Blog Tour- CLANLESS by Jennifer Jenkins, Jen's Favorite Scenes & A Giveaway!

Hey y'all! I am stoked to be hosting a spot on the blog tour for CLANLESS by Jennifer Jenkins! I freaking LOVE this fantasy series! I have Jen's favorite scenes. Check it out & make sure to enter the giveaway!

Haven't heard of CLANLESS? Check it out!

Title: CLANLESS (Nameless #2)

Author: Jennifer Jenkins

Pub. Date: October 4, 2016

Publisher: Month9Books

Pages: 336

Formats: Paperback, eBook, audiobook

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

Striker Gryphon has lost his position of honor among the Ram, and is now a hunted man. A traitor. 

Zo, the object of his affection, was murdered by members of his former clan. To honor her memory, he journeys to the highly secretive Raven “Nest” to warn strangers of their impending demise—though it could cost him more than just his pride.

He doesn’t know that Zo is very much alive and in another part of the region assisting Nameless refugees over a mountain swarming with wild men known as “Clanless.” 

As each struggle to make sense of what their lives have become, they fight and claw to reach the Allied Camp, their last hope in bringing peace to the region. 

But the road back to one another is treacherous and uncertain. And freedom will come with a price.

Now on to the post!

Top 5 favorite scenes and why.

Narrowing down my top 5 scenes is tricky work, but I’ll give it my best shot.

Let’s do this David Letterman style, shall we?

5- Gryphon trying to cross the lion silk bridge (and really his whole journey to the Raven Nest).

In almost every scene I’d written up to this point, Gryphon is always portrayed as a superior warrior. I like that the Raven humble him quite a bit. Gryphon’s fear of heights was a nice way of breaking his stereotypical role in this series.

4- The scene when Eva and Stone reunite.

I had a lot of fun developing these two characters in this book. Their reuniting was so exciting to write because both characters are completely blunt and 100% unapologetic for who they are and what they stand for. Eva especially is portrayed as almost a heartless figure in the first part of the book. I enjoyed showing her softer side.

3- Zo sealing her blood oath to the Kodiak Clan.

This is such a HUGE moment for the series and plays a big role in the third book. I really enjoyed the world building of this scene and seeing Zo own the role heroine.

2- Gryphon and Zander’s big confrontation.

I don’t want to give too much away, but this scene is really the moment when Gryphon discovers his new identity and draws a line in the sand for his mess brothers to have to decide what kind of men they want to be. I love writing action scenes, and this is my favorite of the series thus far.

1- Gryphon and Zo’s reuniting.

How could you NOT choose this scene? It was so torturous keeping Zo and Gryphon apart, but it really needed to happen and made bringing them back together all the more powerful. The moment Zo wakes up in Gryphon’s arms… *shivers* Yes, definitely my favorite scene in the book.

Thank you so much for hosting me on your blog! 

About Jennifer:

With her degree in History and Secondary Education, Jennifer had every intention of teaching teens to love George Washington and appreciate the finer points of ancient battle stratagem. (Seriously, she’s obsessed with ancient warfare.) However, life had different plans in store when the writing began. As a proud member of Writers Cubed, and a co-founder of the Teen Author Boot Camp, she feels blessed to be able to fulfill both her ambition to work with teens as well as write Young Adult fiction.

Jennifer has three children who are experts at naming her characters, one loving, supportive husband, a dog with little-man syndrome, and three chickens (of whom she is secretly afraid).

Visit her online at jajenkins.com

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest | Instagram

Giveaway Details:

Contest ends October 21, 2016

·        One (1) winner will receive a scrabble tile book cover charm (US ONLY)

·        Five (5) winners will receive a digital copy of Nameless and Clanless by Jennifer Jenkins (INT)

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Go to Chapter by Chapter to check out the Tour Schedule for more awesome posts!

 Make sure to grab book 1 now if you haven't read it!

Release Day Celebration: Clanless (Nameless #2) by Jennifer Jenkins with Giveaway

 

Welcome to the Release Day Celebration for

Clanless (Nameless #2) by Jennifer Jenkins

presented by Month9Books!

Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

 

Happy Book Birthday, Jennifer!

 

 

Striker Gryphon has lost his position of honor among the Ram, and is now a hunted man. A traitor.

Zo, the object of his affection, was murdered by members of his former clan. To honor her memory, he journeys to the highly secretive Raven “Nest” to warn strangers of their impending demise—though it could cost him more than just his pride. He doesn’t know that Zo is very much alive and in another part of the region assisting Nameless refugees over a mountain swarming with wild men known as “Clanless.” As each struggle to make sense of what their lives have become, they fight and claw to reach the Allied Camp, their last hope in bringing peace to the region. But the road back to one another is treacherous and uncertain. And freedom will come with a price.

Clanless (Nameless #2) by Jennifer Jenkins Publication Date: October 4, 2016 Publisher: Month9Books

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“I am Talon and this is my twin sister, Raca. We are traveling home to the Raven after a long journey south.”

