Avalon Blog Tour {Guest Post and Giveaway}

I'm so excited to have the Avalon Blog Tour stopping by today with a fantastic Guest Post by Mindee Arnett and an awesome Giveaway...

Avalon

(Avalon #1)

by Mindee Arnett

1/21/14

Balzer & Bray

432 pages

A ragtag group of teenage mercenaries who crew the spaceship Avalon stumble upon a conspiracy that could threaten the entire galaxy in this fascinating and fast-paced sci-fi adventure from author Mindee Arnett.

Of the various star systems that make up the Confederation, most lie thousands of light-years from First Earth-and out here, no one is free. The agencies that govern the Confederation are as corrupt as the crime bosses who patrol it, and power is held by anyone with enough greed and ruthlessness to claim it. That power is derived from one thing: metatech, the devices that allow people to travel great distances faster than the speed of light.

Jeth Seagrave and his crew of teenage mercenaries have survived in this world by stealing unsecured metatech, and they're damn good at it. Jeth doesn't care about the politics or the law; all he cares about is earning enough money to buy back his parents' ship, Avalon, from his crime-boss employer and getting himself and his sister, Lizzie, the heck out of Dodge. But when Jeth finds himself in possession of information that both the crime bosses and the government are willing to kill for, he is going to have to ask himself how far he'll go to get the freedom he's wanted for so long.

Avalon is the perfect fit for teens new to sci-fi as well as seasoned sci-fi readers looking for more books in the YA space-and a great match for fans of Joss Whedon's cult hit show Firefly.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble

I couldn't resist asking Mindee to pick the 5 people she'd choose for her crew if she were the captain of her own spaceship...

If I were the captain of a spaceship (wow, even just typing that makes me grin), these are the top five fictional people I would choose for my crew.

1. Data from Star Trek: The Next Generation. Why? Well, duh. He’s a genius and can do about anything. If some random piece of equipment breaks, Data can fix it. Radiation leak in some crucial ship equipment ala Wrath of Khan? No problem. Send in Data. The only prerequisite is he must bring his pet cat Spot. There’s a cat in Avalon too, so it’s only fitting.
2. Hoban “Wash” Washburne + Zoe Washburne from Firefly–Yes, I know I’m cheating, but hear me out. I’d choose Wash because he’s the best darn pilot around. Plus, he’s funny. I’d take Zoe because (1) I’ll need muscle and there’s no one quite as badass as her. And (2) there can be no Wash without Zoe. Seriously. They are a required set.
3. Corben Dallas from The Fifth Element: Because you can’t have too much muscle when it comes to space. It’s a dangerous place, don’t you know, the Wild Wild West combined with Pirates.
4. Leonard “Bones” McCoy from Star Trek: The Original Series (or new movies)—on a spaceship, you’re going to need a doctor sooner or later. Plus, his metaphors beat all.
5. Arthur Dent from Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy– Why? Because the dude always knows where his towel is. And when adventuring through space, that’s important.

Thanks so much for such a fun topic!

Website * Twitter * Facebook * Goodreads

Mindee Arnett lives on a horse farm in Ohio with her husband, two kids, a couple of dogs, and an inappropriate number of cats. She’s addicted to jumping horses and telling tales of magic, the macabre, and outer space. She has far more dreams than nightmares.

Win a signed copy of Avalon!

(2 copies available, open INT)

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Tour Schedule

Week One:

1/13/2014- IceyBooks- Interview

1/14/2014- Word Spelunking- Guest Post

1/15/2014- Fantasy Book Addict- Interview

1/16/2014- Falling For YA- Review

1/17/2014- Whimsically Yours- Review

Week Two:

1/20/2014- Such a Novel Idea- Review

1/21/2014- The Eater of Books!- Interview

1/22/2014- Bewitched Bookworms- Guest Post

1/23/2014- Nerdophiles-Review

1/24/2014- The Irish Banana Review- Guest Post

Paradox Blog Tour {Review and Giveaway}

I'm so thrilled to have the Paradox Blog Tour stopping by today with my review and a blog tour wide giveaway...

