Painting Stories #10

What I got:
It was a chrysalis of light and sound, woven together by the brush of energy she felt. The centrifugal force of magic lulled together so quickly that it hummed. It resonated through her fingers, electrified her skin and shown brilliant and burning in her chest.

The Secret Of Spruce Knoll Blog Tour

My dear friend, (and fellow co-founder of #writersroad), Heather McCorkle, is hosting a wonderful contest on her blog for the release of her young adult urban fantasy, The Secret Of Spruce Knoll, which is releasing this month! To celebrate, Heather is hosting a blog tour and today is my turn to feature this wonderful book and an immensely talented writer! Below is more information about the tour and the wonderful prizes you can win!! Additionally, there will be a a live chat on YA Bound August 30th with a separate giveaway. The blog tour and contest ends August 31st. Here's what you can win:

1st place:

*$50 gift certificate to B&N (or the Book Depository if you're over seas).

*Autographed copy of The Secret Of Spruce Knoll

*Special swag bag

2nd place:

*Swag bag filled with:

*Autographed copy of The Secret Of Spruce Knoll

*Spoiled by Heather Cocks & Jessica Morgan

*Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan

*Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

*A Need So Beautiful by Suzanne Young

3rd place:

*Autographed copy of The Secret Of Spruce Knoll

*Swag bag

Comment on this post on Heather's blog for your chance to win!

And now, let's get into The Secret Of Spruce Knoll. First, a bit more about this amazing book:

It’s hard enough being a teenager under normal circumstances; imagine being orphaned, sent to live with an unfamiliar aunt—and learning that there really is magic in the world. Following the tragic death of her parents, Eren Donovan moves to Spruce Knoll to live with her aunt. Little does Eren know the entire town of Spruce Knoll is filled with “channelers”—a magical group of people who immigrated to the small Colorado town when they were driven out of their own lands.
Channelers are tied to the fate of the world. As the world slowly dies, so do they—and they alone have the power to stop the destruction of Earth. Now, Eren learns she not only lives among them, but she is one. When she meets local boy Aiden, his charm convinces her that being a channeler may not be all bad.

For those of you paying attention, Eren is sent to live with an aunt she's never met following her parent's death. So I asked Heather, why is that? Why did Eren never meet her aunt prior to coming to Spruce Knoll?

Heather: Great question Tee, amazingly no one has asked that yet! Eren has never met her Aunt Sylvia before because her parents left Spruce Knoll before she was even born. Since her dad is Irish and her mom is Mayan, the people of Spruce Knoll frowned upon their marriage. It isn't that the people of Spruce Knoll are racist, just that they are worried about protecting their dying cultures. More than that though, Eren's parents wanted her to grow up a 'normal' kid so she would understand and appreciate those who weren't like her. Of course there is more to why, but you'll have to read the book to find out. ;)

Buy The Secret of Spruce Knoll on Amazon and Barnes and Noble

Painting Stories #9

What I got:
In the distant implosions of superclusters teemed with light and darkness, stars died and were reborn in the snowing dust of new galaxies and the debris of supernovae. Never had she imagined that space and time could coexist as it did here. There were flashes all around them, worlds she could not name or clearly identify.


Photo courtesy of this place.