My Day at YALC (+ a giveaway!)

Having heard horror stories about queues to get in to LFCC on Saturday, I was up at 4:30am on Sunday morning, on the road by 5:30 and in the queue by 7:30. Surprisingly, it wasn't too long yet (having missed the chance to buy tickets advance, I was in the 'pay on the day' queue, which was actually shorter than the queue for those with pre-paid tickets!) and although we had to wait for an hour and a half before the doors opened, the time flew by as I had Sally Green's brilliant novel, Half Bad, to keep me occupied! It hit 9, and, to my great delight, we were in within minutes!

I have to admit, my first impression of the Book Zone was that it was smaller than I had expected - I mean, I knew it was just one section of LFCC, but still, somehow I had been expecting it to be bigger. Nonetheless, the compact layout of YALC turned out to be pretty handy later, as it was made it easy to nip quickly between signings and workshops or talks.

YALC: What Catherine Did

Talk - 'How to get published'
The main thing I took away from this talk is that it's hard work writing a novel! I mean, I knew this before, but, still, I got even more of a sense of the great commitment and perseverance that is required to write a book. Sally Green (author of Half Bad) recommended that aspiring writers look for online creative writing courses, for example with the Open University, Phil Earle (author of The Bubble Wrap Boy, Heroic, Saving Daisy and Being Billy) suggested that, when sending query letters, it's a good idea to include a two-line summary that really captures the essence of your novel, and the Writers' and Artists' Yearbook was named as a good way to go about looking for an agent.

Workshop - Finding your writing voice
This inspiring workshop was hosted by the lovely, lovely Alexia Casale (author of The Bone Dragon). Unfortunately, it was really hard to hear her above the din of LFCC, but she tried her best to bellow as loud as she could, and we all leaned in close to catch the pearls of wisdom she delivered. The main message was, as written on the handout we received: 

'Developing a unique writing voice is not about trying to be different. It's about recognising how you're already different and unique, then harnessing that.'

Alexia encouraged us to do this by refining our understanding of 'aesthetic' - the things that we notice and find beautiful (beauty, she emphasised, was very broad and did not necessarily mean 'prettiness' in the conventional sense). A suggestion she made was, whenever you go somewhere, to think about what you're noticing that other people might not.

Talk - Sisters Doing it for Themselves
This was probably my favourite event of the day - a entertaining, empowering, all-female panel hosted by Sarra Manning, featuring Tanya Byrne (Heart Shaped Bruise), Isobel Harrop (The Isobel Journal), Julie Mayhew (Red Ink) and Holly Smale (Geek Girl). As well as being a very funny, enjoyable talk, serious issues were raised, for example a member of the audience asked the question: 'Do you feel like you get taken less seriously in the industry because you are women?'

Signings - Sally Green (Half Bad) , James Dawson (Hollow Pike) , Meg Rosoff (How I live Now), Sarra Manning (Adorkable) and Sophie McKenzie (Split Second)

'It's a one trick cage'

'Beware the trees'

'Stay pretty, keep reading + START writing!'

Also, I met some really lovely people! I'd thought I would be too shy to approach any bloggers or talk to anyone, but I did speak to a few people! What I love so much about the YA community is that everyone is so lovely and friendly - authors, publishers, bloggers - we're all united by our love of books!

Now, there was so much bookish swag at YALC, and between my dad, my sister and I we managed to pick up some duplicates, so I thought...perfect opportunity for a GIVEAWAY! Here's what you can win...

So colourful and bookish!

An assortment of bookmarks, wristbands, badges and postcards, a Grasshopper Jungle bus/train pass case, a The Fault in Our Stars poster, a We Were Liars poster, a shiny pink pencil...

...Rock War: The Audition
(novella) by Robert Muchamore, Geek Girl: Team Geek (novella) by Holly Smale, samples from Half Bad by Sally Green, We Were Liars by E. Lockhart and Endgame: The Calling by James Frey...

...And,finally, a black 'books with bite' tote bag!

