Wednesday, August 22, 2018

Excerpt & Interview: The Devil’s Standoff by V. S. McGrath


The Devil’s Standoff
V. S. McGrath
(The Devil’s Revolver #2)
Publication date: April 2nd 2018
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
Welcome to the birthplace of the Devil’s Revolver, where untold danger lurks for Hettie Alabama and her companions…
The second book in the epic, magic-clad Devil’s Revolver series follows Hettie and her sister south of the Wall into Mexico, where they must unmake Hettie’s infernal mage gun while confronting a magic- and land-hungry army and a monster from hell drawn to the powers of the weapon. Hettie wants nothing more than to break her bond to the cursed Devil’s Revolver and find a way to keep her sister safe — but Abby’s indigo powers are growing stronger, and in the gated, walled village where they take refuge, nothing is exactly as it seems. Pursued by the Pinkertons, left without allies or guardians, Hettie has to rely on her own grit and determination to do the right thing, no matter the cost.
This second installment of V. S. McGrath’s sweeping and high-stakes saga draws its truly unforgettable gunslinger heroine to her limits and ends with a satisfying bang.


INTERVIEW
1. If she didn't have a curse to break, what would Hettie be doing in her free time?
Probably trying to figure out how to help her sister control her powers while dodging the law.

2. If Hettie were teenager in this day and age, would she use social media?
Probably not. She’d be one of those people who has a Twitter account with only two Tweets. The first would be “testing” and the second would be “I don’t get why people do this.” She’d have 13 followers, all of them bots.

3. If you lived in Hettie's world, what would you do?
I’d probably be a librarian, or own a general store. Of course, there weren’t many professions for women to choose from at that time.

4. What is your pump-up song?
“Are We All We Are” by P!nk or “Mr. Brightside” by The Killers.

5. What would be Hettie's pump-up song?
“Home” by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros on a good day. Johnny Cash’s cover of “Hurt” by Nine Inch Nails on a bad day.

6. What kind of advice would you give Hettie right now if you could talk to her?
Have patience. Also, never fight a land war in Asia.

7. What kind of advice do you think Hettie would give you?
I’m not sure she’d give me the time of day.

8. Do you listen to music while you write?
Sometimes. On my commute I’m mostly listening to the sound of ocean waves crashing on a beach on a white noise app. If I listen to music while working, it’s mostly classical or soundtrack music with no lyrics.

9. What motivates you to write novels?
Seeing my book on a bookstore shelf, always available for people to discover, has always been my dream. That dream can only be sustained for as long as I keep writing, keep up a frontlist, and keep my name out there. Discoverability is dependent on making sure new books are always on the shelves so people who like something go to my backlist for more.


Author Bio:
Vicki So, writing as V. S. McGrath, is a published romance author (as Vicki Essex) and has six books with Harlequin Superromance: Her Son’s Hero (July 2011); Back to the Good Fortune Diner (January 2013), which was picked for the Smart Bitches Trashy Books Sizzling Book Club; In Her Corner (March 2014); A Recipe for Reunion (March 2015); Red Carpet Arrangement (January 2016); and Matinees with Miriam (November 2016). She lives in Toronto, Canada.



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Tuesday, August 21, 2018

Bout of Books 23: Day 2 Challenge & Reading Updates

grab button for Bout of Books
The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda Shofner and Kelly Rubidoux Apple. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 20th and runs through Sunday, August 26th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 23 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team


Challenge #2 created by Rebecca.
Book Plot Emoji
Tell the plot of a book (recent read, favorite, whatever) with emojis.

πŸ‘©‍πŸ‘§πŸŒ΅πŸ‘¨‍πŸ‘§πŸš˜πŸ΄πŸ‘©πŸŽ’πŸ‘¨πŸ’–⚾πŸ§›πŸΏπŸ§›πŸ§›πŸ»☠️πŸ‘―πŸ₯πŸ•ΊπŸ»πŸ’ƒπŸ»


So... it's supposed to be Twilight. haha
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Day Two Reading Updates
Strikethrough = finished

The Want Ad Killer by Anne Rule
The Tragedy Paper by Elizabeth LaBan
Far Far Away by Tom McNeal
Sisterland by Curtis Sittenfeld
Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick
Escaping Reality by Lisa Renee Jones
Cartwheel by Jennifer Dubois
King Hall by Scarlett Dawn
White Hot Kiss by Jennifer L. Armentrout - currently reading
The Here and Now by Ann Brashares
Vampire Breath by R.L. Stine

Total Books Finished: 1

Monday, August 20, 2018

Bout of Books 23: Day 1 Challenge & Reading Updates

grab button for Bout of Books
The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda Shofner and Kelly Rubidoux Apple. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 20th and runs through Sunday, August 26th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 23 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team


Challenge #1 created by Bout of Books
Introduce Yourself #insixwords 
The challenge is simple: introduce yourself on Twitter, Instagram, or on this post using six words, no more, no less. Use the hashtags #boutofbooks and #insixwords so we can learn all about you.


Mom, wife, reader, blogger, pizza lover.✌

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Day One Reading Updates
Strikethrough = finished

The Want Ad Killer by Anne Rule
The Tragedy Paper by Elizabeth LaBan
Far Far Away by Tom McNeal
Sisterland by Curtis Sittenfeld
Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick
Escaping Reality by Lisa Renee Jones
Cartwheel by Jennifer Dubois
King Hall by Scarlett Dawn
White Hot Kiss by Jennifer L. Armentrout - currently reading
The Here and Now by Ann Brashares
Vampire Breath by R.L. Stine


Total Books Finished: 1