Monday, March 30, 2015

Southern Fried Wiccan Blog Tour

Welcome to the Southern Fried Wiccan Blog Tour!
This is my first time hosting a book from Book Fish Books and I thought this one sounded like a lot of fun. Plus it has a beautiful cover  ~  Enjoy!
 
 
~About the Book~

Cilla Swaney is thrilled to return stateside, where she can hang up her military-brat boots for good. Finally, she’ll be free to explore her own interests—magick and Wicca. But when she arrives at her grandma’s farm, Cilla discovers that life in the South isn’t quite what she expected. At least while country hopping, she never had to drink G-ma’s crazy fermented concoctions, attend church youth group, make co-op deliveries...or share her locker with a snake-loving, fire-lighting, grimoire-stealing Goth girl…

…Who later invites her to a coven that Cilla’s not sure she has the guts to attend. But then Emilio, the dark-haired hottie from her charter school, shows up and awakens her inner goddess. Finally, Cilla starts believing in her ability to conjure magick. Until…

…All Hades breaks loose. A prank goes wrong during their high school production of Macbeth, and although it seems Emilio is to blame, Cilla and Goth may pay the price. Will Cilla be able to keep the boy, her coven, and the trust of her family? Or will this Southern Wiccan get battered and fried?

~Find the book here~
 
 

 
~About the Author~
 
 
Born and raised in North Carolina, Susan Sipal had to travel halfway across the world and return home to embrace her father and grandfather's penchant for telling a tall tale. After having lived with her husband in his homeland of Turkey for many years, she suddenly saw the world with new eyes and had to write about it. Perhaps it was the emptiness of the Library of Celsus at Ephesus that cried out to be refilled, or the myths surrounding the ancient Temple of Artemis, but she's been writing stories filled with myth and mystery ever since. She can't wait to share Southern Fried Wiccan with readers in March 2015.
 
~Author Interview~
 
Welcome to the blog Susan! So tell us, how did you come up with the plot for Southern Fried Wiccan?

 Believe it or not, Southern Fried Wiccan is one of those rare ideas that came to me in a dream. You know that limbo state you get in when you're starting to wake up but not fully awake? It was in such a state that I saw this girl, a teen, hanging out on the back porch steps of an old, rambling farmhouse and arguing with her stubborn grandmother, who was a Southern Baptist, about her desire to pursue Wicca. The intriguing conflict woke me up with the title Southern Baptist Wiccan in my mind, and I knew I had to write it. Fortunately, a good friend and critique partner, Christina Dendulk, twisted the title to Southern FRIED Wiccan…much catchier, don't you think? :)

What kind of research did you do for the book?

I was a Religious Studies major in college and then did a semester at Duke Divinity School before going to work for Habitat for Humanity, so I've always had an interest in religious beliefs. Since school, I've delved quite a bit into quite ancient spiritual concepts, especially those involving the goddess. Besides drawing on this background, for Southern Fried Wiccan I talked to several practicing Wiccans and also found a local Wiccan coven to attend. I wanted to make sure that the story was an honest reflection of Wiccan beliefs, while giving Mother Faith's coven its own particular tone based on her unique outlook.

Where's your favorite place to write?

My nephew found a laptop cart for me a couple of Christmases ago, which I keep set up in the living room. When the house is empty, I love writing there where I can see our backyard and watch the chickens and squirrels and deer and cats. When the house is too noisy, though, I escape to my bedroom.

What character do you relate most to?

 I put a bit of myself into almost every character I write. Like Cilla, I love to ask questions and explore other cultures. But perhaps I put more of myself into G-ma (though I'm not that age yet!). G-ma's love of fermenting cultures, like kefir and kombucha and beet kvass, comes directly from me. I always have something brewing or bubbling away on the counter.

What one YA novel do you wish you had when you were a teen?

I would have loved to have grown up experiencing the excitement and joy of the Harry Potter series as it was released. Although I enjoyed this series fully as an adult, I think it was a much different experience for the kids who were reading it fresh and identifying so strongly with Harry, Hermione, Ron, Draco, and the whole entire crew!
Do you need anything special in order to write ie. coffee, chocolate, music?

