Entangled Halloween Blog Hop!

Things that go bump in the night...

All my life I have been fascinated by all things spooky. I blame my mother. Growing up, Halloween was always a spectacle in our house and my favorite holiday. The house was always strewn with cobwebs, paper skeletons, and motion sensor vampires that screamed at you when you walked past. Bowls overflowed with candy. And all of the classic scary movies played until we passed out into out respective sugar comas. It really wasn't a surprise to anyone that I decided to write paranormal as an adult. As a teen I adored horror movies and books that could make your skin crawl. But at seventeen, I took my fascination a step further.

It was Halloween my senior year of high school. My friend Jimmy had gotten a night vision camera for his birthday that month, so naturally we decided to go ghost hunting. Jimmy was convinced he lived in a haunted house, and after some of the things I experienced there, I had to agree. So, Halloween night four of us headed out. There was supposed to be this place on the outside of town that was haunted by a woman who had allegedly been a witch. Equipped with a night vision camera and a stomach full of butterflies, we drove down this dirt road that seemed as if it hadn't been used in years. There were no lights beside the headlights from the car and the moon peeking through the clouds. 

Finally we reached the spot we'd heard about. One huge wooden cross stood in the middle of a field, bordered my trees. You could see the faint outline where a path used to be. It led to a small abandoned cabin in the woods. We'd heard that some nights you could see a blue light in the window of the cabin. We hiked up the path, but didn't see a light. Just a dark, abandoned cabin that showed no signs of life within. When we got about half way up the path, Jimmy heard something and stopped us.

"Did you hear that?" he asked, placing his hand on my shoulder.

"Stop messing with me, Jimmy." I hadn't heard anything, and as the only girl in the group, I'd assumed they would try to prank me at some point. But Jimmy wasn't laughing. He looked nervous. I guess we all were at that point. I was just about to call him out on his crap, but then I heard it too.

Foot steps. Heavy and purposeful. We would take a few steps and stop. And every time we would hear those steps trailing behind us. Thump, thump, stop. Then we heard the same sound on the other side, just like the ones behind us. Then the light. It wasn't bright. Wasn't even very big. But it was there. A hazy blue light moving past the inside of the window of the cabin.

Jimmy met my frightened gaze and nodded back to the car. His lips mouthed the word run.

That was all it took. The four of us leaped into action, running as fast as our legs would take us, back to Jimmy's crappy little car, praying it would start right up when we got there. All the way, we heard those footsteps running behind us. We hopped in the car and Jimmy took off, afraid of what we might see if we looked back. So we didn't look back. Just drove. My friend Story didn't even have his door shut. None of us spoke until we made it back to the main road. We never knew what it was that we saw or heard. Who knows. Maybe it was just someone messing with a bunch of kids looking to get scared on Halloween. Then again...maybe the stories about the witch were true. Maybe her spirit still lingered in that cabin and she didn't like us there.

Now it's your turn! I want to hear your spooky experiences! Leave a comment below and I will pick one random winner to win a $10 Amazon gift card and a Blurred bookmark!

Happy Halloween! =)

Continue the hop and check out the fun on other Entangled author's blogs by clicking HERE!

YA Scavenger Hunt!!!

 

Welcome to YA Scavenger Hunt! This tri-annual event was first organized by author Colleen Houck as a way to give readers a chance to gain access to exclusive bonus material from their favorite authors...and a chance to win some awesome prizes! At this hunt, you not only get access to exclusive content from each author, you also get a clue for the hunt. Add up the clues, and you can enter for our prize--one lucky winner will receive one signed book from each author on the hunt in my team! But play fast: this contest (and all the exclusive bonus material) will only be online for 72 hours!

Go to the YA Scavenger Hunt page to find out all about the hunt. There are TWO contests going on simultaneously, and you can enter one or all! I am a part of the BLUE TEAM--but there is also a red team for a chance to win a whole different set of twenty-five signed books!

If you'd like to find out more about the hunt, see links to all the authors participating, and see the full list of prizes up for grabs, go to the YA Scavenger Hunt homepage.

SCAVENGER HUNT PUZZLE

Directions: Below, you'll notice that I've listed my favorite number. Collect the favorite numbers of all the authors on the blue team, and then add them up (don't worry, you can use a calculator!).

Entry Form: Once you've added up all the numbers, make sure you fill out the form here to officially qualify for the grand prize. Only entries that have the correct number will qualify.

Rules: Open internationally, anyone below the age of 18 should have a parent or guardian's permission to enter. To be eligible for the grand prize, you must submit the completed entry form by October 6th, at noon Pacific Time. Entries sent without the correct number or without contact information will not be considered.

Today, I am hosting author Jill Williamson on my website for the YA Scavenger Hunt!

 

 

 

 

Jill Williamson is a chocolate loving, daydreaming, creator of kingdoms and the award-winning author of several young adult books including By Darkness Hid, Replication, The New Recruit, and Captives. She's a Whovian, a Photoshop addict, and a recovering fashion design assistant, who was raised in Alaska. She loves teaching about writing. She lives in Oregon with her husband, two children, and a whole lot of deer. Visit her online at www.jillwilliamson.com, where adventure comes to life.

Find out more information by checking out the author website or find more about the author's book here!

 

Author Website

Buy the Book

 

EXCLUSIVE CONTENT

Jill exclusive content is an awesome cover reveal for her new book OUTCASTS!
How awesome is this cover?!? Love it!

 

 

Uncovering the truth could cost them their lives.

Since entering the Safe Lands, Mason has focused on two things: finding a way to free his village from captivity, and finding a cure for the disease that ravages many within the walls of the Safe Lands. After immune-suppressive drugs go missing in the clinic, Mason discovers his coworker, Ciddah, may know more about the Safe Lands than imagined ... and may have an agenda of her own. At the same time, Mason's brother Levi is focused on a way to free the remaining Glenrock captives, while Mason's younger brother Omar decides to take the rebellion against the Safe Lands into his own hands as a vigilante.

Soon all three brothers are being watched closely---and when Mason stumbles onto a shocking secret about the Safe Lands meds, his investigation just might get those closest to him liberated.


Check out Jill's other book in The Safe Lands series!

 

 

 

 

When eighteen-year-old Levi returned from Denver City with his latest scavenged finds, he never imagined he'd find his village of Glenrock decimated, loved ones killed, and many---including his fiancee, Jem---taken captive. Now alone, Levi is determined to rescue what remains of his people, even if it means entering the Safe Lands, a walled city that seems anything but safe.

 

 

 

And don't forget to enter the contest for a chance to win a ton of signed books by me, Tara Fuller, and more! To enter, you need to know that my favorite number is...

 

 

 

Add up all the favorite numbers of the authors on the blue team and you'll have all the secret code to enter for the grand prize!

CONTINUE THE HUNT

To keep going on your quest for the hunt, you need to check out the next author, so click here to visit Anna Carey!

 

 

Tweet #YASH

 

Before you go, don't forget to enter the extra contest I have for you below!

 

Prize: $10 Amazon Gift Card & BLURRED bookmark

 

How to Enter: Follow/ subscribe to this blog and leave a comment below to be entered.

 

Winner will be announced at the end of the YA Scavenger Hunt!

 

Good luck!

$25 Amazon/ Barnes & Noble Gift Card Giveaway!

Hey guys! I've been a little MIA lately due to the fact that I am furiously working to get the second Falling for You novel and the third book in the Kissed by Death series to you. But I am peeking out of the writing cave to do a giveaway! All you have to do to enter, is leave an honest review for one or both of the following books...

 

BLURRED

 or

NO STRINGS ATTACHED

 

Below you will find the cover, blurb, & buy links for each book. Once you have read the book, post your review on Amazon, Barnes & Noble (or both), then leave the link to your review in the comments below. If you read and leave honest reviews for both books, that will count as two entries. One winner will be randomly chosen on August 31st. Winner will get their choice of a $25 Amazon or B&N gift card.

 

**Remember to leave the link to your review on Amazon or B&N in the comment section below to be entered**

 

 

 

Cash is haunted by things. Hungry, hollow things. They only leave him alone when Heaven’s beautiful reaper, Anaya, is around. Cash has always been good with girls, but Anaya isn’t like the others. She’s dead. And with his deteriorating health, Cash might soon be as well.

