A Book Addict's Bookshelves (Old): Emerge

Tuesday, 19 April 2016

Blog Tour + Guest Post + Giveaway - Emerge by Tobie Easton

Find the tour schedule here.

Emerge (Mer Chronicles #1) by Tobie Easton

Publication Date: April 19, 2016

Publisher: Month9Books

Lia Nautilus may be a Mermaid, but she’s never lived in the ocean. Ever since the infamous Little Mermaid unleashed a curse that stripped Mer of their immortality, war has ravaged the Seven Seas.

So Lia has grown up in a secret community of land-dwelling Mer hidden among Malibu’s seaside mansions. Her biggest problems are surviving P.E. and keeping her feelings for Clay Ericson in check. Sure, he’s gorgeous in that cocky, leather jacket sort of way and makes her feel like there’s a school of fish swimming in her stomach, but getting involved with a human could put Lia's entire community at risk. So it’s for the best that he’s dating that new girl, right?

That is, until Lia finds out she isn't the only one at school keeping a potentially deadly secret. And this new girl? Her eyes are dead set on Clay, who doesn't realize the danger he's in. If Lia hopes to save him, she’ll have to get closer to Clay than ever. Lia’s parents would totally flip if they found out she was falling for a human boy, but the more time she spends with Clay, the harder it is for Lia to deny her feelings.After making a horrible mistake, Lia will risk everything to stop Clay from falling in love with the wrong girl.

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Purchase Links:

Kobo | TBD | iBooks

Top 10 Favourite Films

Hi, all! I’m so excited to be here today sharing secrets. One secret you may not know about me is that I minored in film in college (or, if you want to be fancy about it, in Cinematic Arts). Movies have always been a major creative influence for me, so when Jess asked me to create a list of my top ten favorite films, I couldn’t wait to share it with you! I’ve listed them below, along with which aspects of each movie impacted me most as a writer.

1. Cruel Intentions

The witty dialogue and smart, seductive innuendo. And Ryan Phillippe. Ah, Ryan Phillippe.

2. Shakespeare in Love

The forbidden romance! And the costumes (I love fashion)! The movie includes its own brand of humor punctuated by all the drama and beauty of some of my favorite scenes from Romeo and Juliet.

3. Clueless

Did I mention I love fashion? And witty dialogue? Also (like both Cher Horowitz and Emerge’s protagonist, Lia), I’m a California girl.

4. Legally Blonde

Like Cher Horowitz, Elle Woods is a feminine, fashion-loving, good-hearted character who subverts everyone’s expectations of her with intelligence and strength. Plus, I can’t watch this movie without laughing, and I love how the first scene and the last scene parallel each other, bringing the movie full circle.

5. The Ghost and Mrs. Muir

I watched this film countless times when I was little. For me, the main character’s spunk paired with the secret, alluring romance makes this a classic that endures.

6. Dirty Dancing

Sigh. Secret, forbidden romance. Seeing a pattern? It’s funny, it’s smart, it’s swoon-worthy.

7. Now and Then

For me, this film is the quintessential celebration of friendship. Each character is so well-drawn, and the bonds they share are unbreakable. Plus, who didn’t want to try stuffing her bra with pudding balloons after watching this movie?

8. Pride and Prejudice

(the 2005 film and the 1995 miniseries)

Witty dialogue, multifaceted sister relationships, and—of course—Darcy. DARCY.

9. Saved!

So funny! This one is such a great character study because every single person really comes of age in her own way here. I also love the different ways each one struggles to make sense of community expectations.

10. The Secret Garden

A childhood favorite. The setting is a character, and the garden transports you to an enchanting, beautiful world.

About the Author

Tobie Easton was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, where she’s grown from a little girl who dreamed about magic to a twenty-something who writes about it. A summa cum laude graduate of the University of Southern California, Tobie hosts book clubs for tweens and teens. She and her very kissable husband enjoy traveling the globe and fostering packs of rescue puppies. Learn more about Tobie and her upcoming books at www.TobieEaston.com.

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Tour-wide giveaway

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Wednesday, 16 March 2016

Blog Tour + Giveaway - The Awakening (Emerge, #1) by Melissa A. Craven

Find the tour schedule here.

The Awakening (Emerge #1)
by Melissa A. Craven
Release Date: April 1st 2015

Summary from Goodreads:

2015 Dante Rossetti Awards Finalist
2015 International Book Awards Finalist
2015 USA Best Book Award Finalist

Allie Carmichael has always believed life is simple.
You’re born.
You live.
You die.
She has no cause to believe that equation works differently for her, but there has to be a reason the world treats her like a pariah.
When an unexpected move to Kelleys Island brings Aidan McBrien crashing into her life, Allie is thrown by his reaction. He doesn’t shrink from her touch. He doesn’t stutter or make a quick exit. He smiles and welcomes her into his circle of friends, who aren’t exactly comfortable with Allie, but they seem to get her in a way most people don’t.
Finally, Allie has a real shot at normal and rides that high right up to her sixteenth birthday when she wakes in agony—an experience Aidan insists they have all faced. She struggles in ignorance, uncertain of what is real and what isn’t. When she emerges, Allie is different. She has always been different, but even among her extraordinary friends, she and Aidan are special.
As Allie struggles to maintain her tenuous grasp on the power that threatens to overwhelm her, she worries she will lose herself in this strange new world. A dangerous world where she will have to fight tooth and nail to defend the power and freedom that is her birthright.
…only Allie hates to fight.

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Emerge: The Awakening is on sale for $1.99 during the tour!

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Emerge: The Edge is on sale for $0.99 during the tour!

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Excerpt from Chapter Two:

Allie’s feet pounded against the hard packed dirt as she ran along the secluded trail, the sound of Saint Saeën’s Aquarium loud in her ears. It was still the middle of the night for most people, but she didn’t sleep much these days. She liked her new home on Kelleys Island, but the whole move to Cleveland, Ohio reeked of unanswered questions. Questions she knew not to ask.

Today was her first day at the prestigious Cliffton Academy, and she wasn’t looking forward to it. She’d changed schools often enough to know what to expect, and she hadn’t suffered from new school nerves in years. She just didn’t know if she had it in her to start over again.

Gavin would want me to try. She’d picked up the phone a dozen times over the weekend, but never finished dialing before she chickened out. She didn’t know what to say to him. In her mind, that door was closed. He was in the past, and as much as she missed him, she knew they both needed to move on. Calling him would only prolong their misery.

As the song changed to Pavane, Allie heard heavy footsteps echoing behind her. She had company. Another runner following at a discrete distance. He was curious and incredibly annoyed with her—if her instincts were right—which they almost always were.

She continued along the path, increasing her pace, but the footsteps grew louder as he left the trail to crash through the woods.

So much for my nice quiet morning.

She felt dizzy. Her head swam and her ears filled with a rush of white noise.

Should’ve had breakfast before I left.

Allie ran faster, hoping to push through the nausea. She looked over her shoulder expecting to catch a glimpse of him, but she crashed into something hard instead. She toppled to the ground in a tangle of tattooed limbs.

“Dammit! Watch where you’re going!” a gruff voice sounded in her ear.

“Sorry!”

“Your knee is crushing my spine, sweetheart.”

“Crap! Sorry!” She scrambled to her feet and reached to help him up.

His hand was warm and his grip, firm and confident. Allie waited for him to pull away with the flustered reaction she’d come to expect, but it never happened. She was completely thrown by his lack of response to her touch.

She met his steely gaze and her breath hitched in her throat. He towered over her—but almost everyone did. He was angry, but only one thought came to her mind.

Friend.

About the Author

Melissa A. Craven (the "A" stands for Ann—in case you were wondering) was born near Atlanta, Georgia, but moved to Cleveland, Ohio at the age of seventeen. She still thinks of Cleveland as home, so it was only natural for Emerge to take place there.

Today, she is back in Atlanta—for some reason she can't seem to stay away from the ungodly heat that makes her long for things like "lake effect snow" and wind that will knock you flat.
Melissa decided a long time ago that the “life checklist” everyone else was clutching so tightly in their fists, just wasn’t for her. She does everything backwards because she is weird like that, but then, she is an artist and artists are notoriously "unique" and "quirky."
She is an avid student of art and design, and received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of West Georgia in 2009. She worked as an interior designer for several years, but she's always thought she might like to be a writer when she grows up.
In her spare time, if she has any, she enjoys shopping for derelict furniture she refinishes to exercise the interior design part of her brain.