Weather Witch cover reveal by Shannon Delany

Shannon Delany's debut series (13 TO LIFE) is behind her and a new steampunk series called WEATHER WITCH (also with St. Martin's Press) launches June 25, 2013 and is already available for pre-order. Delany warns that this series is darker and grittier than 13 TO LIFE, although still YA and asked a small group of us to share her cover and Prologue AND provide a way YOU can win some things.

 

 

 

 

 

Synopsis : In a vastly different and darker Philadelphia of 1844, steam power has been repressed, war threatens from deep, dark waters, and one young lady of high social standing is expecting a surprise at her seventeenth birthday party–but certainly not the one she gets!

Jordan Astraea, who has lived out all of her life in Philadelphia’s most exclusive neighborhood, is preparing to celebrate her birthday with friends, family and all the extravagance they might muster. The young man who is most often her dashing companion, Rowen Burchette, has told her a surprise awaits her and her best friend, Catrina Hollindale, wouldn’t miss this night for all the world!

But storm clouds are gathering and threatening to do far more than dampen her party plans because someone in the Astraea household has committed the greatest of social sins by Harboring a Weather Witch

PROLOGUE :



Holgate, Pennsylvania
1839


A banner snapped out on the pole high above the restrained seventeen-year old boy, straightening to its full length. For a moment he thought he glimpsed his country’s motto: A Place for All. The wind shifted and the banner fell limp against its long wooden pole.
The straps cinched tight across his chest and threatening to squeeze the breath out of him declared his place plainly. Sweat dotted his forehead and arms and had little to do with the bright orange sun hanging overhead. Attached to a broad set of boards that forced him on his feet at the very top of Holgate’s tallest tower, Marion Kruse could see much of the bustling and walled compound below through the tower’s crenellations if he just tossed his dark curls out of his eyes. But he didn't even try.
The view held no interest for him.
His focus was as fixed as his position — his mouth dry and his gaze nailed to the long slender table that stretched nearby, covered with more than a dozen different blades and tools glinting ferociously in the unobstructed sunlight at the Eastern Tower’s top. He tried to swallow but a lump wedged in his throat and stopped his breath.

To read more, go to http://www.xpressoreads.com/ November 14!


Want something special from Shannon? She'll send signed swag to 2 commenters I select AND then there's this:
Looking for a cool stocking stuffer for a reader in your life?
For the first 17 people who comment on each of the blog posts in this short tour AND send Shannon proof you’ve pre-ordered WEATHER WITCH (send proof to: info [AT] shannondelany [DOT] com) you will score a personalized gift pack from Shannon including: A personalized, limited edition chapbook including the Weather Witch Prologue and part of chapter one; signed 13 to Life postcards; additional assorted swag from other great authors Shannon adores; and some other Weather Witch-inspired treats to brighten your day.


Learn more about Shannon and her books at www.ShannonDelany.com

 

 

 A huge thanks to Trinity Faegan and Jean BookNerd for putting together this tour .

 

Trinity Faegen wasn’t always a writer. She had an illustrious career as a Campus Cop in college, led many children astray as a camp counselor, and decorated Christmas trees for sweet, and notsosweet, little old ladies. She loves metal and rock, the Rocky mountains, chocolate cake and college football. She hates sappy stuff and hypocrites. Mostly, though, she loves to write.
Trinity lives in the outback of Texas with her husband and a mean cat. If you’d like to share camp stories, or ask Trinity why she’s ruining her hearing by listening to metal on headphones, write to her at: trinity@trintiyfaegen.com


Website: http://www.trinityfaegen.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Trinity-Faegen/108974155831943
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TrinityFaegen
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4430487.Trinity_Faegen

 

 

Sasha is desperate to find out who murdered her father. When getting the answer means pledging her soul to Eryx, she unlocks a secret that puts her in grave danger--she is an Anabo, a daughter of Eve, and Eryx's biggest threat.
A son of Hell, immortal, and bound to Earth forever, Jax looks for redemption in the Mephisto Covenant--God's promise he will find peace in the love of an Anabo. After a thousand years, he's finally found the girl he's been searching for: Sasha.
With the threat of Eryx always looming, Jax knows he has to keep Sasha safe and win her over. But can he? Will Sasha love him and give up her mortal life?