N.B This giveaway is only open to entrants from the UK; sorry, international folks!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Did you go to YALC? What did you think? If you didn't go, will you go in future?

Blog Tour+Giveaway: Garden of Eden by Kate Cowan

Title: Garden of Eden (The Legend of Eden #1)
Author: Kate Cowan

Re-Release date: October 22nd 2013

Publisher: Anchor Group Publishing

Book Summary:

"It has been four years.
Four years since the day the Catchers found her family.
Four years since she escaped capture.
And four years since the day her mother locked her and Will, a boy she hardly knew, in an attic, 'for their own protection'. 
Now, Eden White is fifteen, and sick of being a prisoner of parents who all but abandoned her. It was as simple as one walk down a beautiful, foggy beach, but it ended with Eden and Will face to face with Catchers - and this time, there is no escape.
When Eden wakes, she finds herself on an island, surrounded by hundreds of stolen children. Enrolled in the island school, Jordan Hall, Eden quickly learns that the island is not what it seems.
And, in the woods surrounding the school, she discovers a wild, beautiful magic inside of herself - one she has no idea how to control. With three unlikely new friends, Eden begins to realize that the headmistress is hiding much more than the stolen children - and what they learn in the laboratories below the school could cost Eden her life."

Haunting and mysterious, this sounds like my type of novel! If you want to find out what happens, it's your lucky day! Enter the giveaway below for your chance to read Garden of Eden for yourself! :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway About the Author:

Kate is an artist, an animation student, a black belt in karate and now, an author. She didn't discover writing until mid-high school, when she began writing an (unintentionally) hilarious novel involving a teenage girl and a magic necklace. Her current novel series, The Legend of Eden, began as a story of Arthurian magic, but quickly transformed into something much different.

Kate currently lives in Ontario, Canada, in a zoo of a house. When she isn't writing, she's drawing, cooking, or browsing the Internet for new music.

BLOG TOUR: Power by Theresa Jones

Title: Power (The Descendant Trilogy #1)
Author: Theresa M. Jones
Publication Date: February 2013
Links: Amazon  Goodreads 

Blurb...

Thousands of years after the battle between the angels, when Lucifer was defeated by Michael in the Heavens, the war is still being fought on Earth by the humans who have their Power, the Angel’s Power. 

Allison Stevens is a 21 year old single mother who gets thrown into the middle of this battle when Damien, the Leader of the Rising, decides to hunt her down and kill her because he fears she is the descendant prophesied to save the world. 

David, a member of the Order, takes Allison under his wing in order to show her the ropes, and hopefully groom her into being the one they have been waiting for. The only problem is that they start to grow more attached than a teacher/student relationship should allow.

But that isn’t all. Damien wants to open the Seven Seals and bring about the apocalypse and it’s up to Allison to not only save herself and her family, but save the world, all while trying to keep her heart from breaking.

No problem… right?

POWER is the first book in a New Adult (Mature YA) Paranormal Romance Trilogy and is the debut novel for author Theresa M Jones.

Author Bio...
Theresa M Jones is just a regular small town, Texas girl. When she isn't at work at a local Medical Equipment provider,you can find her at home with her husband and two beautiful (and rambunctious) kiddos.

In her spare time- as if there ever was such a thing as "spare time" - she reads and reviews books on her book blog, and writes paranormal romance novels.

POWER (The Descendent Trilogy #1) is her debut New Adult (Mature YA) Paranormal Romance novel. 

 Giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Nobody But Us Blog Tour

This blog tour is being hosted by Shane at Itching For Books. Don't forget to check out the other stops on the tour!

 Title: Nobody But Us
Author: Kristin Halbrook
Publication Date: 29th Jan 2013
Tagline:'They're young. They're in love. They're on the run.' 

 

Summary...

Bonnie and Clyde meets IF I STAY in this heart-wrenching story of two desperate teenagers on the run from their pasts.

They’re young. They’re in love. They’re on the run.

