Blog Tour-ARROWS by Melissa Gorzelanczyk An Interview And A Giveaway!

I am so excited to be hosting a spot on blog tour for ARROWS by Melissa Gorzelanczyk. I have an interview with Melissa to share with you! And make sure to enter the giveaway! 

Haven't heard of ARROWS? Check it out!

Title: ARROWS

Author: Melissa Gorzelanczyk

Release Date: January 26, 2016

Pages: 240

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook

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

A modern cupid story set in present-day Wisconsin combining the fantastical elements of Greek mythology with the contemporary drama of MTV's Teen Mom.

People don’t understand love. If they did, they’d get why dance prodigy Karma Clark just can’t say goodbye to her boyfriend, Danny. No matter what he says or does or how he hurts her, she can’t stay angry with him . . . and can’t stop loving him. But there’s a reason why Karma is helpless to break things off: she’s been shot with a love arrow. 
Aaryn, son of Cupid, was supposed to shoot both Karma andDanny but found out too late that the other arrow in his pack was useless. And with that, Karma’s life changed forever. One pregnancy confirmed. One ballet scholarship lost. And dream after dream tossed to the wind.

A clueless Karma doesn’t know that her toxic relationship is Aaryn’s fault . . . but he’s going to get a chance to make things right. He’s here to convince Danny to man up and be there for Karma. But what if this god from Mount Olympus finds himself falling in love with a beautiful dancer from Wisconsin who can never love him in return?

This fast-paced debut novel explores the internal & external conflicts of a girl who finds herself inexplicably drawn to a boy who seemingly doesn't reciprocate her  feelings, touching on the issues of love, sex and responsibility, with a heroine struggling to control her destiny--perfect for fans of Katie McGarry's novels and MTV’s 16 and Pregnant. 

Now on to the interview!

Hi Melissa! First I want to say welcome to Two Chicks on Books! I am looking forward to ARROWS and I know my readers are as well and am so happy that you could stop by for a visit!

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

Arrows is a contemporary YA love story with a twist of mythology. The premise is that Aaryn, a cupid from Mount Olympus, shoots only one of his targets with an arrow, which creates a tragically one-sided enchantment for Karma, a dance prodigy. Aaryn is banished to Earth to fix his mistake, and then he and Karma meet, and things get crazy.

ARROWS is a standalone right? So what are you working on now?

I have four novels in various stages of revision right now, including a spinoff to Arrows.

My current favorite is a standalone YA contemporary that’s about how much we love our siblings, and what we’re willing to do for them. As the oldest of six, it’s been an interesting, emotional topic to explore.

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

Aaryn has all the best traits of my real-life true love, Shea.

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

Wow, it’s been a while since I worked on Arrows, but I’d have to say I connected with Karma the most. She strives to be the best, even at a young age, which is how I always felt about writing. Growing up, I knew I had to work hard and keep trying to achieve my dreams, just like she does in the book.

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

Learning about the world of competitive dance took the most time. I attended actual classes, interviewed a dance instructor, read countless articles and books, and watched documentaries. I studied mythology, too.

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

I’m reading INKED by Eric Smith about a world where Ink (a living tattoo) controls your fate. It’s very cool!

Who is your ultimate Book Boyfriend?

Gilbert Blythe from Anne of Green Gables.

What inspired you to write YA?

All of the book ideas I had were for teens, so I guess it happened pretty naturally. I used to write novels as an actual teen, all love stories. I’m still that girl at heart.

Lightening Round Questions

Twitter or Facebook?

Depends on the topic.

Favorite Superhero?

I’m a big fan of people saving themselves.

Favorite TV show?

Right now? The Fargo series

Sweet or Salty?

Salty.

Any Phobias?

Spiders.

Song you can’t get enough of right now?

Anything by Justin Bieber. (And I never thought I’d say that!)

Upcoming Movie you’re most looking forward to?

Joy with Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper

Thanks so much Melissa for answering my questions!

Of course! xo

About Melissa:

Melissa Gorzelanczyk is a former magazine editor and columnist who believes love is everything. A dreamer for life, Melissa has been writing books since she was nine years old when she penned her first story about a beloved black horse. She is a member of the Class of 2k16, the SCBWI and The Sweet Sixteens. She lives in Green Bay, Wisconsin, with her husband and family.

Website | Twitter |Facebook | Goodreads

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a finished copy of Arrows and a swag pack that includes postcards, mini buttons, mini bookmarks, and a mini bow and arrow set, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

1/18/2016-Seeing Double In Neverland- Interview

1/19/2016- A Perfection Called Books- Review

1/20/2016- Ohana Reads- Guest Post

1/21/2016- The Best Books Ever - Review

1/22/2016- Once Upon A Twilight- Review

Week Two:

1/25/2016- Bookish Lifestyle- Interview

1/26/2016- Literary Meanderings- Guest Post

1/27/2016- DanaSquare - Review

1/28/2016- Two Chicks on Books- Interview

1/29/2016- Here's to Happy Endings- Review

Blog Tour- CRUEL BEAUTY and a Giveaway!!!!

I am so excited to have Rosamund Hodge here today to share her inspiration behind CRUEL BEAUTY! I freaking loved this book and the different take on the Beauty and the Beast story! I know it's early into 2014 but I can definitely say this will make my top 10 of 2014 list! Make sure to enter the giveaway below for a copy of the book!
Haven't heard of CRUEL BEAUTY? Check it out!

CRUEL BEAUTY

Author: Rosamund Hodge

Release Date: January 28, 2014

Pages: 352

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Goodreads/Amazon/Barnes & Noble

Graceling meets Beauty and the Beast in this sweeping fantasy about one girl's journey to fulfill her destiny and the monster who gets in her way-by stealing her heart.

Based on the classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, Cruel Beauty is a dazzling love story about our deepest desires and their power to change our destiny.

Since birth, Nyx has been betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom-all because of a foolish bargain struck by her father. And since birth, she has been in training to kill him.

With no choice but to fulfill her duty, Nyx resents her family for never trying to save her and hates herself for wanting to escape her fate. Still, on her seventeenth birthday, Nyx abandons everything she's ever known to marry the all-powerful, immortal Ignifex. Her plan? Seduce him, destroy his enchanted castle, and break the nine-hundred-year-old curse he put on her people.

But Ignifex is not at all what Nyx expected. The strangely charming lord beguiles her, and his castle-a shifting maze of magical rooms-enthralls her.

As Nyx searches for a way to free her homeland by uncovering Ignifex's secrets, she finds herself unwillingly drawn to him. Even if she could bring herself to love her sworn enemy, how can she refuse her duty to kill him? With time running out, Nyx must decide what is more important: the future of her kingdom, or the man she was never supposed to love.

Now on to the post!

You know this story, right? It’s Beauty and the Beast, the Tale As Old As Time. For the sake of her father, a girl goes to live with a monstrous beast at his mysterious house, where he asks her to marry him every night . . . and only after she agrees, does she find that he’s a beautiful prince.

It’s also Bluebeard. A girl marries a strange, charming gentleman who takes her to his beautiful mansion . . . where she discovers that her new husband is actually a monster who keeps his murdered wives in a closet.

It’s also East of the Sun, West of the Moon. For the sake of her family, a girl marries a polar bear, and she goes to his strange and beautiful palace . . . where she discovers that he is actually a prince under a curse, and to free him she has to journey all the way to the palace of the trolls.

It’s also the myth of Cupid and Psyche. For the sake of her kingdom, a princess is sacrificed to a “monster” . . . but instead of being eaten, she’s taken to a beautiful palace, where her husband visits her in the darkness every night. When she finally sees him, she discovers he’s really Cupid, the god of love, and to be with him forever she has to complete a series of impossible tasks, and journey all the way to the Underworld.

And that’s not even getting into more obscure variations like The Singing, Springing Lark or The Three Sisters Who Married the Devil.

Once you start reading a fairy tale beyond the Standard Picture Book Version (which is usually a Grimm/Perrault hybrid with the ickiest parts removed), you find that every story is endlessly refracted in a million variations. And when a story becomes so multitudinous, it takes on a life of its own. It’s like a giant sea serpent moving silently beneath the water—you might see only a few fins break the surface, but you know there’s something vast and living underneath.

It’s those connections, that sense of secret logic underneath, that drive me to write myth and fairy tale retellings.

Why did I write a Beauty and the Beast retelling, and why did I combine it with Greek mythology? Because I realized that all these stories were the same story. And once I had seen the connection between them, I couldn’t look away. I felt like there was another story, a “real” story lurking beneath all these variations. And I had to see if I could write it.

So I did.  

Thanks Rosamund! I really loved this post! I had no idea there were so many different variations of the story!

About Rosamund:

Rosamund Hodge grew up as a homeschooler in Los Angeles, where she spent her time reading everything she could lay hands on, but especially fantasy and mythology. She got a BA in English from the University of Dallas and an MSt in Medieval English from Oxford, and she now lives in Seattle with seven toy cats and a plush Cthulhu. Visit her on the web at http://www.rosamundhodge.net/

Website/Twitter/Facebook/Goodreads

Giveaway Details:

1 ARC of CRUEL BEAUTY US Only

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Here’s the Tour Schedule!

1/27/2014- Paranormal Book Club- Review

1/27/2014- Two Chicks on Books- Guest Post

1/28/2014- Imaginary Reads- Review

1/29/2014- Magical Urban Fantasy Reads- Review

1/29/2014- Fiktshun- Guest Post

1/30/2014- Bewitched Bookworms- Review

1/31/2014- Some Like it Paranormal- Review

1/31/2014- Parajunkee- Interview