Blog Tour- EMBERS IN THE SEA by Jennifer M. Eaton An Interview & Giveaway!

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the blog tour for EMBERS IN THE SEA by Jennifer M. Eaton! I love this sci-fi series! If you're a fan of Jennifer L. Armentout's Lux books you should check this one out! I have an interview with Jennifer to share with you today! And make sure to enter the awesome giveaway!!

Haven't heard of EMBERS IN THE SEA? Check it out!

Title: EMBERS IN THE SEA (Fire in The Woods #3)

Author: Jennifer M. Eaton

Pub. Date: January 31, 2017

Publisher: Month9Books

Format: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 300

Find it: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | TBD

Alien scientist David has dealt with disappointment his entire life, but failing to breathe life into the planet Mars is his greatest regret. Out of options and in need of a new home for their people, the alien Caretakers rekindle their plan to inhabit Earth. First they will have to eliminate the human race, including Jess, the only human David holds dear.

Humanity has one final chance at survival. David needs to emulate Earth’s precipitation on Mars. But the catalyst to make it rain lies in the fathomless depths of Earth’s ocean.

The clock is ticking down to humanity’s last hours as Jess and David face a world more alien than either of them can imagine. The sea hides secrets, but some secrets don’t want to be found.

Now on to the interview!

Jennifer M. Eaton Interview Two Chicks Interview 2/8/2017

Hi Jennifer! First I want to say welcome back to Two Chicks on Books! EMBERS IN THE SEA was absolutely fantastic and I can’t wait for everyone to read it!

Awww, thanks so much! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

And I’m so happy that you could stop by for a visit!

Me, too! Do you have any cake? I’m kinda hungry.

For the readers: can you tell us a little recap from the FIRE IN THE WOODS series and the characters?

Well, in book one David crash-lands on Earth and is lucky enough to meet seventeen-year-old Jess, who defies her father and most of the US military by racing through the woods with David trying to help him get home.

In Ashes in the Sky, Jess and David find themselves in trouble again, this time being chased by David’s people through the depths of outer space.

When Embers in the Sea opens, Jess is back on Earth and in College while David is back with his people on Mars.

How was it to write a series finale?

Writing book three was kind of a surreal experience. When I wrote Fire in the Woods and Ashes in the Sky, I had a very clear direction in my head. Bringing the series to a conclusion, when I hadn’t intended this to be a three book story to begin with, was a bit more of a challenge than I had anticipated. I mean, I have fans now, and it is not only about writing something to satisfy my quirky self… I have to try to make a lot of people happy.

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

No. I’ve never really done that. I write for fun, and part of fun is escaping reality. I like to write people of my own invention, rather than spending my “me” time with people I hang with every day. (That probably makes no sense whatsoever, but, yeah, there it is). J

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

I really enjoyed writing Maggie, who is the plucky comic relief. Her lines always make me smile.

My least favorite character to write was the bad-guy in Ashes in the Sky. I wanted him to be completely loathsome, but I’m not sure if I ever got him to the hatred-

filled degree I saw in my head.

What is your favorite passage/scene in EMBERS IN THE SEA?

Oooooo. Spoilers?  I can say it is the scene when Jess talks to her Dad on the phone. I cry every single time I read it. That is one scene that sprang out of my fingers and didn’t change through editing. The characters knew what they wanted to say, and it was perfect.

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

OMIGOSH a lot! I had to research the sea, the pressure at different depths, what kind of life actually exists at those depths, and how precipitation works on a much more scientific level than what I learned in school. The research was pretty intense. Hopefully the book is a little more realistic because of it. Yes, I embellished some things to make the story more fun, but everything you see in Embers in the Sea (above the fissure) is based on real life findings in that area of the ocean.

Who is your ultimate book boyfriend?

Hmmm. This is a tough question because there is a trend in YA for the male lead in books to be real jerks. I’m not attracted to the “bad boy” at all. That is probably why David in Fire in the Woods is the polar opposite of the typical “bad boy” lead. 

