Serpentine Blog Tour + Giveaway!

About the Author

Cindy Pon is the author of Silver Phoenix (Greenwillow, 2009), which was named one of the Top Ten Fantasy and Science Fiction Books for Youth by the American Library Association's Booklist, and one of 2009′s best Fantasy, Science Fiction and Horror by VOYA. The sequel to Silver Phoenix, titled Fury of the Phoenix, was released in April 2011. Serpentine, the first title in her next Xia duology, will be published by Month9Books in September 2015. She is the co-founder of Diversity in YA with Malinda Lo and on the advisory board of We Need Diverse Books. Cindy is also a Chinese brush painting student of over a decade. Visit her website at www.cindypon.com.

☆ How to find Cindy ☆
Website ☆ Twitter ☆ Facebook ☆ Goodreads ☆ Tumblr ☆ Instagram

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About The Book

SERPENTINE is a sweeping fantasy set in the ancient Kingdom of Xia and inspired by the rich history of Chinese mythology.

Lush with details from Chinese folklore, SERPENTINE tells the coming of age story of Skybright, a young girl who worries about her growing otherness. As she turns sixteen, Skybright notices troubling changes. By day, she is a companion and handmaid to the youngest daughter of a very wealthy family. But nighttime brings with it a darkness that not even daybreak can quell.

When her plight can no longer be denied, Skybright learns that despite a dark destiny, she must struggle to retain her sense of self – even as she falls in love for the first time.

“Vivid worldbuilding, incendiary romance, heart-pounding action, and characters that will win you over–I highly recommend Serpentine.” Cinda Williams Chima, best-selling author of the Seven Realms and Heir Chronicles fantasy novels

“Serpentine is unique and surprising, with a beautifully-drawn fantasy world that sucked me right in! I love Skybright’s transformative power, and how she learns to take charge of it.” ~Kristin Cashore, NYT Bestseller of the Graceling Realm Series

“Serpentine’s world oozes with lush details and rich lore, and the characters crackle with life. This is one story that you’ll want to lose yourself in.” ~ Marie Lu, New York Times bestselling author of Legend and The Young Elites


☆ Where to find Serpentine ☆
Amazon ☆ B&N ☆ BAM ☆ Chapters ☆ Indiebound ☆ Kobo ☆ TBD ☆ iBooks ☆ Google Play


Favorite Heroes and Villains.

The Heroes
Eugenides from The Queen's Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner.
Han Alister from The Seven Realms series by Cinda Williams Chima
Mai from The Crossroads series by Kate Elliott
Ged from the Earthsea series by Ursula K. Le Guin
Anyanwu from Wild Seed by Octavia E. Butler
Katherine from The Privilege of the Sword by Ellen Kushner

And the Villains
Darkling from The Grisha series by Leigh Bardugo
Zhong Ye from my own Silver Phoenix and Fury of the Phoenix titles.
Jack Torrance from The Shining by Stephen King





This is a publisher hosted giveaway!
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY
1 winner will receive a signed hardcover of SERPENTINE and brush art painting card. US Only.
3 winners will receive a signed paperback of SERPENTINE and brush art painting card. US Only.


a Rafflecopter giveaway
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☆ The Tour ☆

Week One:
8/31/2015- Good Choice Reading- Guest Post
9/1/2015- Dark Faerie Tales- Interview
9/2/2015- Fiktshun- Guest Post
9/3/2015- Two Chicks on Books- Guest Post
9/4/2015- Novel Novice- Interview


Week Two:
9/7/2015- Once Upon A Twilight- Guest Post
9/8/2015- Chapter by Chapter- Interview
9/9/2015- Magical Urban Fantasy Reads- Guest Post
9/10/2015- Mundie Moms- Review
9/11/2015- Page Turners- Interview

Jubilee Blog Tour - Interview with Bethany + Giveaway

About the Author

Bethany is a a former librarian living in the Kansas City area with her husband and two children.

Her debut novel Landry Park came out from Dial/Penguin in 2014, and the sequel, Jubilee Manor, will be out August 11, 2015. She is am represented by Mollie Glick of Foundry Media.



☆ How to find Bethany ☆
Website ☆ Tumblr ☆ Pinterest ☆ Twitter

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About THE Book

The thrilling conclusion to Landry Park is full of love, betrayal, and murder--perfect for fans of Divergent, The Selection, and Pride and Prejudice.

In Landry Park, Madeline turned her back on her elite family, friends, and estate to help the Rootless. Now, in Jubilee Manor, she struggles to bring the Gentry and the Rootless together. But when Gentry heirs—Madeline’s old friends—are murdered, even she begins to think a Rootless is behind it, putting her at odds with the boy she loves and the very people she is trying to lead. If she can’t figure out who is killing her friends and bring them to justice, a violent war will erupt and even more will die—and Madeline’s name, her estate, and all the bonds she’s forged won’t make any difference.

This conclusion to Landry Park, which VOYA dubbed "Gone with the Wind meets The Hunger Games,” is a richly satisfying, addictive read.


☆ Where to find Jubilee Manor ☆
Amazon ☆ Barnes & Noble ☆ iBooks ☆ Goodreads

The 1st Book

In a fragmented future United States ruled by the lavish gentry, seventeen-year-old Madeline Landry dreams of going to the university. Unfortunately, gentry decorum and her domineering father won't allow that. Madeline must marry, like a good Landry woman, and run the family estate. But her world is turned upside down when she discovers the devastating consequences her lifestyle is having on those less fortunate. As Madeline begins to question everything she has ever learned, she finds herself increasingly drawn to handsome, beguiling David Dana. Soon, rumors of war and rebellion start to spread, and Madeline finds herself and David at the center of it all. Ultimately, she must make a choice between duty - her family and the estate she loves dearly - and desire.


☆ Where to find Landry Park ☆
Goodreads ☆ Amazon ☆ Barnes & Noble ☆ iBooks

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Mindy: Hi Bethany! Welcome to Magical Urban Fantasy Reads! We are thrilled that you could join us!

Can you please describe Jubilee Manor for us in 10 words or less?

Bethany: Blood and silk, glitter and murder, love and fire.

Mindy: There were some big revelations for Madeline (the protagonist) near the end of Landry Park. Does these revelations change the dynamic of the Gentry and the Rootless’ lifestyles?

Bethany: They do! But what was interesting to me was also showing how resistant people were to change, even when their entire world is shown to be built on lies. It takes a lot of work to change the status quo and also to move people past anger into productive work, and that’s the wall Madeline faces from page one of Jubilee Manor.

Mindy: Now that the series has ended, had you expected the duology would end this way from the beginning?

Bethany: In some ways yes, and other ways no. I had a very different storyline originally for this series, a different direction, and when we were editing Jubilee Manor, we scrapped a lot of it and went back to the drawing board. But the last two or three chapters and the epilogue specifically were always how I imagined the book ending. With kissing and fire, naturally.

Mindy: Which book was easier for you to write?

Bethany: Landry Park was much less brutal to write! Fun, even. But I think at the end of the day, Jubilee Manor was more worthwhile for me to write. I learned so much about myself and about the craft while working on it, and the lessons I learned writing that book I will carry with me forever.

Here is a quick Q&A to get to know you!

Mindy: Facebook or Twitter?

Bethany: Tumblr ;)

Mindy: Most visited online website?

Bethany: Other than tumblr? Probably iflscience.com or Buzzfeed.

Mindy: Kindle or Nook?

Bethany: Kindle—Amazon may be our evil overlords, but man, they are good at what they do.

Mindy: Favorite food?

Bethany: I’m a Kansas City girl, so it’s probably either barbecue or a good rare steak.

Mindy: Morning or night?

Bethany: Night! If I had my way, I’d sleep in til noon every day.

Mindy: Strange quirks?

Bethany: I’m a laugher. I laugh a lot, especially when I’m in awkward or weird situations, and so I’m sure people think that I’m bananaballs sometimes!

Mindy: Guilty pleasure?

Bethany: Frappucinos from Starbucks, which are basically coffee milkshakes with a green straw. But I love them. And I drink them even in the winter.

Mindy: Preferred weapon?

Bethany: Now we’re talking. I’ve done karate since I was twelve, and my favorite weapon is probably the sword, especially my training shinai, which makes all these satisfying clacking noises when I hit other people’s weapons with them.

Mindy: What do you like to do in your spare time other than writing?

Bethany: Karate, for sure, and then after that, maybe reading and napping.

Mindy: Top fave movies?

Bethany: So many! I’ll narrow it down to three: Gladiator, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Inception

Mindy: Top authors that inspire you?

Bethany: Again, there’s so many! It’s hard to keep it brief. Um, okay, off the top of my head: Elizabeth Wein, Laini Taylor, Tessa Gratton and Megan Whalen Turner.

Mindy: Top 5 fave books?

Bethany: Oh boy. *chews fingernails* Okay: Jane Eyre, Lord of the Rings (I’m counting the whole trilogy as one, which is cheating, I know), Harry Potter (again with the counting the whole cycle as one), The Once and Future King, and The Little Prince.

Mindy: Favorite TV show when you were a kid?

Bethany: All That on Nickelodeon. Lori Beth was kind of my idol.

Mindy: Thanks again for stopping by Magical Urban Fantasy Reads! Maybe when your next book comes out we can have you again! 





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This is a tour hosted giveaway!
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY
1 winner will receive a paperback of LANDRY PARK and an ARC of JUBILEE MANOR. US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
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☆ The Tour ☆

Week One:
8/3/2015- The Bibliophile Chronicles- Interview
8/4/2015- Fiction Freak- Review
8/5/2015- Two Chicks on Books- Guest Post
8/6/2015- Seeing Double In Neverland- Review
8/7/2015- Wishful Endings - Interview


Week Two:
8/10/2015- The Eater of Books! - Review
8/11/2015- Fiktshun- Guest Post
8/12/2015- WinterHaven Books- Review
8/13/2015- Magical Urban Fantasy Reads- Interview
8/14/2015- The Reading Nook Reviews- Guest Post

Silver in the Blood Blog Tour Stop + Giveaway!

About the Author

Jessica Day George earned a BA in Humanities/Comparative Literature from Brigham Young University, where she enjoyed classes in Pottery and Old Norse, and dutifully forced herself to take Algebra and Biology. Originally from Idaho, she now resides in Salt Lake City, Utah, with her husband and three young children.

☆ How to find Jessica ☆
Website ☆ Twitter ☆ Facebook ☆ Goodreads

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About the Book

A New York Times bestselling author brings dark secrets to life in a lush new YA perfect for fans of Libba Bray or Cassandra Clare.

Society girls from New York City circa 1890, Dacia and Lou never desired to know more about their lineage, instead preferring to gossip about the mysterious Romanian family that they barely knew. But upon turning seventeen, the girls must return to their homeland to meet their relatives, find proper husbands, and—most terrifyingly—learn the deep family secrets of The Claw, The Wing, and The Smoke. The Florescus, after all, are shape-shifters, and it is time for Dacia and Lou to fulfill the prophecy that demands their acceptance of this fate . . . or fight against this cruel inheritance with all their might.

With a gorgeous Romanian setting, stunning Parisian gowns, and dark brooding young men, readers will be swept up by this epic adventure of two girls in a battle for their lives.


☆ How to find Silver in the Blood ☆
Amazon ☆ Barnes & Noble ☆ iBooks ☆ Goodreads
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What does a typical day of writing look like?

The tricky part is that I have children. I’d love to be able to roll out of bed in the morning and just get cracking on the story, work all day if I’m in the mood. But first there has to be clothes and food for the children (and myself), and usually laundry and dishes and reminders to practice piano.

But then there’s the afternoon! The glorious afternoon! I often have a babysitter during the week, and my husband takes charge on weekends, so that I can shut the office door, or go to my local library, to work in peace. I use noise-canceling headphones, even in my own house. If it’s a rough draft, I listen to music, if it’s an edit, I can’t listen to anything. I also like to have snacks nearby: Red Vines, and some really super dark chocolate. We are talking pure cacao. And a water bottle. It’s almost like a nervous tic, the water drinking while I write.

I try to write at least 1,000 words every writing session. I also like to multi-task while I write. I keep Goodreads open and will rearrange my to-read shelf or do the never-ending trivia game in between paragraphs. I also like to look at knitting patterns online. I don’t know why, I just find it soothing to look at knitting and think about making an afghan that is a map of the United States… So I’ll write a sentence, or a paragraph, and then while I’m thinking about whether I liked what I just wrote, or what to say next, I flick over to Goodreads or Knitty and look at something else for just a minute. And then back to my World document.

And well, the secret to good writing is just to get your bum in the chair and keep plugging away. So that’s what I try to do. I try to find the time to get those words on the page. Some days I reach my 1,000, some days I feel like 400 is a triumph. All that matters is that I tried!

(And also the chocolate. The chocolate matters a great deal.)




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This is a tour hosted giveaway!
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY
2 winners will receive a finished copy of SILVER IN THE BLOOD. US Only.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

☆ The Tour ☆
Week One:
6/29/2015- Reading Lark- Interview
6/30/2015- Katie's Book Blog- Review
7/1/2015- Magical Urban Fantasy Reads- Guest Post
7/2/2015- Dark Faerie Tales- Review
7/3/2015- Adventures of a Book Junkie- Interview


Week Two:
7/6/2015- Frannie in the Pages- Review
7/7/2015- Once Upon a Twilight- Guest Post
7/8/2015- Alice Marvels- Review
7/9/2015- Two Chicks on Books- Interview
7/10/2015- Bookhounds ya- Review