Blog Tour: Gilded by Christina Farley

HEY GUYS! I'm part of the GILDED by Christina Farley blog tour and I'm thrilled to present to you a book that sounds absolutely amazing! BUT FIRST, an interview with Christina Farley!

Fiction Freak: What made you focus on Korean folklore out of all the legends of the world?

Christina Farley: I was teaching at an international school in Korea and I wanted to write a story that my students could identify with. We were doing a comparative study of Greek myths with other myths, but I couldn’t find a book to tie in with Korean mythology. So I wrote one!

      FF: What is your favorite Korean myth that you've stumbled upon?

CF: Definitely Haemosu’s and Princess Yuhwa’s story. But I also find Princess Bari’s story intriguing, too, so I couldn’t resist bringing her into Silvern, book 2.

FF: I have to ask, do you watch KDramas or listen to Kpop?

CF:I'm a sucker for Korean dramas set in the Joyseon Dynasty like Mandate of Heaven and The Goddess of Fire. Oh, and the Jumong series! As far as K-pop, I don't listen to much of it, but one of my students is now pretty famous. His name is Eddie Shin. His brother, Alex Shin, also one of my student’s, created GILDED’s book trailer. (Here is the link to Eddie: http://www.soompi.com/2011/03/25/asianamerican-group-aziatix-to-enter-us-market/#.Uwar3cuPKP8)

Here is a video I made that explains what inspired GILDED: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nL2Sn26fqrU&feature=share&list=PLN5-S2dSFXkzEmCD6KtacReYw4iDiYntY&index=1

As far as the whole stealing the oldest daughter part, that’s something I made up. J It really stemmed from the ‘what happens next’ question when I read Haemosu’s and Princess Yuhwa’s story. I love imagining the possibilities of after the happily ever after because there is always more to the story.  

FF: If you were told that you had suddenly become Jae, you would...

CF:Be very, very worried. Things only get worse for Jae, especially in Silvern, book 2! I’d definitely keep my bow with me at all times and start hitting the dojong more often!

FF: If Jae was only allowed to say one word throughout the entire book, it would be...

CF:Crap.

FF: What would be Jae's guilty pleasure?

CF:Food! (If you read the book it’s a big part of Jae’s story)

She loves the Korean sweet pancakes called hoddeok: http://mykoreankitchen.com/2007/01/29/korean-sweet-pancakes-hoddeok-fully-home-made-version/

FF: What has been the best part of writing GILDED? The mythology? The characters? The plot?

CF:I really love Jae’s world. I was itching to get back into it and write the sequel so even before I got the edits for GILDED, I was busy writing SILVERN. It’s so fun researching the mythology and pulling that into our modern world and then seeing the chaos it creates. And over Christmas break, I secretly wrote book 3 (shhh… because even my agent hasn’t seen it and it hasn’t been bought yet by my publisher). But by that point, I knew the characters so well and they had become real and alive to me. I could literally hear them speaking to me (Um, that sounds weird!). I cried so many times writing book 3 because of the things that happened to them.

FF: Imagine you had a time machine--what part of your life would you have loved to skip, and which would you have loved to relive?

CF:Oh! Good question. I would say elementary school. I was a late bloomer so in elementary school I was always the smallest and youngest. I learned to read late and struggled academically. I figured everything out eventually, but I remember how tough it was. My favorite years so far have been when we were living in Korea. I loved eating the food and traveling around the county. And my coworkers and students are still like family to me even though we are now all in the four corners of the earth.

Gilded Synopsis

A Korean god. An ancient curse. Can she escape becoming GILDED?

A girl with a black belt and a deadly proclivity with steel-tipped arrows discovers an ancient Korean god has been kidnapping the first-born daughters of her family for generations. And she’s next.

Sixteen-year-old Jae Hwa Lee is a Korean-American girl with a black belt, a deadly proclivity with steel-tipped arrows, and a chip on her shoulder the size of Korea itself. When her widowed dad uproots her to Seoul from her home in L.A., Jae thinks her biggest challenges will be fitting in to a new school and dealing with her dismissive Korean grandfather. Then she discovers that a Korean demi-god has been stealing the soul of the oldest daughter of each generation in her family for centuries. And she's next.

But that’s not Jae’s only problem.

There's also Marc. Irresistible and charming, Marc threatens to break the barriers around Jae's heart. As the two grow closer, Jae must decide if she can trust him. But Marc has a secret of his own -- one that could help Jae overturn the curse on her family for good. It turns out that Jae's been wrong about a lot of things: her grandfather is her greatest ally, even the tough girl can fall in love, and Korea might just be the home she's always been looking for.

Author Info

CHRISTINA FARLEY, author of Gilded was born and raised in upstate New York. As a child, she loved to explore, which later inspired her to jump on a plane and travel the world. She taught at international schools in Asia for ten years, eight of which were in the mysterious and beautiful city of Seoul, Korea that became the setting of Gilded. Currently she lives in Clermont, FL with her husband and two sons—that is until the travel itch whisks her off to a new unknown. Gilded is her first novel. For more details, check out her website at www.christinafarley.com. Christina holds a master’s degree in education and has taught for eighteen years. She is represented by Jeff Ourvan of Jennifer Lyons Literary.

Find her: Website |  Tumblr | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube

Giveaway

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Meet the YA Valentines!

HEY GUYS! I know I did something already for the YA Valentines, but let's be honest. I love them too much to NOT do something for them (or make them do something for me?) on Valentines! I mean seriously. 

Visit the Valentines...on Valentines!  (Sorry I couldn't help it) 

So I asked them two questions: 

1) What book boy would you want to take you out on a date and what would you do?

2) What is your favorite romantic novel?

Not all of them got a chance to answer, but the answers we have are super fun...even if I do, personally, claim most of em for myself! 

Here are the answers in no order whatsoever! (Click their name to get taken to their Goodreads page!)

Kristi Helvig: Okay, if my teenage self could go on a date with anyone from a 2014 book that I've read, it would have to be Micah from The Art of Lainey by Paula Stokes. I grew up in a strict household and went to Catholic school, so my 16-year-old self would bring that hawt mohawk-haired boy to my school dance. We would get quickly get kicked out, because you weren't allowed to have mohawks or colored hair at our school, and then we'd go get ice cream while the scandal spread school-wide. I'd know what it felt like to be the "bad" girl. Okay, I guess getting ice cream doesn't qualify as bad, but it would be double chocolate ice cream with hot fudge. ;)

Lynne Matson: I'd pick Trevor from PIVOT POINT. He's cute and artistic, and seriously swoony.

Jaye Robin Brown: I'd like to hang out with Clyde, a supporting character from Sarah Dessen's The Moon and More. We'd eat pie at his restaurant and talk art, maybe go fishing. I love his wry humility and Southern no-nonsense charm. I have a feeling we'd get along just fine and he'd understand that it wasn't a "date" date.

Anne Blankman: Ooo, what a fun question! My choice is Sturmhond from SIEGE AND STORM by Leigh Bardugo. Not only is he a prince and a pirate, but he's a chameleon, constantly changing his personality and his appearance to suit his own plans. Dating him might feel like you're dating ten different people, but it'd be impossible to get bored!

Paula Stokes: WHY ARE YOU MAKING ME CHEAT ON MICAH?? (And Cole, and Cas, and Cassel, and Ash, and Jonah...)

Oh okay, if I have to go out with a newbie book boy, the choice is obvious. I pick Austin from Rachel Harris's A TALE OF TWO CENTURIES. He's the perfect mix of bad boy on the outside and really decent upstanding good guy on the inside. He's funny. He's smart. He's a little bit broken--just the way I like 'em. The fact that he's gorgeous and totally tears it up on his surfboard? Bonus X 2.

What would we do? Obviously, I'd ask him for a surfing lesson. Truth: I've always wanted to learn to surf but I am afraid of sharks. With Austin by my side, I could relax enough to work through my fear and enjoy the challenge of riding the waves.

Lindsay Cummings: I would go on a date with Percy Jackson because.....really. it needs no explaining. He's percy freakin jackson, dude!!

Jen McConnel: First, I'm going to pretend that I'm sixteen and single again (sorry, honey!). With that bit of magic out of the way, I'd say definitely Daniel Cohen from Anne Blankman's PRISONER OF NIGHT AND FOG. We'd spend hours talking at a street cafe in Berlin, just enjoying the energy and beauty of the day.

Sara Raasch: Reinhard from Anne Blankman's PRISONER OF NIGHT AND FOG. 

BAH KIDDING. So completely totally KIDDING. *shudders* *locks doors*

I'd love to go out with Fred from Bridget Zinn's POISON. He's adorable and quirky, and we'd get to hang out in POISON's clever and vibrant world and play with Rosie the pig. Who would pass that up? 

