Cover Reveal- SCALES by Nicole Conway With An Exclusive Excerpt & Giveaway!

Today Nicole Conway, Owl Hollow Press, and Rockstar Book Tours are revealing the cover and an exclusive content for SCALES, her new MG/YA Fantasy Book which releases in 2019! Check out the awesome cover and enter the giveaway!

On to the reveal! 

Title: SCALES (Spirits of Chaos, #1)

Author: Nicole Conway

Pub. Date: 2019

Publisher: Owl Hollow Press

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: ?

Find it: Goodreads

When New York City faces the threat of an ancient evil, a teenage boy must use a magical bracelet to transform into a monster-slaying dragon superhero.

Koji Owens is the new kid … again. As the only son of an Air Force F-16 pilot, he’s learned to adapt and survive every time they move. It’s not easy starting over with new friends and schools every two years, but when the Owens family makes their final move to New York, Koji finally has hope for a normal high school life—that is, until he finds a strange bracelet in his locker.

Transformed into a storm-summoning dragon warrior, Koji finds himself caught up in a world of ancient powers, secret identities, and colossal monsters threatening to destroy his new home. But these awesome powers come with strings attached, and revealing his true identity could mean losing everything he loves. With his family and friends now in mortal danger and New York City in flames, Koji must find the courage to become the hero they need and face down an enemy hiding in plain sight.

A comic-obsessed teenage misfit embraces his inner hero in this action-packed adventure that will leave you ready to get your scales on!

Exclusive Excerpt!

Piercing light bloomed from the totem scale. It swept over me and took away my pain, molding and stretching me into my full dragon form. The instant the searing energy coursed through my body, I launched myself into the sky.

I didn’t have a single second to waste.

Now that I was a beast of comparable size, I crested the skyscrapers in a few powerful beats of my wings. From a few blocks away, the wyvern spotted me. It let out a howl of fury as it surged straight for me. I answered with a battle cry of my own, driving more and more power into every beat of my mighty black wings.

Two F-22 fighter jets rolled in on either side, joining me in aerial formation. Their engines roared, and both pilots gave me a confirming thumb’s up. They were following me in for the attack.

I’d never felt so cool in my entire life.

I clashed with the wyvern in the air over Central Park, clamping my jaws around his throat. I prepared to give him a taste of my lightning, the same way I had the crocodile monster. One good jolt and maybe I could bring him down.

Before I get a good grip, he swung his spiked tail and whacked me across the eyes. I let go, snatching back with a roar.

            He dove at me; his toothy mandible jaws open wide to rip my throat out.

A sudden plume of fire scorched his hide and sent him reeling. I drew back, wary of the blistering flames.

            Another giant dragon clashed in battle, had scales as red as fresh blood and a ridge of tall, slender black spines all the way down her back. My breath caught. Madeline? She’d gone full-form, too?

She attacked the wyvern mercilessly, pinning him under another blast of her fiery breath.

            Shaking off the blow to my head, I charged headlong back into the fight, lightning sizzling and popping off my open jaws. We had to get him on the ground. If we could pin him there, he’d be within range of ground fire and an easier target for our air support. We could contain the damage to the rest of the city, too.

So I went for one of the wyvern’s wings full-force.

            Fyurei had him distracted. He never saw me coming. I swooped in to break one of his wings at the shoulders with a single powerful crunch of my jaws and sharp jerk of my head. The creature screeched and kicked, floundering with his one good wing and swinging his tail like a medieval mace. The bulbous, spiky tip struck one of the F-22 jets and sent the aircraft flipping through the air end over end. Not good. I watched the aircraft fall, waiting for the pilot to eject.

            He didn’t.

            I didn’t hesitate—I dove straight after the jet, summoning every bit of speed I had. The jet spiraled, smoking and streaking toward the ground. I threw myself the final distance with a desperate cry, jaws open wide.

