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Have you found your Thor? Kai Strand wants to help with that. Be sure to check out the giveaway below.
International intrigue hits small-town America.
Tragedy has left Cara Cassidy broken and the only thing keeping her from giving in completely is her guilt. Until Nik Rock.
Nik stirs up feelings in degrees she has never experienced, and causes her to do things that most assuredly give him the wrong impression – like kiss him before their first date. Somehow, he breaks down the walls around her emotions until she has no choice but to forgive herself and feel again.
But a mysterious, troubled past follows Nik, and Cara may prove to be his weakest link.
When a royal princess shows up looking for Nik, and an international gang arrives looking for missing jewels, Cara lands in mortal danger. Will she be able to save herself? What will happen to her newly repaired psyche if she loses Nik?
Romance, mystery, and high stakes – just another day in high school.
Excerpt:
He nodded a polite, though cautious, greeting before walking toward the second break in the shrubs overlooking the beginning of the rapids.
Her heart pounding as fast as the sparrows flitting though the leafless shrubs, Cara faced the river again, not completely comfortable turning her back to him. She was pretty sure he was close to her age, so why did she feel so threatened?
Power. Strength. Assurance.
Even as enthralled with superheroes as she and Arac had always been, she’d never realized those words could be felt. Yet they poured off of him in waves. She glanced over her shoulder. He’d been shrouded by the hood, and she’d barely seen anything beyond his blazing gaze. He stood with his back to her, so she studied him.
His posture was impeccable, with his back straight, feet shoulder-width apart, hands still buried in his jacket pockets. He looked entirely alert and ready. Even though it seemed he watched the water tumble and trip down the rapids, she felt his fierce gaze was directed inward. Focused on memories or thoughts she would never see, though suddenly she wanted to. Mystery teased her curiosity. She sensed this stranger had a compelling story to tell. Or maybe she just hoped for a distraction from her own horror story.
As if he’d heard her reflection, and wanted to hear more, his head shifted slightly, angling toward her. Another shiver shuddered through her body. She had to remind herself that superpowers weren’t real, and still she wondered—hero or villain?
When her children were young and the electricity winked out, Kai Strand gathered her family around the fireplace and they told stories, one sentence at a time. Her boys were rather fond of the ending, “And then everybody died. The end.” Now an award winning children’s author, Kai crafts fiction for kids and teens to provide an escape hatch from their reality. With a selection of novels for young adult and middle grade readers Kai entertains children of all ages, and their adults. Learn more about Kai and her books on her website, www.kaistrand.com.
Swag alert! Looking for your Thor? Look no further, Kai’s got you covered. Enter to win a custom tote bag for all of those books you like to carry with you, and a Thor baseball cap. Easy entry for those in a hurry, or many other ways to earn more entries for contest junkies. The Finding Thor swag pack can only be shipped in the United States. If winner is International, an Amazon gift card will be substituted and another winner will be chosen.
Looking around the room Sandra asked, “Is this an FVA party? It seems too far away.”
“No. SVA. You didn’t even know which school’s party you were crashing?” Disdain dripped from Oceanus’s words.
The condescending tone was too much. Hadn’t she been nice to Oceanus when she dropped by unexpectedly? Anger surged inside Sandra. “What does it even matter? The schools are all balanced now anyway. Thanks to you!”
Lexa’s mouth dropped open.
Oceanus clenched her fists. “I told you, I had nothing to do with it.”
Before Sandra could spit back a reply, a boy sidled up to Oceanus, his eyes scanning the partygoers.
“Hey, babe. Those mozzarella things you made were a huge hit. Can you make more?” The boy ran his hand down her back and finally dropped his gaze to Oceanus. “What’s wrong?”
He followed her glower and squinted at Sandra. “Do I know you?”
“Aaaahhh!” Sandra yelled. “You arrogant jerk.”
She spun toward Lexa, who was all but drooling over the boy. “Let’s go!”
“What?” Lexa exclaimed.
The boy frowned. “So obviously I’m supposed to know you.”
“Yeah, one does that after it’s burned off!” Sandra tugged on Lexa’s arm. “We can’t stay here.”
SUPER BAD The unexpected conclusion to the Super Villain Academy series.
The world is in chaos. Violence and thievery reign. And with the supers still balanced, it’s only getting worse. Without good versus evil, the supers care less and less. In order to restore purpose, the world needs its super heroes and its super villains, but the one who balanced them in the first place is missing.
Sandra’s concern over finding her brother, Jeff, isn’t her only problem. Her pathetic excuse for super powers has left her needing a new ankle. And though she’s still very much committed to her boyfriend, Source, she’s growing unreasonably attracted to Set, the boy who double crossed Jeff by stealing his girlfriend.
When Sandra is taken and held as bait by kids who want to unbalance the super world, it becomes the inciting event that changes things for supers everywhere and forces them to answer the question, “Hero or villain?”
***
Super Bad is scheduled for release in June, but there have been whispers of it releasing sooner. Don’t miss out. Subscribe to Kai’s mailing list and be among the first to know.
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King of Bad - Jeff Mean would rather set fires than follow rules. He wears his bad boy image like a favorite old hoodie; until he learns he has superpowers and is recruited by Super Villain Academy – where you learn to be good at being bad. Is Jeff bad enough for SVA?
Polar Opposites - Heroes and villains are balanced. After Oceanus is kidnapped, Jeff learns the supers are so balanced, they no longer care to get involved. Ironically Jeff’s superpowers are spiraling out of control. Will they find Oci before he looses it completely, and will they find her alive?
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Win a $10 Amazon gift card or an ecopy of either King of Bad or Polar Opposites. Plenty of chances to win. Open internationally. Enter here: a Rafflecopter giveaway About the author: When her children were young and the electricity winked out, Kai Strand gathered her family around the fireplace and they told stories, one sentence at a time. Her boys were rather fond of the ending, “And then everybody died. The end.” Now an award winning children’s author, Kai crafts fiction for kids and teens to provide an escape hatch from their reality. With a selection of novels for young adult and middle grade readers and short stories for the younger ones, Kai entertains children of all ages, and their adults. Learn more about Kai and her books on her website, www.kaistrand.com.
0 Comments on Cover Reveal: Super Bad by Kai Strand as of 2/23/2015 5:07:00 AM
John Green is a New York Times bestselling author who has received numerous awards, including both the Printz Medal and a Printz Honor. John is also the cocreator (with his brother, Hank) of the popular video blog Brotherhood 2.0, which has been watched more than 30 million times by Nerdfighter fans all over the globe. John Green lives in Indianapolis, Indiana.
0 Comments on John Green ~ Author of The Fault in 0ur Stars as of 2/16/2015 6:33:00 PM
I just turned sixteen and what a crazy ride it has been since my birthday. My magic was always less than expected and hard to control. My Aunt Janie thought my ordinary half was affecting my spellcasting witch half, but I recently learned that my diamond bloodcharm, a gemstone pendant from my mom, enhances my magic, and it has really made a difference in my spellcasting, but don’t tell anyone! I have a surprise in store for my coven.
2. Are your parents alive? Are they married? Are they divorced?
Sadly, my parents passed away when I was a small child. I have some memories of them, especially sitting on my mother’s lap and the warmth of her embrace. Their deaths haunt me because I have a feeling the mystery surrounding what happened has something to do with black-hearted Judge Mather. He is the father of the guy I’m falling hard for, but he is an unethical man who stops at nothing to get what he wants. He’s locked up half of my coven’s witches for magical slip-ups, and I fear he had something to do with my parents’ deaths.
3. If you were sent to a deserted island what three things would you take?
My godmother Phoebe’s sugared pansy petals because they are delicious and they melt in your mouth. I would bring my red diamond bloodcharm for sentimental and practical reasons. It belonged to my mother and it enhances my magic, which would come in handy on a deserted island. I would also include my hot boyfriend because he’s fearless when danger is near and that’s been a lot lately.
4. Do you have a hidden talent?
I can make a mean purple spaghetti sauce. It requires purple tomatoes and pink Parisian garlic along with a few special herbs from my Aunt Janie’s enchanted garden. I cast a simple puree spell on it to blend the ingredients together and it’sdelicious.
5. Do you consider yourself and introvert or extrovert?
I’m an introvert. I’m not sure if being an introvert is my true nature or from a habit of keeping secrets and trying to blend in. The ordinaries in Wethersfield, a small Connecticut town steeped in Puritanical history, just can’t handle witch magic, so it’s best for everyone involved if we keep our talents hidden and being an introvert helps.
6. What is your idea of a perfect day?
A perfect day would be a day full of swoony kissing with my forbidden boyfriend, Alexavier. He’s an ordinary and a Mather. In case you don’t know your American history, theMathers played a big role in condemning witches to hang in New England. Alexavier is a descendant of the man who condemned my ancestor, Rebecca Greensmithto hang at Gallows Hill so I get that he’s forbidden, but his bad boy ways and his hot British accent are so irresistible. Plus he’s hiding a secret that I just have to know. Did I mention he’s tall, dark-haired, and has lips that taste like sun-ripened peaches?
7. If I asked you to write an entry in your journal what would it be about?
A journal? I’ve been trying to unlock entries from my ancestor’s enchanted journal from three hundred and fifty years ago. So if I had a journal of my own, I might want to repay the favor and write something down that would help my descendant sometime in the future.
8. Tell me something no one else knows about you?
I love living in Wethersfield. It’s a small town, but I think in time, the people here will come to embrace the witches living among them. Fingers crossed!
About Disenchanted:
A dark curse, a forbidden love, an impossible choice.
Orphaned sixteen-year-old Sophie Goodchild is an outcast among the ordinaries and her coven, but not because she’s untalented. Descended from a powerful Wethersfield witch, her spellcasting gift is awkwardly emerging, but that’s the least of her worries. The boy she’s forbidden to fall for, a descendant of the man who condemned her ancestor to hang, carries a dark secret that could destroy them both unless Sophie learns how to tap into the mysterious power of her diamond bloodcharm.
Suspenseful, dark, romantic, and brimming with old magic, Disenchanted captures the intrigue of New England’s witchlore.
After taking several writing courses in college and attending professional writing workshops after I graduated from the University of Maryland, University College, I began writing young adult fiction with purpose. I joined the Maryland Writers’ Association and Romance Writers of America and became an approved artist with the Maryland State Arts Council.
My debut novel, Disenchanted, is now available, and I am working on my next, The Witch’s Ring, which will be set in Annapolis.
Boy Red is a story about identity, about where you come from and where you belong.
The day after his sixteenth birthday, Red discovers that the man he calls ‘Dad’is not his biological father. Will Red be able to track down the anonymous sperm donor who gave him life? What will he learn about himself along the way? And just what else are his parents hiding?
Excerpt:
It was Saturday night, and Mum was up on the makeshift stage doing a classy number—that is to say Tina Turner complete with big h air and five-inch red heels. The booths were taken by the karaoke regulars clutching their song sheets and medallions. A throng of studded students drank cheap German beer at the bar, disappearing outside every few minutes for a smoke. Tourists dripping with backpacks chatted in a zillion different languages.
A few weeks ago, I told Mum I wanted low key, meaning a night out down the Lock with Si—no wigs, microphones, or other parental contributions in sight. But she would have none of it.
“Red, baby, you only turn sixteen once,”she’d said. “You’ve got to mark it in style. You’ve got to have a party.”
My name’s actually Jed, but everyone calls me Red. I share two things with Mick Hucknall: mad orange hair and a slightly odd face. Sadly, I don’t have his musical talents. Not like Mum. She wins a lot of prizes. It’s embarrassing to see her in her Cher wig and polka dot dress, but it could be worse. She could be something really boring like an accountant. Dad’s an academic. He’s a professor of science. They make for a strange combo, but Camden caters for all sorts. The posh and the rough rub shoulders every day. Not that I’m saying Mum’s rough or anything, but her Madonna impersonations can make for scary viewing.
So there I was down at the local pub, staring at the purple swirly carpet, starting to feel nauseous. My sixteenth birthday party. It may as well have been musical chairs and pin the tail on the donkey. It was that bad. My six-year-old brother, Freddie, sat smirking in the corner while Mum warbled out her rendition of City Limits. Dave, the karaoke organiser, all burly biceps in a frilly pink shirt, tapped his right foot in time to the music. Dad smiled amiably at the bar as he downed an orange juice. That man lacked the capacity for embarrassment. He must have a gene missing or something.
“Your mum’s reading the lines off a television. Where’s the harm in it?”he reasoned. He could be so rational, it was maddening.
Si was chatting up a pair of Asian twins who’d just finished their version of The Cheeky Girls’“Touch My Bum.” He winked at me to join him, while Mum carried on gyrating in red polyester as she reached the climax.
“Dad. Dad!” Freddie tugged at Dad’s jeans.
Dad checked his watch, stood up, and cleared his throat. Uh-oh.
“Oh, yes. Thank you, Freddie. Gaye!”
Uh-oh. Uh-oh.
Mum smiled at Dave as she gripped the microphone. “Thank you, everybody. I have a little announcement to make,” she said. The shrieks and applause died down, leaving a low hum of conversation. The Cheeky Girls stopped drinking their Barcardi Breezers and looked expectantly at Mum. They wore white PVC hot pants and matching kneehigh boots. They were hot all right. Not the type of girls I wanted around to witness this kind of embarrassment. I looked on in horror and considered my options. This would have been a good time to escape to the bog, but Dad had already covered that one by asking Dave’s brother, Stu, to keep guard. Dad’s best mate, Phil, stood to my right, smiling inanely at me. There was nowhere to run. So I downed half of Stu’s pint instead. He didn’t seem to mind. Just winked.
“Okay, guys and girls,” continued Mum, running her hands through her wig. “I hope you’ll all join me in wishing our Red a very happy sixteenth birthday.”
I’d never get served alcohol in here after that. It was all right for girls, they always got served. The Cheeky Girls couldn’t have been much older than I was, and they were knocking them back.
Stu waved manically over my head for the benefit of anyone who might not know who the lucky boy was. The Cheeky Girls whispered to each other and raised their collective eyebrows as I fixed a boomerang smile on my face.
“Ha-a-a-a-ppy birthday to you, Happy birthday to you…”Mum had gone into Marilyn Monroe mode, all silly girly voice, while Dave brought out a blue football cake fit for a five year old, complete with sixteen flaming candles. It was excruciating.
When the humiliation was over, Mum came over and kissed me on the forehead and ruffled my already wild hair, just to add insult to injury.
“I think that needs a cut, mister,” she said.
I looked at Freddie’s smooth pudding basin cut performed by Mum the day before and shuddered. I didn’t think so.
I’d always been the odd one out with my orange mane. Jokes about the milkman were rife.
I blew out my candles and cut the cake as a million digital cameras flashed in my face. Another one for the family album.
It was all so normal. Well, normal as far as my family went anyway.
1. The idea for the story came about originally when I was in the sixth grade. I used to read those YA and middle grade novels about those groups of girls who had the perfect close-knit relationships—the whole best friend forever thing personified. I was in grade school and I saw the cover of the Bangles “Everything” cd and they looked like that type of clique and I wondered what they were like at thirteen/fourteen. As an adult I wrote the story to show how Landry thinks everyone else has these tight groups of friends who never get mad at one another and everything is always perfect and she wants that and hopes to find it with Devon, Peyton and India. However, reality sets it…reality is such a bummer sometimes, isn’t it?
2. The older actor Devon has a crush on that the other girls make fun of her for is based on my crush on Liam Neeson.
3. People ask if I had best friend necklaces/bracelets/earrings/etc. when I was growing up. Yup, with several friends. Some I’m still close with, too. The day I told my writing group about my book contract I noticed I was wearing a silver bracelet with a heart charm and it never occurred to me before how much this was like the bff bracelet in the story—or the bracelet Landry’s dad gives her. I took that as a sign and that’s why you see the broken bff heart on the cover dangling off the, “s,” in “Colors.” BTW, one of my favorite gifts is still a thoughtful bracelet from a friend.
4. Landry’s last name, “Albright,” comes from Madeleine Albright. As a kid I was very aware there weren’t a lot of female role models in my social studies books. I distinctly remember being amazed as a kid seeing Benazir Bhutto in my Weekly Reader at school. So I used the name to pay tribute to a woman who broke through the glass ceiling—the first female U.S. Secretary of State.
5. The designer, Franciszka T, all the girls are obsessed with got the name because my great-grandmother, two of my great-great-grandmothers, and my great-great-aunt, were all named Franciszka. I picked “T,” because the great-great-aunt used to design and make clothes (she made her sister’s wedding dress and her own bridesmaid’s dress). Her last name started with a, “T.” I also look a little bit like her—we have the same big alien eyes.
6. When I first saw the possible cover models, I thought the one who ended up on the cover looked like a couple cousins of mine. I knew she was the perfect choice. Months later, the cover model found out about being on the book and contacted me. Turns out she lives in Poland and is from a town next to the city my great-grandpa was from! Crazy coincidence.
7. I’m not from the city the story is set in (Grand Rapids, MI), but my parents were, so I decided to have Landry and her mom live there. I’m actually from the other side of the state—an hour north of Detroit.
8. Landry’s name was originally, Sydney, but I changed it because the name was getting overused. My mom suggested the name Landry because she had a little girl in her class years ago with that name. I loved it and what’s funny is she had a student named, “Krysten,” too, and she told me that Landry and Krysten were best friends.
9. I named the ice cream parlor everyone hangs out at in the story after my great-grandfather. I picture the ice cream place being in Grand Rapids, MI (where the story is set)right near where he lived when he first moved to this country. In case you’re from the area and curious, I picture it being on Diamond Avenue.
10. Like Landry and Ashanti, I was a big soap opera fan. My favorite was, One Life to Live. I pictured two of the characters, Colin and Lanie, as being Landry’s parents. If you look at the cover model, she really resembles them both.
Krysten Lindsay Hager is an author and book addict who has never met a bookstore she didn’t like.
She’s worked as a journalist and also writes middle grade, YA, humor essays, and adult fiction. TRUE COLORS is her bestselling debut novel from Astraea Press. She is originally from Michigan and has lived in South Dakota, Portugal, and currently resides in Southern Ohio where you can find her reading and writing. She received her master’s in American Culture from the University of Michigan-Flint.
Zeeta and her mother Layla have moved to a new country every year for Zeeta's entire life. When they end up running cabanas in Mazunte, Mexico, Zeeta is determined to make it stick. After all, her beloved Wendell has an internship nearby and her long-lost father is supposedly from Mazunte. Of course, nothing can be that easy, especially when the cabanas where Zeeta lives are said to be cursed and someone is poaching the sea turtles' eggs. Laura Resau's fans will love The Jade Notebook, the final book in the Notebook trilogy.
An unfortunate incident sends 14 year old Gabby to the afterlife WAY before she is ready. First thing on her afterlife journey...witnessing her wake. Not only is she mortified that her mother dressed her in the worst, most non-flattering, white, pleated pants for all eternity, but her least favorite person in the whole world, Angela Black, shows up acting like she is a super model at a fashion show instead of a funeral. Read the full review here.
0 Comments on Review: On the Bright Side as of 1/1/1900
Hailey Tarbell is still struggling to come to grips with her special gift as a Healer and the good that it can do. And even more so with the horrific effects it can have if her gift is harnessed and used by the wrong people. She has already experienced this firsthand. An experience she never wants to happen again. Click here to read my full review.
0 Comments on Review: Unforsaken by Sophie Littlefield as of 1/1/1900
Terrific post, Karen! I love that Heidi's female character is strong and independent. Nettie sounds like the perfect role model for young girls everywhere.
Yes, the sequel will take up where Cowgirl Dreams leaves off. The 3rd in the series, which I'm starting now, will also be about the same character and based somewhat on my grandmother, but even more fictionalized than the first two.
Swag alert! Looking for your Thor? Look no further, Kai’s got you covered. Enter to win a custom tote bag for all of those books you like to carry with you, and a Thor baseball cap. Easy entry for those in a hurry, or many other ways to earn more entries for contest junkies. The Finding Thor swag pack can only be shipped in the United States. If winner is International, an Amazon gift card will be substituted and another winner will be chosen.
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Terrific post, Karen!
I love that Heidi's female character is strong and independent. Nettie sounds like the perfect role model for young girls everywhere.
I love horse stories. This sounds like a terrific read and a true story to boot. Great post Karen!
What a great role model your grandmother must have been. I have this book on my 'want-to-read' list.
Hmm. Went to post (obviously, since I'm commenting) and about what I consider a third is overlapped by the right hand column. This is in Firefox.
Belay my last! Was a problem on my end that I fixed.
Great interview, and always nice to learn about new authors and their books.
Thanks for sharing your Grandmother's story with the world. I love her spunk and determination! Way to go!
Karen, your post is EXCELLENT! You always honor your authors with a caring and thorough post. Thanks!
Thanks for stopping by, All,
Heidi's book does look like an excellent read for young adults.
It is wonderful to have those experiences of your grandmother in a book. What a treasure.
My little guy is taking a nap, so I'll try to squeeze a few sites in.:)
Karen
Strong women rock! Thanks for sharing, will check it out!
Very nicely done feature post, Karen and Robyn. Always enjoy learning more about Heidi and her writing and this post did not disappoint!
Marvin D Wilson
Sounds like a very nice story for girls. Good luck with the book!
Thank you, Karen, for hosting me today and doing such a nice job!
Thanks to all of you who have visited and commented. I enjoy hearing your take on the subject.
I come from a line of strong, independent Montana women, which will be reflected in my series.
BTW, I'm no longer a "pre-published" novelist, but a "published one!" Hooray! My sequel, Follow the Dream will be released in 2010.
Thanks, All!
Heidi
Thanks for sharing the great interview, Karen. Your book sounds very enjoyable, Heidi, and congratulations on your upcoming sequel!
A really interesting post, Karen.
Your book sounds like one great read, Heidi. And I love the title for the second one - is that based on your grandmother as well?
Helena
Yes, the sequel will take up where Cowgirl Dreams leaves off. The 3rd in the series, which I'm starting now, will also be about the same character and based somewhat on my grandmother, but even more fictionalized than the first two.
Thanks All for stopping by. And, Heidi it's been a pleasure hosting you today. Congratulations on the upcoming book - I wish you much success!
Karen
This has been fun! Hope you all had a great day on your blogs!
Heidi
Fantastic, thanks!!!
Thanks for stopping by 10 Colorado!
Karen