In the Beginning: THE WINNER'S KISS First Lines Blog Tour + Giveaway

I feel an embarrassing happy flail coming on everyone. Today I have the absolute pleasure of participating in a very special blog tour. 6 days. 6 blogs. 6 lines from The Winner's Kiss, the third and final book in Marie Rutkoski's amazing Winner's Trilogy.

*FLAILS*

My love for this series defies description so I won't try to put it into words, but if you haven't had a chance to read The Winner's Curse and The Winner's Crime yet, I hope you run to your nearest bookstore or library and get them immediately!

And now, I bring you the 4th line of The Winner's Kiss tour:

*Jenny falls down dead of want and nerves*

Since one teaser surely won't be enough, be sure and check out all the below blogs for 5 additional lines (and go here for the official cover reveal!):

Tuesday, May 12th – Cuddlebuggery

Wednesday, May 13th – Love is Not a Triangle

Thursday, May 14th – The Book Rat

Friday, May 15th – Supernatural Snark

Saturday, May 16th – YA Bibliophile

Sunday, May 17th – Forever YA

• • • • • • • • • • • •

THE WINNER'S KISS

 

War has begun. Arin is in the thick of it, with the East as his ally and the empire as his enemy. He’s finally managed to dismiss the memory of Kestrel, even if he can’t quite forget her. Kestrel turned into someone he could no longer recognize: someone who cared more for the empire than for the lives of innocent people—and certainly more than she cared for him. At least, that’s what he thinks.



But far north lies a work camp where Kestrel is a prisoner. Can she manage to escape before she loses herself? As the war intensifies, both Kestrel and Arin discover unexpected roles in battle, terrible secrets, and a fragile hope. The world is changing. The East is pitted against the West, and Kestrel and Arin are caught between. In a game like this, can anybody really win?

Goodreads • Amazon
 

 
Find The Winner's Curse:

Amazon • B&N • Goodreads

Find The Winner's Crime:

Amazon • B&N • Goodreads

• • • • • • • • • •

MARIE RUTKOSKI

Marie Rutkoski is the author of the YA novel The Shadow Society, about a girl who discovers that she’s not human and that her kind are terrorists in an alternate world where the Great Chicago Fire never happened. The Shadow Society will be published October 30, 2012. Marie has also written the children’s fantasy series The Kronos Chronicles, including The Cabinet of Wonders, The Celestial Globe and The Jewel of the Kalderash. The Cabinet of Wonders, her debut novel, was named an Indie Next Kids’ List Great Read and a Bank Street Best Children’s Book of the Year, among other honors.

Rutkoski grew up in Bolingbrook, Illinois (a suburb of Chicago), as the oldest of four children. She attended the University of Iowa. After graduating, she lived in Moscow and Prague. Upon receiving her Ph.D. from Harvard University, she held dual appointments as a lecturer there in both English and American Literature and Language, and History and Literature. Rutkoski is currently a professor at Brooklyn College, where she teaches Renaissance Drama, children’s literature and creative writing. She usually lives in New York City with her husband and two sons, but she and her family are now living in Paris for the 2012-2013 academic year. 

Website • Facebook • Twitter

• • • • • • • • • • •

GIVEAWAY

Thanks to the generosity of the Macmillan team, I have one copy of The Winner's Crime to give away on the blog today (please note: this is book 2 of the series). To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Giveaway is open to US addresses only.

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What's Your Winner's Curse? Blog Tour + Giveaway

Today I'm hugely excited (and a little intimidated, Macmillan is really making me work! ;-) to be a part of the promotional tour for The Winner's Crime, the second book in Marie Rutkoski's amazing Winner's Trilogy. I couldn't have loved last year's The Winner's Curse more if I tried, so I may have begged and pleaded with the fantastic team at Macmillan to let me be a part of the pre-release festivities.

This tour is a little different from your standard interview and guest post-type tour in that the participating blogs have been asked to answer a not-so simple question:

The ‘Winner’s Curse’ is an economics term that means you’ve gotten what you wanted – but at too high a price.  What would you pay too much for?

Whew. See what I said about work? This is not an easy question to answer, and I feel like I should probably take the more deep and profound route by choosing something like world peace or the health and happiness of all my loved ones, but as those of you who know me have probably realized, I'm rarely deep and profound. While the tone of this series is decidedly darker in nature and likely warrants a suitably serious answer from me, because I've been struggling in the aftermath of losing one of my dogs, I could really use a few more posts that make me smile and therefore want to keep things a little lighter here on the blog. Let's put off tears and seriousness for another day, who's with me?

I've decided to create for you a fantasy list full of whimsy and romance wherein I detail for you the top three things for which I would absolutely pay far too much (monetarily that is, I'm not talking any kind of Faustian bargain). In no particular order:

1. A day (or a week? or several weeks?) on the set of Outlander.

You guys. OUTLANDER! I would pay ridiculous amounts of money (if I had it that is) to fly to Scotland and hang out with the oh-so good looking kilted cast of this show. I feel as though I would make a mean tavern wench given staring longingly at Jamie would take very little acting on my part. Also? I can ride a horse, so I'd fit right in. No training necessary. IT WAS MEANT TO BE! *waits patiently for the HBO folks to call*

2. A date with Chris Hemsworth. Or Liam. I'm not picky.

What? This is a FANTASY list everyone, and Chris Hemsworth is fantasy-worthy to be sure. I think my husband would even be fine with it because he recognizes that I have good taste ;-)

3. All my very favorite books made into movies. And to have a say in the casting ;-)

This seems like it could actually happen given how many outstanding books are finding their way to the big screen of late, but I'm talking about the books I love that will likely never make it there. Books like J.R. Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood, Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress series or Nalini Singh's Guild Hunter books. Historical romances and urban fantasies; stories that will likely have a much harder time finding a market in film form than they do in book form. I long to see some of my most beloved characters (and book boyfriends) come to life, and I dream of a day where Netflix will be overrun with movies for every book in the Kate Daniels, Mercy Thompson or Elemental Assassin series. I would definitely drain a good chunk of my bank account for that ;-)

I'd love to know how you guys would answer this question, seriously or more light-hearted as I did, so please share your thoughts in the comments!

• • • • • • • • • • •

THE WINNER'S CURSE

Winning what you want may cost you everything you love.

As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions. One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction.

Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin. But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined.

Set in a richly imagined new world, The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart. 

Website • Facebook • Amazon • Goodreads

• • • • • • • • • • • 

THE WINNER'S CRIME

Book two of the dazzling Winner's Trilogy is a fight to the death as Kestrel risks betrayal of country for love.

The engagement of Lady Kestrel to Valoria’s crown prince means one celebration after another. But to Kestrel it means living in a cage of her own making. As the wedding approaches, she aches to tell Arin the truth about her engagement…if she could only trust him. Yet can she even trust herself? For—unknown to Arin—Kestrel is becoming a skilled practitioner of deceit: an anonymous spy passing information to Herran, and close to uncovering a shocking secret.

As Arin enlists dangerous allies in the struggle to keep his country’s freedom, he can’t fight the suspicion that Kestrel knows more than she shows. In the end, it might not be a dagger in the dark that cuts him open, but the truth. And when that happens, Kestrel and Arin learn just how much their crimes will cost them.

Website • Facebook • Amazon • Goodreads

• • • • • • • • • •

MARIE RUTKOSKI

Marie Rutkoski is the author of several novels for children and young adults, including The Winner’s Curse (March 2014). She grew up in Bolingbrook, Illinois as the oldest of four children and decided early on that she was Someone Who Loved Books.

After attending the University of Iowa and living in Moscow and Prague, she studied Shakespeare at Harvard University, where she honed her skill in referring to herself in the third person.

Marie is now a professor of English literature at Brooklyn College, where she teaches Renaissance drama, children’s literature, and fiction writing. New York City is her home, and she thinks there must be birds of prey living in Washington Square Park; she can see large, wheeling wings from the window where she sits and writes. Marie has two small sons who try very hard to make friends with the family cat, only to be snubbed for the dark quiet of a closet. Marie can tie a double figure-eight knot with her eyes closed. She’s learning how to play the violin. She’s a sucker for fancy tea, and her favorite dessert is crème brulée. Or maybe sticky toffee pudding. Tough call.

Website • Facebook • Twitter

• • • • • • • • • • • • 

GIVEAWAY

Thanks to the enormously generous team at Macmillan, I have a copy of either The Winner's Curse or The Winner's Crime (winner's choice) to give away on the blog today. Please fill out the Rafflecopter form below to enter. Giveaway is open to US addresses only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don't forget to check out all the stops on this tour to see what everyone would pay too much for! You can find the full list of participating blogs here.

Review: The Winner's Curse

THE WINNER'S CURSE
Winner's Trilogy #1
Marie Rutkoski
Young Adult/Dystopian/Historical
355 pages
Farrar Straus Giroux
Available March 4th
Source: ARC from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
Winning what you want may cost you everything you love

As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions.

One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction. Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin.

But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined.

Set in a richly imagined new world, The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart.

MY THOUGHTS
The Winner’s Curse is one of those stories we read with great speed, turning the pages as quickly as possible to see how everything plays out, but it’s the hours, days and weeks following the flip of the final page that make us realize just how thoroughly tangled we are in the lives of Kestrel and Arin. Despite the backdrop of war as an empire seeks to expand, this is a quieter tale, the words layered with meaning and heavy with feeling, set in a beautiful arrangement that has the romantic in us smiling wistfully while our hearts simultaneously bleed from a thousand small cuts stealthily delivered as the forbidden and the impossible dance to a dangerous tune.

The romance between Kestrel and Arin is not one of bold gestures and impassioned speeches; not one that has us using and discarding highlighters at an unprecedented pace for all the heartbreakingly gorgeous sentiments given life through words, instead it's one of fragile whispers and haunting possibility. The two of them are would-be lovers standing on opposite sides of a frozen lake, and with every step they take toward the other a crack in the ice beneath their feet widens, forcing them to stay apart and keep their weight distributed rather than give in to temptation, meet in the middle, and risk falling through. Their relationship is one that keeps us up at night, analyzing every small gesture and look given we know them both to be skilled in the art of deception, searching for the truth hiding in and between their lies. Often we see what we want to see rather than what’s actually there, but the beauty of the two of them is that every once in a while, out of the corner of our eyes, we could swear we see love trying to grow underneath the crushing weight of their opposing forces.

What is so intriguing about the story itself above and beyond the romance between Kestrel and Arin is the way Ms. Rutkoski is able to make us root for both sides equally, not wanting to see either group enslave the other but yet understanding the desire to rule as easily as we understand the need to fight back. The tide of power shifts and rolls like water in a roughened sea as this story progresses, and we are swept along with it, as fascinatingly conflicted as both Kestrel and Arin are by the constant flux in our emotional reaction. We can never truly choose a side and so we remain on edge throughout, both anticipating and fearing the moment when a clear winner might emerge and help us finally figure out on which side of the line we stand.

We’re left, not necessarily reeling per se, but with hearts bearing definitive finger-shaped bruises courtesy of the shared grip Arin and Kestrel have on them, their fate something we know we'll learn of only through an epic journey over an extended period of time. The ending of this series is no doubt one worth waiting for though, and this first installment is a book destined for the favorites shelf where it will never have time to collect dust for constantly being taken down and re-read.

Rating: 4.5/5

Find Marie:

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Amazon • Goodreads

*If you didn't get a chance yet, check out Marie's guest post where she talks about Kestrel's father and the research she did for the battle scenes!

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

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

The Winner's Curse Blog Tour: Guest Post + Giveaway

I'm beyond thrilled today to be a part of the promotional tour for The Winner's Curse, the first in a stunning new trilogy by Marie Rutkoski. I was incredibly lucky to have the chance to read this one already and I simply adored it, particularly the gorgeously subtle romance between Kestrel and Arin (I'll be posting my full review in a couple weeks). Marie was nice enough to indulge my curiosity with regard to some of the military strategy we see in the book, so I hope you enjoy this behind the scenes peek at some of her research. Don't forget to check the bottom of the post as well for the full list of participating blogs as well as all the details on an epic giveaway!

STRATEGY SESSION

Please give us an inside look at exactly what goes on when Kestrel meets with the General, or the research that went into the various battle scenes in The Winner’s Curse.

Kestrel’s father was a particularly tricky character to write because he has done terrible things—if he lived in this world, he could be tried for war crimes—and yet he loves Kestrel, and she loves him. He tries to be a good father. He’s intelligent, more sensitive than you’d think to the feelings of others, possesses a sense of humor, and will fight for whatever and whomever he believes in. Arin, however, would justifiably see him as a monster.

Is he a monster or a man—or both? Whenever Kestrel meets with the general so that he can teach her military strategy, they are never just talking about strategy. They are also exploring their opinions about themselves and each other.

But in terms of research on actual military strategy, I didn’t do much more than read Thucydides’s History of the Peloponnesian War, which was helpful in terms of reading about things like how to defeat siege engines (I borrowed one particular method directly from that book). For the sea battle, I leaned on research I’d done on tall ships for The Celestial Globe (my second novel). I also called up my dad for help sorting out a particular element of that battle (it’s so hard to talk about this without getting spoilery!). He was in the army and has had a longstanding fascination with war and the politics surrounding it. Some of that has rubbed off on me, and I did grow up watching things like Patton or the Ken Burns PBS documentary on The Civil War with him. My husband, who served in the French military, is very good at helping me plan an ambush.

Writing the duel was perhaps the scene of action I liked best—in part because I was surprised to find myself writing a duel at all! I hadn’t planned on it when I began the novel (not that I plan on a ton of things; I don’t really outline), and some of my very favorite moments in the book happened as a result of me trying to work the plot to the moment of a duel. I’d like to pretend that I had a very careful PLAN all laid out, all along, but the truth is that my thoughts when at the beginning of writing the book were more like, “Oooh, a duel! I must have one of those! Now, how to make that happen….?”

• • • • • • • • • • • 

THE WINNER'S CURSE

Winning what you want may cost you everything you love

As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions.

One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction. Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin.

But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined.

Set in a richly imagined new world, The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart.

Website • Facebook • Amazon • Goodreads

• • • • • • • • • •

MARIE RUTKOSKI

Marie Rutkoski is the author of the YA novel The Shadow Society, about a girl who discovers that she’s not human and that her kind are terrorists in an alternate world where the Great Chicago Fire never happened. The Shadow Society will be published October 30, 2012. Marie has also written the children’s fantasy series The Kronos Chronicles, including The Cabinet of Wonders, The Celestial Globe and The Jewel of the Kalderash. The Cabinet of Wonders, her debut novel, was named an Indie Next Kids’ List Great Read and a Bank Street Best Children’s Book of the Year, among other honors.

Rutkoski grew up in Bolingbrook, Illinois (a suburb of Chicago), as the oldest of four children. She attended the University of Iowa. After graduating, she lived in Moscow and Prague. Upon receiving her Ph.D. from Harvard University, she held dual appointments as a lecturer there in both English and American Literature and Language, and History and Literature. Rutkoski is currently a professor at Brooklyn College, where she teaches Renaissance Drama, children’s literature and creative writing. She usually lives in New York City with her husband and two sons, but she and her family are now living in Paris for the 2012-2013 academic year. 

Website • Facebook • Twitter

• • • • • • • • • •

GIVEAWAY

Thanks to the amazing team at Macmillan, I have an exciting giveaway to share with all of you! Up for grabs to one lucky winner is not only a copy of The Winner's Curse, but also some really fantastic swag including bookmarks, stickers and eyeshadow. To enter, please just fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Giveaway is US only. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be sure and check out the remaining stops on the tour for more interviews, guest posts and chances to win!

Sunday, February 9th
My Friends Are Fiction

Monday, February 10
The Midnight Garden

Tuesday, February 11
Mundie Moms

Wednesday, February 12
Supernatural Snark

Thursday, February 13
YA Bibliophile

Friday, February 14
The Book Rat

Saturday, February 15
Good Choice Reading

Sunday, February 16
Jenna Does Books

Monday, February 17
Love is Not a Triangle

Tuesday, February 18
Reading Teen

Wednesday, February 19
Miss Print

Thursday, February 20
Cuddlebuggery

Fire & Ice Giveaway Hop

Welcome to the Fire & Ice Blog Hop hosted by Rainy Day Ramblings, Candace's Book Blog, My Guilty Obsession and The Nocturnal Library! This hop runs from February 8th to the 15th with the winner announced shortly thereafter. There are several other fun ways to participate in the event, so be sure and check out any one of the host's blogs for full details.

As you can guess by the title of the hop, it's focused on books that will keep you warm on those cold winter nights, so I've put together a list of books (both YA and adult) with strong, memorable romances. Some of the books listed below are part of a series, so the giveaway winner will have their choice of any one of the books in the series rather than just the one listed below.

To enter, please just fill out the Rafflecopter form. This giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY as long as The Book Depository delivers to your country. You can check the list of countries here. Good luck everyone!

BOOK PRIZES

The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski

Lady Thief by A.C. Gaughen

White Hot Kiss by Jennifer Armentrout

Suddenly Royal by Nichole Chase

Up From the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

Romancing the Duke by Tessa Dare

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Don't forget to check out the full list of participating blogs:

Waiting on Wednesday: The Winner's Curse

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking The Spine and is a fun way to see what books other bloggers just can't wait to get their hands on!

THE WINNER'S CURSE

Marie Rutkoski

Young Adult

Releases March 4th from Farrar, Straus and Giroux

From Goodreads:

Seventeen-year-old Kestrel is an aristocratic citizen of Valoria, a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers. Here, a girl like Kestrel has two choices: join the military or get married. Despite her skills in military strategy, Kestrel’s real passion is music.Which is why she feels compelled to buy Arin, a slave with a talent for singing, at auction. It’s not long before she finds herself falling in love with Arin, and he seems to feel the same for her. But Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for Arin is much higher than she ever could have imagined.

Set in a new world, The Winner’s Curse is a story of wicked rumors, dirty secrets, and games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart.

Well, hello there gorgeous cover! Covers that feature a bold type treatment just make me happy. I'm absolutely obsessed with fonts and it's been really exciting for me lately to see cover designers experiment more with type on YA covers than I feel like they have in the past. Combine the stunning cover with a story that promises romance and dirty secrets (aren't those the best kind?) and consider me shamelessly drooling over this book!