The Twelve Days of New Adult Giveaway Hop

The Twelve Days of New Adult Giveaway Hop is hosted by Stuck in Books

New Adult is one of my favourite categories. I love reading about the time in a character's life when things are changing, they're taking risks, setting out on their own, learning what the 'real world' is like outside the confines of high school. It's why I love reading NA, and also why I love writing it. For this giveaway hop, I'm giving away the winner's choice of one of my New Adult novels.

Emma Ward has always been the type of girl to approach life with a plan, but at nineteen, she's drifting aimlessly. She's spent so long trying to be perfect, and now she doesn’t have an identity beyond that. Desperate for a change, Emma jumps at the chance to leave Toronto and move in with her free-spirited Aunt Daisy in a town that makes Emma feel like she's stepped back in time. 

Immediately at home in Riverview, Emma begins to bloom for the first time in her life. When she meets handsome and charming Nicholas Shaw, everything changes. Nicholas is old-fashioned, sexy, and believes in living life to the fullest. Soon Emma is doing things the old Emma never would have done, like jumping in rivers, or picking berries in the rain. She steps outside her comfort zone and falls in love for the first time. Between Daisy and Nicholas, Emma feels like she belongs somewhere for the first time in her life, and realizes you don't always need a plan—sometimes life steers you where you're meant to be. 

Life is a wonderful string of blue sky days, until a sudden life-changing event shakes Emma to her core. Now it's time for her to help Nicholas the way he's helped her. Emma will have to use her new-found strength, and discover along the way if love really is enough to get you through.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year, right? At least that’s what twenty-year-old Ginny Bailey’s grandmother always told her, and Ginny believed it until Grama died. She even put on a brave face the following two Christmases, carrying on Grama’s traditions and decorating her house and café with Grama’s favorite decorations.
But Ginny can’t pretend any longer. When she finds out she’s going to be alone for the holidays this year, her Christmas spirit goes out the window, along with her luck. Everything that can go wrong does, and Ginny just wants to spend the holidays hiding under the covers...until Dean Riley comes back into her life. With their shared past, old feelings begin to resurface almost immediately, and Ginny thinks Dean might just be the Christmas miracle she’s been waiting for to help her remember why Christmas really is the most wonderful time of the year.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Take Them by Storm is a standalone companion novel to Waiting for the Storm and After the Storm  

Sadie Fitzpatrick has always been different, and not just because she makes her own clothes and would rather stay home watching Doctor Who than party with kids her age. When it’s time to leave Angel Island for college, Sadie is eager to put her old life behind her. Small-minded people and rumors have plagued her for years, but with the love of her adoptive family, the O’Dells, Sadie has learned to embrace who she is. Now she’s not afraid to admit the rumors about her are true: she’s gay. 

For the first time in her life, Sadie feels free to be herself. She dives into college life and begins volunteering at the local LGBT center, where she discovers her small-town upbringing left holes in her education about life outside Angel Island.

The world is a bigger and more accepting place than Sadie ever imagined. She’s finally found where she belongs, but with the reappearance of someone from her past, an unexpected new friendship, and a chance at love, Sadie soon realizes she still has a lot to learn about life, friendship, and love.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

When Rose Morgan put off her college plans to help her mother through a difficult time, she thought it would just be a bump in the road of her journey. She got a job to help pay the bills and started picking up the slack at home. But three years later, her bumpy ride hasn’t smoothed out yet, and Rose feels stuck. She’s working at a job she hates and living with a manipulative mother. She’s tired of feeling like her life has stalled, tired of the resentment and anger building inside her with each passing day.

Then Declan Connelly appears in her life, and even though the hot Irishman is seriously tempting, Rose is determined not to let him in. She’s afraid to suck anyone into her bizarre life, especially someone who seems too charming for his own good. She soon learns there’s more to Declan than his sexy accent and charismatic personality, though. He’s a good man, and he wants Rose in his life, baggage and all. He’s got his own, and he isn’t scared away like she originally feared he would be.

Everything in Rose’s life is changing quickly. It’s finally her time--time to figure out what she wants and what her future holds. Time to get swept off her feet and not fight it. But when her plans might take her away from all the amazing new things in her life, including Declan, Rose has to make a choice. Is she willing to chase her dreams, even if it means letting go of love?

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Giveaway open internationally.  

Be sure to visit the rest of the stops on the hop!

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Hop Against Homophobia, Bi- and Transphobia 2015

Today is the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia. Follow the Hop Against Homophobia, Bi- and Transphobia between today and May 24th for lots of great posts and giveaways.

3 things you can do to help combat homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia

• Eradicate homophobic words from your vocabulary, whether it's meant as a slur or as a joke. I can't tell you the number of times I still overhear people jokingly saying 'that's so gay' or people saying to their friends 'you're such a fag'. I've even seen teenagers refer to their group of friends as 'their faggots'. ARGH!! Just don't. It's not a joke, it's not funny. There are a thousand other words you can use without offending/isolating an entire group of people.

• Respect a person's sexual and gender identity. If someone identifies as gay or bisexual or queer or whatever the case may be, don't question it. People don't need to hear 'but you like guys and girls, shouldn't you be bi and not queer?' How a person identifies is their business. Similarly, respect a person's gender identity. If someone associates as him/he or her/she, respect that even if you don't quite understand. Most people, regardless of their sexual or gender identity just want to be accepted, understood, and loved.

• Ask questions. I think a lot of people would rather have an honest, open discussion than have people make assumptions or judgements, or be cruel. If you're not comfortable asking questions or don't think a person would be comfortable with your questions, or if you simply don't personally know anyone to ask, educate yourself. Find websites, find literature, find blogs that talk about the things you're curious about. People will appreciate you going that extra mile, and it can never hurt to be educated about anything, but especially something so important.

~GIVEAWAY~

I'm giving away an e-copy of my book, Take Them by Storm, which is female/female New Adult. Here's a bit about the book:

 
GoodReads || Amazon || Kobo || B&N 

Sadie Fitzgerald has always been different, and not just because she makes her own clothes and would rather stay home watching Doctor Who than party with kids her age. When it’s time to leave Angel Island for college, Sadie is eager to put her old life behind her. Small-minded people and rumors have plagued her for years, but with the love of her adoptive family, the O’Dells, Sadie has learned to embrace who she is. Now she’s not afraid to admit the rumors about her are true: she’s gay.

For the first time in her life, Sadie feels free to be herself. She dives into college life and begins volunteering at the local LGBT center, where she discovers her small-town upbringing left holes in her education about life outside Angel Island.

The world is a bigger and more accepting place than Sadie ever imagined. She’s finally found where she belongs, but with the reappearance of someone from her past, an unexpected new friendship, and a chance at love, Sadie soon realizes she still has a lot to learn about life, friendship, and love.

This giveaway will end when the hop does on May 24th. Open internationally. Must be at least 16 to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be sure to check out the other people participating in the hop!

  

Do you have any thoughts on how to combat homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia? Let's talk here or on Twitter! Be sure to check out the #HAHABT hashtag.

   
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Trick-or-Treat Book Blog Hop

Happy Halloween, and welcome to my stop on the Trick-or-Treat Book Blog Hop! For those of you who haven’t been to Ramblings of a Daydreamer before, I’m Marie Landry. I write young adult, new adult, and adult contemporary books.

If this happens to be your first stop, or if you’ve made it here on your own and not through the hop, here’s how this works: this Halloween, instead of trick-or-treating for candy, our fearless leader, Patricia Lynne, thought it would be fun to trick-or-treat for books. As much as I love candy, I love free books even more, and I’m sure I’m not alone. So, do you want a free book? I have 5 books to choose from, so reach into my little back of tricks and pick the book you want.

 ~Blue Sky Days (Contemporary NA)
~The Game Changer (Women’s fiction/chick lit)
~Waiting for the Storm (Contemporary upper YA/NA) 
~The Most Wonderful Time of the Year (a contemporary NA holiday novella) 
~After the Storm (Contemporary YA) 
*all links lead to GoodReads, where you can read the synopsis 

If you’d like one of these books, it’s yours! Just fill out this form, telling me which book you’d like, what format you’d prefer (mobi, epub, or pdf), and your email address. I have the form for people who don't want to share their email address publicly, but if you want to skip the form and leave your info in the comments below, feel free to do so.

Some of you might be wondering if there’s a catch. There’s not. Honestly! However, if you like to write reviews for your blog, Amazon, GoodReads, Barnes & Noble, etc., and you feel like writing a review for the books you receive during this hop, that would be a really nice treat for us authors! It’s not necessary - this really is a no strings attached hop - but reviews really do help authors, and they’re always greatly appreciated.

Be sure to keep trick-or-treating for the rest of the day. There are lots of free books to collect!

Happy Halloween!

What's your favourite part about Halloween? What's your favourite Halloween treat? Favourite spooky movie or book? Are you doing anything fun to celebrate Halloween? What's the best costume you ever wore?

 
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Great Summer Reads Giveaway Hop

The Great Summer Reads Hop is hosted by Cindy C. Bennett.

There's just something about books set in the summer, isn't there? They seem so full of hope and possibilities, and endless potential for amazing things. I guess that's probably why I tend to set my own novels in the spring and summer. I write coming-of-age stories, and summer just seems like the perfect time frame for stories about self-discovery and change. 

Because of that, I chose to give away one of my own books for this hop. The winner can choose between Blue Sky Days, The Game Changer, and Waiting for the Storm. 

Blue Sky Days (contemporary young adult/new adult)

The Game Changer (contemporary women's fiction/chick lit)

Waiting for the Storm (contemporary young adult)

Giveaway Details:

*One (1) person will win their choice of one (1) of my novels

*Open internationally

*The giveaway runs from midnight July 9th - 11:59pm EST July 12th. I will contact the winner after the giveaway closes, and they'll have 48 hours to respond, at which point if I haven't heard back from them, I'll choose another winner.

*The books are available in all e-formats, so you can choose the format for your reader, tablet, app, computer, etc.

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Be sure to check out the other stops on the hop!

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2013 Canada Day Blog Hop

The Canada Day Blog Hop is hosted by three lovely Canadians: Chrystal from Snowdrop Dreams of Books, Carmel from Rabid Reads, and Aislynn from Stitch Read Cook.

If you've been following Ramblings of a Daydreamer for any length of time, you'll likely know that I'm a very proud Canadian. I love my country and take great pride in being Canadian. Because of that, I always set my books in Canada. All three of my novels are set in Ontario, Canada; the towns are fictional but are surrounded by well-known cities (little-known fact: The Game Changer was actually set in my city, just with a little twist on the name). Blue Sky Days is set in Riverside, a small town three hours north of Toronto; The Game Changer is set in Bellevue, a city two hours east of Toronto; and Waiting for the Storm is set on Angel Island, which is part of the Thousand Islands off Kingston. Also, in each book, the characters visit at least one real Ontario city (Toronto, Ottawa, Kingston, and Belleville, just to give you an idea).

For this year's Canada Day Blog Hop, I'm giving away the winner's choice of an e-copy of one of my novels.

Blue Sky Days (contemporary young adult/new adult)

The Game Changer (contemporary women's fiction/chick lit)

Waiting for the Storm (contemporary young adult) 

A little bit of shameless self-promotion here: I'm having a Fan Appreciation Event where Blue Sky Days is currently just 99 cents (available everywhere ebooks are sold), and I'm offering a $25 Amazon gift card or $25 PayPal cash for people who help me spread the word about Waiting for the Storm by writing a review. If you win and decide to choose Waiting for the Storm, you'd have time to read and review it before the promotion is over. Just a couple things to think about! ;-)

Giveaway Details:

*One (1) person will win their choice of one (1) of my novels

*Open internationally

*The giveaway runs from midnight June 27th - 11:59pm EST July 1st. I will contact the winner after the giveaway closes, and they'll have 48 hours to respond, at which point if I haven't heard back from them, I'll choose another winner.

*The books are available in all e-formats, so you can choose the format for your reader, tablet, app, computer, etc.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be sure to check out the other stops on the hop. There are some fantastic giveaways that you won't want to miss!



***********
Have you signed up for the 2013 Canadian Reading Challenge yet? We're offering 2 prizes this year!

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Showers of Books Giveaway Hop

The Showers of Books Giveaway Hop is hosted by Books a la Mode and I Am a Reader, Not a Writer

Since my two young adult novels both have weather-related titles and minor themes (I didn't plan it that way, it just sot of happened), I thought they'd be perfect for this giveaway.

One winner will have a chance to win an ebook of either BLUE SKY DAYS and/or WAITING FOR THE STORM.

A year after graduating from high school, nineteen-year-old Emma Ward feels lost. She has spent most of her life trying to please her frigid, miserable mother - studying hard, getting good grades, avoiding the whole teenage rebellion thing - and now she feels she has no identity beyond that. Because she spent so many years working hard and planning every moment of her life, she doesn't have any friends, has never had a boyfriend, and basically doesn't know who she is or what she really wants from life.

Working two part-time jobs to save money for college hasn't helped her make decisions about her future, so she decides it's time for a change. She leaves home to live with her free-spirited, slightly eccentric Aunt Daisy in a small town that makes Emma feel like she's stepped back in time.

When Emma meets Nicholas Shaw, everything changes - he's unlike anyone she's ever met before, the kind of guy she didn't even know existed in the 21st century. Carefree and spirited like Daisy, Nicholas teaches Emma to appreciate life, the beauty around her, and to just let go and live. Between Daisy and Nicholas, Emma feels like she belongs somewhere for the first time in her life, and realizes that you don't always need a plan - sometimes life steers you where you're meant to be.

Life is wonderful, an endless string of blue sky days, until Nicholas is diagnosed with cancer, and life changes once again for Emma in ways she never thought possible. Now it's time for her to help Nicholas the way he's helped her. Emma will have to use her newfound strength, and discover along the way if love really is enough to get you through.

 

Charlotte O’Dell knows this summer is going to suck. Her beloved mother just died, her sister hates her, and her dad has completely checked out. Fulfilling her mother’s final wish, the family heads to Angel Island for the summer to stay in a beach house her mother once loved.

After a year of being shut away taking care of her mother, Charlotte is numb and practically afraid of her own shadow; she hopes going to the island will give her the time and space she needs to begin healing, and an opportunity to bring her family back together. When she meets her mysterious neighbor, Ezra, it doesn’t take long for Charlotte to confess the issues she’s developed. Ezra begins giving Charlotte assignments to get over her fears, and although she accepts his tasks, all she really wants is to be with him. When she’s with Ezra, she’s able to forget the hollow ache in her heart and the fact that her family is falling apart. But Ezra has secrets…

Can Charlotte pull what’s left of her family together, mend her broken heart, and allow herself to fall for Ezra? Or is it all just a storm waiting to happen?

• Open internationally

• One winner will get their choice of an ebook of BLUE SKY DAYS or WAITING FOR THE STORM, or they can have both if they like. I have all e-formats, so the winner can choose which format they'd prefer.

• Must be 16 or older, or have parental permission to enter

• Winner will be contacted via email within 24 hours of giveaway closing, and will have 48 hours to respond before another winner is chosen 

• Only entries in the Rafflecopter will count. You're welcome to leave a comment below (I do love comments!) but it doesn't count as an entry. Please don't leave personal information like your email address in the comments.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you for stopping by my post on this hop, and good luck! Be sure to check out the other great giveaways happening during the Showers of Books Giveaway Hop. 

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Book Blogger Love-a-Thon!

The Book Blogger Love-a-Thon is hosted by Alexa Loves Books and Kate's Tales of Books and Bands

I was supposed to do an interview swap but my partner never got back to me, so I’m going to tell you a bit about myself and my blog instead.

For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Marie. *waves* I live in Ontario, Canada, and I’m an author and freelance writer. I started this blog about two and a half years ago, then turned it into a book blog about six months later. I used to read mostly adult books (romance, and some paranormal and cozy mysteries), but when I discovered the world of book blogging and saw how popular YA books are, I started reading YA and fell in love.

I also happen to write YA (and chick lit). My first novel, BLUE SKY DAYS is young adult contemporary, my second, THE GAME CHANGER, is chick lit, and my third, WAITING FOR THE STORM (which comes out in April) is a return to contemporary YA. I never thought I would write young adult books, but once I started reading them, I knew I wanted to write them too. There's just something about YA - the innocence, that feeling of a blank canvas, the heightened emotions (and hormones) - that's so magical and irresistible.

Besides writing, reading, and blogging, I love taking pictures (you can check out some of my photography on my personal blog - it’s been a couple weeks since I updated because I hurt my back and haven’t been able to be online much), listen to music, spend time with my family, travel, and design graphics. I’m not gonna lie, I also watch a lot of TV and TV on DVD…and trashy reality shows (I’m a total Housewives addict). Oh, and movies...although lately they've been of the Disney variety when my nephews are here. MY NEPHEWS! I can't believe I didn't mention them...the loves and lights of my life, Noah (10), and Logan (3). They're the best kids in the entire world, and in June they're going to have a baby sister and I will finally have the niece I've been wanting for over a decade!

That’s me in a nutshell. You can find me pretty much everywhere online - Facebook, Twitter, my author blog, GoodReads, Pinterest, YouTube. I love connecting with fellow book lovers (and I also love talking about movies, music, and television), so don’t hesitate to chat me up!

And since this event is about sharing the love for this awesome community and the amazing people in it, I wanted to share some of my favourite bloggers/blogs with you guys. 

Jessica @ Thoughts at One in the Morning

Molli @ Once Upon a Prologue

Kathy @ I Write, I Read, I Review

Sharon @ Obsession With Books

Rachelia @ Bookish Comforts

Christy @ Christy's Love of Books

Vicky @ Books, Biscuits, and Tea

Margie @ Bumbles and Fairytales

Kimberly @ Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer

Mist @ Bookaholics Book Club

 

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Romancing the Otherworldly Valentine ~ Spotlight on Jennifer Snyder

Facebook Event Details: 

Love New Adult but looking for something with a little bite? Here's an event geared toward the other side of NA. Whether your tastes range toward shifters or men from other dimensions, there's a New Adult title out there for you. 

Come by for prizes, games, and fun at the Facebook party between 8-10 est on February 13th.  

Prizes in Rafflecopter: 

Prize Pack: 
 

Signed Copies of: 

Flight by Alyssa Rose Ivy 

The Devil's Flowers by Lisa Collicutt  

Oxford Whisper's by Marion Croslydon  

Destiny Gift by Juliana Haygert  

River's Recruit by Charlotte Abel  

Fate by A.K. Morgan  

The Secret World of Alaina Downs by Rebecca Rynecki  

Ebooks: 

The Crimson Hunt by Victoria H.Smith  

State of Emergency by Summer Lane 

My Alien Romance series by Magan Vernon  

Blood Fugue & Witch's Nocturne, Moonsongs Books 1 & 2 (NA paranormal-action novelettes) By E.J. Wesley  

Devour by Andrea Heltsley 

e-Arc of Oxford Shadows by Marion Croslydon  

Other Prizes: 

$15.00 Amazon or B&N eCard, Signed postcards from Lynn Rush 

Swag pack including Jewlery piece from Charlotte Abel  

Even more swag! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Participating Blogs:  

http://stefanienicholas.blogspot.ca/  

http://madelinedyer.co.uk/ 

http://jana-thebookgoddess.blogspot.co.uk/ 

http://defiantlydeviant.blogspot.com/ 

http://www.fortheloveoffilmandnovels.com/ 

http://newadultaddiction.blogspot.com/ 

http://confessionsofavi3tbabe.com/ 

http://doodlesbookblog.blogspot.com/ 

http://sweettreatblogblog.wordpress.com/author/candycoatedbookblog/ 

http://lissalynnsreviews.blogspot.com/ 

http://devouredwordsbookblog.blogspot.ca/ 

http://twimom101bookblog.blogspot.com/ 

http://paranormalopinion.blogspot.com/ 

http://booktimeforlife.blogspot.com/ 

http://sweetmarie-83.blogspot.ca/ 

http://paperrdolls.com/ 

http://paranormal-bookclub.com/ 

http://heather-andrews.blogspot.com/ 

http://iheartyabooks.blogspot.com/ 

For this event I have the pleasure of spotlighting Jennifer Snyder and her upcoming book Catalyst.

Jennifer Snyder lives in North Carolina were she spends most of her time writing young adult fiction, reading, and struggling to stay on top of housework. She is an instant coffee lover with an obsession for spiral bound notebooks and smooth writing pens. Jennifer lives with her husband and two children, who endure listening to songs that spur inspiration on repeat and tolerate her love for all paranormal, teenage-targeted TV shows. 

Find Jennifer Online:

{Blog || Facebook || Twitter || GoodReads}  

Catalyst Excerpt: 

*Please note this is an unedited, first glimpse teaser. For an even steamier scene between Kace and Addison, please visit Jennifer's blog!*

 

Kace’s mouth slanted across mine, his soft lips tasting sweeter than I’d even imagined. My hands ran up the length of his torso, feeling the ridged muscles beneath. Whatever it was that seemed to be unfurling every time we touched had centered itself in my chest now. It grew and pulsated with each brush of his lips, each flick of his tongue, against mine.  

Something was inside of me… something was awakening.  

But it wasn’t just me. The same was happening inside of him, too. I’d been right before. I could sense it somehow. As our kisses deepened, so did the sensation I was feeling. Whatever it was had long grown warm, heated by his nearness. It simmered in my chest, powerful and still in waiting. Kace’s hand slipped beneath my shirt and pressed against the skin of my lower back, causing the sensation to spread rapidly through me. The more skin he touched, the faster it spread. Just as abruptly as Kace had initiated the kiss, he ended it. 

He pulled back and leaned his forehead against mine. Keeping his eyes closed, he struggled to catch his breath same as I was. “There…I know you had to have felt that. Do you have any idea who—what—you are now?” 

“What was that?” I whispered, breathless and afraid to speak too loud, because it would crush the moment I was still trying to savor. 

“Magick,” He answered simply as though it were the most natural response. 

I pulled back from Kace and grimaced. Partly because of his answer and partly because whatever he had released inside of me during our kiss was now receding once again. It was tucking itself back into an unknown area, back to where I couldn’t reach it on my own. This I was sure of. 

 “Magick?” I repeated, dumbfounded. 

Magick wasn’t real. It was something magicians claimed to use to create illusions and tricks of the eye, but not something I would have inside of me. No, what I’d felt was lust. Passion. God, Vera was right. I really needed to find myself a rebound guy. I glanced up at Kace, meeting his eyes and basking in their incredible shade of blue. 

Unfortunately, my rebound guy wasn’t going to be him. He was crazier than me. 

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