Day Seven - ALIENATED + Giveaway!

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Book Profile

Name - Alienated (Goodreads)
Author - Melissa Landers
Genre - Science Fiction
Release Date - February 4th 2014

Two years ago, the aliens made contact. Now Cara Sweeney is going to be sharing a bathroom with one of them.

Handpicked to host the first-ever L’eihr exchange student, Cara thinks her future is set. Not only does she get a free ride to her dream college, she’ll have inside information about the mysterious L’eihrs that every journalist would kill for. Cara’s blog following is about to skyrocket.

Still, Cara isn’t sure what to think when she meets Aelyx. Humans and L’eihrs have nearly identical DNA, but cold, infuriatingly brilliant Aelyx couldn’t seem more alien. She’s certain about one thing, though: no human boy is this good-looking.

But when Cara's classmates get swept up by anti-L'eihr paranoia, Midtown High School suddenly isn't safe anymore. Threatening notes appear in Cara's locker, and a police officer has to escort her and Aelyx to class.

Cara finds support in the last person she expected. She realizes that Aelyx isn’t just her only friend; she's fallen hard for him. But Aelyx has been hiding the truth about the purpose of his exchange, and its potentially deadly consequences. Soon Cara will be in for the fight of her life—not just for herself and the boy she loves, but for the future of her planet.
Available - The Book Depository | Fishpond | Amazon | Barnes and Noble

The Insider's Scoop

Here’s a snippet from my favorite chapter, in which Aelyx and Cara take a giant leap for interplanetary relations. The following scene is shown from the point of view of Aelyx, (pronounced A-licks), an interplanetary exchange student from another galaxy:

“What?” She glanced up from her tea, her eyes like saucers. “You’ve never kissed a girl?”

He shrugged. “That’s not how we show affection.”

“Really?” 

“Truly.”

“Too bad,” she said over the top of her mug. “You don’t know what you’re missing.”

“Not much, I imagine. I researched it, and it sounds bizarre to me.”

Cara smiled to herself. “Not if you’re doing it right. Nothing’s hotter than a good kiss.”

“Nothing except sh’ellam. It always leads to more.”

“So does an amazing kiss.”

The challenge in her eyes prompted him to say something he probably shouldn’t have. “Care to put it to a test?”

Her pink lips parted in shock. 

Was she revolted by the idea? Disappointment knotted his stomach. “Don’t worry. If you’re uneasy—”

“I’m not uneasy.” She huffed and set her cup of tea on the floor. “Bring it!”

“You sure?”

“It’s on. You go first.”

Aelyx hesitated a moment, then stood and carried their mugs to the dresser. He offered his hand to Cara and pulled her to her feet. 

“Are you wearing a shirt underneath that sweater?” he asked. 

She cleared her throat again, blushing. “Yeah, why?”

“This’ll work better if more of your skin’s exposed.”

After a moment’s hesitation, she pulled the sweater over her head, tossed it onto the bed, and stood before him in a cream-colored tank top. “What am I supposed to do?”

“Nothing. Just stand still, close your eyes, and relax.”

She took a deep breath and nodded, then shut her eyes and let her arms hang loosely at her sides.

Aelyx’s palms had become clammy, and he wiped them on his jeans, grateful Cara couldn’t see how nervous she’d made him. A wave of doubt crested within him. What if she hated it? What if this confirmed that his attraction to her was one-sided? 

“What’re you waiting for?” she asked.

“Nothing.” He stepped forward until their bodies barely touched. 

Closing his eyes, he wrapped his hand around Cara’s fragile wrist, then smoothed it slowly up the length of her arm to her shoulder. He gulped a breath. Bleeding gods, no substance in his world or hers had ever felt so soft. He skimmed two fingers across her collarbone and rested them at the base of her throat, feeling the pulse of her heart beating through the delicate skin. He’d touched her there a dozen times in his dreams, but it didn’t compare to reality.

“Your heart rate is eighty beats per minute,” he said quietly, trying not to let his voice tremble.

“Why does that matt—”

“Shh. Don’t talk.”

With his other hand, he swept Cara’s silken hair out of the way, lightly brushing her neck with his fingertips. Her breathing hitched, and he paused for a moment, stunned by her reaction. Had she actually liked that? Was it possible she wanted him? There was only one way to find out.

