The Inaugural Team Lindsey #SFFFriday

Winter is coming...

But wait, let's backtrack for a minute. Lindsey and I (Lindsey) have agreed that we need to add a little more scifi-fantasy spice to our co-author friendship, so...from this point forward, our Fridays, for the most part, will be designated as Team Lindsey's #SFFFriday(s). For our first ever #SFFFriday, please keep in mind that ...

WINTER IS COMING!

Okay...no, winter isn't actually coming. Duh, we're pretty much on the cusp of spring, but...those in the know know that Game of Thrones is returning in TWO DAYS!!! In preparation, we spent the entire day watching season one of the uber epic HBO series. And...we're not going to watch the season three premier until next Friday--almost a week after the first ep of season three airs--after we've rewatched all of season two.

Yes, as scary as it sounds, we're completely serious. And just because we love to see Joffery getting his face smacked (sorry Jack Gleeson...we understand that, in real life, you're a very nice person, but...), here's a bonus...

So, after watching the first season in its entirety, here are a few of our conclusions, we'd like to share a few of our conclusions, questions, anticipations, and generally spoilery kinds of thoughts. Beware all ye who read beyond this point, SPOILERS may abound...

Characters whose scenes we most enjoy (during GOT season one):

1. Daenerys (book or show, either way, we love her!)

2. Arya (she's snarky, a little badass, and totally hilarious...what's not to love?)

3. Jon Snow (need we say more?)

4. Anything with the Hound

5. Tyrion

Characters who we want to beat the crap out of (during GOT season one):

1. JOFFERY

2. Theon (even before he goes bad, he's just...arrgghghghghgh!)

3. Cercei (though Lena Headey does an amazing job with her)

4. Little Finger (really, dude? REALLY?)

5. Sansa (but only in episodes 1-9...in episode 10, we do a 180 and LOVE her)

Things we love about the show/storyline:

1. OMG could Benioff/Weiss/writers possibly pick better episode ending scenes? Ned's beheading followed by Daenerys emerging from the ashes with her dragons...we are in awe.

2. The casting. Amazing. Perfect. Glorious. Again, we are in awe.

3. This is, in our opinion, the absolutely best example of a scifi/fantasy book series being transformed into a serial television show. (LF note: Children of Dune was good, but nowhere near GOT)

4. Khal Drogo...and John Snow...sigh...tear. At least we still have John Snow. 

5. Lack of unnecessary CG. Yeah, it's becoming shockingly rare in SF/F shows and movies. CG white walkers, sure...CG baby dragons, yeah, that makes sense...awesomely beautiful settings that are filmed in real, awesomely beautiful places...priceless.

Questions we have:

1. What does Varys want, really?

2. Sansa + The Hound...hmmm?

3. Does Syrio die...and (gasp) might he be the previous incarnation of a certain faceless man we all know and love?

4. WHY?!?!??!?!

5. How much time has passed since the beginning?

Next Friday we will be rewatching season two of GOT and tweeting using #SFFFriday to mark our various"Oh!" "Ah!" "Oh no!" and "Ah ha!" moments. We'd love to see any of our fabulous readers there. And can we just add that we are so, so, SO excited about season three--especially after having read the books--that we can't help but giggle.

Thus concludes our first #SFFFriday. Happy Game of Thrones Sunday to all...we hope the GOT Bunny visits you, but make sure it's not a white walker! 

Otherwise...burn that bun bun!

Orangeberry Book Tour - AE's FIRST Virtual Book Tour!

Starting tomorrow, After The Ending is officially on a virtual book tour with...

Orangeberry Book Tours

We are SO excited! Here's the upcoming stops along the blogosphere:

22nd March – Book Feature at Peace from Pieces

23rd March – Book Review & Guest Post at Mommy Adventures

24th March – Author Interview at The Bunny’s Review

25th March – Book Review & Guest Post at The Reading Cat

26th March – Book Review & Author Interview at Author’s Friend

27th March – Book Review & Guest Post at Aspiring Books

We hope to see you there!

Lucky In Love Giveaway Winner Chosen!

We'd like to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone who participated in the blog hop and who entered our little giveaway! 

Congratulations to AMBER HALL, winner of a signed copy of...

AFTER THE ENDING

Yeah...it's that exciting...

Lucky in Love Blog Hop

AFTER THE ENDING kindle book is FREE from 3/15-3/17 on amazon.com.

What does it mean to be 'lucky in love'? For Dani and Zoe, the heroines of After The Ending, it means that even thought civilization has crashed and burned--thanks to a really nasty virus--there's always the possibility of romance to brighten their post-apocalyptic days. Here are two short excerpts from After The Ending:

DANI

     When I rose and carried our empty plates to the sink, Jason asked, “What’re you doing?”

     “The dishes?”

     “Why?”

     “Because…huh.” I dropped the dirty plates into the sink. “I don’t know. It just felt right. Being here makes it seem like things are…normal.”

     Standing, Jason finished off the juice, drinking it straight out of the bottle, and said, “I know what you mean. I keep expecting my dad to walk in and lecture me about responsibility and ‘carrying the family torch’.” He raised his backpack onto the chair and unzipped it. “It feels normal…except for one thing.”

     “What’s that?” I cocked my head and leaned my lower back against the counter.

     “We’re here together—just us.” He looked at me, his electric blue eyes seeming to really see me for the first time. “The world’s not normal. Everything’s different…we’re different.”

     I nodded, shifting uncomfortably under the weight of his stare. 


ZOE

     “Are you okay?” he asked, his voice a mixture of anger and concern.

     “Yeah, I’m fine,” I said pathetically, refusing to look up at him. “Just leave me here…maybe the animals’ll drag me away.”

     He laughed despite his anger. “That’s not overly dramatic or anything.” Crouching down in front of me, he gripped my arms tightly. “I’ll help you up.”

     “Let me, please. I’d at least like to keep some of my dignity intact.”

     Jake let go and took a step back to let me rise on my own.

     Straightening, I looked into his eyes. They radiated an urgency I’d never seen in them before. I tilted my head, trying to decipher the meaning behind his intense expression, and began to feel extremely self-conscious.

     “Please don’t look at me like that,” I pleaded quietly. I balled my hands into fists at my sides but couldn’t stop them from trembling. Yearning and despondency floated in the air between us, and I was unable to distinguish his emotions from my own. Mentally exhausted, I closed my eyes and sighed.

     “Nothing’s changed, huh?” Jake’s tone willed me to think about everything that had transpired between us during the past few weeks. When I opened my eyes, he reached for my hands and examined the minute scrapes on my palms. The heat of his touch swept through me, banishing rational thought. 

     “For whatever reason, I know you don’t want to let me in…or maybe you just don’t know how.” He released my hands as he spoke, and I reluctantly let them fall to my sides. “I can’t read your mind, and I don’t understand you half the time…but I know what I want.” His voice sounded calm—confident—but I could feel both fear and hope welling within him.

     Jake’s vulnerability jump-started something inside me.

     He moved closer, and his jaw clenched. "What are you afraid of?"

Already downloaded the free kindle book, but still want a chance to win a paperback? Enter below :)
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Leave a comment below with your email address and you have a chance to win one of TWO Lucky in Love Blog Hop GRAND PRIZES:
1. $100 amazon.com or Barnes & Noble gift card
2. Swag pack containing paperbacks, eBooks, 50+ bookmarks, cover flats, magnets, pens, coffee cozies, and more! (US residents only)

After The Ending Blog Tour

Okay, so as brand spanking new, independently published authors, marketing is a scary, snarly world. Scary, snarly, and totally navigable if we're willing to reach out to the experts...BLOGGERS! We have official signed up for an AMAZING blog tour during the month of May.



We're super excited, and we'll post more details about reviews and giveaways as it gets closer to tour time. Yipppeeeeeee!