M9B Two for Thursday Book Blitz - Dead Jed: Adventures of A Middle School Zombie and Dead Jed 2: Dawn of the Jed by Scott Craven with Giveaway #T4T

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 the Dead Jed series by Scott Craven:

Dead Jed: Adventures of A Middle School Zombie
and
Dead Jed 2: Dawn of the Jed!

Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

Dead Jed is Shaun of the Dead meets Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Jed's not your typical junior high geek. He is, to use the politically-correct term, cardiovascularly-challenged. And while his parents have attempted to shield him from the implications of being 'different' for as long as they could (Jed was 8 and at a friend's sister's birthday party when he blew his lips off onto the cake in front of everyone, finally prompting the “Big Talk” from his parents and an emergency SuperGlue repair by his dad), 7th grade at Pine Hollow Middle School as a target of Robbie the supreme school bully and his pack of moronic toadies is rapidly becoming unbearable.

From being stuffed in a filled trash can as “dead meat” and into a trophy case as the bully's “prize,” to literally having his hand pulled off in the boys' room (Jed's always losing body parts. Luckily, a good stapler and some duct tape and he's back in the action) and a cigarette put in it and try to frame him for the recent reports of smoking in the school, Jed's had enough and is ready to plan his revenge. Besides, it's awesome what you can do when you're already dead!

Available for Purchase:

WHAT READER’S ARE SAYING:
“DEAD JED is amazing. It takes true talent to write a book that's witty and has such clever humor. That's exactly what DEAD JED has.” – Courtney, Author

” I’m entirely convinced this series is going to be as big and popular as the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, if not more. It might be aimed at middle grade readers, but I will highly and happily recommend it to readers aged 9 to 99!” – Angie, Books4Tomorrow

“Middle Grade humor at its finest.” – S.A. Larsen, Author

The first part of seventh grade was rough on Jed, but things are looking up now that Christmas is almost here. As with past Christmases, Jed asks for the one thing he’s always wanted–a dog–and again, his parents tell him they’re not ready. But fate has a different plan when Jed sees a dog get run over by a car. Then, it happens. Jed suddenly has a pet, Tread, a zombie dog bearing his namesake–a tire tread down his back. Jed may have gained a dog, but he loses his best friend Luke, who fears the way Jed created his undead pet.

When Jed returns to school, he finds a mysterious group called the No Zombies Now Network spreading rumors of the dangers the undead pose to normal people. Forced to disprove Hollywood stereotypes, Jed has his work cut out for him as stories of a zombie dog begin to circulate. Jed could be expelled if he can’t expose the NZN Network as a fraud. Jed needs help from his kind of girlfriend Anna, especially after he discovers Luke has joined the shadowy group.

Once again navigating the treacherous waters of middle school, Jed does his best to stay in one piece. Only this time he’ll need even more duct tape and staples than usual.

Available for Purchase:

WHAT READER’S ARE SAYING:
“Like its predecessor Dead Jed, Dead Jed 2: Dawn of the Jed is an incredibly cute and fun read!” – Angie, Books4Tomorrow



“This is a fun story, which was written very well for the age group. I can imagine the series being a huge hit, especially with zombies being so popular at the moment.” – Bri, Natural Bri - Pursuits of Life

“…just read it, you will love it and it sooooo funny” – Michelle, Because Reading

Proud graduate of Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, have one son who will turn 18 in March 2013, now a features writer for The Arizona Republic.

Connect with the Author: Website | Twitter

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Forever Julia Blog Tour

Welcome to the Forever Julia Blog Tour!

Enter the giveaway and then read on down the page to learn more about the book and author, Jodi Carmichael~

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Giveaway Information: Winner will be drawn May 25, 2015
· One (1) winner will received a physical copy of Forever Julia by Jodi Carmichael

~About the Book~

Title: Forever Julia
Publication date: May 1, 2015
Publisher: Great Plains Publications
Author: Jodi Carmichael
 Six months ago, Julia's life was perfect. Then her dad died. Now she lives with her grieving mother and sick grandmother in a puny apartment above their bookstore. After a dark bout of depression, Julia is fragile, and mourns both her father and her old life. But she has one thing to be happy about: Jeremy, the most popular boy at school, has chosen her. Jeremy's love for Julia is passionate, even obsessive. As she grows closer to Jeremy, Julia pushes her disapproving friends and family away. But Jeremy only becomes more controlling and Julia has to decide what lines cannot be crossed.