Kristen Lippert Martin: Lord Hector from Rae Carson's "The Bitter Kingdom." 
The two of us are going to go spear fishing and then grill what we've caught on the beach and watch the sunset. Or save the world. Or something like that. Whatever will require him to take his shirt off.  

Bethany Hagen: I'd definitely go with Gansey from Maggie Steivater's The Dream Thieves.  He's wealthy, smart and full of angst--YUM.

Bethany Crandell: Jeb from AG Howard’s Splintered. He’s a tortured artist with a protective nature.

We’d have no formal plans. Just play with his…paintbrushes all day.

A. Lynden Rolland: I'm going to have to counteract Bethany Crandell and say Morpheus from AG Howard's Splintered. I never choose the bad boy, but Morpheus is a game changer. It would be a date like no other. Wonderland. Enough said.

Philip Siegel: I'm drawing a huge blank on this one, so that means I probably got stood up, in which case the date would consist of me, an extra-large bucket of popcorn, and the next available showing of that LEGO person movie.

Sara B Larson: I'm gonna have to get my glam on and try to steal Lord Hector from KSnap, because that's who I was going to pick! Or else we can just take turns. I just love a man who can protect me--but also teach me to protect myself. And he can ride a horse. And use a sword. And he's just made of awesome. I'd love to go for a ride (I miss my horse), and then have a delicious dinner somewhere, maybe on a beach. 

Seriously how amazing are they? 
Find more of their awesome here!
Website
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Winter Formal: Lynne Matson

Hey guys! WELCOME TO THE FIRST DAY OF THE WINTER FORMAL where I ask the Winter Formal authors (Jen McConnel, Lynne Matson, Sara B. Larson, and Bethany Hagen) one question and then ask my spotlighted author five questions. AND READ THROUGH FOR INFORMATION ON THE TWITTER PARTY!

Lynne Matson Interview

FF:  How did you come up with the science of Nil? (Because it is unbelievably complex and amazing!) 

LM: Thank you Nikki! :) I gave the science of Nil a great deal of thought. I didn't want everything to be explained…because I wanted a bit of the supernatural mystique of LOST, and to infuse the story with the vibe that there are some things in the universe beyond our grasp. And yet, I wanted there to be some sort of scientific basis--at least a plausible explanation--for the island's existence, and something concrete the teens (and readers) could grasp. AND I CAN'T SAY ANYMORE BECAUSE I'LL SPILL ALL THE SEKRITS!!! :) *shares island shaped cookies as a distraction* 

FF: If you were stuck on Nil, you'd most likely…

LM: Completely freak out, at least at first. After the initial panic, I'd like to think I could get it together enough to find people and figure it out, but sheesh--let's face is Nil is a freaky Twilight Zone moment with no end in sight.

FF:  What three things would you miss the most if you were thrown onto Nil?

LM: The first thing that popped into my head was family. I'd miss my boys and husband terribly. But you said "things" so hmmmm…

Okay, here goes. (1) My bed. I love snuggling into a comfy bed at night, with soft sheets and thick, fluffy covers. Not so easy to come by on Nil. (2) My iPod. I LOVE MUSIC AND WOULD MISS IT TERRIBLY. (3) Chocolate.

*honorable mention to sunglasses, because they would come in handy on Nil.:)

FF:  If you saw a heat shimmer, you would…

LM: Think of Nil.:) And possibly run the other way.Oh who am I kidding, I'd totally run AWAY. :)

FF:  What about your writing career has surprised you the most so far? 

LM: The incredible support of the YA community. It's AMAZING. Authors and bloggers have been so welcoming and thoughtful and generous. The YA Valentines have been my rock, and bloggers have helped get the word out about NIL more enthusiastically than I ever could have dreamed. Honestly, sometimes all the author/blogger kindness makes me teary, because the writing road can be lonely at times. But the YA community is tight--and AWESOME.:)

AND NOW by mini interview with all the Winter Formal authors:

Here's what I asked:

If you were one character in your book, who would you (want to) be?

Sara B Larson: Well, even though her life has been hard, I would definitely pick Alexa. She's such an example of strength to me. She's imperfect, but she's strong and determined, and she never gives up. I admire that so much. She's also incredibly loyal and cares so deeply for the ones she loves. She's willing to do whatever it takes to protect them, to help them.

Lynne Matson: Hmmmm…good one. I should pick a character that lives, right? Or not, because I don't want to be spoilery. *wails* I CAN'T PICK, Nikki, because otherwise I'll spill ALL THE SEKRITS. Nil is a creepy place. 

Bethany Hagen: Ooh, tough question.  Maybe Cara Westoff.  She is the complete opposite of me in temperament--loud, assertive and confident.  I think it would be fun to be her for like a day, but then the shopping bills would start to get out of hand...

Jen McConnel: That's actually a tough question; definitely not Darlena, because I don't want that kind of crazy power.  There's a character in the second book I would LOVE to be, but you haven't met her yet. ;)

Twitter Party

The twitter party will be held on Feb 12 with the hashtag #YAValsFormal and will start from 6:30 PM EST to maybe 7:30—8:00 PM EST. There will be prizes donated by the spotlighted YA Valentines and the four Winter Formal authors will also be attending! Chat about books, embarrassing Valentine moments, and other fun (preferably embarrassing, though not required) things! We will also be serving virtual snacks.

Nil Synopsis

On the mysterious island of Nil, the rules are set. You have one year. Exactly 365 days--to escape, or you die. 

Seventeen-year-old Charley doesn’t know the rules. She doesn’t even know where she is. The last thing she remembers is blacking out, and when she wakes up, she’s lying naked in an empty rock field. 

Lost and alone, Charley finds no sign of other people until she meets Thad, the gorgeous leader of a clan of teenage refugees. Soon Charley learns that leaving the island is harder than she thought . . . and so is falling in love. With Thad’s time running out, Charley realizes that to save their future, Charley must first save him. And on an island rife with dangers, their greatest threat is time.

Lynne Matson

Lynne Matson grew up in Georgia in a house full of books and a backyard full of gnarly pines. She attended the University of Florida, where she met and married her husband, the cutest boy she’s ever seen. Now, Lynne is mother to four amazing boys. After a career as an attorney, Lynne is thrilled to be making her debut in YA fiction.

Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Winter Formal Tour

Feb 10 Mon: Lynne Matson @ ME

Feb 11 Tues: Bethany Hagen @ Book Haven Extraordinaire

Feb 12 Wed: Sara. B Larson @ Eater of Books 

Feb 13 Thurs: Jen McConnel @ YA Reads

Author Interview: Sarah Beth Durst

Hey hey! This is actually pretty late because I got these answers a while back, but this was the earliest slot I could find. SO MY APOLOGIES! But something you should know--After reading VESSEL, I fell SO in love with Durst's writing, so I definitely recommend her books! 

Fiction Freak: If you had the choice of being stuck in Vessel or Conjured's world, which would you pick and why?

Sarah Beth Durst: I loved writing about Vessel's world -- it's this beautiful desert with wolves made of sand that hunt inside storms, serpents made of unbreakable glass that fly through the sky, and gods who walk across the sand in human bodies. But Liyana's clan lives a nomadic lifestyle and has to worry about drought and invasion.
I like living in a house.
Also, I like not dying from drought.
Conjured takes place in a world like ours, but Eve isn't from our world. She doesn't know where she is from. Or who she is. All she knows is she's in the witness protection program, she has bizarre powers, and every time she uses her powers, she has terrifying visions of a creepy carnival.
The dangers in Conjured come more from Eve's situation than from the world itself. So I think I'd choose Conjured's world... so long as I'm just a random bystander with zero involvement at all in anything creepy or deadly.  

FF: You're first adult book is coming out in October right? How did you feel transitioning from YA to Adult? And do you think fans of your YA would love THE LOST?

SBD: The reason that I wrote The Lost as an adult novel is that The Lost centers on the theme of loss, and I wanted a heroine who had experienced some loss and was at a place in her life where her life felt empty and adrift. I do think readers who enjoy my YA books will also enjoy The Lost.
But I'm actually not so much transitioning to adult as doing both at once! Moving forward, I plan to write two books a year: one for adults and one for teens. My next YA (Mind Over Magic) will be coming out in fall 2014 from Bloomsbury/Walker.
Also, there has actually been a change to the pub date for The Lost. The publication schedule for the trilogy was recently re-worked such that the three books could come out in more rapid succession. The Lost, The Missing, and The Found are now scheduled to be released in June 2014, December 2014, and April 2015. More about this here: http://sarahbethdurst.blogspot.com/2013/08/big-changes-afoot-for-lost-trilogy.html

FF: You've mainly written standalones--why is that?

SBD: I love both standalones and series. With series, you don't have to say goodbye to the characters and world that you've grown to love, which is great. With standalones, you can have a complete experience in a single serving.
As to why I've mainly written standalones... It's merely due to the size of the stories that I've wanted to tell so far. I remember when I was in high school, I had a teacher who would assign essays and reports without giving any length requirement. When asked, she'd always say, "It should be as long as it takes." At the time, I found this immensely frustrating. But now... I get it. Every story has a certain natural length.

FF: What are some of your favorite lines from CONJURED?

SBD: "Lie. Lie to everyone until you know the truth."
"Don't be afraid, Eve. Not of this. You can be afraid of spiders or snakes or airplane crashes or a zombie apocalypse... but don't be afraid of yourself."
"Eve raised her hand toward the birds on the wall. 'Fly,' she whispered. The birds detached from the wallpaper."
"Her fingers wrap around my wrist, and she smiles at me. Then she plunges the sewing needle into my arm."

FF: If you shared some special ability with one of your characters, what character and ability would it be?  

SBD: I love all of Eve's abilities (and they include pretty much anything and everything -- shapeshifting, flight, fire-starting, telekinesis), but I wouldn't want any of them because the price is too high.

FF: What was the most fascinating piece of research you've found so far for your books?

SBD: When I was researching Ice (which is basically "Beauty and the Beast" meets Arctic adventure), I learned that if you cry at the top of the world, your eyelashes could freeze and break off. I love that detail.

FF: do you think your stories have grown from ICE to CONJURED?

SBD: Great question! And I have no idea. But I can tell you that I've become a much more efficient writer. In case there are any aspiring writers reading this... here's something that no one ever told me when I started writing: it gets easier! Never easy, but easier. Once you figure out your writing process, you're able to avoid a lot of the detours and pitfalls that slow things down.

FF: If you matched up each of your YA books' settings to a real place, what would they be?

SBD: A lot of my novels are set in real places... plus magic!
Into the Wild and its sequel Out of the Wild are about fairy tale characters living in secret in the real world... specifically in my childhood hometown of Northboro, Massachusetts, which is in the center of the state (about fifteen minutes outside of Worcester and forty-five minutes from Boston).
For Ice, I mapped out every step of Cassie's journey on a map of the real Arctic. There are GPS readings at the start of each chapter... at least until she goes east of the sun and west of the moon.
Enchanted Ivy is about getting into college... with talking gargoyles and stone dragons and were-tigers. It's set at Princeton University, and I took about 800 photos to get the location right.
Vessel is set in a harsh desert land with wolves made of sand that hunt inside storms and sky serpents made of unbreakable glass... It's a mix of several deserts, including the Sahara and the Gobi.
Conjured takes place in the Boston area, and I put Eve's house in Somerville, near where I lived for a number of years.
I guess this is my way of showing my love for a place... even if I often end up destroying it!

FF: Has a character or plot twist ever surprised you? Or are all your books planned ahead of time?

SBD: I always outline.
And then I re-outline when that outline doesn't work.
And then I re-outline again and again, as often as needed.
Sometimes to stay true to the characters, you need change the story.
For example, when I was writing Enchanted Ivy, I needed my heroine to leave a certain room and go walk through a gate into an alternate world... but she wouldn't leave the room! I wrote the scene a dozen different ways, and none of them worked. So I finally put another character in a coma, and that ended the conversation. :)

Conjured Synopsis

Eve has a new home, a new face, and a new name—but no memories of her past. She’s been told that she's in a witness protection program. That she escaped a dangerous magic-wielding serial killer who still hunts her. The only thing she knows for sure is that there is something horrifying in her memories the people hiding her want to access—and there is nothing they won’t say—or do—to her to get her to remember. 

At night she dreams of a tattered carnival tent and buttons being sewn into her skin. But during the day, she shelves books at the local library, trying to not let anyone know that she can do things—things like change the color of her eyes or walk through walls. When she does use her strange powers, she blacks out and is drawn into terrifying visions, returning to find that days or weeks have passed—and she’s lost all short-term memories. Eve must find out who and what she really is before the killer finds her—but the truth may be more dangerous than anyone could have ever imagined.

Author Info

Sarah Beth Durst is the author of seven fantasy novels for teens. Her latest, Conjured, came out in September 2013 from Bloomsbury/Walker. Prior to that, she released Vessel, Drink Slay Love, Enchanted Ivy, and Ice from Simon & Schuster, as well as Into the Wild and its sequel Out of the Wild from Penguin. Her first book for adults, The Lost, comes out in June 2014 from Harlequin/Mira. She was awarded the 2013 Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children's Literature and has been a finalist for SFWA's Andre Norton Award three times. Sarah lives in Stony Brook, New York, with her husband and children. 

Find her: 

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

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Blog Tour: Broken by CJ Lyons

Hey guys! Today I present you a guest post from CJ Lyons, author of Broken which sounds absolutely amazing! 

What is it like working in an ER?

Becoming a doctor was amazing—I come from a small town in Pennsylvania and worked three jobs to put myself through medical school—but becoming a writer was a dream I'd had all my life, so being able to make it come true has been fantastic beyond words.

My writing career hasn't been smooth sailing, in many ways it's as hard as being a doctor (I actually work longer hours now!) but it has been fulfilling in so many ways.

As a doctor the greatest rush came from those rare moments when I actually saved a life. As a writer I get the chance to touch hundreds of thousands of lives—and I can't begin to describe the feeling I get when I hear from fans about how my stories have done more than provide entertainment but have inspired or empowered them. Talk about your dreams come true!

But real life in the ER isn’t always that exciting—and definitely not as glamorous as they portray it on TV. For instance, the popular TV show Grey's Anatomy has interns, who'd be maybe 25 years old, sleeping with "world renown" surgical attendings…well, to be a "world renown" neurosurgeon you'd have to have 12 years of primary education, 4 years of college, 4 years of medical school, 7 years of residency, probably another 3 year fellowship, and then be in practice a long time, at least 5-10 years…so the 25 year old intern's love interest would be old enough to be her father! Gross!

Not only that, a surgical intern doesn't have time to sleep or bathe (interns eat on the run) so sex isn't the first thing you think of doing when you finally do make it to a call room.

Don't even get me started on stories where a "doctor" can do everything from take x-rays (99.9% of us wouldn't even know where the "on" button is) to diagnose rare diseases from glancing into a microscope to doing brain surgery one minute and heart surgery the next…while I love the idea of doctors being heroes, let's at least make us human.

Oh, and I've only met two physicians who drove Porsches, both orthopedic surgeons, freshly divorced and shopping for new wives. At the community pediatric practice where I worked, the guys who plowed the snow were paid more than we were. So just because a character is a doctor doesn't mean they're rich.

Real life in the ER is a lot of hard, hard work—and it’s teamwork that counts. The ER is a crucible that exposes the worst and best in people. My seventeen years of practicing medicine gave me the chance to witness courage first hand and really see what it takes for ordinary people to step up and become heroes. I owe so much to my patients and their families for teaching me the true meaning of courage, love, faith, and strength.

Those years also gave me the opportunity to work alongside men and women who became my heroes: police officers, firefighters, paramedics, doctors, nurses, social workers, prosecutors…As well as a chance to come face to face with evil, whether in the form of sociopaths, sexual predators, even killers.

All of these experiences have influenced my writing and are why I chose to write what I call Thrillers with Heart. Fast paced novels that aren't about the car chases and explosions as much as they are about the people and their relationships while focusing on a truth I discovered for myself during my time as an ER doctor: Heroes are born everyday. 

Broken Synopsis

The only thing fifteen-year-old Scarlet Killian has ever wanted is a chance at a normal life. Diagnosed with a rare and untreatable heart condition, she has never taken the school bus. Or giggled with friends during lunch. Or spied on a crush out of the corner of her eye. So when her parents offer her three days to prove she can survive high school, Scarlet knows her time is now... or never. Scarlet can feel her heart beating out of control with every slammed locker and every sideways glance in the hallway. But this high school is far from normal. And finding out the truth might just kill Scarlet before her heart does.

Author Bio

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of twenty-one novels, former pediatric ER doctor CJ Lyons has lived the life she writes about in her cutting edge Thrillers with Heart.

Winner of the International Thriller Writers’ coveted Thriller Award, CJ has been called a "master within the genre" (Pittsburgh Magazine) and her work has been praised as "breathtakingly fast-paced" and "riveting" (Publishers Weekly) with "characters with beating hearts and three dimensions" (Newsday).

Media

Website/Blog

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Facebook

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Blogoversary: The Second (and Giveaway!)

Long post ahead. Leave all precious items here because I'm about to cry over you and get sappy.

Well guys. It's come. I'm finally an old blogger.

WELL CRAP.

No no, I'm good.

Seriously. See?

Yeah. We're good.

...

L;REKJRGALFSDKJ;KLFNSDFKJSDFAJSDCNDLSKJFLSDJLSDKJFJWEHFSDKJCHNAKSJNFKJSDFHJSDKCNKJSADHFKJDSHFAKLJSDHFKASDHFCKJDHFKJDHSNCKJSHNDFKJHDSKLCHKJSDHFKJDHSFKJSDHFCKJNKSDAJHFLKAJHSDF

Guys. GUYS. GUYS. Two years since I started this thing and it's been filled with amazing.

And no I won't stop with the gifs.

The thing is, and I've said this a bajillion times, I never really expected much from blogging. I never knew how giant and big the blogosphere was. I didn't know how much I would love the blogosphere.

Some people agonize over the decision to blog--they knew about the blogosphere beforehand, they knew what blogging was. I just dived right in, not knowing what the HELL I was getting into.

I thought I would quit when I got 100 followers. I didn't even think I'd get 10.

I thought I would quit when I wrote 50 reviews. It seemed like so much to me.

I thought I would quit when I reached 1 year. I didn't know how quickly that year would pass.

Blogging has been absolutely amazing and honestly. What would I be doing without it?
Shoving my face with chocolate while I watched Spongebob and Doctor Who.

But instead I'm part of this absolutely amazing community that sticks with each other, doesn't prejudice, and loves books. And authors! Bloggers! I TALK TO THESE PEOPLE. 

And now it's been two years of books, wonder, authors, bloggers, and everything.

I have spent two years on this blog. 

I have spent two years in this community.

I have spent two years being surrounded by crazy book loving people.

I have spent two years...having fun. 

And to all you people who've stuck by me those two years. Or one year. Or even one month.

Yes. Yes here comes the people part. And basically the dedications if my blog were a book.

FIRST TO MY FOLLOWERS. Because lord knows I would've given it up if not for you folk. Twitter, GFC, Bloglovin, Tumblr, whatever. You guys make me smile and I love seeing your comments or tweets. I mean. Guys. People actually care about what I have to say. And you're awesome for not running away.

AND TO MY BLOGGY FRIENDS. 
Merp Squad, first of all. Because they've always been my number one go to and the group of friends I will never let go of. They're awesome, they get me (HAHAHA no. Kudos for trying to understand my 2 AM tweets though y'all!) and I love them! They've pretty much been my first blogger friends and deal with my pettiness and horrible sides with me. (I'm so sorry about that!) I love you all. And we can be fat merpy birds together now!
-I may not talk to most of y'all anymore but I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU for being my closest bloggy friends! <3 Miss talking to y'all but life is rather bossy, isn't it?

Hafsah, Jessica, and Alex because I HAVE TEXAN FRIENDS. You guys don't know how big that is for me.
-Hafsah, the awesome writer who sent me her manuscript of Unbreathable for me to devour and sending me swag and for being up at 1 AM so I can talk to someone. YES.
-Jessica for being so super sweet and amazing. Almost no one does sweet like her!
-Alex for being crazy. And sort of nice. What? She tortures me with all the books she gets! MEAN! But also for being someone fun to talk to!

Kaede for being super crazy and super fun and almost always being on twitter. Or used to. (She sort of disappeared. Hmm) We need to talk more.

And Lucy, Shreya, Christine, YA Reads, and Alyssa for being oh so epic and being there when I must talk and for somehow becoming a close friends in a matter of days. You guys are wiggly things that made me love you all. And thank you for ranting with me. I need that.
-On that note, ALYSSA FOLLOWED ME IN JUNE OF 2012. OMFG GUYS. SHE FOLLOWED ME BEFORE SHE STARTED BLOGGING. HOW CRAY CRAY IS THAT.

Danielle who's not a blogger (totally should be though. Just saying.) but is still SO FREAKING AWESOME and let's me bounce ideas off her!

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, Rachel for being my NaNo buddy and letting me read her AMAZING stuff and letting me rant to her. Also, for being up at all hours for no reason at all. Stay vampirish, my friend.

AUTHOR FRIENDS. 
You should all come to Houston. FYI. And please don't kill off any characters I'm/I'll get attached to.

Paula Stokes/Fiona Paul. Hey thanks a lot for confuzzling me with ALL YOUR PEN NAMES. But also for being so awesome when I randomly email you. Because I do that. And for making me less scared of authors almost two years ago and giving me that VENOM ARC that made my entire year. My first absolutely awesome author friend who I don't think I'll ever stop bothering. (So sorry about that!) I have a tag for Fiona Paul you know.

ANITA! (A.G. Howard)Who sent me awesome Splintered things and mailed me a birthday gift! How amazing is that? And for letting me facebook her pretty much every other day without being annoyed. Though come on. I am disappointed that you haven't killed of Jeb yet. *Tragic sigh* Also because I now have four Anita signed things. She also has pretty hair. PRETTY HAIR. 

Well hello Romily Bernard and Natalie Richards. Yes I must put you together in this post. Did you know these two both wrote thrillers? And both ripped my heart apart? They're nice like that. But in all seriousness they're amazingly nice people who I would love to squiggle (SQUISH+HUGGLE). Thank you for being so super sweet and letting me spam your twitter timelines. Yep.

Gina Rosati for talking to me about writing and putting me in touch with some professional people I needed answers from and for being so nice and generous about EVERYTHING.

Lili Peloquin! You have an adorable baby. Did you know that? I bet you did.
And for letting me email you randomly so much! I LOVES YOU. I met you! I MET YOU. Thank you for being super nice and not laughing as I fumbled with my books in that signing line.

And I actually didn't include all my author friends. Just the people I talked to recently. (So yes, I do still consider you a friend and I do love your face.)

MY 2014 AUTHOR FRIENDS.
Hello. I hope you consider me a friend and not just the random person who tweets you. Ahem.

(Off the bat, The YA Valentines are AMAZING and all so sweet! <3 Follow their blog here.

Well Paula. Fiona. You're already up there. HMPH.

Sara B. Larson FOR BEING SUPER SWEET on all matters and for using my idea of madlibs and for letting me fangirl over your hair, instead of your book (In my defense, I always wanted curly hair and I still haven't read Defy yet. MY EXCUSE.)

Bethany Hagen for being awesome when I randomly gchat her at 10 PM. And for having an awesome cover. And for letting Merp Squad run her blog tour. And for giving me a boy talk. And for letting me tell her about Cerritos Library 'cause God knows more people need to know about my hometown library. (The thing is massive.)

Lynne Matson because she gives me the blue M&Ms. *sniffles* Thank you for the sacrifice and putting up with my awkward tweetage that sometimes I don't even understand. And for tweets that totally make my day! AND THE SIGNED COPY OF NIL AND CANDY! Ah, one of the best packages ever! (Totally because of the candy. I kid I kid. Or do I.)

Sara Raasch who's last name I mispronounced on a monthly basis. Whoops! BUT NOW I KNOW RIGHT. Erm. ANYWAYS. The pictures of food that you continuously post that makes me hungry. Thanks for that. (I don't even know if that's sarcasm!) And for fighting off the birds. I depend on you to fight off the birds.

 Those birds. *Runs*

But yep! And if I left anyone out my excuse is that I wrote this at midnight a few days ago. 

So now all I have left to say is

Wait no! I have a giveaway too! You can win any of these following books. As long as they can fit in my box, feel free to choose as many as you like! This one is US only.
OR
If you're INT, you can pick any book from The Book Depository under $13 as long as it ships to your country and I've spotlighted, reviewed, or interviewed the author sometime on the blog.

The prize also includes a Catching Fire poster of Finnick (because I might've grabbed two) and an assortment of swag from the Fierce Reads authors and...any other good signed stuff I can dig up. And trust me, my piles are endless. You'll be good.

BOOKS
Auracle by Gina Rosati (signed hardback)
Chaos of Stars by Kiersten White (ARC)
Asylum by Madeleine Roux (ARC)
The Brokenhearted by Amelia Kahaney (ARC or hardback)
Afterparty by Ann Redisch Stampler (ARC)
Desert Tales by Melissa Marr (ARC)
Infinite Moment of Us by Lauren Myracle (ARC)
Twinmaker by Sean Williams (ARC)
Blackout by Robison Wells (ARC)
Send Me a Sign by Tiffany Schmidt (ARC)
Deception by CJ Redwine (ARC)
The Innocents by Lili Peloquin (SIGNED)
Crewel by Gennifer Albin (UK signed copy)
Wake by Amanda Hocking
Lullaby by Amanda Hocking
Tidal by Amanda Hocking
Elegy by Amanda Hocking


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Now I can say goodbye with