Blitz+Excerpt+Guest Post: Thirst: Blood of My Blood

Title: Thirst: Blood of My Blood
Author: RP Channing
Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Paranormal, Vampires/Demons/Witches
Publication Date: November 26, 2015
Purchase Links: 
(US)  (UK)

Guest Post: Parent Quest

Title: Parent Quest: The Search for the Twin Mystery
Author: Gabriel Ammah
Genres: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Publication Date: December 26, 2015
Publisher: Chontama Publishing
Purchase Links: 

Blitz+Dream Movie Cast+Guest Post: The Legacy

Title: The Legacy (Legacy Series #1)
Author: Melissa Delport
Genre: Speculative Fiction, Dystopian

Amazon.com || Amazon.co.uk || B&N || Kobo

Synopsis from Goodreads:

One man obsessed with power. 
One woman prepared to sacrifice everything to stop him.
One war that changed the world.

"Eric Dane has segregated the wealth and resources that remain, giving a select few the highest chance of survival and leaving the rest to starve!”

World War 3 lasted twelve days and almost eradicated the human species. Growing up in post nuclear America, Rebecca Davis remained blissfully ignorant of the despotic leadership that had seized what was previously the most powerful nation in the world. When the truth is revealed and Rebecca discovers that everything she has been taught is a lie, she is determined to fight for the life that she has not been allowed to live.

In order to do this, Rebecca has to cross the boundary fences and venture out of the safety of the New United States, into the barren wastelands. It is there that she finds allies she never dreamed existed. 

In Rebecca, the Resistance has finally found the ultimate weapon.

“You were given this life Rebecca, because you alone are strong enough to live it."

An action-packed, adrenalin inducing thrill ride that will have you riveted until long after you have turned the last page.

Delport's Dream Movie Cast

Sadly, authors have very little say in the casting of movie adaptations of their books. In fact, they have very little say over anything to do with the movie version. I think this is a tragedy of epic proportion, given that we created the characters being brought to life on the big screen.

I am struggling to come to terms with this fact, because there are a few cast members in my Dream Movie cast that I really wouldn’t mind meeting. (Are you paying attention, Mr Spielberg?)

When I started writing The Legacy, I had images in my mind that I used to describe my characters. I actually find this the easiest way to remember all the details about them (hair colour, eye colour, etc) because otherwise halfway though I have forgotten.

So, without any further ado, here is my DREAM MOVIE CAST (drum roll, please!)

Rebecca Davis – played by Ashley Greene

Rebecca is the feisty heroine of The Legacy Trilogy. I love writing this character - I love that she's strong yet vulnerable... and she collects soldiers like other women collect shoes! She is the ultimate weapon, and prepared to sacrifice everything for the cause she believes in.
 

Aidan Moore – played by Justin Hartley

This fine specimen has long been a firm favourite of mine - ever since he first wore those "toit" green tights as the Green Arrow on the CW series, Smallville. I even sat through the entire first (and thankfully last) season of Emily Owens MD, just to witness this eye candy every Wednesday night. The CW axed the show and my withdrawals began...so imagine my delight when he showed up in the third season of Revenge!!! And he is just SO Aidan.... handsome, clean-cut, wholesome. Yum!

Reed McCoy – played by Chris Hemsworth

Aidan's nemesis comes in the form of our Sexy Southern Bad Boy, Reed, and who better than Chris Hemsworth to play the role of Rebecca’s equal? He is rugged, handsome, tough, and can pull off Reed’s longer hair. Purists would argue that there are a few tiny points of contention in this casting, but I have addressed each and come up with a solution:

1.  Reed has green eyes: Nothing some contacts couldn’t fix (and besides, LOOK at that face!)
2.  Reed has a southern accent, whereas Chris is an Aussie native: Who cares... LOOK at that face!

Eric Dane – played by Ian Somerhalder

In my opinion, every single movie ever made should feature Ian “Smoulder”-halder, or, as I like to call him: “sex on legs”. Eric Dane is a narcissistic, cruel megalomaniac. Ian Somerhalder is a compassionate philanthropist...but I hardly see the problem. Ian is an actor – ie: he can play any role. And I would so love for him to play the part of Eric.   

