Showing posts with label Halloween. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Halloween. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Zombie Crawl 2 - Blog Party: Confessions of a Recent Convert (Post + Giveaway)


Zombie Crawl 2 - Blog Party

October 22 - 31, 2015


How it works: Each day, the scheduled authors and bloggers will post awesome zombie-tastic content for your enjoyment along with a giveaway on their site/blog/page. You can hop around to all of the participating sites and enter as many giveaways as you like! If you would like to be emailed links to the new posts each day, join this Zombie Crawl Daily Digest list which will ensure you don't miss a post (or join the party on Facebook to get notifications). Make sure to leave comments and interact with the participating sites. Thanks for joining the party!

*****

Confessions of a Recent Convert

Hey there blog hoppers. Welcome to my stop on the Zombie Crawl Blog Party! Today I'm going to be sharing my brief story as a recent convert to the zombie trope. Hope you enjoy!

I'll be honest with you readers, Ethan here is not really a zombie fan. *gasp* I know, I know. Hard to believe. I've never seen an episode of The Walking Dead, most horror movies bore me to tears, and until about a two years ago, I'd never so much as touched a zombie novel. So what am I doing here? Well, it just so happens that the works of a few pretty awesome people have converted me over full fledged to where I maybe, just kind of really freaking enjoy the trope now. So what changed? Let's take a walk through my top five favorite zombies ever.

So let's go back to my childhood. Yes, I'm pretty young, I know. In my house, we were big Scooby-Doo fans. Couldn't get enough. I watched all the movies, TV shows, and all. Let's be honest, some of it was pretty scary for a cartoon. None more so than the 1998 hit Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island. Zombies, pirates, were-cats, voodoo, and the Louisiana bayou all rolled into one cartoon? Uh yeah, scary as hell. To this day it remains one of my all time favorite cartoon films. Those zombies were seriously legit. That and I tend to get the "It's Terror Time Again" song stuck in my head whenever I think of zombies. If you've never seen this one, you're really missing out.

So picking up from the screen side of things, I've recently took the plunge into trying to enjoy some television zombies. No, it's not TWD, but one other that really appealed to my love of crime shows and forensics: iZombie. Adapted from the wildly popular comic series, this new CW series has really taken me by storm, I seriously cannot get enough. It's a bit different than your average zombie series, but I'm thoroughly impressed. The first season is now in Netflix, be sure to check it out.

So honestly, that's about it when it comes to the visualized zombies that I can tolerate. Thankfully, there have been some absolutely incredible zombie book series that have really appealed to my inner bookworm. I've read about a dozen at this point, but these three are hands-down my favorite. Let's check them out!

First would have to be the novel that first introduced me to literary zombies, Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion. I know there's a lot of controversy around this one and it's inclusion in true zombie lore, but seriously as a newbie who was really hesitant about zombies in the first place, it was the perfect introduction for me. I've read these books so many times now. They're great!

Second would be The World Without End series by the incredible Nazarea Andrews. Right after I began my journey in the bookish world, I came across Andrews and this series. It's a New Adult zombie series that is full of horror, drama, and steam. I've been raving about this series for a long time now and all my bookish friends know how much Ren and Finn appealed to me. This four book series has now ended, but Andrews is beginning a spin-off series starting next year. Definitely worth adding to your TBR!

Finally we've got what would have to be my number one all-time favorite zombie anything ever. The absolutely amazing Rachel Auke's Deadland Saga. Oh holy hell you guys. On my list of all-time favorite book series, this one definitely is close to the top. I have never felt the wide spectrum of emotions I felt when I devoured this series. From absolute horror to heartbreaking emotion, it was one ride I'm not sure I'll ever be able to forget. I'm not an emotional reader but there were times when this series had me in tears. Nothing is sacred in the apocalypse and Aukes definitely knows it. Spinning the trilogy off as a retelling of Dante Alighieri's classic Dante's Inferno, Aukes weaves together the perfect series of survival and redemption in a shattering world. It's the only series I've seen that really closely follows the zombie apocalypse from the very beginning. I couldn't recommend this series any more if I tried.

As you guys can see, while I may not be a huge zombie fan, I've got a few zom-favories under my cap. Every time I read another zombie series it changes my bookish mind towards the zombie trope. While I don't believe it'll ever become my favorite, I think it's definitely going to be something I see becoming more and more prominent in my future! What about you guys? Fan of the films? The books? Let me know what you think in the comments below! To share some of my favorites with you all, I'm giving away box set copies of both Andrews and Aukes series below. Don't miss it!

*****

GIVEAWAY

Anxious to learn just how Nazarea Andrews and Rachel Aukes converted me to the dark side? I'm giving away a box set of EACH incredible series to a lucky winner. Enter the rafflecopter below and it could be you!

a Rafflecopter giveaway




The Schedule:

OCTOBER 22 - Thursday
Band of Dystopian Authors & Fans (Party & Grand Prize Host) Jo Michaels Blog (author) Rissa Blakeley (author) OCTOBER 23 - Friday Claire C. Riley (author) 2 Girls & A Book (blog) Emily Shore (author) OCTOBER 24 - Saturday Kathy Dinisi (author) Us Girls & A Book (blog) The Voluptuous Book Diva (blog 18+) OCTOBER 25 - Sunday Casey L. Bond (author) THE KATY blog (blog) OCTOBER 26 - Monday Saul Tanpepper (author) Warren Fielding (author) The Leighgendarium (blog) OCTOBER 27 - Tuesday Kody Boye (author) Rhiannon Frater (author) ER Arroyo (author) OCTOBER 28 - Wednesday Allen Gamboa (author) Armand Rosamilia (author) Ethan @ One Guy's Guide to Good Reads (blog) OCTOBER 29 - Thursday Kate L. Mary (author) aftershockzombieseries (author) Eli Constant (author) OCTOBER 30 - Friday Aria Michaels (author) Brian Parker (author) Mama Reads Hazel Sleeps (blog) OCTOBER 31 - Saturday Cindy Carroll (author) M. R. Pritchard (author) Toni L.H. Boughton (author) Digital Dirty Girl (blog)


To learn more about Band of Dystopian and/or to enter our Grand Prize Giveaway, visit BandofDystopian.com and don't forget to join the group on Facebook!

*****

Thanks so much for stopping by! Don't miss out on all the fun, be sure to head on over to all the other blog tour stops for even more amazing giveaways and fun. Like what you read? Subscribe to One Guy's Guide to Good Reads via any of the links in the sidebar. Thanks so much for stopping by today and to the incredible gang over at Band of Dystopian for allowing me to participate in this blog hop. Until next time, Happy Reading!

-Ethan

Monday, October 27, 2014

Halloween Author Invasion Author Spotlight: Liz Long


Hey readers! We're nearing the end of October (my favorite month of the year), and you know what that means!? It's almost Halloween! As most of you already know, this year Christina from Lulo Fangirl and myself are co-hosting the Halloween Author Invasion event on Facebook from October 26-30! For those of you who don't know about the event, you can find out more by clicking here.



Who all is participating? Here's our amazing guest list:


Now that you guys are all FOR SURE familiar with the Halloween Author invasion, I have a fun post for you guys. To get everyone pumped about our amazing guest list, Christina and I will be featuring Author Spotlight posts for our authors to get you excited to party alongside them next week! Each post will feature the authors bio, links, and a fun exclusive Halloween-ish interview they have granted us for the event! We are so honored to have all of these amazing authors participating in our event! Are you ready to learn a little more about our line up? Here we go!

***********************************************************************************

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT 
Liz Long

Liz Long is a ridiculously proud graduate of Longwood University with a BA in English. Her inspiration comes from action and thriller genres and she spends entirely too much time watching superhero movies. Her fabulous day job as a social media editor includes writing for a publishing company in Roanoke, VA.

Her first book, Gifted, is the first book in the Donovan Circus series. Burned is the second adventure. Her second book Witch Hearts, a story about a serial killer hunting witches for their powers, is available at Amazon on Kindle and paperback.

To learn more about Liz, visit her website: http://lizclong.com.




Find Liz Long



Guys, seriously. At this point do I even have to tell you guys about Liz Long? I think I should just rename this blog the LIZ LONG FAN DOMAIN! LOL. I seriously love EVERYTHING about Liz Long! Her books, her awesomeness, ALL OF IT. I met Liz by chance a few months ago at UtopYA 2014 in Nashville. I remember walking by her table a few times and seeing all the amazing books she had on display (let's face it, I TOTALLY judge books based on their covers). I finally built up the courage to go introduce myself and inquire about her books and I have been thanking the Gods above every day since! In the last few months Liz has become so much more than one of my favorite authors; she has become one of my closest friends in the literary world. Liz is an amazing author and one of the funniest people I know. I recruited my co-host Christina to join Team Liz a few months ago and her world EXPLODED. Seriously, I would not be having this event without Liz and owe her so much! You guys will love every second of the amazing party she will be hosting tomorrow so DON'T MISS IT! Also, Liz's newest book comes out THURSDAY and guess who may have been a beta reader? THIS GUY!! Seriously one of her best works yet! Here's some info about A Reaper Made before we get to her interview!

ReaperCoversm 


Synopsis: Grace had finally gotten used to her new afterlife as a “Made” – a Reaper who used to be human. When Made Reapers and souls begin disappearing, however, Grace and her mentor Tully suspect demons. Grace’s worst fears are confirmed when her living family is threatened. She’ll have to break every rule in the Reaper book to save them, including using a little magic to become temporarily human. With the help of Tully and her witchy friend Tessa, Grace goes undercover to save the fates of kidnapped souls – only to discover that demons aren’t working alone. Betrayal and distrust runs deep and Grace discovers that sometimes even Reapers are prone to humanity.

Halloween Spotlight Interview

What is your favorite supernatural genre (Witches, zombies, vampires, werewolves, etc) and why? 

Witches have always been my favorite, ever since I was a kid. There's something about the ability to play with and control magic that's always been fascinating for me. 

What is your favorite horror film and/or read? 

I'm not big on scary movies (do thrillers count? So going with KISS THE GIRLS or Seven with Brad Pitt if so), so I'll go with THE HAUNTING SEASON by Michelle Muto. Totally creepy!

What is your favorite Halloween costume (or your favorite that you have worn/have seen)? 

I've had a few great ones over the years, including Black Widow, Egyptian princess, and ringmaster. I'm actually very excited about my costume this year, which is Melisandre from Game of Thrones. I love any guy who can copy a Captain Sparrow costume well (a hot guy in college did it incredibly well my freshmen year and I haven't been the same since). Once, my friend who was on the heavier side at the time, painted his entire upper body red and went as the Kool-Aid Man and just kept bursting through hordes of people to shout "Oh yeah!" and that was definitely one of the more memorable costumes I've seen. 

What is your favorite Halloween candy?

I'd have to go with "anything chocolate (Kit Kat bars!)" but I do admit to eating my fair share of the Pixie Stix I've got stashed away for trick-or-treaters next week. (The blue sugar is obviously the best.) **I don't like chocolate, but I LOVE Kit Kat's, Liz I knew there was a reason we got along so well!**

What is your favorite part about Halloween? 

I'm not a big holidays person, but Halloween is probably my favorite if I had to pick. There's something about the magic of transforming yourself into someone else, just for a night, where you can be whoever you want. I've always loved seeing people's creativity in costumes.


What is your favorite Halloween memory? 

I'm probably not allowed to talk about some of my favorite Halloween college party memories, so uh, we'll go with the time in high school I threw a giant bonfire party at my house (with the help of my sorority) and half the school came out to celebrate. It was one of the few times I was really cool! Tons of kids came out, we had a great costume contest, and it was just a really good time. One of the few high school memories I remember both vividly and fondly!

***********************************************************************************

Well, what do you think? Excited to hang out with Liz Long during the Halloween Author Invasion? I know we sure are!

Liz will be taking over the event on Tuesday, October 28th!

We can't wait to see you there! Go show Liz some love and tell her you can't wait to party! Thanks so much for stopping by. Until next time, Happy Reading!

-Ethan

Halloween Author Invasion Author Spotlight: Stacey O'Neale


Hey readers! We're nearing the end of October (my favorite month of the year), and you know what that means!? It's almost Halloween! As most of you already know, this year Christina from Lulo Fangirl and myself are co-hosting the Halloween Author Invasion event on Facebook from October 26-30! For those of you who don't know about the event, you can find out more by clicking here.



Who all is participating? Here's our amazing guest list:


Now that you guys are all FOR SURE familiar with the Halloween Author invasion, I have a fun post for you guys. To get everyone pumped about our amazing guest list, Christina and I will be featuring Author Spotlight posts for our authors to get you excited to party alongside them next week! Each post will feature the authors bio, links, and a fun exclusive Halloween-ish interview they have granted us for the event! We are so honored to have all of these amazing authors participating in our event! Are you ready to learn a little more about our line up? Here we go!

