Dragonswood Blog Tour: This or That List + Giveaway

I'm joined on the blog today by Janet Lee Carey, author of the paranormal young adult novel Dragonswood, for a quick and fun this or that list! As part of the tour through Teen Book Scene, I also have a very cool giveaway to offer readers, so be sure and check the bottom of the post for all the details!

If only one paranormal entity could be real, would you choose dragons or faeries?

Faeries though they’re arguably more dangerous.

Do you prefer writing in a linear progression or out of order?

I spiral forward then loop back a little before moving ahead. (Picture a stretched slinky).

Which comes first: character traits and personality or their name?

Personality.

If you could time travel, would you go back to the past or jump forward to the future?

I’d leap ahead.

On your dream vacation, are you lounging on the beach or hopping from city to city seeing as much of the world as you possibly can?

Give me a beach. I love to snorkel.

Is it harder to write the first chapter of a book or the acknowledgements section?

The first chapter’s a killer every time.

Would meeting a favorite actor or favorite author turn you into more of a fangirl?

Favorite author. I’ve been lucky enough to meet two of my favorites already. I met Ursula K. LeGuin at a book signing and Michael Ondaatje (Author of The English Patient) in a little grocery store in Mill Valley CA. I grew up in Mill Valley. I was in CA visiting my brother a few years ago and was reading one of Michael Ondaatje’s books at the time. I walked down the aisle of the Mill Valley Market and there he was pushing a grocery cart. I whispered, “Michael Ondaatje?” He turned and said, “Yes?”

Which would be easier: giving up a favorite food or favorite article of clothing/accessory?

Clothing.

Are you an outdoors or indoors person?

Outdoors! But my friends would guffaw at this answer because I spend every day at my desk writing.

Your television only has one channel. Do you prefer it show sitcoms or police/law dramas?

Gotta have my Seinfeld. Otherwise I’m a masterpiece theatre buff.

Thanks so much for stopping by Janet! You can find more information on Janet and Dragonswood here:

Website
Blog
Twitter

GIVEAWAY

Janet and the ladies at Teen Book Scene have generously offered up a signed copy of Dragonswood for me to give away on the blog today! And that's not all. One lucky winner will also receive a signed paperback copy of Dragon's Keep (to which Dragonswood is a companion novel I believe) as well. To enter, please leave a comment with a valid email address so I can contact you if you win. This Giveaway is open to US residents only and will run through midnight EST on Sunday, January 8th after which time a winner will be chosen and announced on the blog. Good luck everyone!

DRAGONSWOOD

Wilde Island is in an uproar after the recent death of its king. The uneasy pact between dragons, fairies, and humans is fraying, and a bloodthirsty witch hunter with a hidden agenda whips villages into frenzies with wild accusations. Tess, a blacksmith’s daughter from a tiny hamlet near the mysterious Dragonswood, finds herself caught in the crosshairs of fate when she is accused of witchery and has to flee for her life along with her two best friends.

Not even Tess’s power to see the future can help the girls as they set off on their desperate journey, but she keeps having visions of a man wielding a sword. And when she finally meets him, Tess has no idea how to handle the magnetic attraction she feels for him, or the elusive call she hears from the heart of the Dragonswood.

In this epic romance, an ancient prophecy comes true in a way neither dragon, fairy, nor human would have predicted.

Character This or That List: Daniel Holland from On The Fringe

As part of the promotional tour through Teen Book Scene, I'm really excited today to welcome Daniel from Courtney King Walker's young adult novel On The Fringe to the blog for some fun with a "this or that" list! On The Fringe released yesterday, so be sure and add it to your TBR piles. Thanks so much for stopping by Daniel!

Action movies or romantic comedies?

Action all the way. I only go to romantic comedies if I’m trying to impress a girl. Though, I have to admit that being dead makes you a lot more sentimental.

Would you rather live without chocolate or caffeine?

Well, since I’ve been ‘living’ without both for a while now, I have to say that I miss chocolate more than caffeine. I’d give anything to eat a Butterfinger again.

Which fantasy world would you rather be dropped into: Lord of the Rings or Star Wars?

Star Wars, just for the light sabers.

Card games or board games?

I always stunk at cards, so I’m going to have to say board games. Anything but a Ouija board.

Are you culinary gifted or culinary challenged?

I’d like to say I had some culinary skills when I was alive. I could make a mean sandwich (that takes talent, you know – there’s more to it than just throwing together a couple pieces of lettuce and some meat).

If you could trade places with someone else for a day, would you choose a celebrity or a fictional character?

Fictional characters rock.

If you found yourself in a survival situation, do you think you would fare better in a warm weather environment or a cold weather one?

I’m from California. Enough said.

You are suddenly granted one supernatural ability. Would you prefer time travel or precognition?

Sweet. I’d totally take time travel so I could relive my best memories.

Must have to make it through your day: phone or computer?

Considering I live vicariously through all you guys who aren’t dead, the computer is way more useful to me than your shiny new iPhone, no matter how cool it supposedly is.

Morning person or night owl?

Used to be a night owl. Guess that paid off.

ON THE FRINGE

Claire is struggling to overcome the murder of her childhood friend and secret crush, Daniel. Everyone else seems to be moving on with their lives, but she's still trying to cope. The fact that she finds herself alone and drowning on her 16th birthday isn't helping.

Neither is thinking she sees Daniel's face in murky water as she mysteriously resurfaces. But something happened during those four and a half minutes that will make her realize it was not just her imagination.

As Claire and Daniel try to grasp a possible reconnection, other grudge-holding beings have plans of their own. Now, the two of them have to decide if their fleeting relationship is worth the possibility of Claire being trapped on the fringe forever.

Beautifully told, On the Fringe intertwines fresh ideas about devotion, revenge, and the consequences that come with life and death.