"When I'm not writing..." with Gina Damico + giveaway!

Today's guest is Gina Damico, author of CROAK and SCORCH, YA novels about a teenage reaper named Lex Bartleby. She's currently doing a real life blog tour around the eastern half of the United States (!) but she's graciously made time to join us in the virtual world to tell us what she does when she's not working on her next story.

Do you want to know what Gina does when she's not writing? Well then, you better stick around! And don't forget to enter the giveaway for a signed copy of SCORCH!

When I'm not writing, I'm keeping busy somehow or other, no matter what. If I'm not being productive in some way, I feel like a useless lump, and then I get cranky, and then I yell at my cat, and then the entire situation devolves into a feline staredown, and there's just no way I'm winning that.

So, productive it is. Here is a list of ways that I keep busy:

1. I market. Writing is fun and all, and I wish I could do it all the time, but these books have got to sell, sell, sell, baby. Or get checked out of the library, checked out of the library, checked out of the library, baby. However they're read, people aren't just going to wake up one day with the idea that they should read this book they've never heard of, and so it's (partially) my job to get the word out there about it. So I blog, I make swag, I do these lovely blog interviews. One of these days I'll get a sandwich board made and take to the streets.

2. I crochet or knit. Yes, I'm one of these nerds. I knit garments, and I crochet all sorts of things - including this little grim and other kinds of monsters and freaks of nature. You should see my yarn stash. It's embarrassing.

3. I travel. I'm writing this from a hotel room in Chicago, where I have stopped on my big Slapdash Road Trip Book Tour. I'm driving from Boston, MA to Austin, TX and then back again - in part to accomplish a bit of #1 - but mostly because I realized I'd never been on a road trip before and wanted to see some more of the country through the windows of a poo-colored rental car. So far I have determined that Ohio has a lot of farmland, Indiana has a lot of Amish, and hotels have a lot of crappy coffee that I will suck down regardless of their taste or ability to perk up.

4. I watch TV. A lot of it. Less than I used to, but still enough for me to feel guilty that I'm wasting my life away.

5. I deal with the puppy. My husband and I rescued a dog a few months ago, and he was only three months at the time, and HOO BOY puppies are a lot of work. I do a fair amount of following him around the house, hoping and praying that he's not going to start peeing everywhere. This, one might argue, is the least productive thing of anything on this list, and that would be correct. I can't tell you how many times this summer I've had to stop working on my third book just to get up, drag the dog outside, and lovingly coax some bodily fluid out him. Quite a talent, that.

Thanks for having me, and happy reaping reading!

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Thanks for visiting, Gina, and good luck on the book tour!

For more information about Gina and her books, check out her website or follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

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Here's the scoop on SCORCH (coming October 25):

Sixteen-year-old Lex Bartleby is a teenage grim reaper with the bizarre ability to Damn souls. That makes her pretty scary, even to fellow Grims. But after inadvertently transferring her ability to Zara, a murderous outlaw, Lex is a pariah in Croak, the little town she calls home. To escape the townspeople’s wrath, she and her friends embark on a wild road trip to DeMyse. Though this sparkling desert oasis is full of luxuries and amusements, it feels like a prison to Lex. Her best chance at escape would be to stop Zara once and for all—but how can she do that from DeMyse, where the Grims seem mysteriously oblivious to Zara’s killing spree?

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

You should also check out CROAK, the first book in the series:

Sixteen-year-old Lex Bartleby has sucker-punched her last classmate. Fed up with her punkish, wild behavior, her parents ship her off to upstate New York to live with her Uncle Mort for the summer, hoping that a few months of dirty farm work will whip her back into shape. But Uncle Mort’s true occupation is much dirtier than that of shoveling manure.

He’s a Grim Reaper. And he’s going to teach her the family business.

Lex quickly assimilates into the peculiar world of Croak, a town populated entirely by reapers who deliver souls from this life to the next. Along with her infuriating yet intriguing partner Driggs and a rockstar crew of fellow Grim apprentices, Lex is soon zapping her Targets like a natural born Killer.

