Indie Author Mash Up review and GIVEAWAY!!!

Hi everyone! This is Heather! Last weekend I attended the Indie Author Mash Up hosted by This Red Head Loves Books.  I took my friend Anna along with me and we had a great time.
We left at 5:00am Saturday morning.  Our first stop was Starbucks, but they don't even open until 5:30 on weekends.  What the heck! Yeah....

                                                                                                                                                                     

The cashier at Starbucks asked me what I was doing there so early.  Ummm...What do you think I'm doing?!
About two hours into the drive we got a little turned around before realizing we were actually in Oklahoma. We took a wrong exit too and I blew through a toll booth.  Finally the sun rose and we figured everything out.

 We finally made it to the hotel!! Isn't this amazing! It was beautiful.  We couldn't check in until 3:00 so we left everything in the car and went to the Mash Up!

 I seriously took like no pictures. What was I thinking?! I was distracted by all the authors and books.  Here's me with Komal, Erica, and Autumn!

 I made bank in the SWAG department.  I got 16 new books, a bazillion bookmarks and other postcards and book paraphernalia.  I love all the keychains and magnets too! I connected them all to my wallet so I remember to read what I got!

 After the signing event we had a few hours of down time before the dinner and after party. Here we all are! Me, Komal, Erica, Autumn, and Anna.

So this guy was in the hallway when we were taking some pictures and just randomly started lifting up his shirt and flexing.  We discovered he was looking at himself in the mirror.  But it was still hilarious!  His name is Don Allen and he won the model contest.

 

And this is what Autumn and thought of the whole thing.

 And this is me and Julie Bailes.  You don't want to know what I was laughing about.








It was an amazing trip! I discovered so many new authors! All the authors I met were so sweet and entertaining.  I loved meeting each of them.  Meeting them made me want to read there books even more!
Next year the Mash Up will be in July. Keep and eye out here for more information.  Komal and Erica have already said they are attending again and I'll be there! Now we just need to convince Michelle to come and we'll have a Dash reunion!

SOOO.....You saw all the stuff I got right?! Do you want to win some of it?! I've got bookmarks, postcards, magnets, buttons, keychains and other super awesome swag and most of it is signed by the author!!
All you have to do is fill out the rafflecopter form below and also leave a comment with your favorite Mash Up author.  You can find the list of attending authors Here.

Winner will receive an item signed by each author from the Mash Up (Well those who had items to sign, some didn't).  And a ebook of your choice from an attending author valued $4.99 and under.



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Strip Me Free By Michelle Turner.

Yikes, I've been water logged! I had a major storm blow through my tiny town on Monday and we lost power and most of the county is flooded.  It was the perfect time to sit down and read a quick, fun, sexy little story.  
I read Strip Me Free by Michelle Turner

Strip Me Free is a sweet and sexy New Adult Novella centering around Briar Roberts. She's a young girl being forced to marry someone she doesn't love, but finds her self and her true love on a wild girls night in Vegas. This book was light and fun and a little sexy. Briar meets Zane, the super hot owner of the hottest strip club in Vegas, they have a wild night and it only gets crazier from there! I liked this story because it tapped in to my wild side. How fun would it be to be carefree for one night and meet a hot stranger who falls for you in an instant. Strong and handsome and a little bit bad, Zane sweeps Briar off her feet and doesn't let her get away easily. If you're looking for a quick read (think beach time, airport layover, rainy day), then pick up a copy of Strip Me Free.

Heather: I just read Strip Me Free and it was a great little guilty pleasure book. Tell us a little about it and what your inspiration was for it. Michelle: Well, Strip Me Free is the story of Briar and Zane. Briar's a girl who's been sheltered and controlled all her life and decides to give herself one night of freedom in Vegas. Zane's the owner of the strip club Briar happens to find herself in during that freedom. The whole story is about how he comes into her life and turns it upside down - in the best way possible of course. There wasn't one thing that really inspired me to write Strip Me Free. The story just honestly came to me out of the blue. One minute I was sitting there and the next minute the characters hit me and I knew I had to start writing. So that's what I did. 