Zo wondered if they came from the Allied Camp but didn’t want to reveal too much about her knowledge of Commander Laden and the Allies. Enemies of the cause would kill for that kind of information—especially the Ram.

The Raven girl called Raca hitched up her pack and smiled. “We usually avoid smoking fires, but I made Talon stop when I saw your group. It isn’t every day you find other women outside of the protection of a clan.”

Talon took another step forward. “We mostly just wanted to make sure you were all right.”

Zo looked to Eva, who shook her head from right to left. “No,” she mouthed, while keeping a firm hold on both of her knives. Joshua was more relaxed, looking to Zo for his cue to attack. His confidence in her was terrifying. No matter their talks of assets and liabilities; in that moment it was clear that they all saw her as their leader.

A poor decision.

Zo had no other choice but to follow her gut instinct. If these people were Raven then they needed to know about the Ram’s plans to attack their clan. “You are welcome at our fire.”

Talon and Raca relaxed and walked over to their circle.

“Tell me,” said Talon in his slow-paced Raven accent, “how do two young women, a boy, and a child find themselves outside of clan protection only a day’s journey from Ram’s Gate?”

Eva waved her knife in front of Talon’s nose. “This is our fire, Bird. You have no business asking questions.”

At hearing Eva’s harsh Ram words, Talon immediately drew his own blade, with Raca and Joshua following suit.

Zo’s hands shot out to calm the circle. “Enough. Eva, put that away. Joshua.”

One by one, the circle rested their weapons in their laps, though none went so far as to sheath them. “You’re a Ram,” said Raca to Eva. “I’ve never met a Ram woman before. For some reason, I always imagined they grew beards and had thighs the size of tree trunks. You’re actually kind of pretty.”

“A compliment? Charming.” Eva twisted the knife in her hand.

Joshua snorted, and the dying coals of the fire crackled.

Talon studied Zo. “We don’t mean to be rude, Ram. It’s not every day you see a pair of Ram and a pair of Wolves enjoying the same fire.”

Joshua said, “How did you know that Zo was a—”

“Wolf?” finished Talon. “Well, look at her. Long neck, elegant lines, the feminine curve of her jaw. It’s easy to spot.”

“You can stop staring,” said Joshua in a hard tone at odds with his usual affable nature. “She is not yours to look at.”

 

OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES

 

 

Four clans have been at war for centuries: the Kodiak, the Raven, the Wolf and the Ram. Through brutal war tactics, the Ram have dominated the region, inflicting death and destruction on their neighbors.

Seventeen-year-old Zo is a Wolf and a Healer who volunteers to infiltrate the Ram as a spy on behalf of the allied clans. She offers herself as a Ram slave, joining the people who are called the “nameless.” Hers is a suicide mission – Zo’s despair after losing her parents in a Ram raid has left her seeking both revenge and an end to her own misery. But after her younger sister follows her into Rams Gate, Zo must find a way to survive her dangerous mission and keep her sister safe.

What she doesn’t expect to find is the friendship of a young Ram whose life she saves, the confusing feelings she develops for a Ram soldier, and an underground nameless insurrection. Zo learns that revenge, loyalty and love are more complicated than she ever imagined in the first installment of this two-book series.

Amazon | B&N | BAM | Chapters | Indiebound | Kobo | TBD | Google Play | iBooks

 

 

With her degree in History and Secondary Education, Jennifer had every intention of teaching teens to love George Washington and appreciate the finer points of ancient battle stratagem. (Seriously, she’s obsessed with ancient warfare.) However, life had different plans in store when the writing began. As a proud member of Writers Cubed, and a co-founder of the Teen Author Boot Camp, she feels blessed to be able to fulfill both her ambition to work with teens as well as write Young Adult fiction.

Jennifer has three children who are experts at naming her characters, one loving, supportive husband, a dog with little-man syndrome, and three chickens (of whom she is secretly afraid).

Visit her online at jajenkins.com

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest |Instagram

Complete the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win!

 

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Cover & Chapter 1 Reveal- CLANLESS by Jennifer Jenkins & A Giveaway!

Today Jennifer Jenkins and Month9Books are revealing the cover and first chapter for CLANLESS, book 2 in the NAMELESS Series which releases October 4, 2016! Check out the gorgeous cover and enter to be one of the first readers to receive a paperback of NAMELESS or an eGalley of CLANLESS!!

Here’s a message from the author.

Clanless is Gryphon's story in the way Nameless was Zo's. It encompasses the struggle of self discovery and taking the hard road to find happiness. At its heart though, this book is a love story, with two people determined to fight overwhelming odds, even death, to be together. Clanless provides readers a view of the world outside Ram's Gate, exploring both the Raven and Kodiak Clans in more depth. 

I LOVE THIS COVER. I love the way Gryphon is depicted and the symbolism of of the white background in contrast to the black of the Nameless cover. I personally think the series only gets better with every book, and I hope readers agree.

On to the reveal! 

Title: CLANLESS (Nameless #2)

Author: Jennifer Jenkins

Pub. Date: October 4, 2016

Publisher: Month9Books

Format: Paperback & eBook

Find it: Amazon | B&N | TBD | Goodreads

Striker Gryphon has lost his position of honor among the Ram, and is now a hunted man. A traitor.

Zo, the object of his affection, was murdered by members of his former clan. To honor her memory, he journeys to the highly secretive Raven “Nest” to warn strangers of their impending demise—though it could cost him more than just his pride.

He doesn’t know that Zo is very much alive and in another part of the region assisting Nameless refugees over a mountain swarming with wild men known as “Clanless.”

As each struggle to make sense of what their lives have become, they fight and claw to reach the Allied Camp, their last hope in bringing peace to the region.

But the road back to one another is treacherous and uncertain. And freedom will come with a price.

Excerpt

Gryphon never thought he’d die at the hands of the Ram. Of course, he never thought he’d become a traitor to his clan, either.

He awaited a likely public execution, sitting in a patch of mud outside the walls of Ram’s Gate, his clan’s stronghold, as rain filtered through the trees overhead. Bristled ropes rubbed raw his bound ankles. Iron manacles secured his wrists behind his back. Gryphon clutched the hidden key to his restraints inside a bloody fist and glared at a man he never thought he’d call an enemy.

Zander, Gryphon’s captain, stood at attention as the rain rolled off his brown hair and banked along the harsh angles of his cheekbones and jaw. He held a seven-foot spear like a walking stick, the blunt end buried in the mud at his feet. His short sword was sheathed at his hip, his round shield slung across his back. The perfect Ram warrior, and one of the best swordsmen Gryphon had ever known.

The fifteen members of his mess sat like stones in a field, unmoving but hard and very present. Most of Gryphon’s former mess, including his best friend, Ajax, kept their backs to him, as if his treason were contagious. Some slept under thick wool blankets that repelled the rain while others stewed with the restlessness that plagued so many warriors.

No one bothered to light a fire. Whether they were too impatient to find something dry enough to burn or felt they deserved the cold, Gryphon didn’t know. Ram were experts at self-discipline—not to be confused with self-control.

Inside Ram’s Gate, Gryphon grew up training every day until his body ached. On days he struggled to do everything his leaders asked of him, he would sentence himself to mountain sprints until he literally passed out from exhaustion. Like every other Ram boy, he willingly walked into scheduled yearly beatings that were meant to train his body to block pain, making him nearly invincible on the battlefield.

A little rain was nothing.

Sitting cross-legged in the mud with his hands chained behind his back, Gryphon let the rain muffle the sound of his struggle to insert the small key into the unseen lock of his manacles. Each metallic scrap wound his nerves that much tighter. His wrists burned from bending at an awkward angle and his shoulders strained as he struggled to keep his face a mask of indifference.

Zander watched him, barely blinking. Gryphon needed to distract him—to break his intent focus.

“Why do you think they haven’t let down the rope ladder?” Gryphon asked, speaking as though his impending execution meant little to him.

Zander’s lip raised in a snarl. “Barnabas has the Raven invasion to prepare for, the gate to repair. He will deal with you in his own time.”

Gryphon adjusted his grip on the key to approach the lock from a different angle.

“It seems Barnabas is content to let you sit out in the cold for the night. Do you think you’ll lose your command over this?” Gryphon raised his chin and smiled.

Zander drew a knife so fast Gryphon fumbled with the key.

“Barnabas ordered you brought back alive, but I don’t think he’d mind if I took out your tongue.”

Gryphon had been trained to use the emotions of his enemies against them. People made mistakes when they weren’t stable. Plus the conversation muffled the sound of the key scraping futilely against the metal lock behind his back.

A few of the heads in the wet camp turned to watch the exchange.

Zander leaned back, battling with his composure. “I might lose my command, but I’ll return to my bunk with our brothers of the mess and rest well after seeing your body hang from a noose.” He shook his head. “I knew you had a strange fascination with that slave—that Wolf. I just didn’t realize your treason extended to all the Nameless inside the Gate.”

Just yesterday, Gryphon had inadvertently helped hundreds of Nameless slaves flee the massive walls of Ram’s Gate. To slow the Ram pursuit, he disabled the only exit—a gate so large it required forty Nameless to open it. Even though only a fraction of the Nameless slaves escaped, it would be days before the chain connecting the gate to the counterweight could be repaired.

The key finally slipped into the lock. Gryphon let his head fall back, just a fraction, and closed his eyes in relief. Zander’s hate-filled gaze greeted him as he opened his eyes, but that didn’t stop him from turning the key. The lock clicked open, the sound lost in the rain.

With one hand free, Gryphon still kept both hands behind his back, though he relaxed his shoulders some to alleviate the ache from being bound. The metal key in Gryphon’s hand was warm. The grooves pressed uncomfortably into his palm, but Gryphon didn’t loosen his hold, refusing to let go of the hope Ajax had given him.