Paradox 

by A.J. Paquette

6/25/13

Random House BFYR

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Purchase: Amazon / B&N

Ana only knows her name because of the tag she finds pinned to her jumpsuit. Waking in the featureless compartment of a rocket ship, she opens the hatch to discover that she has landed on a barren alien world. Instructions in her pocket tell her to observe and to survive, no doubt with help from the wicked-looking knives she carries on her belt. But to what purpose?

Meeting up with three other teens--one boy seems strangely familiar--Ana treks across the inhospitable landscape, occasionally encountering odd twists of light that carry glimpses of people back on Earth. They're working on some sort of problem, and the situation is critical. What is the connection between Ana's mission on this planet and the crisis back on Earth, and how is she supposed to figure out the answer when she can't remember anything?

(I received an e-ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review)

A.J. Paquette's Paradox is an out of this world post-apocalyptic adventure that features an intriguing premise, a strong, capable heroine, and cool sci-fi elements.

Paradox begins with Ana waking aboard a spaceship with no memory of who she is or where she is. Ana soon discovers that she is on a desolate planet called Paradox and has clear instructions to observe and survive. This planet is home to a terrifying and huge worm like creature, as well as strange streams of light that give Ana a glimpse of life back on Earth. Ana encounters three other teens who have the same instructions and the four set out to the sea and the safe-haven colony supposedly there. But the worm creature follows them and the four must face dangerous obstacles and their own fears as the critical situation on Earth depends on their success.

I was instantly drawn to Paradox because of its wicked cool sounding premise (and maybe because the worm-like creature on the cover reminded me of the Graboids in the “Tremors” films!), and, for the most part, the premise really lived up to my expectations. Paquette took me on a wild, twisted, sci-fi filled thrill ride full of the unexpected and the intriguing.

The world-building in Paradox is really great. Paquette has crafted a complex, layered, and fully realized world that is both refreshingly post-apocalyptic and sci-fi. Like Ana, readers “arrive” on Paradox with no preconceived ideas or information regarding this strange planet, and we get to discover all the wondrous and unusual things this dangerously alluring planet has to offer. And Paradox the planet, with its pink sky; two suns; purple sands; and green ocean, makes for an awesome setting. Tidbits about the dire situation on Earth and the events that have led up to the exploration of Paradox are sprinkled throughout the book in the form of news articles. I appreciated this background information, but think this aspect of the story needed some fleshing out and further explanation to create complete logical reasoning behind the sci-elements.

Ana begins her journey with no memories, but I loved that we still get to know who she was and who she is in the present, and I really liked her as whole. She's got a great feisty, curious nature and is a capable, clever heroine. The flirty interaction between Ana and Todd is fun and amusing, but I like that the romantic aspects don't dominate the story.

Ana's time on Paradox takes some thrilling and shocking twists and turns, creating a refreshingly unpredictable plot. Paquette weaves a really clever and innovative story that leads up to a thought-provoking climax. Expect the unexpected, y'all!

MY FINAL THOUGHTS: Paradox is a fast-paced, thrilling read with really awesome and well crafted sci-fi elements. A.J. Paquette's imaginative and innovative world kept me entertained and enthralled from beginning to end.

MY RATING

A.J. Paquette

Website / Goodreads / Twitter

A.J. Paquette has been writing stories since early childhood. She and her sister would spend hours creating masterpieces of stapled paper and handwritten words, complete with pen-and-ink covers and boxed illustrations. The road to publication was long and winding, peppered with many small successes including: a variety of national magazine publications, being a 2005 PEN New England Susan P. Bloom Discovery Award honoree, and receiving the 2008 SCBWI’s Susan Landers Glass Scholarship Award, for the book that would later become Nowhere Girl. Her first picture book, The Tiptoe Guide to Tracking Fairies, was published in 2009. She now lives with her husband and two daughters in the Boston area, where she continues to write books for children and young adults. She is also an agent with the Erin Murphy Literary Agency. 

A.J. Paquette is giving away three Paradox ARCs during this tour in a blog tour wide giveaway!

(US/CAN)

You can enter below:

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Week Two Schedule

June 24th -Word Spelunking- Review (that's me!)
June 25th -Emilie's Book World- Guest Post
June 25th -Confessions of a Readaholic- Review
June 26th -Nick's Book Blog- Interview
June 26th -Magna Maniac Cafe- Review
June 27th -A Book and a Latte-Guest Post
June 28th -I Am A Reader Not A Writer- Guest Post 

Decked With Holly Blog Tour: Guest Post and Giveaway

I'm thrilled to be a part of the Decked With Holly Blog Tour and to have the adorably awesome Marni Bates stopping by today with a fabby fab guest post and giveaway...

