Feiwel & Friends Blog Tour, Guest Post, & Giveaway: Circle of Jinn (Lori Goldstein)

Hardcover, 400 pages
Expected publication: May 17th 2016 by Feiwel and Friends

Being Jinn is Azra’s new reality. As she grants wishes under the watchful eye of the Afrit council, she remains torn between her two worlds—human and Jinn. Soon, secrets spill. Zars are broken. Humans become pawns. And rumors of an uprising become real as the Afrit’s reach extends beyond the underground world of Janna.
Straddling the line becomes impossible. Aware of her unique abilities, Azra must not just face but embrace her destiny. But when the role she must play and those she must protect expand to include a circle of Jinn greater than her own, Azra will be forced to risk everything. A risk that means there’s everything to lose, and at the same time, everything to gain—for herself and her entire Jinn race.
In this dramatic sequel to Becoming Jinn, Azra’s story comes to a heartfelt and thrilling conclusion. 

Amazon * B & N  * Indigo 

Lori Goldstein was born into an Italian-Irish family and raised in a small town on the New Jersey shore. She earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism from Lehigh University and worked as a writer, editor, and graphic designer before becoming a full-time author. She currently lives and writes outside of Boston. Lori is the author of the young adult contemporary fantasy series Becoming Jinn (Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan, April 21, 2015, sequel, Circle of Jinn, May 17, 2016). You can check out her editorial services here and visit her online at www.lorigoldsteinbooks.com.

 What scene in the book are you most proud of, and why?

Writing with humor comes naturally to me. It’s easy for me to make a play on words, create a silly pun, or have a running joke. I have a sarcastic side that I fully admit to drawing on when writing, especially when writing my main character in the BECOMING JINN series, Azra.

In BECOMING JINN, one of the things I had to do was learn to harness this tendency to infuse humor in the more serious and emotional scenes. Deflecting with humor is a defense mechanism for both myself and for Azra, but even so, there are times when cracking a joke adds to the scene and times when it detracts. Reining this in is one of the things I worked on while writing book one.

Which is why the scene I’m most proud of in CIRCLE OF JINN is an extremely emotional one. Writing it should have been hard for me and outside my comfort zone, but I think it shows my growth as a writer as well as being conscious of my strengths and weaknesses that writing this scene actually came quite easily to me. 

The scene I’m referring to is one at the end of CIRCLE OF JINN between Henry and Azra. In the writing, I put everything on the table—expect for the jokes. Emotions rule, and it had me bawling while I wrote it, while I revised it, and just about each time I re-read it. It’s strong and powerful and gets to the heart of who these characters are, what they mean to each other, and what they are both willing to sacrifice for everyone they care about. It’s the culmination of all they’ve been through together and highlights the uncertainty of what’s to come. 

So it’s not just my growth as a writer that makes me proud of this scene, it’s what the scene represents for these characters, the story arc, and the theme of both books. It’s what I’ve been building to since the first “A hammer, a chisel, a wrench” line of BECOMING JINN. It might be my favorite scene of the entire series, but that’s all I can say because it’s a major spoiler!

PREORDER GIVEAWAY!

The sequel to BECOMING JINN, which VOYA Magazine named one of the Best Science, Fiction, Fantasy or Horror of 2015 in a starred review, releases on May 17, 2016.

Advance praise for CIRCLE OF JINN from Booklist says “book two takes a sharp turn into high fantasy . . . Romance and wish granting take a backseat to friendship, political intrigue, and Azra’s maturation and ongoing discovery of her heritage. Fans of the first book should be satisfied by this conclusion.” 

Preorder or buy a new copy of CIRCLE OF JINN by May 27, 2016, and you’ll automatically become a genie* yourself!

Every preorder, including signed preorders from Lori’s local indie, Porter Square Books (both books available for signed orders), will be mailed a signed bookmark, signed bookplate, and metallic bracelet tattoos.

But wait, there’s more! You’ll also be entered into the grand giveaway to win one of the exact shiny silver bangles featured on the cover of both Becoming Jinn and Circle of Jinn. Details: http://www.lorigoldsteinbooks.com/2016/04/18/preorder-time/

* Swag includes temporary bracelet tattoos; the power to become a Jinn must already be inside you.

Waiting On Wednesday: Heartless (Marissa Meyer)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at 

Breaking the Spine

and spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Hardcover, 416 pages
Expected publication: November 8th 2016 by Feiwel and Friends

Long before she was the terror of Wonderland — the infamous Queen of Hearts — she was just a girl who wanted to fall in love.
Catherine may be one of the most desired girls in Wonderland, and a favorite of the yet-unmarried King of Hearts, but her interests lie elsewhere. A talented baker, all she wants is to open a shop with her best friend and supply the Kingdom of Hearts with delectable pastries and confections. But according to her mother, such a goal is unthinkable for the young woman who could be the next Queen.
At a royal ball where Cath is expected to receive the king's marriage proposal, she meets Jest, the handsome and mysterious court joker. For the first time, she feels the pull of true attraction. At the risk of offending the King and infuriating her parents, she and Jest enter into an intense, secret courtship.
Cath is determined to define her own destiny and fall in love on her terms. But in a land thriving with magic, madness, and monsters, fate has other plans.

What book are you looking forward to?

Waiting On Wednesday: Flawed (Cecelia Ahern)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at 

Breaking the Spine

and spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Hardcover, 368 pages
Expected publication: April 5th 2016 by Feiwel and Friends

The Scarlet Letter meets Divergent in this thoughtful and thrilling novel by bestselling author Cecelia Ahern.
Celestine North lives a perfect life. She's a model daughter and sister, she's well-liked by her classmates and teachers, and she's dating the impossibly charming Art Crevan.
But then Celestine encounters a situation where she makes an instinctive decision. She breaks a rule. And now faces life-changing repercussions.
She could be imprisoned. She could be branded. She could be found FLAWED.
In her breathtaking young adult debut, bestselling author Cecelia Ahern depicts a society where obedience is paramount and rebellion is punished. And where one young woman decides to take a stand that could cost her-everything...

What book are you looking forward to??

Feiwel & Friends ARC Review & Interview: The Detour (S.A. Boden)

Hardcover, 224 pages
Expected publication: October 6th 2015 by Feiwel & Friends

On her way to a writer’s conference, a bestselling teenage author takes a detour that has been deliberately set up by her biggest fans—a mother and daughter who kidnap her.
Livvy Flynn is a big deal—she’s a New York Times-bestselling author whose YA fiction has sold all over the world. She’s rich, she’s famous, she’s gorgeous, and she’s full of herself.
When she’s invited to an A-list writer’s conference, she decides to accept so she can have some time to herself. She’s on a tight deadline for her next book, and she has no intention of socializing with the other industry people at the conference.

And then she hits the detour. Before she knows it, her brand new car is wrecked, she’s hurt, and she’s tied to a bed in a nondescript shack in the middle of nowhere. A woman and her apparently manic daughter have kidnapped her. And they have no intention of letting her go. 

Pre-Order Links: 

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Indigo

Stephanie is the award-winning author of the Elizabeti's Doll series of picture books, as well as several others. Her young adult novels include the award-winning The Compound and The Raft, and her next YA The Detour releases October 2015. The first two volumes of her middle grade series, Shipwreck Island and Lost, are available now.

Website * Twitter * Facebook 

1. What gave you the inspiration to write this book? 

It was a combination of the state of social media, as well as a slew of young writers getting big book deals. I began to muse about the two and how they could intersect in a not-so-nice way…

2. Who is your favorite character in the book? 

Although she scares me, I rather like Flute Girl.

3. Which came first, the title or the novel? 

Title.

4. What scene in the book are you most proud of, and why?

 I would give away too much of the story if I answered this…

5. Thinking way back to the beginning, what’s the most important thing you've learned as a writer from then to now?

 Nothing about this business is in my control: Will a publisher buy my manuscript? Will anyone read my book? Will they like it? How many copies will sell? etc. The only thing under my control is whether or not I write today. So I write. 