Not only was the key his only chance of escaping the certain death that awaited him inside the giant walls of his clan, but it also represented a dim hope that Zo was still alive. That Ajax—Gryphon’s best friend—hadn’t followed through with Zander’s order to find and kill her and the others after Gryphon’s capture.

The vivid scenes of the morning replayed in Gryphon’s mind again and again. Everyone asleep under the tree, except Zo and Gryphon. Ram circling the perimeter of the giant fir like bloodhounds sniffing out prey. Zo taking his hand, pretending to be brave even though her eyes—they were always so easy to read—proved it a lie. Her warm lips. The feel of her body pressed against his . . .

A shudder that had nothing to do with the cold ran up Gryphon’s back. He’d been captured not far from the tree, trying to lead the Ram away from the people he cared for most.

If only he could ask Ajax if they were alive, though the chances were as likely as staying dry in this storm. Ajax had a family to protect, and the penalty for deceiving his captain was as deadly as deceiving Chief Barnabas himself. Dangerous.

Lightning struck not far away, brightening half of Zander’s face in the fast-approaching darkness.

“Come back to me,” Zo had said, just before she’d leaned into him, touching her soft lips to his.

Gryphon slid the key into the second lock.

He chewed on the inside of his lip until he tasted blood. He fought the urge to spit in Zander’s face, to unlock the chains binding his wrist and strangle him with his bare hands. He was sure he could finish the job before he took a spear to the gut. It felt like the only way to quench the hungry blackness that consumed his insides.

Gryphon hung his head, remembering the promise he made to Zo before they separated. Whether Zo was alive or not, he needed to survive to warn the Raven Clan of an impending attack. Countless lives would be spared if the Raven had time to flee the Nest before the Ram arrived. Getting himself killed wouldn’t serve them, even if it meant an escape from the overwhelming ache in his chest.

Thunder rolled again. Zander stared. Gryphon prayed for a miracle . . . and hoped he deserved one.

He turned the key.

The lock clicked open.

But his manacles clattered to the ground before he could catch them.

***

“We’re not waking him.” Zo’s head throbbed as she held Joshua’s wrist to check his pulse for the tenth time in as many minutes.

The boy lay unconscious, but his heart beat a steady rhythm. Zo needed to feel that pulse; it was her tether to sanity. The sound of Ram fists connecting with Gryphon’s body . . . the muffled grunts betraying his pain . . . they still echoed in her mind when she didn’t check her thoughts. From her hiding place, she hadn’t seen Gryphon’s capture, but she had heard. She’d wanted to run out and fight alongside him. Even though she had Joshua and Tess to think of, her inaction tasted like betrayal.

Rain fell all around them, but they’d managed to stay mostly dry beneath the skirt of a giant fir tree.

“This is insane,” said Eva. She had the long nose of her Ram ancestors, set off by a thin mouth. “Do you have any idea what will happen to us if the Ram come back here?” Eva lay flat on her stomach—all leather and long legs—as she scanned the ground outside their fir tree haven.

Even with a full moon, it was impossible to see far beyond the confines of their shelter. “They have Gryphon. They’ll know you and Joshua are close.” Eva ran her hand over her cropped hair, oblivious to the action. “If I were tracking us, I would have found us hours ago.”

Eva was a Ram, just like the soldiers she feared. She’d fled the Gate with Zo for the sake of her unborn child. A baby who would have been killed at birth because it belonged, not to her betrothed, but to a man in the Ram’s slave class known as the Nameless.

Zo gazed up at the tree trunk, hoping to inhale a bit of patience along with the strong scent of pine. “We wait until Joshua’s ready, Eva. Not a moment sooner.”

“But the Nameless will be miles away by now.”

Zo conceded the point. At that moment, hundreds of escaped slaves traveled to get as far from Ram’s Gate as possible to protect their newfound freedom. They didn’t know how to find the Allied Camp. Zo had told Stone, Eva’s lover and the leader of the Nameless rebellion, it was south of Ram’s Gate, but that was the extent of their knowledge, and it wouldn’t be enough to find the slot canyon that led to the Allies.

The Nameless needed her. So did her little sister Tess, Joshua, and even Eva. None of them would survive without Zo’s ability to lead them to the Allies. But it didn’t change the fact that all Zo wanted to do at the moment was sprint up the mountain to Ram’s Gate—the place from which they’d just escaped—and demand the release of the young man she’d come to care for. The man who’d saved her life and the life of her sister, even though doing so had caused him to lose everything.

Gryphon.

Zo’s little sister, Tess, sat like a watchdog beside Joshua’s head, playing with the boy’s red hair. In the low light, she looked even smaller than her eight years.

“Zo’s smart. She knows what to do,” said Tess. She was blond with dirt smeared across her nose and cheeks. She glared at Eva with her giant blue-green eyes, almost daring her to contradict her big sister.

Zo hugged her knees to her chest, fighting a sudden surge of nausea, hoping Tess was right to trust her so completely.