Would I be forever barred from the YA community if I said none of the above? I can't write to music, it's too distracting for me. I love chocolate, but avoid sugar, so I have to make my own stevia-sweetened cocoa bars, and only eat that occasionally. Too much coffee makes me jittery. So my mindless snack of choice when I'm writing is usually sunflower seeds, in the shell. I developed a love of these from my Turkish husband.

What are you working on now?
Many stories. I always have too many books going on at one time. The one I'm hoping to share with readers the soonest is a YA contemporary fantasy involving the Jinn based on a Turkish understanding of these tricky beings. It involves an all-Jinn symphonic rock band, a houseboat-living half-Jinn girl, and the fantastic fairy chimneys of Cappadocia. I've had so much fun writing it!

Thanks for coming, Susan! Best of luck with Southern Fried Wiccan!

Thank you so much, Lisa, for hosting the Southern Fried Wiccan release tour today! It's been a lot of fun to do this interview and share my story with you and your readers!
 

Sunday, March 29, 2015

My Hawaiian Getaway~

Once again, the importance of getting out of one's comfort zone was made clear to me this Spring Break. This time I was lucky enough to go to Hawaii! For this desert dweller, it was like going to a whole 'nother world.



I resolved this year to do something I'd never done before, so I signed up for whale watching and snorkeling. This guy with the ukulele was playing the theme to Gilligan's Island as we boarded the boat...it was indeed a three hour tour! wise guy ;)

 
 
We saw a humpback whale surface a few times, but it was pretty far away. It was still a thrill to know that they're out there. The humpbacks spend the winter in Hawaii before they migrate north for the summer. Pretty smart critters.
 
 
Then we snorkeled off the back of the boat here~
 
 
 
I know that weather looks a bit ominous, but we were on the drier south side of the island of Oahu and it didn't rain while we were there. Turns out, the weather hits the north side of the island first and drops most of it's rain there before it reaches the south side. The result is a continual flow of clouds and sun all day. The trade winds kept the 80 degree temps from ever being too hot. I never even saw a mosquito!  In fact, this was the day I got a little sunburned on my back and shoulders, probably during the snorkeling.
 



I really hoped to attend a yoga class on the beach at the resort, but it just didn't work out as it wasn't offered every day. However, I did manage swim and luau plenty. I also did a treasure hunt with Ryan on the grounds of our resort with a special tablet to give us clues to the secret locations. It sent some kind of a wireless signal to make the "treasures" appear - lighting tiki torches, erupting the volcano, surfacing a turtle in the koi pond. The funniest part was secretly making water squirt the swimmers in the various pools :)  hehe!

 
I hope you enjoyed your spring break too peeps! Now back to the work of writing, renewed and refreshed. :) Peace~


Friday, March 20, 2015

M9B Friday Reveal: Author Spotlight with Julie Reece with Giveaway #M9BFridayReveals


M9B-Friday-Reveal

Welcome to this week’s M9B Friday Reveal!
This week, we are spotlighting Julie Reece, author of
The Artisans
presented by Month9Books!
Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

Julie_Reece_Image_3-253x300

Get to Know Julie Reece in 10 Questions or Less!

Twitter or Facebook? -Both

Favorite Superhero? –One hero to rule them all: Thor

Favorite TV show? -Sherlock (British)

Sweet or Salty? -Ice cream is a food group.

Coke or Pepsi? -Tea (I’m a rebel)

Any Phobias? –Sharks and, ew, spiders … oh and drowning.

Song you can’t get enough of right now? –Caroline (or anything) by Kill It Kid *dies*

Who is your ultimate Book Boyfriend? ‘Weaver’ from May Webb’s, Precious Bane *swoons*

What are you reading right now or what's on your TBR? -Saving Francesca , by Melina Marchetta

Fall Movie you’re most looking forward to? –OMG! Crimson Peak and Mad Max:Fury Road


Born in Ohio, I lived next to my grandfather’s horse farm until the fourth grade. Summers were about riding, fishing and make-believe, while winter brought sledding and ice-skating on frozen ponds. Most of life was magical, but not all.
I struggled with multiple learning disabilities, did not excel in school. I spent much of my time looking out windows and daydreaming. In the fourth grade (with the help of one very nice teacher) I fought dyslexia for my right to read, like a prince fights a dragon in order to free the princess locked in a tower, and I won.
Afterwards, I read like a fiend. I invented stories where I could be the princess… or a gifted heroine from another world who kicked bad guy butt to win the heart of a charismatic hero. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that? Later, I moved to Florida where I continued to fantasize about superpowers and monsters, fabricating stories (my mother called it lying) and sharing them with my friends.
Then I thought I’d write one down…
Hooked, I’ve been writing ever since. I write historical, contemporary, urban fantasy, adventure, and young adult romances. I love strong heroines, sweeping tales of mystery and epic adventure… which must include a really hot guy. My writing is proof you can work hard to overcome any obstacle. Don’t give up. I say, if you write, write on!

Connect with the Author: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

The-Artisans-cover

They say death can be beautiful. But after the death of her mother, seventeen-year-old RAVEN WEATHERSBY gives up her dream of becoming a fashion designer, barely surviving life in the South Carolina lowlands.
To make ends meet, Raven works after school as a seamstress creating stunning works of fashion that often rival the great names of the day.
Instead of making things easier on the high school senior, her stepdad’s drinking leads to a run in with the highly reclusive heir to the Maddox family fortune, Gideon Maddox.
But Raven’s stepdad’s drying out and in no condition to attend the meeting with Maddox. So Raven volunteers to take his place and offers to repay the debt in order to keep the only father she’s ever known out of jail, or worse.
Gideon Maddox agrees, outlining an outrageous demand: Raven must live in his home for a year while she designs for Maddox Industries’ clothing line, signing over her creative rights.
Her handsome young captor is arrogant and infuriating to the nth degree, and Raven can’t imagine working for him, let alone sharing the same space for more than five minutes.
But nothing is ever as it seems. Is Gideon Maddox the monster the world believes him to be? And can he stand to let the young seamstress see him as he really is?
The Artisans is a delectably rich, layered and dark YA Southern Gothic inspired by Jeanne Marie Leprince de Beaumont’s classic Beauty and the Beast.
The Artisans has all the elements I love – spooky intrigue, strong friendships, and a romantic tension to be savored.” ~ Wendy Higgins, New York Times bestselling author of the Sweet Evil trilogy.

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Title: The Artisans
Publication date: May 2015
Publisher: Month9Books, LLC.
Author: Julie Reece

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Complete the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win!
The book will be sent upon the titles release.


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Thursday, March 19, 2015

M9B Two for Thursday Book Blitz: Gabriel Stone series by Shannon Duffy with Giveaway #T4T


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Hello and welcome to this week’s Two for Thursday Book Blitz #T4T
presented by Month9books/Tantrum Books!
Today, we will be showcasing two titles that may tickle your fancy,
and we’ll share what readers have to say about these titles!
You just might find your next read!
This week, #T4T presents to you:
Gabriel Stone and the Divinity of Valta (Gabriel Stone #1)
and
Gabriel Stone and the Wrath of the Solarians (Gabriel Stone #2)
by Shannon Duffy
Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!
Gabriel-Stone-1
Gabriel Stone is a twelve-year-old boy still reeling from the unsolved disappearance of his mother. With a dad who’s hard to relate to, and mounting pressures at school, Gabriel lets off steam by hiking in the place where his mother was last seen. There, Gabe and friends find a crystal that proves not only beautiful, but magical beyond their wildest dreams. Only, magic and beauty come with a price: in order to return home, they must save the dying world of Valta.

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Available for Purchase:
amazon B&N
What Readers are Saying:

“Gabriel Stone and the Divinity of Valta is a fun-filled adventure filled with talking monkeys, flying tigers, magical powers, and three best friends who are smart, funny, loyal, and above all, authentic.”Rachel Harris, New York Times bestselling author.
“…this is a book that triggers the love for reading books.”Alexander – Book Reviewer

“A truly magical and entertaining read!” Lauren Hammond – Author

Gabriel-Stone-2

Gabriel Stone is back from Valta, but the adventure is just beginning! His friend Tahlita is trapped in Willow Creek with no memory of Valta. Gabe, Piper, and Brent are determined to reunite Tahlita with her father. Yet even as they do, Prince Oliver arrives asking for their help. Menacing forces known as the Solarians have kidnapped the Empress and Princess and are threatening the lives of humans everywhere. Along with talking tracker monkey, Finley, the friends battle vampire mermaids and a living, blood-filled lake in their quest to save the Empress and Princess. Even with cool new powers, Gabe discovers their strongest weapon is their friendship as they battle the Solarians and rescue a cursed white witch—who may be the only one who can save Valta.

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Available for Purchase:
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What Readers are Saying:

“Reading this book brought me back to a time when magic and zero worries filled my life.”Reviewer from A Leisure Moment


about-the-author
Shannon Duffy

Shannon Duffy grew up on the beautiful east coast of Canada, and now lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and son, Gabriel. She’s mom to one boy, and several pets. Shannon loves writing, reading, working out, soccer, and the sport of champions: shopping.

Author Links: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Giveaway

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Wednesday, March 18, 2015

New Year’s Resolution Update

Remember when I said I was going to do something this year I’ve never done before? But I didn’t know what it was yet? Well, I figured it out. I’m going to go somewhere I’ve never been – one of my favorite things to do! Of course, the family wants to go too. Where are we off to? Hawaii !!


 I can’t think of a better place to escape the northern hemisphere for Spring Break. And I mean Break! I need one. But I’m still a planner. If all goes according to plan, we’ll be getting lots of water/sun play time, dolphin sighting, luau smorgasborging, and I just might get to do yoga on the beach.


 The blog might be a bit quiet while we’re away, but never fear! Come April, I’ll be posting regularly again. In the meantime, go follow me on Instagram. I’ll try to post some Hawaii pics there!


Friday, March 13, 2015

M9B Friday Reveal: Author Spotlight with Amy McNulty with Giveaway #M9BFridayReveals


M9B-Friday-Reveal

Welcome to this week’s M9B Friday Reveal!
This week, we are spotlighting Amy McNulty, author of
Nobody's Goddess
presented by Month9Books!
Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

Amy McNulty


  • Lightening Round Questions
  • Twitter or Facebook? Twitter
  • Favorite Superhero? Storm
  • Favorite TV show? Breaking Bad
  • Sweet or Salty? Sweet
  • Coke or Pepsi? Neither!
  • Any Phobias? Panic (I'm afraid of being afraid. It makes no sense to me, either.)
  • Song you can’t get enough of right now? "Flyers" by BRADIO
  • Who is your ultimate Book Boyfriend? Edward Rochester
  • What are you reading right now or what's on your TBR? The Fading Dusk by Melissa Giorgio (out this summer)
  • Fall Movie you’re most looking forward to? Mockingjay Part 2

Amy McNulty is a freelance writer and editor from Wisconsin with an honors degree in English. She was first published in a national scholarly journal (The Concord Review) while in high school and currently spends her days alternatively writing on business and marketing topics and primarily crafting stories with dastardly villains and antiheroes set in fantastical medieval settings.

Connect with the Author: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Nobody's Goddess

In a village of masked men, each loves only one woman and must follow the commands of his “goddess” without question. A woman may reject the only man who will love her if she pleases, but she will be alone forever. And a man must stay masked until his goddess returns his love—and if she can’t or won’t, he remains masked forever.
Where the rest of her village celebrates this mystery that binds men and women together, seventeen year old Noll is just done with it. She’s lost all her childhood friends as they’ve paired off, but the worst blow was when her closest companion, Jurij, finds his goddess in Noll’s own sister. Desperate to find a way to break this ancient spell, Noll instead discovers why no man has ever loved her: she is in fact the goddess of the mysterious lord of the village, a Byronic man who refuses to let Noll have her right as a woman to spurn him and who has the power to fight the curse. Thus begins a dangerous game between the two: the choice of woman versus the magic of man. And the stakes are no less than freedom and happiness, life and death—and neither Noll nor the veiled man is willing to lose.

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Giveaway
Complete the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win!
The book will be sent upon the titles release.


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Thursday, March 12, 2015

M9B Two for Thursday Book Blitz: Praefatio by Georgia McBride and Of Breakable Things by A. Lynden Rolland with Giveaway #T4T


T4T-Banner

Hello and welcome to this week's Two for Thursday Book Blitz #T4T
presented by Month9books/Tantrum Books!
Today, we will be showcasing two titles that may tickle your fancy,
and we’ll share what readers have to say about these titles!
You just might find your next read!
This week, #T4T presents to you:
Praefatio by Georgia McBride and Of Breakable Things by A. Lynden Rolland
Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

Praefatio-Cover

Seventeen-year-old Grace Ann Miller is no ordinary runaway...
After having been missing for weeks, Grace is found on the estate of international rock star Gavin Vault, half-dressed and yelling for help. Over the course of twenty-four hours Grace holds an entire police force captive with incredulous tales of angels, demons, and war; intent on saving Gavin from lockup and her family from worry over her safety.
Authorities believe that Grace is ill, suffering from Stockholm Syndrome, the victim of assault and a severely fractured mind. Undeterred, Grace reveals the secret existence of dark angels on earth, an ancient prophecy and a wretched curse steeped in Biblical myth. Grace’s claims set into motion an ages-old war, resulting in blood, death and the loss of everything that matters. But are these the delusions of an immensely sick girl, or could Grace’s story actually be true?
Praefatio is Grace’s account of weeks on the run, falling in love and losing everything but her faith. When it’s sister against brother, light versus darkness, corrupt police officers, eager doctors and accusing journalists, against one girl with nothing but her word as proof: who do you believe?
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Available for Purchase:
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What Readers are Saying:

“With Praefatio, Georgia McBride proves that you can take any genre to a higher level. This is teen fantasy at its most entertaining, most heartbreaking, most compelling. Highly recommended.”Jonathan Maberry, New York Times bestselling author.

“This story kicks ass. No joke, all nepotism aside, I'm an angel convert after having read Praefatio. This proves my theory, by the way, that if a story is written well it can reach across the aisle and grab even the most cynical or perhaps reluctant reader.”
Caroline – Author

“An intense, but powerful young adult fantasy that you utterly become immersed in from the moment you start reading it.” – Grace – Books of Love


“You're in for a wild ride. This was worth the time, for sure.” – Cassie - Happy Book Lovers

about-the-author
Georgia McBride

Georgia loves a good story. Whether it’s writing her own, or publishing someone else’s, story is at the heart of everything Georgia does. Founder of Month9Books, YALITCHAT.ORG and the weekly #yalitchat on Twitter, Georgia spends most of her days writing, editing, or talking about books. That is, of course, when she is not blasting really loud music or reading. She lives in North Carolina with four dogs, a frog, a parrot, 2 kids, parents and a husband. PRAEFATIO is her first novel.
Author Links: Website | Twitter | Facebook


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A captivating debut about the fragility of life, love, and perspective.
When Chase dies tragically, Alex embraces her own mortality. What she didn’t expect was that she’d have to make a choice: forget the years of pain and suffering once and for all, or linger as a spirit and get another chance at life and love.
Alex doesn’t hesitate to choose; she’d follow Chase anywhere. But the spirit world is nothing like she expected, and Alex finds she's forced to fight for her life once more. For even in a world where secrets are buried much deeper than six feet under, a legacy can continue to haunt you—and in a place this dangerous, no one is resting in peace.

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Available for Purchase:
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What Readers are Saying:

“The final chapters had me at the edge of my seat!”Victoria – Goodreads Reviewer

“Of Breakable Things is a story of hurt, raw emotions, love, and incredible strength of mind and soul.”Bèbè – Spiced Latte Reads

“The ending itself was so intense and action packed I really wish there was more of that throughout the book!” Ang - Ang is Good with Books

about-the-author
A. Lynden Rolland was born and raised in a picturesque town obsessed with boats and blue crabs. She has always been intrigued by the dramatic and the broken, compiling her eccentric tales of tragic characters in a weathered notebook she began to carry in grade school. She is a sports fanatic, a coffee addict, and a lover of Sauvignon Blanc and thunderstorms. When she isn’t hunched behind a laptop at her local bookstore, she can be found chasing her two vivacious children. She resides in Maryland with her husband and young sons.

Author Links: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Giveaway
Complete the Rafflecopter for a chance to win!

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