Waiting on Wednesday #92: Monstrous by MarcyKate Connolly

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature created by Jill at Breaking the Spine. This is where you showcase an upcoming release you're anxiously awaiting!

This week, I'm waiting on:

Monstrous by MarcyKate Connolly.

Expected Publication: February 10, 2015.
by: HarperCollins Children's Books.

Goodreads Synopsis:

The city of Bryre suffers under the magic of an evil wizard. Because of his curse, girls sicken and disappear without a trace, and Bryre’s inhabitants live in fear. No one is allowed outside after dark.

Yet night is the only time that Kymera can enter this dangerous city, for she must not be seen by humans. Her father says they would not understand her wings, the bolts in her neck, or her spiky tail—they would kill her. They would not understand that she was created for a purpose: to rescue the girls of Bryre.

Despite her caution, a boy named Ren sees Kym and begins to leave a perfect red rose for her every evening. As they become friends, Kym learns that Ren knows about the missing girls, the wizard, and the evil magic that haunts Bryre. 

And what he knows will change Kym’s life. 

Reminiscent of Frankenstein and the tales of the Brothers Grimm, this debut novel by MarcyKate Connolly stands out as a compelling, original story that has the feel of a classic.

Why I'm excited:
The synopsis had me totally hooked from the moment I first read it, but then I saw that perfect cover and I knew all over again that I need this book. I am so, so excited to meet Kymera and see how MarcyKate Connolly pulls from the old tales for this very unique-sounding story.

What are you waiting on this week?

Waiting on Wednesday #91: Written in the Stars by Aisha Saeed

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature created by Jill at Breaking the Spine. This is where you showcase an upcoming release you're anxiously awaiting!

This week, I'm waiting on:

Written in the Stars by Aisha Saeed.

Expected Publication: March 24, 2015.
by: Nancy Paulsen Books.

Goodreads Synopsis:

This heart-wrenching novel explores what it is like to be thrust into an unwanted marriage. Has Naila’s fate been written in the stars? Or can she still make her own destiny?

Naila’s conservative immigrant parents have always said the same thing: She may choose what to study, how to wear her hair, and what to be when she grows up—but they will choose her husband. Following their cultural tradition, they will plan an arranged marriage for her. And until then, dating—even friendship with a boy—is forbidden. When Naila breaks their rule by falling in love with Saif, her parents are livid. Convinced she has forgotten who she truly is, they travel to Pakistan to visit relatives and explore their roots. But Naila’s vacation turns into a nightmare when she learns that plans have changed—her parents have found her a husband and they want her to marry him, now! Despite her greatest efforts, Naila is aghast to find herself cut off from everything and everyone she once knew. Her only hope of escape is Saif . . . if he can find her before it’s too late.

Why I'm excited:
A diverse story about a girl at odds with her parents over who she should be allowed to marry? If this is done well, this could be a wonderful story and a fantastic addition to not only the much needed group of diverse YA but also to great YA literature in general! Really excited to read it for myself and to hear feedback from others as well.

What are you waiting on this week?

Giveaway: Famous In Love by Rebecca Serle

I'm very excited to be able to offer up a copy of Famous in Love by Rebecca Serle!

Famous in Love by Rebecca Serle.

Published: October 21, 2014.
Published by: Poppy.

Goodreads Synopsis:

The romantic story of a girl who gets plucked from obscurity to star in the next major feature film franchise based on a book and the ensuing love triangles she gets entangled in on—-and off screen.

Meet Paige Townsen, Rainer Devon, and Jordan Wilder…

When Paige Townsen, a young unknown, gets cast in the movie adaptation of a blockbuster book series, her life changes practically overnight. Within a month, Paige has traded the quiet streets of her hometown for a crowded movie set on the shores of Maui, and is spending quality time with her co-star Rainer Devon, one of People’s Sexiest Men Alive. But when troubled star Jordan Wilder lands the role of the other point in the movie’s famous love triangle, Paige’s crazy new life gets even crazier.

In this coming-of-age romance inspired by the kind of celeb hookups that get clever nicknames and a million page views, Paige must figure out who she is – and who she wants – while the whole world watches.

I've heard some really great things about this one and I'm excited to get the chance to read it! But for my American friends, here's your chance to get your hands on a copy! (Yes, US only, unfortunately. I'm sorry international friends, but it'd get expensive for Rebecca to send them all out all over the world.)

Enter by leaving a comment about why you want to read Famous in Love or telling me what your favourite novel with celebrities or Hollywood is. Get one bonus entry each for following Rebecca on Twitter (@RebeccaASerle) or adding Famous in Love to your Goodreads TBR (here).

Make sure you leave some way for me to contact you in your comment (email address, twitter handle, etc.) and the info I'd need to confirm your extra entries (i.e. your Twitter handle to confirm twitter entry, Goodreads name or link to your Goodreads profile to confirm TBR add). 

Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on Friday, November 21st, so get your entries in by Friday night!

Some Rules (aka the not so fun but important part):
~ This giveaway is open to residents of the US only (void where prohibited).
~ No P.O. boxes.
~ Must be 13 or older to enter.
~ Winner will be chosen randomly and contacted. The winner has 48 hours to respond, otherwise they forfeit their prize and I will choose another winner, who must abide by the same rules.
~ Rebecca and I are not responsible for lost or damaged packages.
~ No cheating! In this case, I have the right to disqualify entries as I see fit.
~ By entering the giveaway, you are agreeing to these rules.

Good luck!

Waiting on Wednesday #90: The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature created by Jill at Breaking the Spine. This is where you showcase an upcoming release you're anxiously awaiting!

