Blog Tour- BLOOD AND SALT by Kim Ligget An Interview

I am so excited to be kicking off the BLOOD AND SALT blog tour! I have an interview with Kim to share with you today! And make sure to enter the giveaway to win the book!
Haven't heard of BLOOD AND SALT? Check it out!

Title: NIGHTFALL

Author: Kim Liggett

Pub. Date: September 22, 2015

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

Pages: 352

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

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

Romeo and Juliet meets Children of the Corn in this one-of-a-kind romantic horror.

“When you fall in love, you will carve out your heart and throw it into the deepest ocean. You will be all in—blood and salt.”

These are the last words Ash Larkin hears before her mother returns to the spiritual commune she escaped long ago. But when Ash follows her to Quivira, Kansas, something sinister and ancient waits among the rustling cornstalks of this village lost to time.

Ash is plagued by memories of her ancestor, Katia, which harken back to the town’s history of unrequited love and murder, alchemy and immortality. Charming traditions soon give way to a string of gruesome deaths, and Ash feels drawn to Dane, a forbidden boy with secrets of his own.

As the community prepares for a ceremony five hundred years in the making, Ash must fight not only to save her mother, but herself—and discover the truth about Quivira before it’s too late. Before she’s all in—blood and salt. 

Now on to the interview.

Hi Kim! First I want to say welcome to Two Chicks on Books! BLOOD AND SALT sounds absolutely fantastic and am so happy that you could stop by for a visit!

For the readers: can you tell us a little bit about BLOOD AND SALT and the characters?

Romeo and Juliet meets Children of the Corn in this one-of-a-kind romantic horror.

That’s a really accurate description. Prepare to be swept off your feet and creeped out, sometimes simultaneously.

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

Definitely! Ash was based on my daughter and Rhys was based on my son. They’re not twins in real life, but you’d never know. They look exactly alike and they’re really close.

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

I loved writing Katia. Her voice is so histrionic and laced with poetry. It was like being under a spell. My least favorite? I don’t know if I have a least favorite. I love them all—obvs.

What is your favorite passage/scene in BLOOD AND SALT?

There’s a paragraph at the bottom of page 329 that slays me.

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

So much research. Alchemy. Perfume. Sacred geography. Cults. Native American lore. Coronado and his expedition through Kansas. I did a ton of research on caving, which we ended up cutting out of the book completely.

Lightening Round Questions

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

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Who is your ultimate Book Boyfriend?

Gavriel from The Coldest Girl in Coldtown

What Hogwarts House would the Sorting Hat place you in?

I’ve been properly sorted. I’m a Hufflepuff!

What inspired you to write YA?

My daughter. She had her first crushing love and I wanted to show her how amazing and strong I thought she was. I wrote the first few chapters of Blood and Salt and just couldn’t stop.

Twitter or Facebook?

Twitter

Favorite Superhero?

I’m partial to Spiderman

Favorite TV show?

Penny Dreadful

Sweet or Salty?

Sweet

Any Phobias?

I’m seriously afraid of just about everything, except dying.

Song you can’t get enough of right now?

Paradise Circus by Massive Attack

Fall Movie you’re most looking forward to?

Crimson Peak

Thanks so much Kim for answering my questions! I can’t wait to read BLOOD AND SALT!

About Kim:

At sixteen, Kim Liggett left her rural midwestern town for New York City to pursue a career in both music and acting. While attending the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Kim sang backup for some of the biggest rock bands in the 80’s.
After settling down to have a family, she became an entrepreneur, creating a children’s art education program and a travel company specializing in tours for musicians.
She’s married to jazz musician Ken Peplowski, has two grotesquely beautiful teens, and a very neurotic dog that drags her through Riverside Park everyday on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads |  Pinterest

Check out the tour schedule!