I caught the tail of the jet in my teeth about a hundred feet shy of the ground. As soon as my jaws clamped onto the metal, I reared back, kicked my legs out, and flared for an emergency landing right in the middle of the park.

It took a second for the dust, snow, and trees to settle.

Picking the jet carefully out of my mouth, I held it up to my huge dragon eyeball like a little kid’s toy. Inside the cockpit, the tiny pilot was giving me a shaky thumb’s up. He was okay.

I gave him my best dragon smile, terrifying as it probably was, and placed his jet, right side up, on a grassy spot in the park. Then I turned around to get back to business. I still had some wyvern rear end to roast and an evil headmaster in dire need of reeducation.

About Nicole:

MY NAME IS NICOLE CONWAY and I love to write stories! I've been writing books since I was very young, and am blessed beyond measure to be able to do it now as a full time career. Although I sometimes step out into other genres, I primarily write Fantasy for teens and middle graders.

​I graduated from Auburn University in 2012, which is also where I met my husband. As a military family, we move frequently and have lived numerous places all around the world. We have one very energetic son, Ethan. We also have two dogs (French Brittanys) named Joey (currently 5 months old) and Phoebe (4 years old) and a ball python named Noodle Nagini.

​For inquiries on how to book me for a school visit, presentation, or interest in my future or current projects, please contact my amazing literary agent, FRAN BLACK, of Literary Counsel.

Subscribe to Nicole’s Newsletter!

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

Giveaway Details:

One lucky winner will win an ARC of SCALES, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour- HARBINGER by Nicole Conway An Excerpt & Giveaway!

Hey everyone! I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the blog tour for HARBINGER by Nicole Conway! 

I have an excerpt to share with you today! And make sure to enter the giveaway below!

Haven't heard of HARBINGER? Check it out!

Title: HARBINGER (Dragonrider Legacy) 

Author: Nicole Conway

Pub. Date: August 14, 2018

Publisher: Month9Books, LLC

Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook

Pages: 374

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, B&N, iBooks, TBD 

Victory is written in the blood of the brave. As the armies of the Tibran Empire continue to march across Maldobar, a path of scorched destruction and despair is left in their wake. Even with the formidable princess, Jenna Farrow, leading the charge, the strength of the dragonriders is waning. Tibran victory appears inevitable—especially after Princess Jenna and Prince Aubren are taken hostage by the infamous Lord Argonox. Separated from her brother and tortured for information, Princess Jenna refuses to bend to the iron will of Argonox. But her strength and resolve may only last so long. Held prisoner in his dark tower, it would take a miracle to set her free—or perhaps a pair of demigods and their dragons. With revived dragonrider legend, Jaevid Broadfeather, at his side, Reigh must now make a choice: face the truth about the origin of his dark powers, or turn his back on world in need. But throwing off a lifetime of shame and self-doubt is not so easily done—especially when the cost of failure means the destruction of the world. The long-awaited hero has awakened. The ancient spirits are stirring. The dark goddess has chosen her champion. But is he ready to embrace that rite and become the Harbinger Maldobar needs him to be?

Now on to the excerpt!

I heard him before I saw him—which was nearly always the case with Phillip.

“Good morning, my love!”

I stole a quick glance over the top of the book I was studying, one centered on aerial battle techniques, as Duke Phillip Derrick swaggered into the parlor and leaned against the arm of the sofa beside me. He peered over my shoulder, invading my space to see what I was reading. Or maybe he just wanted to see what I would do if he let his cheek brush mine.

“I’ve asked you not to call me that,” I muttered, fully aware of the futility of having this discussion again.

“I’ll stop when it stops being true,” he replied.

He probably thought he was being clever, using lines like that.

Calling him ridiculous would have been the understatement of the century. It was just a cruel, inconvenient coincidence that he also happened to be one of the better-looking men I knew. That hadn’t always been the case, however. When we’d been children, which hadn’t been all that long ago, he had been tall, gangly, and awkward. He’d had buck teeth, a face covered in freckles, and a regular riot of loose, black curls on his head that had stuck out all over the place.

Now, in his late twenties, he’d changed quite a bit. He didn’t have the buck teeth anymore. In fact, his were obnoxiously perfect and straight now. I got a good look at them every time he flashed me one of those roguish, coy smiles he most likely thought were charming.

There were still a few freckles dusted across his cheeks and nose, almost invisible now because of his tanned skin. His hair, however, was no less a mess than it had been when we’d been little. It was still as black as pitch, wavy, and tended to poke up if it was even the least bit humid. He wore it a bit longer now, almost to his shoulders, so that those loose curls framed his squared jawline in a pleasing way. Something about how they shone in the light made you want to run your hands through them, just to see if they were as soft as they looked.

Not that I’d ever tried it myself. I had a firm no-touching policy with Phillip. The cheek brushing was a test, I knew. If he tried that again, I’d be forced to smack him to reinforce my rules.

“More battle plans?” he asked.

“We know the Tibrans will strike again soon,” I replied. “Without Reigh here to help even the odds, we’ll have to try some new techniques. I only have four riders at my disposal, counting myself. That doesn’t leave us with much hope when the next attack comes. If the Tibrans have proven anything, it’s that they bounce back quickly and fiercely. We can wager with confidence that their next assault on this city will be far more brutal.”

“Ah.” Phillip shifted and looked down at his boots. “Well, for what it’s worth, I have the utmost faith in you.”

So much for keeping the conversation light.

Truth be told, I was no good with that sort of thing. Social grace and appropriateness might as well have been foreign tongues. Being aprincess didn’t grant me an innate sense of grace; and when it came to interacting with other nobles, I had a long track record of embarrassing myself.

It was easy to play it off like I didn’t care what they thought about me, most of the time. I think many people, even my own brother, believed that ruse—that it really didn’t bother me not to be very refined when comporting myself in court. But there were moments when I wished I could come up with the right things to say; moments when I wished I had just a single ounce of social confidence. Half the time, whenever I opened my mouth, it was the soldier in me who spoke rather than the princess.

I managed to smile back at him slightly, which was a huge mistake.

Phillip grinned and leaned in closer like he was trying to dazzle me with his sharp, vibrant green eyes. “You’re so lovely when you smile, Jenna.”

I immediately scowled. “Stop that.”

“Stop what?”

“Whatever it is you’re trying to do.” I raised my book up again and all but buried my nose in the crease of the pages. “Go away, please. I’m very busy.”

He sighed. I felt his presence withdraw from looming over my shoulder. For an instant, I dared to hope he really had gone away.

I should be so lucky.

The couch where I sat minding my own business and hoping for a few minutes of quiet to read and plan suddenly lurched. Phillip flopped down onto the opposite end of it, reclining back and staring at me while he scrunched up his mouth and rubbed his chin.

“You’ll fall for me one day, you know.” He sounded so sure. “Maybe not tomorrow, or next month, or next year—but eventually. My love for you knows no limits. I’ll wait forever, if that’s what it takes.”

I resisted the urge to hurl my book at him. One well-aimed shot and I was pretty sure I could break his nose with it. If I’d thought for even a second that might humble him a little, I might have tried it. “You’re impossible.”

“Impossibly handsome, maybe.” I could hear the smirk in his voice without looking.

I rolled my eyes. Like I said—ridiculous.

His antics weren’t a recent development, though. Phillip had been antagonizing me this way for years, baiting me for any response he could possibly get. I thought he honestly just liked getting me riled up and he’d discovered that flirting with me shamelessly was an easy way to do it.

This game of his had started when I’d turned thirteen. I’d grown from my own awkward childhood body into adolescence and finally become a figure of interest for young men in the court. Hooray for puberty, I suppose. Most girls would have been delighted to suddenly be regarded as beautiful. I was cautiously intimidated by those kinds of compliments, however, especially from the boys my age.

