardo for writing an amazing character! 

Hi Kale! I have to say, out of the fictional characters out there you'd

have to be one of the top ones I'd love to interview! So, thank you! It's a

pleasure to have you on my blog!

Me? Really? Thank you. *Kale smiles, but takes a step back* Just please

don't get too close. You seem like a nice person. I don't want to kill

you.

Definitely my first question, hands down, has to be: What have become some

of your favourite things about the world outside since you've left Denazen? Besides, the freedom that is!

I like soda. And beer, too. But my favorite thing is touching Dez. Kissing

her, too. Yes. That's definitely at the top of the list...

How did you feel about Deznee when you first met her?

I was conflicted. She was strange... Out in the woods in the middle of the

night. Alone. But there was something about her... I got this funny tickle

in my stomach when I saw her. She says I was crushing hard on her from the

moment I laid eyes on her. I'm not sure what that means, but she's

probably right...

If you could describe Deznee with only one word, what word would that be?

Amazing...

I know I keep asking about Deznee, but I'm curious! Let's pretend you're

not running away and constantly living in fear of the bad guys and you want

to take Deznee on a nice and normal date. Where would you take her and what

would you do?

I'm not sure how to answer this... I suppose I would take her dancing.

That's what Fred would do...

If you were granted three wishes, what would you ask for?

Three wishes? Do you know a Six that could do that? If so, I would like an

hour alone with Cross, I would wish to see Dez happy and safe for the rest

of her life, and I would ask to be the one personally responsible for

destroying Denazen.

What are your hopes for the future?

I want to live my life with Dez in peace and freedom.

Jus Accardo is the author of YA paranormal romance and urban fantasy fiction. A native New Yorker, she lives in the middle of nowhere with her husband, three dogs, and sometimes guard bear Oswald. Her first book, Touch is due out in November 2011 from Entangled Publishing. She is represented by Kevan Lyon of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency. 

Find Jus

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Touch Blog Tour Stop: Touch (Denazen #1) by Jus Accardo

The time has come for my first blog tour and I'm elated that my first is Touch by Jus Accardo! This tour is hosted by Ya Bound! Go HERE to see the dates other blogs with be posting in the tour! There are some fun things coming up in this tour! Including character interviews! I will be doing a character interview of my own with Kale with the Entangled Blog Tour of Touch on the 11th of this month, so check back for that! 

Published: November 1st 2011

Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Page Count: Paperback, 251

Source: E-arc provided by Publishers

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance
Find the Author: Website, Good Reads, Twitter, Blog
Buy This Book:  Amazon, Book Depository

Add It To Your Good Reads Shelf

When a strange boy tumbles down a river embankment and lands at her feet, seventeen-year-old adrenaline junkie Deznee Cross snatches the opportunity to piss off her father by bringing the mysterious hottie with ice blue eyes home. 
Except there's something off with Kale. He wears her shoes in the shower, is overly fascinated with things like DVDs and vases, and acts like she'll turn to dust if he touches her. 
It's not until Dez's father shows up, wielding a gun and knowing more about Kale than he should, that Dez realizes there's more to this boy, and her father's "law firm," than she realized. Kale has been a prisoner of Denazen Corporation -- an organization devoted to collecting "special" kids known as Sixes and using them as weapons -- his entire life. 
And, oh yeah, his touch? It kills. 
The two team up with a group of rogue Sixes hellbent on taking down Denazen before they're caught and her father discovers the biggest secret of all. A secret Dez has spent her life keeping safe. 
A secret Kale will kill to protect. 

The first time I heard about Touch was actually a post I came across about the changes in the cover. Of course, after seeing the new cover, I thought with a handsome fellow hot guy like that gracing the front, how could I not want to read what's inside?! And after reading the summary I really knew I had to! Now, I received my e-arc copy in my e-mail after midnight. I stuck it on my kindle, sat in my chair and didn't get up until the wee hours of the morning. And by wee I mean I stayed up to 5 or 6 in the morning. I literally could not put this down! 

From the first part of the book I found Dez's attitude and actions hard to swallow. She's a total daredevil. I'm exactly the opposite. I'm obsessed with safety and I'm the typical helicopter Mother who loves to hover. But very quickly into the book Dez grew on me and I became hooked on her story. And of course Kale's story. I rarely find the male love interests in stories endearing - normally I like them for their confidence or because their sexiness oozes through the pages and while I'm not saying Kale does not possess these qualities; I can definitely say his endearing personality definitely played a huge role in my love for his character. 

The action in this never slowed down - the pace kept up throughout reading. And I was caught off guard and surprised quite a few times. The love story is very sweet and had some really hot scenes (probably better suited for mid to older teens). But one of the best parts of the book was the setting: I love settings where characters have superpowers and corporations are out to get them and this fit that love of mine very well. 

RECOMMENDED TO

As I said above, if you like an action packed novel full of characters with superpowers trying to fight an evil organization and a good love story thrown in to boot: you'll love this just as much as I did. And even if that type of story makes your eyebrows raise with a little skepticism: I'd still recommend it!

FAVOURITE QUOTE

Kale looked from me to Alex, face darkening. At his sides, fingers twitched. "You hurt her. She told me. Why do you care if she lets me kiss her? She holds my hand now, not yours!"

I went back and saw that I had highlighted this! I loved this part! It still makes me giggle! 

                           5 out of 5 Hello Kitties!

Jus Accardo is the author of YA paranormal romance and urban fantasy fiction. A native New Yorker, she lives in the middle of nowhere with her husband, three dogs, and sometimes guard bear Oswald. Her first book, Touch is due out in November 2011 from Entangled Publishing. She is represented by Kevan Lyon of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency. 

Find Jus

Website

Twitter

Facebook

Goodreads