Blog Tour- GOLDEN SKIES by Juan Zapata An Interview & A Giveaway!

Hey everyone! I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the blog tour for GOLDEN SKIES by Juan Zapata! 

I have an interview with Juan to share with you today! And make sure to enter the giveaway below!

Haven't heard of GOLDEN SKIES? Check it out!

Title: GOLDEN SKIES 

Author: Juan Zapata

Pub. Date: June 12, 2018

Publisher: Owl Hollow Press

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 320

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon

A man-god and his army of religious zealots swarmed the South nine years ago. As a child, Malik watched severed heads falling, blood spurting onto concrete, and his dear grandfather run through by a black sword.

But there’s peace…somewhere. At least that’s what Malik tells himself as his body is ripped apart by whips at a religious conversion camp. That’s what his best friend whispers as he frantically creates new force jetpacks to rescue Malik.

Yet when war bursts through the skies, and the sky troopers, assassins, and heroes fall—when the world comes crashing down—Malik Zzoha stands strong amidst the sands, infidel of the state number one.

Golden Skies is the first book in the The New Order trilogy.

Now on to the interview!

Hey Juan!! First I want to say welcome to Two Chicks on Books I’m glad you could stop by for a chat! GOLDEN SKIES sounds AWESOME and I can’t wait for everyone to read it!

For the readers: can you tell us a little bit about GOLDEN SKIES and the characters?

Hey! Thanks for having me on! I really appreciate it! Golden Skies…well, it’s about a guy named Malik who’s trying to free his hometown from his religious, tyrant father. Their country is ruled by a “divine” emperor that’s the source of all the atrocities. Malik tries to kill his father (governor of their hometown), but fails and gets sent to a religious conversion camp he barely manages to escape. The major supporting characters are Malik’s genius best friend and sister. You’ve got foreign soldiers called sky troopers involved, force shields, jetpacks, assassins, etc.

What are you working on now?

Right now, I’m working on Book 3, Final Ascension, the conclusion to my trilogy. I’ve got six thousand words done. It’s been slow going, but I have to do this carefully and I have plenty of time haha.

Were any of the characters in the book inspired by people from your real life?

Hmm. Just one. Henry, one of the sky troopers, is loosely similar to a police officer I know due to the mentor role.

Who was your favorite character to write? What about your least favorite?

That is a hard question. I would have to say Eliza because I enjoyed making her a really caring and loving sister. I wish I had a sister. My least favorite would have to be either Tiran or Cyrus simply because they’re not as pivotal or juicy.

What is your favorite passage/scene in GOLDEN SKIES?

I would have to say a major fight scene between the best assassins in the story. It happens in some underground tunnels. Don’t wanna give it all away haha.

What kind of research did you have to do for the story?

I had to research translations to Latin for certain words I used as names. The fighting forms are a prime example. Other names, I used translations from Farsi unless I already knew it off the top of my head. Fun fact: Mamnoon (a country on the Southern map) means thank you in Farsi, but I thought it sounded cool in general so I used it haha.

Who is your ultimate book boyfriend/man crush?

In general? It’s gotta be Darrow from Red Rising haha. From my story? Hands down Kafed.

What inspired you to write YA?

Oh! Golden Skies is adult Sci-Fi. I had to choose this age group due to how grisly and gory it is. Plus, the characters swear an enormous amount like I do in real life, so I had to go for an R rating haha.

Lightening Round Questions

What are you reading right now? Or what do you have on your TBR that you’re dying to read?

Iron Gold by Pierce Brown! I finished reading his Red Rising Trilogy recently and it is freaking fantastic! Better than the Hunger Games in my opinion.

What Hogwarts House would the Sorting Hat place you in?

Probably Gryffindor! J

Twitter or Facebook?

Facebook! Never got into Twitter all that much.

Favorite Superhero?

The Flash! The one from the CW show haha!

Favorite TV show?

Game of Thrones or Outlander.

Sweet or Salty?

Sweet!

Any Phobias?

I absolutely do not like heights.

Song you can’t get enough of right now?

Fiction by Apollo ft. Liam Schwisberg

2018 Movie you’re most looking forward to?

Well, after seeing Infinity War and Deadpool 2, I got my wishes granted! But! That new Jurassic World movie looks decent.

Thanks so much Juan for answering my questions! I can’t wait for everyone to read GOLDEN SKIES!

Thank you for everything! I hope you guys like it!

About Juan:

​I'm a presidential scholar, residential assistant, and senior at Alabama Agricultural & Mechanical University. I endeavor to become a police officer and join a federal agency in the future.

​When I'm not writing I like to play For Honor and pretend I'm a knight, laughing with happiness at my victories and then almost having aneurisms when defeated. Challenge me to a duel anytime :D

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a finished copy of GOLDEN SKIES, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

6/11/2018- Mythical Books- Guest Post

6/12/2018- Kati's Bookaholic Rambling Reviews- Excerpt

6/13/2018- RhythmicBooktrovert- Spotlight

6/14/2018- BookHounds- Interview

6/15/2018- FUONLYKNEW- Spotlight

Week Two:

6/18/2018- Book-o-Craze- Excerpt

6/19/2018- Two Chicks on Books- Interview

6/20/2018- Parajunkee- Excerpt

6/21/2018- Sincerely Karen Jo- Excerpt

6/22/2018- Jaime's World- Spotlight

Release Week Blitz- BETWEEN THE SEA AND STARS by Chantal Gadoury With An Excerpt & Pre-Order Giveaway!

I am so excited that BETWEEN THE SEA AND STARS by Chantal Gadoury is available now and that I get to share the news!

If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book by Author Chantal Gadoury, be sure to check out all the details below.

This blitz also includes a pre-order giveaway courtesy of Chantal. So if you’d like a chance to win, check out the giveaway info below.

About The Book:

Title: BETWEEN THE SEA AND STARS

Author: Chantal Gadoury

Pub. Date: June 19, 2018

Publisher: The Parliament House

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: ?

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, B&N, iBooks

A Legend, 

A Magical Shell 

A Girl Who Dreamed Of Something More... 

Lena, a Merrow girl, lives in the Skagerrak sea with her father, Carrick and her brother, Javelin who tells her of the legend of the Merrow Queen murdered by her human lover when greed takes over. But what’s worth spilling the queen’s blood? Gifted from Poseidon, himself, a magic shell gives any human the ability to control both land and sea. 

When Javelin is called to join a clan of Merrow soldiers bent on protecting their waters from human invasion, Lena resists Merrow law and ventures to the shore with no choice but to swim to land. 

With newfound legs, Lena is whisked away on a new adventure with new friends and new trouble. Everyone seems to want something from her as intrigue lurks around every corner. 

Trying her best to hide who she is and remain safe from the dangers of the human world, will Lena finally find where she belongs, or will she be swept into a strong and stormy current by lust, greed, and jealousy?

Excerpt:

“Tell me the legend of the Skagerrak queen.”

Javelin lifted a brow. “It’s hardly a legend, Lena,” he said. “It’s barely been a decade.” His voice was easy, unbothered by the possibility of being overheard. They were alone in this place. There was no need to whisper or scold or shush. Still, he groaned. “I’ve told that one a thousand times. You should know it by heart. Aren’t you tired of it yet?”

“Come on,” Lena urged him. “It’s my favorite. Tell me again.”

He rolled his eyes, but his mouth curved into a grin. “Fine.” His scooped a clam shell out of the sand and began sliding the sharp side of a rock against its grain. “The queen fell in love with a human man,” he began, his strong fingers holding the clam firmly in place. “Every full moon, she used her magic to travel ashore to see him.”

Lena settled onto her elbows, relishing the smooth sound of her brother’s voice as he recited the tale. 

A dreamy smile spread over her lips.

“I wonder how she met him,” she murmured softly, tilting her chin up and letting her lashes flutter shut.

“Likely the same way any merrow meets a human,” Javelin teased. “Shipwrecked during one of Poseidon’s storms. She should have drowned him immediately.”

“But she couldn’t!” Lena’s eyes pinged open. “For he was devilishly handsome, even soaking wet. The most handsome man she’d ever seen.”

“Devilish is right,” Javelin allowed. “Whether he was handsome or not, I’ll let your imagination decide.”

“Oh, he was.” Lena was smiling widely now. “He was, perhaps, the most beautiful human man in existence, and desperately enraptured by the queen. Each full moon, he waited for her, pacing the beach like a madman. And when she would emerge from the sea, he’d run hip-deep to meet her, unable to spend one more moment apart. He’d wrap his muscular arms around her—”

“For Poseidon’s sake, Lena.”

