Welcome to the kickoff of the very first Spencer Hill Press Giveaway Week! For those of you that don't know about Spencer Hill Press, here's a little background. Spencer Hill Press is an independent publishing house that specializes in science fiction, paranormal romance and urban fantasy for the Young Adult audience. 

With a host of talented authors and dozens of fantastic titles under its belt, Spencer Hill Press has become a veritable powerhouse. And, as luck would have it, yours truly is hosting the fantastic crowd with a whole bunch of goodies for all of you! Be sure to follow the week (through Sunday), and check out the great features and giveaways!

Welcome, Kelly Hashway, Author of Touch of Death and More! 

Find Kelly: Twitter. Blog. Website. Facebook.

1. Was being an author always your goal growing up, or did that become your goal along the way?

I've always loved creating stories. I definitely knew at a young age that I wanted to be a writer, but my dream of being published came later. Now, I can't imagine doing anything else.

2. What is the best part about being an author for you?

This is actually a tie between creating an entire book from one small idea and hearing from readers. Both are exciting and very fulfilling.

3. Do you have any funny or unique writing quirks?

I tune out the world when I write. My husband complains that when I'm drafting a new book, he doesn't exist. My characters and their story take over my mind until the book is finished.

4. How long did it take you to write Touch of Death?

I almost don't want to tell you. It took 14 days to draft the story. I like to fast draft, and like I said, I ignore the world until the book is finished.

5. Describe Touch of Death in 5 words or less, please! 

Even the dead aren't safe.

6. Is there anything else you'd like to tell your readers?

Be sure to look for Touch of Death January 2013, but in the meantime, you can check out my picture books, like May the Best Dog Win.

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Because Touch of Death is not yet released, Kelly has graciously offered a copy of her favourite picture book, May the Best Dog Win! 

This giveaway is US ONLY, and it will end promptly at midnight EST on February 7, 2012. 

As always, you do not have to be a follower to enter, but it is always appreciated! 

Still want to enter? Please leave your email address in a comment :)

Welcome to the kickoff of the very first Spencer Hill Press Giveaway Week! For those of you that don't know about Spencer Hill Press, here's a little background. Spencer Hill Press is an independent publishing house that specializes in science fiction, paranormal romance and urban fantasy for the Young Adult audience. 

With a host of talented authors and dozens of fantastic titles under its belt, Spencer Hill Press has become a veritable powerhouse. And, as luck would have it, yours truly is hosting the fantastic crowd with a whole bunch of goodies for all of you! Be sure to follow the week (through Sunday), and check out the great features and giveaways!

Welcome, Angie Townsend, Author of Amarok!

1. Was being an author always your goal growing up, or did that become your goal along the way?
I always wanted to be a writer. I love to tell stories and to creative magical worlds.

2. What is the best part about being an author for you? 

The freedom of being my own boss, creating and doing as I please. 

3. Do you have any funny or unique writing quirks? 

I like to visit busy cafes or crowded bookshops to write. I love doing that because I find that being surrounded by people even though I don't interact with them is very helpful because being a writer can be a very,lonely job. I like noise and distraction and often listen to music while writing, such as a favorite movie soundtrack or Celtic mood music. 

4. How long did it take you to write Amarok?

I wrote Amarok in less than a month. 

5. Describe Amarok in 5 words or less, please! 

Ice age lore, love, freedom. 

6.Is there anything else you'd like to tell your readers? 

I am agented by the fantastic Jill Corcoran of the Herman Agency. Jill never let me give up. Not once. I owe her a lot for her encouragement. If you are a struggling author--never, ever give up.



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Angie has graciously offered a copy of her favourite childhood book, Wuthering Heights! 

 This giveaway is US ONLY, and it will end promptly at midnight EST on February 6, 2012. 

 As always, you do not have to be a follower to enter, but it is always appreciated! Still want to enter? 

Please leave your email address in a comment :) (Nice and simple!)

Welcome to the kickoff of the very first Spencer Hill Press Giveaway Week! For those of you that don't know about Spencer Hill Press, here's a little background. Spencer Hill Press is an independent publishing house that specializes in science fiction, paranormal romance and urban fantasy for the Young Adult audience. 

