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Showing posts with label Blackbeard. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blackbeard. Show all posts

Friday, April 14, 2017

Blog Tour- BLACKSOULS by Nicole Castroman An Interview & Giveaway!


Hey everyone! I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the blog tour for BLACKSOULS by Nicole Castroman!! I freaking LOVED this book! I have an interview with Nicole to share with you today! And make sure to enter the giveaway below!


Haven't heard of BLACKSOULS? Check it out!

Title: BLACKSOULS
Author: Nicole Castroman
Pub. Date: April 11, 2017
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Pages: 400
Formats: Hardcover, eBook
Nicole Castroman brings the dangerous pirate ports of the Caribbean to life in this vibrant sequel to Blackhearts—the reimagined origin story of history’s most infamous pirate, Blackbeard.

Edward “Teach” Drummond is setting sail to the Caribbean as first mate on the most celebrated merchant ship in the British fleet—until he rebels against his captain. Mutiny is a capital offense and Teach knows it could cost him his life, but he believes it worth the risk in order to save his crew from the attacking Spanish ships.

Sailing on the same blue waters, Anne barely avoids the Spanish attack, making it safely to Nassau. But lawless criminals, corrupt politics, and dangerous intentions fill the crowded streets of this Caribbean port. Soon, Anne discovers that the man entrusted to keep the peace is quite possibly the most treacherous of them all—and he just happens to hold Teach’s fate in his terrifying hands.

Life and death hang in the balance when Teach and Anne are given a dangerous mission. It’s a mission that will test their love, loyalty and devotion, forcing them down a path neither one could have ever imagined.


Now on to the interview!


Hi Nicole! First I want to say welcome back to Two Chicks on Books! I freaking LOVED BLACKHEARTS & BALCKSOULS and I know my readers will as well, and am so happy that you could stop by for a visit!

Thanks so much for having me!!!

For the readers: can you tell us a little bit of a recap of BLACKHEARTS and the characters and what we can expect in BLACKSOULS?

Of course! BLACKHEARTS is the story of how Anne and Teach meet. Anne is a maid in the Drummond household. She's the daughter of an English merchant and a cook. Edward "Teach" Drummond has just returned home from a year at sea and he meets Anne while she's working in his father's house. And their lives are forever changed. :)

While BLACKHEARTS was entirely landlocked, BLACKSOULS is a lot more swashbuckling and takes place in the West Indies. Anne and Teach have definitely left "high society" behind when they arrive in the pirate port of Nassau.

I know we discussed this last year when S&S hadn’t acquired the sequel but is there a possibility of a book 3? I needs more Teach and Anne!

I certainly hope so!

So we finally get to meet some pirates! Woot! Are any of them real pirates or did you make them up to fit the story?

All of the pirates in BLACKSOULS are fictional. Definitely figments of my imagination. And they were so fun to write!

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

I love all of my characters, but I'm partial to Anne. And now Reva. :) My least favorite are the villains in this one. I didn't even try to make them redeemable. They're just evil.

What is your favorite passage/scene in BLACKSOULS?

I still love when Anne and Teach have screen time together. Those will always be my favorites.

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

I read the works of Frederick Douglass and his experiences as a slave, which I think should be required reading in all high schools. Too much of our nation's history is whitewashed. I wanted to be as truthful and respectful of Anne's narrative as I could be. I also read SUGAR IN THE BLOOD by Andrea Stuart. She's the descendant of a plantation owner and a slave and this book details the harsh realities of Caribbean slavery and sugar production.

What inspired you to write YA?

Why not write YA? :) Young adults are often more open-minded than adults when it comes to storytelling. 

Lightening Round Questions

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

I just finished Kasie West's BY YOUR SIDE, which I adored.

What Hogwarts House would the Sorting Hat place you in?

Ravenclaw!

Twitter or Facebook?

Instagram ;)

Favorite Superhero?

Oh, good one. I'm going to have to go with Captain America. I was an extra in Captain America: Civil War (not a short answer, but it's the truth)

Favorite TV show?

Project Runway

Sweet or Salty?

Salty

Any Phobias?

Claustrophobia

Song you can’t get enough of right now?

Shape of You by Ed Sheeran

Upcoming Movie you’re most looking forward to?

The next Star Wars movie



Thanks so much Nicole for answering my questions!  



About Nicole:
Nicole was lucky enough to come with her very own best friend...she has a twin sister who can read her mind and finish her sentences for her. 

At the age of 13, she went to Europe for the first time and it changed her life. She loves learning about different people, languages and cultures and speaks fluent German. She knows enough Spanish to get herself into trouble and can still read the Cyrillic alphabet from when she studied Russian.

