RT Teen Day Interview With Katie McGarry

Find out more about this year's RT Teen Day line up, here and follow them on Facebook, here.

Thank you to RT Teen Day, I'm thrilled to share an interview with one of this year's YA authors, Katie McGarry.

Why are you excited to attend RT Teen Day? 

Because I absolutely love interacting with my readers!

Who doesn't love a good romance? Whether it's the driving force of the story or snuck off to the side, I'm always up for it! What appeals to you about including romance in your stories?

I believe in the power of love! My husband and I have an amazing love story, and he is my inspiration for my books! 

What are some of your favorite romance tropes? For example, I love the enemies to lovers trope!

I love opposites attract. :-)

Who are some of your all time favorite fictional couples? Books, movies, comics... whatever!

Rhett Butler and Scarlett from Gone with the Wind, Edward and Bella from Twilight, Echo and Noah  :-)

Obviously I think Young Adult books are simply incredible. I love the variety and the quality. What's you're favorite part of being an author of young adult books?

I love writing the "firsts." First love, first kiss, first dance, first crush, first time you get butterflies....I adore every second of this. 
 

If you could spend a day inside the world of any book, which would you choose and why?

I would love to spend a day in any of my books from the Thunder Road series. I love the family and friendships within these books. 

What have you been reading or recommending lately? 
I'm currently reading When It's Real by Erin Watt! 
 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Katie McGarry was a teenager during the age of grunge and boy bands and remembers those years as the best and worst of her life. She is a lover of music, happy endings, reality television, and is a secret University of Kentucky basketball fan. Katie is the author of full length YA novels, PUSHING THE LIMITS, DARE YOU TO, CRASH INTO YOU, TAKE ME ON, BREAKING THE RULES, and NOWHERE BUT HERE and the e-novellas, CROSSING THE LINE and RED AT NIGHT. Her debut YA novel, PUSHING THE LIMITS was a 2012 Goodreads Choice Finalist for YA Fiction, a RT Magazine's 2012 Reviewer's Choice Awards Nominee for Young Adult Contemporary Novel, a double Rita Finalist, and a 2013 YALSA Top Ten Teen Pick. DARE YOU TO was also a Goodreads Choice Finalist for YA Fiction and won RT Magazine’s Reviewer’s Choice Best Book Award for Young Adult Contemporary fiction in 2013.   

Find Katie online: 

Website |Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest | Tumblr | Instagram

Blog Tour- LIFEBLOOD by Gena Showalter, Gena's Favorite Scenes & A Giveaway!

Hey everyone! I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the blog tour for LIFEBLOOD by Gena Showalter! I have a guest post to share with you today! And make sure to enter the giveaway below!

Haven't heard of LIFEBLOOD? Check it out!

Title: LIFEBLOOD (Everlife #2)

Author: Gena Showalter

Pub. Date: February 28, 2017

Publisher: Month9Books

Format: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook

Pages: 416

Find it: Goodreads | Amazon | Audible | B&N | iBooks 

"My Firstlife is over, but my Everlife is only now beginning." 

With her last living breath, Tenley "Ten" Lockwood made her choice and picked her realm in the Everlife. Now, as the war between Troika and Myriad rages, she must face the consequences. 

Because Ten possesses a rare supernatural ability to absorb and share light, the Powers That Be have the highest expectations for her future—and the enemy wants her neutralized. Fighting to save her Secondlife, she must learn about her realm from the ground up while launching her first mission: convincing a select group of humans to join her side before they die. No pressure, right?  

But Ten's competition is Killian, the boy she can't forget—the one who gave up everything for her happiness. He has only one shot at redemption: beating Ten at a game she's never even played. As their throw-downs heat up, so do their undeniable feelings, and soon, Ten will have to make another choice. Love…or victory.

Now on to the post!

Top 5 favorite scenes in Lifeblood and why?

1.      When Ten learns to send messages to other spirits via the comm inside her wrist.  Her typos crack me up!

2.      When Killian and Ten see each other for the first time since her training as a Conduit/Laborer began in Troika.  They are competing to win the same soul, and should be spewing hate, but their desire for each other is palpable.

3.      The “10 Things” list Killian sends Ten—oh my gosh!  Talk about melting my heart.

4.      When Ten begins to understand the power of the Grid (a network of mental doorways and connections between the people of Troika).  She is able to see and talk with and HUG a certain beloved Laborer...

5.       The moment Killian says “Then let us begin.”  I can’t explain further without giving away plot.  Just know that those four words will change EVERYTHING!

Author Bio: 

Gena Showalter is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of the Intertwined Novels, the White Rabbit Chronicles, and the Everlife Novels, among numerous novels for an adult audience as well. Her stories have been praised as “unputdownable.” Gena lives in Oklahoma with her family and a menagerie of dogs. Follow her on twitter @genashowalter and visit her website at genashowalter.com.

Website | Twitter

Giveaway Details:

2 signed sets of FIRSTLIFE & LIFEBLOOD (US Only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week 1:

3/6: Brittany's Book Rambles - Q&A

3/7: In Wonderland - Review

3/8: Reading Is Better With Cupcakes - Guest Post

3/9: Take Me Away To A Great Read - Review

3/10: Swoony Boys Podcast - Character Interview

Week 2:

3/13: Two Chicks On Books - Guest Post

3/14: Books Are Love - Review

3/15: Resch Reads and Reviews - Makeup Board

3/16: Here's to Happy Endings - Review

3/17: Lisa Loves Literature - Heaven vs. Hell

Week 3:

3/20: Quite the Novel Idea - Review

3/21: The Irish Banana Review - Fast 5

3/22: Mundie Moms - Review

3/23: Megnificent Boks - Top 10

3/24: Owl Always Be Reading - Review

Grab book 1 now!

Dying To Read (191)-REIGN OF SERPENTS by Eleanor Herman

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! 

I freaking LOVE this series so of course I'm dying to read the next book !!!

Title: REIGN OF SERPENTS (Blood of Gods and Royals #3)

Author: Eleanor Herman

Release Date: June 27, 2017

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Pages: 384

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Find it: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

New York Times bestselling author Eleanor Herman entwines the real scandals of history with epic fantasy in this action-packed follow-up to EMPIRE OF DUST.

In REIGN OF SERPENTS, the ancient power of Snake Blood threatens the known world. While Prince Alexander struggles with a very deadly inner demon, his betrothed, Zofia, is on her way to him, to unite their kingdoms…even as she begins to realize where her true allegiance lies. The fierce Cynane meets her match-not in her future husband, the deranged king of Illyria, but in her great-great-grandfather, Talus, possessor of Smoke Blood, who will teach her the true meaning of betrayal. And marooned together on an island in the Mediterranean, romantic tension blooms between Katerina and Hephaestion as they learn of lost civilizations and discover a device that could help them do the impossible: kill the last living god.

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

Dying To Read (184)- THE BLACK WITCH by Laurie Frost

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! 

I'm running out of 2017 books that have had cover reveals but this one sounds awesome and I can't wait to read it!

Title: THE BLACK WITCH

Author: Laurie Frost

Release Date: May 2, 2017

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Pages: 608

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Find it: Goodreads 

A Great Winged One will soon arise and cast his fearsome shadow upon the land. And just as Night slays Day, and Day slays Night, so also shall another Black Witch rise to meet him, her powers vast beyond imagining. 

So foretells the greatest prophecy of the Gardnerian mages. Carnissa Gardner, the last prophesied Black Witch, drove back the enemy forces and saved her people during the Realm War. Now a new evil is on the horizon, and her granddaughter, Elloren, is believed to be Carnissa’s heir—but while she is the absolute image of her famous grandmother, Elloren is utterly devoid of power in a society that prizes magical ability above nearly all else.

When she is granted the opportunity to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming an apothecary, Elloren is eager to join her brothers at the prestigious Verpax University and finally embrace a destiny of her own, free from the shadow of her grandmother’s legacy. But she soon realizes that the University, which admits all manner of peoples—including the fire-wielding, winged Icarals, the sworn enemies of her people—is an even more treacherous place for the granddaughter of the Black Witch.

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

Blog Tour- EMPIRE OF DUST by Eleanor Herman An Interview & Giveaway!

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on blog tour for EMPIRE OF DUST by Eleanor Herman! I freaking LOVED this book so hard!! I have an interview with Eleanor to share with you today! And make sure to enter the awesome giveaway for a set of the series! 

Haven't heard of THE KING SLAYER? Check it out!

Title: EMPIRE OF DUST (Blood of Gods and Royals #2)

Author: Eleanor Herman

Pub. Date: June 26, 2016

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Pages: 432

Format: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook

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

In Macedon, war rises like smoke, forbidden romance blooms and ancient magic tempered with rage threatens to turn an empire to dust 

After winning his first battle, Prince Alexander fights to become the ruler his kingdom demands—but the line between leader and tyrant blurs with each new threat. 

Meanwhile, Hephaestion, cast aside by Alexander for killing the wrong man, must conceal the devastating secret of a divine prophecy from Katerina even as the two of them are thrust together on a dangerous mission to Egypt. 

The warrior, Jacob, determined to forget his first love, vows to eradicate the ancient Blood Magics and believes that royal prisoner Cynane holds the key to Macedon's undoing. 

And in chains, the Persian princess Zofia still longs to find the Spirit Eaters, but first must grapple with the secrets of her handsome—and deadly—captor. 

New York Times bestselling author Eleanor Herman entwines the real scandals of history with epic fantasy to reimagine the world's most brilliant ruler, Alexander the Great, in the second book of the Blood of Gods and Royals series.

Grab the FREE novella VOICE OF GODS Now!

Amazon | B&N | iBooks

&

The novella QUEEN OF ASHES for $2.99!

Amazon | B&N | iBooks

Now on to the interview!

Hi Eleanor! First I want to say welcome back to Two Chicks on Books! I loved LEGACY OF KINGS and EMPIRE OF DUST and can’t wait to read what’s next! I am so happy that you could stop by for a visit!

For the readers: can you give us a little recap of LEGACY OF KINGS and the characters? Do you have any actors that come to mind? (For each of the actors Eleanor has for her dream cast I will link to their IMDB page)

Alexander: Macedon’s sixteen-year-old heir needs to prove himself worthy of the Crown. In his first major battle, he will face the best warriors in the world. He finds himself strangely attracted to a peasant girl, Katerina, who helps him quite unexpectedly in the battle, shifting the tides of war. Actor: Daniel Sharman.

Katerina: Comes to Alexander’s palace with a secret mission: kill the queen who killed Kat’s mother. She can’t marry Jacob, the boy she loves, until she has wreaked her revenge. Kat’s plans take a strange twist, and in the kingdom of Halicarnassus she learns about the powerful magic that has always been percolating in her blood. Actress: Emma Watson.

Hephaestion: Alexander’s best friend, Heph is fiercely loyal but finds that his pride and passion often stand in his way. Will the prince forgive him for his betrayal on the battlefield? Actor: Jack Falahee.

Jacob: Wants to make Kat proud of him so she will become his wife. But the path he chooses to do this makes him an enemy of Macedon, rendering his one goal in life impossible. Actor: Matt Lanter.

Cynane: Alexander’s warrior half-sister will do anything to rule and lead armies. Anything. Actress: Caitlin Stasey.

Zofia: Alexander’s Persian fiancée, the runaway princess makes a long journey east to find the Spirit Eaters and change her fate. Actress: Shay Mitchell.

Queen Olympias: Alexander’s manipulative mother wants one thing only: for her lover, trapped in snake form, to come back to her as a man. Actress: Charlize Theron.

What about book 3? Do we have a title yet?

Yes! Book 3 is called Reign of Serpents, and on the last page of Empire of Dust you will understand why.

Who was your favorite character to write (mine was Heph lol)? What about your least favorite?

I love writing all of them. They are, of course, different aspects of myself in concentrated form. It was hard developing each one as a different person at first, but much easier for Book 2. Now I’m halfway through Book 3 and I’ve completely got them down! I like how Alex’s mind works—sort of like an ancient Greek computer, searching for the logical answers. He lives very much in his head. Heph is more human, living in his heart and consequently making mistakes as we all do. I adore Kat’s bravery and spunk, and Jacob’s loyalty and cleverness. I love Zo’s journey because it’s not just the miles she puts in on the Royal Road, it’s a journey of learning who she really is and what she can be. And I adore writing the bad girls—Cynane, so fiercely ambitious for power in a man’s world, and Olympias, especially now that karma is catching up to her.

What is your favorite passage/scene in EMPIRE OF DUST?

I love writing battle scenes so the fight in the tunnel was a load of fun. For this battle I read several ancient books written on warfare and borrowed some of their strategies. I also love the Egyptian scenes where Kat and Heph are sliding down the Nile, amazed at what they are seeing. I enjoyed creating the accursed city of Sharuna and the creepy Ushabti warriors.

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

I read several books about Egypt in this time period. It wasn’t the heyday of the pharaohs; they had built the Pyramids two thousand years earlier and by the time of Empire of Dust the Persians had conquered Egypt. But it was a timeless land still steeped in ancient traditions. I really want the reader to feel a marked contrast between the vastly different cultures of Macedon, Persia, and Egypt.

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

I just finished read Amy Lukavic’s Daughters Unto Devils, a story, as one reviewer wrote, that blends Stephen King with Little House on the Prairie. I was on the treadmill and couldn’t put it down and when I finished after two hours I could hardly step down from the treadmill my legs were so sore. Before that, I read Cait Reynold’s Angel Hands, a historical romance about what happens to the Phantom of the Opera after the opera burns. I fell in love with the phantom, despite whatever was going on under that mask. Next on my list is Julie Kagawa’s Talon series.

Who is your ultimate Book Boyfriend?

I so loved Augustus Waters from The Fault in Our Stars.  He was supportive, funny, smart and amazing, even though he had lost a leg to cancer, even when the cancer came back. I was so sad thinking about the man he would have become, a great husband, father, employee, boss, community activist, etc. There was this hole in the world for me when he died. What a loss. What a waste. I know he was a fictional character but I still think I will never get over him dying. My eyes are stinging just typing this.

If you were to write another YA series from a different time in history what would you write and why?

I think ancient Egypt now that I have done so much research about it, and not just for Empire of Dust, but for Queen of Ashes, the novella of the immortal Princess Laila of Sharuna, whom Kat and Heph travel down the Nile to meet. Queen of Ashes is available to download free on August 1.

Thanks so much Eleanor for answering my questions! I can’t wait to read book 3!

About Eleanor: 

Before the Game of Thrones craze swept the nation, Eleanor Herman was hard at work entertaining readers with her extensive research on courtly intrigue and romance. She is the New York Times bestselling author of Sex with Kings, as well as three other works of nonfiction: Sex with the Queen, Mistress of the Vatican, and King Peggy.

Obsessed by all things royal and historical, she lives in McLean, Virginia with her husband and four extremely dignified cats. Legacy of Kings is her first novel.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest

Giveaway Details:

2 winners will receive a paperback of LEGACY OF KINGS & a hardcover of EMPIRE OF DUST, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

6/20/2016- The Cover Contessa- Interview

6/21/2016- Zach's YA Reviews- Review

6/22/2016- Fiction Fare- Guest Post

6/23/2016- My So-Called Book Reviews- Review

6/24/2016- Two Chicks on Books- Interview

Week Two:

6/27/2016- Lisa Loves Literature- Review

6/28/2016- A Dream Within A Dream- Guest Post

6/29/2016- Mundie Moms- Review

6/30/2016- Once Upon A Twilight- Review

7/1/2016- Curling Up With A Good Book- Interview

Grab book 1 now!

EMPIRE OF DUST Pre-Order Campaign With a Massive Giveaway!

Ok y'all my love for this series knows no bounds so I have to share this awesome pre-order giveaway with you all! This is being sponsored by Eleanor Herman, Harlequin Teen, & Paper Lantern Lit!

Check out all the goodness! This all from Eleanor's Pre-Order Site!

To celebrate the upcoming release of the second book in the Blood of Gods and Royals series, I am hosting a pre-order game with 4 levels of prizes. Here are the rules: Everyone who pre-orders (within the US) before 6/28 gets a prize!! Everyone. All you have to do to claim your prize is email empireofdustgame@gmail.com with proof of your pre-order. (This can be a screencap of the online purchase, a photo of a receipt, etc.) Once a certain number of pre-orders have been unlocked, the game will move from prize level 1 to prize level 2. The more pre-orders we get, the quicker we’ll get to prize levels 3 and 4, and then the grand prize!

Prize Levels 1. Signed Bookplates – Limited-edition bookplates for LEGACY OF KINGS!

2. EMPIRE OF DUST Bookmarks

3. Legacy of Kings + Empire of Dust Character Cards

– I’ve created some exclusive, limited-edition character cards for LEGACY OF KINGS and EMPIRE OF DUST. Each card contains a clue for what might happen in EMPIRE OF DUST!

4. QUEEN OF ASHES, the 2nd Blood of Gods and Royals novella (100+) Once we hit the pre-order goal for this prize, anyone who pre-orders will receive QUEEN OF ASHES, the second novella in the Blood of Gods and Royals series. This won’t be published until August, so you’ll be reading it 3 months in advance, AND it will cost money then, whereas if you pre-order EMPIRE OF DUST and send in your receipt, you’ll get it for free! 5. GRAND PRIZE: One random person who submits proof of pre-order will be selected to win a prize-pack of my favorite fantasy reads, including: A DARKER SHADE OF MAGIC by VE Schwab WALK ON EARTH A STRANGER by Rae Carson TRUTHWITCH by Susan Dennard THE WINNER’S CURSE by Marie Rutkoski AN EMBER IN THE ASHES by Sabaa Tahir PLUS all of the other previous prizes!

Eleanor will be updating her page when they hit each pre-order goal, signaling that the next prize is available when you pre-order. Again, all you need to do to win your gift is email proof of purchase of EMPIRE OF DUST to empireofdustgame@gmail.com. Make sure you include your name and the best address to send your prize.

Pre-Order Links Amazon iBooks Barnes and Noble Indie Bound

Blog Tour- HEIR TO THE SKY by Amanda Sun An Interview & A Giveaway!

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on blog tour for HEIR TO THE SKY by Amanda Sun!I have an interview with Amanda to share with you today! And make sure to enter the awesome giveaway for a finished copy of the book! 

Haven't heard of HEIR TO THE SKY? Check it out!

Title: HEIR TO THE SKY

Author: Amanda Sun

Pub. Date: April 26, 2016

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Format: Hardcover, eBook

Find it: Amazon | B&N | Indiebound | iBooks | The Book Depository | Goodreads

As heir to a kingdom of floating continents, Kali has spent her life bound by limits—by her duties as a member of the royal family; by a forced betrothal to the son of a nobleman; and by the edge of the only world she’s ever known—a small island hovering above a monster-ridden earth, long since uninhabited by humans. She is the Eternal Flame of Hope for what’s left of mankind, the wick and the wax burning in service for her people, and for their revered Phoenix, whose magic keeps them aloft.

When Kali falls off the edge of her kingdom and miraculously survives, she is shocked to discover there are still humans on the earth. Determined to get home, Kali entrusts a rugged monster-hunter named Griffin to guide her across a world overrun by chimera, storm dragons, basilisks, and other terrifying beasts. But the more time she spends on earth, the more dark truths she begins to uncover about her home in the sky, and the more resolute she is to start burning for herself.

Now on to the interview!

Hi Amanda! First I want to say welcome to Two Chicks on Books! HEIR TO THE SKY was fantastic! And am so happy that you could stop by for a visit!

Hi! And thank you so much for having me! ^_^

For the readers: can you tell us a little bit about HEIR TO THE SKY and the 

characters?

Sure! HEIR TO THE SKY is about Kali, the heir to a kingdom of floating continents in the sky. They float above a monster-ridden abandoned earth below. But when she falls of the edge of her home one day, she miraculously survives, and meets Griffin, a rugged monster hunter who promises to get her home safely. And the closer she gets to home, the more her world unravels.

Also there are pygmy goats. And dragons. And monsters of all sorts.

Is this a standalone or a series? And if it’s a series do you have a title for book 2 yet? And if it’s a standalone what are you working on next?

It’s actually a standalone, although my head is full of ideas for a sequel! I’m working on a few things. I have a short story coming out in the anthology STRANGERS AMONG US this August. My story is about a boy who lives in a world in his head—he can’t speak, and he’s sold to a warlord. It’s a darker story about revenge and the potential we all carry within ourselves to perform dark deeds. And I have a few short stories I’m working on, as well as a top secret novel that I will be working on more once my baby daughter lets me. ^_^

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

Yes and no. I firmly believe that as writers, we lie about the truth. That is, everything we write is like a dream, distorted fragments of things we’ve experienced or thought about, twisted into new and different shapes. There are fragments of my best friends in Kali’s best friend Elisha, for example. And they all have a bit of me in them, too. I do have to say that Griffin was influenced by the Final Fantasy character Noel, from FFXIII-2. Video games in general were a big influence on this book, as I’ve always loved the floating continents from games like Skyward Sword, Chrono Trigger, and FFVI.

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

I loved writing Griffin! He knows all the strategies to take down monsters and look for safe havens and plants around them. He also has a big heart, and a tragic past. He trusts fully, even when he knows better. I also love Aliyah, because she’s such a big personality. Strong, protective, and deadly with her behemoth-fang spear.

Least favorite is probably Sayra, because I feel sorry for her. She’s not up to the task of survival like Griffin or Aliyah are. She cries a lot, and she can’t settle into life on the earth. I feel like that sometimes, more powerless and cowardly than I want to be. I don’t like what she reflects in myself.

What is your favorite passage/scene in HEIR TO THE SKY?

My favorite scene has to be the swamp and the treehouse. Everything in the swamp is iridescent at night, glowing and unfurling with a strange glittering beauty. But it’s dangerous too. My other favorite is the end of the book, which I can’t say much about. I hope you enjoy these scenes when you come to them!

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

A lot! I didn’t know much about survival skills. I learned all kinds of fascinating things about how to survive in the wild, what you can eat, how to find water, and how to make tools. I researched a lot about the Himalayas and mountain climates so I could figure out what could survive on floating continents and whether life was feasible up there. I also drew on a lot of my background in Archaeology for designing Kali’s kingdom and its religion around the Phoenix. Most of the names in her kingdom like Ashra, Burumu, Nartu, and the city of Ulan are derived from Akkadian words for flight, soaring, wings, and so on.

What inspired you to write YA?

I always say YA chose me! As I grew up, I liked to write about characters who were slightly older than I was. But when I got to be a teen, my characters stopped aging. I love the energy that teen characters have. They know they can save the world—they aren’t discouraged or jaded. They believe there’s more if they can only grasp it. Plus YA has so much exciting genre meshing. You can break all kinds of rules and it only makes things more exciting!

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 in the middle of THIS IS WHERE IT ENDS by Marieke Nijkamp. I’m a slow reader at the moment because my baby daughter just started walking and can’t be left alone for even a minute. But I manage to get a few pages here and there. And I’m dying to read Jodi Meadow’s new book THE MIRROR KING. Yay!

What Hogwarts House would the Sorting Hat place you in?

I’m actually a proud member of Slytherin. OK, I’m not ruthless or anything. I’m quiet and shy. But I’ve always been drawn to Slytherin because I find it the most interesting house. The odds are stacked against you, and who doesn’t like rooting for the underdog? Plus, aren’t all authors a little devious and mean? Let’s face it—making readers cry is our ultimate goal.

Twitter or Facebook?

Twitter for fun, Facebook for pet and baby photos. ^_^

Favorite Superhero?

Superman, as in the original movies. He’s just so honest and straightforward and his heart’s in the right place. He’s also kind of awkward, like me.

Favorite TV show?

Beauty and the Beast from the 80’s (Vincent and Catherine!) I’m also partial to Deathnote and Boys over Flowers.

Sweet or Salty?

Salty, mostly chips of all kinds. Om nom nom.

Any Phobias?

Oh god yes. Spiders. They’re the reason I’m trained as an archaeologist but working as a writer INDOORS. My Ancient Near Eastern prof had horror stories about the whispery sounds of camel spiders AKA tarantula things climbing on the ceilings of their tents. Yeah, I’ll stay here, thanks.

Song you can’t get enough of right now?

The Humming by Enya. It gets so stuck in my head. Plus I’ve been watching a ton of documentaries about space and the universe lately, and the song sort of echoes the vastness that I’ve been pondering. You know, between changing diapers.

Spring Movie you’re most looking forward to?

Alice Through the Looking Glass. I’m a huge Alice in Wonderland fan, so much so that my new baby girl is named Alice. ^_^

Thanks so much Amanda for answering my questions! I can’t wait for everyone to read HEIR TO THE SKY!

Thank you for having me, and Happy Reading!

ABOUT AMANDA SUN:

I’m a YA author and proud Nerdfighter. I was born in Deep River, Canada, a very small town without traffic lights or buses, and where stranger safety is comprised of what to do if you see a bear—or skunk. I started reading fantasy novels at 4 and writing as soon as I could hold a pencil. Hopefully my work’s improved since then.

​In university I took English, Linguistics, and Asian History, before settling into Archaeology, because I loved learning about the cultures and stories of ancient people. Of course, I didn’t actually become an archaeologist—I have an intense fear of spiders. I prefer unearthing fascinating stories in the safety of my living room.

​The Paper Gods is inspired by my time living in Osaka and travelling throughout Japan. That and watching far too many J-Dramas. I currently live in Toronto with my husband and daughter. When I’m not writing, I’m devouring YA books, knitting nerdy things like Companion Cubes and Triforce mitts, and making elaborate cosplays for anime cons.

LINKS: Website | Twitter | Facebook

Giveaway Details:

3 Finished Copies of HEIR TO THE SKY (US Only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week 1:

4/25: Two Chicks on Books - Q&A

4/26: That Artsy Reader Girl - Review

4/27: The Irish Banana Review - Playlist

4/28: Books Buying Beauty - Review

4/29: Fiery Reads - Top 10

Week 2:

5/2: Chapter By Chapter - Review

5/3: The Book Cellar - Guest Post

5/4: Brooke Reports - Review

5/5: YA Bookmark - Q&A

5/6: Gone Pecan - Review