Liebster Blog Award!

Hello gentle reader,

Last week my blog was nominated twice (!) for the Liebster Award! Thanks to Craig Schmidt & Mara Valderran for passing the award on to me. This award is about spotlighting new blogs (with fewer than 200 followers) and answering 11 questions. Since I was nominated twice, I had to choose from a set of 22 questions.

So this award arrived just on time since my blog has almost reached 200 followers (more on this coming soon!). Here are the questions I have decided to answer:

What is your motto?

Don’t give up your dream.

Tell us three things about a favourite character you’ve created.

In my WIP The Last Queen, the main character Elian is shy, dutiful and self-conscious. Yet, somehow, he becomes a hero. Don’t ask him how, he wouldn’t know.

Which author influences you most as a writer, and in what way?

Neil Gaiman is one of my favourite authors, because he tells fantasy stories that are accessible to any reader, at almost any age.

When you get writer’s block, doing this helps.

When I get the feeling that what I’m writing doesn’t work, I stop writing and I read instead. Sometimes it takes just one book, sometimes it takes six, but eventually it makes me want to write again.

What is something you regret?

I have been writing for 15 years, and it took me a very long time to listen to people who told me “why don’t you try to get published?” I wish I had listened to them earlier.

What was the first thing you remember writing?

The first novel I wrote AND finished was a story called The Chronicles of a Girl on a Swing in Paris. Well, the title pretty much says it all 😉

What goal are you most focused on right now?

Finishing edits to The Last Queen and querying it.

Who was your favourite actor or actress when you were growing up?

Kevin Costner. I still really like him. If one of his movies comes on TV, I’ll always each it.

What is your favourite television show that was cancelled before its time/too soon?

I’m assuming everyone already said Firefly… So I’ll say Blood Ties (2007): vampires and an awesome heroine. No idea why it got cancelled, it was excellent. I also was a bit disappointed that The Gates (2010) didn’t really get a chance to find its audience.

What is on your bucket list (things you want to do before you die)?

Read ALL THE BOOKS (almost). Visit the US West Coast, New Zealand, Italy and Greece.

If you were to write a “Thank you” note to someone you’ve never actually met, who would that be and why?

I would write it to Fantasy author Gregory Maguire (The Wicked Years series). His books were a huge inspiration because they were like nothing I had read before and it showed me that I could write weird stories too, as long as they were good.

Now I have to tag other new bloggers so they’ll answer those witty questions…  Here is my list:

Yesenia Vargas

Em Loves to read, Wants to write

Lauren Garafalo

SJ Maylee

Fall Into Fantasy Giveaway Hop (closed)

Hello gentle reader,

This week I’m taking part in the

Hosted by Kathy @ I Am A Reader, Not A Writer & Dorine @ The Write Path

GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED – THANKS TO ALL WHO ENTERED!

The winner will be contacted by email.

It runs from today until Sunday, October 21st 2012 and it is a chance for me to share with you a Fantasy book. I have chosen to give away Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick (new hardcover, UK edition). The giveaway is international.

But that’s not all!

I’m also giving away a beautiful Skylark Swag!

Skylark is a Fantasy book by Meagan Spooner. I interviewed Meagan last week (see my post here) and afterwards she sent me (signed!) goodies in the mail.

Giveaway information:

The giveaway is open until Sunday, October 21st 2012 at midnight (BST time)

To enter please fill in the contact form below with your name and email.

If you follow my blog by email, WordPress or RSS feed, if you are a Twitter follower , if you like my page on Facebook or if you tweet about the giveaway, this will grant you an extra entry. Mention it below.

Entrants must be at least 13 years of age.

This giveaway is open Internationally.

The winner will be chosen randomly, notified by email and will have 72 hours to reply or a new winner will be chosen.

I am not responsible for items lost in the mail.

I hold the right to end the giveaway before its original deadline without any prior notice.

I hold the right to disqualify any entry as I see fit.

Privacy information: no information given for this giveaway will be used for other purpose than this giveaway. All information provided (names, emails and mail addresses) will be deleted after the giveaway.

Good luck and feel free to leave me a comment below…

This is a blog hop! Visit the other giveaways here.

2012 Blogger Awards!

Hello gentle reader,

so I have entered the Blogger Award competition hosted by Krystal @ Live To Read . There are 16 competitors in the Best Blog Layout category and my blog is one of them. So if you would be so kind as to vote for my blog HERE I’d be eternally grateful.

What’s in it for you, you ask? Well, the winner will get 8 books published in 2012, and if I win, I’m planning on giving them away to YOU, lovely readers!

So if you wish to support this blog, click on the link below:

Thank you, thank you 🙂

 

Stuck in a Good Book Giveaway Hop (closed)

Hello gentle reader,

This week I’m taking part in the

Stuck in a Good Book Giveaway Hop

Hosted by Kathy @ I Am A Reader, Not A Writer & Valerie @ Stuck in Books

GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED – THANKS TO ALL WHO ENTERED ! 

The winner will be contacted by email.

It runs from today until 25 September 2012 and it is a chance for me to share with you “a book that I just couldn’t put down”.

I have chosen to give away The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (new paperback, US edition). The giveaway is international.

The Hunger Games is a book that I would have read in one sitting if I could have. I actually remember reading it at work, because I couldn’t wait for the end of the day to know what would happen next. I also remember reading the last page when I was about halfway through the book. I NEVER do that. I always read the book from page 1 to the end and I don’t peak. But this book got me so tensed that I had to know if Peeta would survive the Games. So if you haven’t read The Hunger Games, here is your chance.

And of course,

May the odds be ever in your favor...

Giveaway information:

The giveaway is open until Tuesday, September 25th 2012 at midnight (BST time)

To enter please fill in the contact form below with your name and email.

If you follow my blog by email, WordPress or RSS feed, if you are a Twitter follower , if you like my page on Facebook or if you tweet about the giveaway, this will grant you an extra entry. Mention it below.

Entrants must be at least 13 years of age.

This giveaway is open Internationally.

The winner will be chosen randomly, notified by email and will have 72 hours to reply or a new winner will be chosen.

I am not responsible for items lost in the mail.

I hold the right to end the giveaway before its original deadline without any prior notice.

I hold the right to disqualify any entry as I see fit.

Privacy information: no information given for this giveaway will be used for other purpose than this giveaway. All information provided (names, emails and mail addresses) will be deleted after the giveaway.

Good luck and feel free to leave me a comment below…

This is a blog hop! Visit the other giveaways here.

Reader Appreciation Award!

I have received another award for my blog! It’s the Reader Appreciation Award and the wonderful Raewyn Hewitt nominated me. She is an Epic Fantasy writer who lives in New Zealand and is currently writing a trilogy entitled The Fall of the Kings. She has a great blog which chronicles her writing journey and quotes Tolkien and Doctor Who (what more can you ask for? Go and follow her already!).

So here are the rules for this award:

1. Identify and show appreciation to the blogger who nominated you.

2. Add the reward logo to your blog.

3. Tell your readers 7 things about yourself.

4. Nominate 5-10 of your favourite bloggers for this award.

5. Inform your nominees that you nominated them.

So I’m not really one to talk about myself, but here goes…

1-    Full disclosure. I’m 28.

2-    I live in England but my nationality is not British. Let the guessing game begin!

3-    I have lived in three different countries in the last ten years.

4-    I watch a lot of TV shows. Historical, SF or fantasy, I’ll give them a try. Right now I’m really into “Hell On Wheels” and “The Vampire Diaries”.

5-    I wrote my first novel at the age of 12. It was entitled “The Chronicles of a Girl on a Swing in Paris”. Please don’t judge 😉

6-    My current WIP The Last Queen is my 20th finished novel (!). I wrote the first draft in 2009. My cousin Elisabeth, who is my self proclaimed biggest fan and has read every single story I have ever written, chose that time to tell me that “maybe it was time to go out there and get my stories published.” However this endeavour turns out to be, I will blame it on her.

7-    My family is very supportive of my writing, even if they don’t actually, well, read what I write. My brother thinks that my WIP is “Game of Thrones with elves and werewolves”. My grandmother thinks it’s “something like Harry Potter”. My parents think it’s a masterpiece. I really hope they’re right.

Now on to the nominations of lovely blogger you should follow:

Elodie @ Commuting Girl A French girl living in Germany, and an aspiring author of YA novels (paranormal romance and contemporary romance) with a versatile blog.

Susan and Tyler-Rose @ The Feather and the Rose Two Epic Fantasy writers. One great blog tackling writing, revisions, queries and the epicness of it all.

Gina @ This Is Not Your Blog In her own words, a “mother, blogger, vlogger, writer, homeschooler, church-goer, nerdfighter, baker, cake decorator, avid reader, book reviewer.” She lives in Florida and her blog is a great read. Also I love her Fantasy Casting Feature.

Juliana Haygert When I started following her blog, she was a romance writer trying to get published. Today she is a published author. Yet she  is still this lovely Brazilian girl who lives in Connecticut and replies to all my tweets. This girl will go far, better get to know her now!

That’s it for me. For those nominated, there’s no pressure to participate. I just wanted to let my readers know how awesome you are!

 

100 Followers Giveaway! (closed)

*Giveaway is now closed*

Welcome gentle reader,

today my blog is 6 months old AND it has reached 100 followers, so I’m hosting a very special giveaway to thank YOU, my amazing followers. The giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY and it runs from today, Saturday, September 1st to Sunday, September 16th 2012.

ONE lucky winner will receive the TWO following books: Infinite Days and Stolen Night by Rebecca Maizel. Both books are new paperbacks (UK edition).

If you have been following my blog for a while, you know that I LOVE Rebecca’s YA series The Vampire Queen. I was lucky enough to do an interview with her a few months ago (you can read it here) and when Stolen Night finally came out in the UK in July, she OFFERED to send me a copy for myself AND a copy for a giveaway. That’s how amazing she is.

So in case you’re not convinced yet, I’m offering you a chance to read her awesome books. Stolen Night won’t come out in the US until January 2013, so this giveaway is open internationally.

You can watch the trailer for Infinite Days below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXYJQgS2UHE

And you can visit Rebecca’s website here and her blog here.

Giveaway information:

  • The giveaway is open until Sunday, September 16th 2012 at midnight (BST time)
  • To enter please fill in the contact form below with your name and email. You HAVE TO be a blog follower to enter. Please state if you follow by email, WordPress or RSS feed.
  • If you’re a Twitter follower , if you like my page on Facebook or if you tweet about the giveawau, this will grant you an extra entry. Mention it below.
  • Entrants must be at least 13 years of age.
  • This giveaway is open Internationally.
  • The winner will be chosen randomly, notified by email and will have 72 hours to reply or a new winner will be chosen.
  • I am not responsible for items lost in the mail.
  • I hold the right to end the giveaway before its original deadline without any prior notice.
  • I hold the right to disqualify any entry as I see fit.
  • Privacy information: no information given for this giveaway will be used for other purpose than this giveaway. All information provided (names, emails and mail addresses) will be deleted after the giveaway.

Good luck and feel free to leave me a comment below…

The Beautiful Blogger Award

In a recent post, the wonderful Sydney Aaliyah has passed on to me the Beautiful Blogger Award. How amazing is that?! I am truly honoured and I cannot thank Sydney enough for the award and her kind words about my blog. Sydney is a versatile blogger and a would-be-published writer from Texas who lives in China.  Do visit her blog here and read about tattoos, movies, books, writing and music.

Here are the rules about this award:

–          thank the person who nominated you and add their link.

–          accept the award by showing the image of the Beautiful Blogger Award on your blog.

–           choose 7 blogs for nomination and write something about each blog.

–           let all 7 of the blogs know about their nomination.

So I have thanked Sydney, now on to the 7 blogs that deserve recognition:

1)      Fabulous Realms: on this blog Ash Silverlock “celebrates worlds of fantasy, folklore, myth and legend from every era and every corner of the world.” A wonderful read.

2)      Shall Write: a great book blog with sharp reviews. It deserves more followers!

3)     Once Upon A Time: a British book blog with a primary focus on fantasy. Look no further for great advice on what to read in the fantasy genre.

4)   The Flutterby Room : another British blogger, with a focus on Young Adult literature. Excellent reviews. Plus I love the simplicity and readability of this blog.

5)    My Random Muse: a fellow would-be-published writer who blogs about her writing and reading. I love her Friday Frivolity feature!

6)     Seeking The Write Life:  another would-be-published writer who shares her tips on writing. I love her First 500 Critique Series.

7)     Raewyn Hewitt : a fellow would-be-published novelist who writes epic fantasy. Her blog is full of writing wisdom. Also she lives in New Zealand, which is very cool.

I strongly recommend you stop by those blogs and even follow them!

« Clear Your Shelf » Giveaway Hop (over)

Welcome to my « Clear Your Shelf » Giveaway! It is hosted by Kathy @ I am a reader, not a writer and it runs from Friday, June 15th to Wednesday, June 20th 2012.

Here you can win ONE of the five following books:

Young Adult books:

Catching Fire (The Hunger Games #2) by Suzanne Collins (UK edition)

Mockingjay (The Hunger Games #3) by Suzanne Collins (UK edition)

I am Number Four by Pittacus Lore (UK edition)

Darker Still by Leanna Renee Hieber (US edition)

Adult fiction:

Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire (UK edition)

All books are paperbacks  in perfect condition.

Giveaway information:

  • The giveaway is open until Wednesday 20th June at midnight (BST time)
  • To enter please fill in the contact form below with your name, email and the book you wish to win. Please state if you’re a blog follower (by email or RSS feed) or a Twitter follower or if you like my page on Facebook, as this will grant you an extra entry.
  • Entrants must be  at least 13 years of age.
  • This giveaway is open Internationally.
  • The 5 winners will be notified by email and will have 72 hours to reply or a new winner will be chosen.
  • For official giveaway rules and guidelines please consult the I am a readre not a writer page.
  • Privacy information: no information given for this giveaway will be used for other purpose than this giveaway. All information provided (names, emails and mail addresses) will be deleted after the giveaway.

*Giveaway is now closed*

Thanks for entering my giveaway and good luck! Feel free to leave a comment…

Visit the other giveaways here.

Dystopian Survival Week Hop – Day 2

 Welcome to the Dystopian Survival Week Hop – Day 2 !

This Hop is hosted by Kristen @ Seeing Night Reviews and Ali’s @ Ali’s Bookshelf. It started yesterday, Monday, April 23th and it runs through Friday, April 27st.

There are 9 participating blogs and I strongly suggest you visit each of them because we all give you the opportunity to win awesome Dystopian books if you’re willing to take part in our challenges.

My challenge/giveaway is open internationally. It is open until Friday, 27th April at midnight (EST).

*Challenge/Giveaway is now closed. Thanks to all who participated!*

My challenge: Guess that Quote from Dystopian Novels

Here are four quotes from (very) famous dystopian novels. You have to guess/research which book each quote is from and send me your answers via the contact form below.

Quote #1: “Big Brother is Watching You.”
Quote #2: “I held you in my hands, Wanderer, and you were beautiful.”
Quote #3: “I feel like someone breathed new air into my lungs. I am not Abnegation. I am not Dauntless. I am Divergent.”
Quote #4: “Katniss, the girl who was on fire!”
In the contact form below, you only need to fill in your name and email, and list in the core of the message your four answers. For example:

1-    Title of Book #1

2-    Title of Book #2

3-    Title of Book #3

4-    Title of Book #4

 

If your four answers are correct, your will have a chance to win…

The prize: “The Knife of Never Letting Go” Giveaway

“The Knife of Never Letting Go”, by UK-based author Patrick Ness, is a YA Dystopian novel. Published in 2008, it is the first installment in the Chaos Walking Trilogy. It has won numerous awards, including the Booktrust Teenage Prize, the Guardian Award, and the 2008 James Tiptree, Jr. Award. It was also shortlisted for the 2009 Carnegie Medal and longlisted for the 2009 Manchester Book Award. It is a great book that you should definitely read, so why not win it?

Enter the challenge now!

Done entering my challenge? Check out the other participating blogs:

April 24

 (YA Book) – Government System in Dystopian Novels (Giving away Various Dystopian Novels)

April 25th

Ali’s Bookshelf – Would you make it through the Maze Challenge (Giving away The Maze Runner)

Pretty Deadly Reviews) – Hunger Games Theme (Giving away Hunger Games + Swag)

April 26th

Breath of Life Book Reviews) – Article 5 Theme (Giving away Article 5 + Post Card)
Book Lovin Mamas – Surviving the Caves Challenge (Giving away The Host)

April 27th

(One Book Per Week) – Woman/Girls in Dystopian Novel Theme ( Giveaway Blood Red Road)

Sharon Loves Books and Cats – The Hunt Challenge (Giveaway The Hunt)

Seeing Night Reviews – Closing Announcements (Giving away Insurgent)

TGIF – 3

TGIF is hosted by Ginger at GReads! Each Friday, she asks a question for anyone to answer.

This Friday’s Question is:

Book Blogger Influences: Has there been a particular book blogger who’s influenced what you read? Share with us a review/book blog that convinced you to pick up a certain book.

Without hesitation, Kristi from The Story Siren.

Kristi is amazing when it comes to making you want to buy/read YA books. I haven’t always agreed with her reviews, but her blog possibly mentions every YA book published in the last four years and as such it’s a great source of information on YA books trends and the YA book market. She has created the meme In My Mailbox and she posts almost everyday.

  What are you waiting for to check her blog out?