 

Synopsis
The eyes never lie. No one’s eyes are darker than Eryx. Not even the Devil’s.
When Jax and Sasha first see Jordan Ellis, they know she is no ordinary teenager. She’s the daughter of the President after all, but she’s also Anabo – a descendant of Eve.
What they don’t know is that Eryx plans to kidnap Jordan and force President Ellis to pledge his soul. If Eryx’s plot succeeds, the consequences would be catastrophic.
But the Mephisto brothers do know about Jordan’s secret identity. And for one of them, she could be the match that leads to their soul’s salvation.
Now it’s a desperate race against time to save Jordan and prevent Eryx’s haunting eyes from discovering her true identity.
A thrilling story of romance, danger, and intrigue, THE MEPHISTO KISS continues the marvelous mythology that began in THE MEPHISTO COVENANT.



Excerpt : 
Toward the end of a long hall, where there were no more windows, where the gloom was oppressive, Alissa stopped at a rough wooden door that was straight out of a pirate movie, with heavy iron hinges and a serious iron handle and lock. She looked at Jordan with eyes full of hate. “I’ll wait here for you to finish.”

Deciding against telling Alissa that her jealousy was a total waste because Jordan planned to escape as soon as possible, she opened the door and saw exactly nothing. “Is there a light?”

Alissa reached around the doorframe and flipped a switch, bathing the room in the dim light from an incandescent bulb, hanging from a plaster ceiling. As soon as the light came on, ginormous roaches scurried under the claw-foot tub, behind the ancient-looking toilet, beneath the rotting wood of the cabinet below the sink.

Her heart nearly beat her to death. Irrational, maybe, but her fear of cockroaches bordered on phobia. “Eryx told you to take good care of me, Alissa. He’s going to be way pissed that you brought me here.”

“You need to learn how it’s going to be. No one takes my place. Understand?” Alissa pushed her inside and closed the door. Jordan heard the key turn in the lock, followed by Alissa’s laughter.

Horror kept her rooted to the spot. But not for long. The stillness faked them out, and while she stood there, the cockroaches began to emerge, despite the light. She unclenched her hands and leaped for the vanity, scrambling to get on top of it. Standing, she looked over into the tub and cringed. There were a zillion of them in there. Carefully leaning over, she turned the spigot on the bathtub pipes and watched rusty water run into the dirt lining the tub.

The roaches didn’t drown.

Of course they didn’t.

They swam.

Breathing hard, adrenaline pumping fast and furious, she watched in horror as more bugs poured out of the drain. She’d had nightmares about roaches that hadn’t been this terrifying.

“Alissa! Open the door! Let me out of here, now! Hello? Alissa!”

A loud thump sounded against the door, then the key squeaked and the door opened quickly. Expecting to see Alissa, she caught her breath when she saw someone else standing there, looking across at her with an odd expression on his handsome face. He looked a little like Eryx. Actually, he looked a lot like Eryx. Young, with the same coal-black hair—except this guy’s was long, past his very wide shoulders—and the same sharp cheekbones, but his face wasn’t quite as beautiful. The most striking difference was his eyes—black as midnight, just like Eryx’s, but these eyes weren’t lifeless. This had to be one of his brothers. One of the Mephisto.

He was dressed completely opposite from Eryx and his Armani suit. This guy wore a black T
beneath a black leather trench coat that ended just where his black biker boots poked from beneath black leathers. Mr. Monochrome.

He was staring at her, his gaze mesmerizing. “Why are you standing on the sink?” he asked, his voice deep, with more than a little bit of British.

“I’m scared to death of the roaches.”

His gaze moved down to the floor, and she could swear he smiled. “You’re a captive of unimaginable evil, but you’re losing it over bugs?”

“It’s not funny. I’m having a heart attack, I’m so freaked out. And more are coming out of the drain.” She hated that her voice quavered a little at the end.

“They won’t hurt you,” he said, moving into the bathroom to stand just in front of her.

“I know, but it doesn’t matter. If one gets on me . . . if it touches me . . . ”

He reached out and lifted her from the sink, dropping her just to his waist. “Wrap your legs around me.”

She did, and wound her arms around his neck, clinging to him while she silently thanked God for sending help. He was warm, and she instantly felt better. Closing her eyes as he turned and walked out of the bathroom, she inhaled the clean, fresh scent of him. He smelled like evergreens. Like the forest. “Thank you,” she whispered.




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A Magic Most Foul blog stop

A HUGE Thank You to Source Books!

I was obssessed.
It was as if he called to me, demanding I reach out and touch the brushstrokes of color swirled onto the canvas. It was the most exquisite portrait I'd ever seen—everything about Lord Denbury was unbelievable...utterly breathtaking and eerily lifelike.


There was a reason for that. Because despite what everyone said, Denbury never had committed suicide. He was alive. Trapped within his golden frame.

I've crossed over into his world within the painting, and I've seen what dreams haunt him. They haunt me too. He and I are inextricably linked—bound together to watch the darkness seeping through the gas-lit cobblestone strets of Manhattan. And unless I can free him soon, things will only get Darker Still.

I'm coming for you.
The whispers haunt her dreams and fill her waking hours with dread. Something odd is happening. Something...unnatural.
Possession of the living. Resurrection of the dead. And Natalie Stewart is caught right in the middle. Jonathon, the one person she thought she could trust, has become a double agent for the dark side. But he plays the part so well, Natalie has to wonder just how much he's really acting.
She can't even see what it is she's fighting. But the cost of losing her heart, her sanity...her soul.


Guest Post : · Triple Talent: It’s no secret that bestselling author Leanna acts, writes, and even combines the two to create a play. Leanna describes what it’s like to be a working actress while also making a bestseller book.


I wear many different hats. And I don’t just mean cute little Victorian hats, though I do have quite a collection. I’ve always been a Jack of All Trades and it’s my varying interests that have kept me busy, employed in the arts and happy in always having a project or two to work on. The trick to doing anything well is time and discipline, it’s very hard to juggle theatrical pursuits and writing and promoting your books full time. I have to pick and choose and shift focus. While I was a full time professional actress on stage in various regional theatre productions around the country, my writing took a back seat. Today my writing is at the foreground and I do theatrical and/or film projects sporadically. The ability to shift focus from one priority to another depending on deadlines is a skill I’ve been trying to sharpen forever. The biggest challenge is self-discipline of one’s own time. It’s something I struggle with day in and day out. Storytelling is at the core of all my interests, and while I’m very selective now about the stories I tell and the mediums I use to tell them, I’m blessed to have several different avenues to pursue the stories that intrigue me. One of the most fascinating ways that my worlds have blended is in adapting my first novel into a musical theatre production with Broadway talent on board. My time as an actress and brief stints as a playwright made it easier for the production company behind the musical adaptation of The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker to approach me to be on the collaboration team. I’m uniquely suited as having experience in all these fields to weave a story together in an entirely new medium, a show. And it’s that process of adaptation and collaboration that then allows me to have fresh insights and new tricks to make an engaging story come to life when I return to my novels, such as THE TWISTED TRAGEDY OF MISS NATALIE STEWART.


I know I loved book one Darker Still and you have a chance to win a copy of Darker still all you have to do is comment saying why you think you might like it!

Deity Blog Stop

A Special thanks to StuckInBooks, Jennifer Armentrout and Spencer Hill Press.

 About the Author :
USA TODAY Bestselling Author Jennifer L. Armentrout lives in West Virginia. All the rumors you've heard about her state aren't true. Well, mostly. When she's not hard at work writing, she spends her time reading, working out, watching zombie movies, and pretending to write. She shares her home with her husband, his K-9 partner named Diesel, and her hyper Jack Russell Loki. Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent her time writing short stories...therefore explaining her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes Adult and Young Adult Urban Fantasy and Romance. She is represented by Kevan Lyon of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.

Alexandria isn't sure she's going to make it to her eighteenth birthday--to her Awakening. A long-forgotten, fanatical order is out to kill her, and if the Council ever discovers what she did in the Catskills, she's a goner... and so is Aiden.
If that's not freaky enough, whenever Alex and Seth spend time "training"--which really is just Seth's code word for some up-close and personal one-on-one time--she ends up with another mark of the Apollyon, which brings her one step closer to Awakening ahead of schedule. Awesome.
But as her birthday draws near, her entire world shatters with a startling revelation and she's caught between love and Fate. One will do anything to protect her. One has been lying to her since the beginning. Once the gods have revealed themselves, unleashing their wrath, lives will be irrevocably changed... and destroyed.
Those left standing will discover if love is truly greater than Fate...         My Review :       Holy cow! This book by far was my favorite of the series but I have a feeling the next book will just about kill me! Jennifer does amazing in this book with everything. The drama in this book will keep you reading until the end, there is no time for breaks when picking this book up, so get your snacks, drinks and everything you need to snuggle up with this book!

The characters again stole my heart and about broke it a million different times. I just LOVE about every single one. They are so well written, you just connect with them from book one and the feelings just grow with each book more and more. Alex is by far the most sarcastic, independent, take no shit from anyone kind of girl, she is someone most people can relate to easily in one way or the other but she does have her moments of vulnerability which just about kills you inside because it isn't often you see it.

Then there is Aiden : two words hot damn. He doesn't disappoint in this book at ALL! Just thinking of him makes my heart beat a little faster. He is by far one of the best written males in YA. No lie, he can aggravate you but everything heroes is calculated and most of the time planned, then comes Alex and he just throws it to the wind with her. The odds are stacked against them but he puts his loyalty to the ones he loves first. His loyalty is what makes him so sexy, and when you think of him you're thinking wow what an amazing guy. He will do anything to protect Alex and his friends.

Then there is Seth, arrogant all about himself Seth. I really started to like him, but he has some MAJOR baggage and it breaks my heart in this book. He is so aggravating, one minute he is cute vulnerable and the next cut throat. I just can't get a good read on him which makes him more the mysterious and you just can't help but think what will he do?! You want to just keep getting to know him and he always is surprising Alex along with us readers with some of the things he does.

Throughout this book you will cry, then laugh, cry some more, probably scream and then be happy. There is MAJOR drama and it will keep you on the edge of your seat. You never know where it is going, you start guessing and then it's like a punch in the gut. I am pretty sure Jennifer is plotting ways to make us crazy with her books but she has you hooked from the beginning and each book gets better and better. Love love love this series and cannot wait for Apollyon which I am pretty sure will kill me!


I got to sit down with Alex herself, and she is just as amazing as I thought if not a little hesitant :

1. How does it feel to be around Aiden? Seth?


"Yikes. That's a loaded question. Sometimes I want to hide from them. Sometimes I want to beat both of them up." She pauses. "And sometimes I just like being around them. Different reasons and all, but yeah..."

2. Do you think you'll protect those you love when you connect with Seth?

"I hope so. I mean, why wouldn't I? I'll still be myself." She frowns. "Or at least I hope so."

3. If you can't be a Sentinel what do you want to do?

She smiles. "I'd love to work in a zoo."

4. Do you ever get tired of feeling less than the Pures?

"I don't feel less than them." She shrugs. "I guess that why I tick so many of them off, but oh well.
5. Do you think you can over take Seth? Do you want to?
"Overtake him what? Fighting? I've gotten the upper hand a couple of times." A flush crosses her cheeks. "But he's such a dog, that I'm pretty sure he uses training to just cop a feel. Okay. I'm so off topic now. I think I'll be quiet."


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Witch Born Blog Stop :)

* A special “Thank You” to Amber Argyle for making this tour possible.

Tour Stops: * Jean Vallesteros: http://www.jeanbooknerd.com/
* Amber http://www.memyshelfandi.com/
* Sabrina/Tiffany http://paranormalreadsreviews.blogspot.com/
* Anne Brewer: http://anniebrewer.blogspot.com/
* Stacey Clifford http://www.sassybooklovers.blogspot.com/
* Shelley/Kat http://tsktskwhattoread2.blogspot.com/
* Bella Colella http://paranormal-bookclub.com/
* Leigh Ann http://flyingonsilverwings.blogspot.com/
* MaryAnn http://www.chapter-by-chapter.com/
* Melissa Marie http://beneaththecover-beneaththecover.blogspot.com/
* Tammy Middleton: http://tamssbookblog.blogspot.com/
* Alice Priday http://bestbooks1.blogspot.com/
* Ellen Trieu: http://shadowmundane.blogspot.com/
* Stephanie Ward http://adreamwithindream.blogspot.com/

Amber Argyle grew up with three brothers on a cattle ranch in the Rocky Mountains. She spent hours riding horses, roaming the mountains, and playing in her family’s creepy barn. This environment fueled her imagination for writing high fantasy. She has worked as a short order cook, janitor, and staff member in a mental institution. All of which has given her great insight into the human condition and has made for some unique characters. She received her bachelor’s degree in English and Physical Education from Utah State Uiversity.



Website: http://amberargyle.com
Blog: http://amberargyle.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amberargylesmith
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amberargyle
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4629065.Amber_Argyle

The world is changing. Once, Witch Song controlled everything from the winds to the shifting of the seasons-but not anymore. All the Witches are gone, taken captive by a traitor. All but Brusenna. As the echo of their songs fade, the traitor grows stronger. Now she is coming for Brusenna. Her guardian has sworn to protect her, but even he can't stop the Dark Witch. Somehow, Brusenna has to succeed where every other Witch has failed. Find the traitor. Fight her. Defeat her. Because if Brusenna doesn't, there won't be anything left to save.

Brusenna thought it was finished. She defeated the Dark Witch, saving the Haven Witches from imprisonment and death. She found love and a place to belong. She was wrong. Haven is not the sanctuary it appears to be. Even love is in danger of slipping away like water through cupped hands. Some things can't be saved. A new threat merges with the old as the Witches' dark history begins to catch up with them. Only Brusenna knows the extent of the danger and how to stop it, though doing so might cost her everything. Including her life. Will Brusenna be required to make the ultimate sacrifice?



Excerpt : The night was so deep the shadows seemed to bleed darkness. Senna glanced toward the hidden sky, searching for the moon that would not come. Not tonight. Even the strongest starlight was strangled by the dense canopy of trees. The temporary blindness was frightening, but it ensured no one would notice her slipping away.

With each step she took, the roar of the waterfall grew louder. Finally, she reached the staircase carved into the side of the cliff. Mindful of the slippery steps, she climbed upward until her muscles burned and sweat broke across her skin despite the chill.
When she’d crested the top and crossed the bleak expanse, she glanced at the frothing sea far below. Sea spray misted her skin.

She faced westward, towards the distant land of Tarten. Closing her eyes, she cast her senses across the vast ocean, searching and feeling the faraway echoes of the Four Sisters—Earth, Water, Plants, and Sunlight. She concentrated until she could hear their pain, an aching melody.

Senna’s tears started again, wetting the salty tracks already on her cheeks. At night, her dreams haunted her. Dreams of a withered land and a dying people. With all the strength she had, she sang.

Let not the curse of Witches

Destroy a land of natural riches.

Plants, preserve life in thy roots,

Seeds sleep in earth, send forth no shoots

Until the Witches shall disperse

This terrible and unjust curse.

She came to the cliffs every night she could manage to slip away. Hoping to right the wrong she’d done, she sang for Tarten—the lands she’d helped destroy months ago.

When her throat was scratchy and she could no longer hit the high notes, she stared at the land she knew was struggling to hold onto any life at all. Because of the Witches’ curse, no rain had fallen in Tarten for over two months—death to any jungle, but this one held on deep in the ground, waiting for the promise of her song to be fulfilled.