Last night I finished Lost Girls by Merrie Distephano. The male lead in that story is troubled, but manages not to be a jerk, and his last moments on the page of that book are memorable and left me swooning. There is nothing wrong with a nice guy making up for past mistakes, and taking the time to prove himself with a wonderfully romantic gesture.

What inspired you to write YA?

I like to write YA because I refuse to grow up. I feel more comfortable talking to teenagers sometimes than I do talking with grown-ups. Adults, and adult books, dwell too much on adult issues. Writing is a form of escape for me. Part of what I am escaping from is adult issues I deal with every day. It’s more fun to turn yourself into a kid again for a few hours a day. J

Lightening Round Questions

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

I’m reading The Power of Six on Audiobook. I just finished Lost Girls on ebook last night, and I’m going to start something new tonight.

My TBR is longer than what I could read in a year. There is nothing in particular I am dying to get my hands on. I’m a patient reader and tend to read series slowly because I don’t want them to end.

What Hogwarts House would the Sorting Hat place you in?

Ummmmm… I’m not honestly not an expert on Hogwarts houses. Hufflepuff maybe? I think that hat has a mind of its own anyway. Maye it would stick me in Slithering just to see what would happen.

Twitter or Facebook?

Ugh. I actually prefer Instagram. I am totally Facebook challenged, but I’m getting better. Twitter is good for talking to people rather than finding stuff out. I’m supposed to be answering these with short answers, aren’t I?  Sorry about that!

Favorite Superhero?

The Iron Giant, just to be different. But Thor – Yummy.

Favorite TV show?

I don’t watch television as a rule, but I watched the first season of Lucifer on Netflix while on the treadmill, and it’s a total guilty pleasure. I watch Game of Thrones, too. Shoot! I’m not answering quickly again. Sorry!

Sweet or Salty?

Sweet, then salty, then sweet, then salty.

Any Phobias?

Yes, but if I tell you, I’d have to kill you, and nobody wants that.

Song you can’t get enough of right now?

Taylor Swift - Shake it Off. My new motto.

2017 Movie you’re most looking forward to?

There are quite a few! Look through the list – anything with explosions in it is usually a winner.

Thanks so much Jennifer for answering my questions! I can’t wait for everyone to read EMBERS IN THE SEA!

Me too! Thanks so much for having me!

[She waves manically]

About Jennifer:

Jennifer M. Eaton hails from the eastern shore of the North American Continent on planet Earth. Yes, regrettably, she is human, but please don’t hold that against her. While not traipsing through the galaxy looking for specimens for her space moth collection, she lives with her wonderfully supportive husband and three energetic offspring. (And a poodle who runs the spaceport when she’s not around.)

During infrequent excursions to her home planet of Earth, Jennifer enjoys long hikes in the woods, bicycling, swimming, snorkeling, and snuggling up by the fire with a great book; but great adventures are always a short shuttle ride away.

Who knows where we’ll end up next?

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Goodreads

Giveaway Details:

(1) winner will receive a Perfectly Posh, Posh To Meet You Set ($20 value), US Only.

(1) winner will receive an Alien Charm Necklace, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

1/30/2017- Sharon Lee Hughson, Author- Excerpt

1/30/2017- Dani Reviews Things- Review

1/31/2017- Hidden Worlds Books- Guest Post

1/31/2017- The Fearless Reader- Review

2/1/2017- So Few Books- Interview

2/1/2017- The Starving Bookworm- Review

2/2/2017- Lisa's Loves(Books of Course)- Guest Post

2/2/2017- Don't Judge, Read- Review

2/3/2017- Wishful Endings- Interview

2/3/2017- Bookish Hollow- Review

Week Two:

2/6/2017- StephanieCassidyBlog- Interview

2/6/2017- iamnotabookworm- Review

2/7/2017- Read Coffee and Teen- Excerpt

2/7/2017- BookCrushin- Review

2/8/2017- Two Chicks on Books- Interview

2/8/2017- fallxnrobin- Review

2/9/2017- Rockin' Book Reviews- Excerpt

2/9/2017- Book-Keeping- Review

2/10/2017- LILbooKlovers- Interview

2/10/2017- Read, Coffee, and Teen- Review 


Make sure to grab the first two books if you haven't read them yet!

