TRANSFER STUDENT BLOG TOUR

TRANSFER STUDENT is the latest novel from Laura A. H. Elliott and will release on Amazon and Barnes and Noble March 20th. Here’s a little bit about the novel and an excerpt written from Ashley’s POV about her obsession with Rhoe’s best friend Yuke. Be sure to read to the end to enter to win the EBOOK GIVEAWAY and this week’s SWAG! And, y'all, Laura has picked out some pretty cool swag!

Two Worlds––Two Teens––One Wish

Geek Rhoe and Surfer Ashley would never be friends.    Even if they lived on the same planet.   But, they’ll become so much more.   They’ll transfer.

Earthling Ashley’s world revolves around winning daily popularity contests at Beverly Hills High School and surfing competitions with sweet scholarship prizes that will finally help her break free of her control-freak mother. Ashley never loses. Ashley never wishes on stars. But that changes when her senior class takes a field trip to the Griffith Observatory where Ashley’s conflicting feelings about her predatory best frenemy Tiffany, throws Ashley’s carefully-crafted Queen of B.H.H.S. title under the bus.

Meanwhile on planet Retha, Rhoe misses his dad, loves his mom’s home-cooked Glechy crag with a side of Ory sauce, is desperate to heal his sick brother and wants more than anything to win The Retha New Invention Competition. He and his best friend Yuke have worked for the past two years constructing the teleporting telescope Rhoe started building with his dad before an accident killed him. Rhoe’s never kissed a girl. Rhoe’s hero is the eccentric physicist, Ramay. But that changes when the telescope teleports Rhoe across the universe with an unintended side-effect. Ashley and Rhoe transfer––swap lives––when they make the same wish at the same time.

Popular-surfer-turned-boy-geek alien Ashley must handle life on Retha as Rhoe complete with webbed feet, low-gravity, an obsession with Yuke, all the while being hunted by Rethan spies and resenting her hairy, flat chest. Boy-geek-turned-popular-surfer Rhoe must fit in at Beverly Hills High School as Ashley, compete in The Laguna Beach Invitational without becoming shark food, dodge boys’ affections, cool his preoccupation with Tiffany’s lips and his new body, on his quest to find the healing rocks he believes will save his brother’s life.
If only it were that simple. Some wishes can’t come true. Some have to. How far would you go for someone you love?

Excerpt:

Yuke catches up to me. We walk side-by-side in silence through the Golden Meadow. The airboard launch, a sort of gigantic upside-down slide, peeks over a row of Truffula Trees.

           “Listen, there are three things you have to remember about soaring. You’ll never soar if your mind is on the ground. Put it up on The Ridge,” Yuke says, pointing to a purple-blue mountain ahead of us. “Rhoe taught me that.”
         The way he says Rhoe I know it’s happened. He knows. He really knows I’m not Rhoe, I’m…Ashley. It’s sunk in. Finally. I stop walking and can hardly breathe. It’s the first time he’s ever seen the real me, and his gaze warms me down to my frog-feet. Yuke spots the question in my eyes.
         “The Ridge of No Return,” he says with a small smile, “It’s the prime place to catch air. But beware The Devil’s Grip. Soar too high and you’ll be caught in The Grip and lost to The Other Side. Forever.”
         He misreads the question in my eyes. Again. I shiver thinking about The Grip and dying in the mythic ice and snow of The Other Side. I stare at my hideous frog-feet, my peds. I don’t care about The Ridge. There’s only one person I care about. One boy I’ll never have. Yuke.
         “What else?” I ask, peering deeper into Yuke’s alien eyes.
         “You’ve got to feel the beat of the wind in your peds. Surrender to the air. And know, deep in your hearts, no one is its master.”
         I hear and don’t hear every word Yuke says. For the first time in my life I can’t speak. I can’t take my eyes off Yuke, now that he knows I’m not Rhoe. He wouldn’t be telling his best friend, an Astral, how to airboard unless he knows I’m Ashley, someone who doesn’t know much about soaring.
         “Your catchers will always stop you if you fall,” Yuke says, filling the silence between us. He raises his arms above his head. Delicate wings expand out from under his arms. Thin pinkish-purple skin stretches over delicate, long bones. No feathers at all. Just smooth, glimmering skin. And it’s crazy. A week ago I wouldn’t even look twice at a guy with a big nose, but now, I’m hot for an alien. With wings. He’s that hot.
         I have to touch him. It’s beyond wanting to. The way Yuke spreads his wings makes his pecs flare and his biceps seize. He’s beyond gorgeous. The way his sheer wings take to the breeze makes Yuke more unreal than he already is to me. He’s everything I never wanted and everything I can’t live without. It feels like we’re the only souls in the universe. The look in his golden exotic eyes melts my ability to stay away from him.
         “You can’t be real,” I say taking a few steps closer to him, holding my hand out to touch his wing. Waiting for him to let me. To know it’s OK. He flexes and lets his head fall back a little inviting my touch. I lay my alien fingers on his smooth taught skin, and run them over his wing’s thin hollow bones. My eyes fill with tears. His wings flutter in a breeze. He’s beautiful.
         Yuke sticks his chest out and when he drops his arms his catchers vanish back into his biceps. “I can’t let you soar. Not now,” he says, the crowd cheers just beyond the trees.
         Only then do I remember where we are. What we’re here to do. A band begins to play a set of songs. The crowd beyond the row of trees cheers again and again.
         “I have to. I’m doing this for Rhoe,” I say.
         Yuke puts his hand on my shoulder. I shudder.
         “And for me,” I say.
         Yuke’s golden eyes focus only on mine, on the Earthling inside of this alien body.
         “And for you,” I say, feeling the beat of my hearts in my throat. “We’re going to win this damn thing.”