~Giveaway~

Melissa is giving away an ARC of ALIENATED

Rule of Entry -

- US ONLY

- Ends 7th of January

- Must be 13 or older

- Optional Entries :

   * Leaving comment on either of Melissa's posts +2 each

   * Follow Me on Twitter +1

   * Follow Melissa on Twitter +1 (@Melissa_Landers)

   * Like Melissa's Facebook Page +1

   * Add Burn Out to Goodreads Shelf +1

   * Tweeting Giveaway +1

   * Follow Badass Bookie via GFC/Linky or RSS +2

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Badass Bookie xx

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Day Six: Melissa Landers (ALIENATED)

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Debutante Profile

Name - Melissa Landers

Debut – Alienated 

Publisher - Disney Hyperion

Genre – Science Fiction

Website– HERE

Blog -  Here

Twitter - HERE


Melissa Landers is a former teacher who left the classroom to pursue other worlds. A proud sci-fi geek, she isn't afraid to wear her Princess Leia costume in public—just ask her husband and three kids. She lives outside Cincinnati and writes contemporary romance as Macy Beckett. For more information, or just to say hello, visit melissa-landers.com.

Dream Debutante Dress -  

"Does this debutante dress make my butt look big? No? Thanks, I knew I liked you for a reason! "

Notes from a YA Debutante

Let’s skip the small talk and get to know each other. Here are five random facts about me:

1. What I’m listening to right now: Sweet silence. Music tends to distract me when I’m writing, because I can’t resist the urge to sing along—especially if I’m jamming to some old school Weezer. I DARE YOU to listen to “Buddy Holly” and not sing along.

2. Guilty pleasure: Stupid, slapstick comedies—think Monty Python’s Holy Grail. Someday I want a T-shirt with a picture of the grail on it, followed by the words “I already have one.” (How many of you get that reference?)

3. Favorite candy: Junior Mints. ’Nuff said.

4. Favorite Cylon: Leoben. He’s hot…in a creepy stalker kind of way.

5. Favorite Jedi: Princess Leia. (If you already knew she was a Jedi, then you’re an awesome nerd like me. Rock on!)

Now that we’re acquainted, you can probably understand why someone obsessed with Cylons and Jedi Knights went on to write a book about humans falling in love with alien exchange students. The story is told in a humorous tone, which likely doesn’t shock you either. J Make sure you return tomorrow for the second half of my debutante event, when I’ll share an excerpt from my very favorite scene in ALIENATED!

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Bookie's Note: Melissa, I'm not going to like I didn't get the Monty Python reference and I didn't know Princess Leia was a Jedi...I guess I'm not as much of a nerd as I thought I was :') Everyone meet Melissa Landers our third debutante of 2014! Many of you may have already heard of ALIENATED, it was one of the first debuts to hit my radar! Make sure to come back tomorrow for the second half of Melissa's feature when she gives us the INSIDER'S SCOOP on ALIENATED and there is definitely an awesome giveaway at the end for all you lovely people! :)

Badass Bookie xx

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Day Five: BURN OUT + Giveaway!

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Book Profile

Name - Burn Out (Goodreads)
Author - Kristi Helvig
Genre - Science Fiction
Release Date - April 8th 2014

A futuristic blend of Beth Revis's Across the Universe and Lenore Appelhans's Level 2, Burn Out will satisfy the growing desire for science fiction with a thrilling story of survival, intrigue, and adventure.

Most people want to save the world; seventeen-year-old Tora Reynolds just wants to get the hell off of it. One of the last survivors in Earth's final years, Tora yearns to escape the wasteland her planet has become after the sun turns "red giant," but discovers her fellow survivors are even deadlier than the hostile environment.

Holed up in an underground shelter, Tora is alone--her brilliant scientist father murdered, her mother and sister burned to death. She dreams of living on a planet with oceans, plants, and animals. Unfortunately, the oceans dried out ages ago, the only plants are giant cacti with deadly spines, and her pet, Trigger, is a gun--one of the bio-energetic weapons her father created for the government before his conscience kicked in.

When family friend, Markus, arrives with mercenaries to take the weapons by force, Tora's fury turns to fear when government ships descend in an attempt to kill them all. She forges an unlikely alliance with Markus and his rag-tag group of raiders, including a smart but quiet soldier named James. Tora must quickly figure out who she can trust, as she must choose between saving herself by giving up the guns or honoring her father's request to save humanity from the most lethal weapons in existence.
Available - The Book Depository | Fishpond | Amazon | Barnes and Noble

The Insider's Scoop

I thought it would be fun to share a few inside scoops about BURN OUT.

1) BURN OUT came about after watching several science documentaries, and then hearing a cool song on Pandora that led to an intense dream about the sun burning out early.

2) I woke from the dream with the entire story of my MC, Tora, in my head. She wouldn’t leave me alone until I started writing.

3) I wrote the first draft in 6 weeks. 

4) However, it took me another year after that to revise it to the point where I felt comfortable sending it out to agents.

5) My editor let me write the tagline that appears on the cover. 

Read early reviews of BURN OUT here:

YA Bound

Goodreads Reviews

~Giveaway~

Kristi is giving away a SIGNED ARC of BURN OUT + Swag!

Rule of Entry -

- INTERNATIONAL

- Ends 5th of January

- Must be 13 or older

- Optional Entries :

   * Leaving comment on either of Kristi's posts +2 each

   * Follow Me on Twitter +1

   * Follow Kristi on Twitter +1 (@KristiHelvig)

   * Like Kristi's Facebook Page +1

   * Add Burn Out to Goodreads Shelf +1
   * Sign Up For Kristi's Newsletter + 1

   * Tweeting Giveaway +1

   * Follow Badass Bookie via GFC/Linky or RSS +2

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Badass Bookie xx

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Day Four: Kristi Helvig (BURN OUT)

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Debutante Profile

Name - Kristi Helvig

Debut – Burn Out  

Publisher - EgmontUSA

Genre – Science Fiction

Website– HERE

Blog -  Here

Twitter - HERE

Kristi Helvig is a Ph.D. clinical psychologist turned sci-fi/fantasy author. She often muses about Star Trek, space monkeys, and other assorted topics at kristihelvig.com. Kristi resides in sunny Colorado with her hubby, two kiddos, and behaviorally-challenged dogs.

Dream Debutante Dress -  

"I’m so excited to be a Badass Bookie 2014 Debutante! I’m not usually a dress kind of girl, but this dress reminded me of the galaxy which is fitting for my book."

Notes from a YA Debutante

I love it when people share random things, so I thought I’d share ten random facts about me.

1) I rarely wore dresses even as a child (unless my mom made me) because I was a total tomboy. I’ve had my nails done twice in my life and one was for my wedding.

2) My original career goal was to be an NFL quarterback. I was the only girl allowed on the neighborhood football team (see number 1 above), and my nickname by the boys was “Monkeylegs.” I had super skinny legs as a girl, and the boys said I could cover the entire length of the field in three steps.

3) When I discovered that I wasn’t allowed to play football in school, I became a cheerleader instead so I could watch from the sidelines.

4) In an ironic twist, my 6-year old daughter is the biggest “girlie-girl” ever. She does ballet and insists on coordinating her jewelry and nail polish color to her outfits. She lives in dresses, while my favorite outfit is still jeans and a t-shirt. If she didn’t look like me, I’d swear she was adopted.

5) According to my mom, I wrote my first book at the age of 5. I remember making a construction paper “cover” and used notebook paper for the “manuscript.” My artistic ability hasn’t improved since then, so it’s good I don’t do my own covers anymore.

6) This will tell you how old I am, but I wrote my first “novel” at about age ten or eleven on a cursive typewriter (a Nancy Drew knock-off mystery). You could use corrector tape to fix a word or two, but if you wanted to add or delete sentences, it meant re-typing the entire story. Needless to say, it was short.

7) After that, I didn’t write again (aside from some angsty teenage poetry) until a few years ago. Instead, I got my Ph.D. and became a clinical psychologist. Writing a publishable novel was harder than getting my Ph.D. Seriously. 

8) I’ve been married to my awesome hubby for almost seventeen years (and yes, he did play football in school.) He took me to Arrowhead Stadium twenty years ago to see a Kansas City Chiefs game, and that’s been my team ever since, though we’ve endured a lot of sad football seasons. Also, I live in Bronco-land, so I get a lot of teasing from my Denver friends.

9) When not writing, I’m addicted to House Hunters on HGTV, especially the international ones. Yes, I know it’s fake, but it’s still fun. The best was when my 9-year-old son said “they can’t pick House #2, those kitchen countertops are horrible.”

10) Other guilty pleasures include True Blood and The Big Bang Theory. My hubby thinks that Sheldon is hilarious and that I “might” have a few similarities to him. All I’ll admit is that I might twitch a little when someone sits in “my spot” on the couch.

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Bookie's Note: Our second 2014 Debutante is Kristi Helvig, the author of BURN OUT (out April 18th). Make sure to come back tomorrow for the second half of Kristi's feature when she gives us the INSIDER'S SCOOP on BURN OUT and there is definitely an awesome giveaway at the end for all you lovely people! :)

Badass Bookie xx

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Day Three: HEXED + Giveaway

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Book Profile

Name - Hexed (Goodreads)
Author - Michelle Krys
Genre - Paranormal
Release Date - June 10th 2014

If high school is all about social status, Indigo Blackwood has it made. Sure, her quirky mom owns an occult shop, and a nerd just won’t stop trying to be her friend, but Indie is a popular cheerleader with a football-star boyfriend and a social circle powerful enough to ruin everyone at school. Who wouldn’t want to be her?

Then a guy dies right before her eyes. And the dusty old family Bible her mom is freakishly possessive of is stolen. But it’s when a frustratingly sexy stranger named Bishop enters Indie’s world that she learns her destiny involves a lot more than pom-poms and parties. If she doesn’t get the Bible back, every witch on the planet will die. And that’s seriously bad news for Indie, because according to Bishop, she’s a witch too.

Suddenly forced into a centuries-old war between witches and sorcerers, Indie’s about to uncover the many dark truths about her life—and a future unlike any she ever imagined on top of the cheer pyramid.

Available - The Book Depository | Fishpond | Amazon | Barnes and Noble

The Insider's Scoop

· Despite now being a Plotter, I wrote HEXED based solely on a title and a sassy main character. It’s the most fun I’ve ever had writing a book! 

· HEXED was originally called THE WITCH HUNTER’S BIBLE, a title that my sister let me steal from her trunked adult historical novel. The title later changed after the book sold to Delacorte Press/Random House Children’s Books. (And actually, it’s a better fit.) 

· One night, while working in the NICU, I begged my coworker for help figuring out a plot hole in this book I was writing about witches and sorcerers. She listened to my problem, looked at me very strangely, and then went back to her work, saying she’d think about it. I was sure she’d blown me off, but then she strode up an hour later, all business, and said, ‘This is what you should do.” And solved all my problems. Her idea remains in the book to this day (Love you, Amy!) 

· It took about 4 months to write HEXED before it was ready to submit to agents. (I scrambled to finish writing it so that I could enter the 2012 Baker’s Dozen Agent Auction over at Miss Snark’s First Victim. It didn’t get picked.) 

· HEXED is set in Los Angeles. I went there for research after my editor made note of a few things that seemed more Texas than L.A. in the book (I’m pleased to report HEXED now has 100% less tailgate parties.) 

· I was watching the reality TV show Audrina one day (don’t judge), when I first came across Audrina’s sister’s hot motocross-racer husband, Kyle Loza. I loved his long hair, tattoos, and carefree attitude so much I decided to use him as the mold for the love interest in HEXED. Thus the character of Bishop was born. 

· A party scene in HEXED was inspired by the song Last Friday Night by Katy Perry. Another scene was inspired by the song Tonight Tonight by Hot Chelle Rae (“we’re dancing on the edge of the Hollywood sign”). My heart gets fluttery whenever I hear either of them because I vividly remember the time before all this crazy book stuff happened, when getting published was still just an unlikely dream. 

· After anyone I know has finished reading HEXED, I get an email going “WHAT?!? YOU DIDN’T” about a certain scene in the book. (Yes, I did.) 

· Unlike Indie, I was never a cheerleader, however I did belong to a witchcraft club in the 5th grade, which friends and I formed after watching The Craft. Like most witches, we took out witchcraft books from the library. 

· Ever since marathoning Pretty Little Liars, I’ve secretly dreamed of Tyler Blackburn being cast as Bishop in the hypothetical HEXED movie. (Hey, a girl can dream!)

~Giveaway~

Michelle is giving away a SIGNED ARC of HEXED!

Rule of Entry -

- US/CANADA ONLY

- Ends 3rd of January

- Must be 13 or older

- Optional Entries :

   * Leaving comment on either of Michelle's posts +2 each

   * Follow Me on Twitter +1

   * Follow Michelle on Twitter +1 (@MichelleKrys)

   * Like Michelle's Facebook Page +1

   * Add HEXED to Goodreads Shelf +1

   * Tweeting Giveaway +1

   * Follow Badass Bookie via GFC/Linky or RSS +2

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Badass Bookie xx

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