Blog Tour: Deception by C.J. Redwine Playlist and a Giveaway!

I adore this series by C.J. Redwine and I am so excited to have her here today for the DECEPTION Blog Tour hosted by Mundie Moms and Mundie Girls Tours! And you all know how much I love music so I asked C.J. to do a playlist for DECEPTION. I will share some of the YouTube videos as well!

Here's some info on the book and make sure to enter the awesome giveaway below to!

Purchase it from: Harper Teen | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Add it to Goodreads

Baalboden has been ravaged. The brutal Commander's whereabouts are unknown. And Rachel, grief stricken over her father's death, needs Logan more than ever. With their ragged group of survivors struggling to forge a future, it's up to Logan to become the leader they need—with Rachel by his side. Under constant threat from rival Carrington's army, which is after the device that controls the Cursed One, the group decides to abandon the ruins of their home and take their chances in the Wasteland.

But soon their problems intensify tenfold: someone—possibly inside their ranks—is sabotaging the survivors, slowly killing them off. The chaos and uncertainty of each day puts unbearable strain on Rachel and Logan, and it isn't long before they feel their love splintering. Even worse, as it becomes clear that the Commander will stop at nothing to destroy them, the survivors begin to question whether the price of freedom may be too great—and whether, hunted by their enemies and the murderous traitor in their midst, they can make it out of the Wasteland alive.

In this daring sequel to Defiance, with the world they once loved forever destroyed, Rachel and Logan must decide between a life on the run and standing their ground to fight.

And C.J Take it away!

Music is a big part of my writing process. As stories and characters come to life in my head, I slowly build playlists for them. Anyone who follows me on Spotify can see a huge list of playlists under my name … many for books that won’t be written for years. I’m constantly listening to new music, discovering new voices, and when I hear something that fits a story, I add it to that playlist. As a result, many of my finished playlists (like the one for DECEPTION) are pretty long! For the sake of not writing a post that would take nine years to read, I picked a representative cross-section of music from DECEPTION’s playlist to share with you.

My playlists encompass the atmosphere and emotional journey of a story. I can’t use the same playlist twice, even within the same series of books, because the emotional journey and the struggles within that book are unique. For Deception, the theme was tension, fear, depression, and betrayal mixed in with high stakes action scenes. I needed music that captured those elements.

One of my favorite songs to play while I wrote the scenes where Logan and Rachel struggled with each other and with what their lives had become was Stray by The Exies.

 

Another favorite that captured the tension well was Familiar Taste of Poison by Halestorm. 



Before anybody panics, the lyrics don’t always have to match perfectly with the circumstances. It’s the emotion, both in the lyrics and in the music itself, that makes a song right for the playlist. And speaking of emotion, Can’t Live Without You by Bebo Norman is the song that best fit romantic moments between Rachel and Logan in DECEPTION. (See? There’s hope!)

DECEPTION was the first book I’ve written where I actually used more instrumental music on the playlist than singer/songwriter songs. I pulled several pieces from The Dark Knight’s soundtrack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioQnaB1ijtk along with pieces from the soundtrack to Assassin’s Creed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6kRdmUnks8  Both of those perfectly capture the atmosphere of growing fear and tension laced with grief that permeates much of DECEPTION. 

The final song I’ll share from DECEPTION’s playlist is Rise With Me by In This Moment because I feel like it perfectly captures the haunting desperation of the book, both Rachel’s inward journey, and the outward conflict as well.

If you want more songs from DECEPTION’s playlist, or are curious about other playlists (including Defiance book 3!), follow me on Spotify and check them out for yourself. And feel free to send songs recs. I’m always looking for the next perfect song!

Thanks so Much C.J!

About The Author

C. J. Redwine lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with her four beautiful kids, an amazing husband, two fairly crazy cats, and a dog. She has books in every corner of her house, an impressive Harry Potter memorabilia collection, and a bunch of really cool friends she doesn't get to see nearly as much as she'd like to. She is also the author of Defiance.

Visit C.J. via her Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr

The Giveaway: 

Mundie Moms is giving away a signed copy of either Defiance or Deception (winner's choice), and 2 runner up winners will receive a set of bookmarks

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Make sure to follow the tour schedule for more awesome posts! 

8/23- Carina's Books, interview with Rachel

8/23 -  Curling Up With a Good Book, excerpt

8/24- MundieMoms, review

8/26- Two Chicks on Books, playlist (you are here)

8/27 - YASisterhood, review

8/27- Fitshun, interview with Logan

8/28 - Reading Teen, Top 10s List

8/28 -Fangirlish, review

8/29- ExLibris, author interview

8/30- PageTurners Blog, review

8/30 - Emily's Crammed Bookshelf, excerpt

8/31 - PeaceLove Teen, excerpt

Dying to Read (16)- Deception by CJ Redwine

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!

This week the book I’m dying to read is Deception by CJ Redwine and now that there’s a cover I am totally sharing this with you!!!!! I’m seriously in need of this book I loved Defiance! I can’t wait to read more from Logan’s POV and see what happened to the evil as all hell Commander Chase! I also loved Rachel J

Deception

CJ Redwine

Release Date: August 27, 2013

Hardcover: 400 pages

Publisher: Balzer + Bray (Harper)

ISBN: 0062117203

Goodreads

Amazon/Barnes& Noble/The Book Depository

Baalboden has been ravaged. The brutal Commander's whereabouts are unknown. And Rachel, grief stricken over her father's death, needs Logan more than ever. With their ragged group of survivors struggling to forge a future, it's up to Logan to become the leader they need—with Rachel by his side. Under constant threat from rival Carrington's army, who is after the device that controls the Cursed One, the group decides to abandon the ruins of their home and take their chances in the Wasteland.



But soon their problems intensify tenfold: someone—possibly inside their ranks—is sabotaging the survivors, picking them off one by one. The chaos and uncertainty of each day puts unbearable strain on Rachel and Logan, and it isn't long before they feel their love splintering. Even worse, as it becomes clear that the Commander will stop at nothing to destroy them, the band of survivors begins to question whether the price of freedom may be too great—and whether, hunted by their enemies and the murderous traitor in their midst, they can make it out of the Wasteland alive.

In this daring sequel to Defiance, with the world they once loved forever destroyed, Rachel and Logan must decide between a life on the run and standing their ground to fight.

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

Top 10 Books of 2012 Day 2- Best Book Covers and a Giveaway!

Merry Christmas!!!!!!!Today’s topic is Best Book Covers of 2012 (MUST be a book released in 2012. Would be best if it's a book you've READ in 2012, but it's not required) and it’s become pretty apparent that this was the year of the cover with a girl in a pretty dress on it lol and while I liked most of those covers only a few made my list.

And make sure to stop by my co-hosts sites Fiktshun, Confessions of a Bookaholic, A Life Bound By Books, and Magical Urban Fantasy Reads for their lists! Oh and make sure to sign up with the linky to share your lists! And don’t forget to enter the giveaway for a box of ARC’S including Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi Spellcaster by Claudia Gray, Silence in the Shadows by Courtney Allison Moulton, and more! Today’s giveaway is hosted by ME US only! 

Best Book Covers of 2012

1. Incarnate Jodi Meadows. I loved the butterfly and I thought this was absolutely breathtaking!

2. Embers & Echoes by Karsten Knight. I loved the simplicity of the cover and it's really beautiful!

3. Defiance by CJ Redwine. Not a girl in a dress! I loved the forest above and the castle illusion below and the redhead heroine stands out so well!

4. Everneath by Brodi Ashton. K I said there were a few and this is one of my favorites! I love the smoke at the bottom!

5. Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi.Loved this book and I loved this cover! The lightening and the blues were just so pretty!

6. Dragonswood by Janet Lee Carey. I thought this was a smart cover with a girl in a dress. I love how she's levitating above the water.

7. Masque of The Red Death by Bethany Griffin. The cover artist who did this one got it all right! I loved the MC didn't have a face it was blocked by the parasol. And I'm a huge fan of reds and greys!

8. The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa. I just saw the cover remake for this series and I'm pretty mad. I loved this original and thought it fit the series so well. I loved that the MC was crying a tear of blood since she is a vampire.

9. Gravity by Melissa West. This cover is brill and I'm not just saying that because I work at Entangled. It was another simplistic one but it just said soooo much!

10. Luminosity by Stephanie Thomas. If you've read the book; which I hope you all will. This cover is a perfect fit! I love the darker covers and this definitely fits Stephanie's dark story!

Did any of my favorites make your list? Fill out the linky and let me know! And good luck with the giveaway!

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Jaime's Review of Defiance by CJ Redwine

Defiance

C.J. Redwine

Hardcover: 416 pages

Release Date: August 28, 2012

Publisher: Balzer+Bray (Harper)

ISBN: 0062117182

Source: ARC from the Sacramento/San Francisco Book Review

Rating: Obsessed

From Goodreads.

Within the walls of Baalboden, beneath the shadow of the city’s brutal leader, Rachel Adams has a secret. While other girls sew dresses, host dinner parties, and obey their male Protectors, Rachel knows how to survive in the wilderness and deftly wield a sword. When her father, Jared, fails to return from a courier mission and is declared dead, the Commander assigns Rachel a new Protector, her father’s apprentice, Logan—the same boy Rachel declared her love for two years ago, and the same boy who handed her heart right back to her. Left with nothing but fierce belief in her father’s survival, Rachel decides to escape and find him herself. But treason against the Commander carries a heavy price, and what awaits her in the Wasteland could destroy her. At nineteen, Logan McEntire is many things. Orphan. Outcast. Inventor. As apprentice to the city’s top courier, Logan is focused on learning his trade so he can escape the tyranny of Baalboden. But his plan never included being responsible for his mentor’s impulsive daughter. Logan is determined to protect her, but when his escape plan goes wrong and Rachel pays the price, he realizes he has more at stake than disappointing Jared. As Rachel and Logan battle their way through the Wasteland, stalked by a monster that can’t be killed and an army of assassins out for blood, they discover romance, heartbreak, and a truth that will incite a war decades in the making.

So at first glance reading the synopsis you’d think ooh cool a fantasy novel right? And that’s what Harper is calling it; a fantasy trilogy which it is but, its’ so much more! There’s a dystopian edge to it as well and let’s just say those are two of my favorite genres. Needless to say I am completely obsessed with this book and C.J.’s writing is stunning! Absolutely breathtaking! She had me hanging on the edge of my chair with the action, cringing at the douchebag bad guy Commander Chase (who btw is way worse than Warner from Shatter Me IMO!!!!!!!)  and swooning like an idiot during the what did CJ call it in the acknowledgements? Oh yes awkward kissing scenes lol! Yeah my heart did little flips and yep I cried surprise, surprise. ;)

One of the things I loved the most about this amazing story was the multiple POV’s! We got the story from both Rachel and Logan. I honestly think this made the book better. With Rachel’s you got passion, anger, despair, and a strong desire for revenge/redemption and in Logan’s you got logic, plus the anger and passion, and a little something extra I can’t quite put my finger on. I absolutely loved his POV I think it may have been my favorite he made me feel all the things! Oh and did I forget to say there’s a dragon like creature? Yep it doesn’t have wings but it’s scary as hell!  Back to the real bad guy though Commander Chase; I stated above that in my opinion he’s worst than Warner in Shatter Me and, I stick by it. This man has no redeeming qualities at all and he’s not good looking. He’s old and cruel and doesn’t care who he kills. He literally gave me the heebie jeebies I mean skin crawling chills!

It was really hard to choose a passage I think I had about 20 post-it’s marking pages in this one but I decided to share a small passage from Logan’s POV.

Her skin warms beneath my hand as her anger fades into something tentative and soft.

“I should have told you what I was doing.” My thumb traces a path across her cheekbone, catching another drip of water. “I should’ve trusted you. I’m sorry.”

“No, I’m sorry. Sorry I misjudged you. Sorry I got us caught tonight.” She sways closer to me.

My gaze wanders to her lips, and I can’t see anything but a thin trail of water gliding over her skin, gathering at the corner of her mouth, and then slowly drifting toward her neck. She raises one shaky hand and presses her fingers against her lips. Her breath catches, a tiny sound that makes me realize how close I’m standing to her.

Warmth rushes through me, and I dip my face toward hers.

“Logan?” Her voice is soft, but the sound of my name slaps some sense into me.

I jerk back and swear.

Ok so I think y’all can see I’ve found another favorite. Yep I will suggest this one just like I suggest Maria V. Snyder’s Study series because it is THAT good and it NEEDS to be read!!!!

Add Defiance to your Goodreads shelves!!!!

Pre-order your copy now!