Blog Tour: DAWN STUDY by Maria V. Snyder A Guest Post & Giveaway!

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the blog tour for DAWN STUDY by Maria V. Snyder! Maria's Study Series is my all time favorite series and I am super sad that this is the final installment, but I have high hopes for a spin-off series! I have a guest post with Maria to share with you today! And make sure to enter the awesome giveaway for a chance to win the book!!

Haven't heard of DAWN STUDY? Check it out!

Title: DAWN STUDY (Study Series #6)

Author: Maria V. Snyder

Pub. Date: January 31, 2017

Publisher: Mira Ink

Pages: 384

Format: Paperback, eBook, audiobook

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

New York Times bestselling author Maria V. Snyder brings her Poison Study series to its exhilarating conclusion.

Despite the odds, Yelena and Valek have forged an irrevocable bond and a family that transcends borders. Now, when their two homelands stand on the brink of war, they must fight with magic and cunning to thwart an Ixian plot to invade Sitia.

Yelena seeks to break the hold of the insidious Theobroma that destroys a person's resistance to magical persuasion. But the Cartel is determined to keep influential citizens and Sitian diplomats in thrall and Yelena at bay. With every bounty hunter after her, Yelena is forced to make a dangerous deal.

With might and magic, Valek peels back the layers of betrayal surrounding the Commander. At its rotten core lies a powerful magician and his latest discovery. The fate of all rests upon two unlikely weapons. One may turn the tide. The other could spell the end of everything.

Now on to the guest post!

I asked Maria about writing a series finale. Is this really the end? Or may we see another spin-off series (fingers crossed)

It’s the end of book length stories for Yelena and Valek.  After six books, it’s very hard for me to think of new and exciting problems for them to deal with and over come. They’ve both been captured, betrayed, injured, arrested, etc… I think at this point, I’d have to really up the stakes and that would probably  make the plot a bit outrageous. Plus my stories always focus on the characters and their growth. They’ve both come a long way in six books and I’m happy where they ended up.

I hope to write a few short stories about them in the future, but no more books (okay, I’ve been told never to say never so if something happens and the planets align just so and I get a fantastic, blow your socks off idea, then I will write more).

As for a spin off series, that’s a good possibility! I really enjoyed writing about Reema and Teegan in Dawn Study and I’ve always loved Fisk.  I can almost see a Helpers Guild book down the line. No promises though!  Just a thought that might need a few years to ferment in the depths of my mind (a scary lawless place where ideas battle to survive ;).

I must say writing a final book was harder than I expected. The plot spanned two countries as they prepared for war and all the Study and Glass characters were involved in some way.  At one point, I had 26 characters together – do you know how hard it is to keep track of all those people? Herding cats is easy in comparison!  That’s why I don’t write epic fantasy – too many details to keep straight.  And then tying up all the loose ends – oy vey!  I may have left one or two dangling – life is never neat and tied with a bow and I was running out of pages.

Dawn Study ended up being my longest book at 125,000 words and I hope my readers are satisfied with how it ends. It’s been a wonderful journey. Through my books, I’ve met readers from all over the world and many of them have become good friends (I’m looking at you, Jaime ;).  I’m very grateful for that connection and I hope to continue writing for a few more years at least!

About Maria:

Maria V. Snyder changed from being a meteorologist to a novelist in 1995, when she began writing to keep her sanity while raising two children. Since then, she has published numerous freelance articles in magazines and newspapers, and teaches fiction-writing classes at the local college and area libraries. The classes give her the wonderful opportunity to encourage fellow writers, and to keep improving her craft.

Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Maria always had a fascination with big storms. Dreaming of chasing tornados, Maria earned a bachelors of science degree in meteorology at Penn State University. But she discovered, much to her chagrin, that forecasting the weather wasn't one of her skills. In order to chase tornados you had to predict where they might form. Creating fantasy worlds where she has complete control of the weather was more agreeable to her.

Maria's research on food-tasting methods with an expert chocolate taster, her husband, turned out to be a delicious bonus while writing Poison Study.

Maria has a brown belt in Isshinryu Karate, and enjoys playing volleyball and the cello. Traveling in general and via cruise ship in particular are her biggest distractions from writing. Maria has traveled to Belize, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Europe, Mexico, the Caribbean and through the Panama Canal.

Maria lives with her husband, son, daughter and yellow lab, Hazelnut, in Pennsylvania where she is at work on more LUNA novels. She is also pursuing a master's degree in writing popular fiction from Seton Hill University.

Readers are welcome to contact Maria at the following email address: maria@mariavsnyder.com.

Where you can find Maria:

Website | Blog | Facebook | Goodreads

Giveaway Details:

6 Winners will receive finished copies of DAWN STUDY, US Only.

4 Winners will receive finished copies of DAWN STUDY, International.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

1/23/2017-a GREAT read- Interview

1/24/2017- Books for Thought- Review

1/25/2017- YABC- Guest Post

1/26/2017- Mundie Moms- Review

1/27/2017- Dark Faerie Tales- Interview

Week Two:

1/30/2017- Kindle and Me- Review

1/31/2017- Two Chicks on Books- Guest Post

2/1/2017- Eclectic Ramblings of Author Heather Osborne- Review

2/2/2017- Moonlight Gleam Reviews- Interview

2/3/2017- The Bibliophile Chronicles- Review

It's not too late to start this amazing series or to read the spin-off series! Get them now!

Exclusive Cover Reveal- DAWN STUDY by Maria V. Snyder & A Giveaway!

Hey everyone! I am sooooo freaking excited about this!!! I am helping Maria V. Snyder reveal the cover for DAWN STUDY on today! It's absolutely gorgeous and I adore her and her books! Check it out and make sure to enter to win a copy of DAWN STUDY when it comes out in December!

Now on to the reveal!

Title: DAWN STUDY
Auhtor: Maria V. Snyder
Publication Date: January 31, 2017
Publisher: Mira Books
Pages: 384
Find it: Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Goodreads

New York Times bestselling author Maria V. Snyder brings her Poison Study series to its exhilarating conclusion 

Despite the odds, Yelena and Valek have forged an irrevocable bond—and a family—that transcends borders. Now, when their two homelands stand on the brink of war, they must fight with magic and cunning to thwart an Ixian plot to invade Sitia. 

Yelena seeks to break the hold of the insidious Theobroma that destroys a person's resistance to magical persuasion. But the Cartel is determined to keep influential citizens and Sitian diplomats in thrall—and Yelena at bay. With every bounty hunter after her, Yelena is forced to make a dangerous deal. 

With might and magic, Valek peels back the layers of betrayal surrounding the Commander. At its rotten core lies a powerful magician…and his latest discovery. The fate of all rests upon two unlikely weapons. One may turn the tide. The other could spell the end of everything.

About Maria:

Maria V. Snyder changed from being a meteorologist to a novelist in 1995, when she began writing to keep her sanity while raising two children. Since then, she has published numerous freelance articles in magazines and newspapers, and teaches fiction-writing classes at the local college and area libraries. The classes give her the wonderful opportunity to encourage fellow writers, and to keep improving her craft.

Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Maria always had a fascination with big storms. Dreaming of chasing tornados, Maria earned a bachelors of science degree in meteorology at Penn State University. But she discovered, much to her chagrin, that forecasting the weather wasn't one of her skills. In order to chase tornados you had to predict where they might form. Creating fantasy worlds where she has complete control of the weather was more agreeable to her.

Maria's research on food-tasting methods with an expert chocolate taster, her husband, turned out to be a delicious bonus while writing Poison Study.

Maria has a brown belt in Isshinryu Karate, and enjoys playing volleyball and the cello. Traveling in general and via cruise ship in particular are her biggest distractions from writing. Maria has traveled to Belize, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Europe, Mexico, the Caribbean and through the Panama Canal.

Maria lives with her husband, son, daughter and yellow lab, Hazelnut, in Pennsylvania where she is at work on more LUNA novels. She is also pursuing a master's degree in writing popular fiction from Seton Hill University.

Where you can find Maria:

Website/Blog/Facebook/Goodreads

Giveaway Details:

3 winners will receive a paperback of DAWN STUDY (will be shipped in late December), International.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour- NIGHT STUDY by Maria V. Snyder A Deleted Scene and A Giveaway!

I am so excited to be hosting a spot on blog tour for NIGHT STUDY by Maria V. Snyder. I think by now you all know how obsessed I am with Maria's books if you havent had a chance to read them I highly suggest you do! NIGHT STUDY was as fantastic as the rest of the series and I can't wait to see what happens in the next book! I have a deleted scene to share with you today! And make sure to enter the giveaway! 

Haven't heard of NIGHT STUDY? Check it out!

Title: NIGHT STUDY

Author: Maria V. Snyder

Release Date: January 26, 2016

Pages: 448

Publisher: Mira

Formats: Paperback, eBook

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

Ever since being kidnapped from the Illiais Jungle as a child, Yelena Zaltana's life has been fraught with peril. But the recent loss of her Soulfinding abilities has endangered her more than ever before. As she desperately searches for a way to reclaim her magic, her enemies are closing in, and neither Ixia nor Sitia is safe for her anymore. Especially since the growing discord between the two countries and the possibility of a war threatens everything Yelena holds dear.

Valek is determined to protect Yelena, but he's quickly running out of options. The Commander suspects that his loyalties are divided, and he's been keeping secrets from Valek…secrets that put him, Yelena and all their friends in terrible danger. As they uncover the various layers of the Commander's mysterious plans, they realize it's far more sinister than they could have ever imagined.

Now on to the deleted scene!

Deleted Scene: Valek, Yelena, Janco and Onora are in Ixia staying at a mining camp in the foothills of the Soul Mountains.  They’re discussing setting an ambush at the castle.  Yelena’s POV.

He ladled stew into them one at a time, passing them around the fire.  “Then we set our ambush at the castle.” 

“At the gates?”

“We don’t have enough people who can sense magic to cover all four of them,” Valek said.  “We’d have to use the Commander as bait.”

“No.”  Onora’s firm tone sounded more like an order than a disagreement.  “Find another way.”

Valek stiffened.

I touched his arm.  “There are enough to be stationed at the gates.”

He turned his attention to me.  “You wouldn’t want to put Reema in harm’s way.  Who else is there?”

“Kiki.”

“That’s three, who’s the fourth?”

I glanced at Onora.  Just how trustworthy was she.  Would she report the person to the Commander?  While the Commander has been a little more accepting of Sitian magicians in Ixia, he wouldn’t tolerate one of his own people using magic.  He’d order his execution just like he had ordered mine when he discovered my ability.  Good thing I had enough time to escape to Sitia.  I don’t think Porter, the Commander’s kennel master would run away.  No.  Porter would report to the noose as directed.

“I’ll tell you if the situation arises,” I said.

“You can’t do that,” Janco cried.  “Now I’m gonna be up all night thinking about who it is.”

Valek laid his hand over mine and squeezed.  He understood.  Despite the Commander’s zero tolerance, Valek had allowed Porter to continue smuggling those young adolescents who developed magic at the same time they hit puberty.  A double whammy.  If they were smart, they’d hid their powers until they could leave Ixia via Porter’s network.  If they were exposed, then Valek was dispatched to assassinate the young man or woman.  Or so everyone thought. 

Over the eight years I’ve been with him, I’d learned that he funneled more people through Porter’s network than he’d killed.  But the one thing I hadn’t told Valek was about Porter’s own magical power.  The man communicated with his dogs the same way I’d “talked” to Kiki. 

I reached out to Kiki without thinking, and encountered dead silence.  The usual sharp jab of sorrow failed to manifest.  Just a pang of disappointment fluttered in my chest.  Interesting.  Was I resigned to being without my magic?

[A bit later that night]

A sleepy silence descended for about two seconds.

“Yelena, who is the fourth person who can sense magic?  I can’t sleep.” Janco pleaded from the other side of the fire.

I decided to have some fun with Janco.  “I’ll tell you, but you have to keep it a secret.”

“Okay.”

“You can’t even tell Ari.  Promise?”

A pause, then a weak, “Okay.  I promise.”

“It’s the Commander.”

Valek tightened his grip.  He and I knew the Commander did have magic, but not in the same way as a magician.  The Commander’s mother’s soul remained with him.  She had been a healer before she died in childbirth.

Janco groaned.  “Yeah, right, and I’m a Master Magician.  That’s just nasty.”

Valek relaxed.

“Not as nasty as being executed for having magical powers.  You know you can’t keep a secret.”

“We wouldn’t hang him or her if the person helped us,” Janco said.

“Are you sure?  I remember a magician who saved the Commander’s life and she wasn’t given a stay of execution.” 

“You can’t use that.  He burned that order a year later.”

“When he decided I could be of use as a Liaison between Ixia and Sitia.  Back when he wished to play nice with Sitia.  Now, who knows?  It’s very easy to write another order.”

“No.  You’re wrong,” Janco said with conviction.  “Even if your powers come back, he won’t do that.”

The word “if” pricked my soul. 

“He won’t,” Valek whispered in my ear.  “Because I will not let him or anyone else harm you.”

I turned my head.  “What if he orders you?”  When the Commander had written the execution order eight years ago, he hadn’t given it to Valek.  If he had, then Valek would have killed me.  No doubt.  His loyalty to the Commander was absolute.  And I understood and accepted it.

“Then it will be the first time I’ve disobeyed a direct order.”

Wow.  That was new.  Warmth spread throughout my chest and it wasn’t because of the fire.

About Maria:

Maria V. Snyder changed from being a meteorologist to a novelist in 1995, when she began writing to keep her sanity while raising two children. Since then, she has published numerous freelance articles in magazines and newspapers, and teaches fiction-writing classes at the local college and area libraries. The classes give her the wonderful opportunity to encourage fellow writers, and to keep improving her craft.

Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Maria always had a fascination with big storms. Dreaming of chasing tornados, Maria earned a bachelors of science degree in meteorology at Penn State University. But she discovered, much to her chagrin, that forecasting the weather wasn't one of her skills. In order to chase tornados you had to predict where they might form. Creating fantasy worlds where she has complete control of the weather was more agreeable to her.

Maria's research on food-tasting methods with an expert chocolate taster, her husband, turned out to be a delicious bonus while writing Poison Study.

Maria has a brown belt in Isshinryu Karate, and enjoys playing volleyball and the cello. Traveling in general and via cruise ship in particular are her biggest distractions from writing. Maria has traveled to Belize, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Europe, Mexico, the Caribbean and through the Panama Canal.

Maria lives with her husband, son, daughter and yellow lab, Hazelnut, in Pennsylvania where she is at work on more LUNA novels. She is also pursuing a master's degree in writing popular fiction from Seton Hill University.

Readers are welcome to contact Maria at the following email address:maria@mariavsnyder.com.

Where you can find Maria:

Website | Blog | Facebook | Goodreads

Giveaway Details:

6 Winners will receive a finished copy of NIGHT STUDY, US Only.

4 winners will receive a finished copy of NIGHT STUDY, International.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

1/18/2016- Dark Faerie Tales- Interview

1/19/2016- The Bibliophile Chronicles- Review

1/20/2016- Two Chicks on Books- Guest Post

1/21/2016- The Moonlight Library- Review

1/22/2016- Read Now Sleep Later- Interview

Week Two:

1/25/2016- Seeing Double In Neverland- Review

1/26/2016- Magical Urban Fantasy Reads- Excerpt

1/27/2016- a GREAT read- Review

1/28/2016- Fiktshun- Interview

1/29/2016- Mundie Moms- Review

Go back to were it all started!

Trust me you'll want to read these too they're set in the same world! With a lot of the same characters!

  

Also Maria posts tons of short stories on her website set in the same world!

Join Us for POISON STUDY'S by Maria V. Snyder 10 Year Anniversary with a Read Along!

Hey Everyone!

We’ve got some exciting news for you!

In anticipation of the 10th anniversary of POISON STUDY by Maria V. Snyder, we’re hosting a read-along! The read-along will take place from October 1st-31st and we will be reading a few chapters a week - see the schedule below. This is a great opportunity for those of us that are hardcore fans of the series to re-read the book and for those of you that have been wanting to read the book to finally do it!

We have some amazing bloggers helping host the read-along. You can participate and follow along on any of their blogs!

Two Chicks on Books

Fiktshun

Parajunkee

Mundie Moms

Read Now Sleep Later

What would be required of you?

1. Just sign up in the Linky below and let us know you’re participating! (During the read-along you will be able to add your blog posts to a Rafflecopter for a chance to win one of the awesome giveaway prizes!)

2. Post once a week during the month of October (preferably on Friday or Saturday). The post can be about anything you’ve read that week. You can post on your blog, tumblr, facebook, pinterest, where ever you post just as long as it has a shareable link!

3. Join the conversation on Twitter. There will be no set times, just tweet when the mood strikes, using the hashtag #PoisonStudyReadAlong

Maria will be hosting an open Q&A session on her Poison Study 10 Year Celebration Facebook Page, so if you have questions for her while reading head on over there! The characters from POISON STUDY will also be answering questions there, so feel free to stop by and ask Yelena, Valek, Ari, Janco - or anyone else you meet in POISON STUDY - anything you’d like to know. Maria will also be posting links to her website where she’ll be sharing chapter notes and hosting an exclusive giveaway!

The read-along schedule:

October 4th-10th: Chapters 1-8

October 11th-17th: Chapters 9-17

October 18th-24th: Chapters 18-25

October 25th-31st: Chapters 26-32 and closing post

The giveaway:

In conjunction with the read-along there will also be a blog tour the first two weeks of October. The read-along and blog tour will hosting the same amazing “10 prizes for 10 years” giveaway, and some of these prizes are very, very rare!

If you do not have a copy of the book, you can grab it at any book retailer. Links to where you can find it for purchase online are below.

About the Book:

Title: POISON STUDY

Author: Maria V. Snyder

Pub. Date: October 1, 2005

Publisher: Luna

Pages: 416

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Google Play, Books A Million, The Book Depository, Kobo, Indiebound

Choose: A quick death . . . or slow poison.

About to be executed for murder, Yelena is offered an extraordinary reprieve. She’ll eat the best meals, have rooms in the palace—and risk assassination by anyone trying to kill the Commander of Ixia.

And so Yelena chooses to become a food taster. But the chief of security, leaving nothing to chance, deliberately feeds her Butterfly’s Dust—and only by appearing for her daily antidote will she delay an agonizing death from the poison.

As Yelena tries to escape her new dilemma, disasters keep mounting. Rebels plot to seize Ixia and Yelena develops magical powers she can’t control. Her life is threatened again and choices must be made. But this time the outcomes aren’t so clear. . . . 

Other covers.

Cover Reveal: NIGHT STUDY by Maria V. Snyder and a Giveaway!

Hey everyone! So Maria V. Snyder revealed the cover for NIGHT STUDY on Facebook and her blog today! It's gorgeous and since I adore her and her books I wanted to help spread the cover reveal love and also link to her giveaway for an early copy of NIGHT STUDY!

Now on to the reveal!

About NIGHT STUDY: Goodreads
Pre-order it! Amazon | B&N 

Ever since being kidnapped from the Illiais Jungle as a child, Yelena Zaltana's has been fraught with peril. But the recent loss of her Soulfinding abilities has endangered her more than ever before. As she desperately searches for a way to reclaim her magic, her enemies are closing in, and neither Ixia nor Sitia are safe for her anymore. Especially since the growing discord between the two countries and the possibility of a war threatens everything Yelena holds dear. 

Valek is determined to protect Yelena, but he's quickly running out of options. The Commander suspects that his loyalties are divided, and he's been keeping secrets from Valek...secrets that put him, Yelena and all their friends in terrible danger. As they uncover the various layers of the Commander's mysterious plans, they realize it's far more sinister that they could have ever imagined.

About Maria:

Maria V. Snyder changed from being a meteorologist to a novelist in 1995, when she began writing to keep her sanity while raising two children. Since then, she has published numerous freelance articles in magazines and newspapers, and teaches fiction-writing classes at the local college and area libraries. The classes give her the wonderful opportunity to encourage fellow writers, and to keep improving her craft.

Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Maria always had a fascination with big storms. Dreaming of chasing tornados, Maria earned a bachelors of science degree in meteorology at Penn State University. But she discovered, much to her chagrin, that forecasting the weather wasn't one of her skills. In order to chase tornados you had to predict where they might form. Creating fantasy worlds where she has complete control of the weather was more agreeable to her.

Maria's research on food-tasting methods with an expert chocolate taster, her husband, turned out to be a delicious bonus while writing Poison Study.

Maria has a brown belt in Isshinryu Karate, and enjoys playing volleyball and the cello. Traveling in general and via cruise ship in particular are her biggest distractions from writing. Maria has traveled to Belize, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Europe, Mexico, the Caribbean and through the Panama Canal.

Maria lives with her husband, son, daughter and yellow lab, Hazelnut, in Pennsylvania where she is at work on more LUNA novels. She is also pursuing a master's degree in writing popular fiction from Seton Hill University.

Where you can find Maria:

Website/Blog/Facebook/Goodreads

Giveaways (International):

Head over to Maria's blog to enter to win one of Four signed copies of NIGHT STUDY!! 
Open INTERNATIONALLY! (books will be sent in December to the four winners)