Blog Tour: Giveaway & Guest Post: Hellhole by Gina Damico

I am so happy to join Rockstar Book Tours in their blog tour of Hellhole by Gina Damico. Today, the author, Gina, joins us with a guest post!

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: January 6, 2015
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
386 Pages

A devil is a bad influence . . . 

There was a time when geeky, squeaky-clean Max Kilgore would never lie or steal or even think about murder. Then he accidentally unearths a devil, and Max’s choices are no longer his own. The big red guy has a penchant for couch surfing and junk food—and you should never underestimate evil on a sugar high. 

With the help of Lore, a former goth girl who knows a thing or two about the dark side, Max is racing against the clock to get rid of the houseguest from hell before time, and all the Flamin’ Hot Cheetos this side of the fiery abyss, run out.

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Tour Schedule:

WEEK ONE:

01/05/2015 - Xpresso Reads - Guest Post

01/05/2015 - Fiction Fare - Spotlight

01/06/2015 - Paranormal Book Club - Guest Post

01/06/2015 - Two Chicks on Books - Spotlight

01/07/2015 - A Dream Within A Dream - Review

01/07/2015 - Book Jems - Guest Post

01/08/2015 - BookHounds YA - Interview

01/08/2015 - YA Midnight Reads - Dual Review

01/09/2015 - Novel Novice - Guest Post

01/09/2015 - Consuming Worlds - Interview

WEEK TWO:

01/12/2015- Once Upon a Twilight - Review

01/12/2015 - Book Sniffers Anonymous - Interview

01/13/2015 - No BS Book Reviews - Interview

01/13/2015 - The Best Books Ever - Review

01/14/2015 - Teen Readers' Diary - Guest Post

01/14/2015 - The Book Bratz - Review

01/15/2015 - Sweet Southern Home - Review

01/15/2015 - Eli to the nth - Review

01/16/2015 - Bad Bird Reads - Guest Post

01/16/2015 - Crossroad Reviews - Review

This tour-wide giveaway offers two winners a copy of Hellhole! It's open wherever The Book Depository ships, and ends January 21, 2015 at 11:59PM PST.

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A Note from Gina: 

Hey there book fans! I'm running a Follow Frenzy giveaway over the course of this blog tour, and the prize is pretty neato: a signed copy of HELLHOLE wherein each chapter will have a little bit of trivia and/or a doodle handwritten by yours truly. (Gina) (Damico) To enter, all you have to do is follow me on one or more of my various social media outlets (Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Instagram, Youtube), then fill out this adorable little form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1MbfSsZCiALw_I_C7WpI0d71hPNe0b94Ot89sxFesUzM/viewform . That's it! The more things you follow, the more chances you will earn to win. Good luck!

In HELLHOLE, Max commits a tiny little, insignificant-in-the-grand-scope-of-things sin. A sinlet, if you will. Yet even this teensy transgression is big enough to summon a devil, and if this were really the way things worked around Hell, I’ve got news for you: I’d have popped up a satanic being loooong ago.

Specifically, at the age of six.

It was lunchtime. We first-graders were hungry and cranky and jonesing for our milk cartons. But on that fateful fall day, for whatever reason, there was a delay. Rather than lining up outside the cafeteria to buy our lunches as we did every other day, we were brought inside the cafeteria, sat down at our tables (boys at one, girls at the other), and told to wait.

And wait.

And wait.

The children became restless. The children became irritable. The children became outraged. And so the children decided to invoke their constitutional right to organize and protest.

The boys sent one brave rabble-rouser to grab handfuls of plastic cutlery, which he passed out to the rest. They then started to bang them on the table, shouting “WE WANT FOOD! WE WANT FOOD!” Soon, the girls joined in. “WE WANT FOOD! WE WANT FOOD!”

But I, being of moral superiority, sat smugly by and shouted nothing, banged nothing. This was exactly the sort of thing kids would get in trouble for, and little six-year-old Gina DID NOT get in trouble.

As predicted, the boys immediately got into trouble. We were all allowed to eat our lunch, but afterwards we were marched right back to the classroom without recess and the boys got the lecture of a lifetime. They were in deep. They were to write essays about what they had done, and not get recess for the rest of the week.

But I, being of moral superiority, saw the injustice in this. And so I raised my hand and proudly declared:

“The girls were doing it TOO.”

And with those six little vindictive words, I went from conscientious objector to all-out prison snitch, and was accordingly shunned by my peers for the rest of the year. What made me do it? What made me open up my trap and get ALL of us punished, including me?

Obviously: evil.

Thanks for having me!

I have been looking forward to reading Hellhole for what feels like forever, and I know that (as soon as I have money) I'll be headed to my local bookstore to pick up a copy! Thanks so much to Rockstar Book Tours for letting Book Jems host a stop, and to Gina for the hilarious guest post!

Cover Reveal: Where You'll Find Me by Erin Fletcher

Today we are happy to join Rockstar Book Tours, Entangled Teen and Erin Fletcher in the reveal of Erin's upcoming novel, Where You'll Find Me.

Where You'll Find Me

by Erin Fletcher

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: January 7, 2014
Publisher: Entangled Teen
211 Pages

When Hanley Helton discovers a boy living in her garage, she knows she should kick him out. But Nate is too charming to be dangerous. He just needs a place to get away, which Hanley understands. Her own escape methods (vodka, black hair dye, and pretending the past didn't happen)are more traditional, but who is she to judge?

Nate doesn't tell her why he's in her garage, and she doesn't tell him what she's running from. Soon, Hanley's trading her late-night escapades for all-night conversations and stolen kisses. But when Nate¹s recognized as the missing teen from the news, Hanley isn't sure which is worse: that she's harboring a fugitive, or that she's in love with one.

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Exclusive Excerpt from Where You'll Find Me:

Nate looks me over, from my jacket to my favorite pair of jeans, to the shoes that are bonfire-worthy but still cute. My hair, with the help of a straightener, is so silky that my dark bangs fall into my eyes even more than usual. My eye makeup is amped up. Whether all of this is because of the bonfire or because of who I hoped I’d run into before leaving is open for debate. He reaches up and brushes my bangs away from my face. The split-second touch makes me crave more. “You look gorgeous.”

“Thank you.”

“Where are you headed?”

Though staying here in the garage might be a better option, I say, “A bonfire.”

Nate studies me again, but this time it feels like he’s looking for something deeper. “Don’t you ever get tired of sneaking out?”

“Not really,” I say with a shrug.

He tugs on the zipper of my fleece, lowering it slightly and pulling me closer. “What are you running from, Hanley?”

It feels like my secrets are written all over my face, but I say, “Nothing.”

When he smiles, it’s almost sad. “I don’t buy it.”

I lean in, putting both hands on the car behind him, one on either side, trapping him. “You tell me why you’re living in my garage and I’ll tell you what I’m running from.”

He gives a sly smile and doesn’t budge. “Secrets it is.”

“Secrets it is,” I echo. And even though the small space between us is electric and threatening to disappear, I push off the car and step away. “I’ll see you later,” I say as I open the door.

“Hanley,” he says before I can get too far. “Be careful out there, okay?”

I don’t make any promises.

Enter to win an eARC of Where You'll Find Me below!

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Big thanks to Rockstar Book Tours and Entangled Teen for allowing Book Jems to join them in this release! We are so looking forward to reading the book, and we just absolutely adore the cover!

Blog Tour: Book Review + Giveaway: Descendant (Starling #2) by Lesley Livingston

I am so happy to join Rockstar Book Tours as a part of the Descendant Blog Tour. You can find more information about this tour here.

Descendant (Starling #2) by Lesley Livingston

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: August 27, 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen
336 Pages

The last thing Mason Starling remembers is the train crossing a bridge. An explosion . . . a blinding light . . . then darkness. Now she is alone, stranded in Asgard—the realm of Norse legend—and the only way for her to get home is to find the Spear of Odin, a powerful relic left behind by vanished gods. 

The Fennrys Wolf knows all about Asgard. He was once trapped there. And he’ll do whatever it takes to find the girl who’s stolen his heart and bring her back—even if it means a treacherous descent into the Underworld. But time is running out, and Fenn knows something Mason doesn’t: If she takes up the Spear, she’ll set in motion a terrible prophecy. And she won’t just return to her world . . . she’ll destroy it.

In this pulse-pounding sequel to Starling, Lesley Livingston delivers another electrifying blend of nonstop action and undeniable romance that will leave readers breathless.

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Tour Schedule:

WEEK ONE:

8/19/2013 - The Happy Booker - Guest Post

8/20/2013 - Bewitched Bookworms - Interview

8/21/2013 - IceyBooks - Review

8/22/2013 - Tater's Tall Tails - Guest Post

8/23/2013 - [B.O.O.K.L.I.F.E.] - Review

WEEK TWO:

8/26/2013 - Fiktshun - Character Interview Fennrys 

8/27/2013 - Wholly Books - Review

8/28/2013 - Book Jems - Review

8/29/2013 - Two Chicks on Books - Guest Post

8/30/2013 - About to Read - Interview

Two signed sets of Starling and Descendant are open to US and Canadian residents.

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Descendant was a "MUST READ ASAP" book for me as soon as I finished its prequel, Starling. If you have read the first book, you know that it ends on a doozy of a cliffhanger. Like many, I had been itching to get my hands on a copy of Descendant so that I could know what happened next. Thankfully, I read Starling only about a month before the release of the second book, so I wasn't tortured as long as some of those who had read the book when it was first released. It was everything I could've hoped for, and more. In fact, I enjoyed it even more than Starling and was seriously upset at its end, not only because this part of the story was completed, but also because there was a major cliffhanger in this novel as well and the wait for the next book is F-O-R-E-V-E-R (not really, but I tend to exaggerate when I am displeased).

Descendant begins almost exactly where Starling left off. Everyone is injured after the quasi-battle. Mason has no idea where she is, no idea what's she's to do and no idea how to get home. Fenn, the Fennrys Wolf, is desperately searching for his beloved Mason, with the help of mutual friends. Mason is guided to a way home by an unlikely companion, but is ignorant to the fact that the key to getting her back is also what will cause the end of the world, or Ragnarok mentioned in Norse mythology.

I love these characters! Except… Ya know… The ones I hate (there is one that comes to mind who really needs a kick in the pants). We are introduced to several new characters in this book, and one of them is especially entertaining: Loki. Everyone at least has an idea of who Loki is (if you aren't thinking of Tom Hiddleson in The Avengers, you obviously have the wrong mental image in your head), and no matter what, he's always this misunderstood character that you hate to love AND love to hate. That description works well for several of the characters in this story. The author does a good job at making sure to give you a smattering of both good and evil characters--ones to love and ones to hate all the way to holy hell. I could hardly put the book down due to my affection for the characters. Well, the characters and the plot, that is.

Livingston is a skilled storyteller. Her devotion to myth in this series is wonderful. I'm not extremely knowledgable beyond Greek mythology, but her focus on all different kinds of these ancient stories really intrigued me. It was neat to see them incorporated with the modern world, and joining our characters on their adventures was absolutely thrilling--Mason's time in Hel (specifically her time spent with Loki in the very beginning) was my absolute favorite part of this story. The lore brought to life was just wonderful. It's amazing that the author was able to pull together multiple kinds of mythology (Egyptian, Greek and Norse--Norse being the main focus) without completely demolishing the original stories. Each kind plays a role in this story, and it is done in a way that will intrigue readers rather than confuse them. Livingston excellently displayed her ability to weave a story remnant of mighty legends in this novel. Book three cannot come soon enough, if only so I could get a taste of more! 

While the author's focus on monologue and description disoriented me at first, I really grew to appreciate it in this novel. Her strong prose and engaging plot were able to negate most issues I found. This book is so addicting. It, and its prequel, are fast paced, plot-driven and utterly engaging. I'm really enjoying this series and the different twists that the author has taken. Though if I'm being honest, Descendant was able to enthrall in places where Starling fell flat. The main theme of action works fantastically well with the myth in this novel, and I really enjoyed the details given on those sequences. It was impossible to not be entranced by the mind-blowing action, the mythical monsters and gods, and new and old challenges that these characters face. I hope that the author keeps up with her growth and makes the next book in this series even better.

Descendant, too, ends on a major cliffie. As much as I hate them, I must admit that they really work for this series. I will most definitely be reading book as soon as I possibly can! I advise that YA fans who like action, romance and a huge helping of mythology read this series whenever they have the time. (Except if you have trouble will cliffhangers--which I wouldn't blame you for--then I'd wait until the next book is out because DANG.) After finishing this novel, it is safe to say that Lesley Livingston is well on her way to becoming a favorite author of mine!

I received a finished copy of this novel from the publisher for my honest opinion and review.

Thank you to the ladies at Rockstar Book Tours, Lesley Livingston and HarperTeen for allowing me to join in this tour!