Blog Tour- TALON by Julie Kagawa and a Giveaway!

Hey y'all I'm thrilled to be a host on the TALON blog tour! I adore Julie Kagawa and when I was asked to participate I was honored and said heck yeah! I have an interview with the Main Character, Ember for you today so check it out and get to know her better before you read the book. Oh and make sure to stick around and enter the giveaway! 
Haven't heard of TALON? Check it out!

Title: TALON

Author: Julie Kagawa

Pub. Date: October 28, 2014

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Pages: 400

Formats: Hardcover, audio

Find it: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound | BookDepository

Long ago, dragons were hunted to near extinction by the Order of St. George, a legendary society of dragon slayers. Hiding in human form and growing their numbers in secret, the dragons of Talon have become strong and cunning, and they're positioned to take over the world with humans none the wiser.

Ember and Dante Hill are the only sister and brother known to dragonkind. Trained to infiltrate society, Ember wants to live the teen experience and enjoy a summer of freedom before taking her destined place in Talon. But destiny is a matter of perspective, and a rogue dragon will soon challenge everything Ember has been taught. As Ember struggles to accept her future, she and her brother are hunted by the Order of St. George.

Soldier Garret Xavier Sebastian has a mission to seek and destroy all dragons, and Talon's newest recruits in particular. But he cannot kill unless he is certain he has found his prey: and nothing is certain about Ember Hill. Faced with Ember's bravery, confidence and all-too-human desires, Garret begins to question everything that the Order has ingrained in him: and what he might be willing to give up to find the truth about dragons.

Now on to the interview!

1. Tell us a little about yourself.

Sure!  My name is Ember Hill, I have a twin brother named Dante, I like surfing, action movies, volleyball, junk food, and fire.  And flying.  I guess I should also mention that I'm a dragon.  But I'm not really supposed to tell anyone that, so you didn't hear it from me.

2. What's your favorite thing about being a dragon?

Flying, definitely flying.  Nothing else really compares.  Surfing is the closest I can come right now, but if I could be myself without fear, I'd go flying every day.

3. Why do you spend so much time in human form?

It's for our protection.  We have to hide our true forms from the Order of St. George, who are crazy genocidal dragonslayers and who would murder us till we died from it.  Also, if a twenty foot dragon walked into a gas station looking for munchies, there would probably be a panic.

4.  Who is your best friend?

My brother, Dante.  He can be a little...uptight, and doesn't like breaking the rules.  But growing up, it was always us against the world, and I know he'll always be on my side.  Even if he thinks I act crazy sometimes.

5. What are you looking forward to this summer, now that you'll be living among humans?

Just...well, everything, really.  Waking up when I want to.  Not having to be in Human Training classes all the time.  Meeting other people my age.  Finally having some fun.  Yeah, sounds about perfect to me.

Thanks Ember for stopping by!

About Julie:

Julie Kagawa was born in Sacramento, California. But nothing exciting really happened to her there. So, at the age of nine she and her family moved to Hawaii, which she soon discovered was inhabited by large carnivorous insects, colonies of house geckos and frequent hurricanes. She spent much of her time in the ocean, when she wasn’t getting chased out of it by reef sharks, jellyfish and the odd eel.

To pay the rent, Julie worked in different bookstores over the years, but discovered the managers frowned upon her reading the books she was supposed to be shelving. So she turned to her other passion: training animals. She worked as a professional dog trainer for several years, dodging Chihuahua bites and overly enthusiastic Labradors, until her first book sold and she stopped training to write full-time.

Julie now lives in Louisville, Kentucky, where the frequency of shark attacks are at an all-time low. She lives with her husband, two obnoxious cats, one Australian shepherd who is too smart for his own good and the latest addition, a hyperactive Papillon puppy.

Find Julie Online:

Website |  Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

“Catch the Dragon Contest”: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, a dragon will appear on a different blog and stay there for 48hrs. Once you have found the dragon, click on it and you will be directed to a Rafflecopter entry form for the Grand Prize Giveaway! To enter, you must answer the daily question found at the tour stop!!!

Where could the dragon appear? On all Book Blogger Tour Hosts and The Harlequin Paranormal Blog, so go now and catch yourself a dragon! Will you find it? And will you be able to keep it?

“Catch the Dragon” - Question: 

Which of Julie's swoon worthy male characters would you most like to meet in real life?

Giveaway Info:

Each tour stop is offering up a finished copy of TALON!

Five lucky grand prize winners will receive one of Julie’s amazing dragon figurines as well as some fun signed swag. To enter for the grand prize, you MUST follow the tour each day, find and catch the dragon, and answer the daily question.

Please enter via the Rafflecopter form. Giveaway is open to US/Canada.

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Check out the Tour Schedule for more awesome posts!

Thursday, October 2nd – Harlequin Blog

Monday, October 6th – Jessica at Step into Fiction

Wednesday, October 8th – Katie’s Book Blog

Friday, October 10th – Page Turners

Monday, October 13th – Bewitched Bookworms

Wednesday, October 15th – Mundie Moms

Friday, October 17th – Fiktshun

Monday, October 20th – Two Chicks on Books

Wednesday, October 22nd – YA Interrobang

Friday, October 24th – Supernatural Snark

Blog Tour- AFTER THE END by Amy Plumb Character Interview and a Giveaway!

Welcome to the AFTER THE END blog tour. I'm thrilled to be a part of the celebration for Amy Plum's upcoming release! I have a character interview with Miles and I adore him so make sure to check that out and enter the giveaway below! 

About the Book

By: Amy Plum
Published by: Harper Teen
Hitting Book Shelves on: May 6, 2014
Pre-Order from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound
Find out more about the book

World War III has left the world ravaged by nuclear radiation. A lucky few escaped to the Alaskan wilderness.

They′e survived for the last thirty years by living off the land, being one with nature, and hiding from whoever else might still be out there.

At least, this is what Juneau has been told her entire life.

When Juneau returns from a hunting trip to discover that everyone in her clan has vanished, she sets off to find them. Leaving the boundaries of their land for the very first time, she learns something horrifying: There never was a war. Cities were never destroyed. The world is intact.

Everything was a lie.

Now Juneau is adrift in a modern-day world she never knew existed. But while she′s trying to find a way to rescue her friends and family, someone else is looking for her. Someone who knows the extraordinary truth about the secrets of her past.

Ok now on to the interview!!!!

Hi Miles! Welcome to Two Chicks on Books! Let me just say I have become a big fan of yours and I can’t wait for the readers to meet you! Ok so on to my questions….

You’ve been in quite a bit of trouble lately! Do you do it to get attention or because you’re bored?

Okay, first of all, this is just between you and me. I would never say these things to a friend. I guess that says a lot about my friends, but whatever. Amy’s asked me to be honest. And to keep sarcasm to a minimum. *laughs* I’ll do what I can.

So...as for getting in trouble, boredom wouldn’t be a factor. And attention...I don’t know.

To be honest, I was the model citizen until last year. Or at least, one who wasn’t attracting a lot of negative press, school-wise. But my mom left. And, you know, a lot of things felt less important after that. Like sports. And grades. And if I could do something to distract me from the hole Mom left when she took off, well, that was less time I had to think about it.

How was your childhood? Did having an absent father change you?

Dad has always been married to his job. At least, that’s what Mom said. So who am I to question it? It’s all I know.

Honestly, I don’t go out of my way to provoke him. But Dad and I are so different that no matter what I do, we’ll never be close.

You seem to be a risk taker so why does believing in magic come so hard for you?

Because I don’t live in Hogwarts. I mean, this is the real world. Magic doesn’t exist! It’s not like we’re all living between the pages of some reality-bending wand-waving novel. This is America, not Transylvania. Magic, monsters, and all that paranormal crap—it’s for weirdoes. Not guys like me whose feet are firmly planted to the ground.

Huh? What? Oh right. Amy says ixnay with the sarcasm. Sorry.

What is the most important or most impressive achievement in your life so far?

What I would tell my friends: the time I set the school dumpsters on fire using the deer crap our gardener left out after his last landscaping project.