~About the Author~

 

JODI CARMICHAEL lives in Winnipeg where she can often be found dancing in the living room with her two wildly imaginative daughters, her patient and supportive husband, and a scruffy Border Terrier named Zoe. Jodi’s previous book for young readers, Spaghetti Is NOT A Finger Food, won numerous awards and has been a multi-week Bestseller.

Visit Jodi Carmichael at www.jodicarmicael.com.

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

 

~Author Guest Post~

I asked Jodi Carmichael to tell me about the themes of Forever Julia and what inspired her to write it. This is what she said:




I didn’t set out to write a story that dealt with abuse. My original intention was to write a Rom/Com or some sort of YA Chicklit. The working title for this novel, for a long time was; Who Needs Romeo: A Tale of a Modern Day Juliet. In my first version, the abusive relationship with Jeremy was something in Julia’s past and my focus was on her new relationship with a mysterious boy who was struggling with very different demons than the sort that drive Jeremy’s actions.

Although it was an entertaining read, that first version had zero dramatic action and it fell flat in terms of character growth. Through intensive rewriting, I discovered I had hidden the heart of Julia’s story in the back story – the pre-story. Julia’s abusive relationship with Jeremy was the more important and compelling story to tell. Emotional abuse begins with stinging words, emotional blackmail, and controlling behaviour dressed up as attention and infatuation. Once that is working well for the abuser, the physical abuse often begins. Sometimes that includes sexual abuse – forcing someone to have sex when they don’t want to. Emotional abuse is sneaky, because it wears the mask of care. Those suffering emotional abuse can be blind to the real intention of their abuser. Often those abused excuse it away as, “It is just words. He/she never hits me. I’d leave if I ever got hit.” Words hurt, they bury deep into you, far beyond a surface bruise. They lodge themselves in your brain and wrap themselves around your self-confidence, squeezing the life out of who you believe yourself to be as an individual.

I purposely focused on showing how emotional abuse slowly creeps into a relationship; how it can be misunderstood as love and infatuation, how “smart” girls like Julia can be drawn in, and how “villains” like Jeremy pull it off. 

It was also important that readers see the good qualities in Jeremy for a number of reasons. From a purely literary viewpoint, writers strive never to write flat one dimensional characters – either all good or all bad – and if Jeremy was too evil from the first page, readers would wonder, “Why is she with this moron? Can’t she see his is bad news?”

If we then look at Jeremy from a psychological viewpoint, abusers often come from a place of pain, neglect, and abuse. They are modeling what they have witnessed or suffered themselves. They often have a side that is truly loving and they are in need of healthy love. It was important to show this side of Jeremy so we could see how Julia could fall for him and understand her desire to support him.

Sadly, millions of women and girls around the world are abused. No one has the right to hurt another person and definitely not in the name of love. Real love supports and nurtures, it does not smother, control, or hurt. Forever Julia is a sort of cautionary tale for girls who are just beginning romantic relationships and if any readers are in a situation similar to Julia, I hope they gain the strength from her story.

M9B Friday Reveal: Cover Reveal for Last Siege Of Haven (The Undertakers #4) by Ty Drago with Giveaway #M9BFridayReveals

Welcome to this week’s M9B Friday Reveal!

This week, we are revealing the cover for

Last Siege Of Haven (The Undertakers #4) by Ty Drago

presented by Month9Books!

Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

While away on an undercover mission, Undertaker Will Ritter has made an unthinkable alliance…with a Corpse! But though Robert Dillin (aka ‘The Zombie Prince’) is indeed one of those alien invaders who animate and possess the bodies of the dead — unlike the rest of his kind, Dillin isn’t evil. In fact, he wants to help. And Will needs that help, because the Queen of the Dead has learned the location of Haven, the Undertakers’ secret HQ, and is planning a massive and deadly assault.

With the last day of the Corpse War finally upon them, Will and his friends find themselves in a desperate race to close the Rift between worlds and forever kill the Corpses. But can they do before Haven is overrun?

For that matter, can they do it at all?

Last Siege of Haven (The Undertakers #4)
by Ty Drago
Publication Date: May 11, 2015
Publisher: Month9Books

Available for Pre-order:

Ty Drago does his writing just across the river from Philadelphia, where the Undertakers novels take place. In addition to The Undertakers: Rise of the Corpses,The Undertakers: Queen of the Dead, and The Undertakers: Secret of the Corpse Eater, he is the author of The Franklin Affair and Phobos, as well as short stories and articles that have appeared in numerous publications, including Writer’s Digest. He currently lives in southern New Jersey with his wife and best friend, the real Helene Drago née Boettcher.

