Cover Reveal! CAGED FIRE by L.M. Preston

One of the most exciting aspects of having an expectant book baby is seeing the cover design for the first time! And as a reader, I love this part, too.

Today, I'm here to help my wonderful author friend L.M. Preston share her cover for her next young adult novel for teens. And she has a surprise for you at the end of this post. Here's the cover:

Scroll please . . . 

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TA - DAH!!!

I am beyond in LUV with the purple!

AND check out this animated version. Super cool!

via GIPHY

CAGED FIRE: Vigilant, Book 2

Author: L.M. Preston

Publisher: Phenomenal One Press

Release Date: March 7, 2019

Pre-order NOW!

Description: 

They say you can't run away from your problems. EmVee knew from experience it was true. She and her father tried to run, until the truth came and got them. Now with nothing to lose, she must confront the monster that changed her life forever. Unfortunately, she has to work with his best friend, Kayson who she is almost sure, isn't quite as nice as he seems. Kayson revealed not just why her father disappeared, but a new world of magicals that wanted the debt he left behind to be paid.

(Insatiable Darkness - Book 0, Caged Fire - Book 1, Unbreakable Darkness - Book 1.5)

PURCHASE LINKS

AMAZON | WEBSITE STORE

LM is offering a 2 month long book immersion with characters and game exclusive events! To play, go here:

FACEBOOK FAN GROUP

Here's your secret surprise: an excerpt

“Look kid, your father’s time is running cold. They are on to us, too many lives are at stake if either of you get caught.” Rocky handed her a thumb drive. “It’s a matter of your life and his death. He owes me, and I owe another a favor.”

“You give it to him,” EmVee replied evenly, checking her emotions and desire to punch the guy and run.

“No, this is where my road ends. Remember. Remember the name to nowhere and the code is your father’s real name. If you are his daughter. He would have told it to you, it’s a safe-word of sorts. I’m tired of running and they made sure I don’t have anything to run to. My son, he’s out there somewhere, and I’ll die taking the name of his safe-place with me. He’ll be free of them, both of them. Max and you have a chance. Don’t forget my name. It’ll mean something someday I hope. Run. Run now.” Rocky grasped her wrist, yanked it toward him, and placed the thumb drive in her hand.

EmVee looked at the drive, squeezed it in her palm.

Rocky tossed something in his mouth and pushed her back. “Look away, kid.” His body started convulsing. He groaned and collapsed, eyes open and staring towards the moon teased by dark clouds.

Sweat slid from under her drawn hoodie. Why’d he’d do it? They could’ve taken him to a hospital.

She glanced around quickly, then went for Rocky’s pockets. She reached in his jacket, flesh and entrails had spilled from his waist and into his coat. EmVee jerked back, shook her head a shaky sigh escaped her lips. She bit down on her lip and did what she had to do. In his jacket she found his cellphone and put it in her back pocket. His wallet she stuffed in the side pocket of her backpack. There was nothing else.

Putting her hand over her nose, swallowing back the tangy taste of vomit. She reached over and closed Rocky’s blue eyes. She’d never forget them.

Wishing L.M. all the luck in the world with this one! It sounds and looks amazing.

What's your favorite thing about book covers?

Wistful YA ~ Just Pretending by Leah & Kate Rooper & A Giveaway!

Welcome to another edition of Wistful YA!

Looking for a sweet YA contemporary? This one sounds so good . . . and there's ice hockey!

Amazon | Amazon Australia | Amazon UK 

Amazon Canada | B&N | iBooks | Kobo

Goodreads 

Just Pretending

(The Chicago Falcons #3) 

by Leah & Kate Rooper

Publication Date:  November 5, 2018

Publisher:  Entangled Teen Crush

It's not easy being royal. Sixteen-year-old Evangeline wears her crown proudly, but between her duties and her overprotective big brother, the idea of romance is just a dream. But a chance encounter in Chicago changes all that…. 

Sure, seventeen-year-old Tyler Evans loves playing hockey, but he's more concerned about providing for his dad and little sister. Then he meets Eva--and falls head-over-heels in love—and he has two more problems. One, she's his best friend's little sister. Two, she wears a crown.

