Tour Stop: Interview with Dan Krokos - Author of THE PLANET THIEVES - Plus Giveaway

I loved Dan Krokos's FALSE MEMORY and I'm pretty excited to start his middle grade debut, THE PLANET THIEVES soon. Today, I've got a Q&A with the author and a giveaway for an early copy of his debut! Read on.

IceyBooks: Pitch THE PLANET THIEVES in a tweet.

Dan Krokos: "Mason Stark is a 13 year old cadet in the Earth Space Command, who must retake his ship from enemy hands, and recover a planet-stealing devi" Darn it, I ran out of characters!

IceyBooks: Many novels are inspired by one sentence or question, what inspired you to write your middle grade debut?

Dan Krokos: What would happen if a group of young cadets with training but no experience were forced to take control of a warship, and then use that warship to save the world when no one else can?

IceyBooks: Do you have a favorite line that was removed from the original draft of THE PLANET THIEVES?

Dan Krokos:No, but that's because I usually add to my drafts. I start out really short, and then expand on things. Some stuff has gotten cut, and I definitely miss some of it, but it was so long ago that I don't even remember what it was.

IceyBooks: Give us the three:
-Movies you can't wait to see:
Dan Krokos: EASY: Star Trek Into Darkness, Man of Steel, and Fast and Furious 6.

IceyBooks: -Snacks you're craving right now:
Dan Krokos: Is coffee a snack? I'm not much of a snacker. Though I do love chips and salsa. I will eat an entire bag of chips and salsa, and then wonder why I have heartburn.

IceyBooks: -Books you can't wait to read:
Dan Krokos: I can't wait to read the sixth Game of Thrones book, if I'm still alive when it comes out. I'm also looking forward to the final Divergent book, but who isn't?

After pumping gas for nine years to put himself through college, Dan Krokos, now twenty-six, dropped out to write full-time. He enjoys watching TV, playing MMORPGs, and drinking coffee. Currently, he’s hard at work on the next book in Miranda’s journey.

Find Dan on: Goodreads | Website | Twitter
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Two weeks ago, thirteen-year-old Mason Stark and seventeen of his fellow cadets from the Academy for Earth Space Command boarded the SS Egypt. The trip was supposed to be a short routine voyage to log their required spacetime for summer quarter.

But routine goes out the airlock when they’re attacked by the Tremist, an alien race who have been at war with humanity for the last sixty years.

With the captain and crew dead, injured, or taken prisoner, Mason and the cadets are all that’s left to warn the ESC. And soon they find out exactly why the Tremist chose this ship to attack: the Egypt is carrying a weapon that could change the war forever.

Now Mason will have to lead the cadets in a daring assault to take back the ship, rescue the survivors, and recover the weapon. Before there isn’t a war left to fight.

Marina the Mystery: A Review of ARCLIGHT by Josin L. McQuien

 
ARCLIGHT
Josin L. McQuien
400 pages
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Release Date: April 23rd, 2013
Source: ARC from Publisher
Rating: REALLY LIKED

No one crosses the wall of light . . . except for one girl who doesn’t remember who she is, where she came from, or how she survived. A harrowing, powerful debut thriller about finding yourself and protecting your future—no matter how short and uncertain it may be.

The Arclight is the last defense. The Fade can’t get in. Outside the Arclight’s border of high-powered beams is the Dark. And between the Light and the Dark is the Grey, a narrow, barren no-man’s-land. That’s where the rescue team finds Marina, a lone teenage girl with no memory of the horrors she faced or the family she lost. Marina is the only person who has ever survived an encounter with the Fade. She’s the first hope humanity has had in generations, but she could also be the catalyst for their final destruction. Because the Fade will stop at nothing to get her back. Marina knows it. Tobin, who’s determined to take his revenge on the Fade, knows it. Anne-Marie, who just wishes it were all over, knows it.

When one of the Fade infiltrates the Arclight and Marina recognizes it, she will begin to unlock secrets she didn’t even know she had. Who will Marina become? Who can she never be again?

    Mesmerizing and enchanting, ARCLIGHT is a book that will leave you edgy and breathless before you finish the first chapter.

   The world has crumbled and darkness is taking over. The human race is dwindling. The Arclight is the last and only known place where the humans reside. And between the Dark, a land where only the Fade live, and the safety of the Arclight, lies the Grey. A foggy piece of land that any man with common-sense would never dare to trespass. And it's here in the Grey that they find Marina, a scared and lonely teenage girl.

   Marina is a mystery to everyone. Including herself. She has no memory of her life before or if there are others like her, out there. And ever since she arrived at the Arclight, the Fade are beginning to attack more and more.

    Arclight was amazing from the beginning. Action flowed across every page, and the characters were fantastically described. I wasn't able to flip the pages fast enough in my rush to keep up with the plot.

    Half the time I couldn't decide if I should laugh, cry, or scream in anger. I loved the plot and settings. Josin L. McQuien knows how to write a novel that is perfect from start to finish. When she describes the world, it's not boring and dragged out - it's captivating.

    Sure some parts in the beginning were confusing, but as the plot plays out, everything falls into place. From the very first chapter to the last, I was holding my breath, watching and waiting for the bomb to drop. It came sooner than I expected, and much much bigger than I thought. One moment I was smiling and nodding, the next I was staring at the book in disbelief. All in all, ARCLIGHT was fantastic. It's a read you should definitely pick up - it won't disappoint!

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What's Next (52) -- Aliens, Historical Fiction, and Twins

<a href="http://www.iceybooks.com/2012/05/introducing-new-meme-whats-next.html"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eRpXay-imbc/T8Ufyfx1GiI/AAAAAAAADfw/dgJ4XLisUE0/s1600/whatsnext.jpg" /></a>

Hi everyone! Welcome to the another week of What's Next?! Click here to read more about the meme and be sure to link up your posts below.

Here are a few I have to (or want to!) read soon. Which first?

Two weeks ago, thirteen-year-old Mason Stark and seventeen of his fellow cadets from the Academy for Earth Space Command boarded the SS Egypt. The trip was supposed to be a short routine voyage to log their required spacetime for summer quarter.

But routine goes out the airlock when they're attacked by the Tremist, an alien race who have been at war with humanity for the last sixty years.

With the captain and the crew dead, injured, or taken prisoner, Mason and the cadets are all that's left to warn the ESC. And soon they find out exactly why the Tremist chose this ship to attack: the Egypt is carrying a weapon that could change the war forever.

Now Mason will have to lead the cadets in a daring assault to take back the ship, rescue the survivors, and recover the weapon. Before there isn't a war left to fight.

This powerful historical fiction debut, set in medieval Wales, follows Cecily whose family is lured by cheap land and the duty of all Englishman to help keep down the “vicious” Welshmen, and Gwenhwyfar, a Welsh girl who must wait hand and foot on her new English mistress. As issues of prejudice, heritage, and occupation come to a head, both girls have to find a way to survive.

Lots of twins have a special connection, but twelve-year-old Matt and Emily Calder can do way more than finish each other’s sentences. Together, they are able to bring art to life and enter paintings at will. Their extraordinary abilities are highly sought after, particularly by a secret group who want to access the terrors called Hollow Earth. All the demons, devils, and evil creatures ever imagined are trapped for eternity in the world of Hollow Earth—trapped unless special powers release them.

The twins flee from London to a remote island off the west coast of Scotland in hopes of escaping their pursuers and gaining the protection of their grandfather, who has powers of his own. But the villains will stop at nothing to find Hollow Earth and harness the powers within. With so much at stake, nowhere is safe—and survival might be a fantasy.

What's Next??
Link up your What's Next posts below. Please use a direct link. And be sure to return next week!

RELATIVITY by Cristin Bishara (WoW #139)

Waiting On Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that everyone's excited about!

If Ruby Wright could have her way, her dad would never have met and married her stepmother Willow, her best friend George would be more than a friend, and her mom would still be alive. Ruby knows wishes can't come true; some things just can't be undone. Then she discovers a tree in the middle of an Ohio cornfield with a wormhole to nine alternative realities.

Suddenly, Ruby can access completely different realities, each containing variations of her life—if things had gone differently at key moments. The windshield wiper missing her mother’s throat…her big brother surviving his ill-fated birth…her father never having met Willow. Her ideal world—one with everything and everyone she wants most—could be within reach. But is there such a thing as a perfect world? What is Ruby willing to give up to find out?

RELATIVITY will be released September 10th 2013 from Walker Childrens.

What are you waiting on this Wednesday?

Incredibly Good: A Review of OF TRITON by Anna Banks

 
OF TRITON
Anna Banks
256 pages
Publisher: Macmillan
Release Date: May 28th, 2012
Source: ARC from Publisher
Rating: LOVED

In this sequel to OF POSEIDON, Emma has just learned that her mother is a long-lost Poseidon princess, and now struggles with an identity crisis: As a Half-Breed, she’s a freak in the human world and an abomination in the Syrena realm below. Syrena law states that all Half- Breeds should be put to death.

As if that’s not bad enough, her mother’s reappearance among the Syrena turns the two kingdoms—Poseidon and Triton—against one another. Which leaves Emma with a decision to make: Should she comply with Galen’s request to keep herself safe and just hope for the best? Or should she risk it all and reveal herself—and her Gift—to save a people she’s never known?

There's something about Anna Banks's writing that is genius. It's funny, yet at the same time serious, and paints a picture so vividly that you can't help but wonder if you need an oxygen tank for when she takes us beneath the surface.

In one sentence: OF TRITON is incredibly good.

In her sophomore debut, Anna Banks continues the story that began with a gigantic (unputdownable) splash in OF POSEIDON. I've said this before, but I'm a huge fan of mermaids, and this series takes the cake. And while I first had a feeling it might falter with a case of second-book-syndrome, it didn't. It blew my fears away with unexpected twists, character banter (which I ADORE) and a story that was just as good as the first.

The stakes felt higher in OF TRITON. With scandal and treason going against the Royals, Emma's life was pretty much on the rocks. Which reminds me: Emma was as awesome in OF TRITON as she was in OF POSEIDON. And if you haven't read Anna Banks's debut, get on that. ASAP.

While some people found the dual POV of first-person and third-person confusing, I found it genius. Switch to the author's point of view and think about how difficult it could be to get voice in third-person that differs the first. Yep, it isn't easy. Yet Anna Banks makes it seem effortless, and while switching POVs may seem unnecessary, believe me, it is.

There isn't much to say about OF TRITON other than: it is so good, you need to pick it up. Because that's just what it is. I don't usually pick up novels that are more humor than serious. But OF TRITON, and its predecessor, OF POSEIDON, aren't more humor than serious - they combine both into a completely unbelievable must-read series.

Find Anna on her Website | Twitter | Facebook
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Hitting Shelves Today (71) -- May 21st, 2013

Hitting Shelves Today is basically what it's name calls for - a post featuring books that hit shelves that day.

 

Night School by C.J. Daughtery
May 21st, 2013
Goodreads -- Amazon -- BN 

 

The Book of Broken Hearts by Sarah Ockler
May 21st, 2013
Goodreads -- Amazon -- BN

 

The Eternal War by Alex Scarrow
May 21st, 2013
Goodreads -- Amazon -- BN

 

How To Be A Star by M. Doty
May 21st, 2013
Goodreads -- Amazon -- BN 

 

The Dark Shore by Kevin Emerson
May 21st, 2013
Goodreads -- Amazon -- BN

Tour Stop: Interview with Tessa of IMPOSTOR by Susanne Winnacker - Plus Giveaway

Thrillers are pretty amazing. YA Thrillers? Even better. Today, I've got Susanne Winnacker and the main character of her upcoming release, IMPOSTOR, who just so happens to be a "Variant" by the name of Tessa - who sounds pretty awesome, based on the interview I had with her. Read on for an exclusive interview with the FEA agent and enter the giveaway below! Thanks to Mod Podge Tours for organizing the fun tour!

 

Can Tessa pose as Madison . . . and stop a killer before it’s too late?

Tessa is a Variant, able to absorb the DNA of anyone she touches and mimic their appearance. Shunned by her family, she’s spent the last two years training with the Forces with Extraordinary Abilities, a secret branch of the FBI. When a serial killer rocks a small town in Oregon, Tessa is given a mission: she must impersonate Madison, a local teen, to find the killer before he strikes again.

Tessa hates everything about being an impostor—the stress, the danger, the deceit—but loves playing the role of a normal girl. As Madison, she finds friends, romance, and the kind of loving family she’d do anything to keep. Amid action, suspense, and a ticking clock, this super-human comes to a very human conclusion: even a girl who can look like anyone struggles the most with being herself.

Hi Tessa, nice to have you here! Please describe yourself for our lovely readers who have never met you.

Tessa: I’m sixteen. I have turquoise eyes. People always notice them first because they aren’t quite normal. (Pauses and glances at Major who’s observing the interview. He gives a small nod.) Many Variants have strange eyes. My hair is curly and auburn, and I’m not very tall. At least I think that’s my own appearance. With my Variation, you never know. Maybe when I was a toddler I lay beside another baby in the baby unit and decided to steal their appearance. I guess, we’ll never know.

So you’re a Variant. What exactly is that and what can you do?

Tessa: We are humans who have a Variation, or mutation, that gives us certain talents. You wouldn’t believe what kind of Variations exist! (Major clears his throat.) I can’t really say much about my fellow agents’ Variations. That’s classified information, but my Variation is that I can absorb the DNA of other people and transform into them.

You’re an agent. What was your most exciting mission so far?

Tessa: Oh, I’m one of the youngest agents, so I didn’t have any exciting missions yet. So far all I’ve done were training missions with my best friend Holly, but soon I’ll be doing my first real mission. I’ll take the place of… (Major interrupts. “The mission isn’t part of this interview.”)

How would your perfect day look?

Tessa: No training. A late breakfast with Holly. Martha – she’s the best cook in the world – would make her perfect French toast for us and I would drink a big cup of Chai tea. After that Holly and I would spend the day on the sofa in the common room, eating pizza and watching her favorite romance movies. In the evening Alec and I would do a horror movie marathon.

Why don’t you tell us a bit about your family?

Tessa: FEA is my family.

Then maybe tell us a bit about your childhood? Your fondest childhood memory?

Tessa: There’s… not much to tell. My best memories are from my time in FEA headquarters.

What scares you the most? Maybe spiders? That’s what many girls would say, right?

Tessa: Why would I be scared of spiders? There are far worse things in this world. I’m afraid of losing Holly and FEA, and...myself.

Yourself?

Tessa: Sometimes my talent can be confusing.

Where do you see yourself in ten years?

Tessa: I’ll still be working for FEA. I hope Holly and I will be doing missions together. And maybe I’ll be with someone.

Someone? We want details! Maybe that someone is Alec?

Tessa: (Blushes and glances at Major) Alec is one of my best friends. He’s always there for me. (Major gets up. Tessa follows and smiles tightly.) Thanks for interviewing me.

Susanne Winnacker studied law before she became a full-time writer. She lives with her husband, a dog and three bunnies in Germany. She loves coffee (in every shape and form), traveling and animals. When she isn't writing, you can usually find her in the kitchen, experimenting with new vegan dishes. Her YA thriller IMPOSTOR will be published on May 28, 2013. It has been optioned for TV by Warner Brothers!

Find Susanne on her Website | Twitter | Facebook
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