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Stealing Parker blog stop

Parker Shelton pretty much has the perfect life. She's on her way to becoming valedictorian at Hundred Oaks High, she's made the all-star softball team, and she has plenty of friends. Then her mother's scandal rocks their small town and suddenly no one will talk to her.
Now Parker wants a new life.
So she quits softball. Drops twenty pounds. And she figures why kiss one guy when she can kiss three. Or four. Why limit herself to high school boys when the majorly cute new baseball coach seems especially flirty?
But how far is too far before she loses herself completely?



A Guest post from the author herself :

The Art of Making Mistakes:  Why messing up is one of the most important things you can do.

I love reading reviews of my books. I always listen to what people have to say in hopes I can make my writing better. However, there’s one thing I’ll never change about my books, no matter what: I’ve seen some readers get upset when my characters make mistakes.

My characters make big mistakes and small mistakes. Some decisions have serious repercussions on the life of not only my main character, but sometimes on the lives of others.

When I was a teenager, I did some very dumb things. Like, one time my parents told me I couldn’t go to the Aerosmith concert, but I took their car and went anyway. My parents got really upset. Sure, I loved the concert, but afterwards I had to live with the guilt of hurting my parents and doing something I knew was wrong. They grounded me for a month!

Another time, I told a friend a serious lie because I thought it would impress her. She was always doing things that were “cool” and I wanted to feel cool too. I wanted her to think I was worthy of our friendship. Instead of thinking I was cool, she told a bunch of people what I said and spread the gossip about me all over school. What made it especially bad was that some people knew it wasn’t true. I was so embarrassed and ashamed. And I was sad that my “friend” wasn’t a true friend. But I learned from the mistake. I learned not to lie anymore, and I learned that true friends will love me for who I am, not what I’ve done.

When I’m writing a book, I’m not scared to have my characters screw up. If we don’t screw up, we can’t learn, and then we can’t become better people.

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Drain You Blog Stop :)

"Bloom's first short story “Love And Other Catastrophes: A Mix Tape” was featured in Story Quarterly and selected by Dave Eggers for inclusion in The Best American Nonrequired Reading: 2003 (Houghton-Mifflin), which he curates annually. Bloom is the founder of underground dance label 100% Silk (profiled here in LA Weekly) AND the producer/lead singer of the band LA Vampires (written up in The Guardian as well as Pitchfork and Fader). Her next book will be published through HarperTeen.

M. Beth lives on the east side of L.A. where she indulges in raw fooding, magazine subscribing, thrift shopping, Sunday matinee'ing, and ladies book clubbing."

Quinlan Lacey's life is a red carpet of weird fashions, hip bands, random parties, and chilling by the pool with her on-and-off BFF Libby. There's also her boring job (minimum wage), a crushed-out coworker (way too interested), her summer plans (nada), and her parents (totally clueless). Then one night she meets gorgeous James, and Quinn's whole world turns crazy, Technicolor, 3-D, fireworks, whatever.
But with good comes bad and unfortunately, Quinn's new romance brings with it some majorly evil baggage. Now, to make things right, she has to do a lot of things wrong (breaking and entering, kidnapping, lying, you name it).
There's normal, and then there's paranormal, and neither are Quinlan's cup of Diet Coke. Staying
sane, cool, in love, and alive isn't so easy breezy.



Interview with M. Beth Bloom


What was your first job?


Ben and Jerry’s scooper.
Did you play any instruments in school?

Clarinet and keyboard, terribly and semi-terribly, respectably.
Do you munch while you write?

Almost never. Munching time is break time and I SAVOR break time. Every once in a while though, when I’m on a serious streak, I’ll have some kale chips at my desk. But eating while typing/staring at a computer
Do you listen to music while you write or is there silence?

Dead silence. I can’t even be spoken to really; there’s just no processing when I’m in book world.

What is one question you never get asked and wish you did?
Really anything at all about feminism in YA or other current female writers and the female writer’s voice.
Where is one place in the world you would like to visit
Hawaii on a budget, Cannes and Nice if I’m budget-less and fancy-free!
Can you tell us if you are writing anything in the future?
I’ve just finished the first draft of my next novel for HarperTeen called Age Of Backwards, about a group of eighth graders whose friendships are tested when a member of their clique goes missing.



BOOK TRAILER!






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