ROSEBLOOD Blog Tour {Guest Post & Exclusive Giveaway!}

I've got an exciting one for you today, everyone!! Today I'm helping to kick off the fantastic blog tour for Roseblood by A.G. Howard with a closer look at the six main characters and not one, but TWO amazing giveaways! Let get right to it:

•ABOUT THE BOOK•

RoseBlood by A.G. Howard

In this modern day spin on Leroux’s gothic tale of unrequited love turned to madness, seventeen-year-old Rune Germain has a mysterious affliction linked to her operatic talent, and a horrifying mistake she’s trying to hide. Hoping creative direction will help her, Rune’s mother sends her to a French arts conservatory for her senior year, located in an opera house rumored to have ties to The Phantom of the Opera.

At RoseBlood, Rune secretly befriends the masked Thorn—an elusive violinist who not only guides her musical transformation through dreams that seem more real than reality itself, but somehow knows who she is behind her own masks. As the two discover an otherworldly connection and a soul-deep romance blossoms, Thorn’s dark agenda comes to light and he’s forced to make a deadly choice: lead Rune to her destruction, or face the wrath of the phantom who has haunted the opera house for a century, and is the only father he’s ever known.

Coming January 10, 2017 from Amulet Books

Available in Hardcover, Paperback, & Ebook

Preorder:  Amulet   •   Amazon   •   Indiebound   •   BookDepository

*        *        *       *       *      

Thanks so much for joining us for the RoseBlood Virtual Tour, presented by Amulet Books, Pique Beyond, and RockStar Book Tours!

On each stop of the tour, there will be a rafflecopter for a domestic giveaway offering 5 RoseBlood hardback + collectible mask sets.

Collectible mask + signed arc set

And to make things fair for the foreign fans, each guest or reveal post will have its own unique INTL giveaway rafflecopter personalized to the post, spotlighting one or more of the following prizes:

So be sure to follow along each day to get a chance at all the prizes! 

For today's guest post, let's meet the six main characters of RoseBlood (three of them might surprise you!) and see what makes each one tick.

The Phantom

picture attribution: Fanpop.com

HEART'S DESIRE: To reclaim something he once lost, by any means necessary.

HOBBIES: Ventriloquism, architecture, botany, zoology, magician, composer, vocalist, instrumentalist, experimenting, inventing, devising, manipulation, 
terrorizing, stalking, killing...

FEARS: Death. Not his own, and not death in the literal sense. The end of hope. The death of that final chance for unconditional love.

***

Thorn

Michael Gandolfi = Thorn

Photo by Salvador Sabater

HEART'S DESIRE: To repay the debt he's owed since his childhood.

HOBBIES: Violinist, tending to animals, spying, composing music to blot out sinister acts he wants to forget.

FEARS: Becoming too monstrous to walk in the light, to breathe fresh air, to find a companion to walk and breathe with. Being so warped by misdeeds, even a mask won't cover the disfigurement of his soul. 

***

Rune

Emily Rudd = Rune

HEART'S DESIRE: To know who she is, and to purge the guilt of her father's death.

HOBBIES: Sewing, knitting, designing, reading, gardening.

FEARS: That her musical illness is demonic, and somehow responsible for her father's death. That the unnatural talent will strike again and leave someone else a victim.

***

Ange

HEART'S DESIRE: To beat Diable at every game.

***

Diable

HEART'S DESIRE: To have a bowl of cream for each meal.

***

Thorn's Stradivarius

HEART'S DESIRE: Do violins have hearts? Hmmm...

There you have the six main characters. I hope they intrigued you enough to want to read about them in RoseBlood!

•ABOUT THE AUTHOR•

A.G. Howard was inspired to write SPLINTERED while working at a school library. She always wondered what would've happened had the subtle creepiness of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland taken center stage, and she hopes her darker and funkier tribute to Carroll will inspire readers to seek out the stories that won her heart as a child.

When she's not writing, A.G.'s pastimes are reading, rollerblading, gardening, and family vacations which often include impromptu side trips to 18th century graveyards or condemned schoolhouses to appease her overactive muse.

Website • Blog • Twitter • Facebook • Tumblr • Pinterest • Goodreads

*GIVEAWAYS*

Today's INTL giveaway pack consists of three items that represent three of the characters you met: Masquerade Pendant (the Phantom's tendency to hide), Eiffel Tower Key Chain (Thorn's desire to walk above ground and stop hiding), Emoticon Key Chains (something secret between Thorn and Rune that binds them together).

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And to enter for the signed ARC & Collectible Mask:

(US mailing address only please)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck to everyone, and be sure to join us again tomorrow for stop #2, and on to the rest of the stops!!

10/24/2016- Mundie Moms- Spotlight

10/24/2016- Stories & Sweeties- Guest Post

10/24/2016- Adventures of a Book Junkie- Review

10/25/2016- Once Upon a Twilight- Spotlight

10/25/2016- Two Chicks on Books- Guest Post

10/26/2016- Tales of the Ravenous Reader- Spotlight

10/26/2016- Seeing Double In Neverland- Guest Post

10/27/2016- BookHounds YA- Review

10/27/2016- Dark Faerie Tales- Guest Post

10/28/2016- Fiktshun- Review

10/28/2016- Bookemoji- Guest Post

Becky's View: Splintered by A.G. Howard + Giveaway!

Splintered by A.G. Howard
♦publisher: Amulet Books
♦release date: January 1, 2013
♦hardcover, 384 pages
♦intended audience: Young adult
♦stand-alone
♦source: from publisher for honest review

This stunning debut captures the grotesque madness of a mystical under-land, as well as a girl’s pangs of first love and independence. Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.
When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own.

Review: As someone who grew up with the tale of Alice in Wonderland, in book form, in movie form (several different versions, actually), and surrounded with the characters in all kinds of figurines and collector pieces, reading Splintered was an absolutely unique experience.  A.G. Howard took a world that is  so familiar and beloved and gave us something new and intriguing and absolutely twisted.  

I was actually surprised with how urban-feeling the setting and characters were.  Our heroine, Alyssa, is a skater girl with a funky sense of girly style.  She's a character with a great dose of attitude and creativity, but also one that has been emotionally knocked down and teased her whole life for her ties to the Alice stories, one struggling to deal with having a mother in an institution, and one who is terrified that her ability to hear the voices of flowers and bugs will land her in the same place.  I loved the build up of the story, learning about her family and her crush on her best friend, Jeb, and all the crazy occurances that lead her to seek out the Rabbit Hole.   

Wonderland itself was amazingly recreated.  It was such a brilliant twist to stay close to the original story. Alyssa must basically trace the footsteps of Alice to find her way back home, but she soon finds out that Alice must have been too young to process the dark things she saw.  The creatures are far, far creepier that the ones she knows from the book.  Howard's descriptions are vivid and gruesome---characters like the Mad Hatter, the White Rabbit, and the Tweedle twins are completely reimagined into dark, nightmarish creatures, yet enough traces were left of the original children's book characters to make me feel nostalgic and still be drawn in by them.  Wonderland has always had an underlying, almost innocent vein of chaos and madness running through it, but in Splintered it's brought right to the surface and made not-so-innocent anymore!

There was a love story here---a bit of a love triangle, actually---but I have to admit that it was the one small part of the story that didn't draw me in.  Maybe because I found both guys unlikable for most of the story.  Morpheus was too cocky and emo and just plain sinister, and Jeb...well, he was sweet at times and tried to be chivalrous and I loved that they were best friends...but many times he was just too pushy, a little too brooding, and didn't seem to understand Alyssa, what she was going though and what was important to her. 

STILL, despite my feelings about the love story, I thought this story was brilliant.  It was creepy and emotional and the kind of twisted adventure that really gets inside your head---I do believe I actually dreamed of having wings once or twice in the last few days of reading it. :)  Such an great debut, and I can't wait to see what A.G. Howard takes on next.

Find A.G. Howard online:  Website  •   Twitter   •   Facebook

Pre-order Splintered:  Amazon  •  BN.com  •  Indiebound  •  Book Depository

 

Now enter for a chance to win your own copy!

I'm giving away one finished hardcover copy of Splintered! Enter below!

•US mailing addresses only

•must be 13 or older

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Amy's View: An early review of Splintered by A.G. Howard

Splintered by A.G. Howard
♦publisher: Amulet Books
♦release date: January 1st, 2013
♦hardcover, 384 pages
♦intended audience: Young adult
♦source: from publisher for honest review

This stunning debut captures the grotesque madness of a mystical under-land, as well as a girl’s pangs of first love and independence. Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.

When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own.

Review: This book I would say was one of my most anticipated books this year. As soon as I found out an Alice in Wonderland retelling was on its way I looked for any way to get my hands on a copy. And thanks to my best friend Becky, this blog, and Abrams, Splintered has found its way into my heart and on my bookshelf.

When I received this book I immediately and willingly dove head first into the rabbit hole, relishing with open eyes all that Wonderland would behold for me. And to tell you the truth there wasn’t a moment that I was disappointed. Never has anyone captured so beautifully the tale that Lewis Carroll spun like a web into an innocent child’s heart like A. G. Howard has. (Besides the amazing and magnificent Tim Burton.)

I have been captivated by Alice in Wonderland for as long as I can remember and never has there been a tale to feed the adult and young adult heart. Splintered is a breath of life for those fans of all ages. This story transcends time and generations and splendidly fills in the gaps of time. What if Alice was still tied to Wonderland once she returned, woken from her dream? Did she pass on the magic from generation to generation? What would it be like to be Alice’s great- great- great granddaughter?  Would the pull from Wonderland still be able to stir in your heart? And if you listened to that call, would it cause you to remain sane, or thrust you into the walls of a padded room gently nestled in a mental hospital? This haunting tale answers that question, spinning the reality of what you thought Wonderland was like and fills your head with a new and darker Wonderland.

I challenged you to take the leap of faith into the rabbit hole trusting that A. G. Howard will guide you on a fantastic journey. I hope you will find yourself in love with Alyssa from the first page as I did. From the moment the bugs buzz their first word and flowers chastise Alice I knew I would be hooked. There is not one character left out as the author gives each one its own rite and moment in the spotlight. Sometimes Alice’s tale got the story right and sometimes she got their descriptions morbidly wrong. Only to find your mind racing back to the classic tale searching the recesses of your brain for every character drawing up their description then reading anxiously for the new description. Alyssa’s struggle with her own heart’s desires grapple with you as well as you want to help her decide between following the matters of this world’s heart or fall for love in Wonderland.  

With adventure and love this story captured my heart. The mind of A. G. Howard is a fantastical thing. And even though this story took years to be penned, it was worth every moment. A. G., I hope your mind is still spinning new tales and that we have only seen the outskirts of the magnificent web that you can weave. I look forward for the magical release of your tale and wait on the wings of a moth for another tale so sweetly wicked.

  

Find A.G. Howard online:  Website  •   Twitter   •   Facebook

Pre-order Splintered:  Amazon  •  BN.com  •  Indiebound  •  Book Depository

 

Be on the lookout closer to Splintered's release date for more on this wonderful book and a giveaway! :D

Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It lets us all gush about what soon-to-be released books we are jumping-up-and-down excited for.

Splintered
by A.G. Howard

hitting shelves January 2013 from Amulet Books

description:
For sixteen years, Alyssa Gardner has lived with the stigma of being descended from Alice Liddell -- the real life inspiration for Lewis Carroll's famed novel, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. But cruel jokes about dormice and tea parties can’t compare to the fact that Alyssa hears the whispers of bugs and flowers ... the same quirk which sent her mother to a mental institution years before.

When her mother takes a turn for the worse and the whispers grow too strong for Alyssa to bear, she seeks the origins of their family curse. A set of heirlooms and a moth tied to an unusual website lead Alyssa and her gorgeous best friend / secret crush, Jeb, down the rabbit hole into the real Wonderland, a place more twisted and eerie than Lewis Carroll ever let on.

There, creepy counterparts of the original fairytale crew reveal the purpose for Alyssa’s journey, and unless she fixes the things her great-great-great grandmother Alice put wrong, Wonderland will have her head.

My Thoughts: OK, people. I know this a long way off to publication, but LOOK at THAT COVER. And it's another book about Alice in Wonderland, which as I told you all before here, I am a huge Alice fangirl--- so Yay!! Not a retelling, but a trip back to Wonderland for one of Alice's great, great, great grandchildren. Such a cool idea for a story. Definitely can't wait.