I wasn’t sure how many of them actually saw me—or were just looking for an easy leverage point to get to the crown. Fortunately, my father, King Felix Farrow of Maldobar, was protective. He wouldn’t allow most of the suitors who wanted to spend time with me to come anywhere near our family. I was grateful for that.

It felt like I might be safe to make some of my own life choices, after all.

And then Phillip began professing his undying love for me.

He was older, the son of a longtime family friend, and I’d known him literally since birth. He and Aubren, my older brother, had been partners in crime for as long as I could remember. We’d all played together as children. He was already inside my father’s barrier of family trust, so when he started to show interest in me, everyone just seemed amused by it. Perhaps they assumed we would be married eventually, anyway.

I found it completely annoying and humiliating—like he was making a joke out of me.

Now, more than ten years later, nothing had changed in that department. Phillip was one of the only men in my father’s court that still didn’t seem thrown by my determination to follow what I knew to be my destiny and become a dragonrider. It wasn’t a womanly thing to do— hefting swords, smiting enemies, riding in a dragon’s saddle. At least it wasn’t in Maldobar. I was undeniably good at it, though, and that only seemed to make my father even more irate. He’d been staunchly against it from the very beginning.

But when my dragon, Phevos, had chosen me— that had left no room for anyone’s objection, not even the king’s.

I was born to be a dragonrider—in body, in heart, and now in destiny.

“Would you go for a walk with me?” Phillip asked suddenly.

I lowered my book so I could glare at him. “Why?”

He put on one of his rare, businesslike frowns. If he’d known I found that look slightly less annoying than any of his other expressions, he might have used it more often.

Of course, I would die before I ever told him that.

“I’m having the catacombs and undercrofts below city opened for anyone who wants to begin moving there in the event of another attack. I’ve encouraged those with young children, or any who might have difficulty moving quickly, to depart now. I’ve also opened two of the escape tunnels for anyone who may want to escape to the mountain passes. We know those paths are clear of Tibran forces—so far. They should be safe,” he explained. “Like you said, we have to accept the reality that the Tibrans are going to come back. I’d like to go see how everything’s progressing.”

I arched a brow. “That’s so … responsible of you.”

His brow puckered with a wounded expression. “I can do my job, you know. My love for you hasn’t blinded me from all the things your father expects of me as duke. I mean to take care of the people here as best I can.”

“And that’s the only reason? Worry for their welfare?”

Phillip made a snorting sound, as one side of his mouth curled up into a half smirk.

“That and the remote chance you’ll hold on to my arm or hand while we walk.”

I closed the book and narrowed my eyes. “Don’t count on it.”

About Nicole:

MY NAME IS NICOLE CONWAY and I love to write stories! I've been writing books since I was very young, and am blessed beyond measure to be able to do it now as a full time career. Although I sometimes step out into other genres, I primarily write Fantasy for teens and middle graders.

​

I graduated from Auburn University in 2012, which is also where I met my husband. As a military family, we move frequently and have lived numerous places all around the world. We have one very energetic son, Ethan. We also have two dogs (French Brittanys) named Joey (currently 5 months old) and Phoebe (4 years old) and a ball python named Noodle Nagini.

​

For inquiries on how to book me for a school visit, presentation, or interest in my future or current projects, please contact my amazing literary agent, FRAN BLACK, of Literary Counsel.

Subscribe to Nicole’s Newsletter!

