Guest Post with Kendare Blake, Author of Anna Dressed In Blood

In Which I get Serious

(For like five minutes and then I go back to being a dingus)

By

Kendare Blake

“The hard thing isn’t becoming a writer. It’s staying a writer.”

Look at that quote. Read that quote. Repeatedly. I know I did, back when I was hip deep in the “becoming” part. I can’t remember who said it, but I remember that it was a writer I admired, Harlan Ellison, maybe, and that for a time, it floated around a circle of writers that I really looked up to, as they lamented the business that is “Staying a Writer.”

I don’t mind telling you: I called BS. The hard part isn’t “becoming”? I wanted to shout. Really? All this writing and soul-searching, and revising and submitting and being politely or less politely rejected…this isn’t the hard part? Because if that’s true, then what. The. Frick.

I told myself then that I would never forget what it took to “become”, if ever I was lucky enough to see publication. I wouldn’t forget the nail-biting and the self-loathing and the fleeting triumph of finishing a project just to see it dashed against the rocks as not-quite-good-enough-not-what-we’re-looking-for.

And I haven’t. The sheaf of unpublished literary stories on my hard drive remind me. The spreadsheet tracking all the agencies and magazines I submitted to remind me. But here I am. Out of the becoming, and into the staying, and I find…that the staying isn’t easy either. Looking back at one of my old journal entries I told myself that if I had a book published I wouldn’t whine or moan no matter what happened. I’d only be grateful. And now I get to call BS on myself.

That’s not to say I’m not grateful. Of course I am. It’s magical and wonderful and blah blah blah to the moon and back. But there’s struggle and strife and drama of Southern Belle proportions (vespers, I think they call it vespers) in my future, and that’s just the human condition. Because I know now what those writers meant. It’s hard at every turn. At every stage. But it’s also fan-fricking-tastic at every turn and every stage.

If I were to give advice (and I hate to give advice, what the heck do I know) it would be that if you are travelling a similar worn road, SAVOR every triumph. But don’t forget to glance back once in a while, to remember what it took you to get there.

And returning to dingus mode in 5…4…3…

ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD BY KENDRA BLAKE

(August 30th 2011)

Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.

So did his father before him, until he was gruesomely murdered by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father's mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.

When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn't expect anything outside of the ordinary: track, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he's never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, now stained red and dripping with blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.

But she, for whatever reason, spares Cas's life.

Author Bio: Kendare Blake is an import from South Korea who was raised in the United States by caucasian parents. You know, that old chestnut. She received a Bachelor's degree in Business from Ithaca College and a Master's degree in Writing from Middlesex University in London. She brakes for animals, the largest of which was a deer, which sadly didn't make it, and the smallest of which was a mouse, which did, but it took forever. Amongst her likes are Greek Mythology, rare red meat and veganism. She also enjoys girls who can think with the boys like Ayn Rand, and boys who scare the morality into people, like Bret Easton Ellis.Official Website

Character This or That Picks: The Revenant by Sonia Gensler

 

Boarding School or Public School?
Boarding schools can be a challenge, what with the wealthy snobs you often encounter, but I would much prefer to board than to attend a day school that requires me to go home at night.

Horseback or carriage?
I never learned how to ride, so it’s a carriage for me. Riding the train is best, however – if one can afford it.

Hair up or down?
In the Oklahoma wind, I’d have to say hair up – with a considerable number of pins to hold it in place!
 
Reading or writing?
Reading! I’ve never been good at expressing myself in writing – never really realized how bad I was until it came time to mark essays.

Gowns or simple dresses?
All I have are simple dresses. It would be marvelous to have a gown that was made just for me.

Small towns or bustling cities?
I’ve never seen a bustling city, but I think it would be grand to visit one. I’m certain I’d find good theater there. I’d love nothing better than to see a Shakespeare play with professional actors and a decent costume budget.

Family or friends?
Friends, please. Especially ones like Olivia Adair. Since Papa died, I do my best to avoid family. That’s not something a proper young lady should say, I know, but I just can’t be myself around my family.

Dancing or singing?
I’m no singer. And technically we’re not allowed to dance at the seminary – not with boys, anyway – but I do love to watch the younger girls dance. They put on secret performances on the third floor, and I’ll certainly never tell on them!

Staying home or going on an adventure?
Adventure, always! At home it’s all drudgery.

The Revenant by Sonia Gensler
Publisher: Knopf Books
Release: June 14, 2011
Buy the Book: Amazon

About the Book:

When Willie arrives in Indian Territory, she knows only one thing: no one can find out who she really is. To escape a home she doesn't belong in anymore, she assumes the name of a former classmate and accepts a teaching job at the Cherokee Female Seminary.

Nothing prepares her for what she finds there. Her pupils are the daughters of the Cherokee elite—educated and more wealthy than she, and the school is cloaked in mystery. A student drowned in the river last year, and the girls whisper that she was killed by a jealous lover. Willie's room is the very room the dead girl slept in. The students say her spirit haunts it.

Willie doesn't believe in ghosts, but when strange things start happening at the school, she isn't sure anymore. She's also not sure what to make of a boy from the nearby boys' school who has taken an interest in her—his past is cloaked in secrets. Soon, even she has to admit that the revenant may be trying to tell her something. . . Courtesy of Goodreads.com

About the Author:

Sonia Gensler is a former high school teacher turned full-time writer living in Oklahoma with my husband and cat. Her debut novel, THE REVENANT (Knopf 2011), is a ghostly mystery set at a Cherokee girls' school. 

Want to learn more?  Website & Goodreads

Interview with Scott Tracey, author of Witch Eyes and Giveaway

Welcome to today's tour stop on the Teen Book Scene's blog tour for Witch Eyes by Scott Tracey. We decided to change things up by having Scott answer my questions using lines from the book. See details below for your chance to win a copy of the book. Enjoy!

In Witch Eyes, Braden’s gift to see through spells and lies is both a gift and a painful burden. Can you describe an instance where having this gift would be the most terrifying and conversely, when it comes in the most handy?

Taking a shower with sunglasses, and keeping them from falling off, was a struggle....People did really nasty things in the bathroom, things that could scar an innocent boy like me.
------------
Our eyes met, and I saw through him. Trey unraveled in front of me, layers upon layers that peeled away like petals falling off a rose. I saw how deep loyalty ran within him, silver and gold threads that kept all the other parts together. I saw reflections and memories against diamond walls, decayed flowers that had been trampled underfoot, and icy winds of sarcasm that surrounded the core, the dark parts even he couldn’t see.

What are your favorite types of scenes to write (action, romance, etc) and can you share with us an example of one from your book?

“Hackers reference,” Drew supplied. “Angelina played this hot teenage hacker badass schoolgirl chick.”
“Didn’t we talk about you being offensive?” Riley said, actually sounding caustic for once.
“I could try harder, right?”

On your blog, you write about how 2011 is the “Year of the Witch”. What do you think it is about witch-themed novels that appeals to readers of Young Adult books?

Power. Greater than normal magic. Something far more severe. Deadly, but a beautiful kind of strength. I could do anything if I had that kind of power.

What is it that you love most about Braden’s character?

Had he known? Why else ask me that question? “That was the point of dinner, wasn’t it? Give Braden the magical roofie and watch him spill his guts."
“Was she wrong? My mother’s not stupid, Braden. She’s worried you might be a threat.”
“Of course I’m a threat, you idiot!”

What was the hardest aspect of building the world within your novel and how did you overcome it?

Lucien pressed another button, cutting her off. His eyes grew vacant and he glanced behind him, toward
the view over the city. “He does so enjoy unraveling my schedule.”

Which of your supporting characters would be perfect for a spin-off or novella and why?

“I’m Riley. Newspaper editor extraordinaire, fashion wunderkind, and resident expert on all things beautiful and damned.” She shook her wrist, settling the bracelets all to the bottom. “Belle? Dam? Get it?”
-------------------------
Lucien’s expression was inscrutable. “Your son finds himself a beau, and you invite him over for a playdate. How very modern of you.”

Demon Eyes is the second book in the series scheduled to release in 2012. Can you give us any hints or teasers as to what we can look forward to in the next installment?

“He wants the door unlocked. The door that no key should open,” I whispered.

Witch Eyes 

by Scott Tracey (September 8th 2011)

Braden was born with witch eyes: the ability to see the world as it truly is: a blinding explosion of memories, darkness, and magic. The power enables Braden to see through spells and lies, but at the cost of horrible pain.

After a terrifying vision reveals imminent danger for the uncle who raised and instructed him, Braden retreats to Belle Dam, an old city divided by two feuding witch dynasties. As rival family heads Catherine Lansing and Jason Thorpe desperately try to use Braden's powers to unlock Belle Dam's secrets, Braden vows never to become their sacrificial pawn. But everything changes when Braden learns that Jason is his father--and Trey, the enigmatic guy he's falling for, is Catherine's son.

To stop an insidious dark magic from consuming the town, Braden must master his gift—and risk losing the one he loves

Want to win a copy of Witch Eyes? Just leave a comment below along with your email address. Contest ends September 1, 2011. US/Canadian residents only. Must be 13 years or older to enter. Good luck!

Top Ten Ways to Spot a Draki by Sophie Jordan, Author of Firelight and Vanish!

Today I'd like to welcome Sophie Jordan, author of Firelight (quite possibly my favorite book of 2010). The sequel to Firelight, entitled Vanish, releases in just a couple of weeks on September 6th- Hurray! Sophie stopped by today to share with us an amusing guest post on her top ten ways to spot a draki. (For those of you who haven't read the book, a draki is a person with dragon ancestry and certain capabilities)

VANISH (FIRELIGHT #2) BY SOPHIE JORDAN

Sept. 6th 2011

To save the life of the boy she loves, Jacinda did the unthinkable: She betrayed the most closely-guarded secret of her kind. Now she must return to the protection of her pride knowing she might never see Will again—and worse, that because his mind has been shaded, Will’s memories of that fateful night and why she had to flee are gone.

Back home, Jacinda is greeted with hostility and must work to prove her loyalty for both her sake and her family’s. Among the few who will even talk to her are Cassian, the pride’s heir apparent who has always wanted her, and her sister, Tamra, who has been forever changed by a twist of fate. Jacinda knows that she should forget Will and move on—that if he managed to remember and keep his promise to find her, it would only endanger them both. Yet she clings to the hope that someday they will be together again. When the chance arrives to follow her heart, will she risk everything for love?

In bestselling author Sophie Jordan’s dramatic follow-up to Firelight, forbidden love burns brighter than ever.

 Top Ten Places to spot a Draki by Sophie Jordan

1)      In Jacinda’s pride, of course. Good luck finding it.

2)      In the night sky, if the climate is right.

3)      Um, wherever you find Will Rutledge.

4)      In a hunter’s net.

5)      In the clutches of the enkros.

6)      Snapshots can be found on several UFO sites. You didn’t think that was really a flying saucer, did you?

7)      Well, normally it wouldn’t be Chaparral... but these days, you better go ahead and look there.

8)      Wherever there is an unusual amount of mist/fog.

9)      According to Sophie Jordan’s husband … “In your face!” Yes, he’s forever a teenage boy at heart. ;)

10)   Maybe right next to you….they walk among us, after all.

Win a finished copy of Tout Sweet by Karen Wheeler!

How about a contest? For everyone that's ever dreamed of packing up and moving to a foreign country, here's the book for you-

TOUT SWEET  BY KAREN WHEELER
(August 1, 2011)


In her mid-thirties, fashion editor Karen has it all: a handsome boyfriend, a fab flat in west London, and an array of gorgeus shoes. But when her boyfriend, Eric, leaves she makes an unexpected decision: to hang up her Manolos and wave good-bye to her glamorous city lifestyle to go it alone in a run-down house in rural Poitou-Charentes, central western France.

Tout Sweet is the perfect read for anyone who dreams of chucking away their BlackBerry in favor of real blackberrying and downshifting to a romantic, alluring locale where new friendships–and new loves–are just some of the treasures to be found amongst life's simple pleasures.

.

Karen Wheeler is a British fashion and beauty journalist. She moved to France and began a blog about her experiences at www.toutsweet.net, written under the pseudonym of Mimi Pompom. Tout Sweet, a memoir, is her first book and is subtitled Hanging Up My High Heels for a New Life in Rural France. (Interview by Angela Smith)

CONTEST

TO ENTER to win, simply comment and leave your email address so I can contact you if you're the winner.

Contest is open to all entrants with a valid U.S. mailing address only.
Must be 13 years or older to enter. 

Ends Sept 1st 2011. Good Luck!

Blog Tour Stop: Win an ARC of Between by Jessica Warman!

Welcome to today's tour stop on Jessica Warman's blog tour for her new book Between which recently released. See below for details on how to win an ARC!

 

 BETWEEN 

BY JESSICA WARMAN

(August 2, 2011)

Elizabeth Valchar --- pretty, popular and rich --- wakes up the morning after her 18th birthday on the yacht where she’d been celebrating with her closest friends. A persistent thumping noise has roused her. When she goes to investigate, she finds her own drowned body is hitting the side of the boat. Liz is dead. She has no memory of what happened to her, and can only observe in horror the fallout of her death.

She’s also soon joined by Alex Berg, a quiet boy from her high school who was killed by a hit-and-run driver. The two keep each other company, floating in and out of memories and trying to piece together the details of what happened to each of them.

In her regular life, Liz was a runner. It wasn’t abnormal for her to run 8-10 miles per day. But as memories from closer to her death begin to surface, Liz finds that she’d been running much more than normal, and that she’d all but stopped eating. Liz’s mother, who died when Liz was nine, had battled with anorexia as well, and those around her worried that Liz was following in her mother’s footsteps. But something more sinister was consuming Liz from the inside out..

JESSICA WARMAN is also the author of Breathless, which received three starred reviews and was an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, and Where the Truth Lies. The idea for Between came from an incident in her childhood, when a local boy went missing after a party on a yacht (he was eventually found, alive). www.jessicawarman.com

 

To enter to win, just leave a comment with your email so I can contact you if you're the winner.

Contest is open to all entrants with a valid U.S. mailing address only. Must be 13 years or older to enter. 

Ends August 26th 2011. Good Luck!

Guest Post with Shelley Workinger, Author of Solid

Today I'd like to welcome Shelley Workinger, author of the YA paranormal series, Solid. Shelley stopped by today to discuss her favorite type of scenes to write. Take it away Shelley!

 

Shelley Workinger grew up in Maine, graduated from Loyola University New Orleans, currently resides in New Jersey, and considers all of them home.Official Website

My favorite scenes to write are without doubt the conversations – particularly the ones involving Garrett, because he totally cracks me up.

Yes, I know what you’re thinking: Since she’s writing those scenes, doesn’t that mean she cracks herself up?

And the answer is, “Sure not.” Let me tell you why.

I write in what I know most people see as a very unique way; essentially, I let the characters write the story. I “launch” a scene in my head, then take notes as they run with it. It’s like planning a dream (which I also do); I imagine a setting, then close my eyes to watch as it develops on its own. Unfortunately, also like dreaming, this method works best late at night, so I’m often up until the wee hours scribbling notes in the dark!

The characters of “Solid” just exist so clearly in my imagination that for me to “direct” them would almost be unnatural. They may be fictional, but they are strong, distinct personalities who can really only react one way to the situations I’ve created for them in order to stay consistent and believable. So I may know where the story’s going and how to roll out the plot, but I have to let them talk amongst themselves to pick up their dialogue along the way.

In case I really am sounding as bizarre as I think I might be, let me give you an example:

When know-it-all Miranda asks Garrett if he washed the banana he’s about to eat, he asks (in typical Garrett-fashion) “To get off what? Monkey pee?” and she immediately throws back, “Insecticides, fungicides, nematicides….” I didn’t even know all those words before the scene evolved, but Miranda had to.  Then Clio, who’s quick-witted and sarcastic but lets too many things fly out of her mouth without a filter thinks, “If [Miranda] didn’t lay off the ‘cides,’ she was going to end up a victim of friend-icide. And that was the best-case scenario.” Again, it was the response she had to have; I heard her voice in my head way before I had time to sit down and think, “Hmm, how would Clio react to that?”

So that’s the part of writing that’s funnest* for me; the moments when, if only for a second, I get to feel almost like a reader – like any other member of the audience enjoying the scene and not already thinking two chapters ahead. Every book is an adventure to experience, so why should I have to miss out on my own?

Writers are still readers at heart, after all. 

*Yes, I know “funnest” is not an officially recognized word, but I think it should be and so will continue to use it.

SOLID
BY SHELLEY WORKINGER
(July 9, 2010)


Eighteen years ago, a rogue Army doctor secretly experimented with a chromosomal drug on unknowing pregnant women. When he was killed not long after the children were born, any knowledge and evidence seemed to die with him - except for the living, breathing, human products of his work.

Almost two decades later, the newly self-proclaimed "open-book" military unearths the truth about the experiment, bringing Clio Kaid and the other affected teens to a state-of-the-art, isolated campus where they soon discover that C9x did indeed alter their chromosomes, its mutations presenting as super-human abilities. The military kids, who come from across the nation and all walks of life, come into their own as lighter-than-air 'athletes'; 'indies' as solid as stone walls; teens who can make themselves invisible and others who can blind with their brilliance.

While exploring her own special ability, forging new friendships and embarking on first love, Clio also stumbles onto information indicating that the military may not have been entirely forthcoming with them and that all may not be as it seems...

Fab Five Questions for Devon Ashley, Author of Ordained

1. In Ordained, Abby knows how to fight her way through demons, controlling the elements and setting things on fire with the flick of her wrist. Can you share with us a favorite line, scene or passage from the book? 

[Noel] returned with a glass of blue tonic water and tried to hand it to her. Her stomach growled and her face cringed. She didn’t need to smell the stuff to know she wouldn’t like it.

“No way am I touching that nasty potion,” she said boldly.

“I’ve changed the formula. I added vanilla to make it taste better.”

Abby accepted it but still eyed it reluctantly. Alcohol never sat well with her system. “How much vanilla?”
“Like I’d really load you up with enough alcohol to throw your balance off. Just drink the tonic, Abby. You’ll feel better quicker.”

She sipped the tonic. Her face puckered again. She gagged, covered her mouth and mumbled in disgust, “Oh my God!”

“I said it tasted better, not great.”

Abby continued to force the sour tonic down in sips. She could taste a hint of vanilla but the potion left a bitter aftertaste that was similar to vinegar. Her stomach gurgled and burned.

“Water,” she coughed after her last sip of tonic.

“No. You’ll dilute it,” Noel said firmly, relieving her of the glass.

Smartly, she rebutted, “Isn’t that what you’re supposed to do after drinking poison? Or is it throw up?”

2. What three words best describe Abby’s personality?

Stubborn, Sarcastic, Protective

3. Abby’s fellow friend and hunter Emily is important to the story. What is a day in the life of a hunter like Emily like?

Well, right now, Emily’s been forced to return to school and not allowed outside the manor’s protective borders (like that stops her), so she’s not really hunting. But that doesn’t mean life is any easier inside the manor, especially when a group of demons break through the magical enchantments that protect the school…

“And just out of curiosity, how many of these twelve did you two end up killing?” [Emily] glared at the Chancellor. Surprisingly, he didn’t back away from her eyes.

Abby hesitantly looked toward Noel. She could tell he didn’t like where this was going. He slowly and quietly raised three fingers. “Seven.”

“Seven?” she huffed. “Wow. Two of them, seven demons. Well, I’m glad the twenty of us could help you out with the other five,” she ranted sarcastically.

“All right, that’s enough!” the Chancellor bellowed. Reddened, he added, “We’re all upset by this attack. None of you would be alive right now if you hadn’t been given the training you received during your school years.”

“You’re delusional!” she stressed. “These demons kicked our [bums]! Abby and Noel are the reason the rest of us are still alive. Your training only kept us alive long enough for them to sort out the mess!”

“Emily!” yelled Ethan, stamping forward. “You will stop this right now!”


“I’m not taking orders from you anymore!” she yelled back. “Any of you!”

Ethan approached Emily with fury in his eyes. With only four steps, Abby put herself directly in his path and caused him to stop abruptly.

4. Abby has been isolated for thirteen years, lacking affection and nursing a broken and bruised body. What do you think would be the hardest thing about being Abby?

Abby has an evil entity living within her that fights for control of her body – the same evil that took control and murdered five advisors when she was sixteen. The hardest thing about being Abby is keeping the entity contained, but sometimes it manages to break through and stuff her deep within herself, into what she refers to as the hollow.

5. Ordained is the first book in a new series, The Immortal Archives. Can you give us a hint of what we can look forward to in the next book? 

Lots of physical changes, especially with Emily as her body undergoes transformation.
A high pitched screech once again reverberated through Emily’s head. She threw her hands to her ears to block the noise, but it had the opposite effect. The inside of her head vibrated violently. She fell to a crouch, writhing and crying out in pain.

“Emily?”

But Emily couldn’t stop screaming. She felt a pair of arms lift her from the doorstep, then drop her on the sofa. She continued to jolt back and forth viciously. The intense vibrations and screeching within her head refused to relent. She knew it was pointless to scream, but she couldn’t stop the only release her body was giving her.

Thanks to Kim for having me! Don’t forget to stop by my Crazy Dream Blog for a chance to win a copy of Ordained signed with a personalized doodle-graph. Giveaway ends August 20th.

ORDAINED
BY DEVON ASHLEY
(The Immortal Archives #1)
Release Date ~ November 15, 2011


Normally, the school creates the hunters - not the monsters.

Abby Sorrensten likes to play rough. Ripping the horns off the foreheads of demons, manipulating lightning and setting things on fire with the flick of your wrist can give you a serious rush. So she probably wasn’t the best choice for the Order’s experimental training program. Thirteen years of isolation, lack of affection and a bruised and broken body from horrendous training sessions creates more than just an exceptional fighter. It creates an evil within - an evil responsible for several deaths the night she left.

Two hundred years later Abby resurfaces as the very thing the Order trained her to kill: a vampire. A mythical demon has set his sights on the school and only the ordained hunter has the powers to face it. Unbeknownst to the Order, Abby’s their precious ordained one and their only chance for survival. As much as she would love to leave them hanging, she’s not willing to risk the life of Emily, a fellow friend and hunter also fed up with the organization.

But for Abby, locking herself away in a fortress with angry descendants of those she killed causes suspicions and tensions to run high. Abby must learn the demon’s weaknesses for battle before the Order learns hers.

Be sure and check out The Teen Book Scene for more tour stops. Devon will be stopping by Ivy Reads on Friday, August 12th.

Interview with Jon Skovron, Author of Misfit

MISFIT 

BY JON SKOVRON

(August 1, 2011)

Jael Thompson has never really fit in. She’s changed schools too many times to count. The only family she’s ever known is her father, a bitter ex-priest who never lets her date and insists she attend the strictest Catholic school in Seattle. And her mother—well, she was a five thousand year old demon. That doesn’t exactly help.
But on her sixteenth birthday, her father gives her a present that brings about some unexpected changes. Some of the changes, like strange and wonderful powers and the cute skater boy with a knack for science, are awesome. But others, like the homicidal demon seeking revenge on her family? Not so much.
Steeped in mythology, this is an epic tale of a heroine who balances old world with new, science with magic, and the terrifying depths of the underworld with the ordinary halls of high school.

 

Jon Skovron has never really fit in, and has no plans to start now. After twelve years of Catholic school, he went on to study acting at a conservatory program for four years before returning to his first love,writing. His second novel, Misfit, will be published in August, 2011 by Amulet Books. Official Website

1.Jael Thompson is no ordinary Catholic school girl, just trying to fit in with the other students. With her unique capabilities, what do you think the hardest aspect of her newfound abilities would be, and conversely, is there any really great perk to being half-demon?

I would count near invulnerability and throwing fireballs as some of the perks. The biggest drawback is probably that everyone hates you.

2.What did you love most about bringing Jael’s character to life in Misfit?

I've never felt so comfortable, so sure of someone as I do Jael. I'll follow her wherever she leads. I trust her implicitly.

3.What were you like as a teen and what do you think your teenage self would say if he was to read Misfit?

I was part rocker, part bookworm, part tech geek, part theater dork: i.e., I didn't fit in anywhere. I would have totally related to Jael.

4. Was there a specific line of dialogue or special moment that is your particular favorite?

"The world is like a giant toolshed filled with babies who don’t know how to use the tools, and don’t even realize that the tools are anything other than something to stick in their mouths."

5. What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given as an author?

“Paint what you like and die happy” - Henry Miller.

Be sure to check out The Teen Book Scene  for more tour stops!  The next scheduled tour stop is for tomorrow (August 10th) at Urban Fantasy Investigations.

Blog Tour Stop: Win Nightshade & Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer!

WOLFSBANE (NIGHTSHADE, BOOK 2)

BY ANDREA CREMER

Calla Tor has always known her destiny: After graduating from the Mountain School, she'll be the mate of sexy alpha wolf Ren Laroche and fight with him, side by side, ruling their pack and guarding sacred sites for the Keepers. But when she violates her masters' laws by saving a beautiful human boy out for a hike, Calla begins to question her fate, her existence, and the very essence of the world she has known. By following her heart, she might lose everything- including her own life. Is forbidden love worth the ultimate sacrifice?

Andrea Cremer spent her childhood daydreaming while roaming the forests and lakeshores of Northern Wisconsin. She now lives in Minnesota, but she thinks of her homeland as the “Canadian Shield” rather than the Midwest.

Andrea has always loved writing and has never stopped writing, but she only recently plunged into the deep end of the pool that is professional writing. When she’s not writing, Andrea teaches history at a very nice liberal arts college in St. Paul.

In the little spare time she can find, Andrea stares up at trees, rescues infant rabbits from predatory cats, and invents names for pug puppies with her husband. She has an unfortunate tendency to spill things – white carpets beware!


Official Website & Blog 

Top Ten Places to Read by Andrea Cremer

10. On a plane: I love traveling and reading while on my way to another place is frosting on the cake. I also love peeking at what other travelers are reading.

9. At the airport: Waiting to board is boring. Good books make the time go by like nothing else.

8. In coffee houses: I love the sounds and scents of coffee houses. Reading in coffee houses is great for relaxing while still feeling the buzz of life all around you. Plus – caffeine!

7. In parks: Outside? Reading? Unless there are mosquitoes this is a win win scenario.

6. In bookstores and libraries: Browsing the shelf after shelf of books – books I love like old friends and new books that I can’t wait to tread – is one of my favorite ways to spend time

5. When dining alone: I’m out and about by myself frequently. I actually don’t mind dining alone, but having a good book along makes it even better and keeps me from attempting napkin origami.

4. In art museums: I love spending hours wandering the halls of art museums. But my feet get tired, especially in big institutions like the Met. Reading provides the perfect the break in between gazing at paintings and sculptures.

3. At my parents’ house: I grew up in a family of readers and being in a room with my mom and dad, with each of us lost in a story, is one of my favorite things about going home.

2. In bed: The only problem with getting caught up in a wonderful book late at night is that you might get any sleep.

1. With my dogs: They love to snuggle and are better than blankets in the winter.

**GIVEAWAY**

And now thanks to Penguin, I have a set of Nightshade (paperback) and Wolfsbane (hardcover) to give away to one lucky winner! This contest is for entrants with a valid U.S. mailing address only. Giveaway ends 8/15/2011. Fill out the form below to win.

FORM

  The Book Butterfly is a proud member of the Pyralis group. Find out more information by clicking here and be sure to head over to Page Turners  tomorrow (August 7th) for another fun tour stop.