Interview + Giveaway: Katie McGarry and Nowhere But Here

I couldn't be more excited today to be a part of the promotional tour (thanks Hannah and HarlequinTEEN!) for Nowhere But Here, the latest release from Katie McGarry. I have been a complete and utter Katie fangirl from page one of Pushing the Limits, and when I found out Katie's new series focused on a motorcycle club, I may or may not have dropped dead of swoon. All Katie's boys are magnificent book boyfriend material, but when she went ahead and added biker to the book boyfriend makeup my little heart nearly exploded in anticipation.

I had the pleasure of asking her a few questions about motorcycle clubs and of course Oz in particular, so I hope you all enjoy the interview. Don't forget to check the bottom of this post for a full list of participating blogs as well as a chance to win a finished copy!

You spent a lot of time researching the ins and outs of motorcycle clubs for Nowhere But Here. What's one small thing about them people might be surprised to learn?

Motorcycle clubs can be extremely family oriented. The club that I shadowed for my research for NOWHERE BUT HERE had a family style potluck dinner several Friday nights during the month. In general though, this club required that anyone under eighteen years of age leave around eight in the evening. After this, the party would go into full swing.

Just for fun, what would Oz or the members of Reign of Terror have to say about the portrayal of motorcycle clubs in Sons of Anarchy?

Oz especially would shake his head. It’s shows like this that shape the public’s perceptions of motorcycle clubs. Oz wouldn’t argue that there are motorcycle clubs that dabble in illegal activities, but those are referred to as 1% clubs—meaning that out of all the clubs there are, only 1% of those clubs participate in illegal activities. This means that a good majority of motorcycle clubs abide by the law. A club like Oz’s is a brotherhood of men.

You've written a number of swoon-worthy book boys over the years. If each of them was asked to describe you in one word, what word would that be?

I think each of them would describe me as hopeful. Noah, Ryan, Isaiah, West, Logan, and even Oz know that I like to put each of them in very difficult situations, but I always have hope that they will find themselves better by the end of the story over where they started.

If Emily could reach out to any of the young women from the Pushing the Limits series and ask for relationship advice as things progress with Oz, who do you think would be the most helpful to her?

Emily would definitely reach out to Echo of PUSHING THE LIMITS and Rachel of CRASH INTO YOU. Emily and Oz of NOWHERE BUT HERE share that attraction yet hate at first sight like Echo and Noah did in PUSHING THE LIMITS. But like Echo and Noah, Emily and Oz end up with a love that is epic.

I believe that Emily would eventually reach out to Rachel of CRASH INTO YOU because there is a connection between Isaiah and the NOWHERE BUT HERE crew. Careful readers will be able to make the connection in NOWHERE BUT HERE, and for those who don’t pick it up right away, stick with the THUNDER ROAD series and it will be explained.

Motorcycle clubs seem to embrace nicknames for their various members. If Reign of Terror was to consider you one of theirs, what nickname might they give you?

That’s a fantastic question! Examples of two of the nicknames of the people I hung out with were Fluffy and Mother.  Maybe my road name would be Writer Girl? Sometimes that’s what I would overhear me explained as when people asked. Road names aren’t something members get to choose for themselves. It’s a name that’s given to the member by the club. I met several members whose nickname was a reminder of a moment that made many people laugh.

Thanks so much for answering my questions Katie!

• • • • • • • • • • • 

NOWHERE BUT HERE

Seventeen-year-old Emily likes her life the way it is: doting parents, good friends, good school in a safe neighborhood. Sure, she's curious about her biological father—the one who chose life in a motorcycle club, the Reign of Terror, over being a parent—but that doesn't mean she wants to be a part of his world. But when a reluctant visit turns to an extended summer vacation among relatives she never knew she had, one thing becomes clear: nothing is what it seems. Not the club, not her secret-keeping father and not Oz, a guy with suck-me-in blue eyes who can help her understand them both.

Oz wants one thing: to join the Reign of Terror. They're the good guys. They protect people. They're…family. And while Emily—the gorgeous and sheltered daughter of the club's most respected member—is in town, he's gonna prove it to her. So when her father asks him to keep her safe from a rival club with a score to settle, Oz knows it's his shot at his dream. What he doesn't count on is that Emily just might turn that dream upside down.

No one wants them to be together. But sometimes the right person is the one you least expect, and the road you fear the most is the one that leads you home.

Amazon • B&N • Goodreads

 • • • • • • • • • • • 
 

KATIE McGARRY 

Katie was a teenager during the age of grunge and boy bands and remembers those years as the best and worst of her life. She is a lover of music, happy endings, reality television, and is a secret University of Kentucky basketball fan.

Katie is the author of the full-length Young Adult novels PUSHING THE LIMITS and DARE YOU TO, and the e-novella CROSSING THE LINE. Her debut novel, PUSHING THE LIMITS, is a 2012 Goodreads Choice Finalist for YA Fiction and an RT Book Reviews 2012 Reviewer’s Choice Awards Nominee for Young Adult Contemporary Novel.

Writing has given Katie an excuse to pursue her passions. Research for her books has provided her with the amazing opportunity to train with baseball players, ride along in a drag car at ninety-six miles per hour and experience boxing and mixed martial arts. The most memorable moments for Katie are when she speaks to groups of teenagers about her research, writing and the truth that no dream is out of reach. Katie would love to hear from her readers.

