Blog Tour: Dualed by Elsie Chapman - Guest Post and Giveaway!

Welcome to the Dualed blog tour, hosted by Sarah at The Book Life! Dualed is an exciting, fast-paced dystopian and the debut novel for author Elsie Chapman. We're so excited to be promoting Elsie and her book and we are so grateful to you for stopping by to join in on the fun! If you've already read and loved Dualed, feel free to help us spread the love. If you haven't read it yet, then we hope we can get you excited for it!

You or your Alt? Only one will survive.

The city of Kersh is a safe haven, but the price of safety is high. Everyone has a genetic Alternate—a twin raised by another family—and citizens must prove their worth by eliminating their Alts before their twentieth birthday. Survival means advanced schooling, a good job, marriage—life.

Fifteen-year-old West Grayer has trained as a fighter, preparing for the day when her assignment arrives and she will have one month to hunt down and kill her Alt. But then a tragic misstep shakes West’s confidence. Stricken with grief and guilt, she’s no longer certain that she’s the best version of herself, the version worthy of a future. If she is to have any chance of winning, she must stop running not only from her Alt, but also from love . . . though both have the power to destroy her.

Was music a part of your writing process? Do you have DUALED playlist that you can share?

I listened to music constantly while I was writing DUALED, actually, and still do now! Except I tend to listen to the same songs over and over again while writing or editing, simply because I need my music to become white noise. I do this with movies, too, where I’ll watch the same one multiple times a day and just tune it out while I work. It drives my family nuts, to tell you the truth.
It’s been so long since I wrote DUALED that I can’t remember all the songs, and I never did remember to write up a list. But I listened to a lot of Snow Patrol, Eminem, Kings of Leon, Coldplay, The Killers, and Arcade Fire.
Some great songs from Elsie’s DUALED bands:
Snow Patrol – “Set Fire to the Third Bar” (feat. Martha Wainwright)
Arcade Fire – “Rebellion (Lies)”
Coldplay – “The Scientist”
Kings of Leon – “Crawl”

Have you read DUALED yet? What are some songs you thought of while reading??



------------------------------------------------ABOUT THE AUTHOR-------------------------------------------

Elsie grew up in Prince George, BC, before graduating from the University of British Columbia with a BA in English Literature. She currently lives in Vancouver with her husband and two kids, where she writes to either movies on a loop or music turned up way too loud (and sometimes both at the same time).

She's repped by The Chudney Agency, and her debut novel, DUALED, published by Random House is out NOW! The sequel, DIVIDED, will be published February, 2014.

Find Elsie on Tumblr, Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.

She's also a contributing member of Friday the Thirteeners and The Lucky 13s group author blogs.

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2/25/13 Sarah @ The Book Life – Tour kick-off and Interview w/ Elsie

2/26/13 Jenna @ Making the Grade - Guest Post

2/27/13 Kristan @ Lost Amongst the Shelves - Review

2/28/13 Anna @ Literary Exploration - Guest Post

3/1/13 Inky @ Book Haven Extraordinaire - Review

3/2/13 Joli @ Actin’ Up with Books - Guest Post

3/4/13 Sara @ Forever 17 Books - Review

3/5/13 Tara @ Hobbitsies - Guest Post

3/6/13 Lilian @ A Novel Toybox - Guest Post

3/7/13 Kayla @ Bibliophilia, Please - Review

3/8/13 Emily @ Emily's Crammed Bookshelf - Review

3/9/13 Michelle @ Passionate Bookworm - Review

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Teaser Tuesday - A Midsummer Night's Scream by R.L. Stine

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

A Midsummer Night's Scream by R.L. Stine
Expected Publication Date: July 2nd, 2013
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Page Count: 250 pages
Goodreads | Books Inc.

The master of horror takes on the master of theater!

Get ready for laughter to turn into screams in R.L. Stine's re-imagining of Shakespeare's classic romantic comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Everyone knows that Mayhem Manor is cursed. After production on the horror film was stopped due to a series of mysterious deaths, it became a Hollywood legend--which makes it perfect for Claire and her family. If they can successfully finish the film, it should be enough to save their ailing movie studio.

Sure, the old haunted house is creepy, and strange stuff has been happening, but this is Claire's chance. Her chance to become the movie star she's always dreamed and her chance to finally convince her friend Jake that she is girlfriend material. Of course, the fact that Jake thinks he's in love with her best friend, Delia, who is crushing hard on Jake's friend Shawn, who insists on following Claire around, could be a problem, but Claire is sure she can figure it out. After all, the course of true love never did run smooth.

But once shooting starts, "creepy and strange" morph into "bloody and deadly," as the lines between film and reality begin to blur...

My Teaser

"One hand on the wheel, one hand around Darlene's shoulders, Tony pounded the gas pedal, and the van roared over the bumps and pits of the narrow dirt road. Leaning against the window on Darlene's right, Sue gritted her teeth and absorbed every jolt and jerk in silence. Tony was driving too fast, trying to impress Darlene, and Sue had to fight down her fear." - ARC page 3

Is anyone else super excited for R.L. Stine's new book?!?! Me too :)

Blog Tour - Keeper of the Black Stones: Author Guest Post

Keeper of the Black Stones by PT McHugh
Expected Publication Date:
Publisher:
Page Count:
Goodreads | Books Inc.

Awkward in his own skin, shy around girls and worried about anything and everything, Jason Evans is just like a million other teenage boys in high school, with one very large exception: he has been given a gift that allows him to jump through time. A set of stones has fallen into his lap that gives him access to any place - and any time - that he chooses. But along with that gift comes the responsibility of stopping the man who is using those very stones to travel through time and change history for his own purposes. A man who is now holding Jason's grandfather hostage, and threatening the world's very existence. Jumping through time with his best friend and body guard, Jason must enter the world of Medieval England, learn its customs, navigate unimaginable danger, and help Henry VII win the Battle of Bosworth, in the name of finding his grandfather, rescuing a beautiful girl from the clutches of a corrupt church, and destroying the one man who pledges to turn history inside out.

 Why did I choose to write YA, and what are my inspirations?

“Dad, don’t embarrass us!” Those words are uttered quite frequently by my two daughters, who are both my inspiration and my test subjects in regard to how the younger generation thinks and acts

To be honest, my girls aren’t quite teenagers. Although my twelve year old believes she is in fact going on eighteen, and should have her own apartment and car by now. Thanks to her, music, movies, texting etiquette, and a refreshed vocabulary for a modern 21^st-century teenager are at my fingertips 24/7, providing me with an excellent reference. I just have to look across the table at her to see how a young adult lives and thinks.

Even with all the differences, though – technology, the world, the quicker aging of young people – I’ve come to realize that teenagers now are a lot like they were twenty, thirty, and even forty years ago. They certainly have more now than I ever did … computers, iPhones, Twitter, Facebook, instant information at your fingertips (remember when you actually had to go to the library to do your research?). But in the end, everybody’s teenage years contain a lot of the same problems and challenges – relationships, fitting in, questioning authority (parents), wondering what they’ll be when the grow up, wondering whether they even want to grow up (I don’t believe I ever did). And many of us never grow out of those questions. In that way, we’re all still teenagers at heart.

That’s why I chose to YA. I can still identify with so many of those questions, which makes it easier to write. What’s more, I know that those years – the years when you’re so lonely and doubtful about who you are – are also the years when you form yourself. It’s when you have your first love, first heartbreak, dreams, anxiety, fear, euphoria … and all those feelings are compounded by a boatload of testosterone and estrogen. It’s a roller coaster on crack, and we’ve all ridden it. All those ups and downs make for amazing, realistic characters and stories, and I can’t imagine writing about anything else.

Now, I realize that I’m forty years old and a lot of people won’t believe that I can remember those years in my own life. But guess what, I do. In fact, some of the characters, the town, and many of the day-to-day situations in my books come from my own experiences. That means I get to relive my childhood through my characters, and – even better – put them into situations I never had to deal with.

About the Author:
PT McHugh didn’t start out as a storyteller. He was, however, born into a family that encouraged imagination. He became a fan of history in school and then went to college to become a construction engineer, to build a world of straight lines, angles, and equations.

He was just as surprised as everyone else when he realized that he believed in magic, and might just know the secret of how to jump through time. Since then, he’s been researching the possibility and learning everything he can about history. Just in case the opportunity arises.

PT was born and raised in New Hampshire and currently lives in Raleigh, North Carolina with his wife, two daughters, and a dog named Bob, daring to dream of alternate worlds and cheering for his beloved New England Patriots.
Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Website

Check out the rest of the tour stops

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Teaser Tuesday - Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd
Publication Date: January 29th, 2013
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Page count: 420 pages
Goodreads | Books Inc.

In the darkest places, even love is deadly.

Sixteen-year-old Juliet Moreau has built a life for herself in London—working as a maid, attending church on Sundays, and trying not to think about the scandal that ruined her life. After all, no one ever proved the rumors about her father's gruesome experiments. But when she learns he is alive and continuing his work on a remote tropical island, she is determined to find out if the accusations are true.

Accompanied by her father's handsome young assistant, Montgomery, and an enigmatic castaway, Edward—both of whom she is deeply drawn to—Juliet travels to the island, only to discover the depths of her father's madness: He has experimented on animals so that they resemble, speak, and behave as humans. And worse, one of the creatures has turned violent and is killing the island's inhabitants. Torn between horror and scientific curiosity, Juliet knows she must end her father's dangerous experiments and escape her jungle prison before it's too late. Yet as the island falls into chaos, she discovers the extent of her father's genius—and madness—in her own blood.

Inspired by H. G. Wells's classic The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Madman's Daughter is a dark and breathless Gothic thriller about the secrets we'll do anything to know and the truths we'll go to any lengths to protect.

My Teaser

"The basement hallways in King's College of Medical Research were dark, even in the daytime.
At night they were like a grave." - Page 1

This is the first book we're reading for my new young adult book club at work and I'm so excited!! I've heard amazing things and I'm so intrigued!!!

Stacking the Shelves - The one with A DARKNESS STRANGE AND DEADLY!!

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews as a way to share all the books we've received this week!

Hey guyyyyz!! It's been awhile since I've done a STS post so I'm going to share LOTS of great things with you today :D 

Also, sorry for the kind of blurry pictures >_< I was in a hurry hahaha

Thanks from HarperChildrens! 

Nancy Clancy: Secret Admirer (Nancy Clancy #2) by Jane O'Connor

Fancy Nancy Storybook Treasury by Jane O'Connor 

Big thanks from HarperTeen!!!!

The Ward by Jordana Frankel

Mind Games by Kiersten White

The Elite by Kiera Cass

Life After Theft by Aprilynne Pike

Flowers in the Sky by Lynn Joseph

What the Spell by Brittany Geragotelis (Thanks from SimonTeen!!)

Natural Born Angel by Scott Speer (Thanks from PenguinTeen!!)

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles (Thanks Bloomsbury!)

Parallell by Lauren Miller (From work)

A Darkness Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard (From work)

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke (From work)

Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi (Borrowed from work)

Reaper's Legacy by Tim Lebbon (Thanks PYR!!)

The Colossus Rises by Peter Lerangis (Thanks HarperChildrens!)

Firebrand by Gillian Philip (Thanks Tor!!)

Waiting on Wednesday - Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke

****"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event hosted by Jill at the Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.****

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke
Expected Publication Date: August 30th, 2013
Publisher: Dial
Page Count: 368 pages
Goodreads | Books Inc.

You stop fearing the devil when you’re holding his hand…

Nothing much exciting rolls through Violet White’s sleepy, seaside town…until River West comes along. River rents the guesthouse behind Violet’s crumbling estate, and as eerie, grim things start to happen, Violet begins to wonder about the boy living in her backyard. Is River just a crooked-smiling liar with pretty eyes and a mysterious past? Or could he be something more? Violet’s grandmother always warned her about the Devil, but she never said he could be a dark-haired boy who takes naps in the sun, who likes coffee, who kisses you in a cemetery...who makes you want to kiss back. Violet’s already so knee-deep in love, she can’t see straight. And that’s just how River likes it.

Blending faded decadence and the thrilling dread of gothic horror, April Genevieve Tucholke weaves a dreamy, twisting contemporary romance, as gorgeously told as it is terrifying—a debut to watch.

Why I Can't Wait:  This sounds so effing scary, doesn't it?! Like omfg hello Edgar Allen Poe! I definitely need to read this one RIGHT NOW. It just LOOKS spooky and has that gothic horror feel.

Teaser Tuesday - Let the Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Let the Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger
Expected Publication Date: March 5th, 2013
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Page count: 416 pages
Goodreads | Books Inc.

A broken past and a divided future can’t stop the electric connection of two teens in this “charged and romantic” (Becca Fitzpatrick), lush novel.

Seventeen-year-old Vane Weston has no idea how he survived the category five tornado that killed his parents. And he has no idea if the beautiful, dark-haired girl who’s swept through his dreams every night since the storm is real. But he hopes she is.

Seventeen-year-old Audra is a sylph, an air elemental. She walks on the wind, can translate its alluring songs, and can even coax it into a weapon with a simple string of commands. She’s also a guardian—Vane’s guardian—and has sworn an oath to protect Vane at all costs. Even if it means sacrificing her own life.

When a hasty mistake reveals their location to the enemy who murdered both of their families, Audra’s forced to help Vane remember who he is. He has a power to claim—the secret language of the West Wind, which only he can understand. But unlocking his heritage will also unlock the memory Audra needs him to forget. And their greatest danger is not the warriors coming to destroy them—but the forbidden romance that’s grown between them.

My Teaser

"I'm lucky to be alive.
At least that's what everybody keeps telling me. The reporter from the local newspaper even had the nerve to call it a miracle. I was 'Vane Weston: The Miracle Child.' Like the police finding me unconscious in a pile of rubble was part of some grand universal plan." - ARC page 1  

You guys, I'm already hooked :)

Review: Mind Games by Kiersten White

Mind Games (Mind Games #1) by Kiersten White
Expected Publication Date: February 19th, 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen
Page Count: 256 pages
Format: ARC
Source: Not Your Mother's Book Club
Goodreads | Books Inc.

Fia was born with flawless instincts. Her first impulse, her gut feeling, is always exactly right. Her sister, Annie, is blind to the world around her—except when her mind is gripped by strange visions of the future.

Trapped in a school that uses girls with extraordinary powers as tools for corporate espionage, Annie and Fia are forced to choose over and over between using their abilities in twisted, unthinkable ways… or risking each other’s lives by refusing to obey.

In a stunning departure from her New York Times bestselling Paranormalcy trilogy, Kiersten White delivers a slick, edgy, heartstoppingly intense psychological thriller about two sisters determined to protect each other—no matter the cost.

I'll admit that I haven't read any of Kirsten White's other books, but if they're anything like Mind Games I know I'll love them! Mind Games is a total roller coaster ride, switching between the POVs of the twins, Annie and Fia. While Annie's blind, she has the ability to see the future and Fia's abilities are unknown, but she's definitely special. Mind Games is just a taste of what's coming, but I'm really looking forward to whatever White has in store next!

The story alternates between Annie and Fia's POVs, as well as jumping between past and present. White does an awesome job of creating a clear voice for each girl. When Annie's narrating, the language is more mature and rational, but when it's Fia's turn, the words blend together creating an erratic tone that matches well with her thought process. I loved both sisters, but Fia's kick ass attitude and irrational behavior made her a little more interesting to read. Annie is pleasant enough, and I liked that she didn't let her disability get in the way of what she wanted. There is even a gorgeous, sexy love interest who is kid of a jerk, but I totally fell for him! You know how I love bad boys :)

The actual plot is mostly character-driven, involving chase scenes, fights, kissing, and lots of super powers. I loved the sci-fi elements, but the whole "damaged girl who is kick ass awesome and insecure" got old after a while. I also think that the story was too short. I know that there's going to be a second one, but I think it would have paid off more to combine the two books into one to make it longer and help explain some details more. By the time I was finished I was still a bit confused by some things. The best part of the book was definitely White's ability to switch voices so well. I could always tell who was talking without even looking at the chapter title. I did think some parts were a bit rushed and, as I said, some elements weren't explained, but since the story is told from the view point of two girls who are equally as confused, it was an understandable plot point.

Mind Games was a quick, exciting read and I'm looking forward to whatever she's got coming out next. I'm excited to learn more about Fia and Annie and their abilities and I really hope we'll delve deeper into this world of psychics. Hopefully, both sisters will get some therapy and work out their deeper issues so they can fight the bad guys together and stop complaining all the time. If you're a fan of thrillers and mind benders, you'll definitely enjoy this one. Mind Games is a good read for fans of Darkest Minds and Shatter Me.