***********************************************************************************

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT 
Stacey O'Neale



Stacey O'Neale started her career in publishing as a blogger-turned-publicist for two successful small publishers. She loves to write stories with swoony paranormal heroes, snarky heroines, and lots of kissing.

When she's not writing, she loves blogging and fangirling about books on twitter. Occasionally, she leaves her computer to go outside.






Find Stacey O'Neale




I am sitting here trying to remember the first time I came into contact with Mrs. Stacey and while I can't remember an official "first contact", all I have are warm feeling. Over the past few months, I have become one of Stacey's BIGGEST fans. Stacey's debut series, Mortal Enchantment, is one of the most eye opening, original, and absolutely brilliant things I have ever read. Yes, you read that right, ever. Christina and I are both HUGE fans of Mrs. Stacey's and there is absolutely no way we could have an event and not incorporate her! If you haven't read any of Stacey's works, what are you waiting for?! Her first book, The Shadow Prince, is FREE! Check it out ASAP! Check out some of Stacey's thoughts on Halloween before her party time Wednesday night!


Halloween Spotlight Interview

What is your favorite supernatural genre (Witches, zombies, vampires, werewolves, etc) and why? 

I've always been fascinated with witches. I think it started when we learned about the Salem witch trials in school. I just couldn't believe something like that actually happened. Afterwards, I started researching. I would say I know enough about the religion (Wicca) to write a decent book, but I've never had a solid idea to go with it. 

What is your favorite horror film and/or read? 

I loved the original Scream. I'll be honest and admit I'm not big of the genre. I tend to think the stories and characters are weak. But Scream is really the exception. The dialogue, characters, and story were so right. It was perfect in my opinion.

What is your favorite Halloween costume (or your favorite that you have worn/have seen)? 

The stuff you see at Comic Con really blows Halloween right out of the water, but the best Halloween costume I've seen was a group of people who did the Scooby Doo gang. They actually won the costume contest that night. Brilliant from head to toe.

What is your favorite Halloween candy?

I like those miniature Hershey bars and flavored Tootsie Rolls. The orange and grape flavors only come out during Halloween (I think). ;-)

What is your favorite part about Halloween? 

Seeing the cute kids in costumes. Nothing beats that.

What is your favorite Halloween memory? 

Taking my daughter trick or treating for the first time. She gets so excited every year, but the first time is the one you always remember.

***********************************************************************************

Well, what do you think? Excited to hang out with Stacy O'Neale during the Halloween Author Invasion? I know we sure are!

Stacey will be taking over the event on Wednesday, October 29th!

We can't wait to see you there! Go show Mrs. Stacey some love and tell her you can't wait to party! Thanks so much for stopping by. Until next time, Happy Reading!

-Ethan

Sunday, October 26, 2014

Halloween Author Invasion Event-Wide GIVEAWAY


Hey everyone! This post is just to give you guys a chance to enter the event-wide giveaway for the Halloween Author Invasion! We have so many amazing prizes to give away that I can't even list them all! And our entry options this time around are SUPER easy.

Enter the giveaway via the Rafflecopter below and please remember, NO CHEATING! Christina and I will both be verifying entries before selecting winners at the end of the event.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

On behalf of Christina and myself I just want to thank each and every one of the readers, authors, bloggers, and fans who are participating in this event! We have had overwhelming support for this and are honored to be working with such an amazing group of people. Thank you all so much for helping us to make this event as amazing as it can be!

Until next time, Happy Reading!

-Ethan 

Halloween Author Invasion Author Spotlight: Ranae Glass


Hey readers! We're nearing the end of October (my favorite month of the year), and you know what that means!? It's almost Halloween! As most of you already know, this year Christina from Lulo Fangirl and myself are co-hosting the Halloween Author Invasion event on Facebook from October 26-30! For those of you who don't know about the event, you can find out more by clicking here.



Who all is participating? Here's our amazing guest list:


Now that you guys are all FOR SURE familiar with the Halloween Author invasion, I have a fun post for you guys. To get everyone pumped about our amazing guest list, Christina and I will be featuring Author Spotlight posts for our authors to get you excited to party alongside them next week! Each post will feature the authors bio, links, and a fun exclusive Halloween-ish interview they have granted us for the event! We are so honored to have all of these amazing authors participating in our event! Are you ready to learn a little more about our line up? Here we go!

