Blog Tour- INDEPENDENT STUDY Dream Cast and a Giveaway!

I am so excited to have Joelle Charbonneau here today! I freaking love her Testing Series yep I've read all 3 but if you want to see my review for INDEPENDENT STUDY go here! I love the realness of this dystopian world this could happen to us someday and it absolutely fascinating to read! Make sure to enter the giveaway below for a copy of the book!
Haven't heard of INDEPENDENT STUDY? Check it out!

Title: INDEPENDENT STUDY

Author: Joelle Charbonneau

Pub. Date: January 7, 2014

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Pages: 320

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble

She's fought death and won. But how can she fight her fears?

Avry knows hardship and trouble. She fought the plague and survived. She took on King Tohon and defeated him. But now her heart-mate, Kerrick, is missing, and Avry fears he's gone forever.

But there's a more immediate threat. The Skeleton King plots to claim the Fifteen Realms for his own. With armies in disarray and the dead not staying down, Avry's healing powers are needed now more than ever.Torn between love and loyalty, Avry must choose her path carefully. For the future of her world depends on her decision.

Now on to the Dream Cast!

A girl’s gotta dream….

I was really excited when Jaime asked me to come up with my dream cast for The Testing trilogy.  When I write, I never think about which actor could play which part.  In fact, even after Paramount optioned THE TESTING on launch week, I purposely didn’t give casting any real thought because I was too busy revising Graduation Day.  I could only see the characters that lived in my imagination.  They didn’t look like actors.  They looked like—well—them. 

But now that the series is written and I’ve had a chance to move onto a new project, I loved looking at the characters with the thought of which actors would best bring them to life on screen.   Now, I think I should best confess that I totally want to play a part if it ever really gets made into a movie.  I’m thinking I’d be great at Cia’s Mom or one of The Testing officials.  Of course, I’d also be happy if they just let me sneak on set for a day to watch a scene being filmed.   The idea of someone bringing The Testing off the page and onto the screen is just astonishing.  Here’s hoping it happens.  And if it does…ahem…here are my casting suggestions!

Malencia (Cia) Vale – Francesca Santoro

You can’t look her up on IMDB because she isn’t there – yet!  Francesca (Chessie) is currently finishing her senior year at Syracuse Univeristy where she is majoring in Musical Theater.  She is also my voice student and one of the main inspirations for The Testing.  She is also wickedly talented.  Cia is a girl who is idealistic as well as smart.  I think casting an unknown talent to play Cia is the best way to pull the reader into the world of The Testing.  That way they won’t be seeing a star from some other movie.  They’ll be seeing Cia all the way.

Tomas Endress –  Freddie Highmore

Boy next door cute, looks trustworthy and he knows how to bring great energy to the big screen!

Malachi – Nadji Jeter

I think he’d be fabulous as the shy, socially awkward Malachi.

Zandri –  Emma Roberts

She might be a little too old, but she has the abandon and fabulous hair of Zandri.

Stacia -  Emma Watson

Okay – the world might know her as Hermione Granger, but I see her as Stacia.  Especially with the short hair and the piercing looks she can give the camera.  Let’s face it-- no one would have a problem believing that she is smart enough to pass The Testing. 

 Michal – Chace Crawford

If I was Cia I’d trust him to help me.   Wouldn’t you?

Will –  Thomas Brodie-Sangster

He’s got a smile that would charm anyone.  And I think he could play the multi-layered Will with a great deal of skill.

Dr. Barnes – Dennis Quaid

Dennis Quaid is one of my favorite actors.  He has THE BEST smile.  He is also the type you would automatically believed had your best interest at heart.  Or does he?

President Collindar – Sigourney Weaver

Okay – I admit that this is taking some liberties with the casting.  Afterall, President Collindar is described as having almond eyes and dark hair.  I always pictured her as someone of Asian decent, but Sigourney Weaver is an amazing actress and she’s tall.  With Cia’s short stature, I think having a President with some height could make for some really interesting scenes.  Of course…you’ll have to read Independent Study and Graduation Day to know what those scenes are…

Raffe – Alexander Ludwig

Another controversial choice since he appeared as Cato in The Hunger Games movie.  However, I would argue that he didn’t get near enough to do in that movie and that he is perfect for Raffe.  (Who appears in Independent Study.) 

Symon – Ralph Fiennes

Another Independent Study character.  He could totally rock this role.  Trust me!

Damone – Tyler Posey

I think he’d make for an intriguing choice. 

 Professor Holt – Joanna Gleason

Since seeing her appear as The Baker’s Wife in Stephen Sondheim’s INTO THE WOODS, I have loved Joanna Gleason.  She has the ability to stop everything in a scene with just one glance.  She’d be awesome.  And, truth be told, I’d love to have an excuse to meet herJ

Thanks Joelle love the cast especially who you cast for Raffe! Love that guy :D

About Joelle:

Ever since I can remember I loved telling stories. As I grew up, I started performing those stories on the stage. Creating vivid characters and singing wonderfully complex songs were my passion. I graduated from Millikin University with a Bachelors Degree in Vocal Performance and then continued onto DePaul University for my Masters Degree in Opera Performance. From there I went onto perform across the Chicagoland area in a variety of Operas, Operettas and Musicals. I also started teaching acting classes and private voice lessons to pass my passion along to the next generation.

Not exactly the path you’d expect a writer to take.

I’d never dreamed of writing a novel. But I loved to read. Then one day I had an idea and I started to write. I found my passion for creating characters lived on the page as well as the stage. It is my hope that the characters I’ve created resonate with you and make you smile.

I still teach voice lessons and sing for the occasional professional event. But the rest of my time is spent with my husband and son while dreaming up new and interesting stories. I hope that someday I hear yours.

Website/Twitter/Facebook/Goodreads

Giveaway Details:

3 INDEPENDENT STUDY prize packs with a finished copy of the book, a GRADUATION DAY ARC, a bracelet, pencil, & temporary tattoos! US only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Check out the Tour Schedule:

Week One:

12/30/2013- My Guilty Obsession- Review

12/31/2013- Magical Urban Fantasy Reads- Interview

1/1/2014- Tales of the Ravenous Reader- Guest Post

1/2/2014- Hannah Reads Books- Review

1/3/2014- K-Books- Review

Week Two:

1/6/2014- Fiktshun- Interview

1/7/2014- Parajunkee's View- Interview

1/8/2014- Jenna Does Books- Review

1/9/2014- The Book Cellar- Guest Post

1/10/2014- Two Chicks on Books- Guest Post

Blog Tour- TASTE OF DARKNESS Meet Loren and Quian and a Giveaway!

I am so excited to have Maria V. Snyder here today! I am one of her biggest fans I love all of her books and I freaking loved TASTE OF DARKNESS it was the perfect ending to the Healer Series! I fell hard for all of the characters in her books and I loved the smartass duo of Loren and Quain.And today we get to see what happens when they interview each other! Make sure to enter the giveaway below for a copy of the book!
Haven't heard of TASTE OF DARKNESS? Check it out!

Title: TASTE OF DARKNESS

Author: Maria V. Snyder

Pub. Date: December 31, 2013

Publisher: Harlequin MIRA

Pages: 464

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble

She's fought death and won. But how can she fight her fears?

Avry knows hardship and trouble. She fought the plague and survived. She took on King Tohon and defeated him. But now her heart-mate, Kerrick, is missing, and Avry fears he's gone forever.

But there's a more immediate threat. The Skeleton King plots to claim the Fifteen Realms for his own. With armies in disarray and the dead not staying down, Avry's healing powers are needed now more than ever.Torn between love and loyalty, Avry must choose her path carefully. For the future of her world depends on her decision.

Now on to the interview!

The following is Loren and Quain being interviewed about how they met each other and Kerrick and Belen:

Loren:  I was sipping tea at the Nasty Bear tavern—

Quain:  Tea?  At the Nasty Bear?  No one’s gonna believe that.

Loren:  Shut up, Quain.  It’s my turn, you’re next.  Let’s see I was in the town of Vix in Tobory Realm, minding my own business  [Quain snorts in amusement] when this distraught father enters the tavern.  Seems his daughter had been kidnapped and forced to work in the infamous Vix’s Vixens brothel.  He was hoping to hire some people to help rescue her.  He was going to need more than a couple as the place had more security than Queen Bianca’s bedroom.  No one volunteered.  Or rather no one sane volunteered, but a very young, very drunk, hot-headed—

Quain:  Hey, I’m not a hot head.

Loren:  Noticed he didn’t protest the young and drunk.

Quain:  My dad had just died and I was drinking to forget.  Besides, you volunteered, too.

Loren:  I didn’t want you to get yourself killed.  The plague had killed so many, I couldn’t stand by and watch some young idiot throw away his good luck at surviving.

Quain:  And you hated the idea of a young girl being forced to—

Loren [snapping]:  Yes, that too.  Without law enforcement, criminals were preying on the survivors.  And we were letting them!  At that time, the survivors should have been banding together and supporting each other.  Anyway, I offered to go along, hoping a few others would as well.

Quain:  No luck.  We left and checked out the brothel and once I gotta a good look at the security, I sobered up real quick.  These guys had muscles on top of muscles. 

Loren: Which is why we decided to go in and pretend to be clients.  The father stayed outside as he’d already been tossed out of the place earlier that night.

Quain: And we had to pretend to be clients who likes to…  who likes their girls…  [blushes bright red]

Loren: Tied up since Loni, the daughter, wouldn’t be cooperating at this point. [shakes his head in disgust].

Quain:  We each were led to a room and…er…freed the girls, but neither was Loni, so we searched for her and inadvertently revealed the real reason we were there.

Loren:  Inadvertently?  This is when that hot headedness of Quain’s made its second appearance.  So outraged by what he saw, he started busting down all the doors and making a racket.

Quain [shrugging]: We were running out of time.

Loren [sighs]: Because you…oh, never mind. 

Quain:  And it worked.  We found Loni.

Loren:  But it didn’t take long for the muscle men to converge and…  Well, it wasn’t pretty.

Quain:  Yeah, good thing Kerrick and Belen showed up.  I was doing fine, but Loren was floundering.

Loren:  Floundering?  Seriously?  Have you ever seen a flounder?

Quain:  It doesn’t matter.  I used it correctly in a sentence.

Loren:  No you didn’t.  I was far from…never mind.  Either way, it was excellent timing on Kerrick and Belen’s part.  Later we found out they’d been in the Nasty Bear and heard everything, but didn’t want to call attention to themselves by volunteering in public. Instead they followed us and learned the plan from the father.

Quain:  Belen cleared a path for us.  He tossed those big muscle men aside like they were toys and I think I heard growling.

Loren:  It was groaning and it was coming from those unfortunate enough to be in Belen’s way.  Kerrick’s skills with his sword were impressive, he kept the other guards from getting close and the four of us, along with Loni and five girls escaped.

Quain:  Yep.  It was a nice bit of work and the father was very happy to see his daughter.

Loren:  Kerrick told us that he’d seen similar bad things happening all over the Fifteen Realms, and he and Belen were on a mission to help a ruler who would get our world back. 

Quain:  I joined up right away, but Loren took some convincing.

Loren:  No.  I agreed and you—

Quain:  No.  You have it all wrong.  I—

Loren:  Planned to go back to the Nasty Bear and finish drowning your sorrows, while I—

Quain [huffs in disbelief]:  You are incapable of admitting I’m right.

Loren:  I’ll admit it when it’s ever true.

Quain [growls and launches himself at Loren]:  Argh!

Thanks guys! You crack me up!!

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:

2 Copies of TASTE OF DARKNESS International

10 Copies of TASTE OF DARKNESS US Only

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Check out the Tour Schedule:

Week One:

12/30/2013- Read Now Sleep Later- Interview

12/31/2013- Tynga's Reviews- Guest Post

1/1/2014- Fiktshun- Guest Post

1/2/2014- Bibliophilia, Please- Interview

1/3/2014- Snowdrop Dreams of Books- Review

Week Two:

1/6/2014- http://www.parajunkee.com/         Parajunkee- Guest Post

1/7/2014- Moonlight Gleam Reviews- Review

1/8/2014- The Cover Contessa- Interview

1/9/2014- Two Chicks on Books- Guest Post

1/10/2014- Mundie Moms- Interview

Blog Tour- DEFY by Sara B. Larson a Deleted Scene and a Giveaway!!

I am so excited to have Sara B. Larson here today! I freaking loved DEFY you can see my review here. I fell hard for Damien and I loved Alexa's strength the was a badass character.And today we get a deleted scene from the book! Make sure to enter the giveaway below also there's 5 signed copies (US only) and 3 audiobooks (US & Canada) up for grabs!
Haven't heard of DEFY? Check it out!

DEFY (Defy #1)

Sara B. Larson

Release Date: January 7, 2014

Hardcover: 336 pages

Publisher: Scholastic Press

ISBN:  978-0545597586
Goodreads/Amazon/Barnes & Noble/The Book Depository

A lush and gorgeously written debut, packed with action, intrigue, and a thrilling love triangle.

Alexa Hollen is a fighter. Forced to disguise herself as a boy and serve in the king's army, Alex uses her quick wit and fierce sword-fighting skills to earn a spot on the elite prince's guard. But when a powerful sorcerer sneaks into the palace in the dead of night, even Alex, who is virtually unbeatable, can't prevent him from abducting her, her fellow guard and friend Rylan, and Prince Damian, taking them through the treacherous wilds of the jungle and deep into enemy territory.

The longer Alex is held captive with both Rylan and the prince, the more she realizes that she is not the only one who has been keeping dangerous secrets. And suddenly, after her own secret is revealed, Alex finds herself confronted with two men vying for her heart: the safe and steady Rylan, who has always cared for her, and the dark, intriguing Damian. With hidden foes lurking around every corner, is Alex strong enough to save herself and the kingdom she's sworn to protect? 

Now on to the deleted scene!

This is from the beginning of the book. It was cut to help keep the pacing up, which I agreed was the right thing to do. But it is a tender scene between Alexa and Marcel, and one that I think sheds even a little bit more light on their relationship. Hope you enjoy!

I sat huddled on a log, chilled even though the heat of the humid day still clung to the limp breeze that tugged at my newly shorn hair. I reached up self-consciously, rubbing the back of my neck. Tears burned painfully close to the surface, but I couldn’t let them out.

“Here you go, Alex,” Marcel said as he took a seat next to me. He held out a plate with some sort of hot, mashed up plantain concoction, one slice of mango, and a hard roll next to it. “Army rations.” He shrugged and bit into his roll. “At least it’s hot.”

I stared at my twin, at the amazing nonchalance he pulled off so effortlessly.  How could he act like that, as if this was some great adventure we’d embarked on? Instead of a desperate decision made moments before the army showed up to collect the orphans after the raid on our village. The one they were too late to stop.

“You need to eat,” Marcel said, softer this time, nudging me with his elbow. “You look too much like a girl.”

“That’s because I am a girl,” I growled, my voice low. I stared into his hazel eyes and noticed that they were bloodshot. He nodded encouragingly at my plate, and I forced myself to take a bite of the plantains. They were almost tasteless, but helped ease the ache in my belly that I hadn’t even noticed until then. Before I knew it, I’d eaten everything on my plate.

A whistle sounded in the distance, and all around us men began to stand, tossing dirt on the fires, stomping them out. They seemed in a hurry to get to bed. Within minutes, almost everyone had retired to their tents.

Marcel stood next to me, watching the organized chaos of the army camp. We were close to the same height, but he’d started passing me up in the last six months, and my shoulder was just barely below his now.

The sun had long since dipped behind the foliage surrounding us, sending shadows sliding along the camp. In the distance a flock of macaws took flight, their feathers a splash of vibrant color against the falling darkness. We’d marched all day, straight in to the jungle, heading for Tubatse, the capitol city of Antion. We’d heard rumors that once we reached the capitol, they’d hold fighting competitions to decide where to place all the new recruits in the army. If Marcel’s new friend Rylan was to be believed, the best fighters would be placed at the palace and have a chance to train for a position on the personal guard for the prince, or even the king. And I was very good at fighting. Maybe if I could work my way into a position guarding one of the royal family, I would be able to do something to put a stop to this war.

Before the entire country of Antion became a nation of orphans and soldiers.

I followed Marcel in to the tent we’d been given to share. We each had a thin, gray bed roll to sleep on and a thin, gray blanket. No pillows. No kiss goodnight from Mama. No murmur of our parents’ voices over the crackle and hiss of the fire in our hearth as I drifted off to sleep.

Instead, I lay across from Marcel, my chest so tight, it felt like someone had reached in, past my ribcage, and gripped my heart in an iron-tight fist.

The tears I’d worked to hold in all day finally leaked out, dripping across the bridge of my nose, down my temple, to pool in my hairline. I squeezed my eyes shut, against the tears, the pain, the loss and grief that consumed me. Mama and Papa were gone, our home was gone, even Alexa was gone. For the rest of my life I had to pretend to be Alex.

“Don’t cry, Alexa,” Marcel’s whisper was my undoing. My whole body convulsed with sobs. I buried my head in my blanket, trying to smother the sounds of my crying. I felt him scoot up next to me, and put his arms around me, pulling me close. “Sshh.” He stroked the hair—my short, ugly hair—back from my face. He was all I had left. My twin, my other half. We’d grown up training side by side, as if I’d been born a boy. But I never thought I’d have to pretend like I was one.

“It’s better this way, you know that, right?”

I nodded, taking a deep breath of air, forcing myself to choke the tears back.

“I couldn’t let them take you to one of the breeding houses.”

I pulled back a bit, reached up to wipe the tears off of my face and let my hand trail to the side, forcing myself to touch my short hair. “I know. I’m glad you thought of this. I’ll be okay. I just have to get used to it.”

Marcel scooted back over onto his own bedroll, but he still reached out, taking one of my hands in his. I squeezed it tightly, then let go. “If someone walked in and saw you holding my hand, we’d never hear the end of it.”

I could see the guilt and pain on his face as he pulled his hand back and yanked his blanket up over his shoulders.

“We’re going to be okay,” I said, trying to convince myself as much as anything. “If your new friend Rylan is right, we’ll have the chance to prove how good we are. We’ll beat everyone and be in the personal guard for the king before you know it.”

“I never thought I’d say this, but now I’m glad you trained with me,” Marcel said.

“Me, too.”

We were silent for a minute, until Marcel’s breathing grew steady and deep. I rolled onto my back and stared at the canvas ceiling above me. I was going to Tubatse. If Mama knew we were going there now, after all the effort they’d made to live as far away from there as possible—away from the king’s grasp, from his army and breeding houses—what would she think?

It didn’t matter. She was gone.

It was just me and Marcel now.

Outside our tent, a howler monkey screeched, somewhere above us in the trees. I pulled the blanket tighter around my shoulders and scooted a little bit closer to Marcel. At least I still had my twin by my side. 

Thanks Sara that was awesome!!!

About Sara:

Sara loves writing, reading, and dessert--but the order varies by the day. She wrote her first book in second grade about a woman who had a premature baby, complete with a "to scale" drawing of the baby's size--while her mom was pregnant. To say she was a bit precocious is putting it lightly. Now that she’s an adult, she writes books for teens that have magic and romance and kick-butt girls (and very few premature babies). She lives in Utah with her husband, two young sons and baby girl. She writes during naptime and the hours when most people are sleeping. Her husband claims that she should have a degree in "the art of multitasking." On occasion you will find her hiding in a bubble bath with a book and some Swedish Fish. she is represented by Josh Adams of Adams Literary and her YA debut DEFY is coming January '14 from Scholastic!

Website/Twitter/Facebook/Goodreads

Giveaway Details:

5 Signed Copies of DEFY US ONLY

3 Audio book Downloads of DEFY US/Canada Only

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Check out the Tour Schedule:

Week One:

12/30/2013- A Book and a Latte-  Interview

12/30/2013- Book Nerd Canada- Review

12/31/2013- Primrose Musings- Review

12/31/2013- Fictitious Delicious- Guest Post

1/1/2014- Jessabella Reads- Review

1/1/2014- Dark Faerie Tales- Interview

1/2/2014- Curling Up With A Good Book- Review

1/2/2014- IceyBooks- Guest Post

1/3/2014- The Demon Librarian- Review

1/3/2014- Tales of the Ravenous Reader- Interview

Week Two:

1/6/2014- She Dreams in Fiction- Review

1/6/2014- Two Chicks on Books- Guest Post

1/7/2014- Bookish- Interview

1/7/2014- Hannah Reads Books- Review

1/8/2014- Fiktshun- Guest Post

1/8/2014- Crossroad Reviews- Review

1/9/2014- Fiction Freak- Interview

1/9/2014- In the Best Worlds- Review

1/10/2014- Reading and Writing Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, and Romance- Review

1/10/2014- The Cover Contessa- Guest Post

Blog Tour- ECHO IN TIME by CJ Hill and a Giveaway!

Hey y’all! I have CJ Hill here today to talk about the Top 10 things she’d take with her to the future! Since her series is set in the future I couldn’t wait to see what she’d bring! Also make sure to enter the giveaway for a hardcover of the first book ERASING TIME!

Haven’t herd of ECHO IN TIME? Check it out!

Echo in Time (Erasing Time #2)

by C.J. Hill  (Pseudonym), Janette Rallison 

Paperback, 400 pages

Expected publication: December 23rd 2013

by Katherine Tegen Books

ISBN 0062123963 

Goodreads/Amazon/Barnes & Noble

Echo in Time delivers on "the possibility of an equally thrilling sequel" (Kirkus Reviews) to Erasing Time.

After being pulled 400 years into the future, twins Taylor and Sheridan have found some refuge from the government of Traventon, which used the dangerous Time Strainer to yank the girls from the past. Yet the threat of the dangerous technology still looms. Taylor and an ally, Joseph, are selected to go on a mission to destroy the time machine and weapon. But their actions before they do may have major consequences for the future and the past.

Action-packed and romantic, this futuristic sequel to Erasing Time is perfect for fans of dystopian and sci-fi novels such as The Maze Runner by James Dashner, Across the Universe by Beth Revis, and Matched by Ally Condie.

Now on to the Guest Post!

If CJ were to be pulled into the future what would be the Top 10 things she'd take with her if she could?

When traveling to the future, it's important to know what type of future you're going to. My packing list would be wildly different depending on whether I'm going to Star Trek-like future (Why bring anything when those magic boxes give you whatever you ask for?) a post apocalyptic future (the list would be heavy on survival items) or a dystopian novel (I would bring Kleenex, as I'd be crying as the government carts me off to a re-education center). Since the world in Echo in Time leans toward dystopia, I'll pack for that.

1) A sturdy pair of running shoes as I attempt to outrun evil government forces.

2) Cute outfits because the future is populated by hot guys. (Hey, you always find them in dystopian novels.)

3) Chocolate.  What if by some horrible twist of fate the future doesn't have Nutella?

4) All my loose change. My coins will be antiques in the future and therefore actually worth something. Heaven knows they aren't worth much now. Eighty-nine cents for a candy bar? Come on.

5) A translator. Language changes over time so no one could go very far into the future and still understand English.

6) Note paper to record stock prices. That way when I come back to my own time period, I can buy stocks that don't immediately plunge completely off the Dow Jones altogether.

7) Did I already mention chocolate? I'd need a supply of Snickers.

8) Pepper spray. I'm thinking about the evil government forces again.

9) Almond Joys. I'm thinking about chocolate again.

10) A way back home, because really, who would want to live in a dystopia when the Twenty-first century is so nice? Granted, the twenty-first century has a few disadvantages (crime, pollution, Miley Cyrus) but all in all, it's a great place.

Thanks CJ!

About C.J. Hill: CJ Hill is a pen name for a YA author who is best known for writing romantic comedies. (Slayers will be her 18th published book.) Her writing has shifted away from the romantic comedy genre, so her editor thought a pen name would be a good idea. (New books will include: dangerous dragons, time travel to dystopian worlds, and flesh-eating beetles.) Since the publisher refused to let her have the pseudonym : The Artist Formerly Referred to as Princess, she chose a name to honor her mother. CJ Hill was her mother's pen name, or at least it would have been if her mother had published. Her mother wrote a few children's books and a middle grade novel but was taken by cancer before she had fully learned the craft.

Most writers' first novels aren't publishable. CJ Junior's first novel wasn't, but somehow was published anyway. Now, even though it is out of print, it remains forever available on Amazon, where it taunts her with its badness. This was another good reason to use a pen name.

CJ Hill has five children, three of whom like her on any given day depending on who is in trouble. She has lived in Arizona for the last half of her life, but is still in desert denial and hopes that one day her garden will grow silver bells and cockle shells or maybe just tomatoes.

Author website/blog/goodreads/macmillan/twitter

Giveaway Details:

1 Hardcover of book 1 ERASING TIME US Only

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Check out the Tour Schedule!

Fire and Ice- December 24- Kick Off

Candace’s Book Blog- December 27- Review

Clean Teen Fiction -December 28- Review

Fiktshun- December 30- Guest Post

Getting Your Read On -January 2-Review

Two Chicks on Books- January 3- Ten’s List

Bittersweet Enchantment -January 4-Review

Tressa’s Wishful Endings- January 5- Review

Literary Time Out -January 6- Review

Min Reads and Reviews- January 7- Review