Tuesday, October 30, 2018

DEATH BY THE RIVER by Alexandrea Weis and Lucas Astor Official Blog Tour



SYNOPSIS

Some truths are better kept secret. 
Some secrets are better off dead. 

Along the banks of the Bogue Falaya River, sits the abandoned St. Francis Seminary. Beneath a canopy of oaks, blocked from prying eyes, the teens of St. Benedict High gather here on Fridays. The rest of the week belongs to school and family—but weekends belong to the river.

And the river belongs to Beau Devereaux. 

The only child of a powerful family, Beau can do no wrong. Handsome. Charming. Intelligent. The star quarterback of the football team. The “prince” of St. Benedict is the ultimate catch. 

He is also a psychopath. 

A dirty family secret buried for years, Beau’s evil grows unchecked. In the shadows of the ruined St. Francis Abbey, he commits unspeakable acts on his victims and ensures their silence with threats and intimidation. Senior year, Beau sets his sights on his girlfriend’s headstrong twin sister, Leslie, who hates him. Everything he wants but cannot have, she will be his ultimate prize. 

As the victim toll mounts, it becomes crystal clear that someone has to stop Beau Devereaux. 

And that someone will pay with their life.

WARNING: Readers of Death by the River will encounter situations of violence and sexual abuse which could be upsetting.  






The process of Co-writing and how your ideas work or don't work.

Lucas and I have worked well together on several series, and we find our taste for twisted characters and horrific tales makes us a great fit. Death by the River was his brainchild. He wrote the first draft and then gave it to me. I have a lot of freedom with Lucas to reinvent the book. I always confer with him, but we often surprise each other by how much we think alike for what we want in terms of character and storyline.
Reworking the characters was the first task. I was fascinated by Beau Devereaux and wanted to show more of the psychopath beneath his golden boy exterior. Having worked as a nurse for over twenty-five years, the psychology behind his character was easier for me to develop. Beau morphed into a complex character along with his father, Gage. He is my favorite in the story. The dialogue between these two shows critical aspects of Beau’s psyche and hints at his past.

I wanted to utilize the sisters, Leslie and Dawn, in a way that shows what to look for in a man—good and bad. Dawn is a young woman who is blinded by what Beau offers. All the girls who end up in the cells of The Abbey see Beau in the same light. But Leslie doesn’t. To her, Beau is a monster. Her relationship with her boyfriend Derek builds her up and doesn’t tear her apart as Beau does to Dawn. The sisters’ tale is a warning to young women to avoid being ensnared by men who seem too good to be true.   
One portion of the story Lucas encouraged me to change was the setting. I wanted to make the landscape as creepy as Beau and knew of a seminary school by my home in Covington, Louisiana, outside of New Orleans, which offered the perfect backdrop. The towns and the Bogue Falaya River mentioned in the book are real. Drawing on the quaint atmosphere of where I live added to the small-town feel of St. Benedict, and alluded to the sheltered lives of the characters.

Lucas and I have found our collaborations to flow effortlessly. We are always supportive of each other and are very proud of the results. Death by the River, I feel, is our best work together to date.   

EXCERPT


Leslie followed him along the shoreline until they came to a rusted iron gate with a No Trespassing sign secured to it. Decorated with crosses and swirls, the sign marked the entrance to The Abbey grounds. Stepping through the open gate, she peered up at the imposing structure.
Two spires of white limestone, shaped like the tip of a sword, cut into the blue sky. The structure of red brick and limestone, the front windows and doors secured with loose scraps of plywood, sat in the middle of a field of high grass. The squat stone building of cloisters behind The Abbey remained intact. The Benedictine monks who had run the seminary school demolished the dormitories, refectory, and library after the site had been abandoned.
“Some place, huh?” Derek let go of her hand and trudged his way across the high grass.
Leslie’s apprehension bloomed in her chest. The grounds, unkempt after years of neglect, were a hodgepodge of weeds, overgrown trees, and green vines. On the way across the thigh-high grass, they passed a beautiful triple-tiered fountain with an angel on top, raising her arms to the heavens—a silent witness to the past.
How do people come here at night? 
“You ever wonder why those priests just up and left it?” she asked, uncomfortable with the eerie quiet. Even the birds had stopped singing. “I know everyone in town says they got a better offer from the seminary in New Orleans, but it seems funny a bunch of people abandoned the place for no reason.”
“They left because it’s a wreck.” Derek parted a thick pile of tall grass with his shoe. “My mom told me it was falling apart when she was a kid, and the Archdiocese didn’t have the money to fix it. So they packed up the seminary school, the priests, and all the staff and shipped them to New Orleans.”
“Seems a shame, though. I read once that the structure dates back to the early 1800s when the Devereaux family built it as a private church.” Leslie eyed the frame of the empty belfry atop one of the square-shaped towers. “You’d think they’d want to save it.”
Derek nudged her with his elbow. “Maybe the ghost drove the priests away.”
Beau’s tale had been in the back of her head the whole time, but Derek’s comment spooked the crap out of her. “By ghost, do you mean the lady in white?”
“Yep.” He scanned the land around them. “They say she wears a glistening white cloak and wanders the priests’ cells. She only appears when the moon is full or during storms.”
The thought of being alone in such a disturbing place terrified her. “Have you ever seen the ghost?”
“Nah.”
Leslie kicked herself for letting him talk her into coming to the remote location. “What about the wild dogs? Have you seen them around The Abbey?”
“Not to worry, baby. I’ll protect you from ghosts, wild dogs, and Beau Devereaux.” He climbed the granite steps, encouraging her to join him. “But I have to draw the line at your mother. There’s no way I’m taking her on in a fight.”

Copyright © 2018 by Alexandrea Weis & Lucas Astor



Praise for DEATH BY THE RIVER

"... a thrilling psychological work ... Catching the current vogue of teen psycho and revenge tales like Bates Motel and 13 Reasons Why ... a horrifically brilliant book ... Beau Devereaux could have easily been a clichéd psycho, but the plot constructed around him and his development during the novel really shone as a masterpiece of character creation ... much in the style of Dexter or Hannibal." ―K.C. Finn, Multi-Award-Winning Author 

"Rare is the story that simmers and rises to a boil so naturally and constantly that the reader manages to be repeatedly shocked ... a full-speed rollercoaster that doesn't slow down until the final page. Employing an evocative setting, powerfully defined characters, and taking along hard look at the darker side of human desire, this novel will catch your breath and hold it until the very end. RECOMMENDED" ―Michael Radon, US Review

"While the authors have written a chilling story here, there's more to Death by the River than thrills. It's actually a fascinating study into the effects of good and bad parenting on children. Do it badly and parents, children and society as a whole pay the consequences. This book is not just an exciting read; it's a sobering one." ―Viga Boland, Retired high school English teacher and Author of No Tears for my Father: Viga's true story of incest 

"While the story follows compelling characters, it also plunges readers into an intriguing setting. It is ironical that the horrors are taking place along the river that runs so close to a seminary, an establishment that should evoke a powerful sense of God and reverence for life. The characters are sophisticated and readers will learn to honestly hate the villain of the story -- he is well imagined and developed with skill. In a subtle way, the authors allow his crooked mind to reveal itself. Like most serial killers, he is a charmer and an intelligent young man, but beneath the cool surface is a cauldron of simmering evil. Weis and Astor have written a riveting crime tale with strong psychological underpinnings. Death by the River is ingeniously plotted, written in gorgeous prose, and featuring a strong conflict that propels the narrative forward. The suspense intensifies as the story moves on, with the reader always feeling as though something awful could happen at any moment, and this feeling grows in intensity until the explosive climax. A real thriller!" ―Romuald Dzemo, Readers' Favorite

"A suspense-filled thriller steeped in equal parts atmosphere, insanity, and revenge." ―Mary Ting, Award-Winning Author of ISAN: International Sensory Assassin Network

"Weis and Astor have created something so dark, edgy, and gritty, it will stay with you long after you close the book." ―Julieanne Lynch, Dragon Award Finalist: Horror (2018) 

"... a crime thriller that pulls readers into the twisted mind of the protagonist and holds them engaged till the exhilarating finish. The writing is flawless ... Death by the River is psychologically engaging, emotionally rich, and utterly absorbing." ―Christian Sia    

ABOUT THE AUTHORS


Alexandrea Weis, RN-CS, CRRN, ONC, PhD, is a multi award-winning author of over twenty-five novels, a screenwriter, ICU Nurse, and historian who was born and raised in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Having grown up in the motion picture industry as the daughter of a director, she learned to tell stories from a different perspective and began writing at the age of eight. Infusing the rich tapestry of her hometown into her novels, she believes that creating vivid characters makes a story moving and memorable. A permitted/certified wildlife rehabber with the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries, Weis rescues orphaned and injured animals. She lives with her husband and pets in New Orleans. Weis writes paranormal, suspense, thrillers, horror, crime fiction, and romance.

Lucas Astor, Lucas Astor is from New York, has resided in Central America and the Middle East, and traveled through Europe. He lives a very private, virtually reclusive lifestyle, preferring to spend time with a close-knit group of friends than be in the spotlight. He is an author and poet with a penchant for telling stories that delve into the dark side of the human psyche. He likes to explore the evil that exists, not just in the world, but right next door behind a smiling face.

Weis and Astor’s first collaboration was the multi-award-winning Magnus Blackwell Series.

PHOTO CONTENT FROM ALEXANDREA WEIS AND LUCAS ASTOR

WEBSITE: http://www.alexandreaweis.com/
TWITTER: @alexandreaweis  
GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1211671.Alexandrea_Weis
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/authoralexandreaweis/
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/alexandreaweis/
  


--Giveaway is open to International. | Must be 13+ to Enter

-  2 Winners will receive a $25 Amazon Gift Card.

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WEEK ONE
OCTOBER 22nd MONDAY JeanBookNerd INTERVIEW
OCTOBER 23rd TUESDAY BookHounds YA GUEST POST 
OCTOBER 24th WEDNESDAY TTC Books and More TENS LIST
OCTOBER 25th THURSDAY Booknerdchelcie REVIEW
OCTOBER 26th FRIDAY Sabrina's Paranormal Palace REVIEW & EXCERPT

WEEK TWO
OCTOBER 29th MONDAY The Avid Reader EXCERPT
OCTOBER 30th TUESDAY Here's to Happy Endings REVIEW
OCTOBER 30th TUESDAY Insane About Books GUEST POST 
OCTOBER 31st WEDNESDAY A Thousand Words A Million Books REVIEW & INTERVIEW -
NOVEMBER 1st THURSDAY NightlyReading REVIEW & TENS LIST
NOVEMBER 2nd FRIDAY Crossroad Reviews REVIEW & GUEST POST


WEEK THREE
NOVEMBER 5th MONDAY Casia's Corner REVIEW
NOVEMBER 6th TUESDAY Bri's Book Nook REVIEW



NOVEMBER 6th TUESDAY Oh Hey! Books INTERVIEW
NOVEMBER 7th WEDNESDAY Wishful Endings FILL IN THE BLANKS
NOVEMBER 8th THURSDAY Tara's Book Addiction REVIEW 


Monday, October 29, 2018

EMBOLDEN by Syrie James & Ryan M. James Official Nerd Blast and Giveaway



SYNOPSIS

Internationally bestselling author Syrie James and her son Ryan M. James bring their trademark drama, humor, action, romance, and suspense to Embolden, the second book in this critically acclaimed series.

The world is trying to tear them apart. 
Will they stand together and fight back? 

After a season of psychic visions and super-powered drama, Claire Brennan and her angel-gone-AWOL boyfriend Alec MacKenzie can finally be together. Under the protection of Claire’s grandmother, they are trying to lead a normal life, going to high school at Emerson Academy and hanging out with their friends. 

But jealous teenagers, vengeful enemies, the city’s new Watcher, and even the school play threaten to break them apart. Not to mention Claire’s surprising second power, which could sabotage the trust of everyone she holds dear. And just when they need to stick together, they finally get a lead on where Claire’s missing father might be. 

The threats, which come not only from without but also from within, will test the strength of Alec and Claire’s relationship. Is the love they share enough to keep them safe? If they want to stay together … can they learn to fight together?  


Praise for EMBOLDEN

"5 stars! … Like the first time, I devoured it again in one sitting and cherished the tandem of Alec and Claire … I felt like I was watching a movie with superb scriptwriting ... I was so invested and just kept turning the page. Now I am biting my nails in anticipation on what comes next." —NightlyReading

"I read Forbidden and Embolden in three days. Absolutely loved them both! I love Syrie James so as soon as I saw her name I had to read it. Thank you for a great story. 4 stars!" —Bloom Magic  


ABOUT THE AUTHORS


Syrie: like the App, only spelled better. 
Syrie James is an author and screenwriter who specializes in love stories and romance. Her novels have received critical acclaim, hit the bestsller list, won awards, and been translated into eighteen languages.

A member of the Writer's Guild of America, Syrie has twenty sold and produced screenplays in a variety of genres, and new scripts that have won industry contests.

In all her work, Syrie places a strong emphasis on story structure, ensuring that her characters' arcs take them on a journey of growth and discovery.

Syrie has addressed numerous organizations as a keynote speaker, and has written, produced, directed, and performed in original theatrical productions across North America and in England, including four appearances as Jane Austen.

Syrie lived in France as a child, an experience that instilled in her a lifelong love of language, foreign culture, and traveling. She and her husband currently live in Los Angeles. In addition to her passion for writing, she enjoys reading, theater, great food, board games, costume design, the out of doors, and above all, spending time with friends and family.

Syrie loves hearing from readers, and hopes you will contact her here or on Facebook.
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | WEBSITE | GOODREADS

Ryan M James is a writer, editor & director with a diverse range of creative and technical experience in both film and video games. By day, Ryan works as an editor for the games industry. Under cover of night, he conjures stories for print, screen, and web. He has co-written screenplays, directed an independent feature and shorts, and created the popular machinima webseries A CLONE APART.

Regardless of genre or medium, Ryan never tires of the thrill of artistic collaboration on a project. He uses his technical expertise and knowledge of storytelling techniques to direct, edit, and/or write compelling pieces with a visual style and a strong sense of narrative. When working on games, he participates in every stage of narrative production, from script to recording to editing to implementation.

In 2001, Ryan co-founded his production company ILLUSIVE ENTERTAINMENT, where he’s directed an online game demo, the feature film REAL, and several shorts, including the award-winning DREAMTIME and its sequel, WITHOUT WORDS. Ryan has meanwhile spent over a decade crafting trailers, cinematics, behind-the-scenes and recruiting material for game developers small and large, including the former PANDEMIC STUDIOS and now NAUGHTY DOG.

Ryan is currently working on a sequel to his first novel FORBIDDEN, co-authored with his mother Syrie James, as well as several other [currently hush-hush] developments.
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | WEBSITE | GOODREADS

PHOTO CONTENT FROM SYRIE JAMES & RYAN JAMES

--Giveaway is open to International. | Must be 13+ to Enter

1 Winner will receive a $20 Amazon Gift Card.

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Friday, October 26, 2018

Cover Reveal: Analiese Rising by Brenda Drake

COVER REVEAL!

ORACLE OF DOOM by D.J. MacHale Official Nerd Blast and Giveaway





SYNOPSIS

Check out a book and read your future. . . . It’s another page-turning adventure from #1 New York Times bestselling author D. J. MacHale!

Marcus is an agent of the Library, a place filled with tales that don’t have an ending. Puzzles that won’t be solved until Marcus and his friends step in to finish them. This time it’s their own stories at stake.

Theo just visited the Oracle Baz, an old amusement-park machine that spits out fortunes for the cost of a quarter. Fun, right? The only problem is, the oracle’s cheap predictions have been coming true . . . and Theo’s fortune says that life as he knows it will end on his fourteenth birthday! Plus, Lu’s cousin, who also went to the oracle, is missing.

Marcus knows where to find help for his friends–the Library. It turns out that the Oracle Baz was a real man who died in a fire long ago. Can a glimpse into the fortune-teller’s past change all their futures?  


Praise for BLACK MOON RISING

“MacHale once again pens a page-turner that adds just the right amount of humor.” —Kirkus Reviews

Praise for SURRENDER THE KEY

“MacHale deftly pulls readers into this page-turning adventure, well-choreographed chapter transitions defying them to put it down.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Readers who love action and adventure, lightened with a bit of humor, will look forward to meeting Marcus, Lu, and Theo again.” —Shelf Awareness  


ABOUT THE AUTHOR


D.J. MacHale is a writer, director, executive producer and creator of several popular television series and movies. As an author, his ten-volume book series: Pendragon: Journal of an Adventure Through Time and Space became a New York Times #1 bestseller.

He was raised in Greenwich, CT where he had several jobs including collecting eggs at a poultry farm; engraving trophies and washing dishes in a steakhouse…in between playing football and running track. D.J. graduated from New York University where he received a BFA in film production.

His film-making career began in New York where he worked as a freelance writer/director making corporate videos and television commercials.

D.J. broke into the entertainment business by writing several ABC Afterschool Specials. As co-creator of the popular Nickelodeon series: Are You Afraid of the Dark?, he produced all 91 episodes. D.J. also wrote and directed the movie Tower of Terror for ABC’s Wonderful World of Disney. The Showtime series Chris Cross was co-created, written and produced by D.J. It received the CableAce award for Best Youth Series.

D.J. created and produced the Discovery Kids/NBC television series Flight 29 Down. He wrote every episode and directed several. His work on Flight 29 Down earned him the Writers Guild of America award for Outstanding Children’s Script and a Directors Guild of America award nomination.

Other notable television writing credits include the ABC Afterschool Special titled Seasonal Differences; the pilot for the long-running PBS/CBS series Ghostwriter; and the HBO series Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective for which he received a CableAce nomination for writing.

In print, D.J. also authored the supernatural Morpheus Road trilogy; a whimsical picture book The Monster Princess; and The SYLO Chronicles, a thrilling sci-fi trilogy. He also wrote Voyagers: Project Alpha, the first of a six book science fiction adventure.

D.J.’s newest book series is The Library, a spooky middle-grade anthology about a mysterious library filled with unfinished supernatural tales, and the daring young people who must complete them.

D.J. lives in Southern California with his wife Evangeline and daughter Keaton. They are avid backpackers, scuba divers and skiers. Rounding out the household is a spoiled golden retriever named Casey and an equally spoiled tuxedo cat named Jinx.  

PHOTO CONTENT FROM D.J. MACHALE

WEBSITE: http://djmachalebooks.com/
TWITTER: 
@DJMacHale 
GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/74046.D_J_MacHale
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorD.J.MacHale/
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/djmachale/



--Giveaway is open to International. | Must be 13+ to Enter

3 Winners will receive the Ultimate The Library Swag (Signed Copy of Black Moon Rising, Signed Audio Book of Black Moon Rising and Surrender the Key) from D.J. MacHale.


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Thursday, October 25, 2018

LULU THE BROADWAY MOUSE by Jenna Gavigan Official Nerd Blast and Giveaway




SYNOPSIS

Ratatouille meets Broadway in this charming new middle grade novel about a little mouse with big dreams.

Lulu is a little girl with a very big dream: she wants to be on Broadway. She wants it more than anything in the world. As it happens, she lives in Broadway's Shubert Theatre; so achieving her dream shouldn't be too tricky, right? Wrong. Because the thing about Lulu? She's a little girl mouse.

When a human girl named Jayne joins the cast of the show at the Shubert as an understudy, Lulu becomes Jayne's guide through the world of her theatre and its wonderfully kooky cast and crew. Together, Jayne and Lulu learn that sometimes dreams turn out differently than we imagined; sometimes they come with terms and conditions (aka the company mean girl, Amanda). But sometimes, just when we've given up all hope, bigger and better dreams than we'd ever thought could come true, do.  


Praise for LULU THE BROADWAY MOUSE

"Preteens who are star-struck for Broadway will enjoy the drama." ―Kirkus Reviews

"Jenna Gavigan is a true Broadway baby whose backstage debut novel will delight theater kids of all ages (and species)!" ―Tim Federle, author of Better Nate than Ever

"A standing ovation for Lulu! This delightful debut serves up a sweet and sassy mouse's-eye view of life in the footlights from a real Broadway insider. Encore, please?" ―Heather Vogel Frederick, author of the Spy Mice, the Mother-Daughter Book Club, and the Pumpkin Falls Mystery series

"Jenna manages to capture the drama and tension and excitement of the theatre without ever losing the magic and joy of what it feels like to be on Broadway. Lulu's burning desire to be onstage was exactly how I felt when I was younger, and reading this book reawakened that feeling in me!" ―Tony nominee Jonathan Groff  






ABOUT THE AUTHOR



Jenna Gavigan, a fourth generation New Yorker, grew up dreaming of Broadway. At age sixteen she made her Broadway debut in Gypsy, opposite Bernadette Peters. Since then she's appeared in a half-dozen films, on more than a dozen television shows, and on east and west coast stages, most recently Off-Broadway in the world premiere of Straight. Jenna graduated from Columbia University with a BA in Creative Writing, where she focused on fiction, television, and screenwriting. She lives in a teeny tiny Manhattan apartment with her husband, Kevin. This is her first novel.  

PHOTO CONTENT FROM JENNA GAVIGAN

WEBSITE: https://www.iamjennagavigan.com/
TWITTER: @Jenna_Gavigan 
 
GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17020607.Jenna_Gavigan
INSTAGRAM: 
http://instagram.com/jenna_gavigan


--Giveaway is open to International. | Must be 13+ to Enter

-  5 Winners will receive a Copy of LULU THE BROADWAY MOUSE by Jenna Gavigan.    

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