H: Sometimes that's the best way to write! H: Can you give us a taste of any current WIP's? M: Yes, I can. The next book I'm focusing on is Enlightening Bloom, which is the follow-up to my very first book Reviving Bloom. So here's a teaser from Bloom's best friend Bonnie: For some stupid reason I decide I need to dance. I’m not even sure what the band’s playing, but in my inebriated state it doesn’t matter. I’m waving my stolen bottle of Jack around in the air and I’m swaying my hips to the music. I grab the closest unattached guy and pull him out to join me. I wrap my arms around his neck, dumping some Jack down the guys back, and pull him close to me. If I was sober I would’ve realized this wasn’t a great idea. I feel the guy being jerked out of my arms and I look up and up and up and find glowing amber eyes staring back at me. Tucker pulls the bottle out of my hand and throws it over his shoulder. Then grips my waist, lifting me up off the floor so we’re face to face. “Keep trying to fight this all you want. I won’t be going anywhere. But no other male is allowed to put his hands on you. I see that again and their life will be forfeited. Do you understand me?” Tucker’s voice is dropped into a low growl and even in my drunken state I can tell his words aren’t just an empty threat, but a sincere promise. I swallow the lump in my throat and decide this isn’t the best time to fight him. “Completely.” “Good.” His eyes scan my face and I know if I was on my feet I’d be squirming when his intense gaze lands on my lips. “I should kiss some sense into you.” I bite down on my bottom lip to stop myself from screaming. “Please do.” I don’t want to fight him. I can’t, tonight. I want to feel the needy burn he causes in me. A burn the whiskey in me is fueling instead of dousing. He sees the need in my eyes or maybe he’s just reading my thoughts, but either way instead of taking my lips, like I want, he places me back on my feet. He pushes some loose strands of hair away from my face. His fingers brushing the skin of my cheek causes me to shiver. Then he leans down to my ear and whispers. “Not tonight. I want you to remember our first kiss, so I’ll wait till you’re sober. But don’t worry it’s coming. Soon.” I shiver, at his words this time. He feels it and chuckles. Then he presses a soft kiss right below my ear and turns around and leaves me standing drunk, lonely, and turned on beyond belief in the middle of the dance floor. H: Sounds exciting! I need to finish Reviving Bloom, quick!

H: What are your 3 favorite books right now? M: Rock Chick Revenge by Kristen Ashley (I love almost all her books, but this one was the one that I keep going back to and re-reading. I think I'm up to three or four times read so far.) Falling for Hadie by Komal Kant. (Love, love, love this book! Actually I love this series and I'm going crazy waiting for the next one.) Territory by Susan Bliler (I'm a sucker for a good shifter/werewolf book. And Susan is one of my absolute favorite authors for this genre.)

H: I've heard good things about Kristen Ashley and I LOVE Komal's books. H: I'm a facebook stalker so I know you just went camping! What other things do you do when you aren't writing? 

M: Read, a lot. If I'm not writing or doing something with my family, you find me reading.
I'm an avid reader too!
H: I'm an aspiring writer and currently working on my first novel. It's harder than I thought! Do you have any advice for me (and others)? M: Always keep paper and pen/pencil on you because you never know when inspiration's going to hit you and if you don't get it don't you could easily forget. And ignore the bad reviews. Some people are going to love your book and some are going to hate it, but either way it goes it's all a matter of opinion. Some of my favorite books are ones that don't have stellar reviews

Thanks Michelle!


Michelle has also agreed to giveaway 3 ebooks!! Enter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cover Reveal: Shudder by Samantha Durante

I'm so excited that Samantha Durante has been kind enough to give me the opportunity to share the cover of her next release along with the blurb with you guys. There is also a fun giveaway for all of you where you have a chance to win a paperback copy of Shudder!

Shudder is the second book in the Stitch trilogy and I am really excited for its release because I enjoyed the first book, Stitch, so much! Here is my review of Stitch so you can see what I thought of it.

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.

It sounds great, doesn't it? Why don't you guys go ahead and add it on Goodreads? And for those of you who haven't read Stitch, you can purchase it on Amazon and add it on Goodreads. I recommend reading Stitch before reading Shudder, but there's still two months to go so you still have plenty of time to read the first book!

Samantha is lovely, so she has an awesome international giveaway for you guys where you can win a paperback of Shudder! Sounds great!

Enter the Giveaway HERE!!!

Review: Light in the Shadows by A. Meredith Walters

I'm so exited to be able to participate in the Light in the Shadows blog tour! I've been a big fan of A. Meredith Walters ever since I read Find You in the Dark.

***

 

 

Author: A. Meredith Walters

Genre: YA, Romance

Released: March 26th

 

How do you keep going when you feel like your life is over?

Maggie never thought she’d see Clay again. So, she attempts to put her life back together after her heart has been shattered to pieces. Moving on and moving forward, just as Clay wanted her to.

Clay never stopped thinking of Maggie. Even after ripping their lives apart and leaving her behind to get the help he so desperately needed. He is healing...slowly. But his heart still belongs to the girl who tried to save him.

When a sudden tragedy brings Maggie and Clay face to face again, nothing is the same. Yet some things never change. Can the darkness that threatened to consume them be transformed into something else and finally give them what they always wanted? And can two people who fought so hard to be together, finally find their happiness? Or will their demons and fear drive them apart for good?

 

***

 

I have previously worked with teens like Clay and while I thought the ending of Find You in the Dark was believeable,  I still craved that happily ever after--and I guess I wasn't the only one because a few months ago I found out that Maggie and Clay would be getting a sequel and I was so excited! I'm a butterflies and rainbows kind of girl by nature so I was really happy that there was a chance for Maggie and Clay to get their happily-ever-after afterall.

 

This book did not disappoint in the romance department. It's realistic and beautiful. Maggie and Clay still have their fair share of ups and downs in this book but they love eachother so much they are willing to work on it together but remembering it's important to make themselves happy and healthy first. That's kind of a crucial lesson I think. You really can't be happy with someone else unless you are truly happy with yourself.

 

I loved Find You in the Dark, it's the kind of story that sticks with you for a long time but I think that I love Light in the Shadows even more because of the powerful message of hope.

 

In the words of A. Meredith Walters:

 For those searching for the light....never stop.

 

 This story had me tearing up at the end, which is always a sign of  a fantastic read so I give Light in the Shadows a well deserved 5 stars and will be giving away one ebook version to one lucky reader!
 

***

The New York Times bestselling author of Contemporary and Paranormal romance including Find You in the Dark, Cloud Walking and Bad Rep.

A. Meredith spent ten years as a counselor for at risk teens and children. First working at a Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault program and then later a program for children with severe emotional and mental health issues. Her former clients and their stories continue to influence every aspect of her writing.

A. Meredith recently moved to England and is trying to get used to driving on the other side of the road, eating fish and chips and all things British :-)

Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads Page

Add Light in the Shadows on Goodreads

 

 



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Mortality by Kellie Sheridan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Author: Kellie Sheridan
Released: March 4th 2013

After surviving a deadly plague outbreak, sixteen-year-old Savannah thought she had lived through the very worst of human history. There was no way to know that the miracle vaccine would put everyone at risk for a fate worse than un-death.

Now, two very different kinds of infected walk the Earth, intent on nothing but feeding and destroying what little remains of civilization. When the inoculated are bitten, infection means watching on in silent horror as self-control disappears and the idea of feasting on loved ones becomes increasingly hard to ignore.

Starving and forced to live inside of the abandoned high school, all Savannah wants is the chance to fight back. When a strange boy arrives with a plan to set everything right, she gets her chance. Meeting Cole changes everything. Mere survival will never be enough.

***

 

This was probably one of the most unique stories I've ever read. It's actually two stories in one featuring Savannah and Zarah. While reading it, I knew there had to be a reason that we were reading the two girls' individual stories but I wasn't expecting the way in which they collided!

I have never read a zombie book before but when I read the blurb a few weeks ago, I knew that if there was going to be a story that would make me a zombie fanatic (like everyone else seems to be these days) this would be it. It just sounded so interesting! (PS After I finished reading it, I totally started watching The Walking Dead and now I'm addicted!)

While both girls are featured somewhat equally, I think it's safe to say that Savannah is the "main" character. She very much reminds me of strong, but impulsive characters like Alex from the Covenant series (by Jennifer Armentrout). She makes mistakes, but she's fiercely loyal which makes her likeable despite her flaws.

Usually, I need a good romance to really enjoy a book and though there is a love story (two actually, Savannah & Cole and Zarah & Liam), romance isn't the main focus of this story. However, I was not put off by that at all because honestly, I wouldn't be feeling all that romantic when there were reanimated dead bodies wandering around my world. *shudders*

Of the two "lead" males, Liam is probably my favorite and I hope we get to see more of him in the next book.  Cole was pretty sweet too but I don't know, there was just something about Liam...I felt horrible for him at the end but, hey, you gotta do what you gotta do in a Zombie Apocalypse!

All in all, it's a great, entertaining read and I'm looking forward to more from this author!

AND because I love this book so much,  I'm giving one lucky reader their very own copy!

Click the link for you chance to win an ebook version of MORTALITY:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Next Wednesday I'll be posting my interview with the author, Kellie Sheridan. Be sure to stop back by for that because her answers are great!

A Dash of YA's Giveaway for our followers!

This is a giveaway to thank all of our followers for following us on Facebook, Twitter, and our blog and for being so awesome!

We love giving away prizes so this time each of us has pitched in with a prize of our own to make this a super fun giveaway!

The giveaway is International and ends on Sunday the 20th of January, so don't forget to spread the word and do as many activities as you can!

Good luck, everyone!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Interview with Samantha Durante & Giveaway

Samantha Durante is the author of Stitch, her debut novel which is a Paranormal Romance/Dystopian. She is an avid, lifelong reader of fiction of all sorts.

In addition to penning novels, Samantha is also a freelance business writer and communications consultant at her company. She currently lives in New York with her husband, Sudeep, and her cat, Gio.

Hello, Samantha! Thanks so much for joining me today on A Dash of YA!

Thanks so much for inviting me!

First, could you tell us a bit about Stitch?

Absolutely. Stitch is about a student, Alessa, who's struggling through her first year of college. In addition to fighting through a deep depression over suddenly losing her parents, she's started seeing a ghost in her sorority house, and despite her best instincts towards self-preservation, she can't seem to stay away from the ghost or stop thinking about him. The ghost invokes all these inexplicable feelings in her, like an overwhelming sorrow plus this burning physical draw she feels for him, and it leaves her an emotional wreck.  And then on top of that she's having these horrible nightmares about being held captive in some kind of prison, and sure enough the ghost is featured in many of those dreams. So basically, Alessa is not in good shape to begin with, and the deeper she digs into this ghost thing, the more she realizes that something is amiss around her... Until her best friend drops a bombshell that explains everything and completely rocks her world. As it turns out Alessa, her friends, and the "ghost," are in a lot more danger than any of them could have ever suspected. And I'll leave it at that because I don't want to give too much away!

What was the inspiration behind Stitch?

I wanted to write something with a knock-your-socks-off twist, so I thought about how I could combine two genres I love - paranormal romance and dystopian sci-fi - in one book in a way that would actually make sense.

Your novel reads like a Paranormal Romance/Dystopian. Was it hard to balance the two genres?