With a host of talented authors and dozens of fantastic titles under its belt, Spencer Hill Press has become a veritable powerhouse. And, as luck would have it, yours truly is hosting the fantastic crowd with a whole bunch of goodies for all of you! Be sure to follow the week (through Sunday), and check out the great features and giveaways!

Welcome, Daniel Cohen, author of The Ancillary's Mark and the forthcoming Veil Trilogy!

Find Daniel on: Goodreads. Twitter. Blog.

Daniel is super excited to announce that his brand new shorts story, The Every-Mother Knows Best is now available for a PDF download!

Rich and inventive, Daniel has created a short story that harnesses hist-fic with a touch of the paranormal for an exciting, fast-paced read.  

Want to download it and try for yourself? Click HERE!

Daniel has graciously offered an ARC of Masters of the Veil, pictured to the left, as well as some sweet swag including, but not limited to some awesome MotV soda can jerseys! 

This giveaway is US & Canada ONLY, and it will end promptly at midnight EST on February 2, 2012.

As always, you do not have to be a follower to enter, but it is always appreciated!

Still want to enter? Click HERE to fill out the form!

Welcome to the kickoff of the very first Spencer Hill Press Giveaway Week! For those of you that don't know about Spencer Hill Press, here's a little background. Spencer Hill Press is an independent publishing house that specializes in science fiction, paranormal romance and urban fantasy for the Young Adult audience. 

With a host of talented authors and dozens of fantastic titles under its belt, Spencer Hill Press has become a veritable powerhouse. And, as luck would have it, yours truly is hosting the fantastic crowd with a whole bunch of goodies for all of you! Be sure to follow the week (through Sunday), and check out the great features and giveaways!

Welcome, Jennifer Armentrout, author of the Covenant series and more!

Find Jennifer on: Website. Twitter. Blog.

1. What made you decide to become an author? 

I always had a passion for writing, so it was the next step for me. Taking something that was a passion and lifelong dream and turning it into a career. 

 2. If you could only write one genre for the rest of your life, what would it be, and why?

 Ah, probably paranormal. I like the critters. 

 3. What are your three all-time favorite books? 

At this moment, because my all-time favorite changes: Soul Screamers Series, Demon Trappers Series, and Brotherhood series. Yes, I picked series as one book. 

 4. Zombies vs. Vampires - which would win, and why? 

Oh, man. I don't know. Because if a zombie bites a vampire, is the vampire now a zombie-vampire? And vice versus. It would be like a super race. 

 5. Describe Pure in five words or less, please! 

Every decision has a consequence. 

 6. Is there anything else you would like to tell your readers? 

A zombie vampire hybrid sounds like a good story, huh?

Jennifer has graciously offered an ARC of Pure, pictured to the left, as well as some sweet swag!

This giveaway is US ONLY, and it will end promptly at midnight EST on February 1, 2012.

As always, you do not have to be a follower to enter, but it is always appreciated!

Still want to enter? Click HERE to fill out the form!

I am so, so, SO excited to announced that yours truly is going to be hosting the Spencer Hill Giveaway Week from January 23rd through January 29th! The week will feature awesome guest posts, interviews and, of course, a plethora of awesome giveaways from the authors behind Spencer Hill Press. The full lineup is below...please spread the word and, if you like, add the button from my sidebar to your site! Remember, there will be giveaways throughout the week, so get ready!

Monday, January 23, 2012 - Kate Kaynak (The Ganzfield series)

Tuesday, January 24, 2012 - Jennifer Armentrout (Half-Blood)

Wednesday, January 25, 2012 - Lisa Rogers (Angelina's Secret)

Thursday, January 26, 2012 - Daniel Cohen (Ancillary's Mark)

Friday, January 27, 2012 - Emily White (Elemental)

Saturday, January 28, 2012 - Ednah Walters (Beytrayed)

Sunday, January 29, 2012 - Kelly Hashway (Touch of Death) and Angie Townsend (Amarok)

Be sure to check out the event when it starts in less than two weeks, and get ready for a week of fun with some amazing authors from Spencer Hill Press!

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. The feature was created because they are particularly fond of lists over at The Broke and the Bookish. They'd love to share their lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week they will post a new top ten list that one of our bloggers at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All they ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.

Top Ten Books I Want to Reread:

1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - I've reread this series so many times, but I find it very difficult to reread the final installment. It's the end of an era, and it breaks my heart every single time.

2. In My Father's House - I have a bit of a thing for historical fiction, particularly in the period of the Civil War in the deep south. This book is a great coming of age story, and I've had to buy it a few times to continue rereading it.

3. Fahrenheit 451 - I only read it once for school, but it was one of the few books I didn't mind having to read. Usually that's a deterrent for me, but this one was phenomenal. I still remember loving it...now I just need to read it again.

4. Lord of the Flies - I also read this once for school, and I was shocked by bits of it, probably because of my age and naivete. That said, I really want to read it now because I think I'll finally be able to appreciate it more.

5. On the Banks of the Bayou - Ok, colour me crazy, but I was obsessed with the Laura Ingalls and Rose Wilder books when I was younger. In fact, I own all of them. This one though, in particular, I'd love to reread because it's a huge part of Rose's transition to adulthood.

6. Leaving Paradise - The sequel left a sour taste in my mouth, unfortunately, and I'd love to go back and read this one to remember why I loved Maggie and Caleb's story so much. I think that would make me feel a little less unfulfilled.

7. The Long Weekend - I loved this one so much that I organized a tour for it. It's a fantastic, bone-chilling read that I've yet to have the time to reread. It definitely deserves it though because it is that good.

8. Vampire Academy - So sue me...I haven't finished the series yet. I'm so scared to finish yet another series I love! I think it kills a little piece of my soul every single time. That said, maybe I should just go back and start from the beginning again...thoughts?

9. Will Grayson, Will Grayson - There are few books like this out there. It exudes compassion, and fun, and reality and love. Plus, it has Tiny Cooper...and Tiny Cooper OWNS this book.

10. Raw Blue - Contemporary fiction isn't my thing, but this book is. I sent my copy merrily on its way, and I've been dying for a copy of my own ever since. This one deserves a place of honour on my shelf.

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Do you love book trailers? Have you ever wanted to be featured in one? Now might just be your chance. The awesome Daniel Cohen, author of The Ancillary's Mark and upcoming Masters of the Veil is offering a unique opportunity for bookish fans to be in the trailer for Masters of the Veil. In short, all you have to do is submit a short video (or ten if you're really stoked) displaying a whole lot of school spirit and act as though you're outraged that your team just blew it in the championship game. It can be a one-liner, a face or heck, even a whole monologue. It's up to you! Click HERE for full details on how to enter your video!

Everyone who submits a clip will get a signed Masters of the Veil rack card, and if your video is selected, you'll receive a signed ARC, too! How cool is that?! Spencer Hill Press is always coming up with great ideas for the bookish community, and I'm so excited to see the finished product of this one!

Title: Half-Blood
Author: Jennifer Armentrout
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Publish Date: October 18, 2011
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Paranormal
Pages: 281
Source: Publisher

The Hematoi descend from the unions of gods and mortals, and the children of two Hematoi-pure-bloods-have godlike powers. Children of Hematoi and mortals-well, not so much. Half-bloods only have two options: become trained Sentinels who hunt and kill daimons or become servants in the homes of the pures. Seventeen-year-old Alexandria would rather risk her life fighting than waste it scrubbing toilets, but she may end up slumming it anyway.

There are several rules that students at the Covenant must follow. Alex has problems with them all, but especially rule #1: Relationships between pures and halfs are forbidden. Unfortunately, she's crushing hard on the totally hot pure-blood Aiden. But falling for Aiden isn't her biggest problem--staying alive long enough to graduate the Covenant and become a Sentinel is. If she fails in her duty, she faces a future worse than death or slavery: being turned into a daimon, and being hunted by Aiden.

Alex has every chance in the world at having the very world at her feet, but her three years in hiding with her pure-blood mother in the mortal world might just jeopardize that. In fact, there's a strong possibility she might become a servant if she can't catch up three years of training to her classmates at Covenant by the end of the summer. But the world in which Alex lives is far more dangerous than she could have anticipated. With Daimons lurking around the corner, training to keep her ever-vigilant and prepared and a pure-blood who very well might knock her off her game, she has to keep at the top of her abilities, or the world might come crashing down around her.

I've been hearing the praise for Half-Blood since I received my ARC, so trust me, my expectations were high going into this book. It's not too often that I read a book from a smaller press that, simply put, shocks me with the incredible ingenue and sheer originality within its pages. I'm happy to say, however, that Half-Blood very literally did so for me. Honestly, I saw mythology and thought it was going to be the same-old, same-old. Don't make the same mistake I did. Do not assume this book will be the same as any other you have ever read. Jennifer Armentrout has created a vivid and breathtakingly original world full of monsters, mythology and action that will stun you with its imagery and leave you spellbound and wanting more.

I've often complained that the YA genre does nothing for young girls. Often presenting heroines that are meek and sit idly by waiting to be rescued by some stud on horseback, I long for the heroine that takes charge. Half-Blood does more than that for us, providing a lovable, relatable and quirky heroine in Alex. She's headstrong and determined, but she has a sense of vulnerability that makes her accessible to us. Then there's Aiden. First of all, let me say that the premise is misleading and made me think this would be a straight insta-love book. I was wrong. Half-Blood presents two characters that grow as friends and, eventually, into the possibility of something more. Aiden was patient and kind; nurturing and challenging. He didn't let Alex rest on her laurels, but rather challenged her to live to her full potential. And, despite the fact that their relationship is doomed from the get-go (half-bloods and pure-bloods can never be together), I was rooting for them from the start. I have to mention the daimons, as well. They're a whole new breed of monster that were once pure-bloods but who became dark creatures from taking the essence of another pure-blood. They were brutal and ruthless, adding a dark and unsettling element to the story that was both fascinating and intriguing. Perfectly merging quiet, emotional moments with pulse-pounding action, Half-Blood delivers it all and leaves you craving more.

From fantastic imagery to the true ability to weave an entirely original story, Half-Blood succeeds on all accounts. If you're looking for a book that lives and breathes cross-genre success, this one's for you. I give it a 5 out of 5, and I recommend it to fans of both YA and adult books, especially to those who enjoy paranormal and fantasy novels.

I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine, and specifically spotlights upcoming novels we can't wait to read. As always, there are some amazing upcoming books, but this week I'm particularly excited for...

Title: Masters of the Veil
Author: Daniel Cohen
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Published: March 1, 2012
Genre: YA, Paranormal
Pages: 300

Life can’t get much better for Sam Lock. Popular, good-looking, and with a future as a professional football player… every guy at Stanton High School wishes he were Sam. That is, until his championship football game, when Sam accidentally links with an ancient source of energy known as the Veil and reveals his potential to become a powerful sorcerer.

Sam’s dreams are crushed as he is whisked off to Atlas Crown, a community of sorcerers who utilize the Veil as a part of everyday life. Once there, he trains beside a mute boy who speaks through music, an eternal sage who is the eyes and ears of the Veil, and a beautiful girl who's pretty sure Sam's an idiot.

As it becomes clear that Sam is meant for power magic—the most feared and misunderstood form of sorcery—people beyond Atlas Crown learn of his dangerous potential. An exiled group of power sorcerers are eager to recruit Sam, believing that he is destined to help them achieve their long-held goal. If they succeed, they could bring about the downfall of not only Atlas Crown… but all of humankind.

I read The Ancillary's Mark by Daniel Cohen a while back, and I was surprised by how good it was because I wasn't the biggest fan of the cover, and we all know I'm a cover slut. That said, I was excited to hear he has a new book/series coming out, and I'm looking forward to reading another book with a great male MC...something I don't really read enough of. What do you think, and what are you waiting on this week?