Giveaway: Sea Spell Prize Pack!

Happy Friday Everyone!

I've been absent this week (obviously) which made me sad because I adore all of you and feel very out of the loop at the moment, but the good news is I got a lot of work done! I'm still swamped, but it's hard to be too upset about that because building my business makes me all warm and fuzzy inside:)

As promised, I'm popping in today to partner with Disney-Hyperion and bring you a very special giveaway for Sea Spell, the fourth and final book in Jennifer Donnelly's Waterfire Saga! Before we get to the giveaway though, below is a bit about the book so you know what you're getting yourself into:

Sea Spell releases June 14th from Disney-Hyperion

At the end of Dark Tide, Book 3 in the Waterfire Saga, Astrid leaves her mermaid friends to confront her ancestor, Orfeo, the evil force behind the rise of the monster Abbadon. Orfeo possesses one of the six talismans that the merls need in order to keep the monster locked up forever. But without the ability to songcast, how will Astrid be able to defeat the most powerful mage in history? 

Meanwhile, Serafina and her Black Fins train goblin troops for battle against her uncle Vallerio’s death riders. Will Sera ever see her beloved home—and her beloved Mahdi—again, or will the Volneros take over the mer realms while Orfeo takes on the gods themselves? Nothing less than the fate of the underwater world is at stake in this breathtaking finale. 

Amazon • B&N • Website

Read an excerpt here!

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JENNIFER DONNELLY

Jennifer Donnelly is an award-winning author of both adult and young adult books, including Deep Blue, Rogue Wave, and Dark Tide, the first three books in the Waterfire Saga. For adults she has written a trilogy of best-selling books that includes The Tea Rose, The Winter Rose, and The Wild Rose. Her first young adult novel, A Northern Light, received many accolades, among them the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, a Carnegie Medal in the UK, and a Michael L. Printz Honor. Her second young adult novel, Revolution, was named a Best Book of 2010 by Kirkus Reviews and School Library Journal, and the audiobook received a 2011 American Library Association Odyssey Honor. She lives in New York’s Hudson Valley. For more information, visit www.jenniferdonnelly.com.

Website • Facebook • Twitter

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GIVEAWAY

Thanks to my partnership with Disney-Hyperion, one lucky winner will receive a copy of Sea Spell as well as branded nail polish! Just in time for summer:) To enter, please fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Giveaway is open to US addresses only.

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Giveaway: The Immortals

Happy Friday Everyone!

In celebration of the fact that this week is over (who's ready for a couple days off? *raises both hands*), I have a fantastic giveaway to share with you all today! One of my very favorite things to read about is Greek mythology, so I of course pounce on on any and every book I come across that features it. As soon as I saw The Immortals I knew instantly that it was a "me" kind of book.

Tell me you aren't intrigued after reading this synopsis:

Manhattan has many secrets. Some are older than the city itself.

The city sleeps. Selene DiSilva walks her dog along the banks of the Hudson. She is alone—just the way she likes it. She doesn't believe in friends, and she doesn't speak to her family. Most of them are simply too dangerous.

In the predawn calm, Selene finds the body of a young woman washed ashore, gruesomely mutilated and wreathed in laurel. Her ancient rage returns. And so does the memory of a promise she made long ago—when her name was Artemis.

ARTEMIS! I can't wait to read Ms. Brodsky's version of this particular goddess and find out how Artemis deals with whomever killed and mutilated the young woman. Ancient vengeance unleashed in Manhattan? Yes please!

If you want to read more, you can check out an excerpt from chapter one here!

Find The Immortals:

Amazon • B&N • IndieBound • The Immortals Website

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JORDANNA MAX BRODSKY

photo courtesy of Ben Arons

Jordanna Max Brodsky hails from Virginia, where she spent four years at a science and technology high school pretending it was a theater conservatory. She holds a degree in History and Literature from Harvard University.  When she's not wandering the forests of Maine, she lives in Manhattan with her husband. She often sees goddesses in Central Park and wishes she were one.

Website • Facebook • Twitter

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GIVEAWAY

In partnership with Orbit Books who has so generously provided goodies, I have a fantastic goddess-themed prize pack (includes a copy of The Immortals and a "Goddess" sweatshirt!) to give away today. To enter, please fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Giveaway is open to US addresses only.


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Giveaway: Charley Davidson Series

To help celebrate the 8th book in the hugely entertaining Charley Davidson series, I have a very special giveaway (prizing and samples courtesy of St. Martin's Press) to share with you all today! I've only read the first book in this series (SHAME ON ME!), but if you have yet to meet Charley (and Reyes!), then you're going to want to make time for them immediately. So. Good.

Before we get to the giveaway though, here's a brief introduction for those of you who are new to this series:

First Grave on the Right is the smashing, award-winning debut novel that introduces Charley Davidson: part-time private investigator and full-time Grim Reaper..

Charley sees dead people. That's right, she sees dead people. And it's her job to convince them to "go into the light." But when these very dead people have died under less than ideal circumstances (i.e., murder), sometimes they want Charley to bring the bad guys to justice. Complicating matters are the intensely hot dreams she's been having about an Entity who has been following her all her life...and it turns out he might not be dead after all. In fact, he might be something else entirely.

While 8 books is an intimidating number, I have little doubt they'll all fly by, so I can't wait to get caught up! Eighth Grave After Dark is out now, so here I come with the binge-reading Charley and Reyes!

 

Sometimes I wonder if the purpose of my life
is to serve as a cautionary tale to others.
--T-shirt

Charley Davidson has enough going on without having to worry about twelve hellhounds hot on her trail. She is, after all, incredibly pregnant and feeling like she could pop at any moment. But, just her luck, twelve deadly beasts from hell have chosen this time to escape onto our plane, and they've made Charley their target. And so she takes refuge at the only place she thinks they can't get to her: the grounds of an abandoned convent. Of course, if hellhounds aren't enough, Charley also has a new case to hold her attention: the decades-old murder of a newly-vowed nun she keeps seeing in the shadows of the convent.

Add to that the still unsolved murder of her father, the strange behavior of her husband, and Charley's tendency to attract the, shall we say, undead, and she has her hands full…but also tied. While the angry hellhounds can't traverse the consecrated soil, they can lurk just beyond its borders like evil sentries, so Charley has been forbidden from leaving the sacred grounds. Luckily, she has her loyal team with her, and they're a scrappy bunch who won't let a few thirsty hellhounds deter them.


While the team scours the prophesies, searching for clues on the Twelve, for a way to kill them or at least send them back to hell, Charley just wants answers and is powerless to get them. But the mass of friends they've accrued helps. They convince her even more that everyone in her recent life has somehow been drawn to her, as though they were a part of a bigger picture all along. Their presence is comforting. But the good feelings don't last for long because Charley is about to get the surprise of her crazy, mixed-up, supernatural life….

Read an excerpt!

• • • • • • • • • • •

DARYNDA JONES

Photo: Donita Massey Privett

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author DARYNDA JONES won a RITA Award for best first novel for First Grave On The Right. As a born storyteller, she grew up spinning tales of dashing damsels and heroes in distress for any unfortunate soul who happened by, annoying man and beast alike. Jones lives in the Land of Enchantment, also known as Albuquerque, New Mexico, with her husband and two beautiful sons, the Mighty, Mighty Jones Boys.

Website • Twitter • Facebook • Pinterest • Goodreads

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GIVEAWAY

Thanks to the generosity of St. Martin's Press I have a No Rest For the Dead prize pack to give away today! One lucky winner will receive:

• Branded coffee mug and Grim Reaper nail decals
• The complete Charley Davidson series!

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Firefight: Excerpt + Giveaway

Today I have the pleasure of offering up an epic giveaway to help celebrate Firefight, book two in The Reckoners series by Brandon Sanderson. While I haven't read Steelheart yet (I have it waiting for me!), I've heard from innumerable people how amazing this series is, so it's flown to the very top of my list and I can't wait to dive in. Before we get to the giveaway though, you have a chance to read a very lengthy excerpt (if it wasn't 23 pages I would have posted it here ;-)) which will undoubtedly only make you crave more. First, a little about Firefight:

Brandon Sanderson is back with a vengeance in FIREFIGHT, the follow up to the #1 New York Times bestselling Steelheart. In the book that Kirkus Reviews is calling a “rare middle volume that keeps the throttle open,” Sanderson takes readers on another a thrill ride and “presents a Marvel Comics-style mix of violently destructive battles, fabulous feats and ongoing inner wrestling over morality and identity.”

David Charleston still can’t believe it. Steelheart is dead, and he died by David’s own hand. Even the Reckoners had never killed a High Epic, but the invincible has fallen and now Newcago is free. Despite attaining revenge for the murder of his father and living his dream as a team member of the most elite Reckoners cell, David finds he has more questions than ever before, and he won’t find the answers in his home city.

Babylon Restored, the city formerly known as Manhattan, could hold the key. Ruled by the mysterious and ambivalent High Epic Regalia, Babylon Restored is a place flooded with water and painted in neon, where the inhabitants spend most of their days lounging and nights partying. David can’t seem to understand the complacency of the city and its residents, but what he does understand is that being positioned here, risky as it may be, could lead him to the answers he so desperately seeks. Because there is an emptiness in him, one left behind after killing Steelheart, that was filled unexpectedly by Firefight, who is just plain Megan to him. And David will stop at nothing to find a way to understand Epics and bring her back to him. Hopefully for good this time.

The second book in the Reckoners series and follow up to the highly acclaimed Steelheart, which Publishers Weekly called “an absolute page-turner,” FIREFIGHT is filled with spine-tingling adventure and heart-racing action that promises to satisfy fans both new and old.

FIREFIGHT EXCERPT

Find Firefight:

Amazon • B&N • Goodreads

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STEELHEART

(The Reckoners Book One)

Ten years ago, Calamity came. It was a burst in the sky that gave ordinary men and women extraordinary powers. The awed public started calling them Epics. But Epics are no friend of man. With incredible gifts came the desire to rule. And to rule man you must crush his wills.

Nobody fights the Epics...nobody but the Reckoners. A shadowy group of ordinary humans, they spend their lives studying Epics, finding their weaknesses, and then assassinating them.

And David wants in. He wants Steelheart - the Epic who is said to be invincible. The Epic who killed David's father. For years, like the Reckoners, David's been studying, and planning - and he has something they need. Not an object, but an experience.

He's seen Steelheart bleed. And he wants revenge.

Find Steelheart: 

Amazon • B&N • Goodreads 

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BRANDON SANDERSON

 Credit: Isaac Stewart

BRANDON SANDERSON is the author of the internationally bestselling Mistborn trilogy. In 2007, he was chosen to complete Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time series following the author’s death.  The concluding book in that series, A Memory of Light, was released on January 8, 2013, and debuted at #1 on the New York Times Hardcover Fiction List., just as his two previous Wheel of Time books had done.  His work has been published in over 25 languages and his books have sold millions of copies worldwide. He lives and writes in Utah.

Website • Twitter

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GIVEAWAY: EPIC READS PRIZE PACK

Thanks to the generosity of the folks at Random House, I have copies of both Steelheart AND Firefight to give away on the blog today. One lucky winner will be able to start this series from the beginning. Woot! To enter, please fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Giveaway is open to US addresses only.

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Rogue Wave Blog Tour: Which Mermaid Are You?

Today I'm thrilled to welcome author Jennifer Donnelly to the blog as part of the promotional tour for the latest book in the Waterfire Saga, Rogue Wave. I don't know about all of you, but when I was younger my lifelong goal was to become a mermaid like Ariel, and I fully admit without shame that said goal hasn't completely faded with time. Suffice to say, I'm a fan of mermaids. *dreams of abandoning work and moving to the ocean where I can wear pretty sea silk dresses and have a tail of sparkly, scaly gorgeousness*

Jennifer is here to introduce her merls to those who haven't yet started this series, and to give those who've already met these ladies a few additional personality details and juicy tidbits. Below her post is a fantastic quiz that will tell you which of Jennifer's merls you're most similar to, so be sure and check it out and leave your answer in the comments!

Can I tell you how much I love my merls Sera, Neela, Ava, Ling, Becca, and Astrid? I say “my” not because I wrote them, but because they’re mine like my girlfriends are mine. They’re my merlfriends, and I love talking to them, adventuring with them, hanging with them.
Sera and I can talk for hours. We’d be up all night talking if I didn’t have to get up for work. She is so smart and so tough and so brave . . . but she is so plagued by self-doubt. I spend a lot of time reassuring her—but what’s really happening the whole time is that she is inspiring me!
Neela’s my fashion merl. She is GORGEOUS! What I wouldn’t give for her beautiful skin and her thick, lustrous hair. I’m totally jealous! But she’s always there for me on the days I look really blah in the mirror, winking over my shoulder, fluffing my hair . . . and reminding me that my sparkliest necklace will change everything.
 
Ava is crazy perceptive. She can see through anything and anyone. When I feel like I’m not getting the real story, or somebody’s hiding something, or someone’s pretending to be someone they’re not, or someone wants me to be someone I’m not, I get Ava’s perspective—and things are so much clearer.
 
Ling is the Einstein of the group. Total brainiac. She speaks, like, every language. Seriously: omnis lingua! When I’ve got a complicated problem, she shows me how to focus, cut through all the distractions, consider all the angles, and figure it out.
 
Becca is all business. She’s my personal drill sergeant! She gets me up to exercise at six a.m. no matter how cold and dark it is out. She makes sure I get my blog posts—and my books—done in time. When there’s work to be done, Becca is there to make sure I’m not off shopping with Neela or up all night talking to Sera . . .
 
Astrid. Astrid, Astrid, Astrid. Miss Dark Cloud on the Horizon. She questions EVERYTHING. She drives me crazy. And yet, and yet: I’m so happy to have her around. I need a good, skeptical reality check from time to time. She’s also tough as nails—and not afraid to show it. If I’m in a scary place, I feel much safer if she’s nearby. Do NOT mess with this merl.
 
I love my merls because we share a very deep, unspoken connection. I really know them—and they really know me. Each one is different, but they all have something I relate to very closely, as if they’re a part of me (which, in my case, I suppose they are!).
 
So I’m a little like all of them. But of all six, I feel the most like Astrid—not the tough-guy merl, but the merl who’s always questioning things. And being the resident PITA.
 
Which one are you? We have a great little quiz that you (and your merls) can take to find out. I took it, and sure enough: Astrid by a slim margin. Daisy, my fashionista daughter, is like Neela. My husband won’t admit he took the quiz (but I bet he did—and anyway, he’s like Ling).
 
Take the quiz, and let me know who you are—and why—below. I’ll join the conversation—and who knows? Maybe we’ll hear from Sera, Neela, and the other merls too!

 (click to enlarge)

Answers:

You can also take this quiz online: http://waterfiresaga.com/quiz#mermaid

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ROGUE WAVE

Waterfire Saga #2

In this exciting sequel to DEEP BLUE, the mermaids are on an exceedingly important and dangerous quest. Their journey is testing their skills and their friendships, forcing them to grow and take on new challenges, and will alter their lives forever.

Serafina, Neela, Ling, Ava, Becca, and Astrid, six mermaids from realms scattered throughout the seas and freshwaters, were summoned by the leader of the river witches to learn an incredible truth: the mermaids are direct descendants of the Six Who Ruled–powerful mages who once governed the lost empire of Atlantis. The ancient evil that destroyed Atlantis is stirring again, and only the mermaids can defeat it. To do so, they need to find magical talismans that belonged to the Six.

Serafina believes her talisman was buried with an old shipwreck. While researching its location, she is almost discovered by a death rider patrol led by someone familiar. . . . The pain of seeing him turned traitor is devastating.

Neela travels to Matali to warn her parents of the grave threat facing their world.  But they find her story outlandish; a sign that she needs to be confined to her chamber for rest and recovery. She escapes and travels to Kandina, where her talisman is in the possession of fearsome razormouth dragons.

As they hunt for their talismans, both Serafina and Neela find reserves of courage and cunning they didn't know they possessed. They face down danger and death, only to endure a game-changing betrayal, as shocking as a rogue wave.

Goodreads • Amazon • Barnes & Noble • iTunes

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DEEP BLUE

Waterfire Saga #1

Deep in the ocean, in a world not so different from our own, live the merpeople. Their communities are spread throughout the oceans, seas, and freshwaters all over the globe.

When Serafina, a mermaid of the Mediterranean Sea, awakens on the morning of her betrothal, her biggest worry should be winning the love of handsome Prince Mahdi. And yet Sera finds herself haunted by strange dreams that foretell the return of an ancient evil. Her dark premonitions are confirmed when an assassin’s arrow poisons Sera's mother. Now, Serafina must embark on a quest to find the assassin’s master and prevent a war between the Mer nations.

Led only by her shadowy dreams, Sera searches for five other mermaid heroines who are scattered across the six seas. Together, they will form an unbreakable bond of sisterhood and uncover a conspiracy that threatens their world’s very existence.

Goodreads • Amazon • Barnes & Noble

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JENNIFER DONNELLY

Jennifer Donnelly is an award-winning author of both adult and young adult books, including Deep Blue, the first book in the Waterfire Saga. For adults she has written a trilogy of best-selling books that includes The Tea Rose, The Winter Rose, and The Wild Rose. Her first young adult novel, A Northern Light, received many accolades, among them the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, a Carnegie Medal in the UK, and a Michael L. Printz Honor. Her second young adult novel, Revolution, was named a Best Book of 2010 by Kirkus Reviews and School Library Journal, and the audiobook received a 2011 American Library Association Odyssey Honor. She lives in New York's Hudson Valley.

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Waterfire Official Website

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BLOG TOUR

Be sure and check out the rest of the stops on the tour for more fabulous guest posts and exclusive excerpts!

 

Falling Kingdoms Interview & Giveaway

I'm super excited today to be a part of a fun promotion for Gathering Darkness, the third installment of the Falling Kingdoms series by Morgan Rhodes. Since fantasy has recently become one of my favorite genres, this series is definitely on my list to read and I can't wait to dive in and binge read all three over the holidays. I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to ask Morgan a few questions about this series as a whole, so I hope this interview gives those of you new to the series (and of course those of you who are avid fans) a little something to get excited about!

For those who have yet to dive into these books, how, using a single word, might each of the four main characters describe what unfolds for them throughout the series?

Oh, you’re going to make me really work, huh? ;) Okay… here it goes:

CLEO: Evolution
JONAS: Vengeance
LUCIA: Power
MAGNUS: Divergent

If you were sitting on the throne of one of the kingdoms in this world, what would be your single greatest fear?

Same as it would be in any other world: Spiders! (shudders)

*Jenny shudders too*

Let’s say that tomorrow our world suddenly becomes infused with magic and things we never thought possible before now are. Would you want to know everything there is to know, or would you leave the magic alone and stay far, far away?

I’m only a Muggle because I have to be. If I had a choice: Magic all the wayyy! Woo hoo!!!

I’m not sure what this says about me, but I love truly despicable villains, cruel characters like Gaius who make my hands curl into fists in anger while reading. Who is your all-time favorite love-to-hate-him (or her) bad guy?

I enjoy villains, too, and King Gaius is surprisingly fun to write consider that he’s such a sadistic beast. (I’m not sure what that says about me!) My all-time favorite love-to-hate villain (right now, anyway!!) is Crowley from Supernatural. I do enjoy a sarcastic demon. My all-time just-hate-her character is Dolores Umbridge from Harry Potter. How could a cat-lover be so evil??

If you could fall through the pages and step foot into this world you’ve created, what aspect of it would you be most curious to see outside your own imagination?

I would love to take a tour through the City of Gold, the walled city that contains the Auranian palace. I describe it as such a golden, glittering jewel that it would be absolutely breathtaking to see in person.

Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions Morgan!

And just to pique everyone's curiosity further, how about a teaser quote from Gathering Darkness?

I feel like Magnus is talking directly to me here. Except for the princess part, obviously. He calls me Goddess instead. Wait. No. *attempts to return to reality* In all seriousness though, I'm a reader who ALWAYS falls for the broken, tortured, bordering-on-irredeemable anti-hero, naively hoping with each chapter that he'll do something to prove that my faith in him is not misplaced. I feel like Magnus and I might really have something special ;-)

If you want to meet Magnus as much as I do, I hope you'll pick up the Falling Kingdoms series! Be sure and check out the bottom of the post for your chance to win all sorts of Falling Kingdoms goodies:)

• • • • • • • • • •

GATHERING DARKNESS

The seeds of revolution have been sown…but in Mytica the lust for power reigns supreme.

THE REBELS forge ahead. Princess Cleo slays with sweetness—and a secret that might control Lucia’s magic—as she and vengeful Jonas lead the hunt for the all-powerful Kindred.

THE KRAESHIANS join the fray. Ashur and Amara, the royal siblings from the vast kingdom across the Silver Sea, prove to be just as ruthless as they are charming as they manipulate their way to victory.

THE WATCHERS follow Melenia out of the Sanctuary. They ally, in the flesh, with King Gaius, who vows to use Lucia’s powers to unveil the Kindred.

And which side will Prince Magnus choose, now that he’s been betrayed by everyone he’s ever loved?

Amazon • Goodreads • Facebook

*If you're a fan of this series already but haven't yet had a chance to get your hands on Gathering Darkness, then be sure and download this lengthy excerpt!*

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MORGAN RHODES

Photo: Shanon Fujioka

Morgan Rhodes is the New York Times bestselling author of the FALLING KINGDOMS series. As a child, she always wanted to be a princess—the kind that knows how to wield a sharp sword to help save both kingdoms and princes from fire-breathing dragons and dark wizards. Instead, she became a writer, which is just as good and much less dangerous. Along with writing, Morgan enjoys photography, travel, and reality TV, and is an extremely picky yet voracious reader of all kinds of books.

Twitter • Tumblr • Instagram

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GIVEAWAY

Thanks to the fabulous people at Penguin Young Readers, I have an epic prize pack to give away on the blog today! Up for grabs to one lucky winner:

• A Falling Kingdoms T-Shirt
• A Falling Kingdoms Postcard Set
• Copies of Falling Kingdoms, Rebel Spring, and Gathering Darkness

Giveaway is open to US addresses only, please enter via the Rafflecopter form.

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The Raven Cycle Tarot Tour + Giveaway: The Death Card

Today I have the pleasure of being part of a very special blog tour celebrating The Raven Cycle series, one that showcases the many, many talents of Maggie Stiefvater. Maggie is not only a gifted writer and storyteller, but also an extremely skilled artist as well, and this tour shows her skills off to a spectacular degree. Each stop on the tour features a tarot card drawn by Maggie herself, complete with a reading of that card and its application to the Raven Cycle series by the participating blogger. Before I reveal the Death card, here's a little more about the Tarot Tour:

The tarot is a divination system that uses a deck of cards to gain insight. Most decks are comprised of 78 cards divided into the Major Arcana and Minor Arcana, with each card being symbolic of an energy or spiritual truth. The Major Arcana are known as the “trump cards” because they impart messages of greater weight and significance than the Minor Arcana.

The Raven Cycle Tarot Tour features the Major Arcana, with each stop on the tour revealing one of the 22 cards as designed by Maggie Stiefvater, and will use that card to reveal the past, present and future of The Raven Cycle series.

You can find the full schedule (November 1st-22nd) and list of participating blogs below, be sure and check them all out for more tarot cards, readings, and chances to win!

And now, I give you Death:

DEATH

PAST

Unsurprisingly, the Death card is "the most feared and misunderstood of all the cards in the Tarot deck". While that aspect of it is not part of the meaning of the card itself, I think the concept of misperception and misunderstanding plays a critical role in The Raven Boys.

Upon cracking the spine, we are almost immediately made aware of a prophecy featuring Blue and Gansey, one that foretells that she is either destined to fall in love with him or to be the one who kills him. For much of the book then we can't help but wonder about the very nature of prophetic statements, so seemingly telling but also vague and open-ended at the same time, inspiring fear and anxiety due to the sheer number of possible interpretations. Much as Death is misunderstood, telling not of literal impending death at all but rather change and transition, the prophecy concerning Blue and Gansey is feared for all its unknowns.

Quote source

PRESENT

"Death is symbolic of the ending of a major phase or aspect of your life that may bring about the beginning of something far more valuable and important."

Each of the characters in the Raven Cycle series undergo a number of changes, some minor and others major, as the series continues, trying to come to terms with their various abilities (particularly Ronan and his highly unusual gift of being able to bring pieces of dreams into reality) while also treading lightly as the nature of the friendships within the group continues to transition with Blue in the mix.

"Death is an indication that you need to learn to let go of unhealthy attachments in your life to pave the way to a fuller, more fulfilled life of deeper meaning and significance. Death teaches you to let go of outworn and outgrown ways of life and move forward."

The four boys in particular are likely to have this card laid in front of them should they sit down down to a reading, each of them with a past they're struggling to overcome in the hopes of emerging stronger on the other side. Gansey constantly battles his privileged upbringing and the differences between his life and those of his closest friends, Adam's abusive home life and past affects his every decision and action in the present, Ronan's history has shaped him into someone dark and defiant who dares the world to come at him, and Noah is perhaps in a more constant state of flux than any of the other three.

Quote source

FUTURE

"You may be reluctant to let go of the past or you may not know how to make the change you need. You are still carrying harmful aspects from the past that may interfere with the opportunity you have for a new beginning. You are refusing to accept change and you are resisting any element of change that may arise in your life. As a result, life has stagnated and you are feeling ‘stuck’ in limbo."

The Death card has a lot of intriguing implications for the next book in the series, forcing us to ask ourselves difficult questions about each and every character. Will they be able to overcome the the hardships or horrors of their pasts, freeing themselves from baggage that prevents them from seeing clearly? Will the misunderstanding that goes hand in hand with this card in particular be indicative of how Blue and Gansey move forward? Will they allow themselves to be caged by the words of a prophecy, or will they fight to give what has been foretold a meaning of their own choosing?

Quote source

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THE RAVEN CYCLE

Mystery, Romance and the supernatural combine in this series from #1 New York Times bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater.
Book 1: The Raven Boys

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue never sees them--until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks to her. His name is Gansey, a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can't entirely explain. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul whose emotions range from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She doesn't believe in true love, and never thought this would be a problem. But as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she's not so sure anymore.

Book 2: The Dream Thieves

Now that the ley lines around Cabeswater have been woken, nothing for Ronan, Gansey, Blue, and Adam will be the same. Ronan, for one, is falling more and more deeply into his dreams, and his dreams are intruding more and more into waking life. Meanwhile, some very sinister people are looking for some of the same pieces of the Cabeswater puzzle that Gansey is after....

Book 3: Blue Lily, Lily Blue

There is danger in dreaming. But there is even more danger in waking up.

Blue Sargent has found things. For the first time in her life, she has friends she can trust, a group to which she can belong. The Raven Boys have taken her in as one of their own. Their problems have become hers, and her problems have become theirs.

The trick with found things though, is how easily they can be lost.

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MAGGIE STIEFVATER

Entertainment Weekly has called Maggie Stiefvater, “one of the finest YA novelists writing today.” Maggie Stiefvater is a writer, artist, and musician and the New York Times bestselling author of Shiver, hailed by Publishers Weekly in a starred review as, “a lyrical tale,” and by BookPage as, “beautifully written, even poetic at times, and a perfect indulgence for readers of all ages.” There are more than 1.8 million copies of the Shiver trilogy in print. Since publication, rights to thirty-six foreign editions of Shiver have been licensed. Linger, the second book in the Shiver trilogy, debuted at #1 on the New York Times Bestseller list. The Scorpio Races (2011) was named to the following best of the year lists for 2011: Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, The Horn Book and Kirkus Reviews. In addition, The Scorpio Races was named a 2012 Michael L. Printz Honor Book by the American Library Association and a New York Times Notable Children’s Book. Time Magazine called, The Raven Boys, Book #1 in Stiefvater’s latest New York Times bestselling series The Raven Cycle, “A flirtier kind of horror-fantasy, aimed at teens clutching tattered Twilight and Sandman paperbacks....Stiefvater’s quirky prose has ample nerdy pleasures.” Stiefvater lives in Virginia with her family.

Website • Twitter • Facebook • Tumblr • Instagram

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GIVEAWAY

Thanks to the amazing team at Scholastic, I have a fantastic giveaway to share with you guys today! One lucky winner will receive a complete set of The Raven Cycle series (The Raven Boys, The Dream Thieves, and Blue Lily, Lily Blue) AND a limited edition Maggie Stiefvater Major Arcana tarot deck. To enter, please fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Giveaway is open to US addresses only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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THE RAVEN CYCLE TAROT TOUR

Don't forget to check out all the other stops on the tour for more tarot reveals and epic giveaways (you can also follow the This Is Teen Pinterest page for daily tour updates)!

The World of Weir Blog Tour + Giveaway: Reasons to Read The Heir Chronicles

I'm hugely excited today to be a part of the World of Weir Blog Tour, a five week long event celebrating Cinda Williams Chima's The Heir Chronicles as we count down the days until the fifth and final installment releases on October 21st. For those of you who have yet to experience this series, the Weir are those with magical gifts and abilities, and each week of this tour focuses on one of the five magical guilds into which they fit. You don't want to miss out on all the amazing posts and giveaways, so be sure and check the bottom of the post for all the tour details!

For years I avoided the fantasy genre at all costs, thinking, for reasons I can’t fully explain, that it wasn’t going to be one that worked for me. Last year though I began hesitantly picking up a few YA fantasy books, and what happened you ask? Well, I fell madly in love. Deeply in love. Obsessively in love. So it was with great pleasure that I dove into The Heir Chronicles, and quite unsurprisingly, found a new series to fangirl over.

I thought it might be fun to highlight for all of you a few of the reasons this series is so successful for me, that way those of you who enjoy the same things can feel confident in picking these books up and giving them a try!

1. Male protagonists –  Male protagonists are a bit like the unicorn of YA fiction: Rare, fabled and elusive, with rumors and sightings popping up every now and then before they're swallowed up by a female-dominated genre. (This is in no way a slam on female protagonists, I love them and never tire of them, it’s just fun to experience something different!) Each book in the Heir Chronicles follows a young man as he either discovers or explores his supernatural abilities, and Ms. Chima delights with each and every one of them.

2. Familiar Fantasy – This is what I’m calling fantasy books that are grounded in the reality of our world – books like The Burning Sky by Sherry Thomas or Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling that introduce us to our protagonists in a world that makes complete sense before dazzling us with the fantastical elements. For those readers like me who sometimes shy away from high fantasy for fear of being overwhelmed by the sheer vastness of the worlds and all the creatures and beings that inhabit them, this type of fantasy is a comfort; a way for us to experience sorcery, magic and epic battles without wandering in a haze of confusion until we can fully acclimate ourselves.

3. Friends and Family – Apparently I’m on a bit of an alliteration kick today, but let’s just go with it okay? I’m someone who loves stories rich with secondary characters; siblings, friends, parents and extended family who surround the protagonist and either provide them with emotional support or act as a foil for their character. Ms. Chima surrounds her young men with a number of close friends and family, ensuring that while they have moments of isolation where they must rely on themselves to solve their problems, they also have people to turn to when a burden is too great to bear on their own.

I feel fairly confident in saying that if you like the above, you’ll enjoy what Cinda Williams Chima brings to the YA fantasy table, so I hope you add the Heir Chronicles to your to-be read lists!

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THE HEIR CHRONICLES

The Heir Chronicles series will keep readers glued to their seats through riveting fight scenes, deadly political machinations, burgeoning romance, and the unfolding intrigues of a contemporary magical world.

The Sorcerer Heir is a self-contained story accessible to readers just discovering the Heir series, but loyal fans will be rewarded by visits from beloved (and lovingly reviled) characters.

Series order:
The Warrior Heir
The Wizard Heir
The Dragon Heir
The Enchanter Heir
The Sorcerer Heir

Praise for the series:
"Chima offers a pitch-perfect blend of high fantasy and small-town reality..." –The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred review)

"Chima uses her pen like a wand and crafts a wonderfully rich web of magic, while thankfully leaving some dangling threads for subsequent tales." –VOYA  (starred review)

"A smoldering story soaked in tears, sweat and blood, constantly threatening to blaze into an inferno. Spellbinding."  –Kirkus Reviews  (starred review)

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THE SORCERER HEIR

The can’t-miss finale to the beloved and bestselling Heir Chronicles series.

The delicate peace between Wizards and the underguilds (Warriors, Seers, Enchanters, and Sorcerers) still holds by the thinnest of threads, but powerful forces inside and outside the guilds threaten to sever it completely. Old friends and foes return as new threats arise in this stunning and revelatory conclusion to the beloved and bestselling Heir Chronicles series.

The Sorcerer Heir is a self-contained story, accessible to readers just discovering the Heir series, but loyal fans will be rewarded by visits from characters they love (and love to hate) from the earlier installments. Readers will be glued to their seats through riveting fight scenes, deadly political machinations, burgeoning romance, and the unfolding intrigues of a contemporary magical world.

Amazon • Goodreads

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CINDA WILLIAMS CHIMA

Cinda Williams Chima is the New York Times bestselling author of The Warrior Heir, The Wizard Heir, The Dragon Heir, The Enchanter Heir, and the four books of the Seven Realms series: The Demon King, The Exiled Queen, The Gray Wolf Throne, and The Crimson Crown. Cinda is a graduate of The University of Akron and Case Western Reserve University. She lives in Ohio with her family.

Website • Twitter • Facebook

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BLOG TOUR & GIVEAWAY

Thanks to the amazingly generous team at Disney Hyperion, I have a complete set of The Heir Chronicles to give away today! To enter, please just fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Giveaway is open to US addresses only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Tour:

WEEK 1:  THE WARRIORS September 14 – September 20

WEEK 2: THE WIZARDS September 21 –  September 27

WEEK 3: THE SEERS September 28 – October 4

WEEK 4:  THE ENCHANTERS October 5 – October 11

WEEK 5:  THE SORCERERS October 12 – October 18