Hidden Fire by Deirdra Eden

Finding your own unique strength and courage is a major theme of The Watchers. The characters in this series are as diverse as they come: different nationalities, male, female, dwarf, human, dragon, pixie, noble, peasant orphan, young, aged. Yet, no matter the situation, whether tragic or triumphant, they find ways to grow and develop into something stronger. 

The main character, Auriella (Aura), is born and lives in a society and time when girls, especially of her social status, didn't have opportunities for education or growth, let alone a chance to be a hero. The Watchers must learn to work together, despite differences, to defeat Erebus and the Shadow Legion, just as we, no matter our gender, race, age, circumstances, etc., are capable of great things. 

Strong men and women grow in all situations and become heroes when one is needed. They don't think about it, they just do what's right. 

-Deirdra Eden, author of The Watchers Series

Book Summary

Auriella’s new life as a royal protector is in shambles. The new king ignores her warnings of a Shadow Legion invasion and he is determined to marry her off. Ghosts from her past, the discovery of other Watchers, and a handsome Scottish warrior throw her off guard and weaken her emotional defenses. Caught in a web of secrecy and betrayal, Auriella struggles to control and protect the devastating power of Starfire. A terrible truth and a fateful choice will lead her to her destiny as the fabled Lady of Neviah, or could shroud the entire world in eternal darkness. 

Filled with action, romance, drama, and comedy, Hidden Fire is an addicting read that you won't want to put down. 

“Deirdra Eden has surpassed her earlier achievement in this daring tale of struggle between good and evil forces that exist in every universe.” Mark F. Cheney, author of MARK OF THE JAGUAR 

“Thought provoking and full of action, I didn’t want to put the book down! I really loved the symbolism and it was a fantastic read.” Mary G. – age 15

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The Exemeus Blog Tour: Interview with Abeni and Folami

I'm excited to have two sisters, and authors of The Exemeus, with me today to celebrate their latest book, The Exemeus. 

Can you tell us a little about your latest book.
Of course. The Exemeus is really hard to sum up in a few words, but we'll give it a try. It's two stories wrapped into one. One is about a teenager named Hyalee who is fighting against the takeover of planet earth. The second story is about a boy who lives in the world that results from her failure. The Exemeus is a story about how their lives are intertwined.

What inspired you to write it?
Honestly, It was a story that kept begging to be told. Ever since the thought occurred to me during an exit interview little bits and pieces kept showing up in my head. I finally had to bother my sister and insist she write it with me. I guess it was a story that just had to be told.

Is it part of a series? 
Yes! We are hard at work on the second one now and are aiming to get it out by January. It's not an easy process, so keep your fingers crossed for us. Hopefully, there will be five in all when we're done and we won't argue each other to death about who should live in the book and who should die.

If your latest book was made into a movie, who would you like to play the main characters?
We greatly disagree on this, especially since our characters are atypical in a lot of ways. The few we agree upon are

Amanda Stevenson for Mallea
Selena Gomez for Virginia
Zendaya Coleman for Hyalee
Kate Beckinsale for Joycelyn

The other characters are so atypical in look and abilities that they would require someone who is not currently in the acting arena to play them.

What made you want to become an author?
Folami: Reading books with horrible endings. As a child, I always hated the way certain books ended, so I would write my own endings. Eventually, I wrote my own beginnings too and that spawned my writing journey.
Abeni: My sister told me we were writing a book. That's pretty much it for me.

Name one of your all-time favourite book covers?
Folami: Huh, that's a tough one. Although, I normally judge a book by a cover, after I've read the book I completely forget the cover. The only book I can think of is the one I'm currently reading, which is Apollyon.
Abeni: I'm going to be completely different and name a book cover that doesn't actually exist. We had an amazing artist compete to design our book cover. Her artwork is the best that I've ever seen, but my sister opted to go with our current cover. If you want to know what I'm talking about, we used it as a banner for our website. Still my favorite cover ...EVER.