“Someone’s coming,” Eva hissed. She pushed up onto her knees, wielding two deadly looking knives. At the same time, Zo yanked Tess to the ground and threw herself over her and Joshua’s body. It was a futile effort to save them, but fear took over all rational thought.

Soft footfalls crept outside their shelter, each step marking the final moments of their lives. Zo glanced around for some kind of weapon or stick to help defend the two people—two children—for whom she was responsible. All she found in the darkness was a bed of dry pine needles and her medical satchel—nothing to defend them against fighters from the deadliest clan in the region.

The footsteps came closer, muted by the soggy earth. Eva moved from her knees to the balls of her feet, a compressed spring ready to fly into an attack. She adjusted her grip on her knives.

Hope fled. Zo couldn’t catch her breath. Tess. Joshua. Eva. The Nameless. Dying today under this tree meant the deaths of so many others as well. Gryphon’s sacrifice had been in vain.

Large boots stopped mere feet from Zo’s hiding place. Boots she’d recognize anywhere.

“Don’t,” she cried, trying to stop Eva before she attacked.

But her warning was too late.

Eva sprang, blades in hand, aimed at the intruder’s chest.

With her degree in History and Secondary Education, Jennifer had every intention of teaching teens to love George Washington and appreciate the finer points of ancient battle stratagem. (Seriously, she’s obsessed with ancient warfare.) However, life had different plans in store when the writing began. As a proud member of Writers Cubed, and a co-founder of the Teen Author Boot Camp, she feels blessed to be able to fulfill both her ambition to work with teens as well as write Young Adult fiction.

Jennifer has three children who are experts at naming her characters, one loving, supportive husband, a dog with little-man syndrome, and three chickens (of whom she is secretly afraid).

Visit her online at jajenkins.com

Connect with the Author:  Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest |Instagram

1 winner will receive a paperback of NAMELESS, US Only.

3 winners will receive an eGalley of CLANLESS, International.

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#T4T- SERPENTINE & NAMELESS and A Giveaway!

 

Welcome to this week’s Two for Thursday! #T4T

presented by Month9books/Tantrum Books!

Today, we will be showcasing two titles that will tickle your fancy,

and we’ll share what readers have to say about these titles!

You just might find your next read!

This week, #T4T presents to you:

   

 

SERPENTINE is a sweeping fantasy set in the ancient Kingdom of Xia and inspired by the rich history of Chinese mythology.

Lush with details from Chinese folklore, SERPENTINE tells the coming of age story of Skybright, a young girl who worries about her growing otherness. As she turns sixteen, Skybright notices troubling changes. By day, she is a companion and handmaid to the youngest daughter of a very wealthy family. But nighttime brings with it a darkness that not even daybreak can quell.

When her plight can no longer be denied, Skybright learns that despite a dark destiny, she must struggle to retain her sense of self – even as she falls in love for the first time.

“Vivid worldbuilding, incendiary romance, heart-pounding action, and characters that will win you over–I highly recommend Serpentine.” Cinda Williams Chima, best-selling author of the Seven Realms and Heir Chronicles fantasy novels

“Serpentine is unique and surprising, with a beautifully-drawn fantasy world that sucked me right in! I love Skybright’s transformative power, and how she learns to take charge of it.” ~Kristin Cashore, NYT Bestseller of the Graceling Realm Series

“Serpentine’s world oozes with lush details and rich lore, and the characters crackle with life. This is one story that you’ll want to lose yourself in.” ~ Marie Lu, New York Times bestselling author of Legend and The Young Elites

WHAT READER’S ARE SAYING:

"Serpentine is a beautifully written, diverse book with a unique mythology that isn't common place in YA books, which is sad to say. We need more books like this one."~ Katie Blogger @ Mundie Moms

"Cindy introduces us to a story that is steeped in Chinese mythology. For me, that was a refreshing break from the Greco-Roman and Egyptian mythologies I studied in school. Although, the world-building was something new to me, the story itself was very familiar. SERPENTINE is a journey of discovery -- discovering who you are and how you fit into a destiny. That's a plot I will never get tired of reading, especially since Cindy presents it so well." ~ Sophie Blogger @ PageTurners

"Cindy Pon captures your imagination with beautifully written world building and freshly dynamic characters. You will find yourself completely engulfed in this world of Chinese mythology and fascinating worlds." ~ Reading Teen

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Cindy Pon is the author of Silver Phoenix (Greenwillow, 2009), which was named one of the Top Ten Fantasy and Science Fiction Books for Youth by the American Library Association’s Booklist, and one of 2009′s best Fantasy, Science Fiction and Horror by VOYA. The sequel to Silver Phoenix, titled Fury of the Phoenix, was released in April 2011. Serpentine, the first title in her next Xia duology, will be published by Month9Books in September 2015. She is the co-founder of Diversity in YA with Malinda Lo and on the advisory board of We Need Diverse Books. Cindy is also a Chinese brush painting student of over a decade. Visit her website at www.cindypon.com.

Connect with Cindy:Website • Twitter • Facebook • Goodreads • Tumblr

   

Four clans have been at war for centuries: the Kodiak, the Raven, the Wolf and the Ram. Through brutal war tactics, the Ram have dominated the region, inflicting death and destruction on their neighbors. Seventeen-year-old Zo is a Wolf and a Healer who volunteers to infiltrate the Ram as a spy on behalf of the allied clans. She offers herself as a Ram slave, joining the people who are called the “nameless.” Hers is a suicide mission – Zo’s despair after losing her parents in a Ram raid has left her seeking both revenge and an end to her own misery. But after her younger sister follows her into Rams Gate, Zo must find a way to survive her dangerous mission and keep her sister safe. What she doesn’t expect to find is the friendship of a young Ram whose life she saves, the confusing feelings she develops for a Ram soldier, and an underground nameless insurrection. Zo learns that revenge, loyalty and love are more complicated than she ever imagined in the first installment of this two-book series.

 

WHAT READER’S ARE SAYING:

"Wow....WOW, WOW, WOW! I have no words to describe how much I love this book. Jenkins writes characters who are just so easy to love, and when you love a character it makes the book so much better. And I loved all the characters. Zo, Tess, Joshua and Gryphon. Gryphon is definitely my favorite - but who wouldn't love Gryphon? Of course I do have a soft spot for our heroine, Zo." ~Bri, Blogger @ Once Upon A Twilight

"Nameless destroyed me in the best way possible. The romance was subtle, but written beautifully. The plot was very intriguing and the pacing was spot on. I loved the entire cast of characters, every single one of them added to the story. Trust me when I say you should preorder it, add it to your TBR, request it from your library, do whatever you have to do to get this book in your hands because if you are a YA fantasy fan like me you need this book in your life!" ~Bridget, Blogger @ Dark Faerie Tales

"NAMELESS is epic storytelling at its best. My mind is still reeling from the world that I have just been immersed in and I don't want to leave it. Can I please have the sequel NOW? Because I need to know what happens next but in the meantime I'm just going to re-read it again and again. Is it that good, you may ask? Hell yes!!! And you will think so too. Trust me." Nancy, Blogger @ Tales of A Ravenous Reader

"To say that I love this book is an understatement. It completely blew me away! I am so happy that I took a chance on it. NAMELESS is one book that you can re-read over and over again and it will still feel fresh! I cannot wait for the world to read it and fall under the NAMELESS spell. Because that’s what I feel like I am under, a spell that has me trapped in Zo's world and won’t let me out! I don’t want out!"~Damaris, Blogger @ Good Choice Reading

"Wow this one was addictive!! For fans of An Ember in the Ashes, Under the Never Sky, and The Winner's Curse, Nameless captured my attention and held it until the very end. Quick read. Slowburn romance. Great world-buildling. Awesome plot." ~ Rachel Blogger @ A Perfection Called Books

"From the start of the story until the very last page, Jennifer Jenkins took me on an emotional ride. Through action, and heartbreak, and healing and relationships forming out of hatred and mistrust, she has created a story of hope and faith and choosing how you want to live your life, and the beliefs that you want to hold, regardless of others around you." ~ Jaime Blogger @ The Best Books Ever

"Fantasy fans, do not miss out on this epic new series. It's got everything that you could ever possibly want out of a all-consuming fantasy book: fierce characters, twisty plot, stunning world building, captivating prose and my favorite, a romance that will make you want to shout out your love for the couple at the top of your lungs. Do yourself a favor, and buy this book right away." Nick, Blogger @ Nicks Book Blog

"Electrifying and intense and instantly and completely captivating, NAMELESS is one of those reads that will make you race through the pages to find out what’s going to happen next. With a fascinating new world to discover, one that is primitive, harsh, brutal, and intriguing new characters to meet who are fierce and determined and deadly, some of whom are cruel and others who are compassionate, you will be immediately pulled into the story and you’ll never want the journey to end." ~ Rachel blogger @ Fiktshun

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With her degree in History and Secondary Education, Jennifer had every intention of teaching teens to love George Washington and appreciate the finer points of ancient battle stratagem. (Seriously, she’s obsessed with ancient warfare.) However, life had different plans in store when the writing began. As a proud member of Writers Cubed, and a co-founder of the Teen Author Boot Camp, she feels blessed to be able to fulfill both her ambition to work with teens as well as write Young Adult fiction.

Jennifer has three children who are experts at naming her characters, one loving, supportive husband, a dog with little-man syndrome, and three chickens (of whom she is secretly afraid).

Visit her online at jajenkins.com

Connect with the Author: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest |Instagram

   

 

Complete the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win!

 Giveaway Details: 3 winners will receive an eBook of SERPENTINE & NAMELESS. International!

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Blog Tour- NAMELESS by Jennifer Jenkins Her 5 Favorite Scenes and a Giveaway!

I am so excited to be hosting a spot on the NAMELESS blog tour and it happens to be NAMELESS'S release day so make sure to get the book!
I am obsessed this book! I have Jennifer's favorite scenes to share with you today! And make sure to enter the giveaway to win a paperback of the book or some awesome swag packs!
Haven't heard of NAMELESS Check it out!