Yes, absolutely. First, it was important to me that the story made sense, so I did a lot of planning about what had happened to these characters in the past and what was going on in the world they live in. There's so much history before we hit the point the characters are at in Stitch, so I needed to make sure that everything fit together once you finally learn the twist. Plus, I was hesitant to disappoint readers who came into the book hoping for a straight-up paranormal romance - if you're looking for a simple love story between a girl and a ghost, Stitch is not it! So it was difficult to tell if I was dropping enough hints in the first half of the book to remind the reader that there's a lot more going on here than it appears at the surface.

The cover of Stitch is one of my favourites of the year! Could you briefly tell us how you chose your cover designer and what the process of having a cover designed was like?

Wow, thanks so much! What a compliment! My cover designer was Damon from Damonza.com, who I found through a recommendation on another author's site. I didn't know exactly what I wanted on the cover but I had some vague ideas, so I sent him a long rambling email about different elements we could incorporate, and when he came back with the first draft, I knew he understood where I was trying to go with it - that first draft was 90% of the way there! We did a bunch more rounds of tweaks and edits, and ended up with something which I think is a very good fit for the book - a good mix of sci-fi, paranormal, and romance. I actually did a long guest post as part of the Stitch Blog Tour recently that steps through each round of revision so you can see how the cover progressed - check it out here.

Will there be a sequel to Stitch, and can you tell us anything about it?

Yes, there will be TWO sequels to Stitch - it's the opening installment of a trilogy! The next book will be more strictly dystopian and will focus on answering the questions we opened up in the first book (i.e., who are The Engineers and what exactly was their role in bringing about the world that Alessa lives in today? What happened to Janie and Joe and Nikhil? And what are Alessa and the rebels going to do about the oppression they're living under? Etc.). Now that readers understand what's going on in Alessa's life, they can expect more action, more romance, and of course, a few big twists!

Do you have any routines you follow during a typical writing day?

On a writing day, I mainly just try to get out of bed and go straight to writing. No email, no Facebook, not even any breakfast! I'm most productive in the morning (and it's quietest at my house), so I try to maximize that time to get as many words onto the paper as I can before life starts getting in the way. I always approach my writing with a plan - each chapter is mapped out before I sit down to write a word - so that makes it easy to just focus on the writing itself.

Is there any advice you have for aspiring writers?

My advice to aspiring writers is to just go for it. You don't need an amazing, ground-breaking, never-before-seen idea; you just need a story that you would like to read and are excited about. And I always recommend starting with a very detailed chapter-by-chapter outline. By breaking the book down into manageable pieces, it's no longer such an overwhelming undertaking. Just take it a chapter at a time, and do what you love to do.  :-)

FUN FACTS

Book or e-book?

Book! I really appreciate the convenience of my Kindle when I'm traveling (or my cat is sitting on me in such a way that I don't have a second hand to turn the page...), but I don't think there's any way I'll ever stop appreciating the smell of a fresh new book waiting to be read.

Bookshop or Amazon?

I love the coziness of traditional bookstores, but I've got to give props to Amazon for making it so easy for self-published authors like me to get their work to the masses. Plus, I'm a huge fan of Amazon Prime - free 2-day shipping on almost anything is dangerous!

Pen or keyboard?

If you'd seen my handwriting, you'd know that the answer to this question is OBVIOUSLY keyboard! I just don't have the patience to write neatly - it takes too long and makes my hand hurt - so I do everything on my computer.

Paranormal or dystopian?

You're making me pick just one?? I guess if I had to choose, I'd go with dystopian, because it's always intriguing to me how dystopian worlds come about. But that's definitely not to say that I don't enjoy a good para-rom whenever I can get my hands on one!

Fiction or non-fiction?

Fiction. There's enough real life to deal with - to me, a good book should be an escape to some amazing place that you just can't get to any other way.

Thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule, Samantha! I wish you all the best and congratulations on your upcoming nuptials!

Thank you so much! We actually got married on Saturday, September 15th and it was just an incredible day with all of our loved ones there to support us - my husband (husband!! I need to get used to that!) and I couldn't be happier. In fact, we're on our honeymoon right now! But I'm looking forward to getting back and picking up the Stitch Blog Tour in October. :-) Be sure to join us for lots of fun guest posts, character/author interviews, and tons of giveaways all month long!

To find out more about Samantha, Stitch, and her upcoming novels follow the links below.

Website

Facebook

Stitch Facebook Page

Goodreads

Amazon

_______

To participate in the giveaway, please log into the Rafflecopter below and complete as many activities as you can. The giveaway is open internationally and will close on October 20.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Interview with Tammy Blackwell & a Giveaway!

I picked up DESTINY BINDS on a whim in January (the 17th to be exact). I was on a big "self-pubbed" kick and thought I would give it a go. I was expecting a "good for the price" story jam-packed full of errors (you know how it is) what I got was a smart, fun and original story I fell in love with. Tammy's book is witty and sarcastic and just plain amazing. I loved the banter between the characters and I adored Scout's internal monologue. I purchased the sequel, TIME MENDS, the very next day. I was so sad that I had to wait months for the final Timber Wolves trilogy installment but FATE SUCCUMBS was well worth the wait. I have definitely become a fan of Tammy's and definitely look forward to reading more of her work.

I am delighted to say that the awesome Tammy agreed to let me interview her for A Dash of YA!

Tammy, what inspired you to write the Timber Wolves trilogy?

A lot of things, really. My family. Some awesome teachers. Meeting some fantastic, but very down-to-earth authors at the 2008 YALSA Lit Symposium. A neighbor with a gun. You know, the normal stuff.
My biggest inspiration, however, was the teens at the library where I work. I’ve been fortunate enough to work with some of the coolest kids in the world, and I wanted to write a book that reflected their lives and personalities. Destiny Binds was the product of that desire.

When you started Scout's journey did you already know how her story would end or did it develop as you wrote?

Not to sound horribly didactic, but I knew what I wanted readers to take away from the story and some of the ways I would attempt to accomplish that. Basically, I knew some of the major plot points, but a lot of what really made up the story came during the writing process.

Have you started writing your new Seers and Shifters series yet? I’ve started the research process, but no words have been put on paper (or screen) as of this moment. After putting out three novels in 18 months, I needed a bit of a slower pace for a couple of months. However, I am still writing a little. It’s just that what I’m working on right now is a secret… Shhhhhhhh!

I know you work as a YA service coordinator at a library so that sort of makes you an expert on the genre! Are there any YA authors you are inspired by or just really love?

Oh mercy! There are way too many to name! But in my professional opinion, THE YA writer for this generation is John Green. Not only are his books well-written and entertaining, but they all carry such a powerful message. And that doesn’t even take into account the amazing things he’s doing for YA culture as the original Nerd Fighter.

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

Read and write every day; finish something, even if it’s horrible; work hard; believe in yourself; and always be kind to others.

Could you tell our readers about your cause Hope Conquers?

Hope Conquers is based on the belief that books matter and that they can change lives for the better. My small community has recently been hit hard with childhood cancer. Four of the people I graduated with have had a child diagnosed with cancer, and currently there are three teens in our county undergoing cancer treatment. Hope Conquers is my way of helping those families. There are two aspects of Hope Conquers. The first is that I’m donating the profit from every Kindle edition of Destiny Binds sold in October to The Ronald McDonald House, which supports families with seriously ill children. The second part is that I’m collecting signed books with inspirational inscriptions from authors to donate to the Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital. You can read more about the project and how you can help on my website at www.misstammywrites.com.

A big thank you to Tammy Blackwell!

If you haven't had a chance to check out DESTINY BINDS yet I highly recommend you do so! Not only is it a fantastic read and all profit for the month of October is being donated to a great cause, but as an added incentive it is currently only .99! Go get it! NOW!
(You can find it here and here.)

