Blog Tour: Shudder by Samantha Durante

Welcome to my stop on the Shudder Blog Tour! Thanks to Samantha, I have an excerpt and a giveaway for you. 

Shudder is the sequel to Stitch, and if you haven't read the first book yet, make sure to check it out on  Amazon (Just $0.99!) and Goodreads.

It’s only been three days, and already everything is different.

Paragon is behind her, but somehow Alessa’s life may actually have gotten worse. In a wrenching twist of fate, she traded the safety and companionship of her sister for that of her true love, losing a vital partner she’d counted on for the ordeal ahead. Her comfortable university life is but a distant memory, as she faces the prospect of surviving a bleak winter on the meager remains of a ravaged world. And if she’d thought she’d tasted fear upon seeing a ghost, she was wrong; now she’s discovering new depths of terror while being hunted by a deadly virus and a terrifying pack of superhuman creatures thirsting for blood.

And then there are the visions.

The memory-altering “stitch” unlocked something in Alessa’s mind, and now she can’t shake the constant flood of alien feelings ransacking her emotions. Haunting memories of an old flame are driving a deep and painful rift into her once-secure relationship. And a series of staggering revelations about the treacherous Engineers – and the bone-chilling deceit shrouding her world’s sorry history – will soon leave Alessa reeling…

The second installment in the electrifying Stitch Trilogy, Shudder follows Samantha Durante’s shocking and innovative debut with a heart-pounding, paranormal-dusted dystopian adventure sure to keep the pages turning.

Purchase Links

Amazon (Kindle $2.99, print $8.99)

Barnes & Noble (Nook $2.99)

Smashwords (multiple e-book formats $2.99)

Also available ($2.99 e-book) in the iTunes store, Kobo, and wherever e-books are sold

 Samantha Durante lives in Westchester County, New York with her husband, Sudeep, and her cat, Gio. Formerly an engineer at Microsoft, Samantha left the world of software in 2010 to pursue her entrepreneurial dreams and a lifelong love of writing. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s Jerome Fisher Program in Management & Technology, Samantha is currently working full time for her company Medley Media Associates as a freelance business writer and communications consultant. The Stitch Trilogy is her debut series. Learn more about Samantha at www.samanthadurante.com.

Facebook: Stitch Trilogy | Author Samantha Durante

Goodreads: Stitch | Shudder | Author Samantha Durante

Twitter: @SamanthaDurante | Hashtag suggestions: #Stitch, #StitchTrilogy, #Shudder

LibraryThing: Stitch | Shudder | Author Samantha Durante

Shelfari: Stitch | Shudder | Author Samantha Durante

Excerpt

But no one spoke.  In a harsh whisper, he put the final nail in her coffin, slowly and deliberately taking pleasure as his mouth formed each solitary syllable: “Or should she be punished?”

The crowd replied with a deafening roar of condemnation, snarling and howling like a rabid animal just itching for blood.  As the mob whipped itself into a frenzy, she could feel his wry smile branding itself into her back.  His job was done – now all he had to do was watch.

Finally the tears came, a single drop of heartache snaking its way down her cheek.  So that was his plan – he would use her to draw out the allies of the resistance, and if they didn’t save her from the wrath of the mob, so be it – one less rebel to deal with.  She was glad then that her face was covered, that they could not see her break.

Because someone did come forth then, but not the savior she’d been holding out for.  No, on the contrary – someone had cast the first stone.

A stinging sensation buried itself in her shoulder.  And then another, in her gut.  And another, on her thigh.

And then she was nothing but pain, every inch of her body pounding with the impact of each jagged rock.  She tried to stand tall, to fight through the agony, but it was too much.  The blows ripped the air from her lungs and she doubled over, trying in vain to shield herself.

Her mind shut off, all conscious thought leaving her body as the crippling ache took over, and some distant part of her prayed quietly for the torture to end. 

And then one violent strike connected with her temple, and she was gone.

Enter the Giveaway HERE!!!

About the first book in the series...

Her heart races, her muscles coil, and every impulse in Alessa’s body screams at her to run… but yet she’s powerless to move.

Still struggling to find her footing after the sudden death of her parents, the last thing college freshman Alessa has the strength to deal with is the inexplicable visceral pull drawing her to a handsome ghostly presence. In between grappling with exams and sorority soirees – and disturbing recurring dreams of being captive in a futuristic prison hell – Alessa is determined to unravel the mystery of the apparition who leaves her breathless. But the terrifying secret she uncovers will find her groping desperately through her nightmares for answers.