Zoe wants to save Will as much as Will wants to save Zoe. When Will turns eighteen, they decide to run away together. But they never expected their escape to be so fraught with danger....

When the whole world is after you, sometimes it seems like you can’t run fast enough.

Nobody But Us, told in alternating perspectives from Will and Zoe, is an unflinching novel, in turns heartbreaking and hopeful, about survival, choices, and love...and how having love doesn’t always mean that you get a happy ending. Described as “beautiful, heartbreaking, and exhilarating” by Kody Keplinger, author of The DUFF, Nobody But Us will prove irresistible to fans of Nina Lacour, Jenny Han, and Sara Zarr.

Like the sound of it? I definitely do! Sounds like a great new contemporary novel - can't wait to read it!

Goodreads     Amazon

 

About The Author...

When Kristin was little, she wanted to be a writer, the President of the USA or the first female NFL quarterback. Despite being able to throw a wicked spiral, Kristin didn't really grow to the size needed for the NFL. Then, as she got older and studied more, she came to realize there were better ways to effect positive change than becoming president. The first one, however, stuck. Even when Kristin was pursuing other dreams, she always took time to write here and there.  When she's not writing or reading (which is what she does all day, in all of her work), Kristin's spending time with pixies, her Mad Scot soulmate, and one grumpy cocker spaniel; traveling across oceans and time; cooking and baking up a storm and watching sunsets and waves crash on the beach.

Kristin currently lives, loves and explores in The Emerald City, though she occasionally makes wispy, dream-like plans to move to New York, Paris or a Scottish castle one day (if just temporarily).

Official site: http://www.kristinhalbrook.com/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5070015.Kristin_Halbrook

Twitter:        http://www.twitter.com/kristinhalbrook

Giveaway!

Please note this giveaway is U.S. only

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

BLOG TOUR: Doomed by Tracy Deebs Review and Giveaway

Title: Doomed
Author: Tracy Deebs
Publication Date: 8th Jan 2013
Pages:480
Tagline: 'Beat the game. Save the world.'
Buy: Amazon UK  Amazon US

Summary...

Pandora’s just your average teen, glued to her cell phone and laptop, surfing Facebook and e-mailing with her friends, until the day her long-lost father sends her a link to a mysterious site featuring twelve photos of her as a child. Unable to contain her curiosity, Pandora enters the site, where she is prompted to play her favorite virtual-reality game, Pandora's Box. This unleashes a global computer virus that plunges the whole world into panic: suddenly, there is no Internet. No cell phones. No utilities, traffic lights, hospitals, law enforcement. Pandora teams up with handsome stepbrothers Eli and Theo to enter the virtual world of Pandora's Box.  Simultaneously, she continues to follow the photographs from her childhood in an attempt to beat the game and track down her father, her one key to saving the world as we know it. Part The Matrix, part retelling of the Pandora myth, Doomed has something for gaming fans, dystopian fans, and romance fans alike.

My Review...

Wow. This book was. so. GOOD!!! I mean, I thought it sounded pretty cool - that's why I chose to read it - but I had no idea of how overwhelmingly amazing it would turn out to be! Thrilling, tense, gripping, action-packed...BRILLIANT! I was reading this while we were on holiday in Lapland (which is in Finland, and is 'Santa Claus' hometown') so we were out a lot of the time doing lots of exciting stuff, which was fun...but I was so hooked on this book, all I wanted to do was come back to the hotel asap so I could curl up in a corner and carry on reading! I actually like Doomed so much it made my list of top ten books that I read in the whole of 2012! (You can see that list here.)

Firstly, the plot was just made of awesome. I am not exaggerating when I say I could honestly feel my heart beating faster as I read Doomed. From the very beginning, I could feel the tension level ratcheting up until it was already practically sky-high 100 pages in! At that point, my attention was gripped completely, my pulse was racing and this iron grip that Doomed clasped me with did not let go for a single second until I finally put the book down, having finished it, feeling totally satisfied. Even when the action dropped momentarily in the book, I was still completely gripped because I knew it would pick right back up any second.