What I would admit to you: keeping myself sane after my mother went crazy and left me and dad alone.

What’s a day like in the life of Miles Blackwell?

Pre-Juneau? School, home, Comedy Network and a beer from the gardener’s shed, video games.

Now? Drive this crazy chick halfway across America in search of her “kidnapped” clan. Watch her talk to trees, birds, and inanimate objects, jump from moving cars, and kill and roast small woodland creatures over the fire for our dinner. Scheme as to how I can get her back to L.A. and turn her over to my dad who’s searching for her.

So you can definitely say that life’s gotten a bit more interesting since Juneau came into my life.

Now that you’ve met Juneau tell us what about her do you like the most?

Alright, she’s pretty far out, lifestyle- and philosophy-wise. We’ll agree to that. But her smile is the most incredible thing I’ve ever seen. Maybe if she always smiled, I wouldn’t notice it—her normal expression would fall under the “troubled” category. But the one rare smile she gives me once in a full moon—it’s like walking out of a dark room straight into the sun.

What’s the most annoying thing she does?

Calls me on anything I get wrong. Most girls I know smooth things over, or try to twist things so that they help you save face. Not Juneau. She doesn’t give me an inch of rope—just lets me fall flat on my face and doesn’t look away. Strangely enough, even though it’s annoying, it makes me like her even more.

Thanks Miles you rock!

About Amy Plum

Amy Plum is the author of DIE FOR ME, a YA series set in Paris. The first three books—DIE FOR ME, UNTIL I DIE, and IF I SHOULD DIE—are international bestsellers, and have been translated into eleven different languages. The fourth book is an eNovella, entitled DIE FOR HER. The first book of Amy’s new series, AFTER THE END, releases in May 2014.

Amy grew up in Birmingham, Alabama before venturing further afield to Chicago, Paris, London and New York. An art historian by training, she can be found on most days either daydreaming or writing (or both) in a Parisian café.

Visit her on:  Blog | Twitter | Facebook | GoodReads

The Giveaway

Each stop on the tour will be hosting a giveaway! We're giving away:
- 13 SIGNED After The End books
- 6 iPhone After the End shells. 
*This is open Internationally* 
To enter, please be sure to fill out the form featured on each stop along the tour. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The first 300 people who pre-order AFTER THE END and show proof of their pre-order will receive one of these limited edition After The End water bottles. *see below*


*Water bottle offer is for US and Canada, and is being hosted by Harper Teen. This is NOT part of the blog tour, but something we wanted to let fans know about.

Please be sure to send your mailing address and receipt to katieloumercier@gmail.com. 

The Blog Tour
Be sure to follow the entire After The End blog tour! Trust me, you don't want to miss this Truth or Dare themed tour stops! Authors like Beth Revis, Kimberly Derting, Josephine Angelini & more will be on the tour. As Amy mentioned in her recent newsletter, the truth-or-dare theme is particularly relevant to AFTER THE END, since Juneau's oracle has said she has to tell the truth or she won't find her clan.

Blog Tour- THE FOREVER SONG by Julie Kagawa Character Interview and a Giveaway!

I adore Julie Kagawa and her books so I always jump at the chance to have her on the blog and do I have a treat for you today! I have Jackal and Allison here to answer some burning questions Check it out and make sure to enter the awesome giveaway below!
Haven't heard of THE FOREVER SONG? Check it out!

Title: THE FOREVER SONG (Blood of Eden #3)

Author: Julie Kagawa

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Pages: 416

Pub. Date: April 15, 2014

Find it: Goodreads |Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound

Allison Sekemoto once struggled with the question: human or monster?

With the death of her love, Zeke, she has her answer.

MONSTER.

Allie will embrace her cold vampire side to hunt down and end Sarren, the psychopathic vampire who murdered Zeke. But the path is bloody and long, and Sarren has left many surprises for Allie and her companions—her creator, Kanin, and her blood brother, Jackal.

The trail is leading straight to the one place they must protect at any cost— the last vampire-free zone on Earth, Eden. And Sarren has one final, brutal shock in store for Allie. In a ruined world where no life is sacred and former allies can turn on you in one heartbeat, Allie will face her darkest days. And if she succeeds, triumph is short-lived in the face of surviving forever alone.

Now on to the interview!

Hi Allison and Jackal…. or should I call you James? Welcome to Two Chicks on Books! Let me just say I have become a big fan of yours and I can’t wait for the readers to get to know you better! Ok so on to my questions. And feel free to chat away and not just answer the questions I love your banter ;)

• Jackal: How did you get to be so good with cars and boats?

Jackal: I hang out with a raider army, bloodbag.  You think they ride around on camels?  It's not like there are many open gas stations or repair shops in the apocalypse.  You want something fixed, you have to do it yourself. 

• Jackal: How was your childhood or do you even remember it?

Jackal: Ugh, why is every bloodbag I talk to lately so interested in my childhood?  It was perfectly normal.  Ordinary.  Boring.  I barely remember it.  The only part that was remotely interesting was the day my family was killed and I became a vampire.  Everything up until that point was an excruciatingly boring blur, so stop asking about it.

Allison: Seems like a perfectly reasonable question to me.  They just want to make sure you weren't left on a doorstep, or hatched from an egg.

Jackal: Oh, har har.  Once my sides stop splitting I'll tell you what you can do with your egg. 

• Allison: Would you have changed your mind about being a vampire if you knew all that you would have to suffer?

Allison:  You mean if I was dying again, and a vampire gave me a choice to Turn or die?  Yeah, I probably would've done the same thing.  That was the only reason I chose to Turn, the only acceptable excuse, for me, at least.   

Jackal:  Really?  I thought it was to annoy the crap out of anyone within earshot, over and over again, for eternity.

Allison: Shut up, Jackal.

• Jackal: Why do you like to get under Kanin’s skin so much, what did he ever do to you? Allison any thought on this?

Allison: That's easy.  Because he's an insufferable, obnoxious bastard with a death wish.

Jackal:  Hey, the old man tried to kill me.  I think I'm entitled to a little bitterness about that.  Besides, the uptight stiff really needs to loosen up a little.  If he ever deigns to crack a smile, his face will split.     

• For Both: What is the most important or most impressive achievement in your life so far?

Allison:  That I've managed not to strangle this idiot right here.

Jackal:  See, now that's why you'll never get anywhere in life, sister.  One, you need to dream bigger, like ruling your own city, or raising your own army, having minions to do whatever you want, that sort of thing.  And two, you're never going to get the upper hand on me, little sister.  I'm much smarter than you.

Allison: I rest my case.

• Jackal: Why a Fire Ax? Why not a sword or something else?

Jackal:  Where the hell am I going to get a bloody sword?  This isn't medieval Europe.  You think swords are just lying around in the apocalypse? 

Allison: I found one.

Jackal: Bully for you.  If I happen to see a sword, I'll use one.  But I saw an ax, so I make do with what I have.  Besides, axes suit me better.  I like to feel my enemy's skulls implode when I hit them.  So you stick to slicing off heads, and I'll keep breaking bones and cracking skulls, how's that sound to you?

• Allison: If there was no Red Lung virus what do you think Sarren would have done? Do you think he would have still been as crazy and cruel as he was?

Allison: I think the only one who can answer that is Kanin.  He knew Sarren, what he was really like, before all this.  But it doesn't matter.  I don't care what Sarren was like before, I just know I'm going to kill him for what he's done now.

• Allison: What do you think of your brother? Honestly?

Allison:  Honestly?  If he wasn't such a greedy, obnoxious, murdering selfish bastard...he'd actually be okay.

• Jackal: Same question for you. What do you think of your sister?

Jackal: My sister wounds me.  I actually think she's one of the brightest, most talented, bleeding-heart fluffy bunny rabbits I've ever met.  It's actually kinda cute, how she bares her teeth and pretends that she's a fierce, scary monster.  Maybe one day she'll actually be a real vampire, but I'm not getting my hopes up.   

• Anything you’d like to tell our readers?