Author Links: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Complete the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win!
Title will be sent upon its release.

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M9B Two for Thursday Book Blitz: Life, A.D. and M.I.A. by Michelle E. Reed with Giveaway #T4T

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 the Atman City series by Michelle E. Reed:

Life, A.D.: Life After Dez
and
M.I.A.: Missing in Atman!

Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

In Life, A.D. you have two choices: join the program or face the consequences.

Seventeen-year-old Dez Donnelly crashes headlong into fate on the side of a rural highway, her life ending in a violent collision of steel and screaming brakes. The train that delivers her newly departed soul to the crossroads of the afterlife won’t be carrying her to the sweet hereafter until she accepts her abrupt end and learns to let go of the life she’ll never finish.

Her new reality is conduct manuals, propaganda, and unrelenting staff, all part of a system to ease her transition from life to death, while helping her earn her way out of limbo. Atman City, beautiful and enticing, is an ever-present temptation that is strictly off limits to underage souls. The promise of adventure proves too strong, and beneath the city’s sheen of ethereal majesty, Dez discovers a world teeming with danger.

Welcome to Life, A.D. where being dead doesn’t mean you’re safe, and the only thing harder than getting out of limbo is getting through it.

Available for Purchase:

WHAT READER’S ARE SAYING:

“I loved this book. it takes on the aspect of death and afterlife, transforming it into a character driven story.” – Troy, Goodreads Reviewer

” There was a theme threaded throughout the tale: Most people are busy living life preparing for the future instead of living in the moment. Gosh, I love that.” – S.A. Larsen, Author

“I think Life A.D. holds high potential for a fantastic series. It was GREAT and I really do think that people would really get into it if it became a series.” – Olivia, Book Comet

Dez is finally hitting her afterlife stride. She hasn’t missed a meeting or session in 42 days, and she’s put the adventures and danger of her first days at Atman behind her. Life after death is becoming tolerable, yet nothing is quite what she’d hoped. Confusion over her feelings for Charlie, residual resentment over losing Hannah, and a continuous stream of unwanted assignments leave Dez restless and argumentative. In a missed encounter with Crosby, her prying gaze lands upon a single entry in the datebook on his unoccupied desk. These few, hastily scribbled words reveal an enormous secret he’s keeping from her. Possessed by a painful sense of betrayal, she once again sneaks off to Atman City, determined to find answers to an unresolved piece of her life. It begins as all their adventures do, but as light falls into darkness, a stop in an unfamiliar neighborhood sets forth a chaotic series of events. Dez will have to fight for her very existence, and will face painful, irreparable loss in an afterlife teeming with demons wielding ancient powers.

Available for Purchase:

WHAT READER’S ARE SAYING:

“This was a wonderful continuation to the Atman City series!” – Bri, Books and Ashes

“I couldn't put it down!!
Now I desperately await the next installment. I'm nowhere near the writer Michelle Reed is, so I won't bother trying. I'll simply say this book is a must read, following the first installment, "Life A.D."” – Amy, Goodreads Reviewer

“M.I.A. had an interesting ending and I imagine there will be a third book in the series based on it. I look forward to reading it.” – Dawn, Bound 4 Escape

Michelle E. Reed was born in a small Midwestern town, to which she has returned to raise her own family. Her imagination and love of literature were fueled by a childhood of late nights, hidden under the covers and reading by flashlight. She is a passionate adoption advocate who lives in Wisconsin with her husband, son, and their yellow lab, Sully.

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

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Ends April 30, 2015

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Meet Recks~ Vessel by Lisa T. Cresswell

~Meet Recks~

I don’t remember exactly how Kinder became my traveling companion. He wanted a guide, someone to show him the way to the Reticents. He was tinkerer. He made things, devices and machines that made him dangerous in the eyes of the Reticents, but I only thought of him as curious and what’s the harm in curiosity? Thievery isn’t my favorite way to make a living, but it suffices when there’s no other way. Perhaps if Kinder hadn’t been so preoccupied with his curiosities, we wouldn’t have been caught. It wasn’t so bad though. I wouldn’t have met Alana, a strange girl concealed in a black sheet with a kindness beyond anyone I’ve ever met. She stole my heart the way I might have stolen an egg, easily and without thinking, without even trying. I can’t bear to think of her as a captive. I have to free her.

~From an early review from Goodreads~

I instantly connected with her connection to Recks. She fell in love with his ability to tell stories. Most people rely on being incredibly handsome, or having a gorgeous body. As a reader, and a writer, how could I not admire this?

To find someone's words that powerful? Especially in a world where books, knowledge and stories are forbidden? Match made in heaven =D   ~Guinevere Thomas

~About Vessel~

The sun exploded on April 18, 2112 in a Class X solar storm the likes of which humankind had never seen.

          They had exactly nineteen minutes.

Nineteen minutes until a geomagnetic wave washed over the Earth, frying every electrical device created by humans, blacking out entire continents, and every satellite in their sky.

Nineteen minutes to say goodbye to the world they knew, forever, and to prepare for a new Earth, a new Sun.

Generations after solar storms destroyed nearly all human technology on Earth, humans reverted to a middle ages-like existence, books are burned as heresy, and all knowledge of the remaining technology is kept hidden by a privileged few called the Reticents.

Alana, a disfigured slave girl, and Recks, a traveling minstrel and sometimes-thief, join forces to bring knowledge and books back to the human race. But when Alana is chosen against her will to be the Vessel, the living repository for all human knowledge, she must find the strength to be what the world needs even if it's the last thing she wants.

Title: Vessel
Publication date: May 2015
Publisher: Month9Books, LLC.
Author: Lisa T. Cresswell

M9B Two for Thursday Book Blitz: A Shimmer of Angels and A Slither of Hope by Lisa M. Basso with Giveaway #T4T

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 the Angel Sight series by Lisa M. Basso:

A Shimmer of Angels
and
A Slither of Hope!

Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

Sixteen-year-old Rayna sees angels, and has the medication and weekly therapy sessions to prove it. Now, in remission, Rayna starts fresh at a new school, lands a new job, and desperately tries for normalcy. She ignores signs that she may be slipping into the world she has tried so hard to climb out of. But these days, it’s more than just hallucinations that keep Rayna up at night. Students are dying, and she may be the only one who can stop it. Can she keep her job, her sanity, and her friends from dying at the hands of angels she can't admit to seeing?

Available for Purchase:

WHAT READER’S ARE SAYING:

“A Shimmer of Angels was a fantastic, extraordinary book from Month9Books. I adored it! Every single page i turned, I kept being pushed and grabbed into Reyna's world, full of angels, and maybe a few murders in between.” – Michelle, That Girly Bookwork

” It has what every Young Adult loves to read in books: romance, a good-looking and nice angel, a hot, fallen angel, drama, mystery, suspense.” – Genesis, Gen Gen Book Blog

“This book has completely caught me off guard. I thought it would be good but I didn't know it would be amazing!! I mean look at that COVER who could turn away from it?? It draws you in immediately. Then you step into the book and realize its better then you could have expected.” –Courtney, Bookaholicsxoxo

Rayna struggles to piece her life back together, but hiding in plain sight from the police, the SS Crazy, and the Fallen isn’t a foolproof plan—something Kade, the World’s Worst Roommate, reminds her of everyday. The late nights of failing to teach Ray how to protect herself against the Fallen are getting to Kade, changing him in ways he doesn’t like, and after a family emergency sends Ray back into Cam’s arms, Kade decides he’s had enough. News of Rayna’s resurfacing brings both angels and the Fallen to San Francisco by the dozens, all eyes scouring the city for the girl with the gray wings. Rayna will need both Kade and Cam’s help to ensure her family’s safety, navigate the new dangers and enemies springing up all over the city, and manage the surprises that arise with her new set of wings.

Available for Purchase:

WHAT READER’S ARE SAYING:
“I was literally biting my nails because the intensity of the story was so strong…” – Genesis, Gen Gen Book Blog

“Suspenseful with a different take on angels, A Slither of Hope has only strengthened my admiration of the Angel Sight series and my place in the fandom of Lisa M. Basso.” – Laurie, Author

“She does a great job with the angels versus demons theme in both books and really makes the characters come to life for the reader so that we feel their pain and suffering and when they succeed we feel like WE have accomplished something too” – Erika, WS Momma Readers Nook

Lisa M. Basso was born and raised in San Francisco, California. She is a lover of books, video games, animals, and baking (not baking with animals though). As a child she would crawl into worlds of her own creation and get lost for hours. Her love for YA fiction started with a simple school reading assignment: S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders. When not reading or writing she can usually be found at home with The Best Boyfriend Fiancé that Ever Lived ™ and her two darling (and sometimes evil) cats, Kitties A and B.

Author Links: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

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