Sounds cool, right? Well here's the rest and if you've read this far you get a cookie! Now keep reading for the giveaway! 

At every stop on the tour, a TRANSFER STUDENT ebook will be given away! That’s 21 ebooks! You’ll receive your copy on ST. PATTY’S DAY, 3 days before the official release, because how fun would it be to read an alien romance/adventure while drinking green beer?  To enter follow @Laurawriting and tweet: Can’t wait to read Transfer Student by @Laurawriting Check out the Blog Tour & Giveaway! #teenreads #scifi #romance #yahttp://wp.me/P1J9jx-bs  THEN leave a comment below with the link where you tweeted! ALSO, by commenting you can win SWEEEEEET swag from Laura: Every week all those who leave comments are entered to win some great swag too! THIS WEEK’S SWAG: GROOVY NASA TRAVEL MUGS, real meteorite fragments, signed bookmarks, Griffith Park Observatory pen & postcards, Apollo 40th Anniversary commemorative coin and MORE! Check out the weekly swag here: http://wp.me/P1J9jx-bs

THIS WEEK’S GIVEAWAY OPEN UNTIL MARCH 5! 6PM PST. This week, 1 swag winner will be picked. Open internationally!

About Laura:

Laura loves writing about enchanted road trips, birthday gifts that are out of this world, and alien romance while eating lots of popcorn. She’s the author of Winnemucca, a small-town fairy tale inspired by her life-long love of a little-known town, Avenal, CA, and her equal love of enchanted teenage road trips. 13 on Halloween is the first book in the Teen Halloween Series. 14 on Halloween, book 2 in the Teen Halloween series, will be released in the summer of 2012. Her new release, TRANSFER STUDENT will be available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble March 20th.

To find out where in the world Laura is and more about her upcoming books, visit her blog Laurasmagicday: and friend her on Facebook: If Twitter is your thing she's @Laurawriting (link above) Or, drop her a line at elliwrite [at] yahoo [dot] com.  Laura is a plume-carrying member of THE PARANORMAL PLUME SOCIETY  

You made it to the end!! Have another cookie!

 

Cover Reveal:LUMINOSITY (Luminosity, #1) by Stephanie Thomas (September 11, 2012)

Y'all. I love a good cover reveal and Entangled Publishing is putting out some GREAT ones.  Here is their latest:


"My name is Beatrice. When I was born, I was blessed with the Sight. I was immediately removed from my parents and enrolled in the Institution. At

the age of twelve, I had my first true vision, earning my raven’s wings.
And when I turned seventeen, one of my visions came true. Things haven’t
been the same since.

The Institution depends on me to keep the City safe from our enemy, the
Dreamcatchers, but I’m finding it harder to do while keeping a secret from
everyone, including my best friend Gabe. It is a secret that could put us
all in danger. A secret that could kill me and everyone close to me.

But the enemy has been coming to me in my dreams, and I think I’m falling
in love with him. He says they’re coming. He says they’re angry. And I
think I’ve already helped them win."

Paperback Available for Pre-Order from Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Luminosity-Stephanie-Thomas/dp/1620611279/ref=lh_ni_t

Add to your Goodreads TBR:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13425149-luminosity

YA Indie Carnival: Name that tune!