Anaya never breaks the rules, but the night of the fire, she recognized part of Cash’s soul—and doomed him to something worse than death. Cash’s soul now resides in an expired body, making him a shadow walker, a rare, coveted being that can walk between worlds. A being creatures of the underworld would do anything to get their hands on.

The lines between life and death are blurring, and Anaya and Cash find themselves falling helplessly over the edge. Trapped in a world where the living don’t belong, can Cash make it out alive?

 

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Kobo 

Show more

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She wants one night. He wants her forever.

Hayden Summers just landed the job of a lifetime taking pictures for Time magazine, but she’s determined to leave with no regrets. The first thing on her list? Erase the memory of her cheating ex with a wild night of anonymous sex. The second? Figure out why her best friend, sexy bar owner Jace Jennings, stopped speaking to her the night she told him about the job.

Jace has a problem. Hayden isn’t just leaving the country, she’s risking her life—just when he’s realized he’s in love with her. When fate traps them in the storage room of his bar together, barely contained desire simmers to surface. In one last attempt to keep her, Jace offers Hayden the one thing she wants: a night of hot sex, no strings attached. But when the night is over, will Jace be able to let her go? And will Hayden leave with her heart intact?

 

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Kobo

iBooks

 

 

Giveaway Rules

 

#1) Read Blurred or No Strings Attached (or both)

#2) Leave an honest review on Amazon or Barnes & Noble

#3) Leave the link to your review in the comment section below



BLURRED Release Day & Giveaway!

It's here! It's here! It's finally here! After lots of waiting, BLURRED, the second book in my Kissed by Series hits store shelves today! I can't tell you guys how ridiculously excited I am about this book. Working on this book was an emotional ride for me, and for those of you that have read it know why. In BLURRED we venture into new territory to hear the story of Cash and Anaya. This book and these characters have carved out a special place in my heart. I hope you all love reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. To celebrate I've got a couple of treats for you guys. Below you will find a yummy swoon worthy excerpt from BLURRED and a special release day giveaway! Enter at the raffelcopter below to win a signed paperback collection of all of my books (Perigee Moon, Inbetween, & Blurred).

I would also just like to take this opportunity to say thank you! You guys are the reason I write these stories. If it weren't for my incredibly kind and supportive readers none of this would be a reality for me. It would still just be a dream. So thank you! *group hug!*

 

 

Cash is haunted by things. Hungry, hollow things. They only leave him alone when Heaven’s beautiful reaper, Anaya, is around. Cash has always been good with girls, but Anaya isn’t like the others. She’s dead. And with his deteriorating health, Cash might soon be as well.

Anaya never breaks the rules, but the night of the fire, she recognized part of Cash’s soul—and doomed him to something worse than death. Cash’s soul now resides in an expired body, making him a shadow walker, a rare, coveted being that can walk between worlds. A being creatures of the underworld would do anything to get their hands on.

The lines between life and death are blurring, and Anaya and Cash find themselves falling helplessly over the edge. Trapped in a world where the living don’t belong, can Cash make it out alive?


Amazon  B&N  Kobo  Goodreads

To read the first two chapters for free click here!
 

 

 

Blurred (Kissed by Death, #2): Excerpt

 

 

Cash stared down at me, his gaze lingering on my lips. He squeezed my hand and swallowed. “Have you ever wanted something, even knowing you shouldn’t?”

Nervous energy washed through me. I should have walked away. From the way he was looking at me. Touching me. But I didn’t. Instead I nodded, unable to look away, and said, “Yes.”

I wanted him.

The instant I thought it, I wanted to take it back. Needed to take it back. Not because it wasn’t true, but because it was wrong. Cash studied my face for a moment and his eyes flashed with a decision. He started walking, tugging me behind him toward the parking lot. Only a few empty cars littered the pavement, the gathering from the funeral already having moved on to the next destination.

“Where are we going?”

He pulled me in by my wrist and backed me against the door of his Bronco. In an instant, he was right there, so close to my lips. “It hurts so fucking bad, Anaya.” His voice shattered in a broken whisper. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe we have to live with the hurt forever, but that doesn’t mean

we can’t numb it. Help me forget. Please. I just want to forget for a little while.”

His brown eyes swept over me like he was committing every inch of me to memory. If I were still full of blood, I imagine that look would have had me warm all over. I couldn’t help but wonder how many girls he’d looked at like that. He wouldn’t have been looking at me like that if he weren’t decimated and begging for escape.

“Cash, I can’t,” I said. Stay calm, Anaya. You don’t care.  He’s just a human and you can leave. He has no power over you. I scooted back, trapping myself against the door. Trying to inch away from Cash’s heat. His smell. The way his eyes were looking right through me. The way the tilt of his lips said he didn’t want me to go even as the anger behind his clenched fists said he didn’t want me to stay.

“Don’t go,” he said. He took a step closer, effectively erasing the space between us, and pressed his palm against the door behind me to steady himself. His black hair lay in damp spikes against his forehead. His eyes looked dark and tortured. He was so beautiful and sad that it hurt to look at him. God…he deserved so much more than this.

“You don’t want me.”

“You have no idea what I want,” he said.

“You don’t need me,” I whispered. “You need something any other girl in this town could give you.”

His thumb brushed the side of my face and he swallowed. “I don’t want them.”

Something inside my chest began to pound. Or maybe it was just the memory of what my body was supposed to do with a boy this close. He leaned in closer and I closed my eyes. This is wrong. This is wrong. I kept repeating the thought, but my body  wasn’t listening. Instead it was burning up. Leaning into this boy who was drawing me in with every breath. Cash’s cheek grazed mine, solid and warm, and my knees wobbled. Oh my God. How could he make me feel like this? How could he ignite sensations that had been dead for a thousand years? I couldn’t lose myself to this, no matter how good it felt. Not now. Not ever.

I exhaled, letting go of the corporeality, to step through him, but he stopped me just like he had in the car. Panic flared to life in my chest as my gaze traveled down to his fingers wrapped around my waist. I focused, trying again, but under his fingers, I was solid. Flesh. Every brush of his skin on mine was pushing the death out of me and filling me with artificial life.

“I want you, Anaya.” I tilted my face up and he took it

as an invitation. I gasped as his lips grazed mine, asking for something. “I want your taste in my mouth. I want your heat in my veins.” One of his hands came up to cradle my jaw as he gently kissed my top lip, them my bottom, lingering there the longest. I whimpered into his mouth and every part of him shook with what I could only guess was restraint. He pressed his forehead to mine and closed his eyes. “I want it to erase everything that’s inside of me right now. Say it’s okay, Anaya. Tell me you want me, too.”

 

 

 

 

Giveaway!

Enter to win a signed collection of all of Tara Fuller's books

(Perigee Moon, Inbetween, & Blurred)

a Rafflecopter giveaway  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Six Sentence Sunday: BLURRED (Kissed by Death, #2)

Cash grumbled something under his breath and

stumbled off to the shower. When he emerged, his hair was

wet and spiky and he was wearing a green T-shirt that said

 

Kiss me. I’m pretending to be Irish.

 

 

He caught me reading it and grinned, scrubbing his

fingers through his hair to shake the excess water out. “You

wouldn’t be the first girl this shirt has worked on. But you

could be the first dead one if you wanted.”

I rolled my eyes. “Let’s go.”

 

Teaser Tuesday: BLURRED

The release of the second book in the Kissed by Death series, BLURRED, is only a week away! Eeep! To celebrate, I thought I'd give you guys a peek at Cash and Anaya's story in this week's Teaser Tuesday. Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

Blurred (Kissed by Death, #2) Teaser

(Cash)

 

 

 

 

“Please,” I said. “Please, don’t let go.”

She slid her palms down my neck until they rested over

the pulse throbbing just under my skin. She shook her head.

“I won’t.”

 

Anaya pressed her forehead to mine and our breaths

clashed in the one inch of space between our mouths. It

took everything in me not to kiss her. She’d made it clear

she didn’t want me, but it didn’t stop me from wanting her.

I shuddered, gripping her hips, not wanting to let go. Not

ever wanting this moment to end. Slowly, every part of me

warmed. The blood in my veins. The bones and skin that held

me together. All of it blazed with Anaya’s essence.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cover Reveal & Giveaway! Romancing the R.A. by Ashelyn Drake

Noelle Buckman is looking forward to making a fresh start in college, one that doesn’t involve immature high school boys. The second she steps on campus for freshman orientation, she can sense the possibilities. Especially when she spots Andy, a resident advisor who’s not just hot but also thoughtful enough to open doors for a girl.

And Andy has his eye on Noelle. Even when her nerves take control and she thinks she comes off as a hillbilly with no direction, Andy can see what she’s really like and he’s more than a little interested.

But orientation is less than two full days and there’s an entire summer between Noelle and Andy. Will her attempt to romance the R.A. be as short-lived as college orientation?

 

 

Genre: New Adult Romance

 

Publisher: S.B. Addison Books

Expected release date: May 28, 2013

www.ashelyndrake.wordpress.com

 

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Shaming: Why Do We Do It?

When I was a teen I had to deal with judgment in a lot of areas in my life. My hair was a little frizzy (okay, so it was a lot frizzy) and I had a gap between my two front teeth. I didn't have the money to dress like the popular girls, so there was always the worry that my second hand clothes were going to draw some ugly words and judgmental stares. I drove a car that my friends nicknamed the Deathmobile and I lived in a trailer. There were lots of reasons for me to feel self conscious, but there was one area that none of this applied. Books. Books were something else for me. They were an escape.

When I went to the library, no one batted an eye lash at the titles I picked. Whether the pages were filled with blood sucking vampires that sparkled, hitchhiking serial killers (damn Christopher Pike for always making me fall in love with the bad guy), or a simple contemporary about a girl not much different than me. Hobbits or hobo's. Werewolves or witches. No one judged. Huddled over my book while other people passed notes in class. Hunkered down by the lockers in the hall. On the bus. At the dinner table. No one rolled their eyes and made me hide my book in shame.

When I got to college my reading tastes didn’t really change, but they did evolve. I read and enjoyed the classics and poetry, but I also devoured romance novels. They were stories filled with the kind of love that I didn't know anything about yet. Something a little deeper and let's face it, a whole lot sexier than the coming of age stuff I'd cut my teeth on. But again...no one cared. I wasn't accused of reading "mommy porn". I wasn't a "lonely housewife" because I read a book with a seriously hot guy on the cover and a few sex scenes between the covers.

When I cashed in my adult card and decided to throw my two cents into the literary pool, I decided to attend my very first writer’s workshop. This is the place where I encountered the dreaded "book shame" for the first time. Only this time is wasn't only what I loved to read, but what I loved to write. Young adult fiction? Grim reapers falling in love with humans? Surrounded by a room full of writers and a teacher that thrived on classic literary fiction, I was picked apart.

So, here is my question. The one that keeps me up at night and ruffles my feathers every time I see a mean comment online, or the you-must-be-crazy look I get when people get a glimpse of my bookshelf or ask me what kind of books I write.

When did reading become something to be ashamed of? When did it stop being celebrated?

As an adult, in a place that's filled with faceless online communication, I've been introduced to this whole new world of criticism as a reader. A world where you are somehow deemed less intelligent for choosing to read a book about sparkly vampires. A world where you are suddenly classified as a "bored and lonely housewife" who gets her thrills reading "mommy porn" because you decide to pick up a romance novel. A world where the book snob is alive and well.

Here is my advice. Let's stop judging each other, put an end to the book snobbery, and READ. Read often. Read what you love. And under no circumstances be ashamed. Go all Dead Poets Society on the world and shout out your love for the books hidden on your Kindle or shoved to the back of your bookshelves. You know, the one you've hidden behind the full works of William Shakespeare. Stand on a desk if you have to. Or your kitchen table, provided it's strong enough. I mean, safety first people, come on. But above all else, be proud that in a world of instant, mindless entertainment that you chose to use your imagination and brain. Let's stop calling the books we love guilty pleasures. Let’s call them what they deserve to be called. Art.

Now you guys are in the hot seat! What are the books have you worn out the covers too? What characters made you fall in love? Shout it out in the comments below!

YA Scavenger Hunt!!!

 

Welcome to YA Scavenger Hunt! This tri-annual event was first organized by author Colleen Houck as a way to give readers a chance to gain access to exclusive bonus material from their favorite authors...and a chance to win some awesome prizes! At this hunt, you not only get access to exclusive content from each author, you also get a clue for the hunt. Add up the clues, and you can enter for our prize--one lucky winner will receive one signed book from each author on the hunt in my team! But play fast: this contest (and all the exclusive bonus material) will only be online for 72 hours!

Go to the YA Scavenger Hunt page to find out all about the hunt. There are TWO contests going on simultaneously, and you can enter one or all! I am a part of the BLUE TEAM--but there is also a red team for a chance to win a whole different set of twenty-five signed books!

If you'd like to find out more about the hunt, see links to all the authors participating, and see the full list of prizes up for grabs, go to the YA Scavenger Hunt homepage.

 

 

SCAVENGER HUNT PUZZLE

 

                        

Directions: Below, you'll notice that I've listed my favorite number. Collect the favorite numbers of all the authors on the blue team, and then add them up (don't worry, you can use a calculator!).

Entry Form: Once you've added up all the numbers, make sure you fill out the form here to officially qualify for the grand prize. Only entries that have the correct number will qualify.

Rules: Open internationally, anyone below the age of 18 should have a parent or guardian's permission to enter. To be eligible for the grand prize, you must submit the completed entry form by DATE, at noon Pacific Time. Entries sent without the correct number or without contact information will not be considered.

  


SCAVENGER HUNT POST

 

 

Today I am so excited to be hosting K.A. Tucker on my website for the YA Scavenger Hunt!

 

 



Born in small-town Ontario, K.A. Tucker published her first book at the age of six with the help of her elementary school librarian and a box of crayons. Today, she remains a voracious reader, and currently resides outside of Toronto with her husband, two beautiful girls, and an exhausting brood of four-legged creatures.

Find out more information by checking out the author website or find more about the author's book here!

 

Official K.A. Tucker Website

 

 

 

"Evangeline has spent her teenage years in obscurity. Her foster parents have the emotional aptitude of robots and her classmates barely acknowledge her existence. About to turn eighteen and feeling like a social pariah, she is desperate to connect with someone. Anyone.
When Evangeline meets Sofie after literally stumbling upon her café, she believes she’s found that connection. Willing to do anything to keep it, she accepts a job as Sofie’s assistant and drops everything to fly to Manhattan, where she is thrust into a luxurious world of Prada, diamonds, and limitless cash.
With such generosity and kindness, it’s easy for Evangeline to dismiss certain oddities . . . like Sofie’s erratic and sometimes violent behavior, and the monstrous guard dogs. She’s even willing to dismiss her vivid dreams of mob-style murders, beautiful homeless people living in caves, and white-eyed demons that haunt her each night as figments of her imagination—especially when one of those figments is the gorgeous Caden. When she wakes up with bite marks on her neck, the fairy tale quickly turns into a nightmare. She slowly unravels the mystery surrounding Sofie and friends, and the reality of the bites and the “dreams.” What she discovers is far more mysterious and terrible than anything she could have imagined.
In a world where everyone has motive to lie for personal gain, Evangeline must decide which deception is least likely to get her killed"

 

 

Exclusive Content

 

For K.A. Tucker's exclusive content she has a special treat for us. The title reveal and a special teaser for the fourth and final book in the Causal Enchantment series!

 

And the title is...

 

ANOMALY

 

She was merely a pawn in their game. And then something happened.

Once a fragile, naive human, Evangeline Watts has become altogether... different.

A formidable force against them.

But is she enough to stop fate?

 

Cover release coming May, 2013

Book Release Fall, 2013

 

 

 

And don't forget to enter the contest for a chance to win a ton of signed books by me, Tara Fuller, and more! To enter, you need to know that my favorite number is 17. Add up all the favorite numbers of the authors on the blue team and you'll have all the secret code to enter for the grand prize!

CONTINUE THE HUNT

To keep going on your quest for the hunt, you need CLICK HERE to check out the next author GINA ROSATI

Tweet #YASH

 

 

Before you go... enter to win an
 autographed BLURRED Poster!!!

 

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway