Jennifer L. Armentrout's Blog, page 28
January 22, 2014
White Hot Kiss Signed Copies
I’ve got great news for all of you who’d like to purchase a signed and/or personalized copy of White Hot Kiss!!
White Hot Kiss releases Feb. 25, 2014 and the lovely ladies behind TrinDee Events had created a uber cool event for me in NYC. The only down side is that we had to limit how many people that could attend, but the gals wanted to give EVERYONE a chance to get a signed copy while I’m in New York the week after release.
They have offered to handle the requests for signed copies of White Hot Kiss, both in the U.S. and Internationally!! So if you want a signed and/or personalized copy, you now can get one!!
All you need to do is go HERE and follow the instructions. You have until February 16th, 2014 to place you order.
A big thank you to Trini and Dee for doing this. I’m not sure if everyone realizes the amount of work that goes into doing something like this, plus the stress of making sure it all comes together. Hell, the amount of trips and cargo taken to the post office alone means these girls deserve a huge thank you for continuously offering to do something like this. Just imagine for a second, going to the post office with 300 packages to mail.
So thank you, and make sure you guys thank them when you see them in the social media world.
A couple of things to keep in mind:
All your information can be found on the link provided. All I will be doing is signing the books, so any questions about shipping, process, extra, please follow the instructions on the TrinDee’s page.
Please be careful on how you spell your name on the order form and be aware if your payment information is different from what you want signed on the book. Neither me nor TrinDee will be responsible for mispelled names or info not provided correctly or clearly. When in doubt, contact TrinDee, because we want you to be happy with your signed books
There is no limit to amount of signed copies you can order
This is ONLY for White Hot Kiss. No other books at this time can be ordered and signed. We’re all doing this under limited time constraints, so thank you for being understanding!
I will be signing books around Feb. 28th, so please note that the books will be shipped after that weekend.
Don’t forget that Bitter Sweet Love is currently reduced for a limited time to .99 cents if you haven’t read it and would like to before White Hot Kiss comes out.
Be With Teaser 3 and Giveaway!
We’re getting closer and closer to the release of Be With Me. Are you excited yet? Well, here is what New York Journal of Books had to say about Be With Me
“Be with Me is exactly what readers will expect: a sexy, tense thrill ride with an abundantly satisfying conclusion.” – New York Journal of Books
Be With Me comes out Feb. 4, 2014 in print and digital. Common pre order links below
Don’t forget all those who live in the US or Canada, if you pre order Be With Me, digitally or in print, click on this FORM and follow the instructions, you will receive a special bonus scene of Cam and Avery! The bonus material will be sent to you between 2/4/14 and 2/7/14. And it’s a super sweet bonus scene!
And if you live in the UK, fill out this FORM to receive the bonus content, thanks to HarperCollins UK!!
Now, it’s Be With Me Teaser time!
Heh.
Now the winner of week 2 is Angela LeDonne! Congrats. You have an email waiting for you!
Up for grabs this week is!
Signed copies of Wait for You, US and UK editions, Between the Covers, Be With Me, Frigid, and Trust In Me.
Signed books by Laura Kaye– Hard as It Gets and One Night With A Hero.
Signed Books by Cora Carmack Losing It, Faking It, and Finding It
Signed copy of Amelie Fisher’s Vain
Unsigned copy of M. Leighton’s Everything For Us
PLUS
Turtle bracelet, turtle charm, horse charm, and horse charm
and bookmarks!
Random Theo gif.
January 15, 2014
Be With Me Teaser 2 !
We’re getting close to the release of Be With Me!!!! And we’ve got some super exciting things coming up–exclusive chapter reveals, book trailers, and more!
Be With Me comes out Feb. 4, 2014 in print and digital. Common pre order links below
Now, don’t forget all those who live in the US or Canada, if you pre order Be With Me, digitally or in print, click on this FORM and follow the instructions, you will receive a special bonus scene of Cam and Avery! The bonus material will be sent to you between 2/4/14 and 2/7/14.
The US publisher was super cool to run this promotion and that’s why it’s only available for the US and Canada. Since this was the US publisher’s idea, they can’t do it for other countries as they are not the publishers in those countries. Hopefully the other publishers will do something like that!
I got another Be With Me teaser for you!!
Bow chick-a-bow-wow…
The winner of last week’s giveaway is Lisa Sperry! Congrats. You have been notified via email. Now moving onto this week’s prize.
Ready? REAAAADDDDY?
Be With Me Teaser 2 Prize Pack!
This week’s prize package includes:
Signed copies of Frigid, Be With Me, Wait for You UK and US editions, Trust In Me, Between the Covers
Also signed Ten Tiny Breaths by K.A. Tucker and All The Pretty Lies by M. Leighton
A copy of Beautiful Wedding by Jamie McGuire
PLUS signed bookmarks, a turtle bracelet, turtle charm, horse charm, and a snowflake necklace!
Yes. Guys. Each week the contest gets BIGGER. You know the drill. Contest is international. Winner has 7 days to claim prize, so please use email addresses that you actually use. Author is not responsible for lost prize packages in the mail.
January 13, 2014
Fan Fic Me ALL the Way to 2014 RT Convention
Today is an exciting day! We get to announce the winners from the Fan Fic Me ALL the Way to 2014 RT Convention contest that started all the way back in September 2013.
Sit back down, Sam. First thing I wanted to say is thank you to the judges who participated and took time from their busy schedules to read the submissions—Stacey O’ Neale, Elissa Petruzzi, Kevan Lyon, Laura Kaye, Sophie Jordan, Stacey Morgan, and Cora Carmack.
Narrowing down the submissions to the favorites and then ultimately picking ONLY three and from that three, putting them into first, second, and third place was exceptionally hard. The winners were picked by a reader to ensure no bias in the submission.
I wish all could send everyone who submitted to the contest to RT in New Orleans, because from the submissions I read, all of them were pretty damn good.
Now, if for any reason the 1st Place Winner is unable to attend the RT event, the grand prize defaults to 1st Place Runner Up and then 2nd Place.
Let’s get to the good stuff.
2nd Place Runner Up
Signed books from Cora Carmack, Laura Kaye, Sophie Jordan, me, and a slew more, plus goodies
Stacia Nicole McPherson
The Winning Submission
***
I slammed the phone down, my pulse quickening as adrenaline flooded my veins. The Sentinel confirmed a sighting of Eric in a motel outside of Raleigh. The Daimon who had hurt Alex. I clenched my fists, trying to tame my fury. It could wait. After all, I knew where he was. And nothing was going to stop me from getting to him.
I had my weapons with me so I didn’t need to go back to the school. I flew out the door and almost ran head first into Leon. He towered over me and I stepped back, agitated. His timing sucked.
“How come you’re always around when I least want you here?” I quipped, pulling the door closed behind me and discreetly slipping around him to head for the vehicle.
“Maybe because I always seem to know when you’re going to do something stupid.” Leon shoved himself in front of me, blocking the driver side door. His smirk made me want to drop kick him. I needed to calm the hell down.
“What?” I didn’t want to tell him where I was going. Or why.
“Where you going, Aiden?” Leon crossed his arms, signaling he wouldn’t budge.
“I have a lead on the whereabouts of Eric. The Daimon who was working with Alex’s mother. I’m going there.” I glared at him, hoping he wouldn’t fight me. I knew he was a better fighter than me, and stronger. But I felt I had enough motivation and pure adrenaline to take him down if needed. At least I hoped.
He surprised me by smiling. “Why thank you Aiden, I’d love to come.” He hopped into the driver seat and left me gaping at him. I silently got in the passenger side and eyed him warily as he took off . “Where is he?” Leon raised his eyebrows, not asking why I was doing this or trying to talk me out of it. I could have easily given this job to other Sentinels. But I wanted to be the one to deal with him.
“A motel near Raleigh.”
Leon nodded and turned right. I wanted to explain to him why I was doing this. Confiding in others wasn’t my strong suit though, so I kept my mouth shut. He was helping me and that was all I could ask for. I just hoped he didn’t get in my way when I got a hold of Eric. I exhaled roughly and laid my head back, closing my eyes to fend off my distorted images of Eric. I would make him pay. This was the last thing I thought before I fell asleep.
“Alex!” I yelled, running through the forest. The rain came down steadily, hindering my vision. I raced through the trees, my hair dripping into my eyes, with one singular thought. Alex. I felt as if a piece of me had fractured when I discovered she’d been taken. She hadn’t left my mind since, eating away my sanity with each passing hour.
And then I saw her. She was on the ground, not moving. My heart clenched and I fell beside her, pulling her into my arms. She seemed so small. Fragile. Not like the Alex I knew. The Alex I…loved. “Alex, look at me. Please.” I begged, my breath catching as she caught her own.
She blinked, barely acknowledging me. My eyes traced her injuries. Tags ran over her collarbone and down both of her arms. The fury and despair I felt was overwhelming as I blinked back tears. “It’s going to be okay,” I said helplessly. There was no way she could survive this. No one could survive this. “Everything’s going to be okay,” I said again. But I didn’t believe it.
I shot up in my seat. My head pounded from the memory as I slowly took in my surroundings. I ran a hand through my hair and stopped when I realized it was shaking. “You okay?” Leon asked quietly.
I spared him a brief glance, hoping I hadn’t said anything in my sleep. “Yeah, I’m fine. Sorry I fell asleep.”
Leon shrugged, still eyeing me cautiously. Suddenly, I really hoped I hadn’t spoken in my sleep.
“We’re here.” He nodded towards the run down motel. It almost looked deserted.
“How did you now which motel?”
“I called Mark. I knew you had asked him to look into it. I didn’t want to wake you.” Leon said this casually, but I heard an undercurrent in his tone. He was worried. He should be.
I got out the car and took in everything. This was on the outskirts of the highway, not close to much. I needed more privacy though. “Did you see any abandoned buildings nearby?
Leon gave me a half smile and nodded. That was all I needed. I took out a dagger and headed towards the motel. Leon walked beside me silently. I was surprised he wasn’t talking more and giving me his opinion on everything. I knew he loved to do that. “Why are you helping me?” I had to ask.
Leon lead us to where we knew he’d been spotted. Room 32. This was a one star motel at the most. I frowned at the trash scattering across the cement walkway. Scratch that. Make this a half star motel.
“I not helping you,” he whispered in my ear. “I’m making sure you don’t get yourself killed. You’re not exactly thinking straight.”
“What?” I startled, narrowing my eyes at him. “I’m a Sentinel. This is my job. I’m just doing my job.” The lie flowed effortlessly from my mouth.
“Okay, Aiden. I got your back.” He winked and we stopped outside the door. As much as I had wanted to do this alone, I felt a small wave of relief. I was glad Leon was here. And he wasn’t lecturing me about it…for the most part. “You know what he looks like?”
I nodded. I didn’t have a picture of him, but I knew his description. We busted down the door to a darkly lit room. The door let shadows streak across the room from the setting sun. Eric sat on the bed, a dumfounded look on his face to see two Sentinels in front of him. His dark hair and perfect features were enough to convince me it was him. I couldn’t see the monster beneath, but I could feel it in his stare. His eyes widened and he jumped into a crouch, prepared to throw himself at us. I launched my dagger at him.
He flew back and screamed as it imbedded into his shoulder. That should have killed him. It would have if I had thrown a titanium dagger. Killing wasn’t in the cards just yet. We hauled him off the bed as he thrashed and shouted profanities at us. We moved him to the car and I held him down for the couple minutes it took to reach the warehouse.
Eric thrashed against us but couldn’t do much else. He was wild, but weaker than the both of us. I strapped him to a wooden beam and stood back, my chest heaving from adrenaline. This was it. I had him. He was right here in front of me. Eric continued to fight his restraints, but eventually simmered down in realization. He wasn’t getting out of this one.
His lips twisted in a bitter sneer. I didn’t know where Leon was. I couldn’t see him, but I had a feeling he was in the room somewhere. “Who the hell are you?”
I reached forward and pulled the dagger from his shoulder. He screeched and slumped back. I held the dagger carefully, not taking my eyes off of him. “I am Aiden St Delphi. I am the last thing you’ll see before you’re begging for your death.”
Eric’s eyes widened and then he laughed. “What’s with this? Why not just put me down?” He scoffed, but I could tell he was rattled.
“You hurt someone I -” I cut myself off abruptly. I had almost said loved. Leon was here, I had to remind myself. “Someone I care about. Her name is Alex.”
“Alex?” Eric’s eyebrows furrowed, then shot way up. “Oh, that little bitch? Damn, she tasted good. I hated having to share her with Daniel. The hours we fed on her were magnificent. She screamed and screamed.”
I think he was hoping this would enrage me so much I’d end up killing him quickly. But no, not quite. It did have part of the effect. I knew the things I’d do next would haunt me. My love for Alex had driven me to such lengths I couldn’t decipher right from wrong anymore. It was more than Alex though. This was for my parents, whose deaths still haunted me. I could do this for them. For Alex. I hoped they would forgive me. I was sure I wouldn’t forgive myself.
***
1st Place Runner Up
Signed books from Cora Carmack, Laura Kaye, Sophie Jordan, me, and a slew more, plus goodies
Andrea Lynn Diaz
The Winning Submission:
****
I can’t believe I’m going to be 21 tomorrow. I’m not a big drinker, but still, it will be nice to know I’m not breaking the law if I decide to have one. Cam knew I didn’t want to have a big party so he spoke with his cousin about us spending the week at their cabin. The best part is that it’s at a ski resort.
We got here last night and today we are going skiing. I’ve been excited since he first told me. It’s not something we could do in Texas. Even if we could, I wouldn’t have had anyone to go with.
After getting some coffee and putting on the layers of clothes we need, we take the snowmobiles up to the lodge. My excitement changes to nerves the closer we get. HOLY CRAP that is a huge mountain.
“Are you ready sweetheart?”
I look over to Cam and I think he can see the fear in my face. My stomach feels like a ton of bricks have dropped into it. Cam grabs my free hand and looks me straight in the eyes.
“Baby, you are going to love this. It’s such a rush. Plus it’s my idea and we all know my ideas are extraordinary.” His blue eyes are twinkling and I know he is really excited about this. “I’m going to take you over to the bunny hill and show you how to work the skis.” His voice gets deeper and he takes a step closer to me. “We’ll go nice and slow. “
He purposely made that sound sexy to distract me. Even bundled up he looks like he just stepped off a runway. I start picturing taking off all his clothes and using my mouth to warm him up. My tongue aches’ to taste him. Cam’s chuckling brings me back to the present. I jerk my eyes up and see a smug grin on his face. He leans in and I feel his hot breath on my ear.
“I can promise you that every dirty thought you have in that mind of yours, we can act out later.”
My heart is racing and I really want to say screw this skiing thing but I can’t let him know he got me distracted so easily. I narrow my eyes at him. “Who says I was thinking about you. Maybe I was just thinking about a fantasy involving a ski instructor, a fire place and a lot less clothes. I’m guessing there are some good looking ones around here willing to help make that a reality.” It doesn’t even faze him. His smug grin stays in place.
“Sweetheart, that works for me. I’m your instructor today. And I can promise you once we get back to the cabin I will take all these clothes off, even though you look fucking hot in your gear. I’ll see what I can do about the fireplace.”
He leans down and gives me a kiss that has my body instantly responding. Lava starts flowing through my veins burning me up, despite the cold out here. I drop my skis and wrap my arms around his neck pulling him closer. Cam instantly deepens the kiss. You would think after all this time we wouldn’t want each other so badly but that urge hasn’t subsided. Actually it’s grown stronger. I still set my alarm clock an hour early. I think Cam is seriously considering throwing me back on the snowmobile and testing out the fire place when I hear someone clearing their throat.
“Alright you two break it up. There will be plenty of time for that later. It’s time to hit the slopes.”
I look over and see his cousin Sydney. I only just met her at Christmas but she has always been Cam’s favorite cousin. Her eyes are the same shocking blue as Cam’s. Blue is obviously the dominant gene in their blood line. One look at Sydney and you can see she is a woman in love. Everyone in their family was really happy when she became engaged on Christmas Eve.
Being around Sydney makes me happy. She gives me hope. After being attacked last year she could have let it define her like I did but instead she was able to work through it. She even pushed to keep the cabin when Kyler’s mom though of selling. Kyler is very protective of Sydney up here. Last night we came down to have a drink and he stared down any man who even walked to close to her. It’s sweet to watch.
With a ragged breath Cam says “Why don’t you guys go ahead. I’m sure you’ll be pretty bored doing the bunny hills with us. I’ll come show you how awesome I am in a little bit.”
Sydney starts laughing “You know it’s going to be so much fun watching you and Kyler race. Both of you are so full of yourselves; I don’t know who I want to win. You both need to be taken down.” She is still laughing as she takes off towards Kyler.
Cam helps me get my ski’s on and helps me stand. Ok, I can do this. The next thing I know my butt is getting very cold from sitting in a pile of snow. I start laughing as Cam grab’s my hands to pull me up.
“I can’t even stand, how am I going to make it down a huge hill alive?”
“Ah young grasshopper, I will show you the way.”
We spend the next twenty minutes going over the basics. I don’t fall again, which I take as a good sign. “Ok instructor, let’s go try this bunny hill.”
“Has your butt warmed up yet? You know I would be very happy to help. It’s such a small thing it probably needs my big hands to bring some warmth back to it.” Cam is checking out my ass and his hands start to follow his eyes.
I think his mind is always on sex. Honestly it’s frequently on mine too, but we did say we were going to ski today.
“Thank you for your offer, but my butt is doing just fine. Come on; let’s go get on the lift.”
Cam helps me get in and then he grabs my hand. As we start moving, I get the sensation that I’m flying. Looking around I see miles of snow covered mountains. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen something more beautiful. The sun makes the snow look like glitter. It’s like being in a big snow globe that’s just waiting to be shaken.
“I can’t believe how gorgeous this is up here. “ I tell him.
“It takes my breath away.” His voice is low and smooth.
I turn to look and him and he is staring at me with a look I can’t quite decipher.
“Avery, this past year and a half has been the best part of my life. I love sharing all these experiences with you and can’t wait to someday share them with our children.”
My heart starts beating fast. I worry about having a heart attack and falling out of this lift. I doubt I would survive the fall. We have talked about the future in general terms but never about kids. I don’t even know how I feel about them. Turning into my mother scares me to my core. Most of the people I grew up with had parents that were the same as mine. It’s all I know.
“Sweetheart, just breathe. I’m not asking you to have kids tomorrow, or even to marry me. I know you’re not ready for that.” He takes a deep breath. “But one day you will be my wife and I will watch our children grow inside you. You have one of the kindest hearts of anyone I know. You are going to be an amazing mother.”
He is looking at me with so much love and hope that I start calming down. His faith in me, in us, gives me courage. I love this man so much and suddenly I’m filled with clarity. The final darkness that has stayed attached to my mind is being broken apart by rays of light. Our future moves across my mind like a film reel. It’s moving so fast I can only catch glimpses. I see little league games, chocolate chip cookies, school plays and more love than one heart can hold. I lean over and press my lips to his. It’s one of the softest kisses I have ever given him. When I lean back I can see his eyes watering.
We are almost to the top and will get off soon. Cam looks at me and says “Ready?”
With a full heart and a full smile I tell him I am. I am ready for anything the future brings for us.
***
And now, for the BIG PRIZE. Let’s pull an America’s Next Top Model by recapping the prize. An ALL EXPENSE PAID trip to the 2014 RT BookLovers Convention in the New Orleans! The registration is already paid, the hotel is already booked, and we all need is to get this winner on a plane.
1st Place Winner is…..
Lora Beth Johnson
The Winning Submission…
***
I took a deep breath.
You are awesome. I didn’t quite believe it, so I said it out loud, because, well, who was going to hear me?
“Bliss Edwards, you are a freakin’ badass.”
I watched my reflection in the mirror as I brought my gun to my shoulder. I think it was a shotgun? Maybe a rifle? I don’t know. They all pretty much do the same thing, right? I rested it against me like I’d seen in old movies where British soldiers go to India and say things like “har har!” and “smashing!”
“Bliss Edwards, you are gonna kick some—”
The gun went off with a sharp crack and I squealed. A chunk of the ceiling smashed into the vanity, dust and some chalky substance fluttering to the sink. Oh well. It would match the flickering lights in the kitchen and the bloody handprints on the front door.
As apartment goes, mine was pretty fortified: top floor, dead bolt, windows that didn’t open unless you shoved, groaned, prayed to the gods of warped hinges and sacrificed the blood of a virgin.
Speaking of—
I was about to go pop my zombie-killing cherry.
Okay, yes, I’d avoided it. I’d stocked up on canned goods and water, back when I thought I was just paranoid. But now, despite my very careful (read: panicked) rationing, I’d run out. Kelsey had gone to get food a few days ago. We all know how that went.
Kelsey had no qualms about killing zombies—said it made her feel like Lara Croft. Cade probably didn’t either, wherever he was. But I felt weird about it. I mean, whatever they were now, they had been people once. I’d probably feel differently if one were about to bite my face off.
I hesitated before opening the front door, going over my game plan. Twenty-seven steps down. Thirty feet across the parking lot. Leap across a ditch, sprint along the overpass, and then trek up the hill to find hidden resources in an already-looted store.
Give me a red jaguar shirt and throw in some history trivia and this might as well be Legends of the Hidden Temple.
I opened the door slowly. Like, really slowly. Like, I’m pretty sure I could have made it to the store and back by the time I got that door open. Children could have been conceived and born, empires risen and fallen, and a new series of Sherlock aired before I got that door open.
The steps were harder. Walking down steps? Not great at. Walking down steps while holding a gun during a zombie apocalypse? Pretty much guaranteed disaster. The fact I made it to the bottom without accidentally shooting myself was nothing short of a miracle.
The parking lot appeared empty. I mean, empty of zombies. There were plenty of cars and bikes and other abandoned modes of transportation, but I was pretty sure they wouldn’t kill me. I listened carefully before I took my first step into the parking lot. For some reason, I felt like once I left the shadow of the apartment, I’d be exposed and vulnerable. The breezeway was safe, home base. It was familiar and comforting and strangely sheltered.
Which is why I may have overreacted when I heard a voice behind me.
“Hey.”
I jumped three feet into the air, letting out a high-pitched scream. Whipping around, I lifted my gun instinctively, and before I realized what I’d done, a loud crack echoed off the building. I wasn’t prepared for the kickback and the gun slapped my face so hard I landed on my ass. My head smacked into the pavement and my vision spotted.
“Owwww,” I moaned, staring up at the bright sky.
“Ow? Ow?” a masculine voice said from the direction I’d fired. “You bloody shot me, and you’re the one saying ow?”
I groaned as I sat up, rubbing the back of my head. I pulled my hand away, and a spot of blood soiled my palm.
“Jesus, love, are you okay?”
My eyes focused on a guy sitting across from me.
Correction: Not guy. Adonis.
Blonde hair, blue eyes. Facial hair somewhere between Chris Pine and Brad Pitt. Unlike me, he didn’t look like the apocalypse had taken much of a toll on him, other than the blossoming bloodstain darkening his jeans.
Shit.
It literally took me that long to realize I had just fucking shot someone.
“Oh my God, are you okay?” I tried to push myself up, but the ground tilted under me, and I had to catch myself with my bloody palm. I chanted “Oh my God” under my breath, as I half-crawled, half-dragged myself toward him.
“It’s not deep,” he said. “But Christ, word of advice? Zombies don’t usually start conversations with ‘hey.’”
Holy shit, he had a British accent.
British.
Accent.
I’ll say it one more time.
British accent.
“I’m so sorry!” I winced. “Can you walk?”
He laughed, which quickly turned into a pained groan. “Can you?”
Aaaaand this is the moment a zombie decided to make an appearance. She was standing behind him, growling, drooling, and tilting her head like a dog wanting a biscuit. I’d seen that look before when she spotted prey in the form of muscular god-like bar occupants.
“Hey, Kels,” I said, quietly, gently. It was the same voice I used when I accidentally got between her and a new pair of shoes.
British hottie whipped around. “Know her, do you? Now’s not the time to catch up. Want to take me back to your place?”
DID I?
Let me answer that: yes. Yes, I did.
Zombie-Kelsey growled again and took a tentative step forward, watching us like she used to watch sports: bemused, but predatorily staring at the players’ asses.
British guy swung his arm around my neck, and we helped each other to our feet. Kelsey took another wobbly step forward. The next was more certain. And the third even more so.
The next thing I knew, she was running.
I dragged the Brit to the stairs, and we clambered up as fast as we could. It felt like those dreams where you run as hard as you can, but don’t get anywhere. I could hear Kelsey groaning behind us, but didn’t turn around to see how far ahead we were.
One flight. Two.
My head was pounding and blood trickled down my neck, but I was running on adrenaline. We reached my door just before Kelsey.
I slammed it in her face. “Sorry!”
The Brit sank to the ground. For the first time I could see the extent of the injury. It was gross. No, like seriously. Hardcore gross. I felt like throwing up, but I held it in because I have this rule about throwing up in front of hot guys: don’t do it.
“All right, love, you’re going to have to help me out with this a bit. Think you can find some tweezers and rubbing alcohol?”
I nodded.
He groaned. “Maybe some drinking alcohol, too?”
I nodded.
“Right then.”
I ran back to the bathroom, took a moment to smooth my hair down. And yes, maybe I put on a little mascara. Sue me. I ran back with tweezers and alcohol and grabbed the bottle of Kahlua I kept in the kitchen in case of emergencies.
British guy raised his eyebrow when I handed him the bottle.
“It’s all I have,” I explained.
“Bottoms up.” He tilted the bottle and took a swig. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, he looked up at me. “All right, love, want to take care of this bullet?”
“Uhhh… what?”
“It’s only fair. You put it in me.”
So many places I could go with that sentence.
“I don’t know how to remove a bullet!”
“Didn’t look like you knew how to shoot either, but look how well that turned out.” He grinned. It was a great grin.
“Ugh.” I knelt to get a better look at the wound. SO. GROSS. But I shot the poor guy, and the least I could do was pull the bullet out of the gaping, bloody hole in his leg. I poured the alcohol over the tweezers, and then moved them closer to the wound. My fingers shook and my stomach churned. I took a deep breath.
Nope. Not happening.
“I can’t do this.”
“Sure you can, love. Didn’t you play Operation as a kid?”
“Yeah. I played Battleship too. Doesn’t mean I can captain a naval frigate.”
He laughed and met my eyes. “I think you can do anything you put your mind to.”
My breath caught, and somehow—something about the look in his eyes and the steadiness of his tone, and yes, the accent helped—I believed him.
“You don’t even know me.”
He raised an eyebrow again, this time cocky and full of promise. “Yet.”
***
Surprisingly, the reader who picked our winning submissions is actually afraid of zombies. Ha!
Congrats to Lora Beth, our winners, and to everyone who submitted entries!!! All of you will be contacted shortly.
This was a lot of fun and I hope to do the same thing later this year when RT takes the show to Dallas, TX in 2015.
And now it’s time for random Theo James gif
January 10, 2014
Getting to Know Conversations of a Reading Addict
I’ve gotten behind on doing the “Getting To Know You” posts and also keeping up with nonstop giveaways from posts like these and other posts. So I do apologize for that and as you’ve seen, I’m going to make some changes to these posts giveaways. Instead of print, I will be giving away digital. It’s simply easier for me to do it that way. So please note that these books will be gifted via the Kindle.
But these posts aren’t about getting something for free. They are about getting to know your fellow bloggers, so hopefully there isn’t a decrease in interest due to that change.
His name is Charlie. In case you didn’t get that.
Onward…
It’s getting to know you time!
Blogger of the Week:
Conversations of a Reading Addict
What country are you in?
Canada
How long have they’ve been blogging and rolling?
1 year and 5 months
Q1. Why did you start blogging?
I was interning at Harper Collins Canada and we had a blogger event. I met all of these amazing bloggers that seemed to live books as much as I do and I wanted to become a part of it. So that night I researched blogs and how to create one and with the help of some of the bloggers I met that night, my blog was created!
Q2. Do you do weekly memes and if so, what is your favorite meme and why?
I love doing WOW posts because they allow other bloggers and readers to see new and upcoming books that they might now know about previously, and my TBR pile always grows because of those posts!
Q3. What is your favorite aspect about blogging?
I love the community the most because it gives me an outlet to be a book nerd with no shame. And the people I have met over the past year have become some of the best people I know. I just love talking about books and getting them noticed!
(AW HUGS)
Q4. If you can be stuck on an island with any author, who would it be and why?
I would love to meet Jane Austen and pick her brain in being a writer in a world where women do not write. And also pick her brain about Darcy and it he was based on anyone 
(Don’t hate me, but I’ve never willing read a Jane Austen novel. I think I did once for class, but I don’t think I read it all.)
Q5. What book would you give up your left arm and maybe even a leg to see it translated into film or TV? Tell us why!
I would love to see The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani made into a movie because when I was reading it I could just picture everything so clearly and everything fairy take related should be made into a movie right? 
Q6. What is your favorite question to ask an author and why?
I always love to ask them who their favourite character is and why. I usually ask this because the answers are so different and some might surprise you. And also if the author has more than one book or series it’s always interesting to here who is the favourite:)
Q7. What TV show is a not-miss for you?
My favourite tv show right now and has been for a while is Castle because it blends drama and comedy so well and well who doesn’t love Nathan Fillion??
(I can’t get into this show for some reason. Maybe it’s because I was watching reruns one day, and in one season the chicks hair was super short and the VERY NEXT SEASON her hair was longer than mine, and that stuff just distracts me. Like what did she use? Miracle hair grow? Extensions? WHHHAAAAAT?)
Q8. What is your favorite movie that you can watch over and over again?
The Breakfast Club and Easy A. The Breakfast club because it’s a classic and Easy a because I love Emma Stone and that movie is Hilarious:)
Q9. Are you a cat, dog, fish, or gerbil person?
None of the above? I never had pets growing up so I was never a pet person but i have always wanted a pug dog named Felix
(We need to get you a pet)
Q10. Do you prefer print or digital?
Both. I love digital for travel and easy access but I also love print for many reasons one being the smell(I know that’s weird) and because I love the feel of having a book in my hands!
Q11. What is your favorite genre to read and why?
I love YA the most because I think the stories and the way the characters relate and the effect the stories have in me after I read them. And they have the most versatile genres out there right now for potential for amazing things.
Q12. What would you like to read more about?
I would like to read more about parallel universes because they can be so many different things! They can be contemporary, sci-fi or even a thriller. I love that kind of book! Mostly because it involves the same characters in different situations and there is usually a choice involved at the end which usually leads to me in tears! Haha
(Well, A Thousand Pieces of You is right up your alley then. It’s got all kinds of parallel universes)
Finally, what is your favorite book of all time and why?
That is a very hard question because I read so much, but I love anything by Courtney Summers, especially Some Girls Are, Fall For Anything and This Is Not a Test. The reason I picked her books is because she has a way of making characters so freakishly real and heartbreaking and has a way of capturing high school life so well. And the writing is so different and capturing.
(This is another author I need to check out.)
(Random Theo James gif. Don’t mind me)
Today, I’m giving away a digital copy of This Is Not a Test by Courtney Summers. Method of entering is below. You know the drill.
January 8, 2014
Swag Flash Giveaway!
I have an awesome swag giveaway today to celebrate Wait for You being reduced to .99 cents on and for Hard As It Gets for being reduced to $1.99 on the Kindle and Nook!
Wait for You .99 cents
Nook
Kindle
Hard As It Gets $1.99
Nook
Kindle
By following the Rafflecopter guidelines on MY page, you have a chance of winning this:
A ton of amazing Laura Kaye swag!
But that’s not all.
You have two chances to win swag and stuff. Go to Laura Kaye’s website by clicking HERE . Follow her instructions and you can enter to win this:
Swag from me and a couple of Trust In Me
Fun stuff.
To enter to win Laura Kaye swag, here is the rafflecopter!
January 7, 2014
Be With Me Teaser 1
Guys–GUYS–we are less than a month away from the release of Be With Me. It feels like I’ve been waiting forever for ya’ll to read this book.
You’ll get to know Jase and Teresa (Tess), get to see a ton of Cam and Avery, Brit and Ollie, and gang. And leading up to the release, I will be doing teasers and giveaways.
But first, I have a NA Swag Pack winner to announce. Amanda Pedulla you have won the swag! Congrats. Please email jenniferlarmentrout@live.com with your address and that you’re the NA Swag winner to claim your prize.
Be With Me Teaser 1
What’s up for grabs?
All my books are signed.Rule is not signed.
Also includes a: snowflake charm (Frigid), Turtle charm (Wait for You), Turtle bracelet, and horse charm (Be With Me)
December 28, 2013
Be With Me Swag Giveaway
Wow. I have a lot of giveaway winners to announce. I’ve been slacking.
All winners email jenniferlarmentrout(at)live(dot)com with your full name and address–address in correct format, and also please include what your prize is in the email.
All winners have 7 days to claim prizes, meaning you have until January 3rd, 2014 to claim prize.
Kindle copy of On Dublin Street:
Haley (Passing Pages)
YA Swag Pack
Elena Chavez
Winners of Trust In Me
Katelyn Whalen
Stephanie Scott
Sofia Senra
Samantha Soar
Winner of a Kindle Paperweight or Nook
Theresa Crocker Jones
(please include in your email if you want the Kindle or the Nook)
Whoa. I need to not get behind anymore. LOL.
Now onto more fun stuff!
I got a teaser for you ! A picture teaser!!!
Click on image to view teaser. Or read below:
Over three years of crushing on him, a year since the last time our lips met, and Jase … oh God, he was finally kissing me. — Be With Me
Giveaway! You know the drill.
Up for grabs:
Most of this swag is signed by the author. Not all of it, but most of it.
December 23, 2013
Three things I realized in 2013
Wow. 2013 has been one hell of a year. So many great things have happened–so many wildly unexpected things and there have been some bad things too. But so many things, that this sums it up for me.
Simply put, 2013 was cray cray for me. For the most part, a great kind of cray cray. I self-pub’d a book that did some crazy awesome things, like hitting number 1 on NYTimes (this info is important for later) and being the first self-pub’d book to hit number on Digital Book World. When my agent and I decided to self-pub Wait for You, we never expected any of that to happen and we have all the readers to thank for that awesomely awesome first. I had two more books hit the New York Times this year, Frigid and Trust In Me. Also saw those books plus Obsession, Origin, and Apollyon hit USA Today list. Those were all amazing experiences that blew my mind.
I also wrapped up my first YA series in 2013, the Covenant Series, and while that was a bittersweet moment, it felt pretty damn cool writing “THE END” on that sucker. I also finished the first draft of another last book in the series, Opposition, and that also felt pretty darn cool writing “THE END” on that. As it did with writing the last Gamble Brother’s book, Tempting the Bodyguard, and writing “THE END” on that.
In 2013, my mother also passed away after a long and courageous battle with cancer. I was very lucky that I got to share a lot of the awesome things that happened this year with her before she passed. I didn’t get to show her the new house in person, but I did get to share with her the pictures. She liked it. =)
Like Mother…
Like Daughter…
Heh.
And there’s Loki, all up in my keeping it classy picture.
Love ya, Mom.
Lot of ends in 2013 but also a lot of new beginnings and exciting stuff to come.
I signed with HarperCollins to add more to the Wait for You series in 2013–Trust In Me, out now, Be With Me (releasing 2/4/14) and Stay With Me (releasing in September 2014). I also signed on for a NA anthology called Fifty Firsts which will include Believe In Me, the story of Ollie and Brit. 2013 also saw the green light means go for The Dark Elements series when I signed on with Harlequin Teen for that series. Bitter Sweet Love is available now and White Hot Kiss comes out on 2/25/2014. I also signed on with Spencer Hill Press to write The Return, a spin off of the Covenant Series that comes out in February of 2015.
Another amazing thing or things to happen in 2013 was the movie option on Obsidian and the TV option on the Covenant Series. I’m still pretty much all kinds of flail about that.
In 2013, 8 books were published. I’m feeling too lazy to count out how many books I wrote this year. I think it was around 7 or 8. And I’m also feeling too lazy to count how many books have been published so far. Maybe around 18? Hmm…
I’ve met a TON of awesome readers and bloggers, and I can count those moments as being some of the best experiences of 2013. I can’t wait to fulfill 2014 with more moments like those.
Amongst these crazy good things and not-so happy things, I realized a couple of things. Really important things that I’m still working on, but 3 things I kind of wanted to talk about that have to do with expectations.
The dreaded E word.
1. Writing is a marathon and not a sprint.
Yeah, that’s cheesy sounding. So cheesy, I can practically taste the cheese, but I put a lot of pressure on myself to write like a bat out of hell in 2013. Mainly it was because when you’re labeled as ‘prolific’ you feel like you have to live up to that expectation. And it’s kind of weird, because it’s not like you have to write that much. Not stressing myself out over that expectation is something I do struggle with. Because I do LOVE to write so much, it’s hard to force myself away from the computer for more than a day. Hell, I was supposed to take off December but I’ve written about 26k on Stay With Me. So I’m still working with that realization that you can burn yourself out. I know I’m not the only author who feels that pressure. Especially nowadays when a good chunk of authors are hugely prolific. I remember when Abbi Glines told me she writes the first draft in seven days and I was all like…
And a little of…
I’m jealous
And there’s nothing wrong with writing a lot and writing fast. Some people can do it. Some people can’t. And some people can’t do it all the time.
But when writing a lot, writing constantly, and writing fast starts effecting the quality of writing and causing you to want to start abusing drugs, then it’s probably time to step back and take a breather. Which was where I was. Still kind of am. Well, with the exception of the abusing drugs thing, but I have to tell myself that readers will still be here tomorrow and next week and next year, and two years from now. I’ve got to tell myself to chill. And I hope any other writer who is finding themselves caving under the pressure to write a billion books a year also tells themselves to chill.
2. Doubt is something that never goes away.
It doesn’t matter how many books you write or how many great things come your way because of those books or how many people tell you that they love your books, you still feel crippling doubt. On every book. Every book I’ve written, I always get to a point where, especially in the middle of the book, I experience Mid Book Crisis where I think this is the steamiest piece of poo I’ve ever written. EVERY BOOK. And it’s terrible. I feel sorry for my friends, because they are like it doesn’t suck, not really, and I’m all like…
Up until I get over the Mid Book Crisis and finish up the book. Which usually means getting over myself. And then I’m all like….
With writing books, there’s always expectations that the book doesn’t suck which always feeds into doubt. I’ve realized that doubt never goes away. It stays. It lingers. You’ve got to feed and water that shit. But I’ve also learned that doubt is okay. It’s NORMAL. It also keeps you on your toes when it comes to writing. Accepting that I’m always going to freak out and think the book sucks at some point is like lifting weight off my shoulders. Now I can recognize that doubt for what it is. And sometimes I do really just write a book that completely, utterly sucks. Doubt truly is just the nature of the beast, of the process. Instead of fearing doubt, we should toast it. Because when we overcome it and wrap up a book, that’s a pretty huge step.
3. Nothing is ever enough.
Yep. Here comes the big thing I realized this year and probably the hardest to actually admit. And I think, or at least I hope, this is something that speaks to a lot of writers out there.
Here is when I admit to something kind of sad and the reason why I hesitated when it came to hitting publish on this post, because it is something very personal.
There used to be a time when I was over the moon just because I sold a new book, but now I focus on the NEXT one. There used to be a time when I jumped around when my book had enough sales it got to the point on Amazon when it started tracking subcategories, but now I focus on what next. There used to be a time that I was happy when a book cracked the Top 100 on B&N and dropped under a 1000 on Amazon, but now I want it to go even lower. There used to be a time when I got excited when a book got in the Top 100 of Amazon and hit the top 20 on B&N, but now I focus on how long will it stay there. There used to be a time when my heart would stop when I would see that I hit the USA Today list, but now I wonder how long it will stay there. There used to be a time when I’d fall over if my book was in the coveted, sweet spots on Amazon and there used to be a time when I got tears in my eyes when a book hit the New York Times, but now I move on to worrying about the next book.
It was then when I realized that I wasn’t grateful for everything that I had accomplished. It’s a different kind of gratefulness if that makes any sense. It’s not that I wasn’t grateful, grateful but more lie I was forgetting all the GREAT things because I’d fallen down that rabbit hole of everything never being enough. I think we keep these to ourselves, because we don’t want to come across that we don’t appreciate whatever success we’ve had, so it eats and eats at you.
And that’s just, well….
Having goals is great. Don’t get me wrong. I’m a goal-orientated person, but like many authors, I’ve probably taken that too far in my head. I always have to sell well. I always have to hit a list. And it better be New York Times OR I’VE FAILED AND EVERYTHING IS WRONG IN THE WORLD.
Wait. What?
Nothing is ever enough… until it has to be enough. Until you realize that you haven’t even enjoyed half the process of a release day because you’ve been freaking out about rankings and if you’ve hit a list or if you will start to slip in sales or if you’re just a flash in the pan of many pans. Until you’re panicking and thinking life is one giant fail whale because you only got to 54 on Amazon. Until you’ve sold a crap ton of books in a week but then are disappointed because that crap ton wasn’t a shit ton. Until you hit USA Today but didn’t hit NYTimes, even though you know *whispers* a certain list isn’t the most accurate list in the world. Until a publisher tells you that they didn’t sign on just for first week book sales, they signed on for your career. Until you find yourself calling your editor or agent apologizing for a book being a failure when the book ends up hitting USA Today and NYTimes the following week, and you end up looking like an idiot.
Yep. I did that to my editor once. Yeppers peppers. Actually I did that twice, come to think about it.
I then ended up sending one editor flowers.
The expectation, that every book you write is going to be this giant bestseller can get overwhelming. And foretelling a bestseller can be impossible to know, because the market is a constant, ever changing beast. And we do it to ourselves. Yes, there are pressures from the outside, when a publisher says those magic words “this book didn’t perform as well as we expected” or when your print run takes a nose dive on your next book or when you have a publisher *cough recent article cough* equating book success to millions of dollars, but mostly, the never enough is something I did to myself.
And I know I’m not the only one.
Because there were days when I recognized every accomplishment as being something major. There were days when I recognized that no matter what the future brought, each of those accomplishments are still something so huge and remarkable. There were days when I realized what was more important than hitting a list or cracking a ranking or number.
The days when I was grateful and happy just to be doing what I loved, what I dreamed of doing nearly my entire life. The days when hearing from readers was the most important part of everything and not where I was going to debut on a list, if I hit a list.
That’s what my inner self says to me.
It was sometime this fall when I realized that I turned my dream into an annoying ass job and was focusing on the wrong things and not seeing what was really there. It reminded me of the time I’d worked in sales. I was pretty good at it, normally having the highest in the office and even getting employee of the year, but it was always “What can you do for me next?” and never “What have you’ve done for me?” And I HATED that aspect about the job. When I recognized I was actually doing what I hated most about that job to myself it was a pretty eye opening experience.
It was around the time I recognized that writing wasn’t a sprint. It was when I told myself I needed to chill and refocus on what was important, which was the words and the stories and the readers.
It was effecting my writing. I wasn’t happy. I was constantly stressed out and that was bleeding into my personal life. I didn’t know what it was until I realized it was the expectation of those things, those three expectations, and when I did, I knew I needed to change that mentality. Not that it still isn’t a struggle to think those things when a book release comes along and to not watch the rankings or hope that the book sells well and hits lists. Being real here, I’m still always going to worry about those things. But I also realized this year that there are so many variables when it comes to what makes a book “successful” and what causes it to breakout on Amazon or hit lists, is really kind of unknown. And I also realized to put things into perspective, to remember what is GREAT and not overlook GREAT things in the face of expectations.
This happens outside of writing and I think, or at least I hope, a lot of people can relate to letting expectations you place on yourself get in the way of enjoying something you love to do, no matter what it is that you’re doing.
For me, letting those expectations get the best of me… well, it sucked the fun out of writing and creating stories.
So I promise for a more chill year, a year where I know I’m going to worry about these things, but I’m going to be okay with them. A year where I see the GREAT in spite of expectations and I won’t loose that odd sense of gratefulness. And yes, hopefully a year that exceeds expectations, but not a year where the expectations take over everything.
And I hope I stick to this promise. If not, I think I will spin kick myself in the face.
And because everyone asked for this when they knew I was doing a post.
December 22, 2013
White Hot Kiss Early Buzz
I keep forgetting to share two early reviews on White Hot Kiss, one from Kirkus and the other Booklist. These reviews make me all giggling and warm and fuzzy. If you’ve got nothing better to do, scroll down to see what they have to say.
From Booklist
With this first title in her new Dark Elements series, powerhouse author Armentrout delivers another action-packed, believably narrated ride through a paranormal world as seen by a teen. Layla is like any 17-year-old with high-school woes, BFFs, and a crush that won’t stop. While her human friends know she lives with a family of Wardens (gargoyles), they don’t know about her nonhuman lineage: Layla is half gargoyle and half demon, which renders her an outcast in both those worlds. With a long-standing crush on a super cute Warden, Zayne, that seems doomed because of both her mixed blood as well as the fact he seems to regard her more like a little sister, Layla thinks her life is complicated enough. Then she meets demon Roth, the most dangerous, kissable guy ever, with his tattoos and bad boy smile. Roth insists he knows more about Layla’s past than she does—and that her Warden family has deliberately kept her in the dark too long. Intense, well plotted, and very readable, this title should fly into the hands of every paranormal reader out there.
HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Armentrout is a New York Times and USA Today best- selling author, which means she has lots of hungry fans.
From Kirkus
Yes, it’s another novel about exotic paranormal hybrids, but this one’s written with wry humor that seeps into nearly every sentence, making it constantly entertaining no matter its subject.
Layla is half Warden, gargoylelike creatures aligned with angels who roam cities slaughtering demons. She’s also half demon. Layla has been crushing on Zayne, a Warden who lives in their communal home, but knows she can’t ever kiss him for fear of sucking out his soul. Instead, Layla spends her after-school hours on the streets of Washington, D.C., marking demons so that Wardens can easily find and kill them later that night. However, Layla misidentifies a demon that turns on her, whereupon she meets Roth, who shows up to protect her. As an upper-level demon, Roth can’t be tagged and would prove a difficult target for the Wardens. However, Layla finds herself strongly attracted to him and reluctantly begins to trust him. It doesn’t hurt that Roth is a great kisser. Layla’s problem with divided loyalties doesn’t interfere with the stopping-Armageddon plot, and the narrative sizzles with as much tension as romance. Armentrout’s sophisticated, layered humor keeps the narrative bubbling all the way through, and she delivers a terrific character in Roth, the unrepentant demon. Of course, both Zayne and Roth fit the chiseled-abs, drop-dead-gorgeous mold, but this is a romance.
Totally entertaining. (Paranormal romance. 12 & up)
**HAPPY CLAPPING**