Website • Goodreads • Facebook • Twitter

Don't miss out on more amazing books by Katie McGarry!

Pushing the Limits: Goodreads | Amazon
Crossing the Line (e-novella): Goodreads | Amazon
Dare You To: Goodreads | Amazon
Crash Into You: Goodreads | Amazon
Red At Night (Harlequin More Than Words) eNovella - Free from Amazon
Take Me On: Goodreads | Amazon

• • • • • • • • • • •

GIVEAWAY

Thanks to the generosity of HarlequinTEEN, I have a finished copy of Nowhere But Here to give away on the blog today. WOO HOO! To enter, please fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Giveaway is open to US addresses only.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

WEEK ONE:

5/18 - Supernatural Snark (Interview)

5/19 - Step Into Fiction (Review)

5/20 - Novel Ink (Review)

5/21 - Mundie Moms (Guest Post)

5/22 - Book Rock Betty (Kiss & Tell Post)

WEEK TWO:

5/25 - The Irish Banana Review (Review)

5/25 - Jenuine Cupcakes (Interview)

5/27 - No BS Book Reviews (Review)

5/28 - Once Upon A Twilight (Guest Post)

5/29 - Fiction Fare (Review & Interview)

Breaking the Rules Blog Tour: Letter from Katie McGarry + Giveaway

I'm ridiculously excited today to welcome author Katie McGarry back to the blog as part of the promotional tour for her newest release, Breaking the Rules. I fell madly in love with Echo and Noah (as so many did) back when I read Pushing the Limits, and I'm so thrilled Katie decided to give readers a chance to revisit the two of them. I have the pleasure of sharing with you today a very special letter from Katie to Echo and Noah, and I hope all of you are as moved by it as I was.

Dear Echo and Noah,
 
I want you to be happy.
 
I’m not sure I’ve written truer words. I want your happiness so much that at times it hurts. Why is this so important to me? Because combine the both of you together and you have me.
 
Not all of me, but parts of me. The parts that have been bleeding for so long that I wasn’t sure healing was even possible anymore.
 
All three of us understand what it means to hurt, to lose, to grieve, and to be let down. We don’t trust easily and we don’t love easily, but when we do trust and when we do love, we do it unconditionally and to a fault.
 
We would literally hand the clothes off our body, give our last dime to the people we love. But the truth is, because at times we are so closed off, we often have a very limited amount of people who we let completely in and, sometimes, that’s sad.
 
I should use “was” instead of “is”. It was sad because we’re healing. All three of us are. You two are learning not only how to love and trust each other and how to let other people into your world, but you are also teaching me how to love and trust beyond my normal scope.
 
You’re teaching me that there is room for forgiveness. You’re teaching me that it’s possible to set up boundaries with some people in your life, yet still have a relationship. You’re teaching me that it’s okay to take all the passion that’s inside me and let it soar into the world.
 
The two of you have made me brave and you’ve helped me figure out who I really am. You’ve made me comfortable in my own skin and you’ve made me see the talents that I always downplayed. You’ve made me feel like a teenager all over again with my husband and damn my heart still skips a beat when he smiles at me.
 
I love the two of you and I want your happiness. This is the reason why I wrote Breaking the Rules. It’s why I couldn’t keep it a short story and instead let it flow into a full length novel.
 
I wanted your happiness. No, I demanded your happiness and I can’t wait for everyone else to read how you two find yourselves and each other.
 

Love you forever,

Katie

 *Jenny wipes away tear* I couldn't love Echo, Noah or Katie more!

• • • • • • • • • • • 

BREAKING THE RULES

A summer road trip changes everything in this unforgettable new tale from acclaimed author Katie McGarry.

For new high school graduate Echo Emerson, a summer road trip out west with her boyfriend means getting away and forgetting what makes her so... different. It means seeing cool sights while selling her art at galleries along the way. And most of all, it means almost three months alone with Noah Hutchins, the hot, smart, soul-battered guy who’s never judged her. Echo and Noah share everything — except the one thing Echo’s just not ready for.

But when the source of Echo’s constant nightmares comes back into her life, she has to make some tough decisions about what she really wants — even as foster kid Noah’s search for his last remaining relatives forces them both to confront some serious truths about life, love, and themselves.

Now, with one week left before college orientation, jobs and real life, Echo must decide if Noah's more than the bad-boy fling everyone warned her he'd be. And the last leg of an amazing road trip will turn... seriously epic.

Goodreads • Amazon • B&N

Don't miss out on more amazing books by Katie McGarry!

Pushing the Limits: Goodreads | Amazon
Crossing the Line (e-novella): Goodreads | Amazon
Dare You To: Goodreads | Amazon
Crash Into You: Goodreads | Amazon
Red At Night (Harlequin More Than Words) eNovella - Free from Amazon
Take Me On: Goodreads | Amazon

 • • • • • • • • • • • 

KATIE MCGARRY

Katie was a teenager during the age of grunge and boy bands and remembers those years as the best and worst of her life. She is a lover of music, happy endings, reality television, and is a secret University of Kentucky basketball fan.

