Meet: Adam and Death

When Adam Lacroft Met Death
by Carlos Paolini
~*~
~-~-~-~-~ guest ~-~-~-~-~
by Carlos Paolini
~-~-~-~-~ guest ~-~-~-~-~
Immortality, Californication, Tweets and Other Inspirations behind W.A.L.M.D

I never really wanted to write about Death. When I started writing this novel, I wasn’t sure about a lot of things. The setting, the story, the characters were all unclear. I just knew one thing: I wanted a villain. Someone that was cruel and ruthless, but could execute these traits with supreme elegance. An antagonist that was aware of the damage she did, but still managed to enjoy it. A character that was now corrupt and distorted, but showed traces and shades of the person she used to be. A psychopath not born, but made. Forged.

The figure of Death as a person served this profile perfectly. It gave my villainess a state of being that required sacrifice in exchange for power. It raises the question of how she got there and then there are allusions throughout the novel that indicate just how much she lost in the way. Her condition allowed me to explore subjects like immortality and isolation and how they affect a person’s psyche. How they influence principles and morality and shape them into something that allows them to stay sane, but that ultimately clashes with what we know as right or wrong.

When starting to create Death’s relationship with Adam, I drew inspiration from the T.V series Californication. The show is about a successful writer that constantly wrecks his personal life and hurts those around him because he is unable to refrain from having destructive relationships with beautiful women. He knows when a woman is a bad idea, but he can’t help finding her incredibly attractive, or tragically compelling, and going for her, even when terrible consequences ensue. Based on this same principle, Adam turns a blind eye to Eve’s negative traits. He chooses to ignore the fact that she’s volatile and spoiled, because she is also gorgeous and charming. Even when Adam knows that Eve has lied to him and that she is responsible for the grave things that are going to happen to him, he still likes flirting with her. She’s going to kill me tomorrow, but she looks so adorable when she blushes. He is not incapable of cutting off this relationship: he is simply unwilling. Making out with Death is too much of a temptation for Adam to say no, even when that kiss might certainly be his last.

A more general inspiration for my novel was this phrase: “Write the kind of book you’d like to read.” I don’t know who said it or where I even first saw it. No joke, I think it was a tweet, but it is the best advice I have ever received as a writer. When I wrote this novel, I thought only of myself. I like books with dark humor, witty dialogues and romance. I like stories with sex, plot twists and backstories, so I wrote one with all these elements, to the best of my talent. Because I write for myself, I weave my inner most complexes and memories and fantasies into the narrative. Since they are something I share with lots of people my age, it makes my writing, not extraordinary or unusual, but honest and relatable. I did not write this novel for anyone out there, but I hope the people that read it enjoy it as much as I enjoyed creating it.

~end

Guest post created by Carlos Paolini, author of When Adam Lacroft Met Death
© 2013. All rights reserved.

Visit Carlos:
Goodreads
Twitter

~-~-~-~-~ guest ~-~-~-~-~
by Carlos Paolini
~-~-~-~-~ guest ~-~-~-~-~
READ more about this world...

--~ eBook Giveaway ~--
WIN a Kindle version of this book!

Open to all.

Offer ends: January 5, 2014 ---> extended to Jan 12

TO DO: (2-parts)

1. ADD this book to your Goodreads Want To Read list.

OR

Tweet about this giveaway.

OR

Recommend this on Google using the mini-button at end of this post (g+1).

2. TELL me what you did in comments.

AND, leave your email.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Contest has ended - winner is here

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

-+0+o+ YA Paranormal Activity schedule +o+0+-

More Than Jamie Baker by Kelly Oram

More Than Jamie Baker
by Kelly Oram

Visit Kelly:
Amazon
Blog
Website
Facebook
Goodreads
Twitter

Just released: October 2013
eBook
Publisher: Bluefields
Genre: Paranormal, YA
Rating: 4

The second book in the Jamie Baker series!

Jamie Baker, the only girl in the world with superpowers, has now accepted who she is and learned to control her power. Not to mention she has the best boyfriend on the planet. Life is finally looking good. But the day she witnesses an accident and decides not to save the guy out of fear of being exposed, she realizes that simply being Jamie Baker isn't enough.

After seeing Jamie so wrecked with guilt, the ever-helpful Ryan Miller decides it's time to make all of his fantasies about turning his girlfriend into an honest-to-goodness superhero become a reality.

Of course, coming up with a decent Super Name and fending off all of Ryan's attempts to get her into spandex aren't the only problems Jamie faces. The more her alter ego starts to make headlines, the harder it becomes for Jamie to hide her extracurricular activities from her best friend, the government, radical scientists, and the mysterious new guy who is determined to steal her from her boyfriend.

Series:
Being Jamie Baker
More Than Jamie Baker

My two-bits:
Fun action packed storyline with serious issues to think on as well.

I jumped in with book 2 in this series and which works out fine. But now, I need to backtrack and read book 1 as I fell in love with the characters.

In this book the main character starts to come into her own in terms of the supernatural abilities she first discovered in herself in book 1. Her boyfriend plays the loyal love interest and right-hand man.

Filled with super powers and the need to do good for others, this superhero gal must contend with other opposing forces that affect her private life as well. Ahhh, thus the life of being a young superhero.

--~ eBook Giveaway ~--
WIN a Kindle copy of this eBook!

Open to all.

Offer ends: January 5, 2014

TO DO:

TELL me a superhero-related joke.

AND, leave your email.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Contest has ended - winner is here

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

~*~
* review copy courtesy of author

-+0+o+ YA Paranormal Activity schedule +o+0+-

Meet: Tex, The Witch Boy

Tex, The Witch Boy
by Stuart R. West
~*~
~-~-~-~-~ guest ~-~-~-~-~
by Stuart R. West
~-~-~-~-~ guest ~-~-~-~-~
The Secret Origin Of Tex, The Witch Boy

First of all, thank you very much, Velvet, for letting me blab away on your blog about my YA trilogy.

The Tex, The Witch Boy series has been percolating in my mind for, well, years. Since high school (and I ain’t gonna’ tell you how long ago that was). Basically I’m Tex. Um… except for I’m not a witch nor was I instrumental in uncovering three killers (an unlucky and dangerous high school, that Clearwell High). But I share many traits with my main character, Tex. Like him, I was awkward, unsure of myself, lacking self-confidence and never knowing when to kick my inner censor on (something I still struggle with). Of course, I have to say, I wasn’t as brave as Tex, either. I didn’t stand up to school bullies, wish I would’ve. Actually, I did try once…didn’t work out so well for me. But that’s beside the point. Speaking of which, I’ve had a few readers suggest the incidents of bullying recounted in the first book seem over-the-top. Until they read the afterword. Trust me; every bullying incident either happened to me or a friend of mine. To this day, I still have a friend who doesn’t have full usage of several of his fingers. So…the secret origin of Tex, The Witch Boy? Exorcising my high school demons.

The Tex, The Witch Boy trilogy books are all YA paranormal, murder mystery, comedic romantic thrillers. And they all deal with social issues today’s teens face. It’s a lot of gist for the writer’s cavern, too. Tex, The Witch Boy (the first in the series and the print copy should be out in December) tackles high school bullying. Tex and The Gangs Of Suburbia deals with identity and senseless, random, horrifying high school violence. It’s based on a true story that happened at my old alma mater a couple years ago. It also introduces fan-favorite character, Elspeth. Until y’all read the books, I’d prefer to keep her shrouded in mystery. As it is, she threatened to hijack the entire series, so much so that she kicked and demanded her own spin-off tale. Since I’m afraid of her, I wrote it and it’s out in Summer, 2014. The third, and last, Tex book is Tex and The God Squad, also out this December. It’s my most ambitious of the trilogy in terms of issues and expansive ”set-pieces.” Topics include teen suicide, religion and gay and lesbian issues. Whew.

Okay, so we have a teen boy witch. I hear some of you asking, “But, Stuart, shouldn’t he be considered a warlock?” Nope. I did my research, even talked to a few bonafide witches. “Witch” is indeed the proper term. Why a witch, I hear you asking once again (man, you’re an inquisitive lot!)? Well, I thought the juxtaposition of having an already awkward teen boy discover he’s a witch too intriguing to ignore. Teens already face enough indecision about life; being a witch is the dramatic icing on the cake. (Truth time…at first I also considered having him be gay, but ultimately thought that was just stacking the book too much). And being a witch opened up all sorts of exciting story possibilities.

The uniting theme of the books is about high school friendships forged in the face of adversity, teens trying to carve out their existence in an overwhelming world. High school rocked my world a lot; I haven’t forgotten. In the books, I hope to touch on uncomfortable situations, missteps (and my protagonist makes a lot of them), every awful and awkward encounter that I remember like it was yesterday. I use humor as a cover for these instances, but underneath every clown’s mask lies a sad truth, I think.

I also wanted to create a series that has a male protagonist, books boys can enjoy as well as females. That’s where I started, at least. But it’s the female characters who take charge and kick butt. There’s Olivia, Tex’s friend (possibly girl-friend?), a radical who’s upset she’s not considered a suspect in the current murder investigation, thinks it’s sexist. I told you about Elspeth, whose faux-hawk is nearly as tall as her bravery and cynicism. Don’t forget Mickey, the unusual witch mentor, a hand-slapping, fried chicken-extorting (it’s complicated) elderly woman who could take down any of these kids with her ice-cold glare. That’s just the tip of the character iceberg in the world of Tex, The Witch Boy.

I tried to write the kinds of books I wished were around when I was in high school. They’re books that are fun, thrilling, surprising, and carry a strong message of hope. I’d love nothing more than to reach teens today, tell them they’re not alone, there’s nothing wrong with them. And stay strong.

Welcome to the wild world of Tex, The Witch Boy.

~end

Guest post created by Stuart R. West, author of Tex, The Witch Boy
© 2013. All rights reserved.

Visit Stuart:
Blog
Facebook
Goodreads

~-~-~-~-~ guest ~-~-~-~-~
by Stuart R. West
~-~-~-~-~ guest ~-~-~-~-~
READ more about this world...

--~ eBook Giveaway courtesy of author ~--
WIN a copy of this eBook!

Open to all.

Offer ends: January 5, 2014 ---> extended to Jan 12

TO DO: (2-parts)

1. ADD this book to your Goodreads Want To Read list.

OR

Tweet about this giveaway.

OR

Recommend this on Google using the mini-button at end of this post (g+1).

2. TELL me what you did in comments.

AND, leave your email.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Contest has ended - winner is here

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

-+0+o+ YA Paranormal Activity schedule +o+0+-

Book Blast: Forsaken by Sophia Sharp

Forsaken
by Sophia Sharp
Special Book Blast offer: $0.99
Amazon
Amazon UK
Amazon Kindle
Barnes & Noble
Goodreads

Nora Colburn was perfectly content in life. A junior in high school, she had good friends, a great family, and did well in school. Nothing particularly exciting ever happened where she lived, and everything was stable.

But that all drastically changes when a new student arrives at Nora’s school. Wild rumors swirl about his past, and Nora becomes determined to find out the truth.

As she gets to know the mysterious student, he shares with her an ancient secret... one that may yet put both of them in grave danger.

And for the first time in her life, Nora is exposed to a completely unfamiliar world. She is swept away on an exhilarating journey that takes her to a place where romance and great destiny may yet await... and where supernatural powers run wild.

Book Excerpt:

Hunter cut off with a strangled sound, and in an instant, he was at the door. “They’re coming,” he hissed over his shoulder.

“What? Already? You said we’d have until nightfall!”

“I was wrong.” He shut the door quickly and rushed to the opposite wall. “You need to hide.” He pulled back a board to reveal a small cubby in the wall. “Quickly!”

Nora ran without arguing.

“Get in,” he told her, “and don’t make a sound.” Nora nodded. Her pulse raced, and a jolt of adrenaline kicked through her. A mixture of fear and dread came over her as she pushed herself into the wall. There wasn’t much space, and splinters and rough pieces of wood pierced her skin and got caught on her clothing. She wedged herself farther in. Hunter replaced the board.

Light scattered in from cracks along the wall. Nora pressed an eye to one of them. She could see the entire space between her and the entrance door. Hunter stood facing the door with his back to her. His feet were wide in a predatory stance.

Anxious minutes passed. Only Nora’s ragged breaths broke the silence, and they sounded as loud as hammers to her ears.

Slowly, the door started to move. Hunter tensed.

It creaked all the way open, and a tall figure stepped into the entrance. Nora’s breath caught. It was the same man from the dream, the same one she saw at the school.

“Where’s your friend?” the man asked Hunter crudely. He spoke with a harsh accent.

If it were possible, Hunter tensed even more. The man took a step forward. He wore the same long coat from before, the same dark hat. He and Hunter were approximately the same height. Leisurely, he started to take off his coat. Hunter still hadn’t moved.

The man dropped his coat in a pile at his side, and Nora saw that he was much thicker than Hunter. Bigger, more developed.

Stronger.

“Don’t try to hide her. I can smell her stench from here. I know she is with you.”

“You will not have her.” Hunter’s voice held a steely edge.

The man laughed. “Oh? Is that so? And you think you’re going to stop me?” He laughed again. “You have broken the ancient creed by bringing her into our world. You will answer for your crime. As will she.”

“You will not have her,” Hunter repeated, his voice filled with a deathly calm.

The man waved dismissively and took a step toward Hunter. “You cannot stop me,” he said. “And I don’t intend to take only her. You’ll be coming along, as well.”

“No,” Hunter growled.

“Oh, yes, I will take you both.” The man stood only a pace away from Hunter, now. “You cannot imagine what they will do to you. You will be bound in chains, locked away to never again see the dark of night or feel the cool rays of the moon. You will grow weak and feeble, forever barred from taking blood. You will never feed again.

“Your body will go first. Your muscles will wither to nothingness. Your bones will crumble. You will become a shadow of what you once were. A shadow of what you could have been.
“But they will keep your mind sharp. Make no mistake, you will know you are suffering. An antidote will be administered, and it will stave off the madness that accompanies your deprivation. You will languish in misery, forever conscious of your mistake. That will be your sentence. To suffer, until the end of time.”

The man took one last step, until he was nose-to-nose with Hunter. And he spoke just loudly enough for Nora to hear. “But that pales in comparison to what they will do to her.”

Hunter snarled.

“Yes, her. Your precious human.” He spat the word. Then he raised his voice. “I know you are here, little one. Listen well to what I have to say.”

He returned his attention to Hunter. “She will suffer for your sin. A human mind and body is much weaker than that of our kind, and for that reason…she will be converted. And sentenced to suffer eternally alongside you.

“You know of the savage bloodlust that overtakes a new member of our race, do you not? Oh, but I think you do. You were once one of them, were you not? You were born a human.” Again, he spat the word. “A despicable thing. A despicable creature to risk so much for, wouldn’t you say?”

Hunter didn’t say a word, and the man continued. “I will give you one chance. One chance now, to repent. Give her up freely, and the punishment for your treason will be less severe. You will be bound for one century, before your freedom is returned.” He put a hand on Hunter’s shoulder. “You know you cannot win. Is she worth an eternity in hell?”

Nora caught a furtive movement at the door. The other hunter. “No!” she screamed. It was a trap.

On Nora’s cry, both newcomers looked in her direction. Hunter curled back from the man’s hand and smashed an elbow into his face. The thick man stumbled back.

Then he laughed cruelly and flung himself at Hunter.

Author Bio:

I've been writing stories for as long as I can remember. Actually, that's a bit of a lie. I've been writing since the third grade, when a wonderful teacher asked everyone in class to write a fairy tale, and ended up picking mine as his favorite. He didn't tell the other kids, of course - but confided it in my parents. He said I have a natural knack for writing (his exact words! and I remember them to this day), and should never stop. So, I've kept going..

I've mostly been keeping it to myself, though. I've never really thought about becoming an "author," or a "writer" (quotations because those goals are still so far away!), so never had the need to share with anyone or publicize my stories. But, I'm just finishing up my second year in college, and have really started to think about careers and life goals and such other mysterious things. And while my friends were all busy trying to get internships for the summer this year, I just kept to myself with my writing hobby. I don't have an interest in going out and working professionally in the "real world" -- I want to keep writing forever, and I want to have time to do it. The only way I see myself having that time, though, is by becoming a published author.

So there you have it. That's the abbreviated history of one Sophia Sharp. I've been working on a few young adult paranormal/fantasy novels for the past few months, and I'm putting them all up as soon as they're done! Why young adult? Because it's what I love to read. And why paranormal/fantasy? Because that genre gives the greatest opportunities for creating a magical, romantic, quixotic world that I can fall in love with.

--~ Book Giveaway courtesy of tour ~--
Open internationally!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


~*~
* fyi: The second book is coming in January!

* tour sponsored by Sarah's Book Promotions

YA Paranormal Activity: schedule

YA Paranormal Activity
a virtual book event
December 17-23, 2013
oooo, there's something in the air...

can you feel it?

it crackles and sparks in the dark.

it is not just the christmas magic, but something else.

could be paranormal activity in this here parts of the vvb32 reads world (again)...

Schedule of events:
details and links will be filled in after posted
per usual links are also on the sidebar


Complete list of books featured and mentioned:
these will be revealed per day... final list will be updated at the end of the event

AND

giveaway links will light up when available

December 17: paranormal activity at vvb32 reads begins with angels and demons...

Hades
by Alexandra Adornetto
signup for giveaway: below
December 18: a gal with supernatural powers here

Forsaken
by Sophia Sharp
December 19: a guy with supernatural powers here

Tex, The Witch Boy
by Stuart R. West
signup for giveaway: here
my review
December 20: another gal with supernatural powers here

More Than Jamie Baker
by Kelly Oram
signup for giveaway here
my review
December 22: a guy who meets a supernatural entity here

rev: When Adam Lacroft Met Death
by Carlos Paolini
signup for giveaway here
my review
December 23: twins with supernatural powers and End Credits here

Intangible
by J. Meyers
signup for giveaway: here
my review
January 5:
Giveaways end
Announcement: giveaway winners pt1
Announcement: giveaway winners pt2

--~ eBook Giveaway ~--

Hades
by Alexandra Adornetto
Heaven Help Her.

Bethany Church is an angel sent to Earth to keep dark forces at bay. Falling in love was never part of her mission, but the bond between Beth and her mortal boyfriend, Xavier Woods, is undeniably strong. But even Xavier’s love, and the care of her archangel siblings, Gabriel and Ivy, can’t keep Beth from being tricked into a motorcycle ride that ends up in Hell. There, the demon Jake Thorn bargains for Beth’s release back to Earth. But what he asks of her will destroy her, and quite possibly, her loved ones, as well.

The story that Alexandra Adornetto built in her New York Times-bestselling debut, Halo, comes alive in action-packed and unexpected ways, as angels battle demons, and the power of love is put to the test.

WIN a Kindle version of this book!

Open to all.

Offer ends: January 5, 2014

TO DO:

SEND me the link to a picture of an angel or demon.

AND, leave your email.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Contest has ended - winner is here

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Participant entries:

vvb's angel:

Carlos' angel/demon:

Catarina's angel:

Kristia's angel:

Freda's demon:

McKenzie's angel:

Miss Lucinda Fountain's angel:

Sophia's demon:

Sullivan McPig's devil:

Susana's angel:

~*~
* source links for participant images are in comments, source vvb angel

* badge image source: cover of Hades by Alexandra Adornetto

* What is a virtual book event? a celebration of books and authors that are in keeping with a theme which may include guest posts and giveaways. Audience participation is encouraged and most welcome.