Jackal: Yeah.  Stop pestering me with stupid questions, unless you're offering to make this a dinner date.  No need to dress up; you'll taste the same either way.

Allison: Always a charmer. 

Thanks for stopping by guys, it’s been a pleasure and I can’t wait for everyone to read The Forever Song! And as for dinner I think I'll have to pass... Jackal thanks for the offer though ;)

About Julie:

Julie Kagawa was born in Sacramento, California. But nothing exciting really happened to her there. So, at the age of nine she and her family moved to Hawaii, which she soon discovered was inhabited by large carnivorous insects, colonies of house geckos and frequent hurricanes. She spent much of her time in the ocean, when she wasn’t getting chased out of it by reef sharks, jellyfish and the odd eel.

To pay the rent, Julie worked in different bookstores over the years, but discovered the managers frowned upon her reading the books she was supposed to be shelving. So she turned to her other passion: training animals. She worked as a professional dog trainer for several years, dodging Chihuahua bites and overly enthusiastic Labradors, until her first book sold and she stopped training to write full-time.

Julie now lives in Louisville, Kentucky, where the frequency of shark attacks are at an all-time low. She lives with her husband, two obnoxious cats, one Australian shepherd who is too smart for his own good and the latest addition, a hyperactive Papillon puppy.

Website |  Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Giveaway Details:

Each tour stop is offering up the winner’s choice of either THE IMMORTAL RULES, THE ETERNITY CURE or THE FOREVER SONG - whichever book of the series you might be missing!

There are also 2 grand prizes:

• 1 winner will get a complete set of Julie Kagawa’s books, including The Iron Fey Saga and The Blood of Eden Saga!

• 1 winner will get a $100 gift card from either iTunes, Amazon or Barnes & Noble!

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Tour Schedule

Monday, April 7th - Harlequin Paranormal Romance Blog

Tuesday, April 8th - fiktshun

Wednesday, April 9th - The Page Turners

Thursday, April 10st - Books and Things

Friday, April 11th - Ticket To Anywhere

Monday, April 14th - Two Chicks on Books

Tuesday, April 15th - Parajunkee

Wednesday, April 16th - Refracted Light Reviews

Thursday, April 17st - Bewitched Bookworms

Friday, April 18th - Mundie Moms

Monday, April 21th - A Book Obsession

Tuesday, April 22nd - The Book Cellar

Wednesday, April 23th - Supernatural Snark

Thursday, April 24st - The Busy Bibliophile

Blog Tour- THE QUEEN'S CHOICE by Cayla Kluver and a Giveaway!

I am so excited to have Cayla Kluver here with an awesome interview for THE QUEEN'S CHOICE Blog Tour! I loved this book it was an awesome fantasy story with fairies and I have my favorite character from the book here today to talk a bit about himself! Check it out and make sure to enter the awesome giveaway below!
Haven't heard of THE QUEEN'S CHOICE? Check it out!

Title: THE QUEEN'S CHOICE (The Heirs of Chrior #1)

Author: Cayla Kluver

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Pub. Date: January 28, 2014

Pages: 512

Find it: 
Goodreads| Amazon |  Barnes & Noble | Indie Bound | BookDepository

Magic was seeping out of me, black and agonizing. I could see it drifting away. The magic that would let me pass the Road to reach home again.

When sixteen-year-old Anya learns that her aunt, Queen of the Faerie Kingdom of Chrior, will soon die, her grief is equaled only by her despair for the future of the kingdom. Her young cousin, Illumina, is unfit to rule, and Anya is determined not to take up the queen's mantle herself.

Convinced that the only solution is to find Prince Zabriel, who long ago disappeared into the human realm of Warckum, and persuade him to take up his rightful crown, Anya journeys into the Warckum Territory to bring him home. But her journey is doomed to be more harrowing than she ever could have imagined….

Now on to the interview!

Hi William! Welcome to Two Chicks on Books! Let me just say I have become a big fan of yours and I can’t wait for the readers to meet you! Ok so on to my questions….

You’ve led a rather colorful life can you tell me the most exotic place you’ve traveled to? What about the ugliest?

I said goodbye to the ugliest place when I left home, although the cabin of my fellow pirate Fane’s ship is a fairly vile venue. As for the most exotic… I’ve traveled all over the world, seen deserts and frozen wastelands, outsmarted the authorities of a hundred nations, and said goodbye to dozens of extraordinary women. Choosing just one would be impossible.

Have you always been a pirate? How was your childhood?

I was born with the hat and a pistol. Not really, of course, but I do like to think I’ve always had a pirate’s spirit. I grew up wondering why people are so eager to fit themselves and others into boxes. It’s restrictive and unnatural. The pirate’s life revolves around freedom and honesty – laugh if you will, but what’s more honest than following one’s instincts and innate desires? That’s the life I was born to live.

You seem to have a pretty big fan club. Lots of girls I noticed…Do you have a girlfriend?

I don’t like to be tied down. There are women I respect, women I spend time with, certainly… but I wouldn’t say I have a girlfriend, per se. It’s a simple matter of independence. Independence is paramount for me. Not to mention, attachments endanger the people in my life. I couldn’t stand to paint a target on anyone’s back.

What is the most important or most impressive thing that you have stolen?

A man’s life.

What’s a day like in the life of William Wolfram Pyrite?

It depends on whether I’m on the open sea or at port. When I’m at sea, every day is either a primitive battle for survival against the elements, or a beautiful merging with them. The sun on my back, windburn from the sails, storms, the view from the crow’s nest, it’s always heaven or hell and nothing in between. I love the extremes. Seizing transport ships and stealing from the wealthy fat cats… hurting them heals me. At port, relaxation rules. My mates and I wile away our time at the Paladin, a pub on the shore of Sheness where music and drinking and rowdy behavior is the norm. It’s a perfect life.

You are definitely mysterious. Are there any secrets you’d like to tell us?

Well now, if I told you my secrets, the mystery would ebb away, now wouldn’t it? But I’ll let you in on just one, if you promise to keep it between us. The first time I met Fane, he stabbed me. Then a month later, he was holding me up while I vomited my way toward getting my sea legs. That’s right… William Wolfram Pyrite got horribly, terribly seasick.

Anything you’d like to tell our readers?

Just that I can’t wait to meet them all… and I bet they’re all lookers. ;) And, of course, a big thank-you for having me.

Thank you William! It was great getting to know you better!!

About Cayla:

With the book industry currently in a debate over print vs. digital, Cayla Kluver, born October 2, 1992 in Wisconsin, truly embodies the next generation of author. At just 19 years-old, Cayla has already published her debut novel Legacy in three different formats.

It all began with self-publication and the creation of her own publishing house (with the he lp of her mom, called: Forsooth Publishing) in 2008. Cayla was then offered a digital debut with Amazon (was the premier title for Amazon’s self-publishing program, Amazon Encore) in 2009. Finally in 2010 Cayla was signed to a three book publishing deal with Harlequin TEEN.

She has cats, dogs and horses, and watches more crime shows than is probably healthy.  Her office is filled with twinkly lights, candles and fun colors.  She loves Robert Louis Stevenson and the Beatles, and you can follow her on Twitter @CaylaKL, as well as join her fan page on Facebook.

Goodreads |  Website | Twitter | Facebook |Heirs of Chrior tumblr

Contest Info:  

Each tour stop is offering up a copy of The Queen’s Choice, and one winner will receive a fantastic grand prize package including the following Harlequin Teen titles: 2 copies of The Queen’s Choice, a copy of White Hot Kiss and Grim, a signed copy of Heartbeat and a complete set of The Legacy trilogy from Cayla Kluver.

Please enter via the Rafflecopter form. Giveaway is open to US/Canada.

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Tour Schedule:

Monday, March 17th - YA Bibliophile

Wednesday, March 19th - Mundie Moms

Friday, March 21th - Two Chicks on Books

Monday, March 24th - Melissa's Eclectic Book Shelf

Wednesday, March 26th - Refracted Light Reviews

Friday, March 28th - Such A Novel Idea

For more info about the guest posts you can direct your readers to the Tour Page