Kwan Lee – played by an attractive 40-year-old Korean actor

Try as I might, I could not think of a single Korean actor off the top of my head. Coming up short, I took to Google with the single-minded determination of a Hollywood casting agent. Sadly, I couldn’t pronounce any of the Korean names, and I still didn’t find my “Kwan”. So I will let you use your imaginations, and picture him as you will.

Morgan Kelly - played by Teresa Palmer

Morgan is the girl we love to hate. She is reckless, stubborn and sassy, and the mother in all of us would like nothing better than  to throw her over our lap and give her the hiding of her life for behaving like a petulant child. In casting Teresa Palmer, I’m certain male viewers will want to spank her for a whole other reason! 

Michael Kelly – played by Alex Pettyfer

 

Michael Kelly is Morgan’s cute younger brother. With his boy-next-door looks and mischievous smile, Alex Pettyfer’s got my vote to play the quirky lovable character of Michael.

Now that our cast is all taken care of, there really are only three words left to say:

LIGHTS! CAMERA! ACTION!

Guest Post

How I Came Up With The Legacy Trilogy

Two years ago I was reading a lot of YA books, particularly in the dystopian and SFF genres. I devoured them all, every story intriguing and inspiring me, but I felt slightly disappointed that in the direst of circumstances, it was always the most unexceptional, ordinary people who survived. In my head, I imagined an extraordinary character equipped with the necessary skills and training to not only survive, but excel in these speculative situations. And so, Rebecca Davis was born.

The creation of Rebecca’s character then inspired me to write The Legacy. Her story simply needed to be told and, as I breathed life into her character, so she became an entity all of her own. Her story unfolded as if she were telling it to me, and often during the writing process I felt that I was simply the instrument – a ghost writer for this exceptional character that had become so real to me.

Rebecca is so incredibly determined, strong and feisty, and prepared to sacrifice everything for the cause that she believes in. She would die to protect the people that she loves, and her character’s depth is something I am very proud of. She is also not unwillingly foisted into the war against oppression and tyranny – she makes a conscious choice, and that choice makes all the difference – setting her apart from other dystopian heroines. Rebecca takes the road less travelled, armed with knowledge of the risks involved, but she believes that the risk is worth it. When faced with danger, most people would take flight, but Rebecca never falters – she fights for what she believes in.

Another aspect of The Legacy that inspired me was the world building. I love that while the Rebeldom represents all the traditional destruction that characterizes dystopian fiction, there is the contrast of the opulence of the New United States. Getting the balance right, between the hardship of the Rebeldom and the luxury of NUSA, was no easy feat, but I think that the two worlds create a vivid picture in the readers mind.

This story completely overwhelmed me, and I spent eighteen months writing the trilogy, although the basic plot took me only a day or two to come up with. I am thrilled with the response to the books and how far Rebecca has come, and I can only hope that readers continue to identify with Rebecca as they have, and enjoy reading her incredible journey as much as I enjoyed writing it!

About the Author

Wife and mother of 3, Melissa Delport is the author of The Legacy Trilogy and the stand-alone self-published ebooks Rainfall and The Traveler.

She graduated from the University of South Africa with a Bachelor’s Degree in English in 2000

At the age of twenty-four Melissa started a logistics company (Transmax) from the spare room of her flat and built it up to two fully operational depots in Durban and Johannesburg. Now, 10 years later, she has sold her business in order to write full time.

Melissa lives with her husband and three children in Hillcrest, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

The Legacy (book 1 of The Legacy Trilogy) and The Legion (book 2) are available now and the final book, The Legend, will be released early 2015.

An avid reader herself, Melissa finally decided to stop ‘watching from the sidelines’ and to do what is her passion.

“I was driving home from work when inspiration struck, and a storyline started unravelling in my head. For a few days it was all I could think about and eventually I realised that the only way to get it out of my head, was to put it all down on paper. I started writing, and that was that.”

Author's Links

Blog: www.melissadelport.com
The Legacy Trilogy Website: www.thelegacytrilogy.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheMelissaDelportBookClub
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/MelissaDelport
Twitter: www.twitter.com/MelissaDelport
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/MelissaDelport
Publisher’s website: www.traceymcdonaldpublishers.com

Twitter Hashtag for the book blog tour: #TheLegacyBlogTour

Blitz+Guest Post+Giveaway: Let's Get Lost

Title: Let's Get Lost

Author: Adi Alsaid

Release Date: July 29, 2014

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Available Now!
Amazon || Barnes & Noble || Indie Bound || Harlequin.com

Summary from Goodreads:

Five strangers. Countless adventures. One epic way to get lost.

Four teens across the country have only one thing in common: a girl named LEILA. She crashes into their lives in her absurdly red car at the moment they need someone the most.

There's HUDSON, a small-town mechanic who is willing to throw away his dreams for true love. And BREE, a runaway who seizes every Tuesday—and a few stolen goods along the way. ELLIOT believes in happy endings…until his own life goes off-script. And SONIA worries that when she lost her boyfriend, she also lost the ability to love.

Hudson, Bree, Elliot and Sonia find a friend in Leila. And when Leila leaves them, their lives are forever changed. But it is during Leila's own 4,268-mile journey that she discovers the most important truth— sometimes, what you need most is right where you started. And maybe the only way to find what you're looking for is to get lost along the way.

Early Praise

“Reminiscent of John Green’s Paper Towns and road trip novels that feature a teen paving the way to adulthood, Alsaid’s debut is a gem among contemporary YA novels.” – School Library Journal

“Five love stories, beautifully woven together by a special girl in search of adventure, hope, and full appreciation of life’s simple pleasures. A do-not-miss.  ” – Justine Magazine

“Moving and poignant.”  - Glitter Magazine

“An entertaining and romantic road-trip debut.” – Kirkus

"Leila's quest to find the Northern Lights takes readers on a captivating cross-country journey, where four strangers' adventures collide into one riveting tale of finding yourself." ―YABooksCentral.com

“This will likely be a popular summer hit, especially for older teen about to embark on their own journeys of self-discovery.” –Booklist

About the Author

Adi Alsaid was born and raised in Mexico City, then studied at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. While in class, he mostly read fiction and continuously failed to fill out crossword puzzles, so it's no surprise that after graduating, he did not go into business world but rather packed up his apartment into his car and escaped to the California coastline to become a writer. He's now back in his hometown, where he writes, coaches high school and elementary basketball, and has perfected the art of making every dish he eats or cooks as spicy as possible. In addition to Mexico, he's lived in Tel Aviv, Las Vegas, and Monterey, California. A tingly feeling in his feet tells him more places will eventually be added to the list. Let's Get Lost is his YA debut.  

Let's Get Lost Website!

Author Links:

   

His First Big Trip Alone to Israel

My sister likes to say that before I came back from my trip to Israel, she’d never heard me speak. That’s probably an exaggeration, but not an extreme one. When I boarded the plane to Israel on the eve of my eighteenth birthday, I was a shy kid, reserved, talkative only with my closest friends.

My brother puts it a different way: “Before, you couldn’t decide if you cared or not. Then you decided you didn’t.” He said this when we shared an apartment in college, when I was doing things like taking spontaneous road trips to Baker, California just to have lunch, or founding a student organization at UNLV called Students for the Advancement of Silliness. I brought my first girlfriend to the top floor of a library and rained down thirty notecards with book quotations on them. I wrote editorials in the school newspaper about choosing to be happier.

Let me be clear about this: I didn’t notice it happening. In Israel, I read a lot. I walked around a lot. Though fluent in Hebrew, I didn’t speak a lot, because outside of my grandmother and some cousins, I didn’t know anyone. I could have made friends on the basketball courts where I played, or the bar full of American expats and travelers from all over the world, but I didn’t. By the end I was having more and more conversations with people there, because I’d learned that if I didn’t I could go days without saying a word. But that didn’t feel like growth; it just felt like loneliness, which wasn’t anything new. I had fun in Israel, and though I’d imagined something life-changing (I brought a notebook, thinking that maybe I’d write a book while there), I left thinking it hadn’t happened. The first day I returned to Mexico and had coffee with a friend, within twenty minutes, she said, “You’ve changed.”

It’s not like I went to Israel and came back a new person. I was simply more myself. The layer of shyness that usually hid parts of me from the world was washed away by the Mediterranean, or burned away from my skin from the suntan I gained on the beaches of Tel Aviv. I broke out of my proverbial shell, deciding, as my brother pointed out, that I no longer cared to reside within it.

Here’s what I’m trying to get at, and why Leila’s travels in Let’s Get Lost serve as the perfect backdrop to five coming-of-age stories: Travel leads to self-discovery. You grow, even if you don’t notice it happening. Especially if you do it at the age I did, the age the characters in the book are, the world seeps into your cracks and pulls you further out.

