GIVEAWAY: The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski

This week there has been a bit of a mix-up with Amazon, meaning that I have ended up with duplicate copies of some amazing books!

I ended up with TWO copies of Defy by Sara Larson and Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Page as well as THREE copies of The Sin Eater's Daughter by Melinda Salisbury and The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski.

Which means that I now have a few surplus books to give away (YAY).

So just to test the waters, I am going to hold an international giveaway for 

ONE BRAND NEW COPY OF THE WINNER'S CURSE 

(Paperback, UK edition, see below)

If I get loads of entries I may give away both new copies, but I was hoping to give that away in a big bundle giveaway later in the year.

T&Cs:

• Competition open to anybody, anywhere.
• Competition will end on 6th of March. Winner(s) will be contacted on that day and must respond within 48 hours. Books will be posted on next available post day.
• Entrants must follow me on either Bloglovin' or Google Friend Connect (I really need to get my head around that Google+ thing so I can use that too in future giveaways...). Links to both on left sidebar. Extra entries can be gained by following me on twitter and tweeting the giveaway.
• Winner must have a postal address for me to send book out to.
• I will not take any responsibility for any items lost in post. I will retain proof of postage in the case of this and I will post the package as tracked as long as the cost is not too high.

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Authors are Rockstars Stop: Sarah J Maas on Eleven books of Fans of Throne of Glass & GIVEAWAYY!

Hi Guys!

I am so absolutely ecstatic to be hosting a spot on the 'Authors Are Rockstars' Blog Tour

I'm also EXTREMELY excited because I am hosting none other than...

Sarah J. Maas!

Yes, THAT Sarah J. Maas, the one that everybody is talking about because of her amazing debut novel Throne of Glass. I reviewed Throne of Glass here and rated A+.

So why do I think that Sarah J. Maas is a ROCKSTAR?

Oh wow, ask me that question?! So many reasons! I admire this woman! Her book Throne of Glass is a high fantasy about a kick-ass female assassin who has to deal with boys wanting her, boys wanting to KILL her and a supernatural monster that ALSO wants to kill her. Hmm... yeah... a lot of boys and a lot of killing. Not only is the book absolutely amazing, the main character is amazing (Celaena is so TOUGH!) and there's a kind-of love triangle that I actually like. The book itself is awesome.

Furthermore, this book (well the first rough draft of it) was written when Sarah was sixteen. That blows me away because when I was sixteen I didn't even have the attention span of a goldfish and it amazes me that Sarah has put ten years into getting this book published.

So THAT is why I think Sarah J. Maas is a rockstar!

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Sarah J. Maas with her Top Ten (errr, Eleven) Books for People That Enjoyed Throne of Glass:

Compiling this list of ten books for fans of THRONE OF GLASS was actually impossibly hard. Hard, because comparing my book to any of these feels like the worst kind of hubris. These are all books that I adore, and even putting TOG in the same category as them feels tremendously arrogant. But, without further ado, if you enjoyed THRONE OF GLASS, then you might like:

1. SABRIEL and LIRAEL by Garth Nix. These were two of THE books that got me into fantasy, writing, and YA. I adored the heroines in both books—but I especially adored the world-building. It was a major influence on the world of ToG—especially the Dead (and all the ancient/creepy books!).

2. THE HERO AND THE CROWN by Robin McKinley. Oh, this book. If you like heroines that can save the day, or heroines that are clever and resourceful and survivors, then read this book. Also: dragons. <3 font="font">

3. FINNIKIN OF THE ROCK by Melina Marchetta. Melina Marchetta’s LUMATERE CHRONICLES make me proud to be a YA fantasy author. Her world building (the politics, the horrors of war) is top-notch, but it’s her characters and their humanity that stole my heart. I recently met Melina and BURST into tears when I spoke to her, because her books have meant THAT much to me and my own work.

4. CROWN DUEL by Sherwood Smith. If you enjoy fierce heroines, awesome fights, and slow-building (yet totally worth it) romance, then read this. It’s delightful and epic and everything YA fantasy should be.

5. SHADOW & BONE by Leigh Bardugo. Leigh’s world building is incredible and original—and it’s no wonder that this book is now a bestseller. I had major writer-envy the first time I read this book—and I can’t wait to see what Leigh has in store for us with Book 2!

6. THE THIEF by Megan Whalen Turner. Agh. I don’t even know how to sum up why you should read this book, because this book (and the whole series) is so ridiculously good that I’m still in awe over it. If they ever met, I think Eugenides and Celaena would be BFFers (…or bitter rivals).

7. THE BLACK JEWELS TRILOGY by Anne Bishop. This is an adult fantasy series, but…if you like hot guys, dark fantasy worlds, and brutal stakes, then read this. My favorite male protagonist of all time is in it (Lucivar Yaslana), and in the 12 years since I first read this series (…I read it a longggg time ago), it still remains one of my favorites. The world and the characters will forever have a place in my heart.

8. MISTWOOD by Leah Cypess. Gorgeous, intricate, and haunting YA fantasy with a strong, mysterious heroine. And a romance that will make you sigh and sniffle (…I totally cried). Loved it.

9. SILVER PHOENIX by Cindy Pon. I’d like to see Ai Ling and Celaena go head-to-head in an eating contest, because I honestly don’t know who’d win. I love heroines who adore eating (to a fault, even), and was so delighted when I read SILVER PHOENIX. Plus, setting a fantasy in ancient China was just a breath of fresh air. Inventive, touching, and totally awesome.

10. ALANNA: THE FIRST ADVENTURE by Tamora Pierce. I bet many of you have already read this amazing series, but... This series has it all. Badassery, a fabulous heroine, yummy guys, and epic stakes. It honestly feels ridiculous to say: “If you enjoyed TOG, then you’ll enjoy THE SONG OF THE LIONESS,” because these books are SO good and SUCH a staple of YA literature, but…yeah.

11. THE GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS by Rae Carson. Okay, I actually had to add ONE more to this list because this book is one that should NOT be missed. It’s heroine is unique and unforgettable, the world is different and fascinating, and it is heartbreaking and brave and just wonderful.

Honorable Mentions: GRACELING by Kristin Cashore (I haven’t read this one yet… For shame, I know!) and POISON STUDY by Maria V. Snyder (another one I haven’t read yet, but I’ve heard RAVE reviews!)!

Jade: I haven't read all of these... in fact I haven't read MANY of them I seriously need to check out Sabriel, Finnikin of the Rovk, Crown Duel, The Black Jewels Trilogy... I need to get my fantasy butt into gear.

I do however totally agree with the ones that I have read, especially Fire and Thorns which i read last year and loved!

I can't believe Sarah hasn't read Graceling and Poison Study, since Celaena could TOTALLY be the impossible lovechild of Katsa and Yelena, or Katsa and Valek for that matter! 

Thanks so much for compiling this list Sarah!

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GIVEAWAY

I am giving away ONE copy of the UK Paperback of Throne of Glass (cover shown).

This giveaway is international as long as The Book Depository ships to you and ends a week from today (6th September).

You can also enter my blogoversary giveaway (ends TONIGHT) to win a copy of this book - Link here

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Guest Post: Katie Dale, author of Someone Else's Life and Giveaway

Hi everybody! 
Today I'm happy to welcome Katie Dale, author of Someone Else's Life, for a stop on her blog tour!


Today Katie is going to tell us about her favorite contemporary reads!

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Top Contemporary Reads

There’s nothing I love more than snuggling down with a good book, and for me that generally means YA. I’ll admit it, I’m a bit of a Peter Pan when it comes to books – I’ve read and enjoyed my share of adult books, and love a good Jane Austen, Jodi Picoult or James Patterson, but given the choice, the books I still find most inviting, intriguing, romantic and exciting – the books I really delight in picking up and losing myself in – are still YA. It’s such a vital stage of life – when there are so many choices and complications and heartaches and discoveries – and that to me is endlessly fascinating, and probably why I choose to write YA myself.

And within the YA genre, while I’ll read and enjoy a paranormal or dystopian novel now and then, the stories that really get to me are the contemporary ones. For me, you can’t beat the feeling of “what if this happened to me” and while I can fantasize about having a werewolf and a vampire fighting it out over me, I’m pretty sure that’s not going to happen any time soon! Contemporary novels about people like me (alright, me when I was a teenager!) with realistic problems and heartaches and issues can be just as gripping and exciting and terrifying – if not more so – as any imaginary world.


For instance I couldn’t sleep after reading Savita Kalhan’s The Long Weekend, in which two young boys are kidnapped by a paedophile. Skilfully and tautly written, Kalhan’s story subtly implies terrifying and horrific scenes without once being graphic, and I made the mistake of reading it on the bus home one dark night and totally missed my stop and ended up in a part of town I wasn’t familiar with. It was the most terrifying walk home I’ve ever had – I was jumping at every shadow! – and I live in what is probably one of the safest suburbs in the country! It is also a masterclass in suspense – I could not put it down. With the end of each chapter I just had to know what was going to happen next, how the boys could possibly get out of each impossible situation they found themselves in – or whether they’d get out at all…


Looking For JJ by Anne Cassidy is another gripping read – but this time the “evil villain” is the book’s narrator, the eponymous JJ, newly released from prison after killing her friend when she was a young child. Cassidy effectively shows us that behind every villifying newspaper headline are real human beings with their own stories to tell, and I found it difficult not to sympathise with JJ, whilst being horrified by the events that led up to that one life-defining moment. It left me with a new perspective and plenty of food for thought long after I turned the last page.


While JJ is after a new life, what if you suddenly discovered you’re living the wrong life? This is exactly what happens in Sophie McKenzie’s gripping fast-paced Girl, Missing, when Lauren finds a photo of herself as a toddler on a missing children website. A hunt for the truth turns her life upside down – and Lauren finds herself in terrible danger…


Similarly, what would you do if you witnessed a terrible crime, and you had a choice to lie and betray an innocent victim, or tell the truth and run for your life? Ty in When I Was Joe (Keren David) finds himself in a terrifyingly realistic situation when he witnesses a knife crime that sends him and his mum into
hiding. He suddenly has to take on a whole new identity in a whole new town in order to hide from the gang who’ll do anything to stop him testifying. But Ty is hiding more than just his real identity…


Of course not all contemporary issues are so dramatic, and I equally love immersing myself in the worlds of first love, family conflict, self-discovery, and frenemies as deftly painted by authors such as Sarah Dessen, Judy Blume, Caroline B. Cooney, and Sharon Creech. Cooney and Blume between them effectively created an invaluable guidebook to my teenage years, describing problems and experiences I was going through and reassuring me that I was not alone, with novels such as Among Friends (Cooney) and Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret (Blume) and me and my friends used to pass them round our class until they fell to pieces! Nowadays, Sarah Dessen does the same thing – every time I pick up one of her novels I know I’m in for a treat, spending time with her well-drawn characters, families and relationships (especially in That Summer), while Sharon Creech connually surprises me with her clever twists and emotional depth, particularly in the wonderful unforgettable Walk Two Moons.


Whether I’m in the mood for romance, family drama, social politics, self-discovery, humour, excitement, or a thriller, contemporary fiction has it all.


Top Picks:
The Long Weekend – Savita Kalhan
Looking For JJ – Anne Cassidy
Girl, Missing – Sophie McKenzie
When I Was Joe – Keren David
Among Friends – Caroline B. Cooney
Are You There God? It’s me, Maragert – Judy Blume
That Summer – Sarah Dessen
Walk Two Moons – Sharon Creech

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Chosen by Katie Dale author of Someone Else’s Life
Published by Simon & Schuster February 2012.
Twitter: @katiedaleuk Website: http://katiedaleuk.blogspot.com/ 
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6e5OmLHHcDo

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Thanks so much Katie! I'm a massive fan of contemporary but there are a few on there that I haven't read that now have to go onto my own to read list!

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Giveaway!

Katie has agreed to give a copy of 'Someone Else's Life' to one luck UK winner.

There's only one entry available but of course I'd be happy if you spread the word!

This giveaway is open to followers only.

Giveaway will end on the 30th of February!

Form for entry here!

Interview and Giveaway with Rebecca McKinnon

Hi guys!

As part of the Cantrip blog tour, author Rebecca McKinnon has ever so kindly agreed to call by and answer a few questions! Stick by and there is a giveaway at the bottom!

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Hi Rebecca, thanks for joining us today,

Hi, Jade! Thanks for having me.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
You had to start with the hardest question? Talking about myself has never been easy. I’m a stay-at-home mother of 3, which means time for doing the things I most enjoy (like writing) is limited. A number of acquaintances were surprised to learn I’m a writer, since my educational background is as a classical musician. I read more than I should, and the scent of old books is more of an allure even than chocolate.

And a little about your books?
The Refuge Trilogy is primarily a love story. The first book forces Narissa to choose between her first romantic love and the love she has for her sister. In the second book, that theme is still present, although the romantic relationship has changed somewhat.

How did you come up with the plot for Annexed?
After a night of being awake for hours with my two small boys, I got a few minutes of sleep. When I awakened, the story was there in my head. It wouldn’t leave me alone, so I decided to write it down. I’ve changed some things, and added others, but the main gist of the story stuck.

If Annexed was made into a movie, who would make up your dream cast?
Wow. I don’t know how to answer this one. I’m terrible at remembering the names of actors! I guess all I can say is that I’d want actors who weren’t too well-known. Also, as much as I love the way my characters “look” in the books, it would be more important to me to have really good actors than to have people who exactly match my descriptions of the characters.

What was the first story that you ever wrote?
Honestly, I don’t remember. I’ve always enjoyed writing—except when it was an assignment for school—but most of the things I’ve written fell by the wayside to never be finished.

If you could dine with any book character, who would you pick?
I’d have to choose Will Stanton from The Dark Is Rising Sequence by Susan Cooper. He’s been one of my best friends for nearly 25 years.

Are you currently working on any other projects?
My biggest project right now is rewriting and editing the third book of The Refuge Trilogy. I’ve also made a start on two other projects: one is based on a little-known fairytale. The other is much more epic in my mind. I plan to make this one my next main focus.

Thanks for answering my questions, do you have anything else you'd like to say?
Thanks again for letting me stop by. To celebrate the release of Cantrip, the ebook editions of the first installment of the trilogy, Annexed, will be FREE through the end of December. Enjoy!

Annexed can be found FREE here

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To celebrate the release of Cantrip, Rebecca is kindly giving away one copy to a lucky winner (ISN'T SHE AWESOME!) and because I want everybody to have the chance to read it, the giveaway is pretty simple!

• The giveaway is international
• The giveaway will end 12th December at Midnight GMT
• Following is NOT necessary but you can receive an extra entry if you follow.
• Extra entries are available for spreading the word
• Don't worry if you haven't read the first one yet, Annexed can be found FREE here