Time for another ride around the carnival! And what's a carnival without music? First, the question must be answered do I even listen to music when I write.  Being the complicated individual I am, this is a complicated answer. So here goes, i do my best story "thinking" in silence.  That means when doing housework, driving with the radio off, or right before falling asleep, I'll think about the characters, the plot, etc...No writing of scenes because I don't usually have a computer handy.  This is just a time for me to get to know my people and my story better. When it comes to the actual writing, I can only say what I've done for the WIP.  And OH. MY.WORD.  This darn thing would not have been written without:

What?!?! You don't know about the amazingness that is Spotify?!  Click on the button and go get it! It's itunes and Pandora rolled into one (plus plays all your itunes stuff) and is awesome.  Through it I created two great playlists that I've used for when I #amwriting and #amediting.  You have to have Spotify to open the links and if you don't like Maroon 5--don't bother. Both lists are heavy with those guys. I wouldn't have been able to write my novel written without them.  How about you? Do you like it quiet or do you have to have some other noise going when you work? Or just one band/composer?  Mine is eclectic and constantly changing so check back every once in a while and see what's new!  Also don't forget the other rides (click banner above) and here's the

COVER REVEAL: The Vincent Brothers by Abbi Glines

This is the sequel to The Vincent Boys and will release on June 5th, 2012!   So go get caught up then come back and read the blurb! (Spoilers if you haven't :D)

He may have given her up without a fight, but Sawyer Vincent is far from over losing the girl he’s loved all of his life. Instead of giving up his best friend and the girl he thought he’d spend forever with, he gave Ashton and his brother Beau his blessing. However, adjusting to seeing Ashton wrapped up in Beau’s arms isn’t easy. Complicating everything even more, Ashton’s cousin Lana is in town for the summer. Sweet, kind, soft-spoken Lana, who gets under his skin. Just being near her makes him forget all about Ashton and his broken heart. Lana is everything he wanted Ashton to be except she isn’t Ashton. She lacks the backbone to stand up for herself and confidence that Ashton wears like a crown. 

Lana McDaniel  has lived her life in her cousin's shadow. While Lana struggled with her grades no matter how hard she tried, her mother praised Ashton's intelligence. She hadn’t been blessed with Ashton’s blond hair and flawless skin, but that didn't keep her mother from lamenting her naturally red hair and freckles. But none of that would have mattered if Ashton hadn’t always had Sawyer Vincent wrapped around her finger -- the only boy Lana wanted. Once Ashton let Sawyer go, Lana had been so sure that he’d move on. Determined to make Sawyer finally see her, she'd talked her mother into letting her spend the summer with Ashton. But Sawyer is still in love with Ashton, and Lana isn’t going to be anyone's rebound girl. No matter how yummy Sawyer Vincent’s kisses taste.

Shadows by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Amazon    Barnes and Noble

Bethany can’t deny the immediate connection between her and Dawson. And even though boys aren't a complication she wants, she can’t stay away from him. Still, whenever they lock eyes, she’s drawn in. Captivated. Lured. Loved. 

Dawson is keeping a secret that will change her existence...and put her life in jeopardy. But even he can’t stop risking everything for one human girl. Or from a fate that is as unavoidable as love itself.

The last thing Dawson Black expected was Bethany Williams. As a Luxen, an alien life form on Earth, human girls are…well, fun. But since the Luxen have to keep their true identities a secret, falling for one would be insane. Dangerous. Tempting. Undeniable. 

Rating:5

First off don't read further if you haven't yet read Obsidian.  While Shadows is a prequel and I'm normally all for reading the prequels first, this time--NO!! To fully appreciate Shadows and the characters in it, you must read Obsidian.  Now that you have been warned, feel free to continue to read--or exit right now and go purchase Obsidian.

Here we go.  Shadows takes place the semester before Obsidian begins.  While Daemon and Dee both make appearances, Dawson is the triplet that this story focuses on.  Y'all.  While Daemon is the jerk we love to well... love, Dawson is a charmer--a gentleman, and all around likable from the beginning.  He is thoughtful and caring, but also determined and protective.  Bethany is quirky, and gutsy and funny.  She isn't as aggressive as Katy is but she's also not a pushover either.  She handles Dawson's "revealing" of who he is absolutely beautifully!  Bethany is also bold in her attempts to make their relationship as normal as possible with Dawson's peeps and you can't help but admire her for that.   As a reader, you are definitely more sympathetic towards the plight of their struggle to be together.

Along with the BIG THREE (that would be the Black Triplets) making their appearance, the Thompson trips also are around for this one. Let me tell you, I like Andrew and Ash even less in this one (and let out an audible cheer at one particular scene with Dawson & Andrew), and am even more curious about Adam and would LOVE to see a Adam/Dee novella. *Hopes JLA and super-editor Liz see this and confirm or deny*  Seriously.  You'll want one too.  That's how cool Adam is in this one.

Having read Obsidian, I knew how this story had to end but that didn't mean I was really ready for it.  My gut was all twisted in knots as the scene with Bethany and Dawson played out thinking surely this couldn't be happening.  When the DOD showed up at the Black house to tell the news to Dee and Daemon...  Oh. My.   The scene between Dee and Daemon is heartbreaking, though superbly written.   I can neither confirm nor deny the presence of tears while reading it.  You will understand so much more of why Daemon acts the way he does in Obsidian and sympathize with him even more.

Shadows was a delicious read with dashing, compelling characters; and a beautiful but tragic love-story  that has me waiting with hope, and bated breath for ONYX.