Curling Up With A Good Book: Rockstar Book Tours Blog Tour, Excerpt & Giveaway: The Black Key (Amy Ewing)

Title: THE BLACK KEY
Author: Amy Ewing
Pub. Date: October 4, 2016
Publisher: HarperTeen

Pages: 304
Formats: Hardcover, eBook

For too long, Violet and the people of the outer circles of the Lone City have lived in service to the royalty of the Jewel. But now the secret society known as the Black Key is preparing to seize power.
And while Violet knows she is at the center of this rebellion, she has a more personal stake in it—her sister, Hazel, has been taken by the Duchess of the Lake. Now, after fighting so hard to escape the Jewel, Violet must do everything in her power to return to save not only Hazel, but the future of the Lone City.

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Title: THE WHITE ROSE
Author: Amy Ewing
Release Date: October 6, 2015
Pages: 320
Publisher: HarperTeen
Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook

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Violet is on the run. After the Duchess of the Lake catches Violet with Ash, the hired companion at the Palace of the Lake, Violet has no choice but to escape the Jewel or face certain death. So along with Ash and her best friend, Raven, Violet runs away from her unbearable life of servitude.
But no one said leaving the Jewel would be easy. As they make their way through the circles of the Lone City, Regimentals track their every move, and the trio barely manages to make it out unscathed and into the safe haven they were promised—a mysterious house in the Farm.
But there’s a rebellion brewing, and Violet has found herself in the middle of it. Alongside a new ally, Violet discovers her Auguries are much more powerful than she ever imagined. But is she strong enough to rise up against the Jewel and everything she has ever known?
The White Rose is a raw, captivating sequel to The Jewel that fans won’t be able to put down until the final shocking moments.

Title: THE JEWEL
Author: Amy Ewing
Release Date: September 2, 2014
Pages: 358
Publisher: HarperTeen
Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook, audiobook

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The Jewel means wealth. The Jewel means beauty. The Jewel means royalty. But for girls like Violet, the Jewel means servitude. Not just any kind of servitude. Violet, born and raised in the Marsh, has been trained as a surrogate for the royalty—because in the Jewel the only thing more important than opulence is offspring.
Purchased at the surrogacy auction by the Duchess of the Lake and greeted with a slap to the face, Violet (now known only as #197) quickly learns of the brutal truths that lie beneath the Jewel’s glittering facade: the cruelty, backstabbing, and hidden violence that have become the royal way of life.
Violet must accept the ugly realities of her existence... and try to stay alive. But then a forbidden romance erupts between Violet and a handsome gentleman hired as a companion to the Duchess’s petulant niece. Though his presence makes life in the Jewel a bit brighter, the consequences of their illicit relationship will cost them both more than they bargained for.

Book Trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61vzkhFVKuM

Amy Ewing earned her MFA in Writing for Children at The New School and received her BFA at New York University. The Jewel started off as a thesis project and became her debut novel. She lives in New York City. You can visit Amy online at www.amyewingbooks.com or on Twitter @AmyEwingBooks.

Website | Twitter |Facebook | Blog | Goodreads

“What do you think Bellstar is like?” Olive asks. “I wish there were pictures.”

“It must have been very wealthy,” I say. “They built hundreds of ships to find this island.”

“What happened to them?”

“The people?”

“The ships.”

I trace my fingers over the faded letters on the page. “I don’t know,” I murmur.

Suddenly, the arcana buzzes in my hair. I’ve long revealed the secret of the arcana to the other girls—it was too difficult to hide it after a while. I pull it out now and the silver tuning fork floats a foot away from my face.

“Hello?” I say. Raven perks up. We never know if it will be Lucien or Garnet on the other end.

“Well?” Lucien’s voice is tense. “How did it go?”

I smile. “It was fine. The usual. That’s all of Southgate down. Just three more holding facilities left.”

“With only about a month to go until the big day.”

My stomach squeezes in nervous anticipation. My thoughts fly to my sister again. A month is such a long time.

Hold on just a little longer, Hazel. I’m coming.

“How is the Jewel?” I ask, which is pretty much always code for, How is Hazel? So when Lucien begins to ramble, I’m immediately on edge.

“Insane, as it always is when the Auction approaches,” he says. “Of course, it’s worse this year, since the lower circles are in such turmoil. But you’d think the royalty don’t read the papers. The Lady of the Hail can’t stop boasting about her Auction night dinner—it sounds like she’s preparing twenty courses, if you believe her, which I don’t. She’s sent the Electress a hundred invites. And now I have to oversee a shipment from the House of the Flame. Spiced meats, some saffron, and fresh cream from their dairies in the Farm. It’s due to arrive tomorrow. As if saffron is something I need to be worried about right now. Meanwhile, there have been three more arrests in the Bank—one was quite a close call, I thought they’d captured one of my associates—and another bomb went off in the Smoke, which I certainly didn’t sanction—it was poorly made and full of shrapnel so that quarter is being levied with food restrictions. Even the Regimentals are feeling the pinch. And meanwhile—”

“How’s my sister?” I interrupt.

He pauses. My heart stops as he doesn’t say anything.

“Lucien,” I say, “what is happening?”