She received her B.A. from Brigham Young University and has lived in Germany, Austria and two different places called Georgia. One is located on the Black Sea. The other is the state of Georgia where she now lives with her handsome husband and two beautiful children who continue to amaze her.



Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a signed finished copy of BLACKSOULS, US Only.


a Rafflecopter giveaway




Tour Schedule:

Week One:
4/10/2017- FiktshunGuest Post
4/11/2017- a GREAT readReview
4/12/2017- Adventures of a Book JunkieInterview
4/13/2017- The Cover ContessaReview
4/14/2017- Two Chicks on BooksInterview

Week Two:
4/17/2017- YA Book MadnessReview
4/18/2017- Good Choice ReadingGuest Post
4/19/2017-Mundie Moms-  Review
4/20/2017- YA Books CentralInterview
4/21/2017- Seeing Double In Neverland-Review 

Grab book 1 now!

Monday, June 6, 2016

Debut Author Bash Featuring Nicole Castroman BLACKHEARTS & A Giveaway!



I am so excited to be hosting Nicole Castroman during the 2016 debut authors bash tour! I adore Nicole she's such a sweetie and I freaking LOVED BLACKHEARTS and am dying to get my hands on book 2, BLACKSOULS! I have an interview with Nicole to share today and make sure to enter the giveaway below for a copy of the book and the giveaway is international!



Haven't heard of BLACKHEARTS? Check it out!

Title: BLACKHEARTS
Author: Nicole Castroman
Release Date: February 9, 2016
Pages: 384
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Formats: Hardcover, eBook
Find it: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks
Blackbeard the pirate was known for striking fear in the hearts of the bravest of sailors. But once he was just a young man who dreamed of leaving his rigid life behind to chase adventure in faraway lands. Nothing could stop himuntil he met the one girl who would change everything.

Edward "Teach" Drummond, son of one of Bristol's richest merchants, has just returned from a year-long journey on the high seas to find his life in shambles. Betrothed to a girl he doesn’t love and sick of the high society he was born into, Teach dreams only of returning to the vast ocean he’d begun to call home. There's just one problem: convincing his father to let him leave and never come back.

Following her parents' deaths, Anne Barrett is left penniless and soon to be homeless. Though she’s barely worked a day in her life, Anne is forced to take a job as a maid in the home of Master Drummond. Lonely days stretch into weeks, and Anne longs for escape. How will she ever realize her dream of sailing to Curaçao
where her mother was bornwhen she's stuck in England? 


From the moment Teach and Anne meet, they set the world ablaze. Drawn to each other, they’re trapped by society and their own circumstances. Faced with an impossible choice, they must decide to chase their dreams and go, or follow their hearts and stay.

Now on to the interview!


Hi Nicole! First I want to say welcome to back Two Chicks on Books! I freaking LOVED BLACKHEARTS as you know and I am thrilled to be hosting you for the 2016 Debut Author Bash!
For the readers: can you tell us a little bit about BLACKHEARTS and the characters?


BLACKHEARTS is a Blackbeard origin story. This is what I like to think led a young man to leave everything he knew behind to become one of the most notorious pirates to sail the seas. If you’ve seen Blackbeard’s jolly roger then you’ll understand why I decided to write this story as a romance.  
Yay for a sequel and congrats btw! So what can you tell us about BLACKSOULS? And when will we see a cover?


Ha! The cover for BLACKSOULS has already been released and it is amazing!


So will we possibly see any other pirates in book 2?


Definitely. And I can’t wait for readers to meet them. :) I don’t want to give anything away, which is why I have to be brief. But be prepared to fall in love with them like I have.
How has this experience been for you? Being a debut author?


Honestly, being a debut author has been so much fun. I’ve met so many amazing people and it’s exciting to see people’s reactions to BLACKHEARTS. There are a lot of things that you don’t have any control over and so it’s important not to stress out about those things. Keep your eye on your own prize and try not to worry about the rest.
I know you’re part of a debut author group has that been an asset? I’m asking for future writers.


It’s been a great way to meet other amazing authors who are going through the same experience of bringing a novel into the world. :)
What advice would you give to aspiring writers?


I would say, never give up! If you can’t picture yourself doing anything other than writing, then keep at it.
Thanks so much Nicole for answering my questions!  And if you need a beta for BLACKSOULS you know where to find me ;) ;)


About Nicole:
Nicole was lucky enough to come with her very own best friend...she has a twin sister who can read her mind and finish her sentences for her.

At the age of 13, she went to Europe for the first time and it changed her life. She loves learning about different people, languages and cultures and speaks fluent German. She knows enough Spanish to get herself into trouble and can still read the Cyrillic alphabet from when she studied Russian.