6. What do you like most about the cover of the book? 

The curtain on the concrete is so creepy to me. Like a window to nowhere…

7. What new release book are you looking most forward to in 2015? 

I can’t wait to read The Fall by James Preller.

8. What was your favorite book in 2014? 

Too hard to choose! I had so many faves. I’ll go with The Martian by Andy Weir. 

9. What’s up next for you? 

More YA. The next one comes out Fall 2016. And the third book of my Shipwreck Island middle grade series comes out in 2016 as well.

The Detour is about a young author, Livvy, who is headed to a writer's conference when she suddenly has a car accident and needs help. A woman and her young daughter show up at just the right time and Livvy thinks she has been rescued....little does she know..these so called "rescuers" have different intentions in mind....

"She picked up a stick about as thick as a good-sized snake and wielded it like a baseball bat, her fists tightened around it with none of the care she showered on her flute. And before my vision started swimming and I passed out, the last thing I saw was Flute Girl swinging the club straight at my head."

The Detour is a quick, creepy read that is full of tension and just the right amount of suspense. There was always something happening and the amount of mystery was perfect. 

  

How do this women and her daughter know Livvy? How do they know so much about her? What are their reasons behind kidnapping her?? Each twist in the book will have readers turning pages trying to see what will happen next. 

The Detour is the perfect book to get into the Halloween spirit...If you are looking for a quick yet suspenseful book then you should definitely check this out! I really enjoyed it!! 

**The quotes from this book have been taken from an Advanced Reading Copy and are subject to change when the final book is printed. Please refer to the final, finished copy for exact quotes!**

**I want to say Thank You to Feiwel & Friends  for the opportunity to review this book!!**

5 Star ARC Review: Shutter (Courtney Alameda)

Hardcover, 384 pages
Expected publication: February 3rd 2015
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Author: Courtney Alameda

Micheline Helsing is a tetrachromat—a girl who sees the auras of the undead in a prismatic spectrum. As one of the last descendants of the Van Helsing lineage, she has trained since childhood to destroy monsters both corporeal and spiritual: the corporeal undead go down by the bullet, the spiritual undead by the lens. With an analog SLR camera as her best weapon, Micheline exorcises ghosts by capturing their spiritual energy on film. She's aided by her crew: Oliver, a techno-whiz and the boy who developed her camera's technology; Jude, who can predict death; and Ryder, the boy Micheline has known and loved forever.
When a routine ghost hunt goes awry, Micheline and the boys are infected with a curse known as a soulchain. As the ghostly chains spread through their bodies, Micheline learns that if she doesn't exorcise her entity in seven days or less, she and her friends will die. Now pursued as a renegade agent by her monster-hunting father, Leonard Helsing, she must track and destroy an entity more powerful than anything she's faced before . . . or die trying.
Lock, stock, and lens, she’s in for one hell of a week.　 

Pre-Order Links:

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Kobo * Indigo 

Courtney Alameda's spent her entire career trying to con and cajole people into reading great books. A veteran of the big-box bookstore trenches, Courtney now works as a librarian for the prettiest library you've ever seen, where she spends her time ordering large stacks of YA books, doing readers' advisory, and dressing up as various mythical creatures for a variety of library events. 
Courtney has an affinity for brightly colored lipstick, urban exploration, cosplay, video games, and Twitter. If she's listening to music, it's usually Florence + the Machine, Marina and the Diamonds, Rodrigo y Gabriela, or Jason Graves. Her addiction to Dr. Pepper is legendary.

Courtney holds a B.A. in English Literature with an emphasis in Creative Writing from Brigham Young University. She is represented by the amazing and talented John M. Cusick of Greenhouse Literary. A Northern California native, she now resides in Utah with a legion of books and a tiny, five pound cat who possesses a giant personality.

Website * Facebook * Twitter 

"Horror has a new name. 

Introducing Courtney Alameda."

"CALL IT REAPER'S INSOMNIA, but the dead wouldn't let me sleep at night. Every time the sun went down, I swore I sensed them stirring, starving. 

Killing."

The first thing that drew me to want to read Shutter was the incredibly creepy cover of the book. I mean it is SERIOUSLY CREEPY. I am not even sure how to describe the creature that is portrayed. I can tell you that it is most likely an evil entity because nothing that looks like that could be anywhere remotely defined as good. 

In Shutter the characters live in a "future" world where ghosts and the supernatural are a common occurrence and there are even specially trained people who fight to keep the ghosts in the spirit world and away from humans. The main character is named Micheline Helsing. She is a tetrachromat--a girl who sees the auras of the undead in a prismatic spectrum. Micheline is a kick-ass heroine who uses her skills to locate and hunt down the supernatural and uses her camera to exorcise the ghosts and capture their spiritual energy on film.  Micheline is so strong and determined and yet so vulnerable. I love this about her character. This makes her seem so real and readers can really relate to her. 

Micheline works with a specific group of people that each have certain skills that help them to track down supernatural beings and send them back to where they belong. Oliver is a techo-whiz who also helped to create the camera that Micheline uses to capture the spirits, Jude can predict when death is about to occur by touching someone, and Ryder is the young man that Micheline has loved for as long as she has been alive. Together they make the perfect team to fight the supernatural and keep the balance between good and evil. 

While on one of their ghost hunts, Micheline encounters a truly evil spirit that refuses to enter the camera. This spirit places a curse on Micheline called "soulchain curse" that gives her and her companions seven days to defeat the spirit or they will die themselves. Micheline and her companions then begin a journey to discover the truth behind this curse and the mystery of why she and her friends were chosen for this curse.

I am completely and utterly obsessed with horror stories so I knew that I had to read Shutter. Everyone was raving about how intense and incredibly scary the entire book was.....WOW...Let me just tell you that EVERYONE WAS RIGHT....From the very first chapter to the very last chapter I had chills running up and down my spine...The descriptions that Courtney Alameda uses when she is writing about an encounter with a ghost are just so intense and makes you feel as though you are in the room experiencing everything the character is experiencing.. I WAS TOTALLY FREAKED OUT. 

"A scorpion.

Made of pressed-together corpses. It crawled on four sets mis-matched arms. Human legs fused together to make a stinger that curled over the necro's back--I'd never seen anything like it, not in anatomy class or Helsing's bestiaries or even in stories. Hyper necrotic mutations didn't generally involve corpses fusing together into one huge nightmare."

Another aspect that I really enjoyed was how Courtney Alameda references classic horror stories within the story. I won't give away which ones she references because that would take away from some pretty special moments......

Shutter is full of blood-chilling situations, evil -killer ghosts, death-defying suspense, and the answer to the mystery that no one will see coming.....

I would recommend Shutter to anyone who who reads horror, suspense, or mystery novels because this book has it all. It has some pretty graphic scenes at certain moments in the book so it is definitely not for the faint of heart....but this is what makes it so memorable...Courtney Alameda is absolutely going on my "Authors To Read in 2015" list....She entered the YA scene with this incredible debut novel and "hit it out of the  park." Shutter is one book that will stay with me for many, many nights to come....

**The quotes from this book have been taken from an Advanced Reading Copy and are subject to change when the final book is printed. Please refer to the final, finished copy for exact quotes!**

**I want to say Thank You to Feiwel & Friends for the opportunity to review this book!!**

5 Star ARC Children's Book Review: Naptime with Theo & Beau (Jessica Shyba) published by Feiwel & Friends/MacMillian

Hardcover, 40 pages
Expected publication: February 3rd 2015 

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Author: Jessica Shyba

It all started when a loving mother posted a few pictures of her son, Beau, and their new puppy, Theo, napping together on her popular blogMomma’s Gone City. But these pictures were so "unbearably adorable" (The Daily Mail) and "utterly charming" (The Huffington Post) that it quickly became much, much more. By faithfully recording and sharing what Good Morning America calls "the most mesmerizing naps ever caught on camera," Jessica Shyba and her family captured the hearts of people all over the world, and these beautiful images of friendship and trust have become an international viral sensation. 

Pre-Order Links:

Amazon *  Barnes & Noble * Indigo

I started this blog in May of 2009 as a way to keep in touch with family when we moved from the Bay Area of California to Manhattan. For four years, I wrote about our experiences in the big city while my husband attended dental school at NYU. We moved to Santa Cruz, California the summer after Justin graduated, and have been living here with our son Jack, our daughter Zoe, and our youngest Beau along with a feline named Charlie and a puppy we call Theo.
I’ve been able to run this blog as a business the last couple of years by publishing features and sponsored posts, though regardless of paid content, you can be absolutely sure that the opinions and ideas expressed herein are absolutely authentic. The beauty of this community is the opportunity to share my experiences and connect with all different types of people, and I feel so fortunate to be able to do that.
Please feel free to reach out to me, and know that if I don’t get back to you right away I will most certainly make the effort.
If you are interested in working or advertising with Momma’s Gone City, please contact me for rates and information.

- See more at: http://www.mommasgonecity.com/about/#sthash.Jz0coXUl.dpuf

Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Website 

To Each Other We Belong

What a beautiful, mesmerizing, and completely heart-warming story. I found myself just staring at all the beautiful pictures of this precious child and precious pup before I even started reading the book. The pictures alone tell a unique one-of-a-kind story and then when you turn the page there are these perfect little sentences that capture each picture perfectly. 

"The look on the puppy's face and the way he responded to the kids so quickly convinced us that we had met our newest family member. We decided to name him Theo....."

The readers learns that Theo is a rescue pup.... and that just goes to show you that calm, loving puppies do not necessarily have to be "bred" from expensive breeds. Jessica writes about this special pup and how he divides his time between all the children and basically knows each one's schedule and is there for them when they need him. This just warms my heart. Animals feel just as much as we do and this one special pup has found his place in the world in this precious family that is the Shyba's. 

I loved this book and loved how the mother portrays the closeness and the precious relationship between her beautiful son and his one-of-a-kind pup. Each picture is so special and shows so much of Theo's personality. I will have to say that my most favorite picture is the "Cheek-To-Cheek" one. How precious...

I really hope that Jessica Shyba continues to capture these two as they both grow and shares their journey with the world. Theo and Beau have a long life of fun, wild adventures ahead of them and I can't wait to follow their journey with them.... 

**The quotes from this book have been taken from an Advanced Reading Copy and are subject to change when the final book is printed. Please refer to the final, finished copy for exact quotes!**

**I want to say Thank You to Feiwel & Friends/MacMillian for the opportunity to review this book!!**

FFBC Blog Tour, 5 Star Review, & Signed Book Giveaway: Lailah (Nikki Kelly)

Click here for Tour Page & Schedule!!!

Lailah (The Styclar Saga #1)
by Nikki Kelly
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Release Date: October 7th 2014

Read some chapters on Wattpad
Rate: 5 STARS

The girl knows she’s different. She doesn’t age. She has no family. She has visions of a past life, but no clear clues as to what she is, or where she comes from. But there is a face in her dreams – a light that breaks through the darkness. She knows his name is Gabriel.
On her way home from work, the girl encounters an injured stranger whose name is Jonah. Soon, she will understand that Jonah belongs to a generation of Vampires that serve even darker forces. Jonah and the few like him, are fighting with help from an unlikely ally – a rogue Angel, named Gabriel.
In the crossfire between good and evil, love and hate, and life and death, the girl learns her name: Lailah. But when the lines between black and white begin to blur, where in the spectrum will she find her place? And with whom?
Gabriel and Jonah both want to protect her. But Lailah will have to fight her own battle to find out who she truly is.

In the crossfire between good and evil, love and hate, and life and death, the girl learns her name: Lailah. But when the lines between black and white begin to blur, where in the spectrum will she find her place? And with whom? 

I am not even sure where to start....This book was so amazing on so many levels. I have not really enjoyed a vampire novel since the Twilight series and have really been wanting to read one so when I saw this book on Goodreads...I thought I would give it a try...and I am beyond glad that I did!!!! Lailah surpassed my expectations and was a phenomenal book. 

Lailah knows she is different. She feels different and has visions of a past life. She has no family and no idea where she comes from. She lives day to day without knowing what to expect next. While going home one night she encounters a injured stranger named Jonah and little does she know but this will be the beginning of her destiny. Lailah helps Jonah and treats his wounds and while he is at her home..."others" like him track him down and attack her home.

Lailah and Jonah are rescued by a rogue group of people who help them escape. 
"I learned something very useful in the seconds that followed--a lesson once taught to me by Frederic, the first Vampire I'd ever encountered. It had slipped through the net in my panic.
Never turn your back on a murderous Vampire." 

At this point we meet Gabriel. Gabriel is an angel who has devoted his life to fight the evil vampires of the world and he has joined forces with Jonah (another rogue vampire) and his companions to fight the bigger evil that threatens the world. Lailah somehow knows that she is supposed to be a part of this war and she feels as though Gabriel has answers and is just not telling her. Lailah decides to join the group and they move to a secluded house in the wilderness while they figure out what steps to take next. 

Gabriel is by far my favorite character in the book. I am 100% Team Gabriel!!! He is portrayed as a dark, handsome and very "built" young man. My favorite characteristic of him is the way he is so protective over Lailah and his team. There are several hints throughout the book that make me think there is something more to Gabriel and his relationship with Lailah.....and I can't wait to find out the truth. 

Lailah is torn between Gabriel and Jonah throughout the book. They both want to protect her and she feels drawn to both of them but she can only be with one......

Jonah is a vampire but still has feelings for Lailah...He doesn't try to hide his affections even though he knows they can most likely never be together. I found myself feeling sorry for him and wanting him to be happy but I am still team Gabriel so....of course I want him and Lailah together. 

This book is so full of crippling secrets that will just completely take you by shock. I found myself just staring at the book in amazement. Every chapter there is something new and fascinating happening. I loved all the characters in the book. They all had something special about them that made you feel as though you were right there with them. This book is so full of action and suspense with the perfect amount of drama and romance mixed in. Lailah is a compelling, emotional, and fascinating read that you will stay up all night reading just to see what happens next....Nikki Kelly has risen to the top of my favorite authors list and I cannot wait to read future books from her. Lailah is easily one of my favorite books this year. If you love a good vampire story with plenty of suspense, drama, and romance then please check this book out!! I promise you that you will not be disappointed!! It...IS.....AMAZING!!!!!

"Lailah," he repeated. "I would never let inevitability dictate your happiness. Wherever your path is meant to lead, you deserve and you should command the choice to decide. In your decisions, inevitability doesn't rule you."

Follow the FFBC Lailah Blog Tour and don't miss anything! Click on the banner to see the tour schedule.

I was born and raised only minutes away from the chocolately scent of Cadbury World in Birmingham, England. So it will probably come as no surprise that when I'm not dreaming in Vampires & Angels, I dream in chocolate! For the past ten years I have lived in West London with my hubby and two dogs, Alfie - the Pug & Goose - the Chihuahua.
LAILAH is my debut novel, and first launched in serial form to wattpad, a readers & writers community. Within just 6months, LAILAH had over a million reads and thousands of comments and votes.
Since then, The Styclar Saga has gone on to pick up a traditional deal with Feiwel & Friends, and LAILAH, the first book in the series is due for release on October 7th 2014.
These days I spend my time balancing my amazing job of writing fantasy fiction, with my other, very important role of Chocolate Connoisseur. I like to multitask and do the two together. It makes me happy.

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