***********************************************************************************

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT 
Ranae Glass

Ranae Glass writes New Adult Paranormal Romance. A southern girl at heart, Ranae loves feeding people, gardening, and sweet tea. She hails from Oklahoma and lives with her family out west where she spins tales of vampires, werewolves, and other thinks that go bump in the night. You won’t find any ‘vegetarian’ monsters here, her books are best served bloody and are not for the faint of heart.

Ranae Glass is the pen name for a popular YA author. She uses this name for her NA and adult novels.

Find Ranae Glass




Many of you may not be familiar with Ranae Glass. In fact, I, myself was not familiar with her until just recently when I met her though the amazing team at Crimson Tree Publishing! Ranae posts some of THE funniest things ever on her Facebook so anyone who needs a good laugh, I HIGHLY recommend you stop by and check that out! Ranae's first novel in her The Dark of Night series is releasing in March but two luck readers will have a chance to win copies during the Invasion event! Here's a bit about Ranae's Chasing Daybreak! Also, can we talk about how amazing this cover is!?

Isabel Stone wanted a normal life. But when the unexpected death of her father leaves her at the helm of the family business, things quickly go from weird to worse. Vampires are on the loose and out of the coffin, and only Isabel can walk the fine line between the world of the living and the world of the undead.

Torn between letting go of her past and embracing her future, Isabel will have to decide who she can trust, and be willing to use all the weapons at her disposal, to get to the bottom of a terrifying string of deaths that lead right to her doorstep—before she becomes the next victim. In a city where nothing is what it seems, ending up the target of a deranged killer might actually be the high point of her week. Because in this town, the things that go bump in the night… just might kill you.


https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23014634-chasing-daybreak


Halloween Spotlight Interview

What is your favorite supernatural genre (Witches, zombies, vampires, werewolves, etc) and why? 
I'm an equal opportunity paranormal lover. Though, I must admit, a good ghost story still does the trick for me
What is your favorite horror film and/or read?

I used to LOVE the Twilight Zone (the original) My favorite was To Serve Man. ITS A COOK BOOK!
What is your favorite Halloween costume (or your favorite that you have worn/have seen)? 

That's a tough one. My friend Paul did a Kung Foo Panda one year that almost made me wet my pants, so I'm gonna give that top honors. Personally, as a chick, I DETEST costume shopping. It's never just "Clown" or "Witch" when you are a chick. It's always "Slutty clown" or "Slutty witch". Pisses me off to no end.

What is your favorite Halloween candy?

Those tiny candy pumpkins. I eat those little buggers by the bag full.
What is your favorite part about Halloween? 

Scaring the living shit out of the neighborhood children.

What is your favorite Halloween memory? 

One year when I was very little mom let me have a party and invite all my friends. She made this dark roomful of bowls of intestines (pasts noodles) and Brains (jello and cottage cheese). I was the coolest kid as school for three months after that party. It was freaking epic (for third grade).


***********************************************************************************

Well, what do you think? Excited to hang out with Ranae Glass during the Halloween Author Invasion? I know we sure are!

Ranae will be taking over the event on Monday, October 27th!

We can't wait to see you there! Go show Ranae some love and tell her you can't wait to party! Thanks so much for stopping by. Until next time, Happy Reading!

-Ethan

Halloween Author Invasion Author Spotlight: Sarra Cannon


Hey readers! We're nearing the end of October (my favorite month of the year), and you know what that means!? It's almost Halloween! As most of you already know, this year Christina from Lulo Fangirl and myself are co-hosting the Halloween Author Invasion event on Facebook from October 26-30! For those of you who don't know about the event, you can find out more by clicking here.



Who all is participating? Here's our amazing guest list:


Now that you guys are all FOR SURE familiar with the Halloween Author invasion, I have a fun post for you guys. To get everyone pumped about our amazing guest list, Christina and I will be featuring Author Spotlight posts for our authors to get you excited to party alongside them next week! Each post will feature the authors bio, links, and a fun exclusive Halloween-ish interview they have granted us for the event! We are so honored to have all of these amazing authors participating in our event! Are you ready to learn a little more about our line up? Here we go!

***********************************************************************************

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT 
Sarra Cannon

Sarra Cannon


Sarra Cannon grew up in a small town in Georgia where she learned that being popular always comes at a price. Now, she lives in North Carolina with her amazing husband and her teeny tiny Pomeranian, Snickerdoodle. Books and music are her greatest passions. She has never been a cheerleader, but it's possible she knows a few things about casting spells.

Find Sarra Cannon




Sarra Cannon is another one of the authors on our list that I didn't get to know until just recently. It was not until I got to read Midnight Kiss, which featured short stories from 2 of our participating authors, that I realized that I has been missing out of all the amazingness that is Mrs. Sarra Cannon! Since then I went and got my hands of a box set of Sarra Peachville High Demons series and am going to be starting those here in the next couple of days! All of Sarra's are highly ranked and reviewed, so I am so excited to get to know our author a little more! Interested in Sarra's works? Head over to her Goodreads link (above) and see all the amazing paranormal reads that Sarra has blessed upon the literary world! I am SO excited to be working with Sarra! I can't wait for you all to meet her as well!


Halloween Spotlight Interview

What is your favorite supernatural genre (Witches, zombies, vampires, werewolves, etc) and why? 

It is way too hard for me to pick a favorite!! I write about almost all of these. Witches is my first love, so if I had to choose, I would say witches, but I truly love all things paranormal. I'm obsessed with zombie movies and books. I love vampires and shifters. The only shifter I've never really been able to get into is werewolves. It's just not my thing! haha.

What is your favorite horror film and/or read?
    Favorite horror film of all time is the original Halloween. There is just something so simple and perfect about the execution. Seeing that white mask in the shadows is absolutely terrifying, but without all the gore and gimmicks of so many other horror movies. My favorite horror novel is probably Stephen King's Duma Key.

    What is your favorite Halloween costume (or your favorite that you have worn/have seen)?
      I don't have a favorite costume, but I will say that I appreciate it when anyone is able to come up with something totally original and different. When I go to a Halloween party and see a costume that is hand-made or really thought-out, I just absolutely love that! I wish I were more creative when it came to costumes, but I usually go for the kind that comes in a bag :P.

      What is your favorite Halloween candy?
       
      Candy Corn. Is there anything that even compares???
      What is your favorite Halloween memory? 

      My first Halloween with my son. He was just a tiny little 4 month old baby, but we dressed him as a ninja and walked around the neighborhood with friends. He was absolutely precious! I think this year will be even more fun now that he's 2 and can appreciate the decorations more!!

      Another great memory is the Halloween from 2010. I had just published my first novel, Beautiful Demons, on the 29th, and I was shocked to see a handful of sales coming in. I think I spent most of Halloween that year watching scary movies with my husband and refreshing my sales page. :) I never could have dreamed I'd be sitting here just 4 years later with over 250,000 sales.

      ***********************************************************************************

      Well, what do you think? Excited to hang out with Sarra Cannon during the Halloween Author Invasion? I know we sure are!

      Sarra will be taking over the event on Thursady, October 30th! 

      We can't wait to see you there! Go show Sarra some love and tell her you can't wait to party! Thanks so much for stopping by. Until next time, Happy Reading!

      -Ethan

      Saturday, October 25, 2014

      Halloween Author Invasion Author Spotlight: Alyssa Rose Ivy


      Hey readers! We're nearing the end of October (my favorite month of the year), and you know what that means!? It's almost Halloween! As most of you already know, this year Christina from Lulo Fangirl and myself are co-hosting the Halloween Author Invasion event on Facebook from October 26-30! For those of you who don't know about the event, you can find out more by clicking here.



      Who all is participating? Here's our amazing guest list:


      Now that you guys are all FOR SURE familiar with the Halloween Author invasion, I have a fun post for you guys. To get everyone pumped about our amazing guest list, Christina and I will be featuring Author Spotlight posts for our authors to get you excited to party alongside them next week! Each post will feature the authors bio, links, and a fun exclusive Halloween-ish interview they have granted us for the event! We are so honored to have all of these amazing authors participating in our event! Are you ready to learn a little more about our line up? Here we go!

      ***********************************************************************************

      AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT 
      Alyssa Rose Ivy




      Alyssa Rose Ivy is a bestselling New Adult and Young Adult author who loves to weave stories with romance and humor. Although raised in the New York area, she fell in love with the South after moving to New Orleans for college. After surviving law school and earning her masters in library science, she turned back to her creative side and decided to write. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and two young children, and she can usually be found with a cup of coffee in her hand.

      Find Alyssa Rose Ivy




      Every since I started working with the amazing team at InkSlinger PR, Alyssa's name has been on my back burner. Her books have been screaming out to me, but I hadn't read anything of hers until just recently! A few weeks ago, I promo'd Midnight Kiss, a paranormal anthology of short stories, which features one of Alyssa's works. I read her story and loved it! Alyssa has a beautiful writing style and a knack for all things paranormal! I also recently promoted Stay! Our co-host Christina is a HUGE Alyssa fan and I am anxious to read more of her works. We are so excited to have Mrs. Alyssa join us for the party! Here's some info about Alyssa's newest release, Stay



      Nothing could possibly get worse. Everything and everyone that could be in jeopardy already is, and Jared knows that he is The Society’s only hope. If he doesn’t find a way to escape he fails everyone including Vera, the bear shifter he can’t seem to get out of his head.

      Casey and Toby are in love. Head over heels in love, but is their love strong enough to survive a magic so powerful that Casey’s mind is no longer in her control?

      Vera will do anything to help her sister, and unfortunately that means she is well acquainted with Jared, the most frustrating man she has ever met. Now she has to find a way to fight her annoyance and growing attraction long enough to help save Levi and Allie.

      Racing against the clock, all four must face their greatest fears to save The Society and all the people they love.


      Halloween Spotlight Interview

      What is your favorite supernatural genre (Witches, zombies, vampires, werewolves, etc) and why? 

      I love shifters of all sorts. I just love the dual nature of animal and human at play. 

      What is your favorite horror film and/or read? 

      I’m actually quite a chicken when it comes to horror movies. I’m more likely to watch Hocus Pocus than anything too twisted. 

      What is your favorite Halloween costume (or your favorite that you have worn/have seen)? 

      I love anything creative. The more original the better!

      What is your favorite Halloween candy?

      Anything chocolate. 

      What is your favorite part about Halloween? 

      Candy, dressing up, and an excuse for a party. What could be better?

      What is your favorite Halloween memory? 

      One year when I was a kid it was pouring rain on Halloween so we couldn’t trick or treat. My dad hid candy all over the house. I had a bunch of friends over and we had a ball collecting the pieces and seeing how many we could find. 


      ***********************************************************************************

      Well, what do you think? Excited to hang out with Alyssa Rose Ivy during the Halloween Author Invasion? I know we sure are!

      Alyssa will be taking over the event on Wednesday, October 29th! 

      We can't wait to see you there! Go show Alyssa some love and tell her you can't wait to party! Thanks so much for stopping by. Until next time, Happy Reading!

      -Ethan

      Friday, October 24, 2014

      Halloween Author Invasion Author Spotlight: Amanda Strong


      Hey readers! We're nearing the end of October (my favorite month of the year), and you know what that means!? It's almost Halloween! As most of you already know, this year Christina from Lulo Fangirl and myself are co-hosting the Halloween Author Invasion event on Facebook from October 26-30! For those of you who don't know about the event, you can find out more by clicking here.



      Who all is participating? Here's our amazing guest list:


      Now that you guys are all FOR SURE familiar with the Halloween Author invasion, I have a fun post for you guys. To get everyone pumped about our amazing guest list, Christina and I will be featuring Author Spotlight posts for our authors to get you excited to party alongside them next week! Each post will feature the authors bio, links, and a fun exclusive Halloween-ish interview they have granted us for the event! We are so honored to have all of these amazing authors participating in our event! Are you ready to learn a little more about our line up? Here we go!

      ***********************************************************************************



      AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT 
      Amanda Strong



      Born in Dekalb, Illinois, Amanda Strong has called Utah, Arizona, Hawaii, Virginia and now New Mexico home. Amanda has been spinning tales since she was a child. Her family still remembers finding young Amanda with her bright pink glasses, hiding in random corners of the house while scribbling away in one of her many spiral-bound notebooks. You could say that some things never change since Amanda is still writing today. Amanda began her writing career when she uploaded The Awakener, her first full-length novel, on Wattpad where it received over 430,000 reads in four weeks. She was blown away and humbled by the reader support and feedback she received. When Amanda isn't writing, you can find her chasing her three rambunctious children around the house and spending time with her wonderful and supportive husband. On some occasions you can still find Amanda with her not-so-pink glasses, hiding in a corner reading her favorite young adult fantasy novels or working out only to blow her diet by eating ice cream.                                                          
       Find Amanda Strong
       