Release Day Celebration- SHERLOCK BONES Series by Lauren Baratz-Logste & A Giveaway!

I am so excited that EMBERS IN THE SEA by Jennifer M. Eaton releases today and that I get to share the news!

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

This blitz also includes a giveaway for a Perfectly Posh, Posh To Meet You Set ($20 value), and an Alien Charm Necklace US Only courtesy of Jennifer & Month9Books. So if you’d like a chance to win, enter in the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.

Title: EMBERS IN THE SEA (Fire in The Woods #3)

Author: JenniferM. Eaton

Pub. Date: January 31, 2017

Publisher: Month9Books

Format: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 300

Find it: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | TBD

Alien scientist David has dealt with disappointment his entire life, but failing to breathe life into the planet Mars is his greatest regret. Out of options and in need of a new home for their people, the alien Caretakers rekindle their plan to inhabit Earth. First they will have to eliminate the human race, including Jess, the only human David holds dear.

Humanity has one final chance at survival. David needs to emulate Earth’s precipitation on Mars. But the catalyst to make it rain lies in the fathomless depths of Earth’s ocean.

The clock is ticking down to humanity’s last hours as Jess and David face a world more alien than either of them can imagine. The sea hides secrets, but some secrets don’t want to be found.

Excerpt:

We rattled, cascading and spinning. My sight blurred. My breakfast threatened a reappearance. I closed my eyes and prayed David and Edgar could bring us under control. The tiles rumbled beneath my cheek before we collided to a stop.

My body left the floor before slamming back down once again.

Oww.

I blinked until I could focus. David lay across the side of his seat, his head dangling near the floor.

“David!” I dragged myself from the unforgiving tiles and sat him back in his chair. His head lolled back, his mouth slightly open. “Oh, God. David, please wake up!”

Pressing my fingers against the side of his neck and his wrists, I sought a pulse. I couldn’t find one, but relief flooded me as his chest rose and fell in a shallow breath. I glanced over each shoulder, and toward the back of the ship, looking for what, I didn’t know.

Why hadn’t the seats come to life and protected us?

I grabbed the edge of David’s chair, pulling him from the seat and into my arms. “David?” I kissed him and ran my fingers along the side of his face. “David, please … ”

I would have felt less empty if part of my chest had broken off and floated away into the abyss. I didn’t care that we’d crash-landed again. I didn’t care that the marine floor was probably more alien than the green planet we’d been marooned on. I didn’t care that the pressure of an entire ocean weighed down on us. And I didn’t care that he left me alone for two years.

He was here. Now. And hurt. I fisted my hands and pushed with my mind. If he needed strength, maybe I could send it to him.

His lashes fluttered. His eyes opened, but didn’t seem to focus. “Jess?”

I gulped back a sob. “Yeah. I’m here.”

He tried to sit up, but frowned and relaxed back into my arms. “Are we okay?”

“I don’t know.”

About Jennifer: 

Jennifer M. Eaton hails from the eastern shore of the North American Continent on planet Earth. Yes, regrettably, she is human, but please don’t hold that against her. While not traipsing through the galaxy looking for specimens for her space moth collection, she lives with her wonderfully supportive husband and three energetic offspring. (And a poodle who runs the spaceport when she’s not around.)

During infrequent excursions to her home planet of Earth, Jennifer enjoys long hikes in the woods, bicycling, swimming, snorkeling, and snuggling up by the fire with a great book; but great adventures are always a short shuttle ride away.