Holly Dayton is about to go way out of her comfort zone…
Spending Christmas vacation on a cruise with her two cousins from hell isn’t Holly’s idea of a good time. And when in a moment of seasick-fueled desperation she lurches into an open suite—she’s greeted with an eyeful of pepper spray. The culprit? A gorgeous guy calling himself Nick. But when Holly goes to make her exit, she gets the shock of her life: a corridor crammed with screaming teenage fans. Because Nick just happens to be Dominic Wyatt, drummer for ReadySet—one of the hottest bands in America.
Suddenly rumors are swirling, and Holly’s face is captured on countless phones and plastered all over the Internet. But the band can’t risk a scandal destroying their family-friendly image, so Dominic convinces Holly to be his fake girlfriend—just for two weeks. How bad could it be to be fauxmantically involved with one of the cutest rockstars on the planet? Holly’s about to find out…

From K-Teen

Released 9/25/12

A peek at Chapter One

Purchase: Amazon / B&N / Book Depository

Marni’s Guide to Faking a Relationship with a Rockstar!

Okay, so let’s say that you’re taking a holiday cruise and get super seasick and . . . accidentally end up puking out your guts in a rockstar’s cabin.

No judgement here. As someone who tends to have a very bad reaction on boats for prolonged periods of time, I totally feel your pain.

But now rockstar Dominic Wyatt is asking you (not all that politely) if you’ll be willing to be his fake girlfriend just long enough to get the press off his back. What’s a girl to do?

Here is my advice:

1. Play it cool. The guy is probably used to a lot of screaming attention from his fans. Okay, he’s definitely used to getting it. But it’s nice to talk with people when they do more than, y’know, shriek. So try that.
2. Have some fun! I mean, dating a celebrity has to come with some perks, right? Scuba diving. Horseback riding. At the very least you should be able to make your cousins squirm with jealousy for once. Enjoy it while it lasts.
3. Don’t be afraid to try new things. Nick may be a rockstar but that doesn’t mean he can’t also be an activity buddy. And foreign countries can be a whole lot of fun when you can explore them with a friend.
4. Speaking of friends . . . call your bestie! Trust me, nobody likes hearing news about their best friend from a tabloid. But brace yourself for a whole lot of questions.
5. Living in close quarters with someone can be really difficult, which is why it’s important to discuss boundaries. And if Nick ever starts acting like a jerk, call him out on it. He probably won’t be all that open to hearing criticism, but so what? Your romance isn’t real. And even if it were, you should never be afraid to speak your mind.
6. Don’t fall in love with him. Just don’t. I know that he’s smart and nice and talented and really, really hot. But don’t do it. Things will just get super complicated and then—
7. Why am I wasting me time warning you? We both know you’re going to start developing feelings for him. Heck, even I totally fell in love with him. Dominic Wyatt is one very difficult guy to resist.

In fact, I was so swept away by him that I created this book trailer all on my own. I hope everyone enjoys it! 

Happy Reading!

~Marni

Marni Bates: Site / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook

Marni Bates began her writing career at the age of 19 with her autobiography, Marni, for HCI’s Louder Than Words series. Her debut novel, Awkward, has been translated into Portuguese, Spanish and Hungarian and has been optioned by Disney Channel as a made for TV movie. She has three other novels with KTeen; Decked with Holly, Invisible, and Notable, as well as a short story in Ambush Books’ Magical Mayhem Anthology. In her free time she can be found reading romance novels, rollerblading, singing really loudly (and off-key) in public and . . . watching copious amounts of television. You can visit her at www.MarniBates.com, check out her author page on Facebook, follow her on Twitter at @MarniBates, or do all of the above! Really. It would make her day.

Win a copy of Decked With Holly!

Thanks to K-Teen and Marni Bates, I have one finished copy to give away to one lucky cupcake.

Details

-US ONLY

-Will run from 1/3 - 1/10

-One main entry per person, Must be 13+

-Winner will be emailed and must claim prize within 48 hours

-I am NOT responsible for lost, damaged, or stolen prize in the mail

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