She received her B.A. from Brigham Young University and has lived in Germany, Austria and two different places called Georgia. One is located on the Black Sea. The other is the state of Georgia where she now lives with her handsome husband and two beautiful children who continue to amaze her.




Giveaway Details:


1 winner will receive a signed hardcover of BLACKHEARTS! International.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Dying To Read (157)- BLACKSOULS by Nicole Castroman


Hey y’all thanks for stopping by to see my Dying to Read post and of course as always I have to give credit to the lovely Jill over at Breaking the Spine for the Waiting on Wednesday Meme!


The cover was just revealed and there isn't an official synopsis yet but I don't care I had to add this to my WoW!!



Title: BLACKSOULS
Author: Nicole Castroman
Release Date: Spring 2017
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Pages: ?
Formats: Hardcover, paperback, eBook, audiobook
Find it: Goodreads
Nicole Ellul at Simon Pulse has acquired BLACKSOULS, the sequel to Nicole Castroman’s BLACKHEARTS. Anne and Teach (the future Blackbeard) are on separate ships and endure horrendous journeys, violence, and even mutiny until arriving in the tropics of Nassau—only to face corrupt politics and danger around every corner. BLACKSOULS will publish in Spring 2017.

So what do you think? Will you be adding this to your pile? What are you dying to read this week?

Friday, February 5, 2016

Blog Tour- BLACKHEARTS by Nicole Castroman An Interview and A Giveaway!


I am so excited to be hosting a spot on blog tour for BLACKHEARTS by Nicole Castroman I FREAKING LOVED this book if you haven't yet check out my review HERE! I have an interview with Nicole to share with you today! And make sure to enter the awesome giveaway for signed copy of the book! 


Haven't heard of BLACKHEARTS? Check it out!

Title: BLACKHEARTS
Author: Nicole Castroman
Release Date: February 9, 2016
Pages: 384
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Formats: Hardcover, eBook
Blackbeard the pirate was known for striking fear in the hearts of the bravest of sailors. But once he was just a young man who dreamed of leaving his rigid life behind to chase adventure in faraway lands. Nothing could stop him—until he met the one girl who would change everything.

Edward "Teach" Drummond, son of one of Bristol's richest merchants, has just returned from a year-long journey on the high seas to find his life in shambles. Betrothed to a girl he doesn’t love and sick of the high society he was born into, Teach dreams only of returning to the vast ocean he’d begun to call home. There's just one problem: convincing his father to let him leave and never come back.

Following her parents' deaths, Anne Barrett is left penniless and soon to be homeless. Though she’s barely worked a day in her life, Anne is forced to take a job as a maid in the home of Master Drummond. Lonely days stretch into weeks, and Anne longs for escape. How will she ever realize her dream of sailing to Curaçao—where her mother was born—when she's stuck in England? 

From the moment Teach and Anne meet, they set the world ablaze. Drawn to each other, they’re trapped by society and their own circumstances. Faced with an impossible choice, they must decide to chase their dreams and go, or follow their hearts and stay.



Now on to the interview!


Hi Nicole! First I want to say welcome to Two Chicks on Books! I freaking LOVED BLACKHEARTS and I know my readers will as well and am so happy that you could stop by for a visit!

THANK YOU so much for having me. And I’m thrilled that you loved BLACKHEARTS!

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

BLACKHEARTS is a Blackbeard origin story. For anyone who doesn’t know who Blackbeard was, he was one of the most notorious pirates to sail the seas. This is the story of a young Blackbeard, BEFORE he became a pirate. I like to call it PRE-PIRATE.
This is also the story of Anne, the biracial daughter of a wealthy English merchant and a slave from the West Indies. She’s the girl who ultimately set him on his path to becoming a swashbuckler. At least, I like to think she’s the one who set him on that course. Nothing is known about his teen years or his early life, which was the main reason I decided to write BLACKHEARTS. 

BLACKHEARTS is a standalone for now right? (Fingers crossed for a sequel because I REALLY need more of this story) So what are you working on now?

I have another pirate story in the works, but I would really love to continue Anne and Teach’s story as well.

I’m sure you get this a lot but why Blackbeard? There’s not much information about him he was a pretty mysterious guy. Was that what you were fascinated by?

I find history fascinating and Blackbeard was such a notorious figure and yet we know nothing about his early life. Where did he come from? Why did he turn to piracy? Was it a better life than the one he left behind? I have so many questions about him and so I decided to write my own answers.

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

I enjoyed writing both Anne and Teach. They really came to life for me, and it was fun to tell the story from each of their POV. I had to make sure people liked Teach, but I couldn’t make him too perfect. He had to be flawed, because at some point in his life, he turned to a life of crime. I know some people struggle with him, and that’s exactly what I wanted. Actually, that’s what I want with most of my characters. I like for them to have layers and develop throughout the story.

