All About Young Adult Reader Appreciation Week!

It goes without saying that authors adore readers. Not just because they drive our book sales but because they inspire us in so many ways. Whether it’s great book discussions on twitter or awe-inspiring, witty book reviews on blogs, readers let authors know that all those countless, caffeine fueled hours of staring at a blinking cursor were not in vain. They challenge us to make our work better with every retweet and Facebook like.  Readers are truly an inspiration, and it’s about time we appreciate them.
That’s right! Next week is all about you, the readers. And while we're busy giving away tons of fantastic prizes both on twitter and our blog hop, we'll be introducing you to some of our favorite characters and novels. But let’s get to the good stuff first…the prizes.
What and How You Can Win:
There are two ways to win prizes during our YA Reader Appreciation Week. All week make sure to follow the Reader Appreciation authors on twitter because they'll be giving away a ton of swag. Not only will you get exclusive content from their latest works, but by hitting follow on twitter, you could win a ton of free books and book-related awesomeness.
Check out the Twitter loot:
Tiffany Truitt (@tiffanytruitt) – ebook of The Language of Silence
Shannon Alexander (@shanlalexander) - 4 Teal Toes prize packs (teal polish & teal nail kit in a teal burlap bag) and 1 Ugly Cry Reader Survival kit (tissues & Amazon gift card)
Danielle Graham (@drgrahambooks) - 1 eCopy of Psi Another Day by D.R. Rosensteel, One eCopy of Will The Real Abi Saunders Please Stand Up by Sara Hantz, 1 Audio copy of NEVER ENOUGH by Denise Jaden, 1 eCopy of HIT THAT AND YOU’RE DEAD by D.R. Graham
But the fun won’t just be going on in the twitterverse. Each day of the hop, you can enter to win a HUGE, HUGE prize pack of awesomeness. How? Just follow the hop and...
Enter the Rafflecopter for these Prizes:
Ebook of The Language of Silence by Tiffany Truitt
Ebooks of Colors Like Memory and The Chemistry of Fate by Meradeth Houston
Ebooks of Model Position and Private Internship by Catherine Stine writing as Kitsy Clare
Ebook of Love and Other Unknown Variables and a handmade math book magnet by Shannon Alexander
1 digital copy of Psi Another Day by D.R. Rosensteel, 
One digital copy of Will The Real Abi Saunders Please Stand Up by Sara Hantz, 
1 Audio Copy of NEVER ENOUGH by Denise Jaden, 
1 Digital copy of HIT THAT AND YOU’RE DEAD by D.R. Graham
Ebooks of The Vulcan Legacies Series by Sasha Hibbs
Swag bag of “Talismans for the Journey" inspired by the novel HOW TO DROP A CLASS & FALL IN LOVE by Lisa Brown Roberts
Now to the hop. Each day the authors below will be talking all things YA and NA. And having fun doing it.

Monday (9/22) is Man Crush Monday.  Meet leading males of YA (& NA's) hottest new novels.
Catherine Stine hosts Kate Jarvik Birch
Sasha Hibbs hosts Shannon Lee Alexander
Meradeth Houston hosts Sasha Hibbs
Lisa Brown Roberts hosts D.R. Graham
Kate Jarvik Birch hosts Tiffany Truitt
Shannon Lee Alexander hosts Catherine Stine
D. R. Graham hosts Meradeth Houston
Tiffany Truitt hosts Lisa Brown Roberts

Tuesday (9/23) is Transformation Tuesday. Find out how your favorite novels went from ideas to published works.
Catherine Stine hosts Meradeth Houston
Sasha Hibbs hosts Lisa Brown Roberts
Meradeth Houston hosts Kate Jarvik Birch
Lisa Brown Roberts hosts Shannon Lee Alexander
Kate Jarvik Birch hosts Tiffany Truitt
Shannon Lee Alexander hosts D.R. Graham
D. R. Graham hosts Catherine Stine
Tiffany Truitt hosts Sasha Hibbs

Wednesday (9/24) is Woman Crush Wednesday. Meet the leading ladies of hot new novels.
Catherine Stine hosts Tiffany Truitt
Sasha Hibbs hosts Catherine Stine
Meradeth Houston hosts Sasha Hibbs
Lisa Brown Roberts Meradeth Houston
Kate Jarvik Birch hosts Lisa Brown Roberts
Shannon Lee Alexander hosts Katie Jarvik Birch
D. R. Graham hosts Shannon Lee Alexander
Tiffany Truitt hosts D.R. Graham

Thursday (9/25) is Transformation Thursday. Find out more about the lives of some cool authors.
Catherine Stine hosts Lisa Brown Roberts
Sasha Hibbs hosts D. R. Graham
Meradeth Houston hosts Tiffany Truitt
Lisa Brown Roberts Catherine Stine
Kate Jarvik Birch hosts Sasha Hibbs
Shannon Lee Alexander hosts Meradeth Houston
D. R. Graham hosts Katie Jarvik Birch
Tiffany Truitt hosts Shannon Lee Alexander

Friday (9/26) is First Look Friday. Get sneak peeks and exclusive content from our authors.
Catherine Stine hosts Shannon Lee Alexander
Sasha Hibbs hosts Meradeth Houston
Meradeth Houston hosts D. R. Graham
Lisa Brown Roberts hosts Tiffany Truitt
Kate Jarvik Birch hosts Catherine Stine
Shannon Lee Alexander hosts Sasha Hibbs
D. R. Graham hosts Lisa Brown Roberts
Tiffany Truitt hosts Katie Jarvik Birch

We hope you're as excited as we are to celebrate some YA and NA Readers! Help spread the word and check back on 9/22 for the start of the bloghop and tons of chances to win great loot! But WAIT…you can enter the giveaway today by following our authors and helping to spread the word. Click on the Rafflecopter below to find out more!

code: a Rafflecopter giveaway

I join Untethered Realms, Prizewinners & Most Popular Fantasy Hybrids

My fun and exciting news is that I joined the crew over at Untethered Realms! We're all speculative authors--some writing horror, others writing sci-fi, still others writing interesting blends of horror and paranormal. I've been wanting to join forces with a group of like-minded authors, but I thought it'd be wise to wait until it seemed really right, organic. I feel this way about our group. We blog about all things speculative, and I encourage you to follow the blog for news, writing tips, short fiction and much, much more. For instance, see what happens when a bunch of writers with big imaginations riff on the word awesomesauce.

Next, I have PRIZEWINNERS from the Ruby's Fire Tour! They are listed below in the completed Rafflecopter. Thanks to all who entered and signed on to my new newsletter, and author page. Congrats to all of the winners! If you missed the tour, click here to read guest posts and excerpts.

Finally, the question I asked in the Rafflecopter game was: What is your favorite fantasy hybrid invention? I created the following choices. Here they are, from most to least popular:
1st place: Smart Food that makes entire novels embed in your brain (By FAR the top choice!!!)
2nd place: Chocolate veggies
3rd place: Winged Men
4th place: Amphibious dolphin people
5th place: Embedded makeup

What have you been up to, and which hybrid is your fave?
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Memorable lines from novels-what's yours? And last week of Ruby Tour!

After you finish reading a novel, there are inevitably lines that keep on playing in your head. It's always fascinating to find out which lines people like best. Ruby's Fire is in its last week of touring with the fabulous Giselle of Xpresso Tours, and I'm really enjoying finding out what parts of Ruby the bloggers and readers find memorable. Here are a few:

Words Create Scenes favorite quotes:
"You start with the tools you have at hand, but you don't have to end up using those same tools."

"The sky drifts to that magic place where violet and orange blend in candy swirls over the horizon."

YA's the Word's favorite quote:

"It feels wrong to lean on Armonk right now with Blane staring at me, a hungry, lonely look in his eye. It’s as if he’s never been hugged, never been fed, never been loved.”

Lucinda from Goodreads's fave line:
"It makes sense that I ended up with the one who was a brute, yet blossomed into a sensitive, smart man. After all, I started as a drug-addled tease, whose method of connection was manipulation and seduction."

Lines that I like:
"I hate to admit that the flex and release of Blane’s substantial shoulders under his burn suit is mesmerizing me. So much so, that when he stops in mid-step I hurtle right into him."

"Thorn’s answer is a wide grin that spreads over his serious face, reflecting the crimson brilliance of the miraculous creature called Red."

"My arm is smarting. I turn it over gingerly to survey the damage, and gasp. It’s not bleeding red—rather some thin, greenish liquid. My insides freeze. “Armonk, I need to find that doctor now.”"

Do you have a favorite line from your novels? Or one from someone else's that keeps playing in your head? Tell us what it is!

Here is the lineup of stops in this last week of the Ruby's Fire tour. Links go live on the day of:

August 12th

Words Create Scenes >> Review

August 13th

Bookmarks, Spoilers and Happily Ever After >> Excerpt/Special Sneak Peek

Starbucks & Books Obsession >> Review

August 14th

-Fae Books >> Guest Post

-Read Books and Live Green >>  Review

August 15th

-Mousehead&tales >> Review

August 16th

-Marked By Books >> Excerpt/Special Sneak Peek

-Brooke Blogs >> Review

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Ruby's Fire Tour Kicks Off, July 29-Aug 16, mega prizes, including a Kindle!

The Ruby's Fire tour, sponsored by the fabulous Giselle at Xpresso Book Tours starts today and runs from July 29 through August 16! It's packed with reviews, juicy excerpts, posts on how to find and keep inspiration going, love triangles (Team Blane or Team Armonk), and interviews. Of course, we have epic prizes, including the grand prize: a Kindle with built-in WiFi and a USB charger tossed in as icing on the cake. Other prizes include a signed poster of Catherine's illustration of the flying Reds from Ruby's

Thorn's flying Reds,
from Ruby's Fire by Catherine Stine

Fire, and loads of free books and ebooks. Check to see which prizes are US/Can and which are INTL. So, without further ado, here's the lineup. Links will go live as the bloggers post. Enjoy hopping around and sampling, and do leave comments! We love getting feedback.

July 29th
YA’s the Word >>  Review
Lazy Day>> Excerpt
Christine’s Blog >> Review

July 30th
Jessabella Reads >> Interview
Escaping… One Book@ a Time  >> Excerpt/Special Sneak Peek: Ruby's Three Big Problems!
Comfort Books>>Review

July 31st
Simply Infatuated >> Interview
M. Pax >> Review
Seeing Night Reviews >>  Review

August 1st
The Indigo Quill >> Interview
Hopelessly Devoted Bibliophile >> Guest Post: How do You Create Your Characters?

August 2nd
Share My Destiny >> Excerpt/Special Sneak Peek
Nazish Reads >> Excerpt/Special Sneak Peek

August 5th
JeanBookNerd >>  Guest Post: Fiction that Inspired You and its Effect on Ruby's Fire

August 6th
Whimsically Yours >> Interview

August 7th
Feed Your Fiction Addiction >> Review
alwaysjoart >>  Excerpt/Special Sneak Peek

August 8th
Donna Galanti >>  Post: Extreme Beauty-Pleasure, Power, Peril

August 9th
FlutterealFlight >>  Review
Rally the Readers >> Review of Ruby's Fire & bonus review of Fireseed One

August 12th
Words Create Scenes >> Review

August 13th
Bookmarks, Spoilers and Happily Ever After >> Excerpt/Special Sneak Peek
Starbucks & Books Obsession >> Review

August 14th
Fae Books >> Guest Post: What Inspires You to Write?
Read Books and Live Green >>  Review

August 15th
Mousehead&tales >> Review

August 16th
Marked By Books >> Sneak Peeks & BONUS mini-review!
Brooke Blogs >> Review

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Winners, winners, WINNERS!

Ruby's launch party might be over but the announcement of the prize winners has just begun!

Robyn K won the $40 Amazon card

Ariel S won the illustrated book illustration

Jennifer C won a signed copy of Ruby's Fire

Jess H won ebooks of Ruby's Fire & Fireseed One

Jak C won an ebook or paperback of Ruby’s Fire

And now, the winner(s) of the most creative guess as to what that Red flying critter is..... drum roll please... ta dum!

A detail of the Reds by Catherine Stine

Maureen won for her creative guess that the Red is Ruby's hallucination (not necessarily correct).
Debbie also won for her equally creative guess that the red critter is a manifestation of Ruby's inner desires (also not necessarily correct) Curious now? You'll have to read Ruby's Fire to really find out what that thing is!).

Thank you all for Liking my new author page, and subscribing to my shiny, new newsletter. Or if you haven't yet, here's the link.

For anyone who won copies of Ruby, a review is certainly appreciated if you're inspired to. I'll give you virtual hugs and chocolate.
Also, stand by for the Apocalypse Blogfest coming up from July 13-20, where I'll be running another Rafflecopter that includes a bunch of bad*ss apocalyptic novels, including a signed copy of Rot and Ruin by Jonathan Maberry!

What hijinx have you all been up to during July?

Day Two of Ruby's Fire launch, win great swag & meet Ruby!

Ruby's Fire is out! To celebrate, we're having an epic Ruby launch celebration! We've got cool Rafflecopter prizes, and fun quizzes on blogs. Thanks to all of you amazing bloggers who are hosting features, and thanks in advance to anyone who buys, reads and reviews Ruby, and walks with her on her perilous journey. Props to all who tweet and RT about the book.
After all, readers make the world go around.

Where to find Ruby:

illustrated paperback, Kindle ebook, Nook ebook

Tuesday, June 25th revelers: The Warrior Muse, From the Writer's Nest, Amy Kathleen Ryan, Share my Destiny, Teen Blurb, Kordugum Hayalle & Yorum Duragim (two Turkish blogs, who would've thought?!)
About the novel:
“Seventeen year-old Ruby and her little brother Thorn, have only known a life blighted by the extremist Fireseed Cult. The night Ruby is set to be claimed by one of its cruelest and oldest leaders, she makes a bid for freedom. With Thorn in tow, she stumbles into the world beyond, and finds an opportunity for a fresh start in Skull’s Wrath under the guidance of Nevada Pilgrim, a woman who may not be all she seems. Ruby's new life could bring her friendship, love, even fortune, but nothing comes without a price. Is Ruby's talent for elixirs keeping the roof over their heads, or do some of her associates have a more sinister and lucrative interest in them? Life outside a strange cult isn't without its dangers, and the experience leaves Ruby transformed and communing with the Fireseed more closely than she ever would have imagined. Stine delivers a thrilling adventure led by an exciting cast of characters, and the romance is really well handled.”   -YA’s The Word

Here are Monday's revelers: Meradeth Houston's blog, Laurel's Leaves, M Pax, The Write Game, The Story of a Writer, Books for YA.

Before you hop off, please copy a tweet to tell friends about Ruby! Catherine will give you a big, grateful virtual hug.

YA future thriller, Ruby’s Fire is out! Come on her perilous journey. http://tinyurl.com/l6y6qem  #YA #kindle #hotread #romance #beachread


She escaped a dangerous cult, but why is Ruby’s blood turning green? http://tinyurl.com/l6y6qem #hotreads #beachreads #YAscifi #lovetriangle

Ruby's Fire, love triangle, escape from cult, bad drugs, mutations. http://tinyurl.com/l6y6qem
 #pageturner #YAscifi #kindle #newreads #romance

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