Because what Alessa hasn’t figured out yet is that she’s not really a student, the object of her obsession is no ghost, and her sneaking suspicions that something sinister is lurking behind the walls of her university’s idyllic campus are only just scratching the surface…

The opening installment in a twist-laden trilogy, Stitch spans the genres of paranormal romance and dystopian sci-fi to explore the challenges of a society in transition, where morality, vision, and pragmatism collide leaving the average citizen to suffer the results.

Stitch Purchase Links

Amazon (Kindle $0.99, print $8.99)
Barnes & Noble (Nook $0.99)
Smashwords (multiple e-book formats $0.99)
Also available ($0.99 e-book) in the iTunes store, Kobo, and wherever e-books are sold!

Spring Blog Carnival-Down The Rabbit Hole Booth

Welcome, welcome, to the annual Spring Blog Carnival hosted by Lori @ Pure Imaginations, Candace @ Candace's Book Blog and Angela @ Reading Angel!

The Down The Rabbit Hole Booth will send you off to Wonderland-but before you can follow the white rabbit, first you have to find him!

It's somewhere on this blog. Search the pages for the image of a white rabbit, and when you spot him, enter the URL of the page in the Rafflecopter along with your email for a chance to win-what else? An Alice retelling!

Here's a little hint:

Contrariwise, it's hiding in the Syawaevig page.

And here's what you can win:

 

(print books)

(ebook, coming out May 21st)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Have a great time at the carnival! Here's the list of booths you can visit.

Bitter Angel Release Week-Excerpt & Giveaway

This week we're gearing up for the release of Bitter Angel by Megan Hand, and thanks to AToMR Tours, today I have an excerpt to share with you and a copy of Bitter Angel to give away.

Bitter Angel

by

Megan Hand

Release date: April 1, 2013

Genre: Contemporary/Thriller

Age Group: New Adult

Event organized by: AToMR Tours

Torn between two realities.A choice that will mean life or death.She won’t know anything… until she wakes up.
College sophomore, Lila Spencer lived Friday night twice. She doesn’t know how or why, just that she did. As if she split in half and went in two different directions.
Out clubbing with her friends, Heather and Nilah, the girls rock it out and party hard. What begins as an innocent night will lead to a deadly fight for their lives, and Lila might be their only chance for survival.
In bed with her boyfriend, Jay, Lila is safe and warm as she drifts to sleep in the arms of the man she loves. Until she is sucked into a horrifying nightmare of her friends’ deaths.
As the sunlight warms her face on Saturday morning, the two scenarios collide. But there can be only one outcome. Will she wake up in her warm bed with Jay by her side, devastated and grieving for her friends? Or was she there to save them?
The answer is just the beginning.

About the Author

At twelve, Megan decided to write a novel. A month later, she quit. A reading junkie by nature, she started writing again in her twenties as a way to get the voices out, because who wouldn't want to create a Real Living Person out of thin air? Megan also plays the piano and sings. She teaches little kids and takes pictures of pretty butterflies. She eats way too much chocolate, is sort of a mad scientist with her blender, and spends an unhealthy amount of time LOLing on Facebook and Twitter. She lives in Ohio with her husband and very smiley son. Bitter Angel is her first published novel.

Author social media links:

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter

READ AN EXCERPT

Unfortunately, my words didn’t faze him. He just laughed and wiped his hands on a dry piece of his shirt. “Oh man. We haven’t had one as feisty as you in…” He rested his chin between his thumb and forefinger. “Well, a long time.”

My heart hammered, but I put venom in my tone. “Where are my friends? I want to see them.” I strained forward, listening for anything that would tell me they were okay and alive.

I could hear music, loud and vulgar. Voices, all male. Laughter. Bottles clinking. I could smell the crusty scent of cigarette smoke.

He pointed to the closed door. “They’re out there, being taken care of. Don’t worry. They’ll be fine. It’s you that I’m not so sure about.”

“You sick son of a bitch. My friend could be on the brink of death, and you’re just gonna do nothing? If she dies on your hands, I swear—”

“Relax,” he cut me off. “She’s still breathing. Enough. We’ll drop her somewhere when everyone’s done. She’ll be fine.”

As I had kicked the driver’s seat earlier, I just as frantically pulled on my arms. “Let me out!” I screamed, hoping beyond hope that someone, inside or out, upstairs or down, could hear me in this hellhole. I had no idea if we were in a house or apartment building, if this was the only bedroom, or if there were others. From the looks of it and guessing the age of these guys, my bet was that this was their place of business where they brought all the girls just for this purpose. I highly doubted that they lived here, but I had nothing to back up my theory.

He rounded the bed. It creaked as he sat on the clean side. He caressed my jaw, my bloody lip. I cringed, ripping away from him, and he gripped me harder. From his pocket, he retrieved a knife. The blade winked at me in the dim light. I swallowed. 

He grinned. “Still wanna scream?”

GIVEAWAY

One eBook copy of Bitter Angel. Books will be gifted from Amazon or Barnes and Noble. Open internationally as long as you can receive books from Amazon or B&N. To enter, just enter your email in the Rafflecopter, and for more entries follow Megan on Twitter and Facebook.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Kick-Butt Characters Hop

Welcome to the 2nd Annual Kick Butt Characters Hop hosted by 

Good Choice Reading 

& I Am A Reader, Not A Writer

My favorite kick-butt characters in YA are Karou from Daughter of Smoke and Bone, and Katsa from Graceling. For my giveaway one winner can choose a paperback of either of these two.

 

But in case you already read both or are not interested (gasp!) we'll figure something out (translated: you can pick a book from the Book Depository up to $10).

As always:

• don't cheat
• please make sure that your Twitter account is not protected, otherwise I cannot verify the 'tweet about the giveaway' entries
• I'll email you if you win and you will have 48 hours to respond with you choice of prize and mailing address

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Now, hop on for more than 100 awesome giveaways!

Release Party: Strength by Carrie Butler

You guys! I'm so happy to participate in this release day party. I loved Strength and will review it for the blog tour, but as for now, HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY, CARRIE!

  

Title: Strength

Series: Mark of Nexus – Book 1

Publisher: Sapphire Star Publishing   

Category: New Adult (NA)

Genre: Paranormal Romance (PNR)

Release Date: March 07, 2013

Available at: Amazon, Kindle,  Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository. It will also be available from Sony Reader Store, iBookstore, Kobo, etc. Keep an eye on Carrie's Pinterest "Retailers" board where links will be added as soon as they go live.

SUMMARY:

When college student Rena Collins finds herself nose-to-chest with the campus outcast, her rumor-laced notions are shattered. Handsome, considerate, and seemingly sane, Wallace Blake doesn’t look like he spends his nights alone, screaming and banging on the walls of his dorm room. Hell, he doesn’t look like he spends his nights alone, period.

Too curious for her own good, Rena vows to uncover the truth behind Wallace’s madman reputation—and how two seconds of contact had left her with bruises. Of course, there are a few minor setbacks along the way: guilt, admiration, feelings of the warm and fuzzy variety…

Not to mention the unwanted attention of Wallace's powerful, supernaturally-gifted family.

They’re a bloodline divided by opposing ideals, two soon-to-be warring factions that live in secret among us. When Rena ends up caught in their crossfire, Wallace has no choice but to save her by using his powers. Now they’re really in trouble. With war on the horizon and Rena’s life in the balance, he needs to put some distance between them. But Rena won’t let go. If fighting is what it takes to prove her own strength and keep Wallace in her life, then that’s what she’ll do—even if it means risking a whole lot more than her heart.

Book Trailer

About the Author:

 Carrie daydreamed her way through college—until they thrust a marketing degree into her hands, slapped a summa cum laude seal on the corner, and booted her out into a less-than-stellar job market. Instead of panicking at the prospect of unemployment, she used her Midwestern logic to steer into the skid and point her life in the direction she really wanted to go: writing out those daydreams.

Where to find Carrie:

WEBSITE  |  BLOG  |  PUBLISHER  |  TWITTER  |  FACEBOOK  |  GOODREADS  |  GOOGLE+

Where to find Strength:

BOOK PAGE  |  GOODREADS  |  PUBLISHER  |  FACEBOOK  |  PINTEREST  |  BOOK TRAILER

GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway: YA Paranormal Hop!

Hi, guys! Welcome to the YA Paranormal Giveaway Hop hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and YA Between The Lines.

For my giveaway I am offering one of the books listed below.

 

It's a mix of older and newer releases, some that I've read (and enjoyed) and some that are still sitting on my wishlist. For your chance to win, enter the Rafflecopter below.