Last List Blog Hop: Valiant by @fireplusalgebra {Interview & Giveaway}

Welcome to the last List Blog Hop blog tour, hosted by the fabulous Cuddlebuggery. If you're wondering what this is - it's a blog tour to help support authors who are effected by Egmont's closing up shop. Help us show your support to these authors!

Follow the rest of the tour here!

Valiant by Sarah McGuire
Release Date: April 28, 2015
Publisher: Egmont USA; 384 pages

A debut fairy tale retelling featuring a strong female character and a daring quest just right for fans of Shannon Hale, Jessica Day George, and Gail Carson Levine.

Saville despises the bolts of velvet and silk that her father loves- he's always prized them more than he's ever loved her. Yet when he's struck ill, she'll do anything to survive, even donning boys' clothes and begging a commission to sew for the king.

Piecing together a fine coat is far simpler than unknotting court gossip about an army of giants led by a man who cannot be defeated. And they're marching toward Reggen to seize the throne. But Saville knows giants are just stories, and no man is immortal.

Then she meets them, two scouts as tall as trees. She tricks them into leaving, but tales of the daring tailor's triumph quickly spin into impossible feats of giant-slaying. And mere stories won't deter the Duke and his larger-than-life army.

Now only a courageous and clever tailor girl can see beyond the rumors to save the kingdom again.

Valiant richly reimagines "The Brave Little Tailor," transforming it into a story of understanding, identity, and fighting to protect those you love most.

Barnes & Noble - Amazon - Indigo

Author Spotlight: Sarah J. Maas

Last year, I ended 2013 with Susan Dennard. This year, I'm ending 2014 with her BFF, Sarah J. Maas. Now, if you haven't heard of Sarah, you've clearly been living under a rock. Or you don't read, which is just weird. She is the author of The Assassin's Blade [2014], Throne of Glass [2012], Crown of Midnight [2013], Heir of Fire [2014] and her new, upcoming series, A Court of Thorns and Roses [2015] along with the next addition to the Throne of Glass series (currently untitled). As a huge fan of her Throne of Glass series, I must tell you to add ACOTAR to your TBR list. Actually, preorder it. You won't regret it - it's AMAZING.

Blog Tour: Mortal Heart by @RLLaFevers {Author Interview & Giveaway}

Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers
(His Fair Assassin, #3)
Release Date: November 4, 2014
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers; 464 pages

Annith has watched her gifted sisters at the convent come and go, carrying out their dark dealings in the name of St. Mortain, patiently awaiting her own turn to serve Death. But her worst fears are realized when she discovers she is being groomed by the abbess as a Seeress, to be forever sequestered in the rock and stone womb of the convent. Feeling sorely betrayed, Annith decides to strike out on her own.

She has spent her whole life training to be an assassin. Just because the convent has changed its mind doesn't mean she has...

Find it: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads

Author Spotlight: Katie McGarry

I am so thankful to be able to feature one of my favorite authors on the blog this month. This is the month of giving thanks, right? I am so incredibly grateful to this particular author for making me enjoy YA contemporary and giving this genre a chance when I'm not one of the biggest fans. I am thankful to Jennifer from Harlequin Teen for allowing me to feature one of their best authors here. Ladies and Gentleman, please welcome Katie McGarry to Step Into Fiction for the month of November. If you're not aware of who she is then check out her Pushing the Limits series: Pushing the Limits, Dare You To, Crash Into You, Take Me On and the upcoming, Breaking the Rules.

Author Spotlight: Jennifer L. Armentrout

I am super stoked to have this particular author featured here for the Author Spotlight this month. It's a great month to have her, too, as she has a book releasing later this month. What book you ask? Stone Cold Touch, which will hit stores on October 21. You've probably guessed the author, right? None other than Jennifer L. Armentrout or if you read her New Adult or Adult stuff, you might know her by J. Lynn. Her completed Young Adult books include the Lux Series (published with Entangled Teen), The Convenant Series (published with Spencer Hill Press), Don't Look Back (published with Disney), Cursed (published with Spencer Hill Press). She also has The Dark Elements Series (published with Harlequin Teen), Wait for You Series (published with William Morrow), the Titan Series (published with Spencer Hill Press), Frigid Series (published with Spencer Hill Press), Gamble Brothers (published with Entangled Brazen), The Wicked Saga (self published this December) and Obsession, which is an adult spin-off with Lux Series (published with Entangled Covet). Did you get that all? Want to look at the books more in detail, go here to visit her goodreads page, which lists them all!

Author Spotlight: Brigid Kemmerer

I am so excited to feature a fellow Maryland-er and super awesome author, Brigid Kemmerer this month for our Author Spotlight. Her elemental series is amazing, sexy and funny - it's a series I recommend to everyone. Her final book in this series comes out this fall and I seriously can't wait for it (but we all know how much I dread endings - it's so damn final). Click on the book covers to take you to their goodreads page...

Author Spotlight: Christina Lauren

This month's author spotlight is the awesome writing duo Christina Lauren!  I have been a huge fan of theirs since way back during their fanfiction days!  During BEA this year, I got the wonderful opportunity to sit down with this lovely ladies for an interview.  This was my first in person author interview, so I was a tad bit nervous.  But once I got started, it was like getting to know new friends!  Thank you so much to their amazing publicist Kristin for setting this up!  After you listen to the interview, be sure to enter the giveaway for a chance to win a signed copy of their latest book Sweet Filthy Boy!

Me with Christina and Lauren!

Blog Tour: Mortal Enchantment by Stacey O'Neale

Mortal Enchantment by Stacey O'Neale
(Mortal Enchantment, #1)
Release Date: May 20, 2014
Publisher: Phoenix Reign; 230 pages

“Mortal Enchantment spins a unique twist on elemental mythology. This series is not to be missed.”
Jennifer L. Armentrout, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author

In Kalin Matthew's world, elementals control the forces of nature. They are divided into four courts: air, woodland, fire, and water. At sixteen she will leave the life she's built with her mortal mother. Kalin will move to Avalon to rule with her father—the elemental king of the air court. Along the way, she's attacked by a fire court assassin and saved by Rowan, a swoon-worthy elemental with a questionable past.

Worst of all, she learns her father is missing.

To rescue him, Kalin will have to work with a judgmental council and a system of courts too busy accusing each other of deceit to actually be able to help her. But, they aren’t her biggest challenge. With the Midwinter’s Ball only five days away, Kalin must take over her father’s duties, which includes shifting control of the elements—power Kalin has yet to realize.

As Rowan attempts to train her, a war looms between the four courts. If Kalin fails, her father will die and the courts will fall, but the betrayal she’s about to uncover may cost her even more...

Available Exclusively at Amazon eBook for $2.99 and Paperback for $8.99

Interview With Marcus Sedgwick

I was excited to have been asked by Macmillan if I wanted to interview British author, Marcus Sedgwick, when he came to DC's Politics and Prose bookstore for his latest release, She Is Not Invisible. I'll be honest, I hadn't really heard of any of his books but I looked up the descriptions of that book and Midwinterblood and they sounded interesting, so I agreed. I am so glad I did. I read both Midwinterblood and She Is Not Invisible right before having met him and they were very interesting reads.

The interview is about thirty minutes long so I split it up in to two pieces so you can listen to them separately if you'd like. A warning, at times the audio is very quiet and you may have to turn the volume up to hear everything. This interview was done in the bookstore so there was background noise we couldn't avoid but we tried out best. You don't want to miss any of this interview as listening to Marcus talk is just amazing (accents are fabulous to listen to).

Author Spotlight: Emmy Laybourne

Welcome to the Author Spotlight, everyone! We're celebrating the month of April showers with Emmy Laybourne; author of Monument 14 [2012], Sky on Fire [2013] and Savage Drift [2014].

I met Emmy randomly at the Fierce Reads tour in NYC this past October and we got to talking and I asked her if she'd be interested in being hosted here and she was really excited about it. I know it's a little later than when we normally have these go live but alas, it's still April!

Blog Tour: Donna of the Dead by Alison Kemper

Donna of the Dead by Alison Kemper
Release Date: March 4, 2014
Publisher: Entangled Teen; 250 pages

Donna Pierce might hear voices, but that doesn’t mean she’s crazy. Probably.

The voices do serve their purpose, though—whenever Donna hears them, she knows she’s in danger. So when they start yelling at the top of their proverbial lungs, it’s no surprise she and her best friend, Deke, end up narrowly escaping a zombie horde. Alone without their families, they take refuge at their high school with the super-helpful nerds, the bossy class president, and—best of all?—Liam, hottie extraordinaire and Donna’s long-time crush. When Liam is around, it’s easy to forget about the moaning zombies, her dad’s plight to reach them, and how weird Deke is suddenly acting toward her.

But as the teens’ numbers dwindle and their escape plans fall apart, Donna has to listen to the secrets those voices in her head have been hiding. It seems not all the zombies are shuffling idiots, and the half-undead aren’t really down with kids like Donna…

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes& Noble

Blog Tour: Cured by Bethany Wiggins

Cured by Bethany Wiggins
(Stung, #2)
Release Date: March 4, 2014
Publisher: Walker Childrens; 320 pages

Now that Fiona Tarsis and her twin brother, Jonah, are no longer beasts, they set out to find their mother, with the help of Bowen and a former neighbor, Jacqui. Heading for a safe settlement rumored to be in Wyoming, they plan to spread the cure along the way--until they are attacked by raiders. Luckily, they find a new ally in Kevin, who saves them and leads them to safety in his underground shelter. But the more they get to know Kevin, the more they suspect he has ties to the raiders. He also seems to know too many details about Jacqui and her family—details that could endanger them all. For the raiders will do anything they can to destroy the cure that would bring an end to their way of life. Bethany Wiggins’s reimagining of our world after an environmental catastrophe won’t fail to stun readers.

Clipped Wings Blog Tour - Interview with Helena Hunting

We are very excited to have Helena Hunting featured on Step Into Fiction!  I reviewed both Clipped Wings and Cupcakes & Ink last month!  I am a huge fan of this series!  Check out my reviews here and here.

Author Spotlight: Jeri Smith-Ready

We are very excited to have Jeri Smith-Ready as our featured author for Author Spotlight March!  Jessica and I are very big fans of her Shade trilogy.  If you haven't read the Shade series, what's wrong with you?  Just kidding, we will be giving away the entire Shade trilogy signed (open internationally) just look for the giveaway at the bottom of this post!  Plus Jeri has been kind enough to giveaway a signed ARC (US Only) of her first contemporary novel This Side of Salvation.  Which I just finished reading yesterday, and I absolutely loved it!  So without further ado here's Jeri Smith-Ready!

Thanks for inviting me to be Step Into Fiction’s Spotlight author for March!

Hello, everyone! I’m Jeri Smith-Ready, author of YA books such as the Shade series and the upcoming This Side of Salvation, a contemporary novel about a boy whose parents disappear the night they believe the Rapture’s going to happen. (I’m giving away an ARC of this April 1 release with this post!) I’ve written numerous books for adults.

Blog Tour: All That Glows by Ryan Graudin

All That Glows by Ryan Graudin
Release Date: February 11, 2014
Publisher: HarperTeen; 480 pages

Emrys—a fiery, red-headed Fae—always embraced her life in the Highlands, far from the city’s draining technology, until she’s sent to London to rejoin the Faery Guard. But this isn’t any normal assignment—she’s sent to guard Prince Richard: Britain’s notorious, partying bad boy and soon-to-be King. The prince’s careless ways and royal blood make him the irresistible for the dark spirits that feed on mortals. Sweet, disheveled, and alive with adventure—Richard is one charge who will put Emrys’s magic and heart to the test.

When an ancient force begins preying on the monarchy, Emrys must hunt through the London’s magical underworld, facing down Banshees, Black Dogs and Green Women to find the one who threatens Richard’s life. In this chaos of dark magic, palace murders and paparazzi, Emrys finds herself facing an impossible choice. For despite all her powers, Emrys has discovered a force that burns brighter than magic: love.

Amazon - Barnes & Noble

Blog Tour: Her Dark Curiosity by Megan Shepherd

Her Dark Curiosity by Megan Shepherd
(The Madman's Daughter, #2)
Release Date: January 28, 2014
Publisher: Balzer + Bray; 432 pages

To defeat the darkness, she must first embrace it.

Months have passed since Juliet Moreau returned to civilization after escaping her father's island—and the secrets she left behind. Now, back in London once more, she is rebuilding the life she once knew and trying to forget Dr. Moreau’s horrific legacy—though someone, or something, hasn’t forgotten her.

As people close to Juliet fall victim one by one to a murderer who leaves a macabre calling card of three clawlike slashes, Juliet fears one of her father’s creations may have also escaped the island. She is determined to find the killer before Scotland Yard does, though it means awakening sides of herself she had thought long banished, and facing loves from her past she never expected to see again.

As Juliet strives to stop a killer while searching for a serum to cure her own worsening illness, she finds herself once more in the midst of a world of scandal and danger. Her heart torn in two, past bubbling to the surface, life threatened by an obsessive killer—Juliet will be lucky to escape alive.

With inspiration from Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, this is a tantalizing mystery about the hidden natures of those we love and how far we’ll go to save them from themselves.

Goodreads - Amazon - Barnes & Noble

Author Spotlight: Jodi Meadows

Welcome to 2014, everyone! I hope you had a fantastic New Years and are as eager for this year as I am. I am so excited to start this year off with a bang and I'm so glad Jodi Meadows has joined me! For those who don't know, Jodi is the author of Incarnate [2012], Asunder [2013], Phoenix Overture [2013] & Infinite [2014]. If you haven't heard of her or her books, you're in luck! After you get done with the highly entertaining interview and this or that segment, we have a fantastic giveaway for you!

Blog Tour: A Breath of Frost by Alyxandra Harvey Interview + Giveaway

Alyxandra Harvey, popular young adult author of the Drake Chronicles, Haunting Violet, and Stolen Away, is back with a bewitching new young adult fantasy series that will take readers through the streets of magical 19th century London. A BREATH OF FROST, the first installment in The Lovegrove Legacy (published by Bloomsbury Childrens) goes on sale January 7, 2014. It’s full of witches, magic, family secrets, goblin markets, deer-people, and boys in cravats!

Author Spotlight: Susan Dennard

Welcome to December, everyone! We're celebrating the last month of 2013 with the fantastic Susan Dennard! Author of Something Strange and Deadly [2012], A Dawn Most Wicked [2013], A Darkness Strange and Lovely [2013] and Strange and Ever After [2014]; she is also co-writing an online New Adult book with Sarah J. Maas titled The Starkillers Cycle.

I was lucky enough to meet Susan and interview her back in June while she was on tour with Sarah J. Maas, Erin Bowman and Kat Zhang for their Young Authors Give Back tour. She made quite an impression on me during the time I got to spend hanging out with them and then afterward, when she reached out to thank me for taking the time to interview them. First time any author has ever thanked me and it was definitely a humbling experience. Not only do I love her books but she's a spectacular person. When we started this feature I knew right away that I wanted to have her and I asked her probably back in July or August. So, I present you, Susan Dennard . . .

Author Spotlight: Megan Miranda

Welcome to the next installment of Author Spotlight, where we feature on author and conduct an interview or guest post with them as well as a giveaway (which is always open internationally). This month I am super happy to bring you Megan Miranda, author with Bloomsbury/Walker. You may have heard of her two books, which are now available, Fracture (2012) and Hysteria (2013). Come February 4, the companion novel for Fracture, Vengeance (2014), will be out and if you loved Fracture, like I did, it's one you do NOT want to miss.