This week, I'm waiting on:

The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows.

Expected Publication: March 10, 2015.
by: Katherine Tegen Books.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Wilhelmina has a hundred identities.

She is a princess. When the Indigo Kingdom conquered her homeland, Wilhelmina and other orphaned children of nobility were taken to Skyvale, the Indigo Kingdom’s capital. Ten years later, they are the Ospreys, experts at stealth and theft. With them, Wilhelmina means to take back her throne.

She is a spy. Wil and her best friend, Melanie, infiltrate Skyvale Palace to study their foes. They assume the identities of nobles from a wraith-fallen kingdom, but enemies fill the palace, and Melanie’s behavior grows suspicious. With Osprey missions becoming increasingly dangerous and their leader more unstable, Wil can’t trust anyone.

She is a threat. Wraith is the toxic by-product of magic, and for a century using magic has been forbidden. Still the wraith pours across the continent, reshaping the land and animals into fresh horrors. Soon it will reach the Indigo Kingdom. Wilhelmina’s magic might be the key to stopping the wraith, but if the vigilante Black Knife discovers Wil’s magic, she will vanish like all the others

Jodi Meadows introduces a vivid new fantasy full of intrigue, romance, dangerous magic, and one girl’s battle to reclaim her place in the world.

Why I'm excited:
Lots and lots of fantasy lately, eh? To say I'm looking forward to this burst of upcoming fantasy novels would be an understatement and I have to include Jodi Meadows' new book in the list! Wilhelmina sounds pretty cool and I hope to meet her soon!

What are you waiting on this week?

Waiting on Wednesday #89: An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature created by Jill at Breaking the Spine. This is where you showcase an upcoming release you're anxiously awaiting!

This week, I'm waiting on:

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir.

Expected Publication: April 28, 2015.
by: Razorbill.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Set in a terrifyingly brutal Rome-like world, An Ember in the Ashes is an epic fantasy debut about an orphan fighting for her family and a soldier fighting for his freedom. It’s a story that’s literally burning to be told.

LAIA is a Scholar living under the iron-fisted rule of the Martial Empire. When her brother is arrested for treason, Laia goes undercover as a slave at the empire’s greatest military academy in exchange for assistance from rebel Scholars who claim that they will help to save her brother from execution.

ELIAS is the academy’s finest soldier— and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias is considering deserting the military, but before he can, he’s ordered to participate in a ruthless contest to choose the next Martial emperor.

When Laia and Elias’s paths cross at the academy, they find that their destinies are more intertwined than either could have imagined and that their choices will change the future of the empire itself.

Vow your blood and body to the empire.

Keep your heart for yourself.

Why I'm excited:
Okay, seriously, just go read that synopsis again and there should be absolutely no question as to why I am excited to read this one. It sounds pretty darn perfect. I need it.

What are you waiting on this week?

Cover Reveal: Anne and Henry by Dawn Ius + Giveaway

I'm so excited today to be helping to reveal the cover for Dawn Ius' debut YA novel, ANNE & HENRY, a modern re-imagining of Anne Boleyn and King Henry VIII's tumultuous love.

Let's just get to the cover first, shall we?


...


...


...


...


...

Fun cover, right? And I think it looks like it'll fit well with the story, too, which is always a major plus. Here's a little more about the book (and make sure you check out the giveaway at the end of the post):

ANNE & HENRY

A love worth losing your head over

ANNE

Wild, brazen, mischievous, bewitching

HENRY

Driven, haunted, charming, magnetic

ANNE & HENRY

Apart they are bound to destroy themselves. Together, they are bound to destroy each other.

HENRY TUDOR’S LIFE HAS BEEN mapped out since the day he was born: student president, valedictorian, Harvard Law School, and a stunning political career just like his father’s.

But ever since the death of Henry’s brother—perfect, high-achieving Arthur—his family has been twice as demanding. And now Henry’s trapped: forbidden from pursuing a life as an artist or dating any girl who’s not Tudor-approved.

Then Anne Boleyn crashes into his life.

Anne is wild, brash, and outspoken. She is everything Henry is not allowed to be—or to want. But soon Anne is all he can think about. His mother, his friends, and even his girlfriend warn him away, yet his desire for Anne consumes him. Henry is willing to do anything to be with her. But once he has her, their romance could destroy them both.

Inspired by the true story of Anne Boleyn and King Henry VIII, ANNE & HENRY reimagines the intensity, love, and betrayal between one of the most infamous couples of all time.

To be published by Simon Pulse; coming in 2015!

Add it to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22453734-anne-henry

About the Author:

DAWN IUS is a short-story author, novelist, screenwriter, professional editor, and communications specialist. She is an active member of the International Thriller Writers association, co-founder and senior editor of Vine Leaves Literary Journal, and the author of nine educational graphic novels published by the Alberta Canola Producers Commission. When she’s not slaying fictional monsters, she’s geeking out over fairy tales, Jack Bauer, Halloween, sports cars, and all things that go bump in the night. Dawn lives in Alberta, Canada, with her husband, Jeff, and their giant English Mastiff, Roarke.

Connect with Dawn:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authordawnius

Twitter: @dawnmius 

Blog: www.dawn-ius.blogspot.com 

Email: dawnmius@gmail.com

Giveaway Alert! Dawn and Simon & Schuster are kindly offering an ARC to a lucky US reader! 

The ARCs will likely not be available until January, so know that if you win, your prize will ship when it's ready. All other info is in the T&C of the Rafflecopter. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!