Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Out of Sync Blitz with Giveaway!


Hi everyone! Thanks for stopping by for the Out of Sync by A. Bin Juran book blitz with Xpresso Book Tours. Let me show you some goodies! 
Out of Sync (book one)

Book & Author Details:

Out of Sync by A. Bin Juran
(Out of Sync #1)
Publication date: October 23rd 2014
Genres: Paranormal Romance, Young Adult

Synopsis:
I’m a magical misfit
I won’t let it define me
A bolt-zapping disaster magnet
But at least I’m still trying
The guy I like asked me out
I hoped my luck was changing
Then my coven trials began
…they’re harder than I expected
Now my life hangs in the balance
I don’t know what I’m doing
But I do know this:
I’m not going down without a fight.

‘Out of Sync’ is a YA paranormal romance about a magical misfit who faces her perilous coven trials, falls in love and nearly dies more times than seems polite to mention.


Purchase:

PROLOGUE
Low grumbles emanated from the creatures circling me, grimly advertising their intent.
The sweltering desert heat clung to me like a second skin, causing beads of sweat to trickle into my eyes.
I squinted, inadvertently blurring my vision, which posed a problem given that my newly adopted life plan had just been reduced to not ending up as dog food—or whatever you would call the equivalent for wolves.
“Nice wolfies . . .” I stammered, the bitter aftertaste of adrenaline lacing the back of my throat.
Pointed brown-stained teeth snapped at my feet as another wolf lunged closer, its acrid breath filling my airways. I gagged. “You really should have yourself checked; I’ve smelled doggy breath before, but this is taking it to a whole other level,” I ventured, trying my hand at nurturing some rapport as my eyes darted, searching for an escape route.
Yellow eyes trailed my movements as drool began to accumulate in anticipation.
“Eating me will not improve that smell,” I tried again, jerking my thumb at the breather. Was this really my pitch? I wouldn’t add to your dental value?
“I’m not that nutritious, either! Really, I eat a lot of junk,” I lied. I didn’t actually get to do much snacking—though I would have been happy to if anyone ever bothered to send some to my dorm room.
One of the wolves slunk closer, grazing my knee with his dry nose.
My voice caught as I continued trying to reason with the mongrels. “I’m not all that chewable, either . . . . I’m bonier than I look.” Then I remembered how fond canines were of bones and shut up, shaking my head with disbelief at what was coming out of my mouth just in time to miss a set of snarling jaws hurtling at my throat.
Being eaten by a pack of hungry mutts was definitively not the way I wanted to go.
I could feel the panic crackle through me, swiftly building up inside me.
I tried to regulate my breathing as my fingers itched with electricity.
Deciding it was time to take what action I could, I jerked my hands forward, and a bolt of lightning erupted from my hands and into the pack. Yes, it worked! Not only had I managed not to set myself on fire, the bolt had actually landed in the general vicinity of what I’d aimed at! Most of my thunderbolt throwing thus far had been limited to uncontrolled spasms from nerves or anger, so this was quite a feat. But there was no time for an awkward victory dance.
The wolves recoiled momentarily from the sudden attack, giving me the opening I had been waiting for. I lunged forward, hurtling my body toward the gap, hoping the light show would afford me enough time to reach safety.
I scrambled, gathering whatever energy I had left and ran.
After a few minutes of frantic chase, I perceived a discoloration in the distance. I set my sights on reaching that goal as the wolves shadowed my movements, gnashing their ravenous jaws all around me.
As I gained ground, I could make out more detail in the bleak colors. The discoloration was a cave.
The wolves were behind me, but I was closer. I would make it, I told myself; I had to.
Hope spread, infecting my mind and expanding my lungs, blinding me.
Reality, however, sank its filthy teeth into me.
I yelped in agony as the pain shot through me. My legs buckled beneath me, and I collapsed
into the desert sand, a hair’s breadth from snarling, snapping teeth.
Random facts about the characters of ‘Out of Sync’

o     Bree Flint’s hands have a tendency to spark electricity when she’s nervous or agitated.

o     Bree’s first brush with magic came at the age of eight, when she accidentally turned her teacher into a toad. Her grandmother, Miranda, has promised the school board that such incidents won’t happen again.

o     We’ve received word that Bree Flint has been dubbed ‘the girl most likely to end up in a black hole of her own making.’ Monroe School does not condone the use of such language, though we couldn’t in good conscience ask you to sit next to her during Spells class.

o     Annabelle Foster, the “makeover specialist,” can work wonders with hair and make-up charms. References and testimonials can be found on her site, as well as ‘before’ and ‘after’ pictures.

o     Charlie Cast’s esoteric theories regarding the walking of dogs do not, as rumored, require canine participation.

o     Sophia Lucas’s eye color fluctuates according to her mood. We apologize, but this feature isn’t available in potion or spell form, she was just born that way. And no, her gorgeous golden hair did not come from a bottle either, we asked.

o     Reactions to Nate Harper include (but are not limited to) shortness of breath, fluctuation in heartbeat, a sudden (though fleeting) weakness in the knees, and, in one unfortunate case, foot-in-mouth syndrome. Yes, he’s handsome; get over it.

o     Lee, the vampire, is an unabashed flirt. He’s not above using his dancing abilities to recruit donors.

Random clips from the (unofficial) school newsletter

Here are some clips from the unofficial Monroe Private School for the Study of Witchcraft newsletter:

o     When manifesting garments, be advised that these types of spells usually last three hours. Please allow for a change of clothes. Just to remind you, their pleasant rosy after-scent will dissipate as well, and is not a substitute for deodorant.

o     The introduction of the fire-breathing dragon into the curriculum has been proven to accelerate running speeds during P.E. classes, as well as aid in the development of new and innovative self-defense techniques. We stress that no permanent harm has been caused to neither dragon, nor students; faculty notwithstanding.

o     The ghosts that visit the school are our guests; please treat them as such. Note that it is not polite to ask them personal questions outside of class.

o     While we neither admit nor deny allegations regarding the existence of vampires, genies and/or goblins, we still reserve the right to refuse them entry onto school grounds.

o     The use of potions and spells on your fellow students outside of class is strictly forbidden. We have safeties in place to assure that they will almost never work as expected anyway, so we suggest you refrain from them altogether. If, despite this warning, you’ve been exposed to either, please do not panic. The effects are temporary and shall pass.

o     It has come to our attention that some garments have been afflicted with spontaneous staining. So far, this issue seems to be limited to white shirts. Your complaints have been registered and will be attended to in due time; we are currently dealing with more pressing concerns, since it appears someone forgot to send the dragon back home.


Interview Q&A – A. Bin Juran


1.    When do you find yourself singing?
In the so-called privacy of my car, where I can mess up the lyrics and mumble the rest to my heart’s content; on occasion, you might even catch some shoulder-action.

1.    If you would compare your book to a similar one, which would it be?
A witch who attends magic school, desperately trying to withstand her perilous coven trials; hmmm, let me think … Harry Potter does The Hunger Games?

1.    Name three of your favorite books.
I’m something of a promiscuous reader, which to me, means that I’m usually reading (or listening to) several different novels at a time while committing to none — but once a novel grabs me, as these three have, it doesn’t let go even long after I’ve finished reading it.
My ‘must listen’ list includes Stephen King’s 11/22/63, narrated by Craig Wasson (a masterfully woven tale that incorporates time travel, JFK, suspense and wit), John Scalzi’s Redshirts narrated by Wil Wheaton (a fun sci-fi read filled with Scalzi’s characteristic humor), and Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris, narrated by Johanna Parker (romance, vampires, action and once again we find the common denominator — a healthy sense of humor and wit).

1.    Which animal scares you the most? Why?
Cockroaches; yuck. Those spindly-legged creatures can get me off my feet faster than any exercise known to man.

1.    When do you find yourself reading?
Being a mom, a wife and a full-time writer, free time is a very precious and rare commodity. Or in other words, I’ve learned how to utilize my coffee breaks to listen to audiobooks, and I sometimes stretch out the night with my Kindle.

1.    When do you find yourself inspired?
Inspiration often strikes when I’m bone-tired, usually after I’ve just crawled into bed. I quickly discovered that if I don’t write it down — whatever ‘it’ might be, a snippet of conversation or a twist in a story line — it’ll slip away into oblivion, never to be heard of again.

1.    Name a song that inspired you
Kelly Clarkson’s “People Like Us’ helped me find my voice when I was working on the blurb for ‘Out of Sync.’ I feel as if it captures the spirit of the book, which at its core is about a misfit learning to accept herself for who she is, and finding the people who will do the same.

1.    If you could choose any superpower, what would it be?
I already fly in my dreams, without the dubious benefit of adding bugs to my diet. So, I would have to go with a remarkable ability I’d seen in the movie ‘Starman,’ in which an alien placed his hand above the cover of a book, and in the span of seconds, had read it in its entirety. Add to that the ability to understand the material within, and if at all possible, to remember it for later use, and it would be my ultimate superpower.

1.    How would you describe your writing style?
Molly Harper meets Terry Pratchett — snarky fun with a side of humor and more than a pinch of suspense.

1.    What’s next for you?
Now that ‘Out of Sync’ has hit the shelves, its sequel, ‘Out of Breath’ has (some of) my attention. It’s due to be released next year. The tagline reads: Are you sure you want to know?
I would reveal its blurb, but it contains a spoiler for ‘Out of Sync,’ and I’m pretty sure that kind of behavior will get me in trouble.
I’m also writing a paranormal novel, and I’m in the process of editing my third YA book, about an angel on her first mission. Both are unrelated to the ‘Out of Sync’ universe, and a lot of fun to write / edit.


AUTHOR BIO:

When not immersed in books - be it writing or reading them - Ainat can usually be found nestling a cup of coffee in the company of her husband and twins. A former fast-food employee, T-shirt seller, and glorified secretary, Ainat eventually found herself with Bachelor's and LL.M. degrees and working as a lawyer. A few years later, listening to a catchy pop song about dream fulfillment, Ainat decided to buy a clunky little laptop and get to work. Ten novels and a much better laptop later, she came to the realization that hitting the double-digit mark meant it was time to publish and start consuming coffee (though not necessarily in that order).

When she isn't writing, editing, or mothering, Ainat enjoys reading promiscuously (which, to her, means she's reading several novels at a time while committing to none), watching political dramas and sci-fi series, and taking embarrassing memos-to-self complete with accents and dramatic pauses that should never be unleashed, ever.

Author links:


GIVEAWAYS

Individual giveaways:
Each blog participating is hosting a giveaway for one (1) ebook copy of Out of Sync. Open internationally. Just leave a nice comment and then go click the buttons :) 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blitz-wide giveaway (INTL)
  • $10 Amazon gift-card
Your comment you left for my individual giveaway also counts for this one too :) 

a Rafflecopter giveaway


I hope you guys check this one out! Good luck on the giveaway :) Happy reading and later gators! 

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