      Any of you who follow this blog regularly know that I absolutely love debut authors. I love hearing stories of author rising from the ashes and finding their place in the literary world! Amanda Strong is one of those stories I just love to read! She self-published her first novel on Wattspot where it TOOK off and put her on the map. She's only grown from there and has now released not one, but two awesome reads now! I haven't had a chance, yet, to devour Amanda's works, but I have heard amazing things! Check out the info for both of Amanda's novels and click the covers to be taken to the Goodreads page!

      Amanda is one of the amazing authors to be joining us from the team at Clean Teen Publishing!


      https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17875307-the-awakener
      Seeing Micah for the first time in years, Eden wants nothing more than to run and hide. Tall and handsome, Micah is no longer the scrawny kid she remembers. Eden tries to slip by him unnoticed but unfortunately, her body acts on its own accord. In a moment of sheer embarrassment, she throws her arms around his neck, unaware she's just changed her childhood friend forever.

      With his eyes opened to the realm of angels and demons, Micah soon discovers he has become the Seer, called to save the world from the flames that will cleanse the earth to start it anew. Shy and awkward, Eden stumbles through high school clueless, her guardian angel shadowing her every move, and keeping her safe while she unknowingly “awakens” others to their spiritual gifts. Micah will not only need those Eden has touched to complete his mission, he will need Eden in ways neither one of them thought possible.

      With angels and demons fighting around them in a battle that began long ago in the ancient City of Enoch, both Eden and Micah must find their own personal courage in order to triumph.

      For if they fail, they could lose everyone they love.



      https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22692312-hidden-monster



      For seventeen-year-old Samantha Campbell, running back woods trails usually means freedom from her less-than-perfect life. That is, until the day a morning run turns into a living nightmare. When Samantha wakes up to find herself bound to a dirty, pinstriped mattress, she realizes she’s anything but free. With a masked abductor repeatedly injecting her arm with an unknown substance while holding her captive, Samantha tries in vain to find out what he wants, but he refuses to speak. Until the day he breaks his silence and his twisted words are worse than what she’d imagined. He promises her one day she will fall in love with him but the best part will be that she won't know who he is... until it's too late.

      Finding herself freed from captivity, with her captor still at large, Samantha is on guard against everything and everyone around her. Unfortunately, walling up her heart proves difficult when eighteen-year-old Blake Knightley moves in next door. When Samantha starts experiencing strange changes within her, she realizes her captor may have left her more damaged than she originally thought. Now she must turn to Blake for help in order to unearth the truth behind the monster who started this all... or risk experiencing worse things than just falling in love.





      Halloween Spotlight Interview

      What is your favorite supernatural genre (Witches, zombies, vampires, werewolves, etc) and why? 

      Definitely angels/demons!  I find them fascinating albeit too freaky to write about when home alone, at night, in a creaky-settling house ;)

      What is your favorite horror film and/or read?

      Oh, where to begin?  One of my favorites when younger was John Bellairs, The House with a Clock in its Walls.  As for movies, Sixth Sense, still gives me the creeps!

      What is your favorite Halloween costume (or your favorite that you have worn/have seen)? 

      The year I was Alice (and attempted to make my own costume!)

      What is your favorite Halloween candy?

      Candy Corn! Even though one handful makes me sick, I still can’t help buying them every year!  

      What is your favorite part about Halloween? 

      Costumes!!!  For sure!  I love any excuse to dress up and all the spooky decorations!

      What is your favorite Halloween memory?

      Trick or treating as a kid, not stopping until you couldn’t feel your fingers or toes, the plastic mask sticking to your face, coming home to divvy your loot by type and size (had to make sure you got the most Butter Fingers) and eating until you wanted to puke!   Ahhh…those were the times!  Now I get to do it all over again with my kids :)

      ***********************************************************************************


      Well, what do you think? Excited to hang out with Amanda Strong during the Halloween Author Invasion? I know we sure are!

      Amanda will be taking over the event on Tuesday, October 28th! 

      We can't wait to see you there! Go show Amanda some love and tell her you can't wait to party! Thanks so much for stopping by. Until next time, Happy Reading!

      -Ethan