Name one book that made you think 'wow'? Why did it have such an effect on you?
Folami: Since my sister cheated on the last one, I'm going to cheat on this one and name two books: Demons at Deadnight and Angelfall. Those are two of my all time favorite books, because the characters were strong and devoted to their family. I can't deal with a character who spends most of the book complaining, and the two heroines of those books did not. The plots were also engaging and original, but most importantly the humor was different.

Who, or what, inspires you?
Folami: The best sellers list
Abeni: Ditto

Where is your favourite place to write?
Folami: On the beach with my feet in the water. I haven't tried it yet, but I'm sure I'll love it when I do. Either that or poolside on a cruise.

What is your favourite movie that was based on a book?
Abeni: Twilight. I truly loved watching the story come to life.
Folami: It would have to be Harry Potter. It wasn't based on my love of the movies per se, but more that I loved the book so much that I couldn't help but love seeing the world recreated on the big screen.

Who is your favorite author (s) and why?
Abeni: Jane Heller, because she is so crafty. She incorporates a good combination of mystery, romance, and suspense in a healthy balance that keeps readers intrigued.

If you could have a dinner party with any authors from any time in history, who would you choose and why?
Folami: J.K.. Rowling. I would love to figure out how she did it. How she made everyone fall in love with the boy who lived.

Tell us a random fact about yourself.
Abeni: As a child I wanted to be a singer. I think the real secret is that I would still love to be.

Tell us something interesting about the area where you live.
Folami: We live out in the middle of nowhere it seems like. I couldn't imagine what would be interesting to share. Our family from New York are always interested to see that they pass cows on the way to our house. I guess that's the fun fact: there are cows.

About The Exemeus:

Her short life was devoted to love and to hate. Love of the man who stole her heart, hate for the man who stole the world. Murdered by the government she swore to destroy, she's been given another chance to make it right. But to save the planet, she needs the help of the most powerful mystic the world has ever seen—unfortunately he hasn’t been born yet.

In a world where fear is the only currency, Dephon has committed the ultimate crime: inspiring hope.

His only goal is to make it safely through ninth grade, but on a post-apocalyptic Earth run by the Treptonian government, it isn’t that simple. Heir to a legendary power, Dephon Johnson is the only threat to the government’s rule. And on Trepton, all threats must be eliminated. When hundreds of assassins are dispatched to neutralize him, Dephon is forced to fight back. His only chance of survival is to enlist the aid of the greatest warrior the world has ever known. The only problem is, she's been dead for 13 years.

Giveaway:
1 winner will get the Kindle 6" e-ink,  1 will get a $25 Amazon Gift Card and 1 will get a Paperback of Demon's at Deadnight by A & E Kirk,

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About the authors:

Folami and Abeni Morris are a sister-sister writing team. Together they wrote (and rewrote) The Exemeus, somehow managing to accomplish it without murdering one another. Despite their facial similarities, tendency to finish each other’s thoughts and stick up for each other constantly, no, they’re not twins and thus deserve their own individual bio.

Folami Morris: Folami grew up in the tiny city of San Mateo Ca, where nothing ever happens and no one ever leaves. She went to Xavier University for undergraduate, getting her B.A in physics and her B.S in Biology. After graduation she returned to California, to live in an even smaller city, where even less happens, Antioch Ca. During this time she escaped the monotony by hanging out with her imaginary friends Hyalee and Dephon, and by writing the Exemeus. She finally escaped to Queens NY and now realizes that quiet and tiny aren’t so bad. 

Abeni Morris: As luck (and logic) would have it, Abeni grew up in the same tiny little town as her sister, then she too escaped to the tinier town of Antioch. She has yet to leave. She received her bachelor’s degree in early childhood development from Cal State East Bay. She is the mom of two amazing kids, who swear that they deserve a percentage of the book proceeds and a ton of the credit. At least she raised dreamers.

Find the book: Amazon | GoodReads

Find the authors: Website 

Make sure to check out The Exemeus Scavenger Hunt, where you can win a Kindle Fire or $150!  The first stop is at My Guilty Obsession, where you can get the first clues on this incredible journey for an amazing prize!  The Scavenger Hunt starts on Monday, August 26th and runs through Friday, August 30th.  Chances to win are through midnight on September 1st.  Buy your copy of The Exemeus today, if you haven't already!

For more information about Folami, Abeni and their book, The Exemeus, visit:
www.folamiandabenimorrisbooks.com
https://www.facebook.com/TheExemeus
https://twitter.com/TheExemeus
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fp9DXci7umQ (Preview)
http://www.theexemeus.blogspot.com

For more information on the Exemeus Blog Tour, visit http://www.candacesbookblog.com/2013/04/new-tour-sign-ups-exemeus-by-folami-and.html

Between These Lines Blog Tour, Interview and Giveaway!

Can you tell us a little about your latest book?
BETWEEN THESE LINES is a Young Adult Contemporary that focuses on a social agenda at a prep school. The two main characters, Chase and Evie, who secretly like one another, are brought together to work on an assignment – it reinforces their feelings but also gets them into a lot of trouble with Evie’s boyfriend, a powerful figure at the school.

What inspired you to write it?
I’m a huge Breaking Benjamin fan and the plot was inspired by the song Diary of Jane – which is all about a boy trying to find what he meant to his deceased girlfriend by reading her diary entries. That idea haunted me.

Is it part of a series?
No, the book is a stand-alone.

If your latest book was made into a movie, who would you like to play the main characters?

Photo credit: gdcgraphics via photopin cc

I know the ages are all wrong, but I personally would love Amanda Seyfried to be Evie Cunningham, Mike Vogel to be Chase Mitman and Cillian Murphy to be Shane Whitley.

What made you want to become an author?
I’ve always loved to write and make up stories – my head is a constant mix of characters and new places. As a kid, I would make up plays for the other kids in my neighborhood to act out. I was little bossy back
then, but it paid off because now I get to do it for a living!

Name one of your all-time favourite book covers?
Oh, that’s tough. So many covers are gorgeous … I really love the cover of Tris & Izzie by Mette Ivie Harrison.

Name one book that made you think 'wow'? Why did it have such an effect on you?
My favorite book of all time is A GREAT and TERRIBLE BEAUTY by Libba Bray. She has such an incredible voice that she injects into her characters and a sense of visualization that really tugged at me. The
story was so real . . . the gothic boarding school, the characters, the magic and the realm from which it came. I couldn’t pick up another book for a good week or so after reading it, it was all I could think of.

Who, or what, inspires you?
The fun thing about inspiration is I never know when it’s going to strike. Anything can trigger it – music, a melody, a color . . .

Where is your favourite place to write?
I usually set up shop at my dining room table but if it’s nice enough, I’ll take the laptop down to my sun room, curl up with my cat and type away.

What is your favourite movie that was based on a book?
As a mom, nothing thrills me more than watching my own children immerse themselves in books. My son LOVED the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series when he was younger, so much so that he insisted I read them after him. Seeing those books come to life on the screen was incredible! They’re hilarious and so true to the originals, rather than mere adaptations. The best highlight – the beginning and end when you see glimpses of Jeff Kinney’s drawings on the lined paper that magically morphs into the real characters. I think they’re brilliantly done.

Who is your favourite author (s) and why?
Anne Rice. She’s able to transport me to another plane . . . her stories are filled with such incredible characters that are so deeply detailed I can’t help fall in love with even the most despicable or horrifying.
If you could have a dinner party with any authors from any time in history, who would you choose and why?
Edgar Allan Poe. I would LOVE to see inside his head and find out where his macabre thoughts come from. He was also the first American writer to try to earn a living through his work and that is an inspiration to any
author.

Tell us a random fact about yourself.
I have naturally curly hair that I beat into submission daily.

Tell us something interesting about the area where you live.
I live in Easton, PA and it was one of the first three places the Declaration of Independence was ever publicly read. And it’s in the perfect location! I live exactly 1 hour north of Philadelphia and 1 hour west of NYC … it’s also easy to get to the beach and the Poconos.

Links to your website / facebook / twitter / youtube, etc:
Web: http://www.jennifermurgia.com
Email: jennifermurgia8@gmail.com
Twitter: @JenniferMurgia https://twitter.com/JenniferMurgia
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/jennifer.murgia
Goodreads:http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3105432.Jennifer_Murgia
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/jennifermurgia

To be in with a chance to win these fabulous prize, enter the Rafflecopter draw below!

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Aura by Rebecca Tally

Tour Schedule

Aura

"I half-turned to her and shrugged, still processing what I'd seen, or at least what I thought I'd seen, in Ms. Neal's eyes—like they weren't hers. Obviously, they were her eyes, but it looked like she'd plucked them from someone else's head. A dead someone else's head."

In the fight between good and evil, Light is your only weapon.

Crystal Scott finally feels like a normal teenager. She has a lead in the high school play, a best friend, and a gorgeous boyfriend. With prom only a few days away, Crystal’s ordinary life seems perfect.

Endowed with great Light because of her virtuous choices and her inherent gifts, Crystal’s aura has become visible to those with the ability to see auras. Unfortunately, her power has also attracted the attention of demons intent on destroying all Light.

When Vincent Crandall, the human host for a powerful demon, discovers that Crystal’s Light is strong enough to disrupt the connection between demons and their hosts, he realizes she may be able to sever the connection altogether. Determined to stop her from interfering with his plans to rule the world, he sends operatives to neutralize her Light.

After the operatives fail to disable Crystal, Vincent decides he must harness her power for himself. He kidnaps her parents, and Crystal is thrust into battle against a demon army she didn’t even know existed. With the help of a mysterious young man and his mother, Crystal must learn to use the power within her before Vincent kills her parents and exploits her Light.

Goodreads * Amazon

Author Rebecca Lynn Talley

Rebecca Lynn Talley grew up in the gorgeous seaside city of Santa Barbara, CA. She met, and married, her husband, Del, while attending Brigham Young University. She graduated from BYU with a degree in Communications. She currently lives in rural Colorado on a small ranch with a dog, too many cats to count, and a herd of goats. She and Del are the proud parents of ten wildly-creative, multi-talented children.

Rebecca is the author of a children's picture book, Grasshopper Pie (WindRiver 2003), a children's chapter book, Gabby's Secret (DuBon Publishing 2011), four novels, Heaven Scent (CFI 2008), Altared Plans (CFI 2009), The Upside of Down (CFI 2011), and Aura (DuBon Publishing 2012). She has also authored numerous children's stories and articles for both print and online magazines.

When she isn’t writing, Rebecca loves to date her husband, play with her kids, swim in the ocean, and dance to disco music while she cleans the house. She has folded at least one million loads of laundry, baked hundreds of batches of chocolate chip cookies, and eaten 5,478 gallons of ice cream.

Twitter * Facebook * Website * Blog * Aura Blog

Reviews

This YA urban fantasy is fantastic! The story grabbed me from the start and kept me enthralled until the end! I love books that keep me thinking about the characters and events and possibilities even after putting them down...Aura is one of those books! Rebecca Lynn Talley has created characters you care about in a world begging for the special gifts they possess. I love the premise of Aura and imagine I'll be enjoying many more Light vs. Demon novels in the future....at least I hope there are more to come!
~KindleQueen

I loved the clasic good VS evil in Aura. I loved that Crystal made the conscious choice to be good inspite of feelings and doubts. I also loved the idea of demons posessing somone who had made dark choices, or greedy bargains. The book is clean and well handled inspite of the serious subject matter.Well done.
~C. Michelle Jefferies

This is one of those books that you hope will become widespread enough to make a positive impact in this world. Personally, I think this is a book every teenager should read and I will definitely be passing it along to my own kids. Thank you, Rebecca, for writing a beautiful story with a wonderful message! I hope you keep at it because now I want a sequel!
~Rachael Anderson

Aura sucked me in from the first page. The book is intense and well-written. I loved that Crystal is innocent and makes a conscious choice to stay that way in the face of intense pressure. I would recommend Aura to young adults on up.
~Cami Checketts

Wonderful, wonderful message. Probably the most solid moral message I’ve ever read in contemporary literature, but without being too heavy or feeling like a lecture. You could almost look at it like an allegory, I think, representing real life with fictional symbols. I’m trying to explain without giving anything away, and I think I’m doing a bad job. Anyway, I have four boys, but if I had a girl, I would definitely have her read it. The story is imaginative and creative, Crystal is a strong but believable heroine, caught up in high school cares and not realizing her own potential or the battle that is waged around and for her. I thought at times it was a bit predictable, and that the first half of the book drug a little. It probably could have been told quicker or perhaps made a little more interesting. But all in all, I enjoyed it. The story kept me going and the characters were sweet and compelling.
~May Abbey

Wow! I got this book for free and LOVED it! I can't wait to read any follow up books! (There WILL be follow up books, right?) In this story Crystal is full of light, thanks to making good choices, and she has to figure out how to keep the light in the midst of high school where temptation runs rampant and where she just wants to be an average girl! I like that things never went too far, and I felt like it was very well-written, with rounded out characters!
~Tamera Westhoff

Blog Tour Giveaway
$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 3.21.13

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.


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Aura Blog Tour Schedule

March 4th
I Am A Reader, Not A Writer - Interview
Free Ebooks Daily - Interview
A Dream Within A Dream - Excerpt
Falling For YA - Spotlight
Curling Up With A Good Book - Guest Post
Musings of a Blogder - Review

March 5th
Spellbindings - Review
Getting Your Read On - Review
Fall Into Books - Spotlight
Love. Pray. Read - Excerpt
Blkosiner's Book Blog - Guest Post
Margay Leah Justice - Review

March 6th
Heather's Book Chatter - Guest Post
My Book A Day - Review
Classy Me Books - Excerpt
Suzy Turner, YA Author - Spotlight
Pika Pages - Interview
Vonnie's Reading Corner - Review
SMI Book Club - Review

March 7th
Ever and Ever Sight - Review
Joyous Reads - Review
Walking on Bookshelves - Review
Me and Reading - Review
Crafty Zoo with Monkeys - Guest Post
Passion and Life - Excerpt

March 8th
Clean Teen Reads - Excerpt
Min Reads and Reviews - Review
Lisa's Book Lair - Review & Tens List
Of Thoughts and Words - Guest Post
Book Sake - Excerpt
The Cover Contessa - Review & Interview

March 9th
Crazy Four Books - Review & Interview
Whatever You Can Still Betray - Spotlight
Book- Marks the Spot - Excerpt
Sitting with a Book - Guest Post
Tribute Books Reviews & Giveaways - Interview

March 10th
Pieces of Whimsy - Excerpt
Cuzinlogic - Interview
Mythical Books - Review & Guest Post
From the Bootheel Cotton Patch - Spotlight

March 11th
Musings of a Writer - Review
What's Beyond Forks - Review & Guest Post
Sab the Book Eater - Excerpt
Sweeping Me - Spotlight
Laurie's Thoughts & Reviews - Character Interview

March 12th
Jinky is Reading - Review
Juliababyjen's Reading Room - Review
Books and their Worldly Realm - Excerpt
Immerse in a World of Fiction - Review
Fire & Ice - Review

March 13th
Oh, The Books You'll Read! - Review
Books are Magic - Review
Bookworm Lisa - Review
Blood, Sweat and Books - Review
Book Club Sisters - Review & Tens List

March 14th
Paulette's Papers - Excerpt
Books and Needlepoint - Review
Delirious About Books - Spotlight
Susan Heim on Writing - Excerpt
Peace From Pieces - Interview

March 15th
Lori's Reading Corner - Guest Post
Why Not? Because I Said So!! - Review & Tens List
Reviews A La Tiffany - Spotlight
A Casual Reader's Blog - Excerpt
InkSplasher - Review

Healing Summer Blog Tour

I'm absolutely delighted to be a part of Elizabeth Seckman's Healing Summer Blog Tour. Elizabeth has written a special post using my prompt 'do you believe in ghosts?' So read on and be sure to check out Elizabeth's fabulous new book!

Do I believe in ghosts?

Of course!

There are memory ghosts…you know, those little fragments of our history that turn to full blown remember whens after a little nudge from a subtle clue. A whiff of play dough takes me back to child hood so swiftly and distinctly it’s almost like time travel.

Then there are the ghosty-ghosts with the rattling chains that go boo in the night.

Do I believe in them?

Hmm…

At my brother’s funeral, my cousin, Val, couldn’t be consoled. My brother was a life-long atheist. Val is a devout Christian, and to the devout, there is one way into Heaven…by acceptance of Christ. Poor Val was a mess. I told her not to worry, my brother was baptized at the end (he had cancer, so he had to face death in the eye). But Val kept worrying...did he mean it? In his heart, did he accept Christ? She told us that during her last conversation with him, he told her not to worry, if it walks like a duck, talks like a duck, it’s a duck.

Val wailed, “But what does that mean?”

My sisters and I had no clue. She wanted to know if he was a Christian and he was talking to her about ducks? Was it the heavy pain meds? End of life delirium?

Poor Val was near shaking. She told us if she only had a sign…anything that would assure her he was safe, saved, and in the kingdom. We sat like we were made of stone. What the heck could we say?

Then in the still quiet of the funeral home, my sister’s phone rang. The first ring was a chime, but then as she dug through her purse it started to quack. So we sat there watching this phone ring, “Quack, quack, quack, quack, quack.”

Val let out a guffaw and a “Praise Jesus.”

To this day she swears it was a sign.

I swear there is more to this world that we can see and I won’t ever rule anything out.
Elizabeth will be posting a link to every stop on the blog tour on my blog tour page (link below) be sure to check out the posts throughout the month and vote on your favorite by commenting on the page!

Maybe Love, Not Time, Heals All Wounds
Ditched at the altar…biopsied for cancer…Mollie Hinkle is having a bona fide bitch of a summer. When life sucks so hard it takes your breath away, what's a girl to do? Pack a bag, grab a few friends, and leave the past and the worry in the rear view mirror. What wounds can’t be healed by a drive across the Heartland, where quarter flips at cross roads determine the route and the future? All roads lead to Craig, the second son and bad boy of the haughty Coulter line. Has fate brought her to the miniscule Montana town to find happily ever after or will it just break her heart?
“Healing Summer” is the second book in the Coulter Men Series.

Elizabeth's Blog 

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What I learned from books by K.C Blake

I'm delighted to host the awesome YA writer, K.C Blake on my blog today. Her new book, Witch Hunt, is out now! Get your copy here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007JCNEYQ
Over to you, K.C! ...



As a writer I like to read a lot. Sometimes I read for fun, and sometimes I read to learn how to be a better writer. You can learn many things just from reading. So I thought I would make a list of books and what I learned from them. Maybe you have a similar list.

1. Stephen King: I won’t single out any one of his books, because they are all brilliant. King has a splendid way of making even the most outlandish tales seem possible. I attribute that to the incredible level of life he breathes into his characters. In “Needful Things” a boy is thinking about how his mother loves to eat junk food while drinking diet cola. He thinks it’s stupid but knows if he says something he’ll get hit.
2. Twilight: A lot of people have nasty things to say about this book and roll their eyes when you say you liked it. What did I learn from reading it? Stephanie Meyer managed to capture the teenage heart. It’s that fragile first love teetering on the brink of destruction that hooked the reader. The girl is vulnerable, and the boy is a bigger than life, take action guy. She can’t stop thinking about him, can’t walk away even when she learns that he’s a vampire.
3. Mortal Instruments: This series by Cassandra Clare is incredible. I’ve learned so much from reading these books. The characters relate to each other on infinite levels that keep me interested from start to finish. Also, I enjoy the imagery. Clare has a great way with details.
4. Books that suck: You can learn from these as well. If you are deep in the story and something yanks you out, look to see what it was that ruined it for you. Did the writer use the wrong words? Did they say something that wasn’t believable? Did they use flowery prose that made you laugh?

I love to read a book the first time for the simple enjoyment, but if it’s good enough to read several times, I usually go back with a pen and underline the best parts. That’s right. I mark up my books. Some people wouldn’t dream of doing something like that. Honestly, it helps. Then you can glance through the pages and read the underline parts, helping to build your vocabulary, and maybe some of it will sink in, making you a better writer.
K.C Blake's new book, Witch Hunt, is OUT NOW! Get your copy from Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007JCNEYQ

Unfurl Blog Tour with Cidney Swanson

Five Q&A’s with The Ripple's Samantha Ruiz

Sam, what one place in the world would you most like to visit and why?
One? Seriously? Just one? Umm, okay. If I could only pick one I think it would be London. For one thing, I could read all the signs and talk to everyone. Also, I think it would be really cool to get British copies of the Harry Potter books. And I want to eat a scone with some tea and figure out what the heck a crumpet is. I don’t know if I want to eat one, though, until I find out what it is. I would like to visit whatever kind of memorial there is to Diana, Princess of Wales. Her sons lost her close to when I lost my mom.

What’s your favorite place you’ve been so far in your life? Is it in France?
Well, the castle of Chenonceau was pretty magical, but there’s actually something higher on my list of beautiful places. Yosemite National Park. If you ever get the chance to go there, run-don’t-walk!!! I visited Yosemite about a bazillion times when I was little, but it never ceased to amaze me how majestic that place is. If you can only see one part of Yosemite, it should be the valley. But if you get a chance, be sure to drive up both sides of it. (Crane Flat to Tenaya Lake to the top of Yosemite Falls on one side/Chinquapin to Glacier Point with a stop at Washburn Point on the other side.) And hike a trail or two.

Why is Will Baker perfect for you?
I’m blushing. Seriously. Umm, well, he just is. He’s gorgeous, at least to me. His eyes are this dark brown that I could seriously drown in. Also, he kind of gets the whole thing about my mom and how losing her changed everything and how time passes but you don’t ever really, truly get past that loss. In some ways. Also, he’s a great running partner!

What’s one thing you Know For Sure?
Oh, good one. Okay, here goes. If you are a loner or even a lonely person, it doesn’t mean something is wrong with you and it needs to be fixed. I mean, maybe you do need to find someone to talk to like a teacher or librarian or your coach (someone you trust), but you shouldn’t feel like being alone makes you wrong or says anything about you. Also, middle school sucks. But you will get past it into better stuff. Actually, high school can kind of suck too. But if I got through middle school, hey, I can get through this too!

What’s one more thing you Know For Sure?
Love is more powerful than hatred. Kindness is stronger than cruelty. I know it doesn’t always look like those things are true, but I know this. For Sure.

Cidney Swanson is the author of The Ripple Series, of which Samantha Ruiz is the main character. If you'd like to be in with a chance of winning a Kindle set of the trilogy, please enter below...
For more information about Cidney and her books, visit:
http://cidneyswanson.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/cidneyswanson
http://twitter.com/#!/cidneyswanson
http://www.amazon.com/Cidney-Swanson/e/B005344OTQ/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/cidney-swanson?keyword=cidney+swanson&store=allproducts
http://www.smashwords.com/books/search?query=cidney+swanson
http://www.goodreads.com/search?query=cidney+swanson
http://www.librarything.com/author/swansoncidney