Anne was a dream to write. I needed to make sure she was strong-willed and could hold her own against Teach, because he did have such an overbearing presence. She’s not perfect, but her actions are understandable. I’ve been so thrilled with readers’ reactions to Anne. It makes me happy to know others love her as much as I do.

My least favorite person to write was probably Miss Patience. I don’t like her as a person, and so I channeled a lot of the ugliness and prejudice I see in the world into her character.

What is your favorite passage/scene in BLACKHEARTS?

Oh, this is a hard one, because I have quite a few favorite scenes. I wanted there to be a lot of interaction between Anne and Teach. Sometimes when I read other books, I skim ahead because I just want to see the two protagonists interact with each other. That’s why Anne and Teach spend so much time together. I love the scene when they first meet, aka the pail scene. Also, the scene when they see each other again was a fun one to write. Of course, when Teach is sick is another one of my favorites. Do I have to pick just one? Can I turn the tables on you and ask which scene was your favorite?

Hahaha sure! But I can’t pick just one either! I love the scene when Teach is sick and Anne is reading to him. Also I love the cottage scene!!! I also love it when he names her Queen Anne ;) ;)

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

 I did A LOT of research. I checked out books from the library on what life was like in the 17th century. I checked out books about sailing, about pirates, about food, etc. I kept some of those books for three months and I returned to them again and again as needed. When I write historical fiction, I want it to read like historical fiction. It might not be perfect, but it was very important to me to try to make things as accurate as I could.

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

I have an ARC of OUTRUN the MOON by Stacey Lee that I’m dying to read. I will get to it soon!

Who is your ultimate Book Boyfriend?

Honestly, I love Teach. J But I know I have to pick someone else, which is so hard! There are quite a few book boys I would have liked as a teen. Although I would never know where I stood with him, I’d pick Kaz from SIX OF CROWS. Wait, no, I would choose Arin from THE WINNER’S CURSE. Oops, I also love Duval from GRAVE MERCY. See, it’s just too hard to pick one.

What inspired you to write YA?

Why not YA? When I was a teenager, I read a ton and I told people I would be a writer. In fact, my mom was one of my biggest champions. She kept telling me, you need to write, you need to write. But life happened and I went to college and got married and had children and never seemed to have the time. But then I read TWILIGHT and I thought, she’s a stay-at-home mom as well. If she can find the time to write, then so can I. And so I did.

Admittedly, my earlier manuscripts were terrible. Not the ideas, but the execution really sucked. It wasn’t until I found my critique partner, Becky Wallace that my writing improved. It made all the difference, because she wasn’t afraid to tell me what was working in my stories and what wasn’t. Don’t be afraid of rejection or criticism.  Both are necessary in order to improve your craft.

Lightening Round Questions

Twitter or Facebook?
Twitter

Favorite Superhero?
At the moment, I’m picking Captain America, because both my husband and I were extras in the upcoming Captain America: Civil War movie.

Favorite TV show?
Poldark.

Sweet or Salty?
Salty

Any Phobias?
Claustrophobia. Do not put me in enclosed spaces.

Song you can’t get enough of right now?
Hmmm, I don’t have one at the moment.

Upcoming Movie you’re most looking forward to?
Captain America: Civil War


Thanks so much Nicole for answering my questions! 






About Nicole:
Nicole was lucky enough to come with her very own best friend...she has a twin sister who can read her mind and finish her sentences for her. 

At the age of 13, she went to Europe for the first time and it changed her life. She loves learning about different people, languages and cultures and speaks fluent German. She knows enough Spanish to get herself into trouble and can still read the Cyrillic alphabet from when she studied Russian.

She received her B.A. from Brigham Young University and has lived in Germany, Austria and two different places called Georgia. One is located on the Black Sea. The other is the state of Georgia where she now lives with her handsome husband and two beautiful children who continue to amaze her.


Giveaway Details:


1 winner will receive a signed finished copy of BLACKHEARTS, US Only.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:
2/1/2016- Mundie MomsInterview
2/2/2016- Beauty and the BookshelfReview
2/3/2016- My Friends Are FictionGuest Post
2/4/2016- Brittany's Book RamblesReview
2/5/2016- Two Chicks on BooksInterview

Week Two:
2/8/2016- FiktshunReview
2/9/2016- Dark Faerie TalesGuest Post
2/10/2016- A Reader Under The Sea- Review
2/11/2016- A Perfection Called Books- Interview
2/12/2016- Lili's ReflectionsReview


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