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

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will win a $10 Amazon Gift Card, International.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

8/27/2018- Just Another Bookaholic- Spotlight

8/27/2018- Two Chicks on Books- Excerpt

8/28/2018- Novel Novice- Excerpt

8/28/2018- Patriotic Bookaholic- Spotlight

8/29/2018- Adventures and Reading- Review

8/29/2018- Jaime's World- Spotlight

8/30/2018- Pacific Northwest Bookworm- Review

8/30/2018- The Bewitched Reader- Interview

8/31/2018- The Crafty Book Nerd- Review

Week Two:

9/3/2018- Reads and Recipes- Review

9/3/2018- All the Ups and Downs- Excerpt

9/4/2018- A Bookish Dream- Review

9/4/2018- BookHounds YA- Interview

9/5/2018- For the Love of KidLit- Interview

9/6/2018- Rhythmicbooktrovert - Review

9/6/2018- Two Points of Interest- Excerpt

9/7/2018- Finding Magic In Books- Excerpt

9/7/2018- Patriotic Bookaholic- Spotlight

Blog Tour: MAD MAGIC by Nicole Conway An Interview & Giveaway!

Hey everyone! I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the blog tour for MAD MAGIC by Nicole Conway! I loved this book and I adore Nicole so I'm super excited to be on this tour!

I have an interview with Nicole to share with you today! And make sure to enter the giveaway below!

Haven't heard of MAD MAGIC? Check it out!

Title: MAD MAGIC

Author: Nicole Conway

Pub. Date: November 14, 2017

Publisher: Month9Books

Pages: 300

Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, B&N, iBooks, TBD

Mad Magic is a beautifully dark and rich Young Adult fantasy from Nicole Conway, bestselling author of the Dragonrider Chronicles.

Josie Barton is a high school student living in terror. Invisible creatures torment her everywhere she goes, constantly getting her into trouble at school, and even haunting her apartment. But just when Josie thinks things couldn’t get any worse... she meets the guy from across the hall.

Zeph Clemmont is a changeling with enemies in all the worst places, fighting to undo a curse that threatens to end his life. Survival means he will have to swallow his pride and trust Josie with all his darkest secrets.

With the help of a gun-slinging shaman and the enigmatic Prince of Nightmares, Zeph and Josie are only a heartbeat away from defeating one of the most diabolical faerie villains their world has ever known.

Now on to the interview!

Hey Nicole!! First I want to say welcome to Two Chicks on Books I’m glad you could stop by for a chat! MAD MAGIC was freaking AWESOME and I can’t wait for everyone to read it!

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

MAD MAGIC was a blast to work on. I fell in love with all of the characters so quickly—especially Eldrick, who I originally intended to be a villain. Turns out he had a mind of his own! When I first started developing the story, I wanted to reinvent the world of faeries and magic in a way that I hadn’t seen before, but still harkened back to the traditional lore and stories we all know. The end result was a wild and suspenseful ride not even I had anticipated!

So do we have a title for book 2 yet?

I have titles for the next 2, actually! VICIOUS VOWS is volume 2 and WICKED WAYS is volume 3! Both will bring in familiar faces while adding in new baddies and allies and of course, more familiar faces from folklore reimagined for the Mad Magic world!

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

I like to take bits and pieces from people I know and combined them into one character, but MAD MAGIC was different in that – for the first time – one of the characters took on a lot of personality and physical traits from someone I knew. Eldrick was based on a young professor I had in college. He taught Shakespeare and was, just like Eldrick, a sharp dresser with a very refined demeanor. He also had perfect glossy black hair. All the female students were wild about him, which I don’t think he realized. Hah!

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

Tough one! I loved Zeph and Eldrick both – especially when they had scenes together. They feed off of one another like siblings bickering in the backseat on a family road trip. Their banter kept me grinning and chuckling the whole way through. My least favorite was probably Lumi, but only because she is a challenge. She’s extremely complex, and I guess I should get used to her because we will see much more of her in the future!

What is your favorite passage/scene in MAD MAGIC?

I think the battle at the wedding venue is my favorite. I love writing big battle scenes, magical explosions, and action – and emotions ran hot during that whole scene. It was fun!

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

I looked a lot into folklore from Irish, Scottish, and old world English origins. I also researched Mongolian beliefs and spiritual rituals, as well as looking into a lot of the Japanese stories. Since the theory behind Mad Magic is that fae are everywhere, and different cultures simply named them something different all over the world, it was interesting to look for parallels and similarities.

Who is your ultimate book boyfriend?

Oh that’s a tough one. Well, I’m a sucker for elves (thanks to a childhood obsession with Lord of the Rings). So for those of you who’ve read my Dragonrider books, I’d marry Kiran in a heartbeat. I love the strong, silent, mysterious types. Eldrick has a touch of that, too, and I share his love for coffee … but I’m not sure he’d approve of my lack of fashion sense.

What inspired you to write YA?

YA happened sort of by accident. Previously, I’ve written more in the middle grade spectrum. But as my storylines grow and add in more adult elements, namely romance and battles, I’ve bled over into YA. To me, it’s all just stories, so I have a hard time determining which age group a book belongs to. I let my agent advise me in that department!

Lightening Round Questions

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

Just finished Origin by Dan Brown and moving onto Artemis by Andy Weir. I don’t actually read much YA … I’m always afraid of cross-contamination. I can’t accidentally copy what I’ve never read!

What Hogwarts House would the Sorting Hat place you in?

Ravenclaw!

Twitter or Facebook?

Facebook

Favorite Superhero?

Daredevil

Favorite TV show?

Stranger Things

Sweet or Salty?

Salty

Any Phobias?

I’m not a fan of heights.

Song you can’t get enough of right now?

I’m an oldies person, which pains me to say cause I remember these songs being brand new, but I love listening to the 90’s and early 2000s hits.

2018 Movie you’re most looking forward to?

Oh man, 2018 is going to be my year! The Incredibles 2, Pacific Rim 2, Basically all the new Marvel movies, Mission Impossible 6, The Crimes of Grindelwald, … need I go on??

Thanks so much Nicole for answering my questions! I can’t wait for everyone to read MAD MAGIC!

About Nicole:

My name is Ashley "Nicole" Conway. I'm originally from North Alabama and attended Auburn University where I earned a BA in English with a concentration in Classics & Mythology. I'm happily married and have one son, Ethan.  I also have a cat, Mr. Darcy, and a dog named Phoebe.

Writing has been a passion of mine since childhood, and to be able to do it as a full-time career is something I take as a great blessing and honor. My heart is in children's literature, specifically middle-grade and young adult fantasy. I'm best known for my MG/YA fantasy series THE DRAGONRIDER CHRONICLES, which is published by Month9Books. The second series, THE DRAGONRIDER LEGACY, just launched this fall!

My other works in include MAD MAGIC (2017), THE DISTANCE BETWEEN STARS (2017), SCALES (tbd), and SHATTERBEAST (tbd).

I am represented by Fran Black of Literary Counsel.

Look for my books on Amazon.com and at your local Barnes & Noble Bookstores!

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

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will win a $10 Amazon Gift Card, US Only.

1 winner will win a finished copy of MAD MAGIC, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

1/1/2018- BookHounds YA- Interview

1/1/2018- Confessions of a YA Reader- Review

1/2/2018- Wandering Bark Books- Excerpt

1/2/2018- A Gingerly Review- Review

1/3/2018- Lost in Ever After- Interview

1/3/2018- Two Chicks on Books- Interview

1/4/2018- Book Briefs- Review

1/4/2018- Ikram Reads A Lot- Review

1/5/2018-  Books and Ladders- Review

1/5/2018- Rambling Reviews- Review

1/6/2018- Just Commonly- Review

Week Two:

1/8/2018- Once Upon a Twilight- Excerpt

1/8/2018- Step Into A Book World- Review

1/9/2018- Blushing Bibliophile- Review

1/9/2018- Book-Keeping- Review

1/10/2018- Novel Novice- Guest Post

1/10/2018- Pervy Ladies Books- Review

1/11/2018- My Crea Bookish Kingdom- Review

1/11/2018- The Book Recluse Review- Review

1/12/2018- Owl Always Be Reading- Excerpt

1/12/2018- Abooktropolis- Review