“And they’d dance together,” she pressed on, giggling, “as only humans can do. They’d dance and dance the hours away, bathed in starlight, humming songs into one another’s ears.”

“Until one night. . .” Javelin prompted smugly, and Lena rolled her eyes.

“Until one night,” she sighed, “something overcame the queen’s lover. Greed.”

“Human greed,” Javelin corrected. “Human nature. It was only a matter of time.”

She glared at him, but didn’t interrupt as he continued. This was the best and the worst part of the tale, and Javelin—damn him, was good at telling it. And he knew.

“That night, the queen swam toward the surface, impatient as ever she was. Ready to be rid of her tail. Ready to be human again. Her magic was a gift from Poseidon himself, contained in a delicate shell which she wore around her neck on a gold chain. It gave her the ability to explore the shore, and to control the storms and seas.”

Lena leaned in.

“As she swam, the queen began to change. Faint sobs faltered over her blue-scaled lips—cries of pain, lost to the rushing lull of the waves and the urgent beating of her fins. Swiftly, her tail separated into two perfectly shaped legs, and she rose out of the sea.”

“Don’t leave out the good parts,” Lena whispered. She knew her brother would skim over the romance just to annoy her.

Javelin gave her a pointed look. Then he grinned. “The moon was high that night,” he said, lowering his voice to a hush for effect. “The land was illuminated by an eerie, silver glow. Beneath its light, the queen’s new flesh was creamy and soft. Her hair became one with the wind, and her body shivered against a violent, uproarious breeze. Perhaps it was a warning from the gods, but the queen didn’t see it as such. The human lands were cold, suffering a new, frigid season, but her heart remained warm. She smiled, though her transition had been agony, when she heard the sound of water splashing and saw her beloved moving toward her through the shallows.

“She sang his name as he brushed chaste kisses against her neck, and relaxed fully against him, trusting him completely. She was blind to the wicked yearning which had wrapped around his heart. Which made his body tense, which crushed his lungs till he could hardly breathe. He wanted her shell, for he’d discovered what powers were locked inside that delicate charm. Powers gifted to whomsoever possessed it. His fingers dipped to her throat, caressing the shell which had allowed her to return to him, again and again. The queen eyed him strangely, and he dropped his hands to her waist, tugging her against him, kissing her deeply.”

Lena sighed, and Javelin smirked.

“She was a fool,” he said.

“She was in love,” Lena amended.

“She was both,” he conceded. “And that foolish love consumed her. Deceived her. Seduced her. Clouded her eyes, so love was all she could see. But that fateful eve, her beloved’s affection was not what it seemed. He’d seduced himself too, with all the prospects of what might be. His own love had been replaced by a lust for riches unknown. For control of the land and sea.”

Lena winced, for she knew what came next.

“He pressed his mouth against the queen’s skin, whispering sweet words, distracting her. She was smiling as he sent a knife into her back. Smiling, even as her eyes went wide with shock.”

Lena shuddered, picturing it. A joyful mouth, frozen in place. Bulging, horrified eyes going dim.

“The queen’s lover twisted his blade, releasing her cold merrow blood to the sand. He reached for the shell, yanking on its golden chain. But in the last throes of breath, the queen resisted him and threw the shell into the crashing waves, bidding Poseidon to wash it away.

“With a promised curse on his lips, her lover trailed back into the night, determined to one day possess the world between the sea and stars, and all who dwell beneath the earth, in the ocean’s depths. Our people.” He glanced sidelong at Lena, his meaning clear. “The merrows.”

“And the queen. . .” Lena murmured, though she already knew how the tale would end.

“He left her to dissolve into sea foam. She was washed away forever by the waves.”

Lena released a long breath and gazed at her hands, trying to imagine what it would be like to watch herself slowly disappear; what heartache and betrayal the queen must have felt in her last moments. She knew this was a gruesome tale, but a part of her thought the better parts, the magic and romance, were worth the gruesome bits.

“What do you think it would be like, to walk?” she wondered aloud. “Would it be like having two tails?”

“I don’t know,” Javelin chuckled. “I suppose it might be.”

“Where do you think the shell is now?”

Javelin shrugged. From a stony shelf above his head, he retrieved a slim, wooden railing he’d found in a ship a few days before and carefully tied his sharpened clamshell to its jagged end.

Lena smiled, realizing he’d made her a hunting spear.

“Poseidon is said to have hidden the shell before the human lover, or any human, could steal it. It could be anywhere.”

“If you could go to the surface, would you?”

Javelin pinched his lips together and didn’t speak. It was a silent reprimand. He knew how Lena longed to break through the waves, to see the human world with her own eyes, to know the uses of all the odd objects they’d collected over the years. But the laws of the sea were strict, and the king’s leniency had all but vanished in recent years.

Any merrow caught peeking at the shore was punished. Some were even struck down by Poseidon and reduced to sea foam, just like the queen.

“This is where we belong, Lena,” Javelin said softly, firmly.

“But how do you know?” She swirled upright and swam along the edge of the grotto, brushing her fingertips over cups and spoons and heaps of sodden fabric. Over small chests and tarnished, palm-sized figurines and other mysterious, unnamed things. “Haven’t you ever wondered what it would be like, to live on the land? To live among them? To be one of them?”

“Not as much as you have, I can see.”

She groaned, and sank to her brother’s side, resting her head on his shoulder. “It can’t be as bad as everyone believes. Humans can’t all be the same. We’re not all the same,” she reasoned quietly.

About Chantal:

Amazon Best Selling Author, Chantal Gadoury, is a 2011 graduate from Susquehanna University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Creative Writing. Since graduation, she has published "The Songs in Our Hearts" with 48Fourteen Publishing, and “Allerleirauh” with Parliament House Press, with future titles to follow. Chantal first started writing stories at the age of seven and continues with that love of writing today. Writing novels for Chantal has become a life-long dream come true! When she’s not writing, she enjoys painting, drinking lots of DD Iced Coffee, and watching Disney classics. Chantal lives in Muncy, Pennsylvania with her Mom, Sister and furry-‘brother’ (aka, puppy) Taran.

Website |  Twitter | Facebook | Intstagram | Goodreads

Giveaway Details: Pre Order Giveaway!

Enter your Receipt for the chance to win a "Mermaid" Giveaway!

A Mermaid-Themed Tumbler, Notebook, Nail Filer, Face Mask, Hand Sanitizer, Handcream, Makeup Bag, Popsocket and an autographed  Paperback of "Between the Sea and Stars."

Submit Your BETWEEN THE SEA AND STARS Book Receipts HERE!

Any format of this book will qualify: E-Book or Paperback.

It can be purchased at any retailer; Amazon, Kobo, B&N, Parliament House - etc.

Receipts must be dated before June 24th.

You can also submit your receipt by emailing cgauthorgiveaway@gmail.com

Release Day Blitz- MY LULLABY OF YOU by Alia Rose

I am so excited that MY LULLABY OF YOU by Alia Rose is available now and that I get to share the news!

If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book by Author Alia Rose, be sure to check out all the details below.

This blitz also includes a giveaway for signed finished paperback copy of MY LULLABY OF YOU a bookmark, a bookish beach towel, a beach inspired candle and annotation cards, US Only, courtesy of Alia and Rockstar Book Tours. So if you’d like a chance to win, enter in the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.

About the Book:

Title: MY LULLABY OF YOU

Author: Alia Rose

Pub. Date: June 16, 2018

Publisher: Plum Anchor Press

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 287

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon

For fans of Jenny Han and Sarah Dessen, My Lullaby of You is a Young Adult Contemporary Romance about guarded love, complicated families, and the summer that changes everything. 

AMY

It’s the summer after high school. Amy can’t wait to leave her small hometown in North Carolina for the vibrant city of Chicago, where she plans to go to her dream college and hopes to build a stronger relationship with her father.

But as she deals with her mother’s resentment over her leaving and an intriguing yet provoking college student, Amy’s reminded of things she’s tried to forget and forced to face emotions she never expected.

SETH

It’s the summer before the last year of music school. Seth would rather be anywhere else than a small beach town in North Carolina, reopening wounds he thought he’d patched long ago and facing the father he hasn’t seen since his mother’s death.

While on his mission for answers, Seth is drawn to an observant and driven local he can’t seem to figure out.

About Alia:

I've been writing since I fell in love with reading and now the characters in my head refuse to leave me alone. My debut novel, My Lullaby of You comes out in June 2018!

When I'm not writing, I work full time as an architectural designer and enjoy drinking too much coffee, making to-do lists, and traveling.

You can find me rambling about all of the above on Instagram and Twitter.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will win a signed finished paperback copy of MY LULLABY OF YOU a bookmark, a bookish beach towel, a beach inspired candle and annotation cards, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Release Day Blitz- DESI (The Greyhounds of Sorrento #1) by Carolee Croft With an Excerpt & $15 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway!

I am so excited that DESI by Carolee Croft is available now and that I get to share the news!

If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book by Author Carolee Croft, be sure to check out all the details below.

This blitz also includes a giveaway for a $15 Amazon Gift Card & 3 eBooks of DESI, International, courtesy of Carolee and Rockstar Book Tours. So if you’d like a chance to win, enter in the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.

About the Book: 

Title: DESI (The Greyhounds of Sorrento #1) 

Author: Carolee Croft

Pub. Date: June 15, 2018

Publisher: Carolee Croft

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 67

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Amazon UK, Amazon Canada

Julia Rossi is a woman of reason. A scientist. Someone who doesn’t take things on faith. When she inherits a house in Sorrento, Italy from an uncle she barely knew, Julia does not actually believe that her uncle was a wizard and that she is the successor to his magical legacy.

Be that as it may, she enjoys a good brain-teaser, and the house comes with a host of supernatural secrets, including a cuddly Italian greyhound who mysteriously vanishes.

Julia starts to realize that she must protect the powerful magic bequeathed to her, though she still doesn’t believe that the incredibly gorgeous motorcycle rider who rescued her from being kidnapped by gangsters is actually a cute little werehound.

This paranormal romance novella is part of a series, but each story in the series can be read as a standalone.

Warning: Contains steamy love scenes and extremely cute greyhounds.

Excerpt:

It was only on my way back from the kitchen that I saw through a partial view of the living room that there was a naked man sleeping on the couch. The curtains were drawn, but I could see the outline of his body in the darkness.

Needless to say, I was startled. I must have screamed quite loudly because the next thing I knew, the guy woke up, just as startled at seeing me as I was seeing him, and sat up on the couch, rubbing his face and peering at me in confusion as if I was the one who had invaded his house.

“Stay back, I have a cup of boiling hot coffee here,” I improvised, though I was merely holding a mug filled with water.

He looked really strong, and in case he was some kind of pervert, I was mentally debating trying to find a better weapon, but when he stopped rubbing his eyes and I could see his face, I realized it was the motorcycle guy. I didn’t feel safe exactly, but now my heart didn’t race as much, and my brain rubbed its metaphorical hands together in anticipation, ready to finally piece together the mystery.

“Hey, I was just sleeping here,” he said. As if that helped clarify things.

He held one hand out defensively, while he grabbed a cushion with the other and covered up his private parts. Not that I could see them in the darkness. Not that I was curious or anything…

“My name is Desi,” he said, “and I’ll explain everything.”

“Desi like the greyhound?” I queried.

“Uh… yes, like the greyhound. I was a friend of your uncle’s, and there’s no need to be nervous. Look, I think we could all use some coffee and some breakfast.”

About Carolee:

Enchanted by romance on page and screen, I have always tried to write my own versions of the perfect fairytale. No matter whether the story takes place in Ancient Rome or on one of the moons of Jupiter, romance always beguiles and charms us with its fairy tale magic. My first inspiration to sit down and write came from watching the movie The Princess Bride.

This was a “modern” fairy tale with plenty of action, humour, and of course, true love. I resolved that my stories should have the same light-hearted, fun, and romantic spirit.

As for real life… I believe I may have already found the man of my dreams, but I still haven’t found the dog of my dreams. Currently, I am obsessed with greyhounds, but I live in an apartment that doesn’t allow pets. I guess this means my perfect dog is still a fantasy, and I hope it is a story yet to be told…

Thank you for stopping by! Please leave a comment or a question about anything on this site.

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Giveaway Details:

1 winner will win a $15 Amazon Gift Card, International.

3 winners will win an eBook of DESI gifted via Amazon, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway