QoTD Week: Presenting Mina Blackwell + teaser + giveaway!

So far during the QoTD week, we have heard from our headstrong cheerleader-from-the-afterlife Alona (twice) and from Will. Today it's my pleasure to introduce a brand new character from Queen of the Dead who I'd have to say, spices up the book some more. Here's Mina Blackwell!

Hey Mina, describe yourself in one word. And why so?

Fighter. Nobody's ever handed me anything. I didn't end up with all the right genes to make my life easier.

What is Mina Blackwell into?

Training. Improving my echo-handling skills.

If you were to die and find your spirit still on earth, what do you reckon you'd do?

Would never happen. It doesn't work that way. But if there's an echo of me left behind, I hope the Guardians will address it on my behalf.

If you weren't doing what you're doing now, which field of work do you reckon you'd end up in?

This is my life. I can't imagine not being a part of [redacted for spoilers] in some way. But if that wasn't a possibility, maybe something in law enforcement. I like helping keep people safe.

Any particularly memorable spirit you've bumped into in your uhh, career?

Nope, bag 'em, tag 'em, and move on. Plus, the more attention you give the echoes, the more difficult they become. They start thinking they're souls or people or something.<

What is your greatest success?

Tracking down a red-level echo.

And what is your greatest fear?

Failure.

Do you ever think of moving away from home and perhaps teaming with a spirit guide like Will's doing?

Absolutely not.

We know you believe that the world would be a better place without these spirits around, but is there anyone dead you'd want to meet and you know, chat with?

Nope. Like I said, talking to them only makes things more complicated. Besides, they'll tell you anything they think you want to hear if they think it'll keep you on their side. So there's no point in it.

What is Mina Blackwell's pet peeve?

Alona Dare. Does that count?

Will Alona ever learn, do you think?

*snorts* That princess? No.

What was your first impression of Will Killian? And I'm sure Alona would like to hear what you thought of her too.

Cute, but stupid. Well, not stupid exactly, I guess. Just naive and soft, untrained.

As for her...is there really any question what I thought of her at first? SPOILED. DEAD. PRINCESS. Yeah, that about sums it up, I think.


Thank you Mina! I'm not sure Alona loved this interview, but I sure did! It's great fun getting to know Mina more - she's an interesting character so say the least, and you guys should really look forward to the role she'll be playing in the Queen of the Dead!

And here's a short but meaningful teaser for you from Alona's words of wisdom:

If nothing else, you have to love being dead for the dramatic exits. 


Don't you just looove Alona? :)

Giveaway, Day 3.

We have several copies of Queen of the Dead and The Ghost and the Goth up for grabs this week, so if you want your hands on this awesome series, post a comment below and check back in tomorrow for more! For more information on how the giveaway runs, check it out HERE.

RULES.

• Open worldwide.
• You do NOT have to be a follower to enter - everyone is welcome!
• You DO have to comment on this post - because the giveaway is comment-based, use the same username to comment throughout the week.
• Extra entries welcome!
• Deadline for entries will be on 1st June 2011, 12MN BST.
• Winners will be drawn through random.org.
• Winners will be contacted via e-mail, and will be given 48 hours to respond. Otherwise a new name will be drawn.
• Any details will be deleted after use and will never be passed on to any third party.
• Fill out the form below!

Trial by Fire Chapter Trail!

Jennifer Lynn Barnes' Trial by Fire is out in the UK tomorrow and Quercus has a very special treat for you to celebrate! Below is the second part to the much awaited first chapter of Trial by Fire which I'm sure many of you are looking forward to read this evening. Follow the trail and check out the third and penultimate part on Bloggers Hearts Books! Don't forget to grab your respective copies in store or online tomorrow and wait no more. Enjoy! :)

…contd

“Bronwyn, please, you’re making me blush.” Dev–who could read me like a book, with or without whatever I was projecting through the pack-bond–adopted a scandalized tone and brought a hand to his chest, like he was seconds away from demanding smelling salts and going faint. But I sensed his wolf stirring beneath the surface and knew that it was hard for Devon on a day like today to be reminded that I wasn’t his to protect in the same way anymore.

That I was alpha.

That Chase and I were . . . whatever Chase and I were.

“Fine,” I said, flicking a French fry in Devon’s general direction. “Have it your way. No more school, no more books . . .”

Dev made an attempt at harmonizing with me, but given my complete lack of vocal chops, it did not go well, and a horrified silence descended over our entire table.

After several seconds, Devon regarded the rest of us with mock solemnity. “We shall never speak of this moment again.”

“In your dreams, Broadway boy.” Shaking out her long blonde hair–a motion laden with excess adrenaline–Lake stood and stretched her mile-long legs. If the girls in school were all secretly pining for Devon, the boys were absolutely smitten with Lake. Clearly, they’d never met the business end of her shotgun or had their butts whipped at pool.

Soon. Soon. Soon.

Across the table, Maddy sighed, and Devon bumped her shoulder with his, a comforting gesture meant to communicate that he understood. Soon, our entire pack would be gathered in the woods. Soon, the Weres would Shift and I would let their power flow through me, until I forgot I was human and the difference between four legs and two virtually disappeared.

Soon–but not soon enough.

“So,” I said, my voice low and soothing, intent on keeping my pack-mates focused, however briefly, on the here and now. “Hamlet. What do I need to know?”

“New girl.” I balked at Lake’s answer. “I was thinking more along the lines of Guildencrantz and Frankenstein.”

“Rosencrantz and Guildenstern,” Devon corrected absent­mindedly as he followed Lake’s gaze to the double archway at the front of the cafeteria. I turned to look, too, and the rest of the student body took their cue from us, until everyone was eyeballing the girl who stood there.

She was small–the word tiny wouldn’t have been a misnomer–and her eyes seemed to take up a disproportionate amount of her face. Her skin was very pale, and she was dressed almost entirely in black, save for a pair of white leather gloves that covered her arms from the elbows down.

She looked like a porcelain doll, and she felt like a threat. Given that I could tell, even from a distance, that she wasn’t a Were, I had no idea why something inside me insisted I track her every move.

“The natives are getting kind of restless,” Devon commented offhand. Weston wasn’t a big school, and mid-semester transfers were practically unheard of, so White Leather Gloves was garnering more than her fair share of murmurs and stares.

Including mine.

“Mayhaps I should go play the white knight, divert the spotlight a little?”

Devon’s suggestion was enough to make me switch my gaze from the new girl to him.

“No.”

I wasn’t sure who was more shocked by the sharpness with which that word exited my mouth–Devon or me. Our pack didn’t do orders. Given the way I felt about people get­ting dictatorial with me, I wasn’t prone to pulling rank on anyone else. Besides, Devon and I had spent so much time together growing up that even if he hadn’t been my second-in­command, I still wouldn’t have been able to force my will on him. The closest I could come to ordering him to do anything was threatening to decapitate him if he didn’t stop singing The Best of ABBA at the top of his lungs, and even that was mostly futile.

With a lightly inquisitive noise, Devon caught my gaze and held it. “Something you’d like to share with the class there, Bryn?” he asked, arching one eyebrow to ridiculous heights while keeping the other perfectly in place.

I debated answering, but it was probably nothing–just that time of the month, with emotions running high and my heart beating with the power of the impending full moon. Still, I hadn’t spent my entire life growing up around people capable of snapping my neck like a Popsicle stick without learning to pay attention when my instincts put me on high alert.

If my gut said someone was a threat, I had to at least con­sider the possibility that it was true–even if the someone in question was five foot nothing and human down to the tips of her leather-clad fingers.

Instead of mentioning any of this to Devon and opening that can of worms, I threw another French fry in his general direction, and the tension between us melted away as he reached for his plate and armed himself. “You know, of course,” he said, pitching his voice low, “that this means war.”

I couldn’t help glancing back toward the archway and the new girl who’d been standing there a moment before, but she was already gone.

Pack. Pack. Pack.

Protect. Protect. Protect.

I let the feeling wash over me, absorbed it, and then relegated it to the back of my head, with the promise of soon, soon, soon and the desire to run. At the moment, I had more immediate concerns–like my retention of Hamlet definitely leaving something to be desired and the incoming French fry flying directly at my face.

QoTD Week: An Interview with Will Killian, teaser + giveaway!

Day 2 of our Queen of the Dead week celebrations here at Girls Without a Bookshelf and today I have had the privilege of sharing with you an exclusive, and very rare one-to-one interview with surely one of the most awww-some heroes in the YA world - Will Killian!

Of course as an unexpected bonus we also have - surprise, surprise - Alona Dare tagging along to annoy, irritate, make Will feel uncomfortable, support Will!

Hi Will. Since Alona is also here, why not talk about her? Any secrets of the legendary Alona Dare you wish to divulge now that you can?

Will: Yeah, no. Sorry, but I still have to work with her. So, the fact that she has six toes on each foot will have to remain a secret forever.

Alona: *Elbows him. Hard.*

Will: Ow! I was just kidding! Besides you told them I talk in my sleep.

Alona: You do!

Will: So you say.

Alona: Do you really want me to record it? Bring others in to witness it? Because seriously, that could be arranged.

Will: Never mind.

What's the most irritating thing a spirit has ever done to you / asked of you?

Will: Some of them really don't respect boundaries. There have been a few, uh, peeping incidents...

Alona: I told you that was an accident! Don't be in the shower at 7:03, okay?

Will: *sighs* Not you. This was before I met you. Or, you know before you, uh, crossed over.

Alona: Seriously? Ew. Let me know if that happens again. I will so not be putting up with that...on your behalf, I mean.

Will: Right.

How much has life changed for you since Alona came into your life? (Err - positive or negative.)

Will: For all the hassle and strife and pain in the--

Alona: Hey!

Will: --my life is better. I feel, I don't know, safer, more sane, better able to deal with whatever's thrown my way. Some of that is having her around. Some of it's because of the changes she pushed me to make, like telling my mom the truth.

Unfortunately, I also now know way too much about cheerleading, Krispy Kreme, the Lifetime channel, and Bath and Body Works scent rotation schedule.

When was your first ghostly encounter?

Will: I don't really know. When I was little, I didn't know the people I was seeing weren't alive or that others couldn't see them. The first time I realized all of that was when I was six and talked about seeing my grandmother, who was dead. I think my dad had been hoping I wouldn't inherit his ability, but he wasn't all that surprised. My mom freaked, of course.

You HAVE to tell me this: how exactly did your little crush on Alona Dare begin?

Alona: Yeah, Will. Let's hear all about when you started adoring me.

Will: *shifts uncomfortably* I'm not really sure that's a good idea. And besides, I don't really remember...

Alona: Liar.

Will: *glaring* Fine. It was raining outside and you came in from recess with your hair all puffed up and--

Alona: Oh, my God, you liked me when my hair was FRIZZY? What is WRONG with you?

Has Alona begin forcing you to dress differently yet? Will you?

Will: No. But she's limited, and frustrated, I think, by the fact that she can't buy clothes for me. So she's reduced to sighing, rolling her eyes a lot and making snide comments. Will I change the way I dress? Probably not. What's wrong with it?

Alona: *sighs* Don't EVEN get me started.

Now that you've shed some light on your father's past, have you ever speculated about his death?

Will: I've always been caught between trying not to think about it and trying to understand why. I think he must have thought he had no choice, that he was caught between two impossible situations.

Have you ever considered a future where you'd make your ability a business?

Will: Interesting that you should ask that. Alona has mentioned it a time or twenty, especially recently.

If there's one thing your spirit guide has taught you in the two months of being with her, what would you say it was?

Will: That my life is worth living, even if it's difficult. Because you only get one.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years' time?

Will: Right now, I'm just focusing on one day at a time. Sometimes just an hour at a time.

(Apart from Alona Dare,) what is Will Killian into?

Will: Movies, graphic novels, hanging out with my friends...the few I have left.

Your father aside, is there anyone from the afterlife you'd love to meet and talk to?

Will: No. My life is already complicated enough. Definitely not looking find any more ghosts to talk to.


Thank you, Will, for sharing a part of you with us. And uh, thank you to Alona also for uh partaking in Will's supposed solo interview.

Teasers anyone? How do you feel about a little romantic quote from our resident goth?

Will: Her scent filled me, overwhelmed me with the desire to shut out everything but her. This girl who equally drove me crazy and made me care more about her than I should. She was the only one who understood. The only one who could make what I was more bearable, even if she occasionally tortured me in the process.

Giveaway, Day 2.

We have several copies of Queen of the Dead and The Ghost and the Goth up for grabs this week, so if you want your hands on this awesome series, post a comment below and check back in tomorrow for more! For more information on how the giveaway runs, check it out HERE.

RULES.

• Open worldwide.
• You do NOT have to be a follower to enter - everyone is welcome!
• You DO have to comment on this post - because the giveaway is comment-based, use the same username to comment throughout the week.
• Extra entries welcome!
• Deadline for entries will be on 1st June 2011, 12MN BST.
• Winners will be drawn through random.org.
• Winners will be contacted via e-mail, and will be given 48 hours to respond. Otherwise a new name will be drawn.
• Any details will be deleted after use and will never be passed on to any third party.
• Fill out the form below!

Note - Rather than the 'username name you used to comment on Alona Dare's interview post', I meant 'the username name you used to comment on Will Killian's interview post.' Either way, you should have given the same name and commented on this post to enter.

QoTD Week: Getting to know THE Alona Dare, teaser + giveaway!

This girl needs to introduction. Let's welcome the prettiest and most popular cheerleader of them all ... Miss Alona Dare, also known as Queen of the Dead.


Hi Alona! So let's start with this - What was a typical day like for (a living) Alona Dare?

Get up super early, track down my mother in the house--hopefully she's in the house and not passed out in the garage. Clean up whatever mess she's made and make sure her head is tilted to the side so she won't choke if she gets sick again. Get showered and dressed in the outfit I picked out the night before (possibly switching to my back up outfit, depending on how I feel). Arrive at school in time for zero hour and then meet up with Misty and Chris and keep them from fighting with one another (oh, if I'd only known then what I know now...).


Go to classes, dispense helpful fashion advice here and there, ignore the weirdos and losers (do not want contamination by association), field several calls from my dad about whatever he wants my mom to do.


After cheerleading practice, go to Misty's house to hang out until I have to go home. At home, check to make sure my mom is alive and breathing (usually obnoxiously drunk again by that point) and then retreat to my room and lock the door to do homework and prep for the next day.


Lather, rinse, repeat.

You have to be completely honest about this, Alona - what do you think is Will's best asset?
And his worse?

He really does try to see the best in people. To understand and sympathize with them. Which can also be completely frustrating, I might add.


He doesn't stand up for himself. Getting him to believe he's worth something and therefore has a right not to be pummeled by the undead has just about killed me...again.

Is undead life more difficult to live than living life?


It depends. Undead life never really changes, you know? It's like there's a giant reset button every morning. And there's something kind of reassuring about that. Makes it very easy to plan. But that also means there's never any really new experiences to be gained. And that kind of sucks.

What do you miss most about living?

The food! Not just the choices, but the actual act of eating and tasting...you don't think about it that much until it's gone.

What do you like best about your new job?

I do like helping people. Contrary to what Will and some others might think, I was always trying to be helpful. Some people just don't know how to appreciate me and my particular brand of helpfulness, I guess.

If you can change one thing about your undead life as a spirit guide what will it be?

Being dragged to wherever Will is at 7:03 every morning. Oh, yeah, it was fine and good during the school year. But after graduation and with him working, yeah...there were a few "shower" incidents. I mean, how hard is it to remember: don't be naked at 7:03 a.m. Seriously.


Not that I'm complaining exactly...the boy has abs. ;)

You've obviously hated how quickly your "friends" moved on after your death. How long do you suppose is a respectable mourning period?

Duh. Forever. I should have been such a loss to them that they'd never properly recover. Isn't that how we all want it to be when we die?

Are there any secrets of Will you can share with us now that you're tied to him at the hip?

Oh! I know so many, many things. :) But not anything I'm willing to share here. Information is currency, you know, especially for people in my condition.


But I will say this, which might be something even Will doesn't know about himself. He talks in his sleep, occasionally.  :)

What quote do you abide by?


Pretty is as pretty does...and pretty does a lot. :)

(Note from Stacey: I'm not sure Alona's interpretation of this saying exactly matches the traditional understanding of the quote...)

Any advice for the newly dead?


If you need us, try to find us. We'll do our best to help you. Or, Will will do his best, and I'll provide helpful commentary. But don't lie to us. It's really annoying.

What is Alona Dare's pet peeve?

People who won't fight for themselves and expect others to do it for them. And black licorice. Gross.

I see you've met Mina Blackwell, though not in the best of circumstance.Of course, as the Queen of the Dead, any fashion advice to this girl?

Please. Where do I begin? Honestly, she should burn her wardrobe--if one could even call it that--and start fresh. It's not hard to find cute clothes at a good price. There are lots of resale shops around, if she could be bothered with it, which I doubt. She also needs a major hair intervention.

Oh I adore you Alona!

She's super awesome - and more so after Queen of the Dead, I assure you! And speaking of Queen of the Dead, I'm sure you'd like to read the excerpt now, so here it is. Enjoy!

Will: I just looked at her. Since [Alona] hadn't had anything to eat or drink in well over enough, I seriously doubted that was a concern. Besides which, I hadn't ever heard of any ghosts visiting a bathroom, unless, of course, they'd died there. (No, I've never met Elvis, but it's an educated guess.) 

Check back in tomorrow for more teasers, plus a rare interview with Will Killian with a special participation of ... Alona Dare. Again.

Giveaway, Day 1.

We have several copies of Queen of the Dead and The Ghost and the Goth up for grabs this week, so if you want your hands on this awesome series, post a comment below and check back in tomorrow for more! For more information on how the giveaway runs, check it out HERE.

RULES.

• Open worldwide.
• You do NOT have to be a follower to enter - everyone is welcome!
• You DO have to comment on this post - because the giveaway is comment-based, use the same username to comment throughout the week.
• Extra entries welcome!
• Deadline for entries will be on 1st June 2011, 12MN BST.
• Winners will be drawn through random.org.
• Winners will be contacted via e-mail, and will be given 48 hours to respond. Otherwise a new name will be drawn.
• Any details will be deleted after use and will never be passed on to any third party.
• Fill out the form below!

QoTD Week: The Giveaway!

Do you want to win ...

... this?

... plus this?

... and some more of this?

Well then here's your chance! From today until the release of Stacey Kade's Queen of the Dead, we'll be giving away several copies of Queen of the Dead plus The Ghost and the Goth too! 

All you have to do is to comment on the posts this week to be eligible - the more comments you give the more chances of you winning! Sharing the link will also give more entries so spread the word! 

Fill out the form at the end of each post everyday to submit your entry for that day and at the end of the week, we'll add them up for you and choose our winners from the pool of entries!

So now all there's to do is to check out Alona's interview, comment and fill out the form to submit your Day 1 entries!

Will's Interview for Day 2 is up - check out how Alona tagged along, comment and fill out the form to submit your entries for the second day!

Presenting Mina Blackwell is our day 3 feature. Meet a fresh character from Queen of the Dead and don't forget to comment to enter your day 3 entries!

Check out our Author Interview with Stacey Kade for day 4!

Want to know who's who in Stacey's Ghost and the Goth and Queen of the Dead movie casting choices? Check our Movie Casting post for more!

Giveaway Galore post - a fun, creative challenge to compete over!

Check out the Music Playlist for Queen of the Dead - selected by Stacey herself!

Finally, here's what I think about Queen of the Dead - QoTD Review!

Good luck ;)

Queen of the Dead Week @ Girls Without a Bookshelf!

I've been looking forward to hosting this very special week for months and I'm super excited that it has finally dawned!

You know I'm one of the biggest fans of Stacey Kade's The Ghost and the Goth, which was one of my favourite reads of 2010, and have been eagerly awaiting Queen of the Dead since. Well, what better way to end the whole wait than to devote a weekly special to it? So dear readers, let me welcome you to the Queen of the Dead Week here at Girls Without a Bookshelf!

For the past few weeks Stacey and I have been e-mailing each other to prepare for the event and we sure have a lot in store for you! We have tons of insider deets from Alona and Will, a special giveaway coming up, plus QoTD teasers - so don't miss out!

Check out what's in-store for you in the upcoming days:

• Tuesday 24 May - Getting to know the Alona Dare
• Wednesday 25th May - An Interview with Will Killian
• Thursday 26th May - Presenting Mina Blackwell
• Friday 27th May - Author Interview with Stacey Kade (part deux!)
• Saturday 28th May - G&G and QoTD Movie Casting
• Sunday 29th May - QoTD Giveaway galore!
• Monday 30th May -  QoTD Soundtrack
• Tuesday 31st May - (Release Day!) QoTD review!

I hope you'll join us in celebrating the upcoming release day of Queen of the Dead - if you're not already awaiting this it's something that you should be impatiently looking forward to! It's a fantastic book - take it from me!

Check back in later in the day for our interview with Alona Dare, who I'm sure is much obliged to start the week with a bang! Plus, we'll have our first teaser from QoTD chosen by Stacey herself and the giveaway details.

We're looking forward to hearing from you this coming week!

Vampirates: Immortal War Blog Tour!

A very exciting - and a pretty self explanatory announcement here ladies and gents, but with only two weeks to go before the much awaited release day of Justin Somper's Vampirates: Immortal War (out 9th June), a very special 11 day blog tour is headed your way!


Here is Justin talking more about Immortal War and the upcoming blog tour:






Isn't he just awesome? :) I had the pleasure of meeting Justin during the Simon and Schuster's blogger event back in February and he is such a cool, funny guy! I've got my very own signed copies of Vampirates and I'll giveaway some signed bookmarks for you during the tour as well. So don't forget to drop by here at Girls Without a Bookshelf on 11th June for Justin's post about the music playlist for Vampirates, and get to know more of Justin's music tastes!


The full schedule of the tour will be as follows -

Feel free to post the banner on your sidebars!

Monday 6th June -- Chicklish - Extract #1 

Tuesday 7th June -- My Favourite Books - An interview with Justin Somper 

Wednesday 8th June -- The Crooked Shelf - Guest Post: on Lady Lola Lockwood & The Women of Vampirates

Thursday 9th June -- Feeling Fictional - Animal Antics 

Friday 10th June -- The Bookette --Extract #2 

Saturday 11th June - Girls Without A Bookshelf - Playlists & The Music of Vampirates

Sunday 12th June - Wondrous Reads - 10 Ways to Know You're Obsessed with Vampirates 

Monday 13th June -- Daisy Chain Books - Guest Post: Ending An Era -- Killing Off Vampirates 

Tuesday 14th June -- Empire of Books -- Top ten Vampirates characters ever

Wednesday 15th June -- Book Zone For Boys -- Q&A with Justin

Thursday 16th June - I Want To Read That - WIN! Vampirates swag

Royal Wedding Giveaway Winners!

Much apologies for the delay in announcing the winners, but there were soo many entries and soo many links to verify so it took so much time - plus, I am in the midst of my final exams so revision is taking its toll as well. Having said that, it's time to announce the winner! With over 3,300 entries, the two lucky winners are:

# 2684

Marcel G.

# 983

Stephanie A.

Congratulations! I have already sent you both e-mails, so please check your inbox and reply within 48 hours. Thank you all for entering - watch out for more giveaways coming soon, especially during the Queen of the Dead week I shall be holding. Trust me, you'd want to get hold of this book!

P.S. Another winner to announce, before I completely forget! Christy M. you're the winner of The Opposite of Amber from the Gillian Philip blog tour. E-mail coming your way shortly!

Silence

O.M.G.
Click HERE for a little sneak peek at Silence!

Giveaway: A Royal Wedding Treat!

Hello folks!

As you may have guessed, this giveaway has everything to do with my excitement for the royal wedding - because ladies, admit it. We adore grand weddings, especially those with stories so deliciously exciting it's impossible to resist. We LOVE romances and on 29th April it seems the world will be treated to a true-to-life fairy tale wedding!

I am a such a big romantic at heart, so here is my own little celebration of Will and Kate's upcoming nuptials! I am so very excited :)

We dreamers may lose one more dashing prince to pine for this friday, but worry not - royal or not, there are many equally dashing princes in young adult fiction! Which is why I adore it so much ;) So while we excite our romantic selves to death anticipating the wedding of the decade, I'm giving away pre-orders of these much-awaited YA romances, each of which have their very own handsome, dashing heroes fit to be princes!

Up for grabs are:

Tris & Izzie (Mette Ivie Harrison)

Chain Reaction (Simone Elkeles)

Love Story (Jennifer Echols)

 Epic Fail (Claire La Zebnick)

The Vampire Stalker (Allison Van Diepen)

Lola and the Boy Next Door (Stephanie Perkins)

Illuminated (Erica Orloff)

Winter's Shadow (M.J. Hearle)

Jessica Rules the Dark Side (Beth Fantaskey)

Ripple (Mandy Hubbard)

There will be two winners of 5 books each - first drawn winner picks his/her choice of 5 books and the rest goes to the second drawn winner. In filling the form I shall require only one thing of you - and that is to kindly spread the word! The more the merrier, right?

RULES!

• Two winners, five books each.
• Open worldwide.
• You do NOT have to be a follower to enter - but of course, extra entries to our lovely followers! 
• You DO have to spread the word by sharing the link anywhere in cyberspace (twitter, facebook, sidebar, etc)
• Don't forget to tick the five titles of your choice.
• Deadline for entries will be on 10th May 2011, 12MN BST.
• Winners will be drawn through random.org.
• Winners will be contacted via e-mail, and will be given 48 hours to respond. Otherwise a new name will be drawn.
• Any details will be deleted after use and will never be passed on to any third party.

Finally, please fill out the form completely - especially the required details! 

Everything in order? Click HERE to fill out the form. Good luck!

Now I think all there is left to say is - Best Wishes to Kate and Will! :D

Liz Kessler Blog Tour: If I had a Time Machine...

Hello folks! To celebrate the release of A Year Without Autumn, today I'm having the wonderful Liz Kessler on the blog! Ever wondered what you'll do if you were somehow in possession of a Time Machine? Who am I kidding, of course you did! I think we all have gone through that phase in our childhood, haven't we?

Check out what Liz'll do below! Welcome Liz!

My new book, A Year Without Autumn, is all about a girl who accidentally slips
forward in time. Everyone except her is a year older then they were the day
before. She has no idea how she got there – and even worse than that, she
discovers that some terrible things have happened in the year that she’s lost.

Jenni has to try to figure out a way to go back in time and change what happened
so that her life – and her best friend’s life – can get back on track without the
disaster that is fated to happen.

So this got me thinking. What if I could travel in time? What would I do? Where
would I go? What would I want to find out? And perhaps more importantly, what
wouldn’t I want to find out?

So here are the top five things I would do if I had a time machine.

1. I would go back in time to the beginning of the earth. I know that the
atmospheric conditions would probably mean I wouldn’t survive very long, so
the time machine would have to come equipped with every type of survival outfit
you would need. But how cool would that be? To see planet earth when it very
first started!!

2. I would go forward in time 500 years and see if we still exist! Some of my
favourite books at the moment are set in futuristic worlds where life is run by
societies very different from our own. I’d love to see what is really in store for
our civilisation. Will we still be around then? Will we have conquered illness and
poverty – or will cockroaches be the only things walking?

3. I would go back about thirty years, when my beloved grandmother, who we
called Mama, was alive. I would tell her that I love her, and that I’ll never forget
her. But most of all, I’d give her an enormous hug. She was always the best
hugger. Oh, OK, if I’m honest – I’d get her to make me some of her wonderful
chocolate cake too!!

4. I’d go forward maybe ten years or so, and see if my books are still on the
shelves. If they were, I’d come back and take all my friends and family out for a
slap up meal. And if they weren’t, I’d get on the phone to my publicist and tell her
we need to work harder!!

5. And finally, when I’d had all those adventures in my time machine, I think I’d
destroy it. Because, you know what? The present is really all that we’ve got – and
at this moment, I’m pretty happy with that!

*

Thanks Liz! Number five didn't quite fit with my plans, but I'm selfish like that ;) Phew, suddenly I'm glad no one has the gift (or burden?) of having such machine - because as we all know, with great power   comes great responsibility! 

Don't forget to check out Liz's blog at http://www.lizkessler.co.uk/  and the rest of the tour stops below:

Chime Giveaway: New Winners!

Because both of the original winners did not have a UK address (please DO read the rules - I have said UK only!), I'm picking new winners. Congratulations to:

 # 28

Sally @ elifylop

 # 29

Sarah Dearnley