M9B Two for Thursday Book Blitz – To Bear an Iron Key by Jackie Morse Kessler and Crown of Ice by Vicki Weavil with Giveaway #T4T

Hello and welcome to this week’s Two for Thursday Book Blitz #T4T
presented by Month9books/Tantrum Books!

Today, we will be showcasing two titles that may tickle your fancy,
and we’ll share what readers have to say about these titles!

You just might find your next read!

This week, #T4T presents to you:

To Bear an Iron Key by Jackie Morse Kessler and
Crown of Ice by Vicki Weavil

Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

This richly-imagined universe from an acclaimed fixture of YA storytelling introduces a the young witch Bromwyn, a strong heroine who wields great power. Five years ago, Bromwyn refused a gift from the powerful fairy king. Tonight, on Midsummer, that decision comes back to haunt her. When her best friend Rusty picks the wrong pocket, he and Bromwyn are all that stand between their village and the rampaging fairies who have pushed through the World Door. If they cannot outwit the fairy king and queen before the World Door closes at sunrise, the friends will lose everything--their village, Bromwyn's magic, and Rusty's life.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | TBD | iBooks

WHAT READER’S ARE SAYING:
“If you want to get lost in magic and spend some time away from this grey, dreary world of reality, then look no further.” – Nicky Peacock, Author

“his was a really strong little book--a wonderful start to a brand new series, and I think it's safe to say I'll be looking for more of Jackie Morse Kessler's work!” – Kels, Literature Obsessed

“This is a great tale about the transitions in youth and of true friendship. It also depicts the emotional wounds caused from misjudgment and rejection.” – LuAnn, Rockin Book Reviews

Jackie Morse Kessler grew up in Brooklyn, NY, with a cranky cat and overflowing shelves filled with dolls and books. Now she’s in Upstate NY with another cranky cat, a loving husband, two sons, and overflowing shelves filled with dragons and books (except when her sons steal her dragons). She has a bachelor’s degree in English and American Literature, and yet she’s never read any Jane Austen (with or without zombies). She also has a master’s degree in media ecology. (The living study of technology and culture. Which is cool, but she still can’t figure out how to use Tweetdeck.)

Jackie spends a lot of time writing, reading, and getting distracted by bright and shiny new ideas. (She just came up with a new idea right now.) She has a weakness for chocolate and a tendency to let her cat take over her office chair.

Author Links:  Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Thyra Winther's seventeen, the Snow Queen, and immortal, but if she can't reassemble a shattered enchanted mirror by her eighteenth birthday she's doomed to spend eternity as a wraith. Armed with magic granted by a ruthless wizard, Thyra schemes to survive with her mind and body intact.

Unencumbered by kindness, she kidnaps local boy Kai Thorsen, whose mathematical skills rival her own. Two logical minds, Thyra calculates, are better than one. With time rapidly melting away she needs all the help she can steal. A cruel lie ensnares Kai in her plan, but three missing mirror shards and Kai's childhood friend, Gerda, present more formidable obstacles. Thyra's willing to do anything – venture into uncharted lands, outwit sorcerers, or battle enchanted beasts - to reconstruct the mirror, yet her most dangerous adversary lies within her breast.

Touched by the warmth of a wolf pup's devotion and the fire of a young man's desire, the thawing of Thyra's frozen heart could be her ultimate undoing.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | TBD | iBooks

WHAT READER’S ARE SAYING:

“Crown of Ice was great young adult fantasy novel. It offers an interesting and refreshing retelling of Snow Queen fairytale, but also so much more – realistic, confident and a bit bad heroine, magic, cute animals, subtle romance, …” – Dragana, The Paisley Reader


“Crown of Ice, is a luscious and fantastical retelling of the Snow Queen.” – Tina, Goodreads Reviewer

“A solid YA adventure with teenagers who learn so much about themselves, and each other. Even the expected happily ever after offers believable surprises that underscore the maturity and independence they each have gained.” – All Things Urban Fantasy

Vicki Lemp Weavil was raised in a farming community in Virginia, where her life was shaped by a wonderful family, the culture of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and an obsession with reading. Since obtaining her undergraduate degree in Theatre from the University of Virginia, she’s gone on to acquire two masters degrees, living in places as diverse as New York City and rural North Carolina. She’s currently the library director for a performing an visual arts university.  Vicki loves good writing in any genre, and has been known to read seven books in as many days. She enjoys travel, gardening, and the arts. Vicki lives in North Carolina with her husband, son, and some very spoiled cats.

Author Links:  Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Tumbler

Expiration Date Multi Author Release Party and $50.00 Amazon Gift Card Contest at BittenByBooks

“Modern lives seem littered with expiration dates. Packaging tells us when our food will go bad; when we can expect appliances to cease functioning; when contracts for the internet finish! But as annoying as these small expiration dates are, they fade to nothing compared to the larger events: when a species goes extinct; when a body of water evaporates, or dies because the PH balance alters; when giant icebergs break apart and glaciers melt forever, threatening the ecosystem of this planet.

From the micro to the macro in terms of expirations, we are faced with the one termination with which we are all too familiar— the up-close-and-personal end of life for each of us and for the ones we love. It’s the personal that terrifies us most because it feels the most real.

Nancy Kilpatrick has gathered together twenty-five original stories by Kelley Armstrong; Nancy Holder & Erin Underwood; Steve and Melanie Tem; Lois Gresh; Gar and Judy Reeves-Stevens; Daniel Sernine; Paul Kane; Sephera Giron; Kathryn Ptacek; Steve Vernon and others to look at the what-if’s of our expiring future.

These stories span a range of emotions. Some will make you laugh, other will make you cry. They are grim and hopeful, sad and joyous, horrifying and comforting. You can expect to be touched in some way.

Each of us comes with an alpha and an omega stamp, an inception and an expiration date. Knowing this is what allows us to focus on what is truly important: paying attention to our best-before date and treating ourselves, each other and life in general with kindness, understanding, respect, and experiencing the awe of the miracle that we are, at this very moment, alive!”

Buy a print copy of Expiration Date from Amazon by clicking here.

Buy a Kindle copy of Expiration Date from Amazon by clicking here.

CONTEST INFO: Open to readers worldwide.

Prize : A $50.00 Amazon Gift Card provide by Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing.

Author Carol Pavliska Character Interview and Amazon Gift Card Contest at BittenByBooks

“Never fall for a rockstar…

Julian Wheaton views the world through a kaleidoscope of synesthesia, seeing the colors of every sound he hears. His life as an iconic rock guitarist was a stressful psychedelic trip that nearly destroyed him. Now he’s abandoned the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle for the peaceful sanctity of his recording studio, but when fiery Cleo Compton comes to work for him, she brings chaos with her.

Cleo Compton has had her flings with rockstars – and it’s left her wary and bruised. Julian may have those sexy bedroom eyes and drool-worthy tattoos, but Cleo is determined to keep things strictly professional – until Julian turns out to be every dream she’s ever chased. When he risks it all to hit the road with a band again, Cleo fears he’ll return as the one thing she can no longer abide – a rockstar.”

Buy a print copy of Color Me Crazy from Amazon by clicking here.

Buy a Kindle copy of Color Me Crazy from Amazon by clicking here.

CONTEST INFO: Open to readers worldwide.

Prize: $25.00 Amazon Gift Cards

Release Day Blast-RISK IT by Jennifer Chance

As dominating in business as he is in bed, Rand Sterling Winston, IV, always gets what he wants. And even before he realizes that she’s scammed him into paying triple the cost for her friend’s painting, he wants Dani Michaels. To catch her alone, Rand demands she personally deliver his purchase. The attraction between them is immediate and electric, and he knows she feels it, too. So when the part-time petty thief rebuffs his advances, he gives her a choice: a night in jail or an evening with him.

Despite her checkered past, Dani has never met someone like Rand: brooding, intense, and oh-so tempting. Only a man with a broken soul could make losing control feel this dangerous. Still, when Rand proposes a no-strings, no-holds-barred affair, Dani’s more than a little intrigued. It’ll be the trickiest con she's ever run and a chance to indulge her steamiest fantasies—nothing more. But as their encounters grow increasingly intimate, Dani uncovers a vulnerable side to Rand’s steely exterior . . . and opens her heart to the ultimate risk.

EXCERPT;
“I really must be going.” Dani turned, offering a smile. She had a clear run at the door, and she gestured to the painting. “I hope you enjoy it.”
“Let me get you a receipt.”
“That’s not—”
“I insist.” Rand turned to his desk, swiveling the notepad around and tearing free a loose sheet. He jotted down a quick note of thanks, signed and dated it. Dani had followed him to the desk.
“Truly, it isn’t necessary, Mr. Winston,” she said as he handed it to her. She opened her purse, and he heard the telltale buzz of her silenced phone. She didn’t even look at it, but the effect it had on her was instantaneous, her artfully easy manner now going tight as a drum.
“Necessary,” he mused, and something in his voice made her glance up sharply. The shiver of control it took for her not to step back from him was obvious, but Rand wasn’t about to let her get away a second time. “And do you always do only what is necessary?”
“Saves time, she said again. But her eyes were on his lips, and he felt the attraction between them like a living thing. He lifted a hand, and while her body didn’t flinch, her eyes did.
Another surge of emotion blazed through him, this one hotter, less controlled. He didn’t understand that flinch of hers, the reflex she could not quite quell. But he knew the reaction wasn’t about him, and he wanted her to only think of him in this moment—to have the same intensity of emotion, the same nerves, the same trepidation, even a little fear. He didn’t mind her fearing him. He expected it. But the nature of that fear was what intrigued him.
“Ah, fuck it,” Dani said, startling him again. She stepped into his body, reaching up to draw his head toward hers. “I don’t have all goddamned night.”
She kissed him, hard, and the spears of desire touched together at their tips, igniting Rand with need. Still, he didn’t move forward, just let Dani pull him closer in, sensing that the deepening of the kiss was something she hadn’t planned for. His hands went naturally to her waist, and felt large against the curve of her hips, anchoring her almost possessively. She pulled away—or tried to, her body leaning back even as he kept her still and tight. Her smile was satisfied against his lips, and understanding lit through him. She’d won, he realized. By controlling the kiss between them, by taking the initiative and coming to him, instead of waiting for him to come to her, she had won.
“Was that what you wanted, Miss Michaels?” he asked, and he deliberately kept the teasing challenge in his voice.
She drew in a sharp breath, but didn’t take the bait. “Everything I could have hoped for,” she said, leaning back with a smug grin.
“He lifted his brows. “Did I just experience sexual harassment?”
Dani’s smile flashed a little more broadly now. “I do apologize, sir. I was just so swept away.”
“Hmm.” He eyed her. “You didn’t seem terribly swept away. I must be losing my touch. Perhaps I should try again.”

Add to Goodreads

Also in the Rule Breaker series: 

Rock It (Book #1) 

Fake It (Book #2) 

Want It (Book #3) 

Jennifer Chance is the award-winning author of the new adult Rule Breakers series. A lover of books, romance, and happily-ever-afters, she lives and writes in Ohio.

You can find her online at www.JenniferChance.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/authorJenniferChance and on Twitter at @Jenn_Chance.

