It's Amazing...

Well, the first vote is in for Judith Grave's Second Skin...

Amy from A Simple Love of Reading says:

It was AMAZING:

She gave it 5 Dragon Hearts of "Love."

Here's her take on it:

"Judith Graves created an incredible cast of characters with her first of this series: Under My Skin, and I enjoyed them even more in Second Skin....But Second Skin, WOW...I simply love the progression of Eryn's story. There is a love triangle, danger and mystery throughout this book making it a definite page-turner. There are a lot of secrets surrounding Eryn....There are still so many questions to be answered and I can't wait for the next book in this series: Skin of My Teeth."

Intrigued? You can find Second Skin at Leap Books and Amazon. Better hurry, the Amazon website says, "Only 2 left in stock--order soon (more on the way)."And watch for specials on the Leap Books site during March Madness from March 21 to 31.

If you'd like an autographed copy, keep an eye on Judith's website and blog for info about her Gothic Tea Party Book Launch. Open to the public. Even better, sign up for her newsletter for info and great giveaways.

And get ready for Book 3 in the Skinned series:

Judith Graves Blog Tour

For her new release, author Judith Graves is going on tour. Join the celebration of the official launch of the second book in the SKINNED series, SECOND SKIN.


During the month of March Judith will be doing interviews and guest posts on some fabulous blogs, as well as features on her own site. It will be a month of giveaways, SWAG, and great conversations.

In honor of Second Skin’s major theme, FACING YOUR DARKEST FEAR, she’ll look at what scares us – from horror films, fiction, phobias, folklore and the beasties that haunt our dreams. Thankfully, she'll only talk about others' sheer terror – Eryn and her monster-hunting crew are the ones who get thrown to the wolves.

Here’s the line up of blog stops and author thus far:

3/1 – Tour kick off (my blog)
3/7 - Jennifer R. Hubbard – guest post exchange and feature on my blog
3/8 – Electrifying Reviews – guest post
3/9 – Fragments of Life – author interview / character interview
3/10 – Just Deb – guest post
3/12 – Ellz Readz - guest post
3/13 – Book Swarm - character interview and review
3/14 – Late Bloomer – guest post
3/15 – Heather McCorkle - author interview exchange and feature on my blog
3/16 – Dawn Dalton- author interview exchange and feature on my blog
3/17 – Dawn Ius – author interview
3/19 – Denise Jaden - author interview exchange and feature on my blog
3/20 – Joy Preble – author interview exchange and feature on my blog
3/22 – Janet Fox - author interview exchange and feature on my blog
3/25 – Lauren’s Crammed Bookshelf - author interview
3/28 – Bewitched Bookworms – review

Judith's books in the Skinned Series:
Available Now Books 1 and 2

COMING IN 2013...

 COMING IN 2014...

A steampunk e-serial starring Amelia Strangeways. Ghosthunter. Necromancer.

Beauty or Beast?

With Fiends Like Eryn…

Monsters. Bloodsuckers. The evil. The damned. Eryn McCain knows they exist—she's been hunting them since she was a child. At sixteen, she's ready to take on all comers. Being a shapeshifter gives her an advantage when it comes to her unusual part-time job. The hours suck and the pay is, well, non-existent, but bonuses like inhuman strength and night vision make tracking scary beasties a dream come true. Especially in a town like Redgrave.

When an ancient demon targets Redgrave High, Eryn and her crew of hunters must face their innermost fears to prevent the Harvest Moon Dance from becoming one serious Monster Mash. Loyalties are tested and temptations abound. With questions ever brewing, can Eryn share a future with the brooding, noble, human Alec—the hunter after her heart? Or will she succumb to her enemy's son, Wade, a seductive predator as bloodthirsty as she is?

What happens when you’re both the beauty and the beast?

Leap Books is thrilled to announce Judith Graves' latest book in the Skinned series SECOND SKIN.

Praise for Second Skin

"Smart, sassy and more than a little scary, Second Skin hits all the right notes. I adored reading about Eryn and her attempts to deal with her life!"

~Amanda Ashby, award-winning author of Zombie Queen of Newbury High and Fairy Bad Day

"If tasked to recruit a monster-hunting army, I'd want Eryn on my side—her tongue is as sharp as the athame she brandishes. In Second Skin, the second book in Judith Graves' thrilling SKINNED series, Eryn goes head-to-head with a chilling new paranorm, has lingering feelings for two of Redgraves' hottest boys, and is surrounded by an endearing cast of family and friends. Prepare to be engrossed—Graves digs in her claws and doesn't let go until the mesmerizing cliffhanger end."

~Dawn Dalton, author of Thread of the Past

"In Judith Graves' Second Skin, book two of her Skinned series, shapeshifter Eryn McCain is fighting the paranorm baddies again and cracking wise while she's at it. A wild ride of snark, chills and romance, Second Skin poses the creepy question: what if your worse nightmares came to life?"

~Joy Preble, author of Dreaming Anastasia and Haunted

Also look for the second edition of Under My Skin: Book 1:

And watch for Judith Graves' blog tour. Stop back next week for kick-off info.

Last Day of 99 Cent Book Sale!

Today, December 31, 2011, is the last day to snag your copy of Judith Graves' e-book, Under My Skin, for only $.99.

If you're a paranormal lover, this is one sale you won't want to miss.

All her parents wanted was for Eryn to live a normal life...

Redgrave had its share of monsters before Eryn moved to town. Mauled pets, missing children. The Delacroix family is taking the blame, but Eryn knows the truth. Something stalks the night. Wade, the police chief's son and Redgrave High's resident hottie, warns her the Delacroix are dangerous. But then so is Eryn--in fact, she's lethal.

But she can't help falling for one of the Delacroix boys, dark, brooding--human Alec. And then her world falls apart.

A normal life? Now that's the real fairytale.  

Reviews

"Under My Skin is a roller-coaster romp through a supernatural world filled with scary beasties, otherworldly magic, and characters you'll root for...a compelling story full of mystery, magic, action and romance. A fun and engaging read."
~Rosemary Clement-Moore, author of Prom Dates from Hell

"Eryn emerges as a strong, independent, feisty young woman whose sense of responsibility for her "pack" .... fans of paranormal YA fiction will appreciate a protagonist with attitude and anticipate the next volume in the planned trilogy, Second Skin, to be released in 2011."

~ CM Magazine

"I love stories that are filled with paranormal beasties, great characters (especially kick-butt heroines), resident hotties, and humor! I couldn't decide whether I was Team Alec or Team Wade even up to the end."

~ Aly from The Young Adult Literature Review

$.99 Books During December

Looking for a spooky read for December?

Check out Under My Skin, Book 1 in the Skinned series by Judith Graves.

From now until January 1, 2012, you can snag the ebook for only $.99!

To order, click here or here.

If you love Under My Skin as much as we think you will, watch for the release of Second Skin, Book 2 in February 2012...

You can reserve your copy, by clicking here and adding it to your shopping cart.

Love UMS?

We've had fans tell us how much they love UMS (That's Under My Skin by Judith Graves, if you haven't been following all the book blogs where Judith's appeared.) If you love werewolf - vampire books filled with other paranormal creatures, this is the summer read for you.

If you're already a fan or want to find out more about the book, you can hear Judith Graves on Book Bites for Kids next Wednesday, July 14 at 2 pm CST. She'll be talking about her writing process, her characters, and what's in store for those of you who are eagerly awaiting the sequels.

And if you missed them, two of our other authors, Kitty Keswick (Freaksville) and Bonnie J. Doerr (Island Sting), were also interviewed on this blog talk radio show.

So tune in next week and find out more about UMS, and werewolves and witches and vampires and wolven. And if you comment on our blog and let us know you've listened in, we'll put your name in a drawing for a free copy of UMS or another Leap Book of your choice.

Goth Graveyard

Love goth? 

Author Judith Graves is going black, black, black this weekend. These two huge walls have been painted black in her honor. And this corner of a coffee house will be the scene of a graveyard, complete with crows and roses.

A goth dream...or nightmare, as the case may be.

So break out the black eyeliner and lipstick and head on over to the party. Everyone's invited--goth or not.

WHEN: April 24, 2010

WHERE: BeanTrees coffee house
               5112 50 St
              Cold Lake AB, T9M 1X2

WHO: Mural created by Lauri Ansell, based on illustrations within Under My Skin (UMS), created by Val Cox

WHY: To celebrate the launch of UMS written by author Judith Graves

Ta, da! The finished product. And if you're curious about the original art on which this was based, here are some of the great illustrations by Val Cox that Lauri used.

If you can't get to Cold Lake, Alberta, this weekend--or even if you can--you can enjoy seeing these pictures of a work in progress. Even better, watch it unfold via vlog. And meet Judith and Lauri in person.

So if you're into the paranormal, love werewolves, vamps, sprites, and other beasts that haunt graveyards, Bean Trees is the place to be this Saturday night. Great music, stuff to eat and drink, and lots of paranorms roaming the crowd...

Come celebrate with us...

Countdown to Launch Party

Under My Skin arrived. Here's author Judith Graves reading her copy. Even her dog is checking out the book. Curious about why they're both so absorbed?

Stay tuned this week for some fun snippets from the book. You'll find out why everyone who's read it is raving about it.

Here's what Rosemary Clement-Moore, author of Prom Dates from Hell, Hell Week, Highway to Hell, and The Splendor Falls had to say about it:

"Under My Skin is a roller-coaster romp through a supernatural world filled with scary beasties, otherworldly magic, and characters you'll root for. Eryn is a tough but likable protagonist whose paranormal problems make a compelling story full of mystery, magic, action and romance. A fun and engaging read. I'm looking forward to the sequel." 

And best of all, you can get Under My Skin for 30% now through the Leap store. Also available at Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

And if you live near Cold Lake, Alberta, get ready to party this weekend: The big day is April 24, 2010. Find out more at the Wolfy Chicks blog.

Vampires Go to College?

Serious about vampires? Looks like they are in the UK. Headlines from today's Telegraph say "University to Hold Vampire Conference." So does that mean vampires from all over the world will be at this conference? Wouldn't that be cool--a whole campus filled with bloodsuckers?

The title of the conference is Open Graves, Open Minds: Vampires and the Undead in Modern Culture. And what will they learn? Most likely they won't be studying calculus or philosophy. Although biology and anatomy classes might be of interest. Or maybe they'll choose from seminar topics. What do vampires need to learn? How to choose the proper victim? How to suck blood without leaving a trace? How to select the proper flatware and distinguish silver from platinum?

Sorry to disappoint you, but it's actually a literature conference about the new sexy teenage vampires in novels and why YAs find them so appealing.That's easy enough to understand: Who doesn't like hot guys, bloodsuckers or not?

So if you find them enticing, you'll want to check out Judith Graves' Under My Skin. Here's a snippet from the book:

    I shifted closer, entranced by the minty scent rising from his blood. Hunger pangs twisted my stomach as if I hadn’t eaten for weeks. I pressed myself against his body. My lips parted. I sighed against his warm skin. Wade turned his face up for me, like he wanted me to take his lifeblood, feed on his flesh.
    I almost fell for it.
    Vamp thrall.
    I gasped, fighting his seductive glamour. His grey eyes stared into mine. Mesmerizing. Inviting…
   Don’t forget devilish. The voice of reason brought me back from the brink.
   And evil.

And kudos to the University of Hertfordshire for coming up with such an appealing subject for a conference.

Team Freaksville vs. Team Redgrave: The Interviews

 This is Kasey Maxwell from Freaksville (left) blogging with Eryn McCain from Redgrave, Alberta (below).

K:   So hiya, Eryn, word has it you have a little vampire problem up in the vast North, eh?” [Note I added a little Canadian flavour. I really dig accents. British is my fav, but Canada is a colony of England, isn’t it…] Oops, sorry, back to the question at hand—VAMPS.

E:  Yeah, we have some nasty bloodsuckers in Redgrave, but currently me and my hunter crew—well, it's Alec's crew really (that's part of the guy problem I was telling you about)—are fighting off a pack of werewolves. I hear you have some wolfy issues yourself…as in potential love interest avec fur. I sure hope you’re not allergic, like some people I know…

K:   So what does a hunter do exactly? Do you get to wear cool boots? I love boots, I think every girl, whether she’s kicking butt or not, should have a pair of cool boots.

E:  Um...boots. Yeah, I have some s#^*kickers, but I still cling to my Vancouver-purchased Mary Janes. I'm completely against snow. (Although, I really don't get why there's zero white-stuff action for the Olympics...British Columbia usually has the best ski conditions—if you're into that sort of thing.) Anyway, Redgrave's been quite the shock to my system, in more ways than one.

K:   Err, Canada grows their guys on the hot side… *fans self* I want to know who do you really want Wade or Alec? Come on we’re friends here.

 E:  Yeah, they're mildly attractive (understatement of incredible magnitude). But there's the whole, one guy might kill me, I might kill the other guy thing. Sounds like I'm taking it lightly, right? Believe me...I'm not. I'm just the laugh-at-a-funeral type, you know?

K:   I recently discovered that I’m a paranorm and, well, after that Freakfest, I’m learning to deal with my gifts. What’s been challenging to you?

E:  I've always known what I am, part human/part shapeshifter. But I've never had the chance to explore my paranorm side. You're hearing me, yes? At least your father never plied you with drugs to keep your "talents" at bay....screwing with your paranorm metabolism....turning you into something unknown and dangerous. And I'm supposed to care about passing my physics exam? Good lord.

K:  I heard you actually had a run in with a werewolf...seems he had a little pet shopping on his mind. Poor Thumper, it’s bad enough people wear  cute bunnies as fashion statement—note, I wear faux fur, not Thumpers---but now they have to worry about being werewolf chow, too?  So not fair! Anyway, what were you really thinking when you slipped and fell in the bunny blood? BTW, were those jeans thrashed? I hope they weren’t cute, because bloodstains are tough to get out of denim.

 E:  Kasey, Kasey, Kasey. *shakes head sadly* You'd have a tough time in my world. Why do you think I keep my hair up in these functional (yet funky and cute!) ponytails? I get messy. Hunting is a gory job. Sometimes I shower three times a day. I'm not kidding. Yeah, that werewolf was in a for a little dine-and-dash at the pet shop. But I handled the situation….with some help from an unlikely source.