Title: NAMELESS

Author: Jennifer Jenkins

Pub. Date: October 6, 2015

Publisher: Month9Books

Pages: 336

Formats: Paperback, eBook

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Find it: Amazon | B&N | BAM | Indiebound | Kobo | TBD | iBooks | Google Play

Four clans have been at war for centuries: the Kodiak, the Raven, the Wolf and the Ram. Through brutal war tactics, the Ram have dominated the region, inflicting death and destruction on their neighbors.

Seventeen-year-old Zo is a Wolf and a Healer who volunteers to infiltrate the Ram as a spy on behalf of the allied clans. She offers herself as a Ram slave, joining the people who are called the “nameless.” Hers is a suicide mission – Zo’s despair after losing her parents in a Ram raid has left her seeking both revenge and an end to her own misery. But after her younger sister follows her into Rams Gate, Zo must find a way to survive her dangerous mission and keep her sister safe.

What she doesn’t expect to find is the friendship of a young Ram whose life she saves, the confusing feelings she develops for a Ram soldier, and an underground nameless insurrection. Zo learns that revenge, loyalty and love are more complicated than she ever imagined in the first installment of this two-book series.
Praise For Nameless:

"Nameless pulls readers into the gritty world of this fresh new fantasy. Fierce action, great pacing, and filled with complex characters that will keep any reader's attention, Jenkins has captured it all with this fantastic debut." ~ J.R. Johansson, author of The Night Walkers Series and Cut Me Free

"Jenkins brings edge-of-your-seat adventure to this intriguing new world. I can’t wait to read more!”~ Jessica Day George, NYT Bestselling Author of Dragon Slippers and Silver in The Blood

"Wow....WOW, WOW, WOW! I have no words to describe how much I love this book. Jenkins writes characters who are just so easy to love, and when you love a character it makes the book so much better. And I loved all the characters. Zo, Tess, Joshua and Gryphon. Gryphon is definitely my favorite - but who wouldn't love Gryphon? Of course I do have a soft spot for our heroine, Zo." ~Bri, Blogger @ Once Upon A Twilight

"Nameless destroyed me in the best way possible. The romance was subtle, but written beautifully. The plot was very intriguing and the pacing was spot on. I loved the entire cast of characters, every single one of them added to the story. Trust me when I say you should preorder it, add it to your TBR, request it from your library, do whatever you have to do to get this book in your hands because if you are a YA fantasy fan like me you need this book in your life!" ~Bridget, Blogger @ Dark Faerie Tales

"NAMELESS is epic storytelling at its best. My mind is still reeling from the world that I have just been immersed in and I don't want to leave it. Can I please have the sequel NOW? Because I need to know what happens next but in the meantime I'm just going to re-read it again and again. Is it that good, you may ask? Hell yes!!! And you will think so too. Trust me." Nancy, Blogger @ Tales of A Ravenous Reader

"To say that I love this book is an understatement. It completely blew me away! I am so happy that I took a chance on it. NAMELESS is one book that you can re-read over and over again and it will still feel fresh! I cannot wait for the world to read it and fall under the NAMELESS spell. Because that’s what I feel like I am under, a spell that has me trapped in Zo's world and won’t let me out! I don’t want out!"~Damaris, Blogger @ Good Choice Reading

Top 5 favorite scenes from Nameless and why?

Wow. That’s ridiculously hard to narrow down, but for you, I’ll try…

#5 Gryphon’s internal struggle after he discovers Zo is a Wolf.

I think I like this scene/section of the book because of the moral dilemma Gryphon faces. 

Here’s an excerpt:

A melody ran unchecked through his mind. Tragic and beautiful, the lyrics moved with clouded understanding of this woman, a girl really, whose eyes were blue wells of mystery and whose countenance a lonely grave of sadness. It didn’t make any sense, but somewhere beneath the pretty face of his enemy was a person he wanted to know. To understand.

Gryphon never realized treason could be so complicated.

#4 The Waiting Room when Zo and Joshua have their first conversation after she heals him. I’m choosing this one because it is the first real glimpse into the brutal life of the Ram.

“Do you know where we are?” she asked.

A violent shudder ran through his body.  Zo tried to cover him with the scraps of her blanket but he pushed them away. “I think we’re in the Waiting Room,” he said.

Zo sat back. “Waiting room?”

The boy rolled onto his knees, fighting back a sob as he struggled to his feet. “A place to wait for death.”

Zo looked around and suddenly understood the stench of decay. Everyone in the Waiting Room was close enough to death that they couldn’t leave on their own. Left to rot and die alone. Zo fought the bile rising up her throat. “Why would they do this to you? You need a clean bed and time to heal.”

“This is a test. I must earn the right to rejoin my people.” He grunted as he gathered his feet to stand. “Prove my strength.”

“You can’t just walk out of here,” she said, “not with that wound in your side.” She grabbed his arm, but he shook her off. “At least let me help you.” 

“I have to walk away from my own death.” He took a pained step into the darkness. “No one can do that for me. Not even you, healer.”

 #3 Gryphon talking to Zo about the Gate Master. (This one is self-explanatory)

“He can’t touch you now, Zo. I won’t let him.”

          Zo stopped walking. She peered at him from the corner of her eyes. Untrusting. “Why, because I belong to you?”

Gryphon winced. The suggestion made his cheeks warm. He looked away, grateful for the cover of night. “Despite what you think, I am not a monster.”

“No.” She picked up her kit from the ground and wiped blood from the corner of her mouth. “You are a Ram.”

#2 Gabe commiserating with Gryphon discussion about Zo.

“Why don’t you just say it?” whispered Gabe.

Gryphon ignored him. They still had another half mile before they reached the Gate Master’s property.

“You’re in love with her.”

Gryphon snorted and pushed on.

“Don’t be ashamed. I don’t think I could respect you if you didn’t care for her. She is as mysterious as she is beautiful.”

Gryphon almost laughed at the understatement. She was unearthly and dangerous. She made him lose touch with all rational thinking. She was both wonderful and terrible in one delicate package. More intimidating than any man could ever be on a battlefield.

“It gets worse,” the Wolf continued to whisper. “Just wait until she’s gone. Wait until you have to go to sleep and wonder if she’s still alive. If she ever, even for a moment, felt for you the way you feel for her.”

#1 The moment Gryphon realizes Zo is a Wolf—his sworn enemy.

I like this scene because of the juxtaposition of having Zo’s beauty disgust him rather than entice. Before this scene, Gryphon respected Zo even though she was a Nameless because she was the healer who saved Joshua’s life. Wolves are known for their beauty, and so he initially despises her for it in this moment of discovery.

The moon turned her skin to milk, casting hard shadows along her curves as she stepped from the river onto the bank. Her hair hung like a midnight veil in an uneven line at the middle of her back.

Gryphon caught a small glimpse of her profile as she reached for her clothes. He leaned closer to the ledge, hypnotized by the moon’s generosity. This was clearly no Nameless field hand, and Ram women didn’t sing.

[Gryphon captures her when he sees a mark on her body similar that on a Wolf he just arrested.]

The fog cleared enough for him to see the whites of her almond eyes. She didn’t beg or even so much as whimper, just stared at him with a penetrating glare.

“How did you get inside the Gate?” he snarled, unable to imagine her scaling the wall. He could feel her labored breath. The rhythm of her heart accelerated.

“Answer!” He forced the blade deeper, breaking the skin.

“I owe you nothing, soldier. Kill me if you must.” Her smooth face was eerily calm, as if ending her life would save her the trouble.

Gryphon looked up in time to see Joshua charge him with both arms outstretched. The force was enough to push him off the girl.

“Leave her alone! She didn’t do anything to you!”

Gryphon dropped his blade. His grip stayed locked around the girl’s wrist as he wrestled Joshua to the ground next to her. A regular string of quail lined up for the plucking.

 “Get off of me!” Joshua said, kicking and swatting. “And don’t you dare hurt her!”

Gryphon looked between Joshua and the girl in disgust. “She’s a bloody Wolf, kid. I can’t let her live.”

“It’s Zo! It’s Zo!”

Gryphon sat back and released his hold on Joshua. “Trust me, this is not her.”

About Jennifer:

With her degree in History and Secondary Education, Jennifer had every intention of teaching teens to love George Washington and appreciate the finer points of ancient battle stratagem. (Seriously, she’s obsessed with ancient warfare.) However, life had different plans in store when the writing began. As a proud member of Writers Cubed, and a co-founder of the Teen Author Boot Camp, she feels blessed to be able to fulfill both her ambition to work with teens as well as write Young Adult fiction.

Jennifer has three children who are experts at naming her characters, one loving, supportive husband, a dog with little-man syndrome, and three chickens (of whom she is secretly afraid).

Visit her online at jajenkins.com

Connect with the Author:  Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest |Instagram

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a signed paperback of NAMELESS. US Only.

3 winners will receive a signed NAMELESS Swag including a “Clan Club” Card and Clan temporary tattoos. US Only.

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Check out the Tour Schedule!

Week 1:

10/5/2015- Fangirlish- Interview

10/6/2015- Fiktshun- Interview

10/6/2015- Two Chicks on Books- Guest Post

10/7/2015- Books With Bite- Guest Post

10/8/2015- Bookemoji- Interview

10/8/2015- Magical Urban Fantasy Reads- Interview

10/9/2015- Once Upon A Twilight- Guest Post 

Week 2:

10/12/2015- Novel Novice- Interview

10/12/2015- Dark Faerie Tales- Interview

10/13/2015- Good Choice Reading- Guest Post

10/14/2015- Tales of A Ravenous Reader- Guest Post

10/14/2015- Chapter by Chapter- Interview

10/15/2015- Page Turners- Guest Post

10/16/2015- Mundie Moms- Interview