Even though I am already a proud owner of this fabulous book, I really want to help out Tammy's cause soooooooooooo you know what that means! A Giveaway!

Tweet about Hope Conquers and/or share this post on your facebook or personal blog and leave us a comment saying you did so. I will announce the winner one week from today! Good luck!

Abbi Glines Giveaway Winner!

MORGAN LESLIE you are the winner!
Email me at cope.blog3@gmail.com to claim your prize!

Interview with Tammara Webber & Giveaway!

Tammara Webber is the author of the Between the Lines series, and Easy. She wrote sad romantic poetry in high school and penned her first half-novel when she was 19 which was accidentally destroyed in a shredder.

Tammara is addicted to coffee, Cherry Garcia frozen yogurt and baby carrots. She is a hopeful romantic who adores novels with happy endings, because there are enough sad endings in real life.

Tammara, thanks so much for joining me today on A Dash of YA!

Thank you for having me!

Was there a defining moment in your life when you knew that you wanted to be an author?

No. I always enjoyed writing. It was more of a natural progression. I actually fought it more than I moved towards it, because it seemed like such an impossible dream. I’m glad my common sense didn’t win out. J

Between the Lines was the first book you published, but was it the first book you’d ever written?

No. I wrote three “shelf novels” before I wrote Between the Lines.

Your stand-alone novel, Easy, has received much praise. How did the concept for Easy come about?

I’ve wanted to write this book for a while. I had to wait until I was certain of the exact way to approach the story. The concept developed from with experiences both personal and of those close to me, and came to the forefront while working with university students as an advisor. Though my job title suggested I counseled students about academic matters only, I was often the only person they knew in administration. Students would talk to me about personal issues when they didn’t know where else to turn. Whether they just needed someone to listen or needed actual assistance, I could refer them to offices on campus that they often didn’t know existed.

What was your reaction to Penguin/Razorbill’s decision to republish Between the Lines and Easy?

When my agent called to tell me about the offer, I was thrilled. They’ve been really wonderful.

What are some of your favourite books at the moment?

I’m reading Maggie Stiefvater’s The Raven Boys at the moment. It’s fantastic. I wish I had more time to read – my TBR pile is massive. Every time I finish a book, I find I’ve added two more while reading! I need a month-long vacation away from my computer. I’m also critiquing Abbi Glines’ newest book, which is work I love to do. (I have to lower the air conditioning temp or have a fan handy when I work on her manuscripts, though!)

What is the most important thing you have learnt on your journey as an author? 

To never give up. If someone tells you no, that's just a no to that pathway, not a no to that goal. I'm a storyteller, and I always have been; this is what I was meant to do. I think many people don't end up doing what they were meant to do, because they allow someone else to stop them. If you're like me, and you aren't the sort to break down the wall, then find your way around it!


I would like to thank Tammara again for joining us for the launch week of A Dash of YA! To find out more about Tammara and her books, follow the links below.

Blog
Facebook
Twitter
Amazon

________

To participate in the giveaway, please log into the Rafflecopter below and complete as many activities as you can. The giveaway is open internationally and will close on October 12.

Good luck everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Interview with Abbi Glines & a Giveway!

EXISTENCE captured my attention but THE VINCENT BOYS stole my heart. 

I was lucky enough to meet Abbi Glines at a book signing in Broken Arrow, OK back in June. And I have to admit, I was ridiculously star struck. You would have thought I was a giddy teenager meeting Robert Pattinson or something. I carried my signed copy of THE VINCENT BOYS around with me for the rest of the day week. She is every bit as charming as you would expect a Southern gal to be and I completely adore her.

So without further ado, please welcome Abbi Glines to A Dash of YA!

Thanks for letting me interview you Abbi!

Thank you for asking me :) I'm flattered you wanted to interview me.

I have read everything you have published to date and I have to say I am Team Beau all the way. Out of all of the swoon-worthy men you have created, who is your most favorite?

That's a hard question. I'm torn between two. Cage was by far the most fun to write. I enjoyed writing him and getting in his very naughty head. However, Sawyer was so wounded and made such bad decisions but REAL decisions. I understood him and I felt bad for him. So it's a tie between the two of them.

Where do you find your inspiration for your stories? How much would you say are “real life” experiences?

Other than setting and dialogue nothing I write is inspired from real life. Music inspires me. I'm also a people watcher. Body language and interaction between couples is something I pay attention to a lot. Then there is always, my overactive imagination.

I know that BREATHE was your debut novel, but was it the first one you wrote?

Yes. Breathe was the first complete novel I wrote. I tried writing many books before Breathe and never could finish them. Once I finished Breathe I realized I'd worked out my issues and I was on a roll.

You churn out books insanely fast (which is much appreciated by your impatient fans like myself!), how long does it typically take you to write a first draft?

One week.

Wow! That’s impressive! How many hours do you spend writing a day?

6-8... though, I've been known to write 12 hours straight.

Do you have an all-time favorite author? Who and why?

Yes. Jennifer Echols. I know that when she releases a book that I will read it in one sitting. I can't put down anything she writes. Her stories never disappoint. She also writes southern setting since she lives in Alabama too so that is fun for me to read. And no, I have never met her.

EXISTENCE was the very first book of yours I read and as much as I enjoyed it, I think I love your Sea Breeze series even more. Which genre is the most fun for you to write, Paranormal or Contemporary Romance?

I love writing Contemporary Romance. I won't lie. As much as I love Dank Walker, I can not wait until I am finished with Ceaseless so that I can write Preston's story.

Can you divulge a secret about Cage that no one else knows?

Yes, he looks like Channing Tatum in my head ;)

Yum! I can totally picture that!

CEASELESS (Existence trilogy #3) was just released on September 18th and JUST FOR NOW (#4 Sea Breeze series) on October 23rd, plus I heard you were writing a second story for Cage and Eva! Do you have any big plans for after that?

Yes. I have an urban fantasy trilogy that I will be releasing in 2013. However, the dates on that have changed. It is now going to be late 2013. I will be giving Ethan from The Vincent Boys a story next summer. AND If I can get to it, I have a stand alone New Adult romance that I want to write. Hopefully I can get it out by early spring.

As an author who has both self-published and gone the traditional route, what advice would you give to aspiring writers out there?

If you've written a book get yourself an editor and a cover artist. Make sure your cover is attractive and self-publish it on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and Kobo. Grow yourself a fan base. Don't worry about having a publisher or an agent, just yet. Build up to that. When you're ready, you'll know. I love my agent and my new publisher for The Vincent Boys (Simon Pulse) but I wasn't ready for them back when I released Breathe (who was released by a small publisher. I still had to do all the marketing myself.) I had a lot of learning to do. I think you will grow more as an author if you have to figure out how to make a book successful without help. That, of course, is just my opinion.

A big thank you to Abbi Glines for taking the time out to answer this crazy fangirl’s questions!

If you haven’t had a chance to check out her books, I highly recommend them to everyone! You can find them all in e-reader format. The Vincent Boys and The Vincent Brothers are now available to pre-order in paperback and hardback format. They are both being re-released on Dec. 25^th with an extra 12,000 words and steamier scenes! Can’t wait for more Beau! *swoon*

And just because I love Abbi Glines so much and want you all to love her too, I'm going to give one lucky reader BECAUSE OF LOW or WHILE IT LASTS!

All you have to do is "follow" us and leave a comment telling which book you would like and whether you have a Nook, Kindle or prefer to read good old fashion paperbacks.

Piece of cake, right?!

For additional chances of winning, "like" A Dash of YA on facebook and/or tweet about this giveaway and leave us comments saying you did so!

I'll announce the winner one week from today--good luck!

Existence Trilogy with the novella LEIF

The Vincent Boys series

Sea Breeze series. Coming soon JUST FOR NOW