Katie is the author of the full-length Young Adult novels PUSHING THE LIMITS and DARE YOU TO, and the e-novella CROSSING THE LINE. Her debut novel, PUSHING THE LIMITS, is a 2012 Goodreads Choice Finalist for YA Fiction and an RT Book Reviews 2012 Reviewer’s Choice Awards Nominee for Young Adult Contemporary Novel.

Writing has given Katie an excuse to pursue her passions. Research for her books has provided her with the amazing opportunity to train with baseball players, ride along in a drag car at ninety-six miles per hour and experience boxing and mixed martial arts. The most memorable moments for Katie are when she speaks to groups of teenagers about her research, writing and the truth that no dream is out of reach. Katie would love to hear from her readers.

Website • Goodreads • Facebook • Twitter

• • • • • • • • • • •

GIVEAWAY
 

Katie is generously offering up a number of different prizes for this tour:

• Four lucky winners will each receive ONE signed copy of Katie’s print books: Pushing the Limits, Dare You To, Crash Into You and Take Me On
• One grand prize winner will receive a $100 gift card to Amazon, B&N or iTunes as well as a zodiac necklace.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be sure and check out the rest of the participating blogs for more unique content from Katie!

• Monday, December 1st - Book Rock Betty
• Tuesday, December 2nd - Page Turners Blog
• Wednesday, December 3rd - Fiktshun
• Thursday, December 4th - Refracted Light Reviews
• Friday, December 5th - Supernatural Snark
  
  

• Monday, December 8th - Xpresso Reads
• Tuesday, December 9th - Bewitched Bookworms
• Wednesday, December 10th - WhoRU Blog
• Thursday, December 11th - Swoony Boys Podcast
• Friday, December 12th - Mundie Moms

The Big Love Letter Event

Today I'm absurdly excited to announce an upcoming event taking place here on Supernatural Snark as well as over at Bewitched Bookworms. Danny and I are what some might called mildly obsessed with romance. Or hugely obsessed. Whichever. Given our let's-call-it-moderate love of all things romance-related we thought good times might be had by all if we tied that love in with a certain upcoming holiday.

In celebration of Valentine's Day (but really, more in celebration of how much Danny and I love to swoon over sexy bad boys and adorable good guys), we've asked some of our very favorite authors to write love letters that will appear on our blogs every Friday during the month of February. We proposed letters written from one character to another, from author to character, character to readers, or anything else the authors might be inspired to write that would help us honor our love of love, and the result is something truly fantastic.

Be sure and check both here and Bewitched Bookworms every Friday as we'll be featuring letters from different authors on each blog, and throughout the event we'll also be hosting a fabulous giveaway, so I hope you guys are as excited about this as we are!

I'm sure you would like a sneak peek at some of the authors who have so generously given their time and their beautiful words to help us put together what should be a really fun event. You can expect to hear from the following authors or their characters:

•      Wendy Higgins (Sweet Reckoning)

•      Katie McGarry (Crash Into You)

•      Kasie West (Split Second)

•      Sara B. Larson (Defy)

•      A.C. Gaughen (Lady Thief)

•      Tiffany Schmidt (Bright Before Sunrise)

•      Gena Showalter (The Queen of Zombie Hearts)

•      Nichole Chase (Recklessly Royal)

•      Lorraine Heath (When the Duke Was Wicked)

•      Lynne Matson (Nil)

Wendy Higgins will be kicking things off here next Friday the 7th with a VERY special something from one Kaidan Rowe, and I absolutely cannot wait to share what's he's put together. *fans self* Danny and I hope you guys will join us for lots of fun, flirting, maybe crying, and most definitely swooning!

End of Year Survey: Part 2

Today is part two of the End of Year Survey put together by Jamie at The Perpetual Page Turner, you can check out part one in yesterday's post if you missed it! There was a lot of gushing over my favorite books. Gushing that will only continue today. Win.

• • • • • • • • • • 

PART TWO

Favorite Relationship From A Book You Read In 2013 (be it romantic, friendship, etc).

I went with romance. Of course ;-)

Warden and Paige from The Bone Season

Isaiah and Rachel from Crash Into You

Janelle and Ben from Unbreakable

Kaidan and Anna from Sweet Peril

Lela and Malachi from Sanctum

Favorite Book You Read in 2013 From An Author You’ve Read Previously.

I’m going to change this question just a touch to be “authors read in 2013 that never disappoint”.

Karen Marie Moning, Jennifer Estep, Katie McGarry, Ann Aguirre, Elizabeth Norris, Wendy Higgins, Chloe Neill, Thea Harrison, and Nalini Singh.

Best Book You Read In 2013 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else:

Sanctum by Sarah Fine. I’d seen it around a lot when it first came out and made note of it, but then more and more of the bloggers whom I love and whose opinions I trust implicitly started talking about it and I knew I had to pick it up.

Genre You Read The Most From in 2013?

Paranormal YA! Try not to be so surprised, everyone ;-)

Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2013?

This question is torture! There are so many I could list, but several of them are on this list multiple times already, so to shake things up I’m going with the oh-so swoon-worthy Trevor from Pivot Point. I loved him so much!

Best 2013 debut you read?

Pivot Point by Kasie West, Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke, and All our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill.

Book That Was The Most Fun To Read in 2013?

Poison by Bridget Zinn. This was a light and cute fantasy story complete with an adorable pet pig, and I just smiled the whole way through. A close runner-up would be The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett. Main character Dusty wielded her snark like a boss and I adored her.

Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2013?

Endless by Jessica Shirvington and Fractured by Sarah Fine. Months later, my heart hurts still.

Book You Read in 2013 That You Think Got Overlooked This Year Or When It Came Out?

Impostor by Susanne Winnacker. There didn’t seem to be a ton of hype surrounding this book before or after it came out and I didn’t see too many reviews for it (though that could entirely be my fault and I just never ran across them), but I so enjoyed this book. I would say the same for Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen. Both are books I would strongly recommend to anyone.

One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2013 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2014?

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown. This was one of my must-haves at BEA this year, but I came home, got distracted, and then never got to it. *hangs head in shame*

Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2014 (non-debut)?

Burned by Karen Marie Moning (I know you’re all shocked by this given the prevalence of Iced in all my answers yesterday)

2014 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?

Half Bad by Sally Green and Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige

Series Ending You Are Most Anticipating in 2014?

Sweet Reckoning by Wendy Higgins, The Retribution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin, and Up from the Grave by Jeaniene Frost.

One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging In 2014?

This might seem like a strange or lame answer, but this year with my blogging I really want to just be content. It’s so easy to get caught up in the sometimes-competitive nature of book blogging (especially YA book blogging), feeling compelled to compare page views, comments, number of ARCs received, etc., and I fully admit to focusing on the wrong things numerous times in my almost 4 years doing this.

With each year I’ve been blogging though, the exhausting need to make the blog bigger and better (in terms of statistics and popularity) has waned, and as 2013 draws to a close I’m finally finding that I’m happy with things just as they are. My blog will never be the biggest, best, or brightest stat-wise, but I have an AMAZING group of readers and followers, and a core group of blogging friends that I simply can’t imagine my life without, so 2014 is a year that's going to be all about being satisfied with what I have. I’m still going to strive to improve the quality of my content of course and make the blog better in that way, but I’m going to try and rein in my competitive nature and just be happy with Supernatural Snark as it is moving forward ;-)

• • • • • • • • • • 

Finally, just as a little extra addition to this survey, I thought I would list the books that received a rating of 4.5 or 5 stars this year since it's a fairly rare occurrence. After looking through all my reviews for this survey, I've found that I'm fairly critical in terms of rating assignments and I'm a bit stingy with those upper numbers O.o

Out of 150 or so books read and reviewed this year, I gave exactly 5 the highest rating I have. That's not very many at all. Apparently I'm hard to impress :-) Here are the best of the best for me in 2013:

The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon
Dare You To by Katie McGarry
Thistle & Thorne by Ann Aguirre (part of the 'Til the World Ends Anthology)
Iced by Karen Marie Moning
Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor

I was a tiny bit more generous with the 4.5 rating, and had a whopping 19 of those this year:

House Rules by Chloe Neill
Pivot Point by Kasie West
Emblaze by Jessica Shirvington
Breaking Point by Kristen Simmons
The Rules by Stacey Kade
True by Erin McCarthy
Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo
Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke
Heart of Venom by Jennifer Estep
Pretty Girl-13 by Liz Coley
Through the Zombie Glass by Gena Showalter
All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill
Endless by Jessica Shirvington
The Burning Sky by Sherry Thomas
Finding It by Cora Carmack
Sanctum/Fractured by Sarah Fine
Kinked by Thea Harrison
Crash Into You by Katie McGarry
These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

Any books I haven't listed above that I absolutely should not miss out on? I'm always looking for recommendations! *makes grabby hand motions*

Review: Crash Into You

CRASH INTO YOU
Pushing the Limits #3
Katie McGarry
Contemporary Young Adult
474 pages
HarlequinTEEN
Available November 26th
Source: ARC from author for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
The girl with straight As, designer clothes and the perfect life-that's who people expect Rachel Young to be. So the private-school junior keeps secrets from her wealthy parents and overbearing brothers...and she's just added two more to the list. One involves racing strangers down dark country roads in her Mustang GT. The other? Seventeen-year-old Isaiah Walker-a guy she has no business even talking to. But when the foster kid with the tattoos and intense gray eyes comes to her rescue, she can't get him out of her mind.

Isaiah has secrets, too. About where he lives, and how he really feels about Rachel. The last thing he needs is to get tangled up with a rich girl who wants to slum it on the south side for kicks-no matter how angelic she might look.

But when their shared love of street racing puts both their lives in jeopardy, they have six weeks to come up with a way out. Six weeks to discover just how far they'll go to save each other.

MY THOUGHTS 
Crash Into You is yet another painfully fascinating exploration of family dynamics, the word family dissected in sometimes brutal detail as we see how those tied to us by blood can in fact draw it quicker and easier than anyone else. We're given the pleasure though of bearing witness as family is then redefined as it's put back together after being torn apart, perhaps stronger in the honesty of its new scars than in the previous beauty of its seeming perfection. We can't help but approach Isaiah's story with a small sense of dread, our love for him fully cemented after Noah and Beth's stories, and while we know Ms. McGarry would not be so cruel as to tear him down without building him back up, we know watching him fall even as he finds new strength in Rachel will be a special brand of punishment, one we'll feel keenly until that final page gives us his hope and happiness.

Isaiah is someone nearly impossible not to like, his fierce protectiveness of both Noah and Beth something that brought a tremulous smile to our faces as the two of them fought their battles in books one and two, a warmth spreading through us thanks to his love for them, but searing pain followed swiftly behind with the knowledge that even with them in his life he was still so very alone. His loneliness is never more apparent than in Crash Into You, a feeling beautifully echoed in Rachel despite the drastic differences in their home lives, and we want nothing more than for him to find someone for whom he will finally come first. First in thought when sharing good news, first to need when seeking comfort after receiving bad, and first to hear words of love that extend beyond mere friendship.

Rachel is a young woman who could have easily been frustrating, her relatively low opinion of herself thanks to her family something that seems as though it might difficult to get past as we read, but Ms. McGarry does a stunning job of dragging her out into the light for us to truly see, any potential irritation over her brief moments of (understandable) self-pity washed away in a flood of affection. Her strength is quickly clear to us no matter how many times her overprotective brothers remind her she is weak, the determination and fortitude it takes to not only push through her debilitating panic attacks but to also shoulder the knowledge that her parents consider her a mere replacement for the beloved daughter they lost causing us to root for her and Isaiah in the hope they find every bit of peace and joy they so deserve.

The only minor drawback to an otherwise emotionally exhausting yet exhilarating tale is the lack of complete resolution between Rachel and her family, the issues between all of them so deep and complex ten books with them as the focus likely wouldn't see the trauma of Colleen's death entirely healed. Given the next book features Rachel's brother West as a protagonist though, we can overlook some of our remaining questions about the Young family knowing we haven't yet seen the last of them. Rachel and Isaiah together are a striking pair, rough edges met by smooth lines as they each find relief in being the shelter the other so desperately needs, able to admit weakness and know the other's strength will hold them up until the storm passes. They are partners in every sense of the word, and we close the back cover of this book with hearts considerably lighter than when we started, grateful to Ms. McGarry for bring these two into our lives.

Rating: 4.5/5

Find Katie:

Goodreads • Website • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads • Amazon

If you haven't had a chance yet, be sure and enter to win a Crash Into You grand prize package!

This book was sent to me by the author  free of charge for the purpose of a review. 

I received no other compensation and the above is my honest opinion.

Running On Empty Blog Tour: Sneak Peek + Giveaway

I'm thrilled today to be a part of the promotional blog tour for Running On Empty, the contemporary young adult debut from Colette Ballard. I had the unexpected pleasure of meeting Colette a few months back when she accompanied her friend and fellow author Katie McGarry to a signing in Columbus, and she is one of the cutest people you will ever meet. I'm so looking forward to getting my hands on this book and simply couldn't be more excited for her with the digital release just days away now!

I have a sneak peek of Running On Empty to share with you all, and be sure and check out the bottom of the post for the details on a fantastic giveaway.

EXCERPT

Disappoint him? Was that his main concern? Slack-mouthed, I stared at the phone until Justice’s voice startled me from behind. “Everything okay?”
 
Hoping he hadn’t heard any of my conversation, I put on a smile and turned to face him. 

“Everything’s fine.” I twined my fingers around a chunk of hair at the base of my neck. “That was just Logan reminding me of the Seniors’ Breakfast that I’m about to miss.”
 
“You’re goin’?” He stared at me like I had a pink squirrel tattooed on my forehead.
 
I wanted nothing more than to stay here the rest of the day and share my pain with Justice—even if it was in silence. Knowing Logan would never go for that, I pushed the gaping hole in my heart aside. “I’m good now, I had a good cry.” I swatted my hand.
 
“Ya know, today’s the first time I’ve ever seen you cry.” He leaned his back against the truck, obviously missing the point that I was in a hurry. “You wouldn’t even cry that day you fell off my pony and broke your arm when you were seven.” His face grew serious. “Or when your—"
 
“Yeah, I’m stubborn that way.” I wiped my hands on my jeans, hoping like hell he didn’t finish his sentence. Now wasn’t the time for a reminder of my reaction to my mom’s death—or rather, lack of reaction.
 
In my attempt to be strong for my younger sister, I disconnected from my emotions, from things I loved—from Justice. It worked for me until Jack came home wasted one night and I unleashed six month’s worth of the seven stages of grief on him. He slapped me so hard, I didn’t cry for the next five years. Until today.

 • • • • • • • • • •

RUNNING ON EMPTY

What does it feel like when you die—in those final moments? Do you feel the physical pain, or just the pain of your regrets? What does it feel like when you realize you can’t answer these questions because you’re not the victim?

You’re the killer.

River Daniels lives an ordinary life as a high school junior growing up in the confines of rural Texas until her boyfriend’s brutal attack leaves her both a murderer and a fugitive. When River’s closest girlfriends come to her aid, they make a hasty decision to not only help her, but leave their own troubled lives behind and join in her escape. The girls manage to elude police for months, but with every near-miss, River’s life spirals further out of control, until she finally hits rock bottom. Realizing she must stop endangering her friends and find evidence proving she acted in self-defense, the girls decide to make a risky move. River must face her ugly past and the one person she was protecting the night her world caved in, the guy she has loved for as long as she can remember.

Amazon • Goodreads

Releases digitally on November 25th from Tulip Teen

 • • • • • • • • • • 

COLETTE BALLARD

COLETTE BALLARD grew up on a dairy farm in rural Kentucky. She survived the high school experience back in the day when Aqua Net was bought in bulk and mullets were cool. That’s also when she realized that her constant daydreaming wasn’t a curse, but a useful skill—one she used like a lethal weapon to combat her frustration in algebra class over the haunting question: What does the alphabet have to do with math anyway? Unfortunately, her ninja daydreaming skills only increased her desire to write—not her algebra grade.

After surviving the hairstyles and torturous math classes of her high school years, she wandered a bit—even moving to the farthest northwestern corner of the United States, then to the farthest southeastern corner. She finally settled in the one-red-light town she started in, where she continues to live today with her husband and three children.

Website • Twitter • Goodreads

• • • • • • • • • •

GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Crash Into You Blog Tour: Interview with the Bewitched Bookworms + a Giveaway

I'm beyond thrilled today to be a part of the promotional tour hosted by Kismet Book Touring for Crash Into You, the third book in Katie McGarry's amazing contemporary young adult series. I'm an enormous fan of all things Katie McGarry, I think she writes extraordinary characters–something I always look for first in any book–and I simply can't say enough complimentary things about Katie or her books to do either of them justice. Love. That is all.

As something a little fun and different, the ladies at Kismet organized a series of blogger interviews between me, the fabulous Rachel at Fiktshun, and the Bewitched Bookworms themselves wherein we all interview, and are interviewed by, one another. I was interviewed by Rachel first, the Bookworms interviewed Rachel next, and today I get to share my interview with my dear friends the Bewitched Bookworms.

The Bookworm ladies were the very first bloggers I met in person and I couldn't love them more if I tried. I'm so pleased to welcome Danny, Pushy and Heather to the blog to answer a few questions about Crash Into You, and don't forget to check the bottom of the post for the full list of participating blogs as well as giveaway details!

Isaiah has a number of tattoos, all of which he wears oh-so well. Aside from him, who is your favorite tattooed hero?

Heather: I’m drawing a blank here, so I’ll let Danny and Pushy answer.

Pushy: *thinks* Hmm... while I do love Four from the Divergent series, I'm going to go with Perry from Under The Never Sky. I LURV me some Perry! *sigh* 

Danny: Ohhh I love my tattooed boys, and I also love reading about them. So, I love Reyes from the Charley Davidson series and of course my all time favorite Barrons!!

If Isaiah and Rachel’s story could only be described to readers in terms of car models, what type of car would it be? 

Heather: Katie McGarry really did her research and picked a great car for both Isaiah and Rachel to drive when she picked the Ford Mustang, especially the model years that she picked. Isaiah’s older Mustang is a bit beat up on the outside like he appears to be, but looks can be deceiving when it comes to what’s under the hood (and inside his head). Rachel’s Mustang is in near mint condition even though it isn’t brand new. The powerful stock engine gives her strength and control when she’s behind the wheel that she doesn’t have in the rest of her life.

Pushy: *crickets* Umm… I know NOTHING about cars, so I'm going to second Heather's opinion. :)

Danny: Heathers answer is just perfect, how could I ever add anything here? ;)

In addition to fantastic protagonists, Katie McGarry always writes fascinating secondary characters as well. Which of the secondary characters in Crash Into You grabbed your attention most and why?

Heather: I loved Isaiah’s friend Abby. While she tried to stay on a neutral side between Eric and Isaiah on the surface to outsiders, she always had Isaiah’s and Rachel’s back. She doesn’t make friends easily, but she decided that Rachel will be her best friend almost right from the start. She’s bold, daring, smart, and calculating, and that’s something that has kept her safe while she’s lived the dangerous life that she’s been forced to lead.

Pushy: I could not agree more! Katie ROCKS the secondary characters! I can't help wondering what's going on with all of them!!! And I love when we get a peek inside, like with Lila's novella, Crossing The Line. Abby's definitely a great choice but I'm also interested in Rachel's brothers. There's SO much going on with that family and I feel like we just scraped the tip of the iceberg with Rachel's story.

Danny: That's what I loved most about Crash Into You: Rachel's family full of wonderful über protective brothers. I'm not kidding when I say, that I loved West so much and when I heard that he would be our hero in the next book, I was ecstatic!!! But I also love Rachel's twin Ethan and I hope we might also get a story on this own.

Let’s say you find your way into a street race against another first-timer like yourself. What would you say your odds are of winning?

Heather: If I was my twenty-one year old self again, my odds are good. My husband built me a fast car when we were dating as part of his school (he’s an automotive technician), and I definitely had a much faster vehicle than most of the guys I knew. Back then, all of our friends had huge motors and loud stereos. Plus, I know how to drive a manual transmission. It’s something that a lot of people can’t do these days.

Pushy: If it was all based on the ability to handle speed, very good chances for me. Heather and Danny can attest to my love to drive fast. :) However, unlike Heather, I don't drive stick, so I think that probably overall my chances would just be fair.

Danny: Ha!!! Pretty good I'd say. In Germany we mostly drive stick and I love fast cars so much. And I have to admit, I got a speeding ticket or two already, so I love to drive fast.

If you were able to sit down for a face-to-face interview with either Rachel or Isaiah, what’s the first question you would ask them?

Heather: I’ll let Danny and Pushy answer this one. Can’t come up with anything deep or insightful.

Pushy: Heather, I’m not going to even bother with insightful. *turns to Jenny* If I could be face to face with these two? I want to know, what happens next?!?!?! The ending of Crash Into You isn't really a cliffhanger but GAH!!! Where do they go from there? I want to continue to bask in their HEA, so if they could expand upon that for me, that would be quite nice!!

Danny: I'd ask Isaiah if Beth disappeared the minute he kissed Rachel, and when exactly he realized that the love for Rachel is something else completely and much more real and genuine and intense than anything he ever felt for Beth.

I think most of the fans of this series initially expected Isaiah and Beth to end up together. What’s one thing about Rachel you think makes her a better fit for him?

Heather: It’s quite simple: they both love fast cars and working on them.

Pushy: For me it's that from Beth's story, we see how she loved Isaiah like a brother, but not more. And Isaiah absolutely DESERVES his one, perfect, shining love. *sigh*

Danny: I think they make each other stronger, they so strongly believe in each other, that it makes the other stronger, braver. Isaiah always needed someone he could take care of, and at the same time someone who can be strong on her own, without casting him aside. Beth always pushed him away, Rachel doesn't. I just love them together.

Katie writes some beautiful and emotional contemporary romances. If you could beg her to write something in a different genre just for you, what genre would it be?

Heather: I would love to see Katie tackle a paranormal romance. She has the romance part perfected, so I’d love to see what she could dream up next.

Pushy: I'd like to see her tackle a thriller! With the amount of detail she puts into every part of her story, I bet she's whip up a SERIOUSLY SCARY, keep-you-guessing-til-the-end thriller!

Danny: I'm with Heather, paranormal romance!! But also, please Katie go and write New Adult, I know you can do steamy and even more sexy!!

Before reading Crash Into You, what aspect of the story would you say you were most looking forward to? Were your expectations met?

Heather: I really wanted to see the origins of Isaiah and what his background was. And boy, were my expectations exceeded!

Pushy: I wanted to see if Katie could make me fall in love with ANYONE for Isaiah other than Beth (I have hoped Beth would realize that she really did love Isaiah and then they could couple off). And she did. Oh, sweet Jesus, did I fall in love with Rachel and Isaiah!!!!! *ENORMOUS SIGH*

Danny: I wanted to see Isaiah's heart healed. He suffered so much and his heart was so damaged and broken, that I just wanted him to find love and happiness!!!

A huge thank you to Danny, Pushy and Heather for taking the time to answer my questions! I'm sure almost all of you are familiar with these wonderful women, but just in case you're not, here's where you can find them:

Blog • Facebook • Twitter

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CRASH INTO YOU

The girl with straight As, designer clothes and the perfect life-that's who people expect Rachel Young to be. So the private-school junior keeps secrets from her wealthy parents and overbearing brothers...and she's just added two more to the list. One involves racing strangers down dark country roads in her Mustang GT. The other? Seventeen-year-old Isaiah Walker-a guy she has no business even talking to. But when the foster kid with the tattoos and intense gray eyes comes to her rescue, she can't get him out of her mind.

Isaiah has secrets, too. About where he lives, and how he really feels about Rachel. The last thing he needs is to get tangled up with a rich girl who wants to slum it on the south side for kicks-no matter how angelic she might look.

But when their shared love of street racing puts both their lives in jeopardy, they have six weeks to come up with a way out. Six weeks to discover just how far they'll go to save each other.

Releases November 26th from HarlequinTEEN

Goodreads • Amazon • B&N • Indiebound • Book Depository 

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KATIE MCGARRY

Katie was a teenager during the age of grunge and boy bands and remembers those years as the best and worst of her life. She is a lover of music, happy endings, reality television, and is a secret University of Kentucky basketball fan.
    

Katie is the author of the full-length Young Adult novels PUSHING THE LIMITS and DARE YOU TO, and the e-novella CROSSING THE LINE. Her debut novel, PUSHING THE LIMITS, is a 2012 Goodreads Choice Finalist for YA Fiction and an RT Book Reviews 2012 Reviewer’s Choice Awards Nominee for Young Adult Contemporary Novel. 

Writing has given Katie an excuse to pursue her passions. Research for her books has provided her with the amazing opportunity to train with baseball players, ride along in a drag car at ninety-six miles per hour and experience boxing and mixed martial arts. The most memorable moments for Katie are when she speaks to groups of teenagers about her research, writing and the truth that no dream is out of reach. Katie would love to hear from her readers.

Goodreads • Website • Facebook • Twitter

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GIVEAWAY

Thanks to HarlequinTEEN I have two fantastic giveaways to share with you guys today! The first is the chance to win a copy of Crash Into You. The second is a Grand Prize Package including a Harlequin TEEN tote bag full of bookish goodies: 2 Copies of Crash Into You, as well as Pawn, Hooked, Speechless and an ARC of Heartbeat. Please enter using the Rafflecopter form below. Giveaways are open to US/CAN only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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TOUR SCHEDULE

Don't forget to check out the rest of the tour stops for more Crash Into You fun!

Tuesday, Nov. 5th - Fiktshun
Thursday, Nov. 7th - Swoony Boys Podcast

Tuesday, Nov. 12th - Bewitched Bookworms
Wednesday, Nov. 13th - Harlequin Blog
Thursday, Nov. 14th - Xpresso Reads

Tuesday, Nov. 19th - Supernatural Snark
Thursday, Nov. 21st - Paper Riot

Interview and Giveaway: Katie McGarry + Crash Into You

It's an interview kind of week on the blog, and today I'm honored to have one of my very favorite authors stopping by to chat about her newest release. I've adored Katie McGarry since the first moment I met Noah and Echo in Pushing the Limits, and my love for her and her stories has only grown with each book she's written. I've been waiting patiently (sort of) for Isaiah's story since the first book, and Crash Into You is the best yet in my opinion, tugging away on my heartstrings with every page until it reduced me to a puddle of emotional goo. Awesome.

Given how much I loved this book, it's with no small amount of excitement that I welcome Katie McGarry back to the blog!

Your books are always written from the dual first-person perspectives of both the male and female protagonists, giving us a much-appreciated peek inside both of their heads. What's one book you've read that you wish had dual points of view so you could more closely examine another character's train of thought or their motivations?

I definitely would have loved to have been inside Edward’s head in the Twilight series. I’m definitely not the person to pull it off, but I think it would be great if someone did a retelling of Anne of Green Gables from Gilbert’s point of view.

Rachel is (understandably) a big fan of Isaiah's many and varied tattoos. If she were to get one for herself to represent the events of Crash Into You, what would it look like and how sexy would Isaiah find it?

I think Rachel would get a single flame. It’s something special to both her and Isaiah and I definitely believe that Isaiah would find it unbelievably sexy!

You clearly did a great deal of research on cars and racing for this book, what is one fun tidbit or piece of trivia you learned over the course of writing Rachel and Isaiah's story?

One day while I was researching Crash Into You, my car wouldn’t start. The good news: I was with guys who knew everything about cars. This one guy had me pop open the hood and he was trying a variety of things to figure out what was the problem. After a few minutes, he decided it was the battery.

He maneuvered his car around to jump the battery, but before he jumped it, he asked for a Coke. It was a hot day and I thought he was thirsty. When he was handed one, he opened it then poured it over my battery.

I was all freaking out and like, “What are you doing?”

“It’s acid,” he said. “Takes the grime off the battery which is keeping it from taking the spark.”

Me, “Oh.”

Guess what—it worked!

Let's say you are invited to conduct an exclusive interview with one character from any piece of young adult fiction. Who would sit atop your list and what's the first question you would ask them?

Definitely Ponyboy Curtis from The Outsiders. He’s one of my favorites!

Are you still close with your brothers and the guys you grew up with?

Just for fun: What are Isaiah and Rachel's thoughts on The Fast and the Furious films?

They absolutely love the first Fast and the Furious movie! In fact, they can watch the scene where Dom says, “Smoke him,” over and over again.

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KATIE MCGARRY

Katie was a teenager during the age of grunge and boy bands and remembers those years as the best and worst of her life. She is a lover of music, happy endings, reality television, and is a secret University of Kentucky basketball fan.

Katie is the author of the full-length Young Adult novels PUSHING THE LIMITS and DARE YOU TO, and the e-novella CROSSING THE LINE. Her debut novel, PUSHING THE LIMITS, is a 2012 Goodreads Choice Finalist for YA Fiction and an RT Book Reviews 2012 Reviewer’s Choice Awards Nominee for Young Adult Contemporary Novel.

Writing has given Katie an excuse to pursue her passions. Research for her books has provided her with the amazing opportunity to train with baseball players, ride along in a drag car at ninety-six miles per hour and experience boxing and mixed martial arts. The most memorable moments for Katie are when she speaks to groups of teenagers about her research, writing and the truth that no dream is out of reach. Katie would love to hear from her readers.

Website • Goodreads • Facebook • Twitter

• • • • • • • • • • 

CRASH INTO YOU

The girl with straight As, designer clothes and the perfect life-that's who people expect Rachel Young to be. So the private-school junior keeps secrets from her wealthy parents and overbearing brothers...and she's just added two more to the list. One involves racing strangers down dark country roads in her Mustang GT. The other? Seventeen-year-old Isaiah Walker-a guy she has no business even talking to. But when the foster kid with the tattoos and intense gray eyes comes to her rescue, she can't get him out of her mind.

Isaiah has secrets, too. About where he lives, and how he really feels about Rachel. The last thing he needs is to get tangled up with a rich girl who wants to slum it on the south side for kicks-no matter how angelic she might look.

But when their shared love of street racing puts both their lives in jeopardy, they have six weeks to come up with a way out. Six weeks to discover just how far they'll go to save each other

Releases November 26th from HarlequinTEEN

Goodreads • Amazon • HarlequinTEEN

• • • • • • • • • • 

GIVEAWAY

Thanks to the amazing Katie McGarry, I have one ARC of Crash Into You to give away on the blog today. To enter, please just fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Giveaway is open to US residents only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway