Waiting on Wednesday: Fire & Flood

Waiting by Wednesday is a meme hosted by Breaking the Spine!
This post highlights a book that I am dying to be released!!

THIS WEEK I'M WAITING ON:
 

Fire & Flood
By Victoria Scott


A modern day thrill ride, where a teen girl and her animal companion must participate in a breathtaking race to save her brother's life—and her own.

Tella Holloway is losing it. Her brother is sick, and when a dozen doctors can't determine what's wrong, her parents decide to move to Montana for the fresh air. She's lost her friends, her parents are driving her crazy, her brother is dying—and she's helpless to change anything.

Until she receives mysterious instructions on how to become a Contender in the Brimstone Bleed. It's an epic race across jungle, desert, ocean, and mountain that could win her the prize she desperately desires: the Cure for her brother's illness. But all the Contenders are after the Cure for people they love, and there's no guarantee that Tella (or any of them) will survive the race.

The jungle is terrifying, the clock is ticking, and Tella knows she can't trust the allies she makes. And one big question emerges: Why have so many fallen sick in the first place?
RELEASE DATE: February 25th, 2014
Why I'm Waiting: Animal Companion... BAM! That is all I see when I read this summary. I NEED IT NOW! Plus, look at the pretty cover!!!

What are YOU waiting for?

Top Ten Worlds I don't want to live in

Top Ten Tuesdays is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish!

THIS WEEK'S TOPIC IS:

Top Ten Worlds I don't want to Live in...



1.) Awaken by Katie Kacvinsky~ Awaken is set in a world that is completely digital. People don't interact often and if they do it's with apprehension. I could not handle this! I like being outside and although I don't always love people becoming a recluse is not high on my list of things to do. This would be a world that I would not EVER want to live in!

2.) Arclight by Josin L. McQuein~ Guys... I'm afraid of the dark... This is a dark world... I would not be able to handle this...

3.) Cassie Scot: ParaNormal Detective~ Most likely if I lived in a world filled with witches and warlocks and people who took words and actions so seriously, I would end up dead... or maybe I would end up in a swamp, or something similarly awful...

4.) Deviants by Maureen McGowan~  I don't do heat, I don't do sand, and I do NOT do dust...

5.) Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein~ World War Two was so terrible and I don't think I would be able to handle it at all! Plus OMG, that BOOK! It kills me every time...

6.) Innocent Darkness by Suzanne Lazear~ The thought of Aether and destruction and getting caught in a fairy realm is just plain old creepy!

7.) The Always War by Margaret Peterson Haddix~ Thinking of war and thinking I might die or that one of my friends might be injured would seriously cause me problems.

8.) Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris~ A countdown device and parallel universes colliding... I would be so afraid... like sooooo afraid...

9.) Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis~ Protecting things? So not my thing... I am a free spirit!

10.) Ashes, Ashes by Jo Treggiari~ Viruses, vaccines, and dogs, oh my! I would not want to trade places with Lucy, the main character, for anything!

11.) Outside by Shalini Boland~ So I can live in a enclosed area here.. that is "safe"? No thanks! I like my freedom even if it's a bit dangerous out there.

12.) Incarceron by Catherine Fisher~ Ugh... Prison and fancy dresses... blah.... Great book, but so not a world I'd ever want to live in!

What are worlds you don't want to live in?

Waitning on Wednesday: Stone of Destiny

Waiting by Wednesday is a meme hosted by Breaking the Spine!
This post highlights a book that I am dying to be released!!

THIS WEEK I'M WAITING ON:
Stone of Destiny
By Laura Howard





Allison thought it was crazy enough when she found out her father, Liam, wasn't entirely human. But now she has to join his magical allies to unravel his former mistress's plans. Aoife wants to keep Allison's parents apart forever.

Despite Allison's efforts to keep Ethan, the only guy she's ever cared about, out of this supernatural mess, fate keeps throwing him back into the mix.

Will Allison be able to find the amulet that holds the enchantment Aoife placed on Liam and destroy it? Are Ethan' s feelings for Allison strong enough to endure the magic of the Tuatha De Danaan?

RELEASE DATE: February 28th, 2014
Why I'm waiting: I loved the first book and can't wait to see what happens in this next installment! 

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR???

A Mini Hiatus, because yeah... It's that time of the year...

So I don't know if you've noticed by my posting this past month has fallen... a lot. And there are a lot of reasons.  One being the rapidly approaching horror you may all know as midterms. YUCK! So that's one of my main reasons, I guess... Also just some personal other stuff.

But there is another reason.

For the past month or so I haven't felt quite satisfied with my blog. I haven't been liking the design. I haven't been able to think of any good post topics, I haven't wanted to write any reviews... so I just haven't.

And then I started getting more and more spam comments about living green... and it's been a drag.

When I started my blog I created everything from the title to the original design (it has since changed) in a spam of an hour. I didn't put a lot of thought into the name, or anything else really. And it's been bothering me. I'm to the point where I need change.

So for the past 24 hours (that's a long time of consideration for me) I've been thinking about how I plan to change this.

And I've come up with a solution, I'm going to revamp my blog, in every way possible. I'm going to change the name, (I have something in mind now) and I'm going to complete redesign the entire thing...

This was actually something I put a lot of thought into (shockingly, have I mentioned my impulsiveness yet?) and I'm really nervous about it. I already am a fairly established blog... I mean definitely not super established, but I have a couple hundred followers, I think there are some people out there who know my url... and the thought that maybe I'll lose people because of that is kind of scary.

But that's the thing. I'm not happy with my blog, and my happiness is the thing I care most about. I want to be satisfied with what I'm doing so I'm making the choice to change everything... And I really think that's the right choice for me...

Thus, until further notice I'll be on a hiatus, taking midterms and working to change the world my blog.

Although I think I have some prescheduled posts going up... so YAY maybe you'll see those!

(Also by the way, any hints to changing my url on bloglovin'?)

Chasing Forever Down: Interview with Nikki Godwin

Title: Chasing Forever Down
Author: Nikki Godwin
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Series: Drenaline Surf #1
Blog tour Schedule

Today I have the pleasure of interviewing Nikki Godwin about her book, Chasing Forever Down.
Not only is she beyong amazing, the book is too! And I was so happy to get to ask her some of my burning questions!

Below my questions are in black, while her answers are in blue, but first here's a bit about the book!

After seventeen-year-old Haley Sullivan meets a mysterious stranger who plays by his own rules, she's more than determined to learn every trick of the trade from the master himself. But her dream-chasing mentor disappears after that night, and according to the local newspapers, he's been dead for years. Knowing he's very much alive, Haley enlists best friend Linzi to join her on a scavenger-hunt-style road trip that ultimately lands them in the surf town of Crescent Cove, California. Mystery guy is no mystery here, though – he's Colby Taylor, the west coast's biggest professional surfer. 

If Haley wants to talk to the wave rider again, she'll have to get past his four intimidating bodyguards who are highly skilled in the business of sending starstruck fangirls back to where they belong. Haley is up for the challenge if it means chasing her dreams and escaping the perfectly corporate future that's been planned for her. But dealing with these bodyguards isn't exactly what Haley imagined it'd be. Sure, being thrown off a jet ski sucks, but falling in love with one of them might just be worse.

1.) What was it that made you want to write a book about surfing?Honestly, I'd never really read anything about surfing or set in surf towns around surf culture, and I knew it wasn't a big thing in YA books. I wasn't sure how it'd turn out, but I like to be different. I wanted to give it a try, and I fell in love with the sport/culture. Also, living in Mississippi, far away from any ocean or good waves, it really is a personal escape for me.

2.) So… This next question is extremely important. What made you decide to make lime green the color of Drenaline Surf as well as Haley’s favorite color? I've always seen Haley liking bright colors. Orange is my favorite, so I wanted her to have something different. Pink was more fitting for her BFF Linzi. Lime green just felt like a Haley color to me. Plus it's just a great color in general. It feels beachy.

3.) When writing Chasing Forever Down did you already know exactly how it was going to end and who Haley would end up with? Or did you come to it as you wrote it all?
Honestly, in the original outline, this was going to be a romance between Haley & Colby Taylor. Halfway through writing the book, I just wasn't feeling it. I absolutely hate forcing something in a book that doesn't feel natural, so I went back, deleted all romantic elements, revamped what I had written, and re-plotted. I'd always known in the back of my mind that she'd end up with who she ended up with, at least for book 1. ;)

4.) Out of every character in the book, who was your favorite to write? Was there any that stuck out for you? Or any that you would consider giving a spin off novel to?
A.J. Gonzalez was my favorite to write. He's a character who had been in my head for a very long time, and he was just waiting for the right book to work his way into. I was so crazy excited to get to his chapter and introduce him during the writing process. As far as spin offs go, I only have one spin off in my plans as of right now. It's technically a stand-alone NA novel, but it's set in the surf world, so obviously Drenaline Surf is part of it. Plus, the characters from it will be in the final DS book, but readers could read it or skip it - it won't make a difference to the DS plot line, aside from already knowing the characters when they show up.

5.) For the book, did you have to do a lot of research? Or did you have a lot of prior knowledge?

I knew absolutely nothing about surfing when I set out to write this book. I watched some YouTube clips, read up on surf lingo, and read about the history of surf culture. It never really felt like research because it was so fascinating. I didn't start following professional surfing until a few months after CFD was published.

6.) Chasing Forever Down was the first book you published, right? How did that feel? What was it like knowing that people were actually reading your book?
Yes, CFD was my debut, although a lot of people seem to think American Girl on Saturn was. CFD's release was a very different experience because I did zero promo (hence why I'm touring now). I was still learning the basics of formatting and uploading and all the technical stuff, so the book was pretty invisible to the world for a very long time. It was a bit disheartening to go through all that work and see the book just sit there, but after I got my first reader e-mail, I felt like it was worth it. Plus, sales have definitely increased since AGOS's release. I've had a lot of readers tell me they searched my name to see what else was out there and then loved CFD too, if not more.

7.) If you could be one character out of this book, who would it be and why?
Haley - We're a lot alike already. When my mom read CFD, she said that she could see a lot of my personality traits in Haley. I think it's hard not to let some of yourself into a character. BUT she is waaaay braver than me. I could've never pulled off the journey she did, and I definitely wouldn't have been brave enough to stand up to everyone like she did at that age. (And she gets to hang out with awesome people on the beach all the time - who wouldn't want to be her?)

8.) What was your favorite scene to write from Chasing Forever Down? Are there any that have really stuck with you?
My favorite scene is the "jet skiing with A.J." scene. I knew from the outline that this scene would be so much fun, and it definitely was. I love to reread chapter nine just because I love A.J.'s intro. The other scenes that stick with me are 1) the scene where Haley meets Miles and Topher for the first time and Topher pops up on the pool table, and 2) the scene where Haley says goodbye to A.J. and uses the line about The Wizard of Oz. That goodbye scene nearly killed me.

Purchase Links!

Amazon | B&N | Smashwords

Nikki Godwin is a Young Adult/New Adult author from the southern USA. She is a city girl who can't live without Mountain Dew, black eyeliner, Hawthorne Heights, and candles from Bath & Body Works. When not writing, she's not-so-secretly internet-stalking her favorite bands. She may or may not completely love One Direction.

Blog: http://nikkigodwin.blogspot.com/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NikGodwin 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NikkiGodwinWrites

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Learning to Swim: Cover Reveal

Today is a momentous occasion for me. Why, you may ask. Because this is my first ever cover reveal! *squeal* I have always avoided cover reveals just because I'm not a big fan of surprises I don't like not knowing what the cover I'm signing up to reveal will look like. I don't want to feel the urge to lie and say a cover is beautiful, when I really think otherwise.

But the moment I read the summary of the book, I was super curious! And then, when I got the chance to participate in the reveal, I thought, why not!

And I am so glad I did! I won't keep you in suspense any longer. Here's the cover you all came to see!


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When Cora’s mother whisks the family away for the summer, Cora must decide between forging her future in the glimmering world of second homes where her parents belong, or getting lost in the bewitching world of the locals and the mystery surrounding a lonely old woman who claims to be a selkie creature—and who probably needs Cora more than anyone else.

Through the fantastical tales and anguished stories of the batty Mrs. O’Leary, as well as the company of a particularly gorgeous local boy called Ronan, Cora finds an escape from the reality of planning her life after high school. But will it come at the cost of alienating Cora’s mother, who struggles with her own tragic memories?

As the summer wanes, it becomes apparent that Ronan just may hold the answer to Mrs. O’Leary’s tragic past—and Cora’s future.

SincerelyAnnie.com

Twitter.com/AnnieCosby

Facebook.com/authorAnnieCosby

Goodreads.com/AnnieCosby

So what do you think of the cover? Are you as excited for the book as I am?