Good Books & Wine – guest post #1 – 9/14
Addicted Readers – interview - 9/15
Jessabella Reads – 25 Random Things - 9/16
A Midsummer Night’s Read – Book Playlist #1 - 9/17
It Starts At Midnight – review & giveaway - 9/18
The Book Bratz – review & giveaway - 9/21
No BS Book Reviews – interview - 9/22
Once Upon a Twilight – Would You Rather? - 9/23
Please Feed the Bookworm – review & giveaway - 9/24
The Irish Banana – guest post #2 - 9/25
Winterhaven Books – Top 10 - 9/28
My Friends are Fiction – review & giveaway - 9/29
Fiction Fare – interview - 9/30
A Dream Within a Dream – Book Playlist #2 - 10/1
Two Chicks on Books – interview - 10/2

M9B Friday Reveal - Chapter 2 Reveal: Nameless by Jennifer Jenkins & A Giveaway!

 

Welcome to this week’s M9B Friday Reveal!

This week, we are revealing CHAPTER TWO of

Nameless by Jennifer Jenkins

presented byMonth9Books!

NAMELESS is in development for film by Benderspink! That’s the same company who optioned Victoria Aveyard’s Red Queen and produced the I AM NUMBER FOUR film!

Jennifer is also one of the co-founders of Teen Author Boot Camp, and works with amazing authors like James Dashner and Brandon Sanderson to help teens master the craft or writing. 

New York Times bestselling author Jessica Day George read NAMELESS and loved it!:

"Jenkins brings edge-of-your-seat adventure to this intriguing new world. I can’t wait to read more!”

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

 

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.

Pre-order Links:

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

 

 

You can read CHAPTER ONE here!

 

Chapter 2

~~~Zo~~~ 

 The cold air traveling over Zo’s skin smelled strangely mineral. She walked blindfolded with Tess in her arms, and the tip of a spear at her back. She memorized the turns as they prodded her forward, knowing it would do little to help if she couldn’t pass whatever trial the Ram leader had in store. The path sloped down and the moist air grew colder. Her foot caught on a rock and Zo fell to her knees, sending Tess flying into the darkness. Hands grabbed Zo’s collar and hoisted her back to her feet.   

“Carry the small one,” the leader ordered.   

 “Zo?” Tess’ voice cracked, weak and distant.   

 “I’m here,” said Zo, straining to see through the blindfold.   She didn’t want her sister to say more. Her accent might betray them both.   

 The ground leveled beneath them, and a guard yanked off the blindfold, taking a chunk of Zo’s dark hair with it. She didn’t cry out.   

They couldn’t hurt her.   

She looked at the limp form of her sister in the arms of a bare-chested Ram guard and crumbled at the contradiction. It wasn’t supposed to be this way. If only Tess hadn’t followed.   

 If only …   

 Guards lined the opposite wall. Shadows from the torchlight made the scowls on their faces all the more sinister. Each carried a round shield at his back, a spear in hand, and a short sword at his hip.   

 A redheaded boy lay on a narrow bed in the center of the room silently weeping. His body was long, but judging from his young face, he couldn’t have been much older than twelve or thirteen. The deep wound just above his hip swam in dark red blood. He whimpered while biting down on a stick.   

 Zo didn’t ask questions. “I need blankets!” she yelled, as she washed her hands in a basin of scalding water. With pulsing, red hands, she took a stack of linens from a supply table and pressed it to the wound. The boy kicked and jostled.   

 “Hold him down or he’ll bleed out!” shouted Zo.   No one moved.   

 Two women in white robes came in through a different tunnel entrance carrying woolen blankets. When they saw Zo, they froze.   

 “Help me!” Zo snatched the blankets from their hands and rolled the boy onto his side. Lifting his legs, she wedged blanket rolls under his good hip. The redheaded boy cried out in pain but Zo needed to keep the wound above his heart. She wrapped a bandage around his trunk, keeping as much pressure on the open wound as possible.   

The boy’s skin turned alabaster from blood loss. Zo yanked more blankets from the hands of the women, covered him up, and rubbed warmth into his arms and legs while muttering the words of one of her mother’s blessings. 

“Hold as still as you can,” she whispered into his ear. “You’re going to be fine. I promise.”   

 Zo approached the intimidating line of Ram soldiers.   Each wore animal hide trimmed with fur. Thick leather straps crisscrossed their chests housing a variety of evil-looking weapons. “Where is my pack? It has the medicines I need.” The men barely moved, barely blinked, with hands clasped behind their backs like dangerous statues of unfeeling.   

 The bald leader shook his head. A taunting, wicked, grin stretched across his face. Tess whimpered from one of the dark corners of the cave. Water dripped from the jagged, rock ceiling. The quiet symphony of sounds and silence contrasted with Zo’s rapidly beating heart.   

 She swore and darted to the opposite wall where the healers stood just as still and lifeless. “Do you have any pseudo ginseng root?”   

 The aging healer looked over to the Gate Master, shook his head, and looked down at his hands. So they would put this boy’s life in danger just to see if she would fail? I shouldn’t be surprised.   

 Zo ran back to the steaming water and plunged four inches of her long braid into the basin. Sweat dripped from her forehead. She scrubbed the crusted mud from her hair and went to the closest soldier, holding out the dark braid. “Cut it,” she said.   

 His gaze swept over her body before fixing on her face.   
 His lips curled into a crooked grin.   She hated when men looked at her that way.   

 “Cut it!” she yelled, eyeing the knife at his hip, wondering if she had any chance of taking it from him without meeting a quick death.   

 A young soldier to his left stepped out of rank. His long dark hair was tucked behind his ears, his brows knit together and a muscle in his neck leapt as he frowned. The unexpected flash of his dagger made Zo scream. A small segment of her braid dropped to the ground and the young soldier took his place back in line, ignoring the disapproving scorn of the Ram leader. Zo gasped as she snatched up the braid. She stumbled over to the sink again to rinse the hair one final time to prevent infection. Convinced the hair was clean, she darted back to the boy and removed the crimson-soaked dressing from the wound. The blood had slowed, but not enough. He’d die if this didn’t work.   

 She shoved the hair into the wound and piled the excess on top.   The boy screamed then passed out.   

 Zo placed her hands over the mound of hair and uttered words of healing. The flame of her energy flickered as she willed the blessing to take effect. Her head swayed without permission as she reapplied a bandage.   

 When Zo finished, she slumped to the floor before they carried her and Tess away.  

 ~~~Gryphon~~~   

 Joshua’s dried blood tugged on Gryphon’s arm. A deathly plaster, equal parts unforgiving and taunting. He scratched away at the memory of the ambush, the way young Joshua’s eyes doubled in size when the arrow entered his side. It was Gryphon’s fault. He’d let the kid come with his mess unit against his better judgment.   

 It was his fault.   Gryphon took the mountain trail home from the caves. He attacked the climb like he would any enemy. After the first mile his legs warmed. After the second they burned. He welcomed the dull pain creeping through his fatigued muscles. Pain equaled progress. With enough pain he might outpace his grief.

Joshua.   

 Gryphon sprinted the last hundred yards of the climb. The wind picked up as he reached the summit overlooking the ocean below. High waves crashed into the cliff wall. An arctic spray carried on the breeze, stinging Gryphon’s eyes.   He turned and showed the ocean his back, casting his gaze over the valley of the Ram. Wind whipped his dark brown hair and made the metal of his weapons clink together. From this view he could see far beyond the training grounds and housing complexes, past the fields where hundreds of Nameless bent over acres of dying soil. Even beyond the fabled wall of Ram’s Gate that corralled the vast lands of his people.   

 He felt powerful. In control.   

 Not like this morning when he couldn’t slow Joshua’s bleeding.   The twenty members of Gryphon’s mess unit were encouraged to sleep in the barracks, even though many of them were married men. Unity meant everything to a Ram mess unit. Gryphon abided this and every other command issued by his leaders with exactness. But tonight, the thought of facing his brothers of war with all their questions and condolences seemed too much.   

 No. Tonight he would hide behind the walls of his inheritance like a child hides behind his mother’s skirt. The brick-and-plaster house sat back on a five-acre plot. It was one of the furthest family plots from the main gate and the center of town. A red sun dipped behind the towering wall of Ram’s Gate, casting an ominous glow around the house as Gryphon climbed the dirt path. The solid oak door whined with complaint as he nudged it open.   

 “Who’s there?” Gryphon’s mother reached the entry with her arms and hands covered in white flour and her graying bun sitting at an angle on her head. She studied Gryphon and the corners of her mouth sank into the frown he’d come to associate with his childhood.   

“Wash the blood off your hands.” She retreated back to the kitchen without another word.   

 Gryphon leaned his long spear and shield against the wall and sloughed off his pack. He turned and noticed the rusted metal shield mounted above the hearth. His cheeks colored in shame. He looked away, but it didn’t stop the boiling wave of anger that always came when he looked at his father’s shield.   

 The symbol of his family’s disgrace.   

 Despite Gryphon’s countless protests, his mother refused to take it down. “It’s good to remember,” she would say. Then she’d go out into the forest where she thought no one could hear her and cry, rocking back and forth with her hands wrapped firmly about her stomach. As if she’d fall apart if she didn’t hold herself together.   No matter how hard he worked in the training field, that shield would always hang over his head. Always. In the kitchen, Gryphon plunged his hands into a basin of water. As he scrubbed, the water turned the color of salmon flesh.   His mother kneaded her palm into a batch of dough with more force than necessary. She used her forearm to push aside a clump of silver hair that fell into her face. “How many?” she asked with her back to him.   

 Gryphon couldn’t scrub his hands hard enough. “One. We were ambushed.” His excursions used to be so boring. They used to go weeks without running into another clan, but lately …   

 “Who?” His mother stood up straight, prepared to take the news like a strong Ram woman was meant to.   

“Joshua.” Gryphon felt his control slip. He chewed on his tongue until he could steel his emotions. “Spear,” was all he trusted himself to say.   

 Joshua wasn’t a member of a mess unit yet. The System didn’t allow thirteen-year-olds to join. He had still been in training, but he’d begged to go, and Gryphon—his mentor— didn’t have the heart to turn him down.   

 “Will he live?” she asked, kneading the dough again.   

“I … ” Gryphon cleared his constricting throat, thinking of the dirty Nameless girl they’d let work on Joshua in the cave.   

 “I don’t think he will.”

 

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 your chance to win!

The book will be sent upon its release.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

Blog Tour- POISON STUDY by Maria V. Snyder an Exclusive Excerpt and A Giveaway!

I am so excited to be hosting a spot on the POISON STUDY 10 Year Anniversary blog tour I am freaking OBSESSED with this series! I have an exclusive excerpt from Valek's POV (Chapter 1 of POISON STUDY!!!) to share with you today! And make sure to enter the giveaway to win some very rare prizes!
Haven't heard of POISON STUDY? Check it out!

Title: POISON STUDY

Author: Maria V. Snyder

Release Date: October 1, 2005

Pages: 361

Publisher: Luna

Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook, audiobook

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

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 for the book:

Now on to chapter 1 from Valek's POV!

POISON STUDY

Chapter 1 – Valek’s POV

by: Maria V. Snyder

          The body hit the floor with a thud. After a few more convulsions, the man died with a final breathy exhale.

          Glancing up, the Commander put the file he'd been reading down onto his neat desk.  "What was wrong with this one, Valek?"

          "He'd grown sloppy and lazy. If only he'd taken his time, he wouldn't have died." Valek stood and grabbed the tray.  "I'll get you some fresh breakfast."

          "And train a new food taster. You'll have to take over the job until the next taster is ready. It's risky."

          "Only if you don't know what you're doing." Valek stepped over the body.

          "And have someone dispose of Oscar's body."

          "It's Oscove...or it was."

          "Just get it done."

          "Yes, sir."

          "And don't play around with the next guy. Train him quick."

          Valek paused at the threshold. "Her. The next person scheduled for execution is female."

          "The one who murdered General Brazell's son?" The Commander's voice held a weary indulgence. "You just can't leave that one alone. Can you?"

          "There's more going on with her and I need to find out what it is."

          "Brazell won't be happy."

          "I'm counting on that." 

          "Just make sure it doesn’t affect my meetings with him."

          "Yes, sir." Valek wove through the maze of desks and clusters of officers in the throne room. But his thoughts were on the prisoner who was going to be offered the choice—execution or become the Commander's new food taster.

          Only two people have chosen the noose since the Commander had taken over the Territory of Ixia fifteen years ago. Both had been loyal to the assassinated King of Ixia and chose death over working for the Commander. The rest had hoped to escape and, when they learned it was impossible, turned corrupt or lazy or both. Oscove had been selling secrets to their enemies, which Valek as the Chief of Security for Ixia tolerated until the risks outweighed the benefits.

          Valek brought the Commander a clean plate of eggs then he arranged for the removal of Oscove's body before sending an agent to fetch the next prisoner on death row. Returning to his office, he cleared the files off the extra chair and settled at his desk. A breeze blew from the open window behind him and mid-morning sunlight warmed his back—the one perk of wearing an all-black uniform—otherwise it was bloody hot.

          Opening a dossier, he scanned the information on the prisoner. Yelena had been in the dungeon for almost a year. She was eighteen years old when she slit Reyad's throat with a knife, killing him. Valek noted that Reyad had been found on the bed in his room. The sheets soaked with his blood. The most obvious explanation—rape didn't quite fit. For one, she admitted to the murder, but didn't say why she killed him. Not that it mattered why to the Commander. He didn't tolerate homicide from the citizens of Ixia. Self-defense, accident, or pre-meditated—they all resulted in the same sentence. Death.

          But it irked Valek. He wanted...no he needed an explanation. She had been one of Brazell's orphans. Raised with others who lost their parents, educated and doted on—if he believed the snide comments from the other Ixian generals. Why would she repay his kindness and generosity by murdering his only son? Something strange was going on with Reyad and perhaps Brazell as well. Valek hoped to find out.

          Before Yelena arrived, Valek decided to downplay his interest in the circumstances surrounding her incarceration—act as if he didn't care as long as she performed her job.

          A light tap on his door announced the arrival of two dungeon guards, escorting the prisoner. They approached his desk. As Yelena scanned his office, Valek studied the sorry sight in front of him. Coated with muck, bleeding from various scrapes, wearing a tattered prison gown, the poor thing strained to remain upright under the weight of the chains hanging about her. The acrid dungeon stench wafting off her polluted the air. He hadn’t expected her to be so…bedraggled and pathetic. She wouldn’t survive the first test.

          Valek met her gaze. An icy calm stared back at him—almost as if challenging him.  Interesting. 

“A woman? The next prisoner to be executed is a woman?” He used his most severe tone while pretending to be surprised.

The poor thing quivered and Valek felt a pang of guilt for being so harsh. Softening his voice, he said, “I should have taken the time to reread your dossier.”  Valek discharged the guards with a wave. “You’re dismissed.” After they left, he motioned for Yelena to sit down on the chair before she fell over. 

Her chains jangled when she sat. 

He flipped open her file and feigned reading the information. “Yelena, today may be your lucky day.” Valek spotted a brief flare of anger before she bowed her head. She probably thought he referred to her impending execution. He had various reactions to that comment from the other food tasters. Most raged at him, thinking they had nothing left to lose. A couple picked up on the “may be” and allowed a glimmer of hope to show through.  

“Well behaved and respectful. You’re starting to look like a good candidate,” he said, trying to goad her into a response.

Still avoiding his gaze, she studied the items on his desk instead of reacting to his comment.

He switched tactics. “You’ve been tried and found guilty of murdering General Brazell’s only son, Reyad.” Valek paused and stoked his temple as if suddenly making a realization.  “That explains why Brazell’s here this week, and why he has been unusually interested in the execution schedule.”

Finally, the woman reacted, but not quite as expected. There was fear. However her body stiffened in…determination. Would she try to plead for her life?

“I suppose you’re going to protest the conviction. Say you were framed or you killed out of self-defense.” Valek leaned back, waiting.

“No, sir.” Her voice rasped. “I killed him.”

Completely surprised, he straightened. He didn’t know whether to be impressed or disappointed she didn’t try to explain her actions. Either way, she managed to amaze him—something only a few people have done. Valek laughed. “This may work out better than I’d planned. Yelena, I’m offering you a choice. You can either be executed, or you can be Commander Ambrose’s new food taster. His last taster died recently, and we need to fill the position.”

Yelena stared at him in shock. “A fool would refuse the job.”

“Well, it’s a lifetime position. The training can be lethal. After all, how can you identify poisons in the Commander’s food if you don’t know what they taste like?” Valek paused to let the information sink in and to see if she’d jump in with questions. When she didn’t, he continued, “You’ll get a room in the castle to sleep, but most of the day you’ll be with the Commander. No days off. No husband or children. Some prisoners have chosen execution instead. At least then they know exactly when they’re going to die, rather than guessing if it’s going to come with the next bite.” He snapped his teeth together for effect.

Valek knew her thoughts were whirling by the way she trembled.

“Who tastes the Commander’s food now?” she asked.

Interesting question. Was she still stunned or was she smarter than he thought? “I do. So I’m anxious to find a replacement. Also the Code of Behavior states that someone whose life is forfeit must be offered the job.”

Yelena stood as if unable to keep still. She dragged her chains with her as she explored his office. Valek wondered what she was thinking. He hoped she’d take the position.

She faced him, and he asked, “What shall I tell the executioner?”

“I am not a fool.”

No she wasn’t. Not all all. Valek suppressed a grin, getting to know her was going to be an enjoyable challenge.

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:

10 winners to match 10 years!

Grand Prize is a signed hardcover first edition of Poison Study and Magic Study (both books).

First Place a signed hardcover first edition of Poison Study

5 winners will get a signed cover flat of the original cover of Poison Study

3 winners will get a signed original bookmark for Poison Study

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Check out the Tour Schedule!

Week One:

9/28/2015-Magical Urban Fantasy Reads- Scavenger Hunt

9/29/2015- a GREAT read- Scavenger Hunt

9/30/2015- Seeing Double In Neverland- Scavenger Hunt

10/1/2015- Two Chicks on Books- Guest Post

10/2/2015- Alice Marvels- Scavenger Hunt

Week Two:

10/5/2015- Fiktshun- Scavenger Hunt

10/6/2015- Read Now Sleep Later- Scavenger Hunt

10/7/2015- Mundie Moms- Guest Post

10/8/2015- Tales of the Ravenous Reader- Scavenger Hunt

10/9/2015- Parajunkee- Scavenger Hunt

POISON STUDY Read Along Reminder and A Giveaway!

Hey Everyone!

Just wanted to remind everyone that the POISON STUDY Read along starts TODAY!

If you didn’t see our first post go HERE for the complete breakdown but here’s a quick recap.

Here are your hosts for the read-along!

Two Chicks on Books

Fiktshun

Parajunkee

Mundie Moms

Read Now Sleep Later

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:

Giveaway Details:

10 winners to match 10 years!

Grand Prize is a signed hardcover first edition of Poison Study and Magic Study (both books).

First Place a signed hardcover first edition of Poison Study

5 winners will get a signed cover flat of the original cover of Poison Study

3 winners will get a signed original bookmark for Poison Study

a Rafflecopter giveaway