Yet her innate ability morphs into an unchecked desire for justice—or is it vengeance?—whenever she’s forced to Kill a murder victim, craving to stop the attackers before they can strike again. So when people start to die—that is, people who aren’t supposed to be dying, people who have committed grievous crimes against the innocent—Lex’s curiosity is piqued. Her obsession grows as the bodies pile up, and a troubling question begins to swirl through her mind: if she succeeds in tracking down the murderer, will she stop the carnage—or will she ditch Croak and join in?

Christine's thoughts

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

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Gina is generously offering one (1) lucky reader a signed copy of SCORCH!

To enter the giveaway, obey the Rafflecopter!

US only

Ends Monday, October 8, 2012

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Do you guys have suggestions for who you’d like to see featured on the blog? If so, you can make your suggestions on this page. No guarantees that your favorite authors will be able to participate but we’ll try!

Authors, would you like to visit and share with us? Please email me at jennblogs (at) gmail (dot) com and we’ll set it up!

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by jenn at Tuesday, September 25, 2012

 Gina Damico, giveaway, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Reaper, When I'm not writing  26 People left their mark

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Lethal Rider by Larissa Ione

Lethal Rider by Larissa Ione

Book Stats:
Reading level: Adult
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Mass Market Paperback: 464 pages
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Release date: June 1, 2012

Series: Lords of the Underworld #3

Reviewed by: Tynga

Source: Personal shelf

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

Thanatos, the most deadly Horseman of the Apocalypse, has endured thousands of years of celibacy to prevent the end of days. But just one night with the wickedly sexy Aegis Guardian, ReganCooper, shatters centuries of resolve. Yet their passion comes with a price. And Thanatos must face a truth more terrifying than an apocalypse-he's about to become a father.
Demon-slayer Regan Cooper never imagined herself the maternal type, but with the fate of the world hanging in the balance she had no choice but to seduce Thanatos and bear his child. Now, as the final battle draws closer and his rage at being betrayed is overshadowed by an undeniable passion for the mother of his child, Thanatos has a life-shattering realization: To save the world, he must sacrifice the only thing he's ever wanted-a family.

What an amazing instalment by miss Ione! I was anxious to read this book since I read the previous one, because of they way it ended, and I was not disappointed in the least. I enjoyed every page! Thanatos has been cheated by Regan, a demon-slayer, and I enjoyed witnessing his reactions and decisions in this novel. This horseman has a killer temper, quite literally, and the treason he undergo is too important even for words to describe, to say the consequences are dire is to put it mildly. His brother and sister had to immobilize him with hellhound spit for months to keep him from retaliating and the moment he is freed, without his siblings knowledge, he is out for blood, Regan’s blood. Imagine his surprise though when he finds her pregnant… with his son.

The emotions were raw and real and I command Larissa for that. Thanatos was betrayed in the worst possible way, Regan regrets her actions, and both of them are struggling but have to work together to protect their son, but can’t agree on the path to follow. Conflict after conflict both of them faceoff, alternating between hate and lust, both unable to admit to love each other. It was truly amazing!

True to herself, Larissa Ione delivered an action-packed plot even though this book is classified as paranormal romance. But hey, I like my romance with some action and blood! Pestilence is still out there, wrecking havoc, and he is kicking up his pace. Nothing can stop him and he is determined to start the apocalypse, going as far as trying to kill Thanatos’ son. Regan’s pregnancy isn’t the easiest either, and having just given birth myself, I felt for her. One detail didn’t sit right with me though, at the end, after the baby is born, Regan is all worried because Thanatos won’t have sex with her within the first week, and she pretty much jumps his bones. I don’t know about you girls, but in the week after giving birth, sex wasn’t exactly on my mind… just sayin’!

The conclusion to Lethal Rider is down right amazing and I MUST read Rogue Rider NOW! God, I am even more excited for the next book than I was for this one. Good thing I have a copy waiting for me on my kindle! The wait would’ve killed me. I won’t tell you why I’m so excited, but if you’ve read the book, I’m sure you know why!

The Lords of Deliverance series is one I strongly recommend to paranormal romance lovers out there. You don’t need to read the Demonica series to read this spin-off series, I didn’t and I easily jumped right in. Sensual, original and action-packed, this series will please!

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by Tynga at Monday, September 24, 2012

 Demon, Hachette, Larissa Ione, Review  1 Person left their mark

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Silver by Talia Vance

Silver by Talia Vance

Books Stats:
Reading level: New Adult
Genre: Paranormal/Celtic Mythology
Trade paperback: 374 pages
Publisher: Flux
Release date: September 8, 2012

Series: Bandia #1

Source: Publisher

Reviewed by: Stéphanie

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

"As I step into the room, a silver flash blurs my vision. Before I can take a breath, the world falls away."

Brianna has always felt invisible. People stare right past her, including the one boy she can't resist, Blake Williams. But everything changes at a house party where Brianna's charm bracelet slips off and time stands still. In that one frozen, silver moment, Blake not only sees her, he recognizes something deep inside her she's been hiding even from herself.

Discovering she is descended from Danu, the legendary Bandia of Celtic myth, Brianna finds herself questioning the truth of who she is. And when she accidentally binds her soul to Blake, their mutual attraction becomes undeniable.

But Blake has his own secret, one that could prove deadly for them both.

Bound together by forbidden magic, Brianna and Blake find themselves at the heart of an ancient feud that threatens to destroy their lives and their love.

Love that’s destined to cause feuds and wars. There’s something about that type of love that has readers coming back for more. Personally, I think Talia Vance created a wonderful romance between her two main characters, Brianna and Blake. However, SILVER isn’t just a simple love story. Brianna is a teenage girl who, until recently, was ignored by everyone. Not ignored in the sense that no one liked her, but in the sense that no one was actually aware of her. Because of something paranormal. Her high school years were spent in the shadows of her friends as she saw them fall in and out of love. But for Brianna, going out with a boy wasn’t possible because boys literally had no clue she was there. I think this theme of being invisible in high school is very interesting, even though Talia Vance isn’t the first one to elaborate on it. I mean, probably everyone ends up feeling invisible, once in their lifetime, so it’s a great way to have the readers form a link with the main character.

As a huge fan of Greek Mythology, it was no surprised that the Irish Mythology from this book enthralled me. The mythology and the world Talia Vance has created is refreshing and very interesting. However, it does feel like the author was in a rush to write out her story and I truly think more time could have been dedicated to details of the paranormal aspects. As a descendent of Danu, an Irish goddess, Brianna is considered a Bandia and must learn how to manage her new and destructive powers, all on her own. Especially controlling her attractiveness and appeal from anyone surrounding her because being recognized and noticed might not be in her best interest. Since the book left me wanting more information on the Bandias, I found myself searching the Internet for more details. My search didn’t reveal much so I’m assuming the author elaborated quite a bit on the myth surrounding Danu and truly made it her own.That being said, I hope we learn more about the Bandias in the future books.

I think a lot of the book’s appeal comes from the fast pace and the easy flow. Never a dull moment, the story is very youth oriented because of the gossip and teenage quarrels, but it adds so many interesting bits. Conflicts between Brianna and the group of men set out to destroy all the Bandias also creates interesting action that’s sure to please any type of readers.

One last thing I want to mention is Brianna’s love of horses. Obviously horses are a symbol of Irish culture and her dedication to horses was a great way to foreshadow her Irish roots. I think small details like this make novels so much more complete and enjoyable. For a debut, I think SILVER was well written but I really hope to get more information about the world of the Bandias in the future release. SILVER will surely be stacked on many shelves this fall because it’s a debut YA novel you don’t want to miss. Let yourself be enthralled by the Bandias and I’m sure you won’t regret it!

Read an excerpt

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by Unknown at Sunday, September 23, 2012

 Flux, Gods, Review, Talia Vance, young adult  13 People left their mark

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Stacking The Shelves [22]

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

Guidelines:

• Create your own Stacking The Shelves post. You can use my official graphic or your own, but please link back to Tynga’s Reviews so more people can join the fun!

• You can set your post any way you want, simple book list, covers, pictures, vlog, sky is the limit!

• I am posting Stacking The Shelves on Saturdays, but feel free to post yours any day that fits you.

• Visit Tynga’s Reviews on Saturday and add your link so others can visit you!

• Visit other participants link to find out what they added to their shelves!

If you want to find out more about Stacking The Shelves, please visit the official launch page!

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My apologies for the quickly put together post. It was my hubby’s birthday yesterday and I didn't have time to record a blog

For Review:

The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa
Angel in Chains by Cynthia Eden
Entice by Jessica Shirvington
Reaper by K.D. McEntire

Gifts:

Awaken at Dawn by C.C. Hunter
Taken at Dusk by C.C. Hunter
The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller
Wood Queen by Karen Mahoney

Thank you!

So, what did YOU add to your shelves this week?

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by Tynga at Saturday, September 22, 2012

 Stacking The Shelves  34 People left their mark

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Giveaway and Tour Stop: The Goddess Legacy by Aimée Carter

I’m happy to be one of the tour stops for Aimée Carter’s The Goddess Legacy tour today. It’s a nice teaser book for the fans of the series who are waiting impatiently for the next book of series. The Goddess Legacy features novellas from many different characters that Aimée Carter has introduced us to. Here’s more information about the book, which ends up being book 2.5 of the series.

For millennia we’ve caught only glimpses, of the lives and loves of the gods and goddesses on Olympus. Now Aimée Carter pulls back the curtain on how they became the powerful, petty, loving and dangerous immortals that Kate Winters knows.

Calliope/Hera represented constancy and yet had a husband who never matched her faithfulness….

Ava/Aphrodite was the goddess of love and yet commitment was a totally different deal….

Persephone was urged to marry one man, yet longed for another….

James/Hermes loved to make trouble for others-but never knew true loss before….

Henry/Hades’s solitary existence had grown too wearisome to continue. But meeting Kate Winters gave him a new hope….

Five original novellas of love, loss and longing and the will to survive throughout the ages.

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

Click on the covers below to read my thoughts on book 1 and 2.

 

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My love for Greek mythology started when I was in 7th grade when we were asked to present to the class an independent study. We could present anything we wanted and for a reason I don’t remember, I chose to present Greek Mythology. My “love affair” with these myths began at a young age but the “love” story of Persephone and Hades will always remain my favorite myth.

As part of the blog tour, I was asked to review and feature one of the novella from the book and you can imagine how happy I was when I was given the novella that features Persephone.

My obsession with the myth is quite obvious since, when I first discovered the art print called Persephone Destroys (images below) from Schin’s Etsy shop, I knew I had to purchase a print or something. Because, let’s all agree, it looks pretty amazing. When I noticed that I could actually buy a bookmark, it was as if it was made for me! I even added my purchase to one of my Stacking the Shelves posts!

 

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So, without further ado, here are my thoughts on one of the novellas from The Goddess Legacy,

The Goddess of The Underworld

To be truthful, I was quite disappointed with this novella. I expected Aimée Carter to deviate from the real myth but not to this extent. She didn’t really stay true to the original myth and I at least expected to see the symbol of the pomegranate to make an appearance. But the forbidden fruit was nowhere to be found in that story even if it was mentioned later on in another novella. Although I was disappointed with the the story, I think it explained quite a lot about Aimée’s Persephone character. Described as selfish and unfaithful, it’s exactly how I pictured her in the first two books of the series. I could not find any pity for her and her arrange marriage to Hades. You would think with the new title of Queen of the Underworld she would have at least tried to make her marriage work, but for some reason, she could not find within herself the ability to love or at least recognize her partnership.

However, I must admit the novella provided the much needed background information the previous books lacked. We now understand why Hades/Henry was in need of a new queen and why he’s so gloomy and moody all the time. Despite her selfishness, Persephone was able to redeem herself at the end (even if she somewhat did it for herself). You can’t help but feel bad for Hades/Henry, and after reading this novella, I’m truly hoping it ends well between him and Kate. Fans of the series will enjoy this novella because it answers so many questions about the mystery surrounding Persephone’s past.

You can read my full review of the book here.

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Each tour host is offering the chance to win a copy of The Goddess Legacy to one (1) lucky winner and a grand prize full of “Goddess Goodies” to be chosen from among all the entries from all of the tour stops!

To enter the giveaway, obey the rafflecopter!

Giveaway ends October 1st, 2012.

Open to US and Canada only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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About Aimée Carter

Aimée Carter was born and raised in Michigan, where she currently resides. She started writing at age eleven and later attended the University of Michigan, graduating with a degree in screen arts and cultures. Currently she spends her time continuing with The Goddess Test series and working on new projects. You can tweet her at @aimee_carter or catch updates on her website.

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

 

 

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by Unknown at Friday, September 21, 2012

 Aimée Carter, giveaway, Gods, Harlequin  44 People left their mark

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Wicked Nights by Gena Showalter

Wicked Nights by Gena Showalter

Book Stats:
Genre: Paranormal romance
Reading level: Adult
Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Harlequin
Release date: June 26, 2012

Series: Angel of the Dark #1

Source: Personal shelf

Reviewed by: Tynga

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

Leader of the most powerful army in the heavens, Zacharel has been deemed nearly too dangerous, too ruthless—and if he isn't careful, he'll lose his wings. But this warrior with a heart of ice will not be deterred from his missions at any cost…until a vulnerable human tempts him with a carnal pleasure he's never known before.Accused of a crime she did not commit, Annabelle Miller has spent four years in an institution for the criminally insane. Demons track her every move, and their king will stop at nothing to have her. Zacharel is her only hope for survival, but is the brutal angel with a touch as hot as hell her salvation—or her ultimate damnation?

Wicked Nights is the first book in the Lords of the Underworld spin-off series, but fear not, you need not have read the original series to be able to step right into this new one. In fact, I’ve only read the first two Lords books (though I plan to read the rest of them) and I had absolutely no problem to follow the story or understand the world. And for those Lords fans out there, yes some of those demon-possessed sexy boys make an appearance in this novel.

I really liked Wicked Nights for many reasons, the main one being Annabelle. First, I LOVE that she’s of Japanese origin, so few books have main characters of other ethnicities, and that she is actually pictured as such on the cover, another unfortunate rarity in our publishing world. Second, because she is such a strong character, despite her very troubled past. She was accused of brutally murdering her parents and was sent to a psych ward where doctors abused her and where demons lined up to attack her. She had to build a thick shell to survive and keep her sanity and even when Zacharel came in and reluctantly saved her she remained strong and determined to stand-up for herself.

The plot also met my expectations. Annabelle, with Zacharel’s help, launches on a quest to defeat the demon who killed her parents and bound her to him. The mission proves really hard and full of obstacles, providing an interesting read. I honestly never guessed who the big bad might be, and when he was finally revealed I face-palmed because all the hints where there, yet I never suspected. High-five Gena!

I also enjoyed the progression of the complex relationship between the two protagonists. Annabelle has been violated, Zacharel is inexperienced, let me tell you, it’s a set-up for a colourful intimate scene. I particularly liked that the relationship was at times strained between the two of them, making the whole thing that much more believable.

I loved the secondary characters, and just like Showalter did with her Lords series, the main characters of each book will be different, making me really anxious for the following novels.

The only aspect I wasn’t thrilled about is Zacharel’s tendency to over analyse everything. He is very clinical with his feelings, and while its in character with his I-haven't-felt-a-thing-for-centuries persona, it sat uncomfortably with me. I hoped he would be more in sync with his emotions as the story progress, but it didn’t quite happen. On the other hand, I love how protective of Annabelle he was, and the sacrifices he was willing to make for her. I was really cheering for him during the final scene, and felt for him in this bittersweet moment.

All things considered, Wicked Nights is an amazing debut for this new series by Gena Showalter. Fans will be pleased to find themselves in such a finely woven world, filled with amazing characters, just like Gena accustomed us to. Hats off to an action-filled sizzling romance!

Read an excerpt

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by Tynga at Friday, September 21, 2012

 Angel, Demon, Gena Showalter, Harlequin, Review  1 Person left their mark

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