But then Eva accidentally mistakes Tyler for a visiting prince, and for the first time, Tyler doesn't feel like a nobody. He knows he has to tell her the truth…but not yet. 

His plan? To keep up the royal charade as long as it takes to convince Eva he’s the guy for her. Even if he’s lying to everyone…including himself.

Disclaimer: May cause disillusionment. Those girls looking to find their Prince Charming might consider scouting out hockey rinks.

Leah and Kate Rooper are sisters from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Growing up beside the Pacific Ocean and inside a temperate rainforest fed their sense of adventure as children, and nourished a curiosity for strange and distant lands. They fed this curiosity with books - lots and lots of books. After experiencing the magic of Middle-earth, they began creating their own worlds. When they're not writing, Leah and Kate spend their time blogging and vlogging about their travel adventures and their writing journey.

Website • Twitter • Facebook • Pinterest  

Check out more of this book tour

by the awesome Chapter by Chapter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

What's your favorite sport to read within a young adult story?

Fall 2018 YA Scavenger Hunt! YA Books to #WIN!

YAY! You found me! 

So glad to be your guide on this stop of the

Young Adult Scavenger Hunt 2018!

With seven teams of 20 and over 140 books up for grabs, this year's fall season hunt is awesome. So exciting!

You are currently hunting on TEAM PURPLE!

I'm S.A. Larsen

I write middle grade & young adult books because 

being a tween or teen is hard and fictional stories 

are a safe place to escape and think about life. 

💀💀💀

What's the SA stand for, you ask?

Well, when I was a kid the S stood for SCARY because my Dad would blend my younger brother's name of Scotty with Sheri (my real name) and end up saying Scary.

That was one tidbit about me. Here are three more:

I'm a HUGE Jane Austen fan. #TeamDarcy

Dipping plain ruffle chips in ketchup is the way I roll. #YUM

Yes, I really was a Trekkie. #PeaceOut

Before I explain exactly how this hunt works, I want to share some exciting news and the bonus giveaway I'm offering up during this hunt. I FINALLY finished book II of Motley Education - my middle grade series. WOOT! So, in the description below, you'll find red letters that, when put together, create the title - the SECRET ENTRANCE CODE to my bonus giveaway of a $20 iTunes card on the rafflecopter at the end of this post! 

The Motley Mulishia must train for the upcoming Ullr Games against the newly-reopened NjorD AcadEmy and bAttle an evil nature goDdess, Raw Bones, and Mist Gypsies All while trying to put Lance back together before he turns fuLl-on berserker, igniting a ghost zombiE apocalYpse.(This is not the final description. Just a sneak peek.) 

SCAVENGER HUNT PUZZLE RULES

(Veterans of the hunt can skip over the instruction of the hunt.)

*A brief intro for 1st time hunters: this bi-annual event was first organized by author Colleen Houck as a way to give readers a chance to gain access to exclusive bonus material from their favorite authors...and a chance to win some awesome prizes! 

At this hunt, you not only get access to exclusive content from each author, you also get a clue for the hunt. 

Write down all the secret numbers for one team, total them, and submit the answer to be entered for the grand prize. There are 7 teams participating: RED, BLUE, ORANGE, GREEN, GOLD, PINK, & PURPLE; each with 20 author members! Collect the numbers for just one team or you can do it for every team and enter in all 7 giveaways! But play fast: this contest (and all the exclusive bonus material) will only be online for 120 hours! If you’d like to find out more about the hunt, see links to all the authors participating, and see the full list of prizes up for grabs, go to the YA Scavenger Hunt page.

STOP! Look back at the previous paragraph and you'll notice that I've hidden my favorite number in red among the words. Psst...you need that number. Collect the favorite numbers of all the authors on the purple team, and then add them up. 

ENTRY FORM: Once you've added up all the numbers, make sure you fill out the form here to officially qualify for the grand prize. Only entries that have the correct number will qualify.

RULES: Open internationally, anyone below the age of 18 should have a parent or guardian’s permission to enter. To be eligible for the grand prize, you must submit the completed entry form by SUNDAY, OCT 7th, at noon Pacific Time. Entries sent without the correct number or without contact information will not be considered.

I am super excited to be hosting

JULIE ESHBAUGH!!

ABOUT JULIE:

Julie Eshbaugh once produced an online video series for teens which received several honors from the Webby Awards. Now, she focuses her time on writing. Her debut YA novel, IVORY AND BONE, was published by HarperTeen in June 2016, and its sequel, OBSIDIAN AND STARS, followed in June 2017. She is also a contributing author to WELCOME HOME, an Anthology of Love and Adoption. (Flux 2017.) 

THE BOOK JULIE HAS DECIDED TO SHOWCASE IS ...

SO PRETTY!

ABOUT THE BOOK:

"In the riveting sequel to Ivory and Bone, the story shifts to Mya’s viewpoint as vengeful adversaries force her to flee the life she once knew.

After surviving the battle that erupted after Lo and the Bosha clan attacked, now Mya is looking ahead to her future with Kol. All the things that once felt so uncertain to her are finally falling into place. But the same night as Kol and Mya’s betrothal announcement, Mya’s brother Chev reveals his plan to marry their youngest sister, Lees, to his friend Morsk. The only way to avoid this terrible turn of events, Morsk informs Mya when he corners her later, is for Mya to take Lees’ place and marry him herself."

READY FOR YOUR TOP SECRET BONUS MATERIAL? 

Okay, scroll down...

Meet the DREAM CAST for OBSIDIAN AND STARS

Amber Midthunder

as

MYA

Booboo Stewart

as

KOL

Devery Jacobs

as

LEES

Lucius Hoyos

as

ROON

Add THE OBSIDIAN AND STARS to your TBR List.

What a dream cast! I love stories that go beyond book I!

Interested in holding your own copy in your hands?

You can buy it HERE.

And for more on Julie, follow her Website, Facebook Page, & Twitter account. 

And remember: ENTER the contest for a chance to win a ton of signed books by me and many more! Just check out all these books on TEAM PURPLE ...

To ENTER, you need to write down my favorite number, find all the other 

numbers on TEAM PURPLE, add them up, and you’ll have the 

secret code to enter for the grand prize!

Also, to stay on top of what's happening during the hunt feel free to follow YASH on Twitter, Facebook, and the Website.

I am so grateful for your visit. Thank you for stopping by Writer's Alley to join in on the YA Scavenger Hunt. I hope you'll stop by often! I don't blog as much as I used to, but I still try to share amazing YA and MG books when I find them, interview authors so you can get to know them, and share my own books news!

Remember to ENTER the Rafflecopter below for the BONUS GIVEAWAY I'm hosting! Did you figure out what the title is for book II of my middle grade series? 

Awesome! 

One lucky winner will receive a $20 iTunes gift card and some Marked Beauty Signed book swag!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Are you having fun during the hunt? What's your favorite part?

Ready to move on to the next link in the hunt? Then head on over to visit author MADELINE DYER'S page.

LINK TO NEXT BLOG

*IWSG Note: Due to my participation in the YASH, I'll be posting my IWSG post next week. I'm excited to answer this month's question of  How do major life events affect your writing? Has writing ever helped you through something?

THE SPONSORED by Caroline T. Patti & a Giveaway!

Glad you're joining in for this installment of Wistful YA. Check out this next featured read!

Google Play| BAM | Chapters | Indies  

Amazon | B&N | TBD | iBooks

Goodreads

THE SPONSORED

by Caroline T. Patti

Release Date: September 12, 2018

Publisher: Month9Books

Description: Don’t break the rules…

Max Winter is a janitor at a ritzy boarding school. He’s supposed to keep to himself, mind his business, stay quiet about the things he sees, sweep the floors, and under no circumstances is he to have any contact with the residents. Now, Max will break every last one of those rules when he meets Ace Valentine.

Don’t follow your heart…

Ace Sloane finds out she’s on the wrong side of a war she no longer believes in fighting. Now, she’ll risk everything to get her life back from the people who stole it, including getting too close to exactly the wrong boy.

Don’t get caught…

Grey Winter lost both parents in a fire that should've killed her as well. A “miracle baby,” Grey is sent to live with her Nana who should have told her the truth about who and what she really is. Now she’s at the forefront of a cover-up, all-out manhunt, and the object of one boy’s interest she doesn’t want or need. It’s up to Grey to connect the dots and bring an end to the secrets and lies that have caused so much pain and suffering for so long.

I just love the sound of this one! Can't wait to read.

Caroline T Patti is the author of The World Spins Madly On and Too Late To Apologize. When she’s not writing, she’s a school librarian, mother of two, wife, avid reader and Green Bay Packer fan.

Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

Want to own a digital copy or buy your own? Enter this giveaway for your chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card!

TOUR SCHEDULE

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Best of luck!

Summer Fun Reader Scavenger Hunt!

I have a confession to make. I'm an addict. Of reading. A hoarder of books and words. I can't help it!

So . . . I practically shake with excitement when I have the opportunity to added more books to my collection. (I do share it with others, though. Sharing books is a must!) And what better time to add more books than during the summer reading months?

Are you ready to win a Kindle Fire HD 8, Amazon cards and books!

Great! Let's get underway...

I'm one of the sponsors of the Night Owl Romance Summer Fun Scavenger Hunt. During this event you'll find some great new books to add to your TBR list, your favorite authors, and even some new authors you've yet to read. It's a really fun hunt!

ENTER THE GIVEAWAY & SCAVENGER HUNT!

HAVE A BLAST and GOOD LUCK! 

Happy Weekend,

Video Game Adaptations! SOMNIA ONLINE ~ Initializing by KT Hanna

Hi Alleywalkers! Do I have a treat for you. From the moment I read about this story I knew sharing it with you was a must. Dudes, it's like a video game adaptation! Yeah, and it's got this dark fantasy, Scri-Fi vibe going on. It's just so different. At least, I think so. But read on to make that determination for yourself.

Enjoy!

SOMNIA ONLINE

INITIALIZING

by K.T. Hanna

Publisher: Amaranthine Press
Released Date: May 15, 2018

Discover the class you were born to play.

Wren, a seasoned healer, is dismayed when Somnia Online automatically assigns her character, Murmur, to the Enchanter class. Determined to overcome the unexpected setback, she assembles her guild, intent on the coveted #1 spot. Twelve keys stand between her and victory, but finding them is only part of the puzzle.

Armed with telepathic abilities, Murmur rises to the challenge. However, old rivals have followed her to Somnia Online desperate for revenge. Intricate quest lines become more dangerous as NPCs absorb powerful artifacts, and Murmur begins to wonder just what sort of AI controls the world.

Murmur questions her sanity as the real and virtual worlds mesh together. Everyone is keeping secrets from her, even the AI, and Murmur’s determined to uncover them.

Available through Amazon

Excerpt

A skeleton shambled to the left, its bones creaking softly as it jangled about. Straight ahead was a spider with ridiculously long legs, and off to the right was a cluster of so mething she couldn't make out. All of the mobs she could see were yellow, probably at least level three. But if she didn't try, she'd never know.

Feeling reckless , she cast minor suffocation and pulled the skeleton toward her. The fact that the spell manag ed to convince an undead creature it was being strangled was quite amazing. It let out a cackle and jangled over to her as she backed up, hoping to let a third tick hit before it reached her. This time her spell was hitting for five and four. A slight incr ease was at least something. The skeleton flailed a wooden staff in the air and Murmur hoped against hope her hit points would outlast it.

Then it was upon her, three ticks of her Damage Over Time down. The thing was tall and gangly and she realized these skeletons had to be locus , too. Even its empty sockets glowed, like some type of magic possessed it. Considering it was a walking skeleton, that probably wasn't far from the truth. It swung at her, and barely missed when she managed to dodge. She could fee l the heaviness of her body, and the unwillingness with which it made the movement. That was probably her one dodge for the next twenty. She'd better make it count.

Killing a skeleton was far more difficult than a beetle. For one thing, it was already bloo dy dead. That blasted staff hurt too, though not as much as the pincer claws had. It made Murmur wonder if locus could bruise. Finally, after what seemed like an age, she managed to hack its skull off. She leaned forward and looted the mob. It had twelve c opper on it. Maybe skeletons were a good idea for a while with or without her quest. Not only that, the staff it had been wielding was hers as well.

“Score," she muttered to herself, aware she was probably grinning like a loon. Sure, her staff skills were n't up to par but she was sure it wouldn't take too long. It's not like melee did most of her damage or anything.

KT Hanna has such a love for words, a single one can spark entire worlds. Born in Australia, she met her husband in a computer game, moved to the U.S.A. and went into culture shock. Bonus? Not as many creatures specifically designed to kill you. KT creates science-fiction, fantasy, and LitRPG like it’s going out of style, with a dash of horror for fun! She freelance edits for Chimera Editing, plays computer games, and chases her daughter, husband, corgis, cats, and snake.

No, she doesn’t sleep. She is entirely powered by the number 2, caffeine, Chipotle, and sarcasm.

K.T. can be found in the following places: Website Facebook Twitter Patreon Amazon

Thank you for sharing your work with us, KT! All the best to you!

Alleywalkers, what's your favorite video game adaptation story? 

 

YASH 2018 Spring Edition! Young Adult Books to #WIN!

Welcome to this year's Spring Young Adult Scavenger Hunt!

*thick wooden door panels crack and clunky hinges clank as I open the door*

YAY! You've found me. I'm so glad you're here. 

I'm S.A. Larsen, but feel free to call me Sheri.

I'll be your guide for this stop of the hunt.

~HERE'S A FEW FACTS ABOUT ME~

I'd love to visit Greece.🏛️

My favorite book is Pride & Prejudice.📚

👻Cemeteries are cool.

I write middle grade & young adult books because 

being a tween or teen is hard and fictional stories 

are a safe place to escape and think about life. 

💀💀💀

You are currently hunting on TEAM PURPLE.

GUESS WHAT? I've added an exclusive bonus contest to this leg of the hunt. Woot! But I'm going to make you work for it . . . just a little.  

FIND the five capitalized/orange letters somewhere within the text below. They spell one word that gives you a clue to my latest YA release MARKED BEAUTY. Leave the word in the comments below. (*Hint: I love all the team colors used in this hunt because empaths see auras in color.) Before you go look, read over these few rules and then check out the amazing author I'm hosting:

A Brief intro for 1st Time Hunters:

*This bi-annUal event was first organized by author Colleen Houck as a way to give readers a chance to gain access to exclusive bonus material from theiR favorite authors...and a chance to win some aweSome prizes! At this hunt, you not only get access to exclusive content from each author, you also get a clue for the hunt. Add up the clues, and you can enter for our prize--one lucky winner will receive one book from each author on the hunt in my team! But play fast: this contest (and all the exclusive bonus material) will only be online for 120 hours!

Go to the YA Scavenger Hunt page to find out all about the hunt, to see links to all the authors participating, & for a full list of prizes up for grabs. There are SIX contests going on this year (each with 20 author members), and you are currently hunting on TEAM PURPLE - but there is also TEAM RED, TEAM BLUE, TEAM GREEN, TEAM GOLD, TEAM PINK, & TEAM PURPLE for a chance to win a whole different set of books! Think of all the books you could win.

SCAVENGER HUNT PUZZLE

DIRECTIONS: You'll find my favorite number hidden in the text below. Collect the favorite numbers of all the authors on TEAM PURPLE and total them.  

ENTRY FORM: Once you've added up all the numbers, make sure you fill out the form here to officially qualify for the grand prize. Only entries that have the correct number will qualify.

RULES: Open internationally, anyone below the age of 18 should have a parent or guardian’s permission to enter. To be eligible for the grand prize, you must submit the completed entry form by SUNDAY, APRIL 8th, at noon Pacific Time. Entries sent without the correct number or without contact information will not be considered.

I'm super excited to be hosting 

JULIE ESHBAUGH!

ABOUT JULIE

Julie Eshbaugh once produced an online video series for teens which received several honors from the Webby Awards. Now, she focuses her time on writing. Her debut YA novel, IVORY AND BONE, was published by HarperTeen in June 2016, and its sequel, OBSIDIAN AND STARS, followed in June 2017. She is also a contributing author to WELCOME HOME, an Anthology of Love and Adoption. (Flux 2017.) 

THE BOOK JULIE IS SHOWCASING IS...

When I first saw this cover I was like... 4 real? LUV!

ABOUT THE BOOK

"In the riveting sequel to Ivory and Bone, the story shifts to Mya’s viewpoint as vengeful adversaries force her to flee the life she once knew.

After surviving the battle that erupted after Lo and the Bosha clan attacked, now Mya is looking ahead to her future with Kol. All the things that once felt so uncertain to her are finally falling into place. But the same night as Kol and Mya’s betrothal announcement, Mya’s brother Chev reveals his plan to marry their youngest sister, Lees, to his friend Morsk. The only way to avoid this terrible turn of events, Morsk informs Mya when he corners her later, is for Mya to take Lees’ place and marry him herself.

Rejecting Morsk’s offer, and in an effort to protect her sister, Mya whisks Lees away to a secret island until things back home blow over. Mya soon realizes she’s been followed, however. Even worse, lurking deep in the recesses of this dangerous place are rivals from Mya’s past whose thirst for revenge exceeds all reason.

With the lives of her loved ones resting on her shoulders, Mya must make a move before the enemies of her past become the undoing of her future."

TOP SECRET BONUS MATERIAL!

Here's a set of images from Julie's OBSIDIAN AND STARS Pinterest Board.

Hop on over to her Pinterest Board to see more and learn more about the book! AND while you're there, feel free to follow her.

This story LOOKS amazing!

Interested in holding your own copy in your hands?

You can buy it HERE.

And for more on Julie, follow her Website, Facebook Page, & Twitter account. 

And remember: ENTER the contest for a chance to win a collection of books by me and many more! Just check out all these books on TEAM PURPLE...

To enter, you need to write down my favorite number, find all the other 

numbers on TEAM PURPLE, add them up, and you’ll have the secret code to enter for the grand prize!

Also, to stay on top of what's happening during the hunt feel free to follow YASH on Twitter, Facebook, and the Website.

Thank you so much for visiting my blog! Don't forget to enter the Rafflecopter bonus contest I'm running exclusively during the 2018 Spring YA Scavenger Hunt! Did you find my secret word clue to Marked Beauty? Great! Remember to write it in the comments.

One lucky winner will receive a 

$15 Amazon gift card & a Marked Beauty swag package!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Leave a comment and tell me what you think! Are you having fun during the hunt? What's your favorite part?

Ready to move on to the next link in the hunt? Then head on over to visit author MADELINE DYER'S page.

LINK TO NEXT BLOG

Introducing The Spring 2018 YASH Teams!

What's a YASH Team, you ask?
Well, it's just about the most amazing and exciting opportunity for readers to mingle online with their favorite young adult authors and even possibly win some books! YASH stands for Young Adult Scavenger Hunt. During the hunt new and upcoming YA releases are spotlighted, fabulous prizes are given away, and authors even release special (top-secret) bonus material! 
This year there are 120 authors broken up into six different teams. The blog hop begins Tuesday April 3rd @ 9:00 AM PT and runs through Sunday, April 8th @ noon PT.
To play, either start on my blog or head directly over to the YASH website. There you’ll find a list of all the authors participating as well as an answer sheet you can print off to gather the info you’re hunting for and to keep track of any bonus contests you may have entered.
Here are this year's teams: TEAM BLUE

TEAM RED

TEAM GOLD

TEAM GREEN

TEAM PINK

TEAM PURPLE

THIS IS MY TEAM. GO TEAM PURPLE!

Hop over to Goodreads to peek at all the books being offered up during this week-long book hunt. And psst...if you visit THE LIST you can even vote for the books you'd like to read like Marked Beauty!

So get ready to hop on the online book hunt starting Tuesday!

I have to leave my YASH hop post up all next week, so I'm posting my #IWSG post today. I'd like to thank April's monthly co-hosts: Olga Godim, Chemist Ken, Renee Scattergood, and Tamara Narayan!

Question: When your writing life is a bit cloudy or filled with rain, what do you do to dig down and keep on writing?

Participants

I usually step away to find places of inspiration that have helped me before. I might watch one of my favorite films or read segments of my favorite books. One thing that really helps me keep writing when it's just not happening is to do a free write. I sit down at my laptop and simply write. It can be about the sky or my family or some emotion I've let pent up. I've also turned to my own books and flipped through the pages to remind me that I sold a manuscript before, so I can do it again.

Happy Writing,