November 09, 2012

CONJURE by LEA NOLAN BLOG TOUR - EXCERPT & GIVEAWAY

WINNER: MARY PRESTON



Thanks so much for having me, Damaris! It’s a pleasure to visit Good Choice Reading to introduce my debut MG/YA crossover novel, CONJURE, book one in The Hoodoo Apprentice Series. I’ve got a super special excerpt to unveil exclusively on the blog, but before we get to that, here’s a little description of CONJURE…

Be careful what you search for...

Emma Guthrie expects this summer to be like any other in the South Carolina Lowcountry—hot and steamy with plenty of beach time alongside her best friend and secret crush, Cooper Beaumont, and Emma’s ever-present twin brother, Jack. But then a mysterious eighteenth-century message in a bottle surfaces, revealing a hidden pirate bounty. Lured by the adventure, the trio discovers the treasure and unwittingly unleashes an ancient Gullah curse that attacks Jack with the wicked flesh-eating Creep and promises to steal Cooper’s soul on his approaching sixteenth birthday.

But when a strange girl appears bent on revenge, demon dogs become a threat, and Jack turns into a walking skeleton, Emma has no choice but to learn hoodoo magic to undo the hex, all before summer—and her friends—are lost forever.


***EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT FROM CONJURE***

A snap, loud and cracking, ricochets in the woods.
My heart seizes, and I stop short. “What was that?”
Cooper shakes his head. “I didn’t hear anything.”
“Are you sure?” The echo of the sound still rings in my ears. I stand stiff, straining for any sound. Night creatures sing, filling the night air, but theirs are the normal sounds of summer. Crickets and toads aren’t big enough to crunch things in the forest.
He grasps my arm and smiles. “Trust me, Emmaline. There’s no boogeyman waiting to eat us.”
Warmth fills my quivering chest, easing my tense shoulders. I’m being silly. It’s been a long day. Between Jack, his burn, and that creepy letter, I must be going nuts.
I start down the path again, passing sedge brooms and saw palmettos. As crazy as the day has been, I don’t want the night to end. Maybe I can get Cooper to stay awhile, watch a movie or something. It’s not like he’s dying to get back home to hang with Missy and Beau in the hot tub.
Another snap, sharper than the first, slices the night.
My pulse charges. Cooper and I freeze.
The night critters suddenly stop mid-song, leaving a heavy silence in the sultry air. My heart threatens to leap from my chest.
Dead leaves rustle just a few feet away. It’s right behind us.
Forgetting to breathe, I sink my nails into Cooper’s arm. Together, we pivot on our heels.
Two enormous, glowing yellow eyes flash in the pitch black.
I scream.
Cooper snatches my hand and bolts down the path, dragging me behind him.
Twigs break and crack in the woods behind us. Heavy, quick footsteps pound. Whatever it is, it’s keeping pace, following us.
“Run faster!” Cooper yells and tugs on my hand, navigating us around the thick roots that cut across the path.
I try to keep up, but my flip-flops and flapping bandage trip me up, and my short legs struggle to match Cooper’s long stride.
“I’m going as fast as I can!”
The footfalls gain speed and draw closer.
“Not fast enough! Come on, dig in!” He yanks hard on my hand and flings me in front of him, launching me farther down the path. Still running, I gape. He has taken my place, wedged himself between me and whatever is out there. “GO!” he yells, and I do, tapping into an unknown reserve of adrenaline, speeding toward the caretaker’s cottage.



                        Lea Nolan writes the kinds of stories she sought as a teen—smart paranormals with bright heroines, crazy-hot heroes, diabolical plot twists, plus a dose of magic, a draft of romance, and a sprinkle of history. She’s holds degrees in history and women’s studies concentrating in public policy and spent fifteen years as a health policy analyst and researcher. She lives in Maryland with her heroically supportive husband and three clever children. Her debut YA novel, CONJURE, book one in The Hoodoo Apprentice Series is a new release from Entangled Publishing under the Entangled Teen imprint. You can learn more about Lea on her website, on Facebook, Twitter and on Goodreads. CONJURE is available at both Barnes and Noble and Amazon.

Additional Social Media links (if needed):

Group blog: www.entangledteen.com




We have a copy of Conjure to share with one lucky commenter. 

Just leave a comment below with your e-mail address.

Contest ends one week from today. 

Good Luck!  



34 comments:

  1. Wow best giveaway!! Thank you so much!
    My e-mail address is:
    sabrina.nedelea@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. I loved the excerpt. I'm really looking forward to reading this book. Thanks for the giveaway!

    kesummer69(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  3. Would love to read this!
    Thanks
    lisa(at)vetteklisa(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  4. Great excerpt! Thank you sp much for the giveaway.
    vsloboda(at)gmail(dot)com

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  5. These excerpts drive me crazy. I want to read the rest NOW!

    findjessyhere at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  6. That is an awesome excerpt!!

    Thank you:)

    ccfioriole at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  7. thanks for the great excerpts and giveaway :)

    efender1(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  8. Awesome giveaway!! My email is Kellee926@hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  9. Looks like an excellent book! Can't wait to check it out!

    Thanks for the chance to win!

    Ox
    Jaime
    Jaimearkin at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  10. I try not to read excerpts because I feel like it'll give away the book. but gosh, I want to read this bad! And beautiful cover too!
    Lmackesy @ gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  11. Thanks for the giveaway.

    lizzi0915 at aol dot com

    ReplyDelete
  12. I can't wait to read this book. It sounds very good. Please enter me in contest. Tore923@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  13. woot! I wanna read it now D:
    iboughtcupcakes(at)gmail(dot).com

    ReplyDelete
  14. Omg - you had me at *wicked flesh-eating creep*!!! o-O
    Thank you for another enjoyable review and sweet giveaway! <3
    GFC: Mary DeBorde (M.A.D.)
    zenrei57 (at) hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  15. Loved the excerpt I want to read this book so badly! Thanks for the giveaway :)
    Kpoo18(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  16. I love the cover of this book! I like the excerpt too!

    volta2173 at sbcglobal dot net

    ReplyDelete
  17. Sounds intriquing! Thanks for the chance.

    mlawson17 at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  18. Can't wait to read this book! This is a great blog.
    itslovelysheild@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  19. Sounds really good!! Thanks for the excerpt and the chance to win!
    natasha_donohoo_8 at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  20. I like the idea of learning more about Hoodoo actually.


    marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com

    ReplyDelete
  21. This sounds really good. I love the demon dogs! This looks to be an original awesome book! Thanks.

    pefrw at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  22. Thank you for the opportunity to win!!1

    melissaaglover at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  23. Thanks for sharing this exclusive excerpt and for the giveaway too! :)

    tess_halim(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  24. Beautiful cover and love the excerpt.....can't wait to read this :) bmurphy_lucky@yahoo.com

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  25. Wow best giveaway!! Thank you so much!
    My e-mail address is: parisfan_ca@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  26. Excerpt = mass craziness!!! I don't really like reading excerpts (especially high-speed chases) because I feel like I'm out of place with the book, and need some context! But of course, that just makes me wants to read the book even more (ah, I see what you're doing there... lol). Thanks for the giveaway!!!!

    lilleetleet(at)verizon(dot)net

    ReplyDelete
  27. This book sounds like a really interesting one :)

    ValtenceMarie@me.com

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  28. Conjure sounds like a fantastic story and I'm looking forward to reading it.

    Barbed1951 at aol dot com

    ReplyDelete
  29. Hooked my attention with the just the synopsis then excerpt

    Sounds like it'll be a "wickedly" enjoyable read

    Thanks for sharing


    BeckeyWhiteATgmailDOTcom

    ReplyDelete
  30. I have been wanting to read this badly.

    aleinaaa@hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  31. Wow, excerpt has me wanting to read Conjure even more than before! I need to get a copy very very soon!

    unabridgedbookshelf(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  32. Would love to read this.

    bookaholicholly at gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  33. It looks like a great book.
    mce1011 AT aol DOT com

    ReplyDelete
  34. I have been wanting to read this one!

    videoclimber(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete

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