Who knows where we’ll end up next?

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Goodreads

Giveaway Details:

(1) winner will receive a Perfectly Posh, Posh To Meet You Set ($20 value), US Only.

(1) winner will receive an Alien Charm Necklace, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Grab the first 2 books in the series!

M9B Friday Reveal- EMBERS IN THE SEA by Jennifer M. Eaton Chapter 1 & A Giveaway!

Today Jennifer M. Eaton and Month9Books are revealing the cover and first chapter for EMBERS IN THE SEA, the third book in the FIRE IN THE WOODS series which releases January 31, 2017! Check out the gorgeous cover and enter to be one of the first readers to receive a eGalley!!

A quick note from the author:

Fire in the Woods has been an incredible journey for me. In book one, Jess and David raced through the woods of New Jersey. In book two, they raced through space, and spent some time on an alien planet. For book three, I needed a brand new frontier, and Earth’s vast oceans seemed the perfect setting for a new alien adventure. I really hope everyone enjoys Jess and David’s race through the sea, because the ocean has secrets, and some secrets don’t want to be found.

On to the reveal!

Title: EMBERS IN THE SEA (Fire in The Woods #3)

Author: JenniferM. Eaton

Pub. Date: January 31, 2017

Publisher: Month9Books

Format: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 300

Find it: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | TBD

Alien scientist David has dealt with disappointment his entire life, but failing to breathe life into the planet Mars is his greatest regret. Out of options and in need of a new home for their people, the alien Caretakers rekindle their plan to inhabit Earth. First they will have to eliminate the human race, including Jess, the only human David holds dear.

Humanity has one final chance at survival. David needs to emulate Earth’s precipitation on Mars. But the catalyst to make it rain lies in the fathomless depths of Earth’s ocean.

The clock is ticking down to humanity’s last hours as Jess and David face a world more alien than either of them can imagine. The sea hides secrets, but some secrets don’t want to be found.

Excerpt

1

Homework Sucked.

I tucked back the dark bang that flew in my face, shifted my seating, and balanced Philosophers of the Pre-modern World on my crossed legs.

Squinting in the morning sunshine, I forced my eyes to read the passage from Colton’s Lacon one more time:

“Time is the most undefinable yet paradoxical of things; the past is gone, the future is not come, and the present becomes the past, even while we attempt to define it.”

I closed the textbook and tossed it on the grass. “Why should I even care about what some old cleric guy said two hundred years ago?”

“Because he’s a famous old cleric guy.” Matt plucked the book from the lawn and dusted a few stray grass clippings from the cover.

“I came to college to study photography, not to be confused beyond reason by dead philosophers.”

Matt handed my book back as we stood. “Philosophy is supposed to broaden your mind.”

“Yeah, well, I’m broad enough.” I could sense a witty retort forming on his lips. “Don’t say it.”

He held up his hands. “I wouldn’t think of it.”

A group of people pointed at us from across the courtyard, and my fingers twined around my necklace, pressing the charm into my palm.

Here we go again.

When I first came to Columbia University, this was one of my favorite places to relax. The grass was like a hug from home, despite the New York skyline looming just over the trees. But each semester I had to dodge more and more Jess-watchers. Why they were still interested in me after all this time, I didn’t know.

It had been nearly two years since David left Earth to help his people populate Mars, and there’d been no impromptu spaceship sightings yet. But alien chasers still flocked to Columbia University thinking today might be the lucky day.

“How about we go this way.” Matt tugged me away from the wide-eyed group. Several of them raised camera phones, then looked at the sky.

It was always the same, as if just because Jessica Martinez walked outside, a spaceship would magically pop out of nowhere and whisk her away.

“You know, it wouldn’t hurt you to smile once in a while.” Matt waved at a guy holding a late model Nikon camera with a cheap lens attached to the front. “You always look ticked on the tabloid covers.”

I left the walkway and stomped across the grass. “These aren’t paparazzi. They’re just gawkers, and they’re driving me crazy. I wish they’d just let it go.”

Matt laughed. “Let it go? You’re Jess Martinez: the girl who saved the world from Armageddon. Twice. I think you need to cut people some slack.”

I stopped by the oak trees beside the library and watched a bird hop back and forth from the grass to the cement walkway. “I just want to be normal again. I want people to stop staring at me all the time.”

“Then you better stop wearing those tight jeans because, damn, girl, I’d snap a few pictures too if I thought I could get away with it.”

I smacked his shoulder, like I always did when he complimented me in his own, Matt-like way. It felt like we were back in New Jersey, back when I was “just Jess” and friendships weren’t so much a luxury.

“So, when is your cancer conference over?” I asked.

“It’s a symposium, and I’ll be here for a few more days.”

A few more days. It wasn’t enough. “Thanks for coming to see me. I missed you.”

Red stained his cheeks. “Yeah, I missed you too.” His gaze drifted to the tree. “Bobby says hi, by the way.”

I cringed and tried to hide my sneer. “I can’t believe you guys ended up friends after what he did to you in high school. He’s such a jerk.”

“Yeah, but he’s a connected jerk.”

“You don’t need him, Matt. You’re brilliant.”

He shrugged. “Brilliant only gets you so far. Bobby has the charm and means to get my work noticed.”

“And in return, you get him good grades?”

“I can’t take his exams for him, but yeah, I help with the other stuff.” We walked to the library steps, where he reclined against the marble. “He quit McGuire for you, you know?”

“That doesn’t change anything. He and I are never getting back together.”

“He’s trying to get back in your good graces … change the world so you see him differently.”

I eased down beside him. “Did he ask you to say that?”

Matt’s eyes opened like saucers. “Am I that transparent?”

“I can’t believe he’s pretending to care about cancer research just to impress me. When will he learn to take no for an answer?”

“So, you’re serious? You’re really not into him anymore?”

“Not. At. All. Not if he were the last guy on the planet.”

A smile spread across Matt’s face. “Good. You can do better. He’s a weasel.” He cleared his throat. “Just don’t tell him I said that. He’s still bigger than me.”

I mustered half a grin when three people jumped in front of the steps and tried to pretend they weren’t taking pictures of me.

“Wow,” Matt said. “They really don’t let up, do they?”

“Not too much, no.”

He stood and helped me to my feet. “How about we go inside somewhere? Is there anywhere around here we can catch an early lunch?”

I folded my arms. “Seriously? We’re in New York City. Name your poison.”

His grin made me forget about the roving photographers. “Anywhere quiet, where we can kinda be alone.”

I straightened. “Alone?”

He slipped his cold fingers around mine. “I meant it when I said I missed you.”

Whoa. I slid my hand away. “Weren’t you just rooting for team Bobby?”

“Yeah, well, I figure if the referee has banned Bobby from the game permanently, that kinda makes room for team Matt to swoop in and maybe win one for the eggheads of the world.”

A flash of seventeen-year-old Matt, bruised and bleeding on the sidewalk after Bobby beat him up for taking me to a movie flashed through my mind, before my vision refocused on the brilliant med student Matt had become. I’d saved the world from aliens, but Matt was going to save the world from cancer. He believed it. I believed it. Matt was one of those guys who could do anything.

As long as he could avoid getting beat up again.

And with me at his side, he would get beat up again. Going to college hadn’t changed Bobby that much, even if Bobby was riding on Matt’s gravy train.

Matt just put himself way out on a limb. But did I want to go out on that skinny little branch with him?

A smile burst across my face. Maybe I did. “How about something a little more casual, like ice cream.”

He held up his hands. “Whoa there. I don’t know. Ice cream sparks of commitment. We’ve only known each other for what, eight years? I think you’re moving a little fast for me. I thought I was pushing it with lunch.”

I punched him in the arm.

He punched me back. I loved that. No airs. No games. No attitude. Just Matt.

Maybe, just maybe, I could get my life back. Maybe I could be happy again.

A startled cry echoed through the courtyard.

“What is that?” a man yelled.

Matt grabbed my hand and we followed the throng away from the steps and onto the South Lawn. A huge hole had formed in the clouds, widening into a shimmering circle of crystal blue.

I plucked my camera out of my backpack and joined the amateurs clicking away with their cell phones. I hid my amusement behind the lens of Old Reliable.

These people had no idea what a picture could be, how to focus in just the right place, how to find tone in the simplest of images, and catch the perfect light to evoke the exact mood. I hit the shutter four times as the anomaly widened, expanding past several city blocks. Nature never ceased to astound me.

A few more photography students added their lenses to the crowd. There’d be no deficit of pictures for the papers to choose from, that was for sure.

I snapped seven more shots. The race was on. Click. Who would take the best shot? Click. Who would be the first to get their work into the papers?

Me. That’s who. Click. Click.

The shape shifted and elongated, swirling until it settled over the courtyard and froze as if someone pressed the pause button.

The crowd grew silent. I lowered my camera. WTF?

The air in the middle of the circle formed a nearly transparent, shimmering bubble. A rainbow formed across its surface; the stripes brilliant, clear, and defined. Dozens of breaths hitched as an iridescent flicker blasted across the apparition. The form pinched and molded into a colorful, swirling tube that slowly dropped from the sky.

Oh. Crap.

Matt tightened his grip on my hand as the other spectators stepped away. Half their gazes staring up, the remainder staring at me.

“Friends of yours?” Matt asked.

I shivered. “No. That’s not Erescopian technology.” At least I didn’t think it was. Erescopian ships were liquid metal … shiny opal or silver. “That just looks like … ”

“Water,” Matt whispered.

Water hanging in the sky. Or more like a lake … a huge lake with a giant elevator tube dropping out of it. So. Not. Good.

The cylinder fell in short, billowing waves before settling on the middle of the South Lawn. It was there, but it also wasn’t—like it took a picture of what was on the other side and played it like a video, hiding the tube like a chameleon. Wicked cool—if I wasn’t standing so close to it.

Matt inched back, glanced at me, then returned to my side. If I wasn’t riveted to my little patch of grass, I wonder if he’d have run.

Camera shutters triggered like crazy. Everyone gawked at me, like I was supposed to know what to do.

Yeah, cause Jess Martinez knows all there is to know about spaceships.

A whoosh echoed through the open area, like the Jolly Green Giant had blown out a candle, but without the wind. The people on the other side of the cylinder lit up as if a hundred suns flooded them. They stepped back, shielding their eyes.

My fingers tightened on the strap of my camera. I’d seen that light before, on the tarmac two years ago, as hundreds of Erescopian soldiers left their liquescent spaceships and stepped on Earth for the first time.

A siren blaring from behind the buildings broke my frozen stance. I raised Old Reliable, clicking off shots that probably would amount to nothing, until a human form materialized within the cylinder’s hazy brilliance.

Jennifer M. Eaton hails from the eastern shore of the North American Continent on planet Earth. Yes, regrettably, she is human, but please don’t hold that against her. While not traipsing through the galaxy looking for specimens for her space moth collection, she lives with her wonderfully supportive husband and three energetic offspring. (And a poodle who runs the spaceport when she’s not around.)

During infrequent excursions to her home planet of Earth, Jennifer enjoys long hikes in the woods, bicycling, swimming, snorkeling, and snuggling up by the fire with a great book; but great adventures are always a short shuttle ride away.

Who knows where we’ll end up next?

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Goodreads

3 winners will receive eBooks of FIRE IN THE WOODS, ASHES IN THE SKY, & an eGalley of EMBERS IN THE SEA, International.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Grab the first 2 books in the series!