Authors are Rockstars Tour: Guestpost with Elizabeth Norris & Giveaway (US only)

Hey Guys! Welcome to my post for the Authors are Rockstars Tour :) I'll be hosting the lovely Elizabeth Norris, author of Unravelling and recently released Unbreakable today!

Why is Elizabeth Norris a rockstar? Is that really a question? OF COURSE SHE'S A ROCKSTAR!!!!! Her 2012 debut Unravelling was one of my favourite books last year. BEN WAS SO KIND AND DROOL-WORTHY! She writes the best characters, heart pounding action and also the most unexpected but perfect ending ever<3 Liz is also incredibly nice and friendly on twitter as well!

I have a guest post from Elizabeth Norris on Theories of the Universe that she looked into to set into the motion her parallel world theory.

***

When I first started writing Unraveling, I knew Ben Michaels would have a big secret. As I was brainstorming and outlining, I planned that the big reveal would be that he was an alien(!). Only that had been done before, quite a bit actually, and when I thought too much about it something about having an alien love interest struck me as a little strange and maybe even…creepy.

So I scrapped that idea and started trying to think of where else Ben could be from.

It just so happened that the US Postal Service served as my inspiration. They delivered my issue of Scientific American and the cover looked like this:

It wasn’t the first that I’d ever heard of the multiverse, but the article made me think (and scratch my head a little at some of the things I didn’t understand). One of the ideas I found so interesting was that there could be an infinite number of multiple universes—that they could be separated by only one small and seemingly insignificant difference.

When I finished the article, I started scouring the internet for everything I could find on the multiverse: I read everything from hardcore scientific articles and journal excerpts (those were hard) to random conspiracy theories on angelfire sites (those were strange) and then I even spent a weekend with a rented movie (The One) the complete first season of two of my favorite shows in high school (The X-Files and Sliders) and a documentary (Parallel Worlds, Parallel Lives).

Then I sat down at the computer and wrote up the “rules” for the world(s) of Unraveling. It’s a combination of things inspired by research, pop culture that I love, whatever I could come up with in my own mind. 

*squeals* I don't think I would've minded if Ben was an alien! hahaha it's the heart that matters<3 I wish I was as imaginative as as Liz, in fact, I wish I was imagination, period! Looks like I'll have to check out The One, and Sliders soon :)

Elizabeth has also kindly offered TWO copies of either Unravelling or Unbreakable with swag!!! It's for US only.  Simply leave a comment with a way to contact you to enter!<3 

Throne of Glass Ambassador: Exclusive Excerpt of The Assassin and the Princess (Part 4) by Sarah J Maas

Hey Everyone! I've been keeping this low-profile for a while but I can finally proudly announce to you all that I'm a THRONE OF GLASS AMBASSADOR! hehehe How awesome is that title? I'm the biggest fan of Sarah J Maas's Throne of Glass so I'm absolutely ecstatic to be an ambassador for the book! 

Today, I'm delighted to share with you the fourth part of Sarah's novella The Assassin and the Princess.

Read previous parts of this scene here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

“We can go somewhere else,” Celaena said softly.

            Nehemia just stared at the slave-girl, her face blank. The girl was dressed well, and looked well-fed, but the manacles, so horrifyingly beautiful, gleaming in the warm light…

            The women were staring at them now, but the slave-girl kept her eyes down. Didn’t even turn toward them. Celaena rotated her own wrists, a tinge of phantom pain going through the scars that marked where her own shackles—iron and scratched—had once been.

            Celaena put a hand on Nehemia’s elbow. “We can—”

            “No,” Nehemia said, looking away from the girl and giving Kavill and bland smile. “We shall wait. Please—return to your work,” she said to him, and took a seat on the divan. Celaena slowly sat down beside her, and Nehemia flashed her a brighter smile.

            Today, they had agreed when setting out, would just be about enjoying themselves—about letting Celaena dress Nehemia up. Today, they were just two ordinary, perfectly happy girls, out to do some shopping.

            Celaena gave her best smile in return.

So Kavill went back to his customers, the soft-spoken Marta came to take their cloaks and gloves and replaced them with jasmine tea, delicate cookies, and a selection of the day’s papers.

“Such service,” Nehemia said when Marta had slipped away to assist Kavill in taking down his measurements and seeing to the needs of their customers. The princess ran an eye around the gilded walls, the racks of sample gowns, the displays of jewelry, shoes, hats, and parasols. “Such wealth, too.”

Celaena, who had been watching one of the women debate whether a quarter of an inch would make her neckline too daring, glanced at the princess. “If it makes you feel better, he’s turned down positions as the royal tailor several times.”

Nehemia raised a well-groomed brow, the gold jewelry she wore glinting in the light of the lily-shaped glass sconces. “I don’t mean to be…difficult,” Nehemia said in the common tongue, any trace of her fake, thick accent gone.

The accent, Celaena had learned, was just to deceive the royal court—to get them to think she was dimwitted, and make them speak more freely when they thought she couldn’t understand. But Nehemia spoke better than the most refined of them. And she had been using the knowledge she’d gleaned to uncover any tidbits of maneuverings that might help the plight of her enslaved people.

It was why they had gone shopping in the first place: to find gowns that Queen Georgina would approve of—gowns to enable Nehemia to cozy up to the queen and her inner circle, to see if she might help Eyllwe by winning over the King of Adarlan’s wife.

Continue reading this scene at  Dark Readers

Are you enjoying the extracts? Keeping up with the posts? Loving the novella? 

You can expect more fun posts coming up over the next few weeks leading up to the publication of Crown of Midnight!<3

Banish Blog Tour: Guest Post & Giveaway (AU/NZ + INTL)

I'm incredibly excited to be participating in the Australian Blog Tour for Banish by Nicola Marsh, hosted by the fantastic people at Harlequin Teen Australia! Banish is Nicola Marsh's debut YA supernatural thriller and so far, I'm really enjoying it! My review will hopefully be up soon :) As for today, I have an awesome guest post "A Day in the Life of a Wiccan Teen" as well as a giveaway at the end of the post<3

Banish

by Nicola Marsh

Published by Harlequin Teen Australia

in August 2013

Alyssa has one week to destroy her enemy, save her spirit... and save her soul. 

After her ex-boyfriend commits suicide and her mum’s alcoholism sparks yet another psychotic episode, seventeen-year-old Alyssa Wood flees her small hometown of Broadwater and heads to New York City to stay with her bohemian aunt — a Wicca High Priestess.

Alyssa revels in the anonymity of a big city and her new life. Her grades climb, she has a new best friend, and a new guy: the sexy geek Ronan — a saxophone player who prefers jazz to pop.

But her newfound peace is soon shattered when she sees a dead body in one of Ronan’s music clips — and she’s the only one who can see it. Worse still, Alyssa recognises the body that has been murdered a week forward!

Alyssa doesn’t believe in the supernatural...despite her family’s Wicca background. So how will she overcome evil when it’s closer than she thinks?

Goodreads | Harlequin Teen

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A WICCAN TEEN

Hey, I’m Alyssa, and while my mom is Wiccan, and Aunt Angie (who I’m staying with while I’m in NYC) is a Wiccan High Priestess, I don’t believe.

Here’s how my day goes:

7am-drag self out of bed, quick shower, grab strawberry milk on way out the door.

9am-school, with the usual crappy subjects. My faves are English and Chem.

4pm-home. Surf YouTube. Do homework. Read. Eat TV dinner.

9pm-chat with Aunt Angie when she gets home.

10pm-head out to a jazz club with Ronan, hottest boyfriend on the planet, to watch him play sax in his jazz band, The Dizzy’s.

12pm-curfew. Ronan is the coolest! And hottest…

But if I did believe, Aunt Angie said there’s this really cool witch school in NYC and these are the subjects I could do (along with the usual English, algebra, blah, blah, blah):

·         Divinatory Arts (including dreams, tarot and runes)

·         Wicca (book of shadows, holidays, tools)

·         Gods & Goddesses

·         Magick (crystals, grimoires, rituals)

·         Paganism (law, New Age)

·         Psychic Development (meditations)

·         Alternative Therapies (herbalism, aromatherapy)

·         Spell Casting (basics, specific spells for Ostara, Lammas, Mabon, Samhain, Beltane.)

I admit, I’m fascinated by the symbolism of Wicca and really like some beliefs:

·         Do no harm to others

·         That our thoughts and words and actions have the power to change stuff around us.

·         What you do to others can come back on you times three.

·         That everything moves in cycles, like the seasons.

·         Do your best to be a positive.

Pretty cool stuff.

Okayyy so liking English and Chem is a strange combination...I can understand if someone likes Eng and History or Chem and Maths, but ENGLISH AND CHEM? O____O 

OMGGGGG A boyfriend who's in a band? *faints* Where's my Ronan?!?

I think I'd like to attend this witch school in NYC! So much better than all this accounting crap I have to do in Uni! hahhahaha

Andddd it's GIVEAWAY time!<3

Harlequin Teen Australia has kindly offered ONE print copy of Banish for AUS/NZ residents only and ONE e-copy of Banish for my International readers!

• Leave a comment with a way to contact you :)
• Indicate whether you're AUS/NZ resident or INTL.
• Ends August 2nd 2013
• Tweet/FB/Share this for bonus entries. Leave links in the comments. (Make sure to include @shiirleyyyxxx)
• Winners will have 48 hours to reply. 

You can view the Tour Schedule HERE

Now or Never Blog Tour: Spotlight & Giveaway

Hey guys! I'm here today with a spotlight for Now or Never , a new adult debut by A.J Bennett. I was first drawn to this book because of the mention of "an abusive relationship". I'm becoming more interested in these topics that are usually out of my comfort zone, and I've *mostly* liked the New Adult books I've read lately so I knew I had to participate in this tour :) There's also a giveaway at the end of the post if you're interested in winning a copy!<3

Now or Never

by A.J Bennett
Self-published 

on June 19th 2013

Twenty-one year old Grayson Alexander finally breaks away from an abusive relationship and finds herself free for the first time in three years.

Determined to enjoy her new-found freedom, Grayson is intent on sticking with 'no strings attached' relationships—one-night stands, and steamy sex.

But she didn't plan on Derrick. 

Her attraction to the sexy man in uniform quickly turns into an unhealthy relationship. They both try to resist the pull, but neither can stay away. 

When tragedy strikes, Grayson realizes it's now or never—walk away or make it work.

Amazon | B&N | KOBO

*About the Author*
A.J. Bennett lives in Nashville, TN with her husband and bulldog. She's addicted to coffee, popcorn and books. Becoming an author has been a lifelong dream, and she's extremely excited about her debut novel Now or Never.

Facebook | Twitter |  Website | Goodreads

*Giveaway*

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Mini Reviews: Breathless by Brigid Kemmerer & Tormenting Lila by Sarah Alderson

Breathless

by Brigid Kemmerer 
Publisher: Kensington Teen

Release Date: April 30th, 2013

Format: ebook

Too many secrets. Not enough time.

 Nick Merrick is supposed to be the level-headed one. The peacemaker. Since it’s just him and his three hotheaded brothers against the world, that’s a survival tactic.

 But now he’s got problems even his brothers can’t help him survive.

 His so-called girlfriend, Quinn, is going quick as mercury from daring to crazy. Meanwhile, Quinn’s dancer friend Adam is throwing Nick off balance, forcing him to recognize a truth he’d rather shove back into the dark.

 He can feel it—-the atmosphere is sizzling. Danger is on the way. But whatever happens next, Nick is starting to find out that sometimes nothing you do can keep the peace.

FANTABULOUS.

That sums up this novella perfectly. :)

Nick has always been my favourite Merrick brother; while the all the brothers had to deal with drama after drama occurring in their lives, Nick was always the calmest and most level-headed of them all so I guess he stood out. I never liked Nick and Quinn in Storm/Spark as Quinn always, without fail, annoyed the living hell out of me with her over dramatic reaction and completely unnecessarily rude attitude towards Gabriel. (Okay, so maybe Gabriel was being a douchebag but STILL. NO ONE MESSES WITH GABRIEL!!) However, I think my hatred for Quinn diminished a tiny bit after becoming acquainted with her home life and relationship with Nick. Now, instead of hating her, I pity her.

Adam is a character I found immensely intriguing :) I’m looking forward to learning his backstory and of course, I hope he’ll play a bigger role in the upcoming sequels! I also genuinely hope Nick will eventually be able to sort out his feelings and resolve all complications in his life at the present time. No matter what, I STILL LOVE YOU NICK<3

A massive thank you to Kensington Teen for providing a copy of Breathless for review!

Tormenting Lila
by Sarah Alderson
Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Release Date: July 1st, 2013

Format: ebook

When Lila and Alex sneak off for a romantic weekend away, Lila’s hoping she’ll finally have a chance to work on Alex’s resolve. 

 But just as things start heating up news reaches them of a serial killer at loose on the island and it isn’t long before their intimate weekend away is interrupted. 

 A mind reader, a projector, a protective older brother and a serial killer. One of them is going to find Lila first. She's hoping it's the serial killer

Sarah Alderson’s back with another exciting story for us die-hard Alex fans! Reading Tormenting Lila made me realise how much I’ve missed Alex since Losing Lila last year….I’m so glad to be reacquainted with some of my favourite characters (though honestly, I was hoping for more Alex hotness!) 

 Just like with every other book by Sarah Alderson, I was grinning from ear to ear the whole time. I loved the reappearance of every character, and it was hilarious to see Jack's reaction whenever Alex and Lila are together :) I’ll have to admit, there isn’t much of a plot in this (even for a novella), but it was an entertaining read nonetheless.

 I liked meeting Ren and Jesse, the main characters in The Sound & I absolutely cannot wait to read The Sound now! :)