Jennifer is offering up a fabulous prize during the Risk It Release Day Blitz event. One lucky Grand Prize winner will receive a $5o Gift Card for Amazon or B&N (winner’s choice)! To enter, simply fill out the Rafflecopter below:

Blog Tour/Author Interview & Giveaway: Last Siege of Haven (The Undertakers #4) by Ty Drago

Last Siege of Haven (The Undertakers #4)
by Ty Drago
Publication Date: May 11, 2015Publisher: Month9Books

While away on an undercover mission, Undertaker Will Ritter has made an unthinkable alliance…with a Corpse! But though Robert Dillin (aka ‘The Zombie Prince’) is indeed one of those alien invaders who animate and possess the bodies of the dead — unlike the rest of his kind, Dillin isn’t evil. In fact, he wants to help. And Will needs that help, because the Queen of the Dead has learned the location of Haven, the Undertakers’ secret HQ, and is planning a massive and deadly assault.

With the last day of the Corpse War finally upon them, Will and his friends find themselves in a desperate race to close the Rift between worlds and forever kill the Corpses. But can they do before Haven is overrun?

For that matter, can they do it at all?

Purchase Links:

Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iBooks | TBD

GOODREADS

Link to the Tour Schedule:

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

When you start writing, do you already have an ending in mind, or do you just let the narrative go where it takes you?

Ah yes, the old “Plotter vs. Pantser” dilemma!  

Well, the fact is that I when I sit down to write I usually have at least a broad-strokes idea of where I want the story to go.  I don’t make outlines, except when called upon to do so by my agent or a publisher (and, even then, I usually don’t stick to them!).  I’m a big believer is letting the story take me where it will, and I’m often surprised.

Do you already have a set number of books that you plan to write in the series?

After the first Undertakers books was published, I had lunch with my then publisher to discuss the future of the series.  I originally had in mind seven books.  She had three.  We met in the middle a five.  Honestly, that’s how it went down!  But since there, I’ve been writing every novel with an eye toward a five-book story arc.

What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

I love all aspects of writing, but I’d have to say my favorite is that moment when I type the last lines of a novel’s first draft.  It’s still only the beginning, since 80% of what I do is editing my own work.  But it’s still SO amazing to know that the story, which up until now has existed only in between my ears, is now written done and real!

Who are some of your favorite authors that you feel were influential in your work?  What impact have they had on your writing?

My favorite authors are Lee Child, Jackie Kessler, A.S. King, and Heather Brewer, not necessarily in that order.  I also enjoy David Baldacci and Terry Prachett more than a little bit.  As for who had the most influence on my work: I don’t know.  Part of being a writer is finding your own voice, and while I’ve certainly been inspired by these other authors, I’ve done my level best to make sure that the tone and voice of my writing is entirely my own.

What are some day jobs that you have held?  Did any of them impact your writing?

Oh, gosh.  I’ve been a computer programmer, a project manager, and – most recently – a business analyst.  I still do some business consulting on the side, writing business plans and requirements documents for companies.  But my first love is, and always has been, fiction writing.

What’s next for you?

With the Undertakers series “in the bag,” as the say, I’ve been working VERY hard on a new YA concept that I’ve called “Torq.”  I won’t give anything away.  Let’s just say I’ve putting my own spin on the superhero origin story. 

QUICK FIRE INTERVIEW:

• Twitter or Facebook? Facebook!  

• Favorite Superhero?  Tough one.  D.C.: Batman.  Marvel: The Hulk

• Favorite TV show? Doctor Who (I’m a nerd; sue me)

• Sweet or Salty? Both 

• Coke or Pepsi? Pepsi

• Any Phobias? Stinging insects.  I’m an expert on them because I believe in knowing your enemy! 

• What are you reading right now or what’s on your TBR? “The Warlock” by Michael Scott.  It’s the fifth book in his “Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flammel” series.  After that, I expect to dive into the sixth and final book.

• 2015 Movie you’re most looking forward to?  “Batman v. Superman!”  I really liked “Man of Steel” and can’t wait to see how Ben Afleck handles the dark knight!

Giveaway Information:  Winner will be drawn June 26, 2015

·        Five (5) winners will receive a digital copy of Last Siege of Haven (The Undertakers #4) by Ty Drago (INT)