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Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Cover Reveal- ENSNARED by AG Howard and an EPIC Giveaway!!!!


FINALLY! The day has come! I am so happy to have AG Howard here to reveal the whole ENSNARED cover!! Ooh she's a tease too! You'll have to work to see it! Make sure you read the whole post and enter the 

I've already made you wait long enough, so without further adieu, here's the cover:


   


Nice, right? Did you see what's above the title? 
"A Splintered Novel" 


How cool is that? Hehe


Okay, okay.  You're right.



There's more to see. 

Let's get to the real deal. Scroll down...




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WAIT! Let's peek inside the book. 

Just teasing. Go on and skip ahead; just be sure to come back up later and read this for fun + extra rafflecopter points. :)

What I love most about this book? Alyssa definitely comes into her own, embracing both her strength and her madness. And she doesn’t take any time getting around to the business at hand. 

In the very first chapter she’s standing inside the memory train, silently contemplating how her dad will be affected by being reunited with his disturbing past, and her strength and determination shines through in her thoughts:

It’s better Dad face that memory alone. Otherwise, he might try to protect me. And I don’t need it any more than he does. It took me losing my mind to gain my perspective. If that’s what it takes for him, too, so be it.


YEAH. Go go crazy Alyssa!

This book is my favorite of the series because all of the characters, not just Alyssa, come full circle and embrace who they’re meant to be and the roles they’re meant to play to keep Wonderland alive and thriving. Even when it means sacrificing or compromising dreams they once had or things they held dear.  No one walks away unchanged or unscathed. And that’s exactly how a final book should be. 

Also, here are some “Carrollian” elements you can expect to see warped and woven into book three: 

• Red and White Knights 
• Gryphon
• Rock lobsters from "The Lobster Quadrille"
• The lion and the unicorn
• The Caucus Race
• Bill the Lizard
• Twinkle Twinkle Little Bat poem
• The Queen of Hearts


Now, back to our regularly scheduled reveal . . .


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TA-DA!!!




*pauses to lick screen*

SO MUCH PRETTEH!

Awesome things that I ❤ or tie into the story:
the subtle glow in Jeb's eyes
jeweled elfin markings
 painted heart patch
harlequin effect
vicious vines
heart cards
those LIPS
the colors
bugs



It was no small feat coming up with this final result, and it took lots of back and forth this time. Of all the covers of this series, Ensnared was the most difficult to perfect.  


First, we struggled over finding the right model. The designer/artist team (Maria Middleton & Nathalia Suellen) use stock photos for the cover models. The guy we chose originally -- although he was cute -- wasn't quite Jeb, even after we did a lot of tweaking and inserted the image into a fancy vine and bug filled background.


First guy's eyes were too evil/werewolfish. He looked too old. His straight hair too boy-band, and his expression too dangerous. To sum it up, seductive as he was, he wasn't in keeping with Jeb's appearance and character type in the books. My Splintered skater boy has a genuineness and a gentleness of spirit that needed to be captured on his face. Also, the first model was so dark and intense, he looked out of place with the whimsical, subtle madness of the other two covers. 


Continuity is crucial in the covers of a series, especially when it comes to getting bookseller support. That's why, when the original mock-up with this model was accidentally leaked a few weeks ago, I panicked. I'm so grateful to all of you for helping us smother that fire. (And sorry, I'm not allowed to show you the wrong cover for legal reasons). 

SO, the model we finally decided on was this guy: 



Like the other one, he's a stock photo (I bought this pic for myself so I could display it). 

This model was spot on. Dark wavy hair, soulful green eyes, full lips. He already looked like Jebediah -- my young skater boy and an unassuming tortured artist -- without any tweaking at all.

The trick was making his cover magical.

Taking his image, the design team did their photo manipulation hocus-pocus and added some heart cards at my suggestion so we could weave in the Wonderland-ish element of the Queen of Hearts. Then came the elfin knight markings and the heart-shaped spatter of red paint across his eye (which both fit perfectly with other elements of the story).

All that was left were some last minute touches so Jeb would look less like a regular dude and more like a Splintered one. They lightened his skin to a glowing finish so his face wouldn't blend into the background, and would leap out from the vines. The resulting "watercolor" effect mirrored the artistic/eerie/magical feel of the other covers. It also gave Jeb a sexy harlequin vibe which is perfect for reasons I won't disclose. You'll have to read the story to find out why. *chuckles and wrings hands maniacally*


The final result = Stunning. ❤(◕‿-)❤

I adore how the three covers look together:



Not only do the vines and bugs bind them, but each character has something unique about their eyes ... Alyssa's is hidden under strands of hair, Morpheus has a netherling marking, and Jeb has a heart-shaped smudge. Also, their personalities are reflected in their faces and the colors of their covers. 


  • Alyssa, one eye wide-open and surrounded by writhing greenery: naive with an untapped wildness under the surface.

  • Morpheus, debonair, magical with a dreamy glint in his mischievous gaze: controlled chaos. 

  • Jeb, tortured expression and intense eyes: a gentle artist at war with fiery passions and an unrelenting drive to be a better man than his father.



It's so amazing when it all comes together. I couldn't have asked for more beautiful and fitting covers for this series, and I'm so grateful to the incredibly talented team behind them!


Also, I'm grateful to all of you... 
ThankyouforlovingmywarpedWonderland!


Without such faithful readers, I would never have had the opportunity to write three books in the twisted Carroll-esque world.  


(Side note: I'm not closing the door on the possibility of more Splintered themed books in the future. I love the characters and world too much to leave forever. I'm just taking a short break to work on a couple of other stories whose characters are demanding my attention at the moment.)


Now, to thank you all properly, here's that huge INTL giveaway I promised, which includes an Ensnared ARC (FYI: the ARCs won't be printed until mid to late fall, so whoever wins the grand prize will have a few months to wait). 

Also, one of my FAB writer pals, Lisa Ann O'Kane, threw in a gorgeous signed paperback. Her book, Essence, debuts with Strange Chemistry in June and is a riveting contemp young adult about a girl trapped between cult societies, set in beautiful Yosemite Park. More info can be found here on Amazon.

Other prizes are posted below, as is the rafflecopter. 

Thanks so much for hanging with us the past week and being patient! I hope it was worth the wait, and I look forward to sharing more teasers and excerpts with you in the months leading up to the launch.


Good luck in the giveaways!



~ENSNARED COVER REVEAL FRABJOUS GIVEAWAY~

GRAND PRIZE:
Signed Ensnared ARC
PLEASE NOTE:
Will be mailed mid-late fall

First Prize:
Signed Splintered/Unhinged limited edition flip ARC
Contents: Full Splintered novel + Unhinged Sample chap 

Second Prize (2-bk pack):
1 Signed Splintered Paperback

+

1 Signed Essence Paperback 
Find out more on Amazon.com


Third Prize:
Death Head Moth Necklace


Fourth Prize:
Splintered Series swag pack:
1 signed bookmark -- Splintered + Unhinged  front, Ensnared back;
1 AiW gift tag; and 1 personalized/signed bookplate.

a Rafflecopter giveaway







Check out the book that started it all!!!



Splintered
AG Howard
Release Date: January 1, 2013
Hardcover: 384 pages
Publisher: Amulet Books (Abrams)



This stunning debut captures the grotesque madness of a mystical under-land, as well as a girl’s pangs of first love and independence. Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.

When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own.






Title: UNHINGED (A Splintered Novel #2)
Author: A.G. Howard
Pub. Date: January 7, 2014
Publisher: Amulet Books
Pages: 400

Alyssa Gardner has been down the rabbit hole and faced the bandersnatch. She saved the life of Jeb, the guy she loves, and escaped the machinations of the disturbingly seductive Morpheus and the vindictive Queen Red. Now all she has to do is graduate high school and make it through prom so she can attend the prestigious art school in London she's always dreamed of.

That would be easier without her mother, freshly released from an asylum, acting overly protective and suspicious. And it would be much simpler if the mysterious Morpheus didn’t show up for school one day to tempt her with another dangerous quest in the dark, challenging Wonderland—where she (partly) belongs.

As prom and graduation creep closer, Alyssa juggles Morpheus’s unsettling presence in her real world with trying to tell Jeb the truth about a past he’s forgotten. Glimpses of Wonderland start to bleed through her art and into her world in very disturbing ways, and Morpheus warns that Queen Red won’t be far behind.


If Alyssa stays in the human realm, she could endanger Jeb, her parents, and everyone she loves. But if she steps through the rabbit hole again, she'll face a deadly battle that could cost more than just her head.







About A.G. Howard
A.G. Howard was inspired to write SPLINTERED while working at a school library. She always wondered what would've happened had the subtle creepiness of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland taken center stage, and she hopes her darker and funkier tribute to Carroll will inspire readers to seek out the stories that won her heart as a child.

When she's not writing, A.G.'s pastimes are reading, rollerblading, gardening, and family vacations which often include impromptu side trips to 18th century graveyards or condemned schoolhouses to appease her overactive muse.

110 comments:

  1. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *takes a deep breath* AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!! *twirls until dizzy ~ falls down on the floor*

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  2. Oh my goodness!! I'm swooning and drooling a bit badly here!! I love love love the cover!! Jeb looks absolutely perfect and I love how he looks like part of Wonderland too!! And the three books together?? They couldn't look more perfect! Nathalia has done yet again a magnificent job!!
    I'm off to preorder this one right NOW!!

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  3. So magical and I wouldn't have expected anything less because she out-does herself every time.

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  4. The cover is so gorgeous! I'm so excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  5. I think that the cover kinda does look like Ethan Peck (Who the author lady chose as too portray Jeb) so that's cool!

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  6. I don't know what to think of the cover! I feel like my head's gone blank and my hands feel cold and numb and I'm sure if I wasn't so emotionally impaired I may have started bawling right now. And I'm so glad I could be a part of this mind-numbing cover reveal :') The cover designers are truly an inspiration, just like the Author ♥♥♥

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  7. I love it so so much!!! I am so excited to read it now

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  8. OMG!!!!!! This cover is the perfect third cover. I absolutely love it. You did a great job!!! <333

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  9. The cover is absolutely stunning! I love how well it suits the other covers in the series too!

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  10. GORGEOUS!!! Matches so well with the other 2 as they contrast so perfectly together!!! But, still Team M!! <3

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  11. OMG! THE COVER IS SO PRETTY! AND... IT'S JEB! WHAAAT? I thought it would be Red or something! But I think this is my favorite cover! :D

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  12. I can't.... I can't even!!!! Its just so..... Arrggghhh!!! I'm so ready for this!!! Mrs. Anita is such an amazing author and, although I am extremely saddend that it is all coming to an end, I'm so ready to finally see how it all comes together!!!! I shall embrace the madness!!!!!

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  13. The cover is beautiful and it's JEB! Knew it. :D

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  14. AWESOME!!!! The cover is gorgeous :D

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  15. The cover is spectacular. I think it's pretty awesome. I'm not a huge fan of Jeb, so I think I'd like it even more (which isn't saying much since I like Ensnared's cover quite a bit) if the character was Queen Red or someone like that.

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  16. I love the cover...LOVED ALL of them! The cover of Splintered is what drew me in, and reading the story, I couldn't stop. So excited to read Ensnared!

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  17. AAAH IT'S AMAZING. He looks gorgeous! I'm a huge fan of the series and the cover art is stunning. I'm so happy that Jeb is on the cover, it wouldn't seem fair to not have him on a cover :P I'm more of a Morpheus fan myself, but this cover is amazing.
    Emily / www.lacarmella.co.uk :)

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  18. I almost wet myself. This cover is a BEAUTY- can't wait for it to be in my hands!

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  19. Wow! It's beautiful! Can you send me the model? He is gorgeous! I'm a Jeb girl for sure! Can't wait to read this book!

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  20. I want it so bad! I think it looks amazing and all three together make a beautiful trio.

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  21. I love it! and I can't wait to read it! I've been waiting forever! You're awesome! :D

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  22. THAT COVER IS GORGEOUS!!!! Must Have Now!

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  23. Love Love LOVE this cover!!! I need to read the second book quick :)

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  24. Good to see Jeb has earned a cover. Very foreboding -- but for whom?

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  25. Love the cover! So pretty. I could stare at it for hours.

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  26. I love the cover! And it goes so nicely with the others. Can't wait to have it on my shelf! :)

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  28. well I was signed in as the wrong account! I LOOOOOVE this cover so much!! it's perfect!!!

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  29. It's awesome!!! Thanks for sharing :)

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  30. Wow, how lovely! Jeb is WAY more attractive than I initially imagined him! And since I'm a QofH cosplayer and generally obsessed with the character, I can't wait to meet her in the book!

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  31. OMG, it is gorgeous! The whole set is gorgeous!!! *swoon*

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  32. Squee! He's so gorgeous!

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  33. I LOVE THE COVER!!!!!!! EEEP!!!!

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  34. I love it! I'm a moth girl at heart, but I can definitely appreciate Jeb ;)

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  35. Oh my God! I love the cover! I feel like it makes Jeb look strong; plus I'm excited to see how the hearts tie into his character!

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  36. I love this cover so much!! I can't wait to have it on my shelves!

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  37. I love the cover, the reds are a perfect fit

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  38. Love the color! Goes well with Jeb!!!

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  39. I can't wait to read it even more now that I've seen the cover! it's gorgeous! <3

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  40. I've decided to hold a giveaway of my own to celebrate this! I'm giving away a brand new copy of Unhinged on my blog, and I've mentioned your giveaway and linked to it in the post too! http://www.lacarmella.co.uk/2014/05/giveaway-unhinged-by-ag-howard-ensnared.html
    <3

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  41. AMAZING! So many questions now. Wish the book came out sooner!!!

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  42. Look at that cover!! It's so gorgeous, I can't wait to read Ensnared!!!

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  43. Ok, THAT is a cover! Wheew...I'm fanning myself here! Perfect job on the graphic design. I am so excited to see it in real life!

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  44. AHH. That cover is perfect! Plus I'm still freaking out because for once a series with amazing covers didn't change mid-release?? Can't wait!

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  45. I adore this cover, but you know what I love most? That the three main characters all get a cover! I get a little annoyed when a trilogy is the same stock image of the lead over and over. This feels like a series of portraits and each is unique!

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  46. it´s a gorgeous cover, the red hearts, everything looks wonderlandish!

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  47. I love this cover. It isn't exactly how I pictured Jeb, but he is still very hot. I can't wait to read this book!!!

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  48. So, this is Jeb. Well played Mrs./Miss Howard. :)

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  49. Bright, Brilliant and Beautiful! All three covers! Gorgeous!! Frame em and hang em up!

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  50. Such an amazing cover!!!! Oh man, I'm already thinking about it lined up on my shelf next to my other copies! It's so beautiful! And YAY for The Mock Turtle!!!! That is my favourite "Carrollian" thing about Alice, so I'm sooooo excited to see it in Ensared!!! Eeeep I can't wait!

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  51. All this cover love is so awesome!!! Thanks to AG and Abrams for letting me post it! I love my Jeb and I love this cover!!!

    <33333
    Jaime

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    Replies
    1. And thank YOU for doing such a wonderful job coordinating the reveal event. We appreciate you so much! <3 Also, thanks to everyone for the cover love and good luck on the giveaways!

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  52. Oh Wow... I've always been into Morpheus more so than Jeb... but this is pretty darn HOT! <3 <3 <3

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  53. Oh my goodness!!!!!!! So excited, This is one giveaway I especially want to win!!!!!!!!!!! AHHHH!!!!!!!! So excited!!!!! The cover is so beautiful, I never thought any cover could be as amazing as Splintered, but Unhinged and Ensnared are beautiful and all three together is breathtaking!!!!!

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  54. I'm in love with this cover! I have had a book hangover forever now and probably will until I am able to read this beautiful book!!!!!

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  55. I wish it was The Queen of Hearts instead of Jeb, but beyond that, I'm good!

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  56. LOVE the new cover! I was hoping that Jeb would make the cover, since her big conflict seems to be summed up in these two.

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  57. I love the cover! I figured it would be Jeb and while I prefer Morpheus, this cover is pretty!!!

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  58. This series is really unique. I love that each cover showcases the main characters, and their colors! They are all very awesome!

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  59. Gorgeous new cover reveal of Jeb! Totes excited about the book even more now

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  60. I can't write down my feelings about this - too much screaming involved!!!!!!!! XD
    I love the covers against one another, so pretty!!

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  61. I HAVE LITERALLY BEEN WAITING FOR THIS COVER SINCE UNHINGED WAS AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER. HEART ATTACKING OVER HERE!

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  62. OH MY GOD, IT'S SO GORGEOUS! All of three of them are so pretty--some of my favorite book covers EVER. :)

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  63. IT. IS. PERFECTION!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  64. The 3 covers together are so colorful, beautiful and enchanting! Great job!!! :D

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  65. I cannot WAIT for this book! Love the cover.

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  66. The cover fits the series very well

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  67. The new cover is fantastic. Fits very well with the first two!

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  68. It is absolutely gorgeous! All 3 covers are works of art, but my heart definitely belongs to Jeb, so this one is extra special.

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  69. Love the new cover. Love the Gold and the Red...wonder how it ties in to Queen Red and the crown :-) I still think I like the 2nd cover best though because I'm team Morpheus! Can't wait to have them all sitting snuggly next to each other on my shelf!

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  70. The cover is so beautiful! I love everything about it, the colors, the title, the bugs... the sexy skater boy ;)<3.

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  71. There are no words to describe how AMAZING the cover for ENSNARED is. However I will say thank you for the giveaway and for writing the series. I'm so excited to read the last novel even though it means saying good bye to Alyssa, Jeb, and Morpheus.

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  72. Totally amazeballs :) Team Jeb 4 lyf

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  73. So freaking beautiful. This series has the BEST covers.

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  74. It completes the picture! Anita hinted that Jeb needed his own cover and now he has one! I love it but I am dying to read it!!!

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  75. The cover is absolutely breathtaking! It fits in with the Splintered and Unhinged covers perfectly. Can't wait to read this book even more now! :D

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  76. Oh my... All I can say! Too my expectations & threw them through the window! Wow..!!!

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  77. Ensnared looks amazing and sounds like it will be amazing! I

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  78. O_O OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD THANK YOU SO MUCH.

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  79. It's so pretty. I can't wait :)

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  80. Love it. Love the heart over the eye. :D

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  81. The cover is beautiful! it's whimsical & magical, and so, so Wonderland, I love it :)

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  82. The cover is awesome! I love how its Jeb. I am not sure quite yet who side I am on but I love how its all three of them. The detail the covers have are amazing. They make them so intriguing to read.

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  83. I love the cover! It's gorgeous — all three are. They really relate to the storyline. I can't wait for Ensnared to come out :)

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  84. He looks different. What happened to him? Also, what do you mean no one gets out unscathed? *worries*

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  85. This cover is even more gorgeous than I had anticipated. I love it.

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  86. Love it! I can't wait to read the whole book =] the little tid-bits that I've seen of the book leaves me wanting more, can't wait to see who wins the giveaways too!

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  87. My god, the cover is just amazing, I love it ! And thanks for this giveaway !

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  88. Jeb's lips are a lot fuller than i expected.

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  89. I think the cover is beautiful! it looks very mysterious and Jeb looks just like I wanted him to look!

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  90. Christina R. in the rafflecopter

    I LOVE Jeb!! He's even better than I imagined and I love him all Wonderlanded!! I love the little elements like the heart and elfin stuff :)

    Lovely cover!!

    Love the excerpt!!

    Thank you :)

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  91. i LOVE THE COVER!!!! I'm so happy its Jeb he looks better than I thought. IM still team morpheus tho


    im so exited for ensnared to come out the finished splintered and unhinged in 1 week i bet i ail finish ensnared in 1-2 days!!

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  92. I cant wait. It it was better then i expected sinc eim not really a jeb fan although he is tempting

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  93. I LOVE the cover!!!! Can't wait to read this book!!!! ♥

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  94. I have loved both of the previous covers, and that has not changed with this one. It is stunning. This cover designer absolutely deserves big time awards! Absolutely beautiful! I am so blown away! Thanks so much for this reveal!

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  95. I have loved both of the previous covers and I think the cover is beautiful! I can't wait to read the whole book, Ensnared looks amazing and sounds.
    I love how well it suits the other covers in the series too! Thanks so much for this reveal!

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  96. Who was the model for the second book

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