{Giveaway & Feature} Quotable Quotes from Toxic

I'm excited to be a part of "Quotable Quotes" from Toxic, Book 2 in the Denazen Series by Jus Accardo. To participate, simply identify the person who said the quote below in a comment. Jus will be stopping by on April 27th to identify who said the quote and to announce the winners. Ebook winners will be international, all swag and signed copies are US/Canada only.

The quote is from one of these 5 people: Ginger, Dez, Alex, Kale, or Kiernan. 

“I’m not stupid. I know you’re hiding something. You’re avoiding me. You never avoid me.”

 All right, there you have it! Start guessing. Don't forget to visit the other blogs participating so you have a greater chance at winning!

The Bookish Brunette
Waiting For Wentworth
The Magic Attic
The Fairy Tale Nerd
Doctors Notes
Books Movies Reviews Oh My
My Reading Room
Young Readers
Paranormal Book Fan
Taking It One Book at a Time
Coffee Books and Me
Better Read than Dead
Jelly Loves Books
Nightly Reading
Always YA at Heart

***Jus on Quotes***

Quotes

A great quote can be inspirational. It can make us laugh, or swoon. It can make us feel connected when we’re lonely. A quote is the perfect example of the power words can hold. They can come from anywhere. Movies, books, people… I thought today I’d share some of my favorites with you.

Let’s start with people. Some of my absolute favorites come from Lord Byron.

For truth is always strange; stranger than fiction – Simple and says it all. This describes my life perfectly. Example? My 60 something year old neighbor mowing the lawn at midnight wearing nothing but a red Speedo. Seriously. You can’t make this stuff up…

If I don't write to empty my mind, I go mad – My brain is a random idea generator. Some pan out, others get filed away in a WTF were you thinking folder. Either way though, I need to get them out. If I don’t, it gets really crowded in there…

            And what about movies? Everything from creepy to hilarious. Movie quotes stick with us.

I’ll be back... – You know you think badass, unstoppable killing machine when you hear that.

I see dead people – Tell me you didn’t get the chills when you saw Haley Joel Osment turn to Bruce Willis and confess his big secret?

I want my two dollars! – I don’t care how old you are, if you don’t know this quote, a small part of me just died…

            Of course I saved the best for last. The book quotes. Funny, swoontastic, and all around awesome! I’ve seen everything from t-shirts to tattoos honoring these puppies. A few weeks ago, I even saw a van that had Jacob’s face (Twilight) and I'm gonna fight for you, until your heart stops beating airbrushed across the driver’s side. On the passenger’s side, Edward's face and Look after my heart - I've left it with you. Crazy, right?

Pick up your clothes. I am not your maid. How do I know this? A maid cannot kill you with a tube sock. I can. – If you haven’t read Rob Thurman’s Cal Leandros series, you need to snap it up ASAP. There are so many awesome one liners, it will make your head spin.

            So, since I’m a sucker for book quotes, we’re going to play a little game! There are 15 participating blogs for this event. At each stop there will be a teaser quote from TOXIC. It will be your job to figure out who said what. A random commenter from each blog will be picked to receive a swag bag and an eBook copy of UNTOUCHED, and then those winners will be pooled and one grand prize winner will get a signed copy of TOUCH and a Touch key chain. On the last day of the event, I’ll pop by each of the blogs and give the answers!

Here's the quote one more time:

“I’m not stupid. I know you’re hiding something. You’re avoiding me. You never avoid me.”

Remember, it came from any of these 5: Ginger, Dez, Alex, Kale, or Kiernan!

Book Blurb

Add Untouched to your TBR pile on Goodreads 

Untouched (A Denazen Novella 1.5)

Until he met Dez, Kale’s days were filled with violence and death. He was used as a weapon of destruction by the power hungry men of Denazen. He’s a Six. A person with an abnormal ability. Some people call them gifts, but not Kale. Kale’s touch means instant death.

But now there’s Dez, the girl he can touch, and they’re hunting down Sixes and warning them about Denazen. Kale is learning about the world outside captivity and trying to put his dark past behind him. But they underestimated how badly Denazen wanted him back.

When Dez sacrifices herself to save the new Six they’d rescued from falling into the corp’s hands, Kale is lost. Denazen has brought out its best to get the job done. Samsen, a nightmare from Kale’s past—the only person he’s ever truly feared—has come for them, and it soon becomes obvious he has his own twisted agenda.

Kale will need all his training to get Dez back and ensure they make it out, free—and alive. But will it be enough?

Touch, the first novel in the Denazen series, is set to re-release in mass market on June 12th (Complete with additional scenes from Kale’s POV!). 

You can pre-order your copy here: Barnes & Nobles, Amazon

Toxic (Denazen 2) hits shelves on September 11th 2012

Synopsis:

When a Six saved Kale’s life the night of Sumrun, she warned there would be consequences. A trade-off. Something taken for the life they gained. But Dez never imagined she’d lose the one thing she’d give anything to keep… And as if it’s not enough Dez finds her immunity to Kale fading, the Six brought in to help Kale learn to control his killer touch starts drooling on him the moment they meet. Worse than that? Jade can touch Kale. But bimbo Barbie is the least of Dez's problems.

After Dez and Kale got away at Sumrun, her father lost not only his most powerful weapon but an important piece of the Supremacy project. Forced by Denazen to remedy the situation, he poisons Dez and offers her a choice—surrender to Denazen for the cure…or die. Determined to find a solution that doesn’t involve being bagged and tagged—or losing someone she loves—Dez keeps the poison a secret. But when a rash of Denazen attacks hit a little too close to home, Dez is convinced there’s a traitor among them. Jade.

Sacrifices, broken promises, and secrets. Dez will have to lay it all on the line if there’s any hope of proving Jade’s guilt before they all end up Residents of Denazen. Or worse, dead...

Bio

Jus Accardo is the author of YA paranormal romance and urban fantasy fiction. A native New Yorker, she lives in the middle of nowhere with her husband, three dogs, and sometimes guard bear, Oswald. Her first book, Touch, is available now from Entangled Publishing. She is represented by Kevan Lyon of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.

Give Jus a yell on Twitter, or visit her on Facebook, and her website.

“I’m not stupid. I know you’re hiding something. You’re avoiding me. You never avoid me.”

Who said it? Kale, Alex, Kiernan, Ginger, or Dez? 

Touch Virtual Book Tour Starring Jus Accardo

Hello everyone. I am super excited about today’s author interview. Jus Accardo, author of Touch, has stopped by to tell us a little about her book and her life. I am going on record as saying…if you haven’t read Touch do so immediately. If you missed my review…check it out HERE.

Jus Accardo is the author of YA paranormal romance and urban fantasy fiction. A native New Yorker, she lives in the middle of nowhere with her husband, three dogs, and sometimes guard bear, Oswald. Her first book, Touch, is due out in November 2011 from Entangled Publishing.

She is represented by Kevan Lyon of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.

 Website ǀ Facebook ǀ Twitter ǀ Goodreads ǀ Amazon ǀ Barnes & Noble

Kristin: Tell us a little bit about yourself and where you live?

Jus: Hmm about me? Well, I’m a World of Warcraft junkie who lives for cheese and chocolate, is terrified of planes and clowns, and spends 90% of her time with people who don’t exist. I live in upstate NY with my husband, our 3 four-legged kids—a Narcoleptic Akita, an opinionated German Sheppard, a lab-mutt named Duck, and my guard bear, Oswald. Okay—he’s not mine really, but he might as well be. Two years ago he got himself all caught up in the screen of our enclosed porch. I got him out but he’d already ripped off most of his right ear. Last year he came back around, all grown up and very friendly. He’s been hanging with us ever since.

*What could be better than chocolate and cheese? But clowns…ugh. Definitely scarey.

Kristin: What is the first book that really caught your attention?

Jus: TEX by S.E. Hinton. Actually, everything by S.H. Hinton… Was kind of like a chain reaction.

Kristin: Did you read much as a teenager?

Jus: All the time. I cooked, I read, and I wrote. I have stacks upon stacks of boxes of books from when I was a kid because I refuse to throw them away. If only the nook had been around…

Kristin: If you couldn’t be an author, but anything else…what would you be?

Jus: If I wasn’t writing, I’d be a chef. No doubt in my mind. My grandfather was a chef, so I grew up in a kitchen. I was accepted to the Culinary Institute of America but ended up passing on the spot last minute to pursue writing.

*I need you at my house. I don’t cook worth a flip.

Kristin: Where do you draw your inspiration from?

Jus: Everywhere. There’s a story in everything! Really. People watching, music, staring at the stars… The idea for TOUCH came to me while staring into the woods at the end of a very long drive-through line to get coffee.

*I would say I am sorry you had to wait in that line, but I can’t lie…I’m not. Touch is an amazing book.

Kristin: What’s the name of your most recently published book?

Jus: TOUCH is my debut. TOXIC, the second book in the Denazen series, will be out in 2012.

Kristin: Who is your favorite character from this book and why?

Jus: Ooo unfair question J I donno, TBH. I love Dez and Kale, of course…but I’ve always had a soft spot for Alex.

*That’s funny. A couple of blogger buddies and I were discussing Touch and we decided that Alex was our second favorite character. I always have a soft spot for those bad boys though.

Kristin: Independently published or commercially published?

Jus: Entangled is a Boutique Publisher

*In case you guys don’t know, Entangled has some of the most anticipated titles in the YA world. Touch by Jus Accardo, Obsidian by Jennifer L Armentrout, Hushed by Kelley York.

Kristin: Do you have any words of wisdom for aspiring writers?

Jus: Write, write, write, write! Then? Write some more. The book I wrote before TOUCH was queried for over a year with NO requests. While I was querying it, I wrote TOUCH. The response was like night and day. One week into querying TOUCH, I had four requests. Two months of querying I had multiple agent offers and signed with the awesome Kevan Lyon. You really just never know. So much of it is timing. This business is SO subjective. What an agent turns down today could be exactly what he or she is looking for a month down the road. Just keep at it. Write what you love and not for the market. Write often and write a lot. Look at it this way—with each word, you’re practicing your craft. Getting better. Sharper.

*Great advice, especially during NaNoWriMo. Just keep going.

Kristin: What is the most useful advice you received while writing any book?

Jus: Do not give up. Ever. Keep writing. Then when you’re done with that, write more. Write until your fingers fall off! Kind of a mimic (hah!) of the response above, but it’s so, so important!

Fun Stuff

Kristin: The apocalypse is coming…what do you do?

Jus: Eat a LOT of cheese. The real stuff. None of that processed-canned-formed-into-neat-little-slices-of-ick crap. Oh. And travel. I’m terrified of planes…but if we’re all about to bite the big one, I’d probably risk it. Maybe. I have a ton of family in Italy and I’ve always wanted to see Scotland…

Kristin: If you were stranded on an island, name the 5 things you could not live without?

Jus: My family, Coffee, my computer, my dogs, and music.

Kristin: What 5 things are within your reach right now? No cheating?

Jus: Coffee (the coffee is ALWAYS in reach), cell phone, an Akita, a small stuffed llama named Lloyd, and a tin of Rosebud Strawberry lip balm.

Kristin: Favorite book ever?

Jus: Oh… I donno… I don’t think I’m able to pick a fave. There are so many books I consider essential to my life—meaning I need to read them over and over. I have comfort books. Piles of them.

Kristin: Ultimate bad boy crush? (TV, Movies, or Books)

Jus: It’s SO a tie. Vampire Diaries – Damon or Bitten’s (Kelley Armstrong) Clayton Danvers.

*I have got to read Bitten. I know…right? But I am in definite agreement about Damon.

Kristin: Ultimate good guy crush? (TV, Movies, or Books)

Jus: A few weeks ago I was introduced to Kyle XY—which of course is typical since they’ve already pulled it from the air. I’m normally a sucker for the bad boys, but Kyle is SO frickin sweet…

Kristin: Favorite food?

Jus: Since coffee isn’t technically a food…this is another hard one. Again—Italian. We love ALL food. If I was forced at gunpoint to pick though, it’d be chicken marsala (done correctly—none of that watery sauce crap) or brownies!

*Brownies…yum.

Kristin: Favorite Movie?

Jus: Don’t laugh… my all time fave is The Last Unicorn

*No laughing, I promise.

Kristin: Favorite TV show?

Jus: *sigh* Every time I heart something, it gets canceled. They canceled Eureka. Before that it was Roswell. And Futurama (Hah! We got that one back!) I’m afraid to jinx it. Right now though, I’ll give you a hint. Begins with a V and has the most amazing, tall dark and tortured hottie…

*I think I know what show you are alluding to and I don’t want to jinx it either. Who would I drool over on Thursday nights?

Kristin: Favorite Song?

Jus: I don’t have just one… But right now, I’m kinda in love with 10 Years - Fix Me.

Kristin: Favorite singer or band?

Jus: Music is a big deal for me, so to pick just one would probably make my brain explode. Really. Not kidding. And I’m not cleaning up that mess… It’s bad enough in here with all the Akita fur flying around. So the top few are, Powerman 5000, Seether, Stone Sour, and Disturbed.

Kristin: One food you would never try?

Jus: Eggs—pretty much cause it would kill me… And it would Not. Be. Pretty.

*Oh no, we couldn’t have that.

Kristin: The most exotic food you have ever eaten?

Jus: My grandfather was a chef. He made me try frogs legs when I was little. There’s a good chance I haven’t gotten over it. I twitch every time I see a frog…

*Yeah, my parents loved frog legs too. I never touched them.

Kristin: Day on the beach or snow skiing down a mountain?

Jus: Give me cold temps and snow all the way, baby!

Kristin: Campfire with smores or curled up in front of the fireplace?

Jus: Ooo... That’s an even one. I’m a sucker for a camp fire, but we have this amazing fireplace that’s perfect for those nice snowy days.

Kristin: If you could move anywhere on this Earth, where would it be?

Jus: I think it’d be pretty awesome to live in Australia! Who doesn’t love kangaroos?

Kristin: Health nut or junk food junkie?

Jus: Total junk food junkie. You’ll find nothing remotely healthy within the walls of my house.

Kristin: Two books you think everyone should read. (Yes, you can and should include yours.)

Jus: Nightlife by Rob Thurman and Bitten by Kelley Armstrong.

Kristin: Are there any blogs or websites you frequent?

Jus: Well, I have the Food Network http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes-and-cooking/index.html perma-tabbed on my machine, lol. If you mean writing stuffs, I’m very active over at Savvy Authors http://www.savvyauthors.com/vb/content.php and I love YA Highway—though I’m a bit of a lurker there http://www.yahighway.com/.

Kristin: Places my readers can stalk you?

Jus: My website is http://www.jusaccardo.com/. I’m pretty much always on Twitter @JusAccardo. I have a facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jus-Accardo/118357108246769 but I’m not sure what’s going on with facebook. My vote is hostile alien takeover… I’m also a contributor over at YA Fusion http://yafusion.blogspot.com/ and just recently joined a great group of Goddesses over on The Naked Hero http://thenakedhero.com/. 

Thank you so much for taking this time to let us get to know you. We have enjoyed having you today. I hope you have enjoyed yourself and will stop by to see us again soon.

Thank you so much for inviting me. I had a blast.

Title: Touch
Series: Denazen #1
Author: Jus Accardo
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Publicist: Cathy Yardley
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
Release Date: November 2011
ePub ISBN: 978-1-937044-44-2
Print ISBN: 978-1-937044-45-9

About the Book:

When a strange boy tumbles down a river embankment and lands at her feet, seventeen‐year-old adrenaline junkie Deznee Cross snatches the opportunity to piss off her father by bringing

the mysterious hottie with ice blue eyes home.

Except there’s something off with Kale. He wears her shoes in the shower, is overly fascinated with things like DVDs and vases, and acts like she’ll turn to dust if he touches her. It’s not until Dez’s father shows up, wielding a gun and knowing more about Kale than he should, that Dez realizes there’s more to this boy—and her father’s “law firm”—than she realized.

Kale has been a prisoner of Denazen Corporation—an organization devoted to collecting “special” kids known as Sixes and using them as weapons—his entire life. And, oh yeah, his touch? It kills. Dez and Kale team up with a group of rogue Sixes hellbent on taking down Denazen before they’re caught and her father discovers the biggest secret of all. A secret Dez has spent her life keeping safe.

A secret Kale will kill to protect.

Target Audiences Include:

• Readers of Paranormal YA
• Readers of Paranormal Romance
• Fans of Lili St. Crow, P.C. Cast, Jeri Smith‐Ready

*I would like to take a moment to thank Entangled Publishing, Jus Accardo, and Cathy Yardley for inviting me to be a part of the Touch Virtual Book Tour. It has been a great honor and my best wishes go out to Jus and her team. This is a phenomenal book and I cannot wait to read more about Kale and Dez.*

Touch by Jus Accardo

Title: Touch
Series: A Denazen Novel #1
Author: Jus Accardo
Jus Accardo's Website
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Goodreads
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Amazon

Synopsis:

When a strange boy tumbles down a river embankment and lands at her feet, seventeen-year-old adrenaline junkie Deznee Cross snatches the opportunity to piss off her father by bringing the mysterious hottie with ice blue eyes home.

Except there's something off with Kale. He wears her shoes in the shower, is overly fascinated with things like DVDs and vases, and acts like she'll turn to dust if he touches her.

It's not until Dez's father shows up, wielding a gun and knowing more about Kale than he should, that Dez realizes there's more to this boy, and her father's "law firm," than she realized. Kale has been a prisoner of Denazen Corporation -- an organization devoted to collecting "special" kids known as Sixes and using them as weapons -- his entire life.

And, oh yeah, his touch? It kills.

The two team up with a group of rogue Sixes hellbent on taking down Denazen before they're caught and her father discovers the biggest secret of all. A secret Dez has spent her life keeping safe.

A secret Kale will kill to protect.

The girls at Starbooks, one of my facebook hangouts, have been discussing the complete awesomeness of this book and I have to agree. Sometimes we get bogged down reading because it seems like every book is the same in one way or another. More vampires, werewolves, fallen angels...you get my drift. Well, I am here to tell you that Touch is nothing like anything I have read in a very long time. Jus Accardo created a brilliant and captivating novel about a new type of, well...superbeings is the best way I know to describe the Sixes.

I was lucky enough to be asked to do the cover reveal of Touch and was thrilled to do it. When I read the blurb, I instantly wanted to read it. Lucky for me, Jus's puplicist asked me to join the Touch Virtual Tour. I will be interviewing Jus on November 26th so be sure to look for that. Anyway...the cover, let's start there. I absolutely adore this cover, no it doesn't hurt that there is a gorgeous hunk of a boy on the front, but it is also ominous and gives me the shivers.

I fell in love with Dez on the very first page. I guess I saw a lot of myself in her. Careless, daring, risky, and rebellious. Most of this was an attempt to get her father's attention, little did she know that she absolutely did not want his attention. She has lived a difficult life, losing her mother when she was young and dealing with an absentee father, but she has tried to make the best of it. Dez is forced to come to terms with her past so she can move toward the future. Meeting Kale serves her purposes well and provides her with a bit of romance along the way.  She also proves to be one of the strongest female characters I have came across in a long time. She never whines, she jumps in fighting, feet first and arms flailing. Major kick-assedness!

Kale is a Six. If you don't know what that means...basically, he is a human with super powers. Kale's powers are a twist on the Midas Touch. Where Midas turns things to gold, Kale, well...everything he touches...dies. The Denazen corporation captures Sixes and forces them to assist in assassinating those they believe are a threat. Most of the Sixes are children who become brainwashed to believe they are doing what's right; while others, like Kale, do what they are told so not to cause trouble. Kale realized on his last assignment that he had to get away from Denazen before it was too late. I mean, what could a seven year old have done to deserve death?

I always enjoy watching characters grow. I especially appreciate characters who force you to take a second look at everything we take for granted. Kale has a lot to learn about the world around him, and for the most part he takes everything in stride. Observing him attempt to try to figure out romance is quite humorous though. His experience with the real world has been severely limited.

Jus created an action filled romance that will leave you breathless. Touch is told in first-person via Dez. Her unique vision of the world around her will bring feelings of anger, loneliness, frustration, humor, and passion. The world building is unique and dynamic.  Each page is filled with something you will not see coming. I cannot count the times that I gasped, thinking OMG! or WTH?

*Entangled Publishing provided me with a free e-proof of this book in return for my honest review.

Touch Cover Reveal

• Title: Touch
• Series: Denazen Series #1
• Author: Jus Accardo
• Release: November 1, 2011
• Publisher: Entangled Publishing

Official Blurb:

When a strange boy tumbles down a river embankment and lands at her feet, seventeen-year-old adrenaline junkie Deznee Cross snatches the opportunity to piss off her father by bringing the mysterious hottie with ice blue eyes home. 

Except there’s something off with Kale. He wears her shoes in the shower, is overly fascinated with things like DVDs and vases, and acts like she’ll turn to dust if he touches her. It’s not until Dez’s father shows up, wielding a gun and knowing more about Kale than he should, that Dez realizes there’s more to this boy—and her father’s “law firm”—than she realized.

Kale has been a prisoner of Denazen Corporation—an organization devoted to collecting “special” kids known as Sixes and using them as weapons—his entire life. And, oh yeah, his touch? It kills. The two team up with a group of rogue Sixes hellbent on taking down Denazen before they’re caught and her father discovers the biggest secret of all. A secret Dez has spent her life keeping safe.

A secret Kale will kill to protect.

What to say about this cover...Wow! Just Wow. 

• Entrancing Eyes
• On a Hot Boy 
• Who Looks Dangerous
• Wearing a Black T-Shirt
• In a Creepy Background

All the things I love on a book cover (and in real life).

Tell me what you think?