Boys and Ballgowns and Murder, Oh My!

I admit, I have been really excited about this blog tour stop! ( And not just because there is an incredible giveaway at the end.) Please welcome The Season by Sarah MacLean!

A bit about The Season:

Seventeen-year-old Lady Alexandra Stafford doesn't fit into the world of Regency London — she's strong-willed, sharp-tongued, and she absolutely loathes dress fittings. Unfortunately, her mother has been waiting for years for Alex to be old enough to take part in the social whirlwind of a London Season so she can be married off to someone safe, respectable, wealthy, and almost certainly boring. But Alex is much more interested in adventure than romance.

Between sumptuous balls, lavish dinner parties and country weekends, Alex, along with her two best friends, Ella and Vivi, manages to get entangled in her biggest scrape yet. When the Earl of Blackmoor is killed in a puzzling accident, Alex decides to help his son, the brooding and devilishly handsome Gavin, uncover the truth. It's a mystery brimming with espionage, murder, and suspicion. As she and Gavin grow closer, will Alex's heart be stolen in the process?

Romance and danger fill the air, as this year's Season begins!

And since Sarah is not only my good friend a but a super-interesting person, I like the section about her the most:

Sarah has wanted to be a romance novelist for as long as she can remember. She is a world-class procrastinator, thinks cupcakes have magic powers, and is addicted to Project Runway. She hearts the Barenaked Ladies, and lives in Brooklyn, NY with her husband, Eric, and her dog, Baxter. She doesn't go anywhere without lip balm and she really really likes hats & sunglasses--perhaps it's a latent desire to be a celebutante?

Sarah currently works for an unnamed (big) publisher and gives us at the Debs tons of insider info when we have questions. (Not like If-I-Tell-You-I'll-Have-To-Kill-You-type info, but info about the inside of the business. Stuff we just don't know as authors. On top of that, she is a totally fabulous New Yorker and is having the swankiest launch party ever with a seriously impressive guest list! And if that weren't enough, she is also an amazing author who has branched out into the adult world, selling three books to Avon this winter!

So without further ado, here is the Feasty Five for this amazing author!

A.P. What kind of soda would your MC drink?

SM: Ginger Ale.

A.P. Did they even have that back then? *shrug* What is your MC's favorite kind of flower? How about yours?

SM: Alex likes daisies. They're natural. And not at all fancy. I'm more classic. The way to my heart is with a red rose.

AP: I'll bear that in mind the next time I am competing with Eric for your attentions.;) Does your MC believe in magic? Do you?

SM: Alex doesn't believe in magic...until she discovers that love is something very close to magic. And then she might just reconsider. I believe in love. And magic.

AP: Awwwww. I love that! Superman or Batman?

SM: Batman. Dark, brooding and immensely talented. Superman was born. The Dark Knight was made.

AP: Wow. Batman is so winning so far! Give us one line from your book. You don't even have to give it context.:)

SM: She didn't care about her ruined gown, or her filthy slippers, or the tears threatening to pour down her face.

AP: *laugh* It just sounds so regency! (Which, strangely enough, is the point.;)

Thank you Sarah for answering my five. Sarah would love for you to visit her at www.maclenaspace.com! But luckily for you readers, we're not done yet! This is a particularly special giveaway, because Sarah has offered to sign this copy of The Season for the giveaway!

So has this entry tempted you a bit? Do you want your own signed copy of the The Season? Of course you do!! So we are going to have our own season!! If you were having a season, what would your dress look like? Describe it in as little or as much detail as you like, but be warned, this is not a random contest. I will be picking the dress I like best.:D (Just to keep things interesting.;)) Entries will be accepted until midnight (MST) on Wednesday March 4th . . . just because it's my son's birthday.:)

So what would you dress look like? Tell me and be entered to win a signed copy of the incredible The Season!

Let the ball begin!!

Ciao!

Hot guy, Shrimp Chips, the Forbidden City, Oh My!

It is, indeed, BlogTour time again!!

Tonight we have the author of a book in a series that I think is quite an interesting concept. Have you guys heard of the S.A.S.S. novels?? The acronym stands for Students Across the Seven Seas. and every book is about a young girl studying abroad. Not only that, but they have cool titles like Irish Guys Are Smiling and The Finnish Line. (I'm totally into puns!) Well, author Cynthea Lui has penned the newest one, her debut novel, The Great Call of China!

A bit about The Great Call . . . .

Chinese-born Cece was adopted when she was two years old by her American parents. Living in Texas, she's bored of her ho-hum high school and dull job. So when she learns about the S.A.S.S. program to Xi'an, China, she jumps at the chance. She'll be able to learn about her passion—anthropology—and it will give her the opportunity to explore her roots. But when she arrives, she receives quite a culture shock. And the closer she comes to finding out about her birth parents, the more apprehensive she gets. Enter Will, the cute guy she first meets on the plane. He and Cece really connect during the program. But can he help her get accustomed to a culture she should already know about, or will she leave China without the answers she's been looking for?

I love that you can sense the voice even in the synopsis! (Can you tell I'm totally intrigued by this series! It sounds like just the thing I would have picked up in middle school!)

And now a bit about Cynthea (besides the fact that she's seriously gorgeous! We have a good-looking group of authors over at the Debs, I kid you not!)


Cynthea Liu spent most of her formative years in Oklahoma and Texas where she was a member of the Whiz Quiz team, an academic decathlon-er, and a spelling bee champion. Yes, she was very popular.

After attending college on the East Coast, she landed a job as a management consultant. When she had enough of PowerPoint and frequent flyer miles, she traded in her suit for sweats to focus on the fun stuff–writing for children.

And, no blog tour stop would be complete without the Feasty Five! So away we go!

AP: What kind of soda does your MC drink?

CL: She's a Dr. Pepper kind of girl. Go, Texas, baby!

AP: What is your MC's favorite kind of flower? How about yours?

CL: She would be a big fan of star-gazer lilies. (I love them too!)

AP: Even the name sounds gorgeous! (For those of you unfamiliar, I had to include a picture because they are so pretty!



AP: Does your MC believe in magic? Do you?

CL: Sure. Maybe not the kind of magic where you pull Snoop out of a hat, but definitely the kind that makes wishes come true.

Though her faith is sometimes easily shaken.

AP: Man, I SO believe in that kind of magic too! Superman or Batman?

CL: Huh? What? Batman. (Do I win something?)

AP: Heheh, yes! The confusion spreads!! And now, I move on without answering your question, *evil laugh* Okay, give us one line from your book. You don't even have to give it context.

CL: Ta changchang gei wo xie xing.

Have fun figuring that one out! :)

AP: *blinkblink* Well, I guess turn-about is fair play.;)

Thank you Cynthea for joining us!!

Okay, I am apparently calendar illiterate, because contrary to what my last blog tour post said, my next giveaway is on Friday, and I am giving away a SIGNED copy of Sarah MacLean's The Season and then on the TENTH (not the twelfth) is when I am giving away Carrie Ryan's The Forest of Hands and Teeth. So lots of free books in the future, very possibly YOUR future, so stay tuned!

Ciao!

Friends!

I love my friends. I especially love my author friends. Well, I won't even get that specific; my writer friends. I have said this at least once before (and based on how long-winded and short-memoried I am, I've probably said it several times on this blog) everyone else gets co-workers that they see every day! They laugh over cubicle walls, hang out at the water cooler, send memo's, etc.

Authors totally get shafted. One of my very bestest author friends lives in IRELAND!!! Come on!! That is way too far away.

Luckily, this week, I got to connect up with a bunch of friends and even meet some new ones!

On Thursday I went to The King's English, a seriously charming indie bookstore (I'm doing an event there in May!!), to hear Jamie Ford read from his debut novel, The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. And, of course, to meet Jamie. I have cyber-known Jamie for over a year. Probably nearly two years now. He and I go way back. He totally cheered for me when I got my book deal ages and ages ago. (Alas, I missed the opportunity to cheer for him because we got to know each other shortly after he got his book deal.)

So in true jail-ish fashion, here is Jamie from the front:



And Jamie from the side:



(I didn't actually do the front/side thing on purpose, I just took two pics to make sure one of them turned out okay. But hey! You use what you got, right?;))

Jamie is . . . man, he is incredible! An amazing speaker who made even the packed room feel like an intimate one on one conversation and he is so clearly passionate about his book. Afterward, we had dessert at his hotel and I got to chat with his awesome wife. And they have the best author love story! They met just after Jamie finished his book, but before he even found an agent. She fell in love with him over this book and he dedicated it to her. How cool is that! So not only was Jamie a fun person to talk to, so was his wife (and she's a labor and delivery nurse and so we had lots to talk about; it was so fun!) So when there was a (brief) break in the conversation, I looked at my phone and it was eleven o'clock. And as Jamie said, you know it's good company when you don't even notice the time flying by. Thanks Jamie and Leesha; I had SUCH a good time!

After that, I spent much of Friday and Saturday at a symposium for Sci-fi and Fantasy called Life, the Universe, and Everything. (I love that name!) I got to spend lots of time with another best author friend, James Dashner, (and, *ahem* if you check out his latest blog entry you just might find out some news about my book *ahem*) got to know an author acquaintance named Dan Wells better, as well as hanging out with (*koffkoff* shameless name-dropping*koffkoff*) Tracy Hickman and L.E. Modesitt. I also got to meet Julie Wright, who writes YA for a religious press, and is inches away from breaking into the New York scene!

And if that weren't awesome enough, I also got to meet a bunch of aspiring writers who were incredibly fun and awesome! (You know who you are!!!) It was such a great day!

Oh, and I sat on some panels too.

Honestly, I think the panels will matter more to me in the future . . . maybe . . . but last weekend I was mostly glad to just hang out with other wiriters. People who understand me and speak my language. People who can sit around and discuss the business of publishing for hours simply because we share the same obsession. Why can't we do this every day like everyone else!!

A lot of people talk about writing as a very solitary business, and it is. There are definitely other people involved. Crit partners, agents, editors, marketing and publicity teams. There are so many fingers in your literary pie . . . but in the end, it is still just you, putting the words on the pages. And to be able to share that with someone else, another writer who does the same thing you do, day after day, book after book . . . well, let's say refreshing doesn't even begin to cover it. I had a weekend where I really got to fill up my social well. And I needed it. It's been a while.

So thanks everyone. Jamie, Leesha, James, Dan, Julie, Jessica, Brandon, Kimberlee, the threesome whose names I am so sorry I can't remember. Thank you. I really needed you.

Ciao!

Winners!!!

Okay! Sorry this is late, I had a podcast to record last night and last minute edits to do this morning and, unfortunately, those take priority.

But I have winners now!!! (With thanks to researchrandomizer.org!)

First Place Winner: PATTI!!!! (and there might be more than one, so Patti, your shout-out was "I love you my hubby and three children.")

Second Place Winner: Noodlesforyou!

Third Place Winner: Miranda! (No, I did not do that on purpose!!;))

Fourth Place Winner: Lenore!!

Fifth Place Winner: Nancy! (I didn't do that one on purpose either!)


And I'm laughing really hard right now because two of those winners have known me since I was a little kid. Very strange. Blame researchrandomizer.org. :D

If all the winners would please email me at aprilynnepike at gmail dot com with your addresses so I can send you your prizes!!

Thank you guys for entering! This was the best giveaway yet!!! And my next giveaway will be on the twelfth of March, when I will be blog touring Carrie Ryan and giving away a copy of her incredible novel, The Forest of Hands and Teeth!

Ciao!

War and Flu and Ghosts, Oh My!

Welcome to our next Debs 2009 Blog Tour stop! I'd love to welcome Jenny Moss author of the book Winnie's War, now in stores!

Here's a bit about Winnie's War, a historical Middle Grade, set in 1918:


Life in Winnie's sleepy town of Coward Creek, Texas, is just fine for her. Although her troubled mother's distant behavior has always worried Winnie, she's plenty busy caring for her younger sisters, going to school, playing chess with Mr. Levy, and avoiding her testy grandmother. Plus, her sweetheart Nolan is always there to make her smile when she's feeling low. But when the Spanish Influenza claims its first victim, lives are suddenly at stake, and Winnie has never felt so helpless. She must find a way to save the people she loves most, even if doing so means putting her own life at risk.

Winnie's War has been getting really great reviews. Here's what some of the lead reviewers are saying!

“A multifaceted, nuanced debut.”

- Kirkus Reviews

“First-novelist Moss brings poetic language to
this story . . . ”

- Publishers Weekly

“In sum, an appealing historical fiction tale.”

- Booklist Online

"A Beautiful cover that is even prettier in person."

-Aprilynne Pike (LOL!)

And if that weren't cool enough, Jenny is a way interesting person herself. For example, she kisses her brother.;) (I guess technically, that's her brother kissing her . . . but still! :D)

Jenny is a former NASA engineer. She earned a master's degree in literature and taught writing as an adjunct at University of Houston-Clear Lake. Winnie's War is her first novel. She lives with her two teenagers in Houston, Texas.

You can visit her at www.jenny-moss.com or you can get all the REALLY important information right here! Here's my Feasty Five about Winnie's War!

AP: What kind of soda does (would) your MC drink?

JM: She'd drink lemonade

AP: Party pooper.;) What is your MC's favorite kind of flower? How about yours?

JM: Indian paintbrush - for both of us

AP: I actually really love Indian paintbrush. Does your MC believe in magic? Do you?

JM: Magical moments -- yes, for both of us

AP: Superman or Batman?

JM: Batman, because he's more conflicted.

AP: Give us one line from your book. You don't even have to give it context.:)

JM: "Does it all belong?"

AP: Well, I did say you didn't have to give it context.;) Thank you Jenny! We will all be looking forward to hearing how Winnie's War does and which awards it racks up!;)


In other news, my full schedule is up at my website, with all of my tour sites!

And also, you have two more days to enter to win an ARC of WINGS along with lots and lots of chocolate.:D

Ciao!