I absolutely loved the idea of a kind of scavenger hunt adventure to save the world, and the way the main characters had to solve problems both in real life and in the video game in order to keep moving forwards. These two different dimensions gave more substance to the story, making the task for the characters harder but more interesting for us to read. 

We had a trio of protagonists on this quest to save the world, and I loved all three of their characters! First of all, there was Pandora, a kick-ass heroine who I thought was a great main character! One thing I liked about her straight away was that she broke the mould of typical YA female characters somewhat, by being almost six foot and a redhead with violet streaks in her hair! I guess that's quite random but I just liked that Pandora was a bit unusual. I thought she was brave and daring, but not annoyingly so - I mean, she did act rashly sometimes but for me it was never too often or too over the top that I found her irritating.

There is kind of a love triangle in Doomed, with Theo and Eli - stepbrothers who are both gorgeous - both vying for Pandora's attention but somehow it never really felt like a love triangle...I'm not quite sure why that is or what I actually mean...I mean it in a good way, though!

Several times whilst reading Doomed, I felt myself wondering at the great effort the author must have put into research for this book, as it all felt extremely plausible to me. It really helps when you really believe the story you are reading - when it feels real, you are drawn into the story so much more. It is actually really scary to think that the world could so easily go into a meltdown - just imagine if we were put into the situation that the Pandora's world gets thrown into - when electricity and communications are all just suddenly cut off. This book really made me stop and think for a moment about how much we rely on electricity and technology in our daily lives and it really is quite alarming to contemplate how quickly the world could descend into chaos if it was suddenly cut off.

I cannot recommend this book enough - in fact, forget making my list of favourite reads of 2012, Doomed has made my list of favourite books...EVER!

Giveaway...

If you would love to win one of two finished copies of Doomed by Tracy Deebs...here's your chance! I would totally recommend entering because this is such a great book! Sadly, the giveaway is only open to US residents :( And hurry, the giveaway ends on 7th January! Good luck!
 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

 A Bit About the Author...

Tracy Deebs collects books, English degrees and lipsticks and has been known to forget where—and sometimes who—she is when immersed in a great novel. At six she wrote her first short story—something with a rainbow and a prince—and at seven she forayed into the wonderful world of girls lit with her first Judy Blume novel. From the first page of that first book, she knew she’d found her life-long love. Now a writing instructor at her local community college, Tracy writes YA novels that run the gamut from dark mermaids and witches to kissing clubs and techno-Armageddon stories… and she still has a soft spot for Judy Blume.

The Dirt BLOG TOUR: Spotlight+Giveaway!

Hi there! Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for The Dirt by Lori Culwell, which is being hosted by AToMR Tours! For the full tour schedule, go here :)

Now, in case you're not really sure what The Dirt is about, here's a little bit of info...

Title: The Dirt
Author: Lori Culwell
Publisher: Booktrope Editions
Released: November 2011 

Book description:

Lucy Whitley cannot wait to get out of Palm Desert. It’s not a place for a frizzy-haired science nerd, particularly when her fashion-obsessed older sister Sloane is the head of a clique of pretty girls who rule the school—and practically the whole town.Fortunately, life is about to change forever. Lucy’s dad is getting re-married, and then she can transfer to a boarding school in Connecticut, escaping all the mean girls and the endless whispers about the Whitley family scandal. Everything is going to be perfect—as long as the wedding goes smoothly.

Links:

Amazon UK       Paperback         Kindle Edition
Amazon US       Paperback         Kindle Edition 
Barnes & Noble
Goodreads

Find the author on...

Facebook            Twitter                Her website

And now, for the bit you've all been waiting for...
The GIVEAWAYS!!!

There are two giveaway - one is open to US residents only and one is international. Here's what's up for grabs...

1. 5 Paperback Copies of The Dirt (US only)
2. 12 E-book Copies of The Dirt (Int.) 

Enter in the Rafflecopters below! :)

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

LUMINOSITY Blog Tour: Review, Excerpt + Giveaway!

Hi there! Welcome to my stop on the Luminosity blog tour, which is running from 29th October to 13th November and is hosted by Shane at Itching For Books! Click here to see the full tour schedule!

First, a little bit about the book...

Title: Luminosity
Author: Stephanie Thomas
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Release Date: November 2012 
Tagline: 'Seeing the future isn't enough to save it...'
Links: Goodreads
Amazon 
Author's Website

Summary

My name is Beatrice. When I was born, I was blessed with the Sight. I was immediately removed from my parents and enrolled in the Institution. At the age of twelve, I had my first true vision, earning my raven’s wings. And when I turned seventeen, one of my visions came true. Things haven’t been the same since.

The Institution depends on me to keep the City safe from our enemy, the Dreamcatchers, but I’m finding it harder to do while keeping a secret from everyone, including my best friend Gabe. It is a secret that could put us all in danger. A secret that could kill me and everyone close to me.

The enemy has been coming to me in my dreams, and I think I'm falling in love with him. He says they're coming. He says they're angry. And I think I've already helped them win.

Excerpt
As part of the blog tour today, I get to share a short excerpt from the book with you...so here is the first chapter of Luminosity! Enjoy this little taste of what the book is like, and I hope it leaves you wanting more! :)

 CHAPTER ONE

At night, my room illuminates with an indescribable brilliance. The glow of a million City lights pours into the small space officially referred to as Bunk 34A. It’s not a large bunk by any means—just enough space to harbor a twin bed tucked under an overhead compartment of drawers where I keep my jumpsuits and robes.

Stacked in squares of black, it is hard to tell which article of clothing is which without touching them. Sometimes, it feels the same way in the Institution—you don’t know one thing from the other, no matter how long you try to figure it out. The Institution is all about uniformity. Nothing has changed here in years. 

I have a small desk where I finish my class work. Stacked books form little towers on the surface, mimicking the tall buildings just outside my window. Some books are about learning to survive in conditions that aren’t ideal. Some are about our enemy, and others are about the history of the Seers and our gift. There’s always something to be learned here.

My reflection stares back at me, and I try to peer through it and the tinted glass panel. I trace the image of the black raven’s wings, one tattooed over each of my eyes. The wings are spread and ready for flight. These mark the maturation of my Visions. They are a rite of passage, a signal to everyone that I am truly gifted with the Sight.

Most of us earn our raven’s wings by the time we are teenagers, but there are still those who take a little longer to understand the images that come to us. It’s not easy to decipher or pick out what is truth inside our minds.

Just outside my window, patrol helicopters hover high above the ground, their searchlights bright and unforgiving. If you are caught in one of those beams, there is no escaping. The Watch are beyond vigilant since the first sighting. They take no chances in the City, or in the Institution. Especially not since the Dreamcatchers came.

The Keeper mandated a curfew, demanding that every Seer be in their bunks by nine in the evening. The Dreamcatchers are double the threat to us. They are able to reach into the minds of normal humans—Citizens—through dreams or touch. From what I’ve been told, a Dreamcatcher can shatter a person’s mind with just one touch. I once saw a picture of one of the unfortunate souls who was Caught. His eyes turned white, mouth open…gone. Like an oyster shell without any meat inside.

The Seers are trained to prevent this, to protect the Citizens at all costs. At seventeen years old, I am arguably the most revered Seer because my Vision is the clearest, next to that of the Keeper. I didn’t understand the importance of that at the time. I had the Vision that would change everything. But we all do now.

A knock jars me out of my thoughts. “Who is it?” 

The door slides open with a hiss and then disappears into the wall. Gabriel stands in the doorway, his uniform a black and grey one-piece jumpsuit with the lavender eye of the Seer sewn above the right breast pocket. It matches our eyes, all of which are the same hue of purple, the mark of a Seer. His combat boots are tied tightly and shined to perfection. Gabriel is always perfect. Always.

“Just me, Bea. It’s my turn to make the rounds tonight. I can’t stay long here, though. Gotta keep moving.”

I smile as I lie down in my bunk. “Okay, okay. I’ll go to bed.” It’s not going to be easy to sleep tonight, though. Not with the thought of the Dreamcatcher girl on my mind. They arrested her yesterday after I saw her in a Vision. She looked so young…so innocent.

Gabe grins and steps back from the door, allowing it to slide into place. With a click, it locks from inside. I flick the lights off, and I’m left in the dark to think about how it will be now that the Dreamcatchers have actually made their appearance in the City. Already, the change in security is overwhelming, and I’m sure it won’t be long until the Keeper is back at my door, ready to record my latest Vision.

In two days, our new training begins, and I am not ready. None of this feels real, and there are so many unknowns that it seems like I’m walking around a corner without any idea what’ll be on the other side. Yesterday as we sat together at dinner, Gabe told me not to be afraid. I poked around at my mystery-sauce pasta, and just as he always does, he picked up on my worry. Gabriel has been by my side since before we could remember. We were in the same batch of infants brought to the Institution, ready to be inducted into a lifetime program that we didn’t choose to be in. It is the law, though, and anyone caught harboring a rogue Seer is put to death.

He’s my best friend, but not my only one. Lately, though, it’s been different. When he comes around I feel like something is curling up in my core, ready to spring out in excitement or giddiness. I wait anxiously to see him every day, just to catch a glimpse of him before we go to class. It makes me feel like a silly little girl, so I try not to think about it. Especially when he is close.

Ready or not, neither I, nor any other Seer, have any choice but to step into this whole new Dreamcatcher conflict which we’d previously only read about in our school books. This is more than just words on a page now. The Dreamcatchers are here, and it’s our job to keep them at bay. But how much will we have to sacrifice to keep the City safe?

 

Giveaway

And now it's giveaway time, guys! Just enter in the rafflecopter below for your chance to win a signed copy of Luminosity and some super cool swag! Unfortunately, this contest is US only. Good luck, everyone! :)

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Dante's Girl by Courtney Cole: EXCERPT+GIVEAWAY!

Today I'm very excited to be able to share with you a giveaway and an excerpt from Dante's Girl - the first book in a new series entitled The Paradise Diaries by Courtney Cole - as part of a promotional event being hosted by AToMR Tours.

Title: Dante's Girl
Author: Courtney Cole
Release Date: July 2012


Book Description:

I have spent every summer since I was ten years old with my father in London. Every
summer, since I was ten years old, has been uneventful and boring.

Until this year.

And this year, after a freak volcanic eruption strands me far from home, I have learned
these things:

1. I can make do with one outfit for three days before I buy new clothes.

2. If I hear the phrase, “You’re not in Kansas anymore, Toto,” even one more time, I might become a homicidal maniac.

3. I am horribly and embarrassingly allergic to jellyfish.

4. I am in love with Dante Giliberti, who just happens to be the beautiful, sophisticated
son of the Prime Minister of a Mediterranean paradise.

5. See number four above. Because it brings with it a whole slew of problems and I’ve
learned something from every one of them.

Let’s start with the fact that Dante’s world is five light-years away from mine. He goes
to black-tie functions and knows the Prime Minister of England on a first name basis.
I was born and raised on a farm in Kansas and wear cut-off jeans paired with cowboy
boots. See the difference?

But hearts don’t care about differences. Hearts want what they want. And mine just
wants to be Dante’s girl.

My heart just might be crazy.

Links:

www.courtneycolewrites.com

Amazon UK 

Amazon US 

Barnes&Noble

Has that synopsis left you craving a taste of the book? Lucky for you, I have not one, but TWO excerpts from Dante's Girl to share today! Here they are...

Excerpt 1:

There are rose bushes everywhere. And peonies, which are my favorites. And lots
of white marble statues of Greek gods. And one of Napoleon. Why in the world is this
country so obsessed with Napoleon?

I am just wondering if the small statue is life-sized when Dante interrupts any
coherent thought process that I might have by striding across the lawns with a racquet
in hand and wearing short-short tennis shorts.
Sweet.
Baby.
Monkeys.
It’s like a slow-motion scene from a movie. Dante shakes his blond bangs out of his
eyes and the sun catches every glint of gold in his hair. His legs are long, lean, tanned
and muscled and HolyCowThereIsAGod. If I were a man, I would totally be wolf-
whistling right now. But then again, if I were a man, I guess I wouldn’t be wolf-whistling
at Dante.
I’m such a weirdo.

Excerpt 2:

Mia shows me how to get water out of the tube when it leaks in by blowing it out
sharply. She tells me that the most common problem is when new divers get flustered
when water gets into their tubes. I’m supposed to keep calm and simply blow the water
out. That’s a little difficult to do when I’m so completely focused on watching for sharks.
We swim and after a few minutes, more like thirty, I start to feel more at ease.
Every once in a while, Mia reaches out and grabs my hand and pulls me to a
different place where we watch tropical fish leisurely swim in their little schools. Or a
sea turtle gliding gracefully by. Or colorful tropical plants waving in the current.
Under the surface, the water is perfect and aqua and silent. There is no drama,
there are no mean girls and best friends and boys that I shouldn’t have crushes on but
do anyway.
I sort of love it.
I kick my legs, letting the water flow fluidly over me. I am weightless here. I am
relaxed and I haven’t been this comfortable in a long time.
Just as I am thinking about how wrong I had been to be terrified of sharks and about
how wonderful this is and how I have never been this comfortable or relaxed in my
whole entire life, I spot something out of the corner of my eye that makes me freeze.
A gray bump slowly coming toward me.
I pull my head out of the water so that I can see better and find that Mia is nowhere
near. But the gray sleek bump is only a hundred yards away and getting closer by the
minute. I flail and splash, then remember from watching Shark Week on TV that you
definitely don’t want to splash.
Sweet Holy Monkeys. What the eff do I do??
I yell for Mia, but don’t see her. Has she been eaten?

I look around frantically, but we’ve drifted to an isolated location and there isn’t
anyone else here.
Except for me and the shark.
And the shark is certainly taking his time to reach me.
Oh my gosh.
Oh my gosh.
Oh. My. Gosh.
My breathing comes in pants as I try to slowly and calmly paddle backward, away
from the shark, toward land, away from the shark. Toward Land. Away. From. The.
Shark.
Then, a fin emerges. A fin. And I scream. And scream. And forget about not
splashing. I am splashing so much that every shark and sea creature in a hundred mile
radius will know that I’m here. And I don’t care. All I care about it surviving this shark
attack. Because it is going to attack me. It’s stalking me right now like the prey that I
am. And very soon that water around me will be red because I’m going to die a bloody
death.
And then I notice that the fin is made from hands. A pair of hands.
I freeze.
What the eff?
Dante bursts from the water, wearing gray swim trunks and shaking droplets from
his hair as he lunges to grab me with a roar.
I scream again because it’s happened so fast and my brain hasn’t had a chance to
truly realize that it is Dante and not a shark.
I’m not going to die.
I’m not going to die.
I’m not going to die.
I’m not going to become breakfast for JAWS.
But I’m going to kill Dante.

 

 So what do you think? I think Reece sounds like a hilarious character, and I love the sound of her 'voice' just from reading these excerpts! Her reaction to Dante (in the first excerpt) is so funny, and, from her description, Dante really does sound gorgeous, doesn't he? Can't wait to read the book and get to know him better! ;)

Giveaway:

Now, not only do I have the privilege of sharing with you two excerpts from Dante's Girl today, but I now have a giveaway! Here's what you can win:

Winner’s choice of (1) gifted copy (Kindle or Nook) of PRINCESS or SOUL KISSED by the author; Open International. If winner is located in US/Canada they will also receive a signed 4x6 glossy of DANTE'S GIRL.

You can enter this fabulous giveaway in the Rafflecopter below; good luck! :D

Giveaway ends on 29th September 2012

a Rafflecopter giveaway