Wisteria Blog Tour: Guest Post (Tens List)

I'm excited to welcome author Bisi Leyton to Megan Likes Books to talk about the 10 things she's learned as a writer. Welcome Bisi!!

Ten things you've learned as a writer

Number Ten

It’s a lonely job. No one’s ever going to be as invested in my work as I am. No matter how excited or thrilled I am about a plot twist, no one’s going to be more thrilled than me.

Number Nine

Everyone has an opinion and everyone’s opinion should be valued (even if I don’t agree).

Number Eight

You have to enjoy what you’re writing about and make it accessible to readers. I haven’t figured out the right balance yet, but I’m working at it.

Number Seven

Take time to invest in relationships otherwise you can spend six months on a book and people have moved on.

Number Six

I can actually write.

Number Five

Beta Readers are worth their weight in gold.

Number Four

Invest in a good editor

Number Three

Don’t over edit. At some point the books got to be ready, but knowing when is the trick.

Number Two

Don’t read reviews every day. I find a bad review can knock me off course for days, so I make it a habit of checking my reviews once a month. Then I can get all the hits at once.

Number One

It’s the best job in the world!

There's definitely some great advice in there! Thanks Bisi!

Wisteria by Bisi Leyton:

Sixteen year old Wisteria Kuti has two options—track the infected around the Isle of Smythe or leave the only known safe haven and face a world infested with flesh eating biters. But even with well-armed trackers, things go wrong and Wisteria ends up alone facing certain death, until she is rescued by the mysterious Bach. Uninfected, Bach is able to survive among the hordes of living dead.

Eighteen year old Bach, from a race known as The Family, has no interest in human affairs. He was sent here to complete his Great Walk and return home as a man—as a Sen Son. The Family regard humans as Dirt People, but Bach is drawn to this Terran girl, whom he has never seen before, but somehow knows.

Hunted by flesh eaters, cannibals, and the mysterious blood thirsty group called Red Phoenix, Wisteria and Bach make their way back to the Isle of Smythe, a community built on secrets and lies.

Praise for Wisteria:

“I love the buildup of this story, getting to know the characters and watching their connection grow. I had no idea which way the story was headed and I was kept in suspense right up to the very end! It has plenty of action and a fascinating plot and I can’t wait to see what Bisi Leyton has for us next!!” 

~ Naomi Hop 

“There are a lot of great things in this book, so much more than zombies and a struggle for survival. At it’s base core it is about star-crossed lovers, literally and the supporting characters roles… Ms. Leyton brings to Wisteria a mixture of science fiction, fantasy, dystopic world with a twist to the paranormal romance angle!”

~ Cabin Goddess

“The book was full of nonstop action from the beginning until the end, and I did not put it down until I had finished it. I loved the book.” 

~Author Monique Morgan

Purchase:

Lulu * Amazon * Smashwords

Book Trailer:



Audiobook Excerpt: 

Author Bisi Leyton:

Bisi Leyton was born in East London in 1978. She grew up in London, Nigeria and the States, listening to the stories life and love from aunts, cousins and big sisters.

She lives in London, but has worked around Europe including France, Germany, Ireland, Belgium and the Czech Republic. She has a fondness for reading graphic novels.

Links

Blog * Facebook * Twitter * Goodreads

Blog Tour Giveaway

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 1/31/13

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Normalish Blog Tour: Review

Info:

Title: Normalish
Author: Margaret Lesh
Publisher: Musa Publishing
Publication Date: October 5, 2012

Blurb:

Fifteen-year-old Stacy questions the strange world of high school, love, her role in a harsh universe, and life, in Normalish.

People tell you high school's so great and wonderful, but they're lying. It's mostly horrible and full of disappointment. It sucks. Your best friend abandons you. The jerk you're in love with pretends to be  into you, and then the big dump. The boy you've really clicked with as a friend decides to go all crushy over you, so you break his heart just like yours was -- smashed into little pieces. Your sister goes mental, and you get involved with a guy who’s even crazier than she is (who you know is a very bad idea, but you do it anyway). Math only adds another stink of failure to the whole thing.

High school blows. Just ask freshman Stacy. She’d want you to know.

My Thoughts:

I found Normalish to be an enjoyable YA contemporary read. Stacy is generally pretty likeable, considering the crappy crap she has to go through. She states the facts of her life and of course complains, but most of the time it's not the whiney, makes-me-want-to-claw-my-eyes-out, complaining. It's the legit, yeah-that-is-pretty-shitty kind of complaining that it would be weird for a character not to do.

My favourite part of Normalish is the changes that Stacy goes through over the year in which the book is set. I love watching characters grow and the change is Stacy is very marked indeed.

I also enjoyed the supporting characters in Normalish, since they were realistic and could have gone to my high school (even stupid Anthony). My favourite character is Roman. He was basically the perfect boyfriend for Stacy's sister Becca and I loved how supportive he was of Becca when she had some serious stuff going on. Plus, he was really cool to Stacy, when he didn't have to be. I actually liked Becca a lot as well. She seemed like an awesome sister to have, despite the issues that arise for her (trying hard to be spoiler free here). We don't see much of Stacy's other sister Jill and that's something I wish had been added to the story more.

For the most part I liked Stacy, but there were a couple times she drove me nuts. The main one was how over the top crazy she got about having a monster pimple. For the record (to show I know what I'm talking about), I had a major pimple over the weekend, which resulted in my mom asking (in public) "What's on your face?" I'm 24 for goodness sake. Anyway, my point is that pimple suck, but there's not the end of the world and I got sick of reading about Stacy's pimple for 5 pages. Although I guess that's one of the ways that a reader can see how much Stacy grew over the book.

I'll admit it, this one made me cry a bit (mostly in the scene with Jimi). No spoilers, but I was pretty misty-eyed.

Overall, I enjoyed Normalish a lot. If you're a fan of YA contemporaries, you should enjoy this one.

On the Cover:

I'm not sure about this cover. I think it could be improved somehow.

Rating: 4 Hearts

Source: I received an ecopy as part of the blog tour.

Find the Book: Goodreads | Amazon | Musa Publishing

Find the Author: Goodreads | Website | Twitter | Facebook

Don't Just Take My Word For It: Alluring Reads | Book Briefs | The Bibliophile's Corner

Giveaway:
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The Forever Girl Character Tour and Giveaway

Welcome to the Forever Girl Character Tour. We’re celebrating The Forever Girl’s one year anniversary—that means it’s been one year since The Forever Girl was released! Copies are still available at the same low price of $2.99 for ebook and $10.95 for print. But fear not, this tour is not without some really cool prizes for you to win, whether you already own a copy of The Forever Girl or never plan to read it. Each stop on the tour will feature one of the main characters from the book, and you can easily enter to win some of their favorite things! For a full list of stops on this tour, visit the author’s blog at www.beccahamiltonbooks.com.

MEET CIRCE

Circe is Thalia’s side-kick, and together they manage the local vampire coterie that is none-to-happy about Charles and Sophia’s relationship. Circe is able to memorize and track the scents of other people, and she takes a particular interest to Sophia when she smells something different about her during a run-in they have on Halloween night. When it comes to Circe, one doesn’t know whether to be more afraid of her vampiric nature or of her apparent insanity.

Here’s the top five fast “fun facts” about Circe.

1)       Favorite Color: All of them.

2)       Favorite Drink: Human blood.

3)       What she’s afraid of: Disappointing her maker.

4)       Likes: Killings, slavery, playing with her food.

5)       Dislikes: Anything with a heartbeat.

Today’s character giveaway features some of Circe’s favorite items: Blood Transfusion Cup, Rainbow Skull Bracelet, Buxom Green Eye Shadow.

If you want to snag Circe’s favorite items for yourself (or as a gift for a friend or loved one!) simply enter the Rafflecopter giveaway below!

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* * *

Thanks for stopping by! If you also want to connect with Rebecca, she can be found on Twitter, Facebook, and her Blog as well.

Learn more about Rebecca’s books and where to purchase them HERE.

BLURB

"Whatever you do, fight."

Sophia's family has skeletons, but they aren't in their graves.

At twenty-two, practicing Wiccan Sophia Parsons is scratching out a living waiting tables in her Rocky Mountain hometown, a pariah after a string of unsolved murders with only one thing in common: her.

Sophia can imagine lots of ways to improve her life, but she'd settle for just getting rid of the buzzing noise in her head. When the spell she casts goes wrong, the static turns into voices. Her personal demons get company, and the newcomers are dangerous.

One of them is a man named Charles, who Sophia falls for despite her better judgment. He has connections that might help her unveil the mystery surrounding her ancestor's hanging, but she gets more than she bargains for when she finally decides to trust him. 

Survival in his world, she learns, means not asking questions and staying out of the immortal council's way. It's a line she crossed long ago. If Sophia wants to survive the council and save the people she loves, she must accept who she is, perform dark magic, and fight to the death for her freedom.

The Forever Girl is a full-length Paranormal Fantasy novel that will appeal to lovers of paranormal romance, urban fantasy, witches, vampire fiction, ghost stories, paranormal mystery, and paranormal horror.

Review: Exposure by Kim Askew and Amy Helmes

Info:

Title: Exposure
Authors: Kim Askew and Amy Helmes
Series: Twisted Lit #2
Publisher: Merit Press
Publication Date: January 18, 2013

Blurb:

Double, double, toil and trouble. Sometimes, the quest for high school royalty can be deadly! In this emotionally-charged twist on Shakespeare’s Macbeth, a self-conscious shutterbug named Skye Kingston navigates a treacherous school year in Alaska fraught with unspoken secrets and tragic twists of fate. Along the way she encounters three strangely prophetic BFFs; one social-climbing, sociopathic cheerleader; and a heart-stopping hottie named Craig McKenzie: the man who would be Prom King. Can Skye save the boy she loves — and herself — before they get caught in the crosshairs?

My Thoughts:

Despite the fact that I rated them the same, I preferred Exposure over Tempestuous, the first book in the Twisted Lit series. I think that's mainly because I connected more with Skye than I did with our previous heroine, Miranda. And I like Alaska.

Skye is an introvert, preferring to watch other people through her camera lens, rather than participating. However, once in a while she steps out of character, just enough to get herself into trouble. She ends up going to a party where she overhears something she shouldn't, leading to a whole mess of trouble.

I can relate to Skye, since I'm shy as well, although I doubt I would have made all the same decisions that she did. Craig McKenzie seems like a decent guy, although with a number of problems of his own. You know, one of those popular guys secretly harbouring a bunch of insecurities.

I didn't end up loving any of the characters in this one though, even Skye. I didn't hate any of them (except maybe Beth), but I didn't get a strong enough connection to the characters to warrant rating this one any higher.

On the Cover:

I like the covers in this series. They're plain, but interesting, if that makes any sense.

Rating: 3 hearts

Source: I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Find the Book: Goodreads |Amazon | The Book Depsitory

Find the Authors: Website | Kim's Twitter | Amy's Twitter

Don't Just Take My Word for It: Sab the Book Eater | Imaginary Read | Luxury Reading

Megan Likes (New) Books (16) / Reading Through My Bookshelf (14)

Megan Likes (New) Books

Megan Likes (New) Books is a personalize weekly meme inspired by In My Mailbox, Stacking the Shelves and Book Haul where I show off the new books and bookish items I've received lately.

Only one review ebook this week, so I didn't do a video. Hopefully next week, as the Edmonton Book Bloggers are having their Secret Santa on Saturday.

Review:
The Travel Auction by Mark Green

*   *   *

Reading Through My Bookshelf

Last Weeks Status: 82
Incoming Books: 0
Books Completed: 1
Current Status: 81

Yay, moving in the right direction again!

Dead Harvest Blog Tour: Guest Post and Excerpt

Today I'm lucky enough to have author Jeanette Battista on the blog to talk about writing with a co-author, as well as share an excerpt from Dead Harvest.

What It's Like to Have a Co-Author by Jeanette Battista

Well, the best thing about writing with a partner is that I only have to do half the work I usually do. J

But really, the difference that I appreciate the most between writing with a partner versus writing alone is the brainstorming involved. If I’m ever stuck on a scene or character’s motivation, I just give Tracey a call and we talk through everything and I end up with a ton of ideas.

Writing alone can sometimes be difficult because I can’t get out of my own head. If I hit a block I just have to deal with it and write through it. I can talk to people about what’s troubling me--a character’s voice, a plot point, random stupid stuff I obsess over--but no one really knows the world and characters like I do. By having someone to bounce ideas off of who knows the plot, characters, and world as well as I do makes the writing much easier.

Tracey and I have been delving in the Underworld for well over a decade now and we have known each other even longer. We get each other's beats and humor, and we honestly enjoy reading and watching the same things. The highest compliment I got on this book was from my editor, who said she couldn't tell which one of us was writing any given chapter. That means we're doing something right. It also helps that we're both terribly straight-forward. If something doesn't work, we just tell each other. Nobody gets hurt feelings because these are just words on a page. Brutal honesty is part and parcel of our gig, and it works great for us!

Awesome! And also check out the excerpt below:

J surveyed the carnage, arms crossed against her chest. The store was a mess: the gangbanger's wild shots had blown out half the glass in the place, aisles were overturned, and gaping holes had been shot in the walls. And that wasn't even taking into account the blood and bodies making the floor a demented slip-n-slide. This was beyond a Balance Breach—it was more along the lines of a Balance Black Hole.

And it was all due—in part—to the idiot menace of a woman standing behind the counter. J gritted her teeth together in frustration to the point that she thought she might have pulverized a molar. If T wasn't still the best option for bait that she had, J would drop her into the darkest hole she could find and never let her out. One of the Reanimates—a grandmother in a track suit—turned milky eyes towards her. It bared teeth bloody from snacking on the huge man's prefrontal lobe and rose to its feet. J waved a hand at it and the creature fell through the hole that opened beneath its feet. She did the same to the other Reanimates, excepting the one T was currently wrapping in extension cords and duct tape.

Sirens wailed in the distance, growing closer. J walked to the doors, now just metal frames with the glass shattered by random gunfire, and took a quick look. She spotted the last thug, the one who had managed to escape from the teen Reanimate, dragging one of the gasoline hoses from one of the two pumps at the front of the parking lot closer to the racks of tanks that held propane.

"You want to help me with this?" T asked from her place at the counter.

J turned her attention from the young man outside for a moment and eyed T. The redhead had practically mummified the creature with duct tape, but it was still struggling ineffectually. T had thrown herself on top of it to prevent it from falling onto the floor and presumably wiggling away like some kind of undead silver inchworm. J waved her hand and the Reanimate, duct taped to within an inch of its unlife, disappeared through a port. She still had to figure out what to do about the bodies—did she want to port them too or leave them here as an explanation of the violence? Of course, the bite marks wouldn't be able to be explained away readily, but Mundanes were surprising beings. They'd come up with something.

J was not amused.

Discreet Demolitions Series

Dead Harvest (Book One)

Someone’s been raising the dead and it’s J’s job to find out who. As a detective operating in the Underworld, J—with her powers of shadow manipulation—is uniquely equipped for the job. What she isn't counting on is the help of an escapee from a mental institution who seems to attract trouble just by existing.

It’s up to J and T—two very unlikely allies—to find the necromancer and bring him before the Underworld Balance Magistrate for judgment before the human world gets wise to the dead walking among them.

Where to purchase:

Amazon.com--

Ebook--  http://www.amazon.com/Leopard-Moon-Series-ebook/dp/B007HBKWJE/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1337788663&sr=8-3

Print-- http://www.amazon.com/Leopard-Moon-Series-Volume/dp/147500382X/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1337788877&sr=1-4

Smashwords.com--

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/139026

Barnesandnoble.com--

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dead-harvest-jeanette-battista/1113468482?ean=2940015835540

www.jeanettebattista.com

Check out Leopard Moon on Amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Jeanette+Battista&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3AJeanette+Battista&ajr=0

Release: Blog Tour Review

Info:

Title: Release
Author: M.R. Merrick
Series: The Protector #3
Publisher: Indie
Publication Date: December 8, 2012

Blurb:

After uniting the shifters and calling in reinforcements, Chase has to face his toughest challenge yet: learning to control his emotions. But as tensions rise and his powers grow, controlling his emotions becomes the least of his problems.

Terrorized by a multi-shifter who is hell-bent on turning him, Chase questions just how far he’s willing to go to stop his father. Meanwhile, Tiki’s virtuous nature has placed him in the middle of Vincent’s past, leaving Chase to oppose a senate of vampires and defend a demon he hates.

Trying to balance his friends, his enemies, and his inner demons, Chase is left searching for answers about the Mark, his destiny, and where he can find the next soul piece. Stopping Riley is his top priority, but as more obstacles arise, he finds himself doubting all the decisions he’s made - especially regarding Rayna.

One thing is for certain: Chase has finally realized that he doesn’t know anything. The light doesn’t always quell the darkness, the monsters don’t always stay in the shadows, and the past doesn’t always stay in the past - sometimes, the demons inside are the hardest to fight.

My Thoughts:

M.R. Merrick is fast becoming my go-to-guy for action. Whenever I start to get sick of the overly romance-y, love triangle or instalove themes that are so common in YA these days, he has never failed to deliver something refreshing. The Protector series is chock full of action and tons of fun.

I'm still a fan of our hero, Chase Williams. Sometimes three books into a series, you can start to get sick of someone, but I think because Chase continues to grow as a person, he maintains a reader's interest and compassion. Chase is by no means perfect, but that's all part of his charm. He's certainly a hot-head and tends to be a bit reckless, but he works on these flaws. And his good qualities, like loyalty and compassion, make him a hero you want to root for.

All in all, Chase has gotten a crappy hand dealt to him. First, he's kicked out of the only society he's ever known. Not to mention a father who has basically gone off the deep end. And now he's supposed to be The Protector, only no one will tell him what's going on! It's enough to drive anyone mental!

I enjoyed how we got to enjoy quite a bit of Vincent's backstory in this installment. I found it fascinating to read about how he grew into his annoying self. And we learned a few tidbits about Tiki, who I can't wait to learn even more about. I think his full story is going to be fascinating.

M.R. Merrick is one of my favourite indie authors and I will follow this series until the end, based on the awesome characters and the great storyline. If you haven't started this series, which has set the blogosphere buzzing, then what are you waiting for?

On the Cover:

I like how the covers for this series really seem to follow a theme. And I like how they are a bit different (no girls in fancy dresses)!

Rating: 4 hearts

Source: I received an ecopy as part of the Release blog tour

Find the Book: Goodreads | Amazon | The Book Depository

Find the Author: Goodreads | Website | Twitter | Facebook

Giveaways:

Grande Prize Pack (3 Winners)

3x Signed paperbacks (Exiled, Shift, Release)

3x Signed 8x10 posters (Exiled, Shift, Release)

5x Bookmarks

1x Notebook (Winner’s choice of cover)

1x Magnet

Runner-up Prize Pack (5 Winners)

1x Signed paperback (Winner’s choice of Exiled, Shift, or Release) with signed poster

1x bookmark (Winner’s choice)

1x Magnet

Secondary Prizes A (10 Winners)

Release eBooks

Secondary Prize B (10 Winners)

1x bookmark (winner’s choice)

1x The Protector magnet

There will also be multiple opportunities to win signed paperbacks, signed posters, notebooks, swag packs, and bookmarks throughout the tour on both Twitter (@MRMerrick) and M.R. Merrick's Facebook Fan Page .

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