Giveaway

1 signed hard cover copy of Let’s Get Lost

1 Let’s Get Lost luggage tag

1 Harlequin TEEN notebook

1 Let’s Get Lost sachel

1 Harlequin TEEN tote bag

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blitz Organized by:

Blitz+Guest Post+Giveaway: Let's Get Lost

Title: Let's Get Lost

Author: Adi Alsaid

Release Date: July 29, 2014

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Amazon || Barnes & Noble || Indie Bound || Harlequin.com

Summary from Goodreads:

Five strangers. Countless adventures. One epic way to get lost.

Four teens across the country have only one thing in common: a girl named LEILA. She crashes into their lives in her absurdly red car at the moment they need someone the most.

There's HUDSON, a small-town mechanic who is willing to throw away his dreams for true love. And BREE, a runaway who seizes every Tuesday—and a few stolen goods along the way. ELLIOT believes in happy endings…until his own life goes off-script. And SONIA worries that when she lost her boyfriend, she also lost the ability to love.

Hudson, Bree, Elliot and Sonia find a friend in Leila. And when Leila leaves them, their lives are forever changed. But it is during Leila's own 4,268-mile journey that she discovers the most important truth— sometimes, what you need most is right where you started. And maybe the only way to find what you're looking for is to get lost along the way.

Early Praise

“Reminiscent of John Green’s Paper Towns and road trip novels that feature a teen paving the way to adulthood, Alsaid’s debut is a gem among contemporary YA novels.” – School Library Journal

“Five love stories, beautifully woven together by a special girl in search of adventure, hope, and full appreciation of life’s simple pleasures. A do-not-miss.  ” – Justine Magazine

“Moving and poignant.”  - Glitter Magazine

“An entertaining and romantic road-trip debut.” – Kirkus

"Leila's quest to find the Northern Lights takes readers on a captivating cross-country journey, where four strangers' adventures collide into one riveting tale of finding yourself." ―YABooksCentral.com

“This will likely be a popular summer hit, especially for older teen about to embark on their own journeys of self-discovery.” –Booklist

About the Author

Adi Alsaid was born and raised in Mexico City, then studied at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. While in class, he mostly read fiction and continuously failed to fill out crossword puzzles, so it's no surprise that after graduating, he did not go into business world but rather packed up his apartment into his car and escaped to the California coastline to become a writer. He's now back in his hometown, where he writes, coaches high school and elementary basketball, and has perfected the art of making every dish he eats or cooks as spicy as possible. In addition to Mexico, he's lived in Tel Aviv, Las Vegas, and Monterey, California. A tingly feeling in his feet tells him more places will eventually be added to the list. Let's Get Lost is his YA debut.  

Let's Get Lost Website!

Author Links:

   

What Inspires Adi to Write

I think people will never tire of asking this question of authors because we never tire of the answer, which, as far as I know, always has been and always will be: Everything.

If life in its entirety did not inspire us to write, we wouldn’t be writers. Obviously, we don’t walk around constantly inspired by every little thing around us, because that would make us go insane. But the reason that stories keep getting churned out, published or unpublished, it’s because writers can find inspiration anywhere, in any little detail of life, at any time, whether we like it or not.

The difference, of course, is how that inspiration gets turned into a story, what each writer connects to and finds worthy of writing about. In the little Q&A that included in a flap in the amazing-looking ARC of Let’s Get Lost, I said that what usually does it for me is people. To delve a little further, I think most of my writing is inspired by the need to explore the connections between people.

The muse itself, whatever catalyst sets me off exploring those connections in a story, well that can be absolutely anything. A little scene from daily life, a reaction to another story. An overheard line of dialogue, a dream, thin air. A bush, or a guy walking past a bush, or the guy’s bushy beard, or the thought of a world without bushes or beards or guys and how the people in that world would interact with one another, and maybe of just one teen living within that world.

There’s a story in everything, it only requires an author to come along and think so.

Giveaway

1 signed hard cover copy of Let’s Get Lost

1 Let’s Get Lost luggage tag

1 Harlequin TEEN notebook

1 Let’s Get Lost sachel

1 Harlequin TEEN tote bag

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blitz Organized by: