Guest Post: Jodi from Touch of Death by Kelly Hashway

Jodi knows that any slip-ups made by the Ophi--a special group of necromancers born under the 13th sign of the zodiac--will fall on her shoulders... and that Hades is just waiting for them to screw up so he can wipe out the Ophi line.

Unfortunately, Jodi has only convinced one Ophi to join her school: A hot guy named Chase who jeopardizes her relationship with Alex. Jodi loves Alex, but Chase can enhance her powers with just a touch—making her stronger than any Ophi has ever been.

Her mixed emotions send her powers surging out of control, and the dead start rising without her conscious summoning—exactly what Hades doesn't want! If she chooses Alex over Chase, she may lose the battle to Hades, leading the Ophi race to extinction. If she chooses Chase, she might be able to stop Hades for good… but lose everything else.

Jodi needs to figure things out fast--because death is stalking her at every turn.

 

Jodi Marshall and the Men in Her Life

 

There really aren’t any words to describe the men in my life, but I’ll give it my best shot. Alex is probably the best boyfriend any girl can ask for. Does he get jealous? Of course. He’s a guy. But he puts up with a lot, which sort of comes with the territory when you date the Chosen One. We met under weird circumstances considering he stalked me and then tore me out of my life to bring me to the Ophi school, but he saved my mom’s life and I think I suspected all along that he wasn’t trying to hurt me or be creepy. He’s just not good around humans, and knowing what I know about his past, I can understand why. So even with his flaws, he’s perfect in my eyes.

 

Next there’s Chase. Ugh. I can’t even begin to tell you how much that guy makes me want to punch him. He’s manipulative and controlling, yet my blood is drawn to his. It’s so unfair. I can’t help thinking having him in my life is punishment for all the bad things I’ve done—even if I didn’t do them on purpose. Chase is wicked hot, too, which makes it all that much worse.

 

Speaking of wicked hot, let’s move on to Hades. He’s the only guy I know that’s worse than Chase. Hades hates the Ophi and wants us all dead. Let me tell you, having him for an enemy is just as good as a death sentence. Good thing I’m a necromancer. (Yes, that was a really poor attempt at a joke.) If you ask me, Hades only hates the Ophi because he feels threatened by us. We aren’t gods, yet we have so much power and can steal his souls from the underworld. You can bet that gets his boxers in a bunch.

 

Looking at my guy issues, it’s no wonder that I had an absentee dad growing up. But I’ve come to find out that wasn’t his fault. You can’t exactly be around for your kid when you’re dead. Well…that’s not entirely true since I’ve raised my dad’s soul more than once. But while I don’t really know my own father, I have Tony. He’s more than just a teacher at the Ophi school.  He’s a friend and the closest thing to a dad I’ve ever known. He looks out for me and always has my back.

 

So those are the guys in my life. They all complicate my life in some way since I’m the one in charge of the Ophi, and that means I have to find a way to live with them. And Alex’s solution of just locking the two of us in a room and ignoring everyone else forever isn’t going to work no matter how many times he tries to tell me otherwise.

 

About the Author:

 

I write for children of all ages from picture books up to young adult. I am proudly represented by Lauren Hammond of ADA Management. My debut YA, TOUCH OF DEATH, releases January 15, 2013 through Spencer Hill Press. Also look for my other upcoming YA novels: STALKED BY DEATH (Spencer Hill Press, July 23, 2013), THE MONSTER WITHIN (Spencer Hill Press, April 2014), THE DARKNESS WITHIN (Spencer Hill Press, TBA), and INTO THE FIRE (Month9Books, spring 2014). My debut MG series CURSE OF THE GRANVILLE FORTUNE releases fall 2014 through Month9Books.

Author's Website

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Blog Tour & Guest Post: Stalked by Death (Touch of Death, #2) by Kelly Hashway

I'm always super excited to get the chance to participate in a blog tour featuring a great book and fabulous author!  Today is no different as I get the opportunity to host the next stop for Kelly Hashway's sequel Stalked by Death in her Touch of Death series.  When I came across her series opener, I could not have had more fun with it and couldn't wait to dig into the sequel.  Kelly's been kind enough to stop by for a guest post and I won't keep you waiting any longer to check it out....

The Lesser-known Myths

I’ve been in love with Greek mythology since my senior year in high school when my English teacher taught an extensive unit on the Greek gods. I couldn’t get enough. After that I devoured anything on the topic. But after a while, you’ve heard all the common myths. So I dug deeper.

I was fascinated by the 13th sign of the zodiac, Ophiuchus, and while most myths say he got his healing powers from a snake, I wasn’t buying it. First, I’m
terrified of snakes. They love me, apparently, since they find me everywhere I go, but the feeling isn’t mutual. So I kept researching and found a myth that said Ophiuchus’s power came from a gift bestowed upon him by the goddess Athena.  Now Athena gave Ophiuchus two vials of blood from the Gorgon Medusa. The vial containing the blood from the right side of Medusa’s body had the power to restore life to the dead. Ophiuchus used that vile and pissed off Hades big time because he was stealing souls from the Underworld.

Well, this made me wonder what Ophiuchus did with the second vile of blood. That vile was from the left side of Medusa’s body, the side that was poisonous. I knew there was a story there. I wanted characters who had both abilities, and I wanted the world to know more about Medusa because as far as I had heard, she was a monster who killed people by turning them to stone. How did she have the power to restore life?

Again, I did some research, and what I found was a very different Medusa. A beautiful girl who was sought after by Poseidon and as a result was cursed by Athena, the very goddess she served. I didn’t think it was fair. Medusa got a bad reputation through no fault of her own. So I wrote her as the person I wanted to believe she was. And that’s why you’ll see a very caring, motherly, yet totally
powerful Medusa in the Touch of Death series.

So why did I choose lesser-known myths for my books? Because I liked discovering something new, and I wanted to share it with my readers.

**Thanks so much again Kelly for stopping by the blog and for that fabulous guest post!!

And on top of everything, we've got a great giveaway for everyone to enter.  What's up for grabs?

A signed ARC of Stalked by Death (Touch of Death, #2) by Kelly Hashway

 

Stalked by Death Button

 

Stalked by Death Stickers

 

Zombie Limb Candy

 

Signed Touch of Death Bookmarks

 

Touch of Death Stickers

Who wouldn't want the chance to win this great book and all that awesome swag??!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

In My Mailbox (103)

This is a meme that I first heard about from Kristi over at The Story Siren and immediately wanted to jump on board. I'm always picking up new books, because I never tire of reading, but the other thing I like about this meme is that it gives everyone an opportunity to check out what other book fanatics, bloggers, etc... got for themselves. I've gotten great recommendations from this meme and hope that keeps up in the future.

Here's what I got, what did you guys get this week?

For Review:

 

Pivot Point (Pivot Point, #1) by Kasie West

 

Knowing the outcome doesn’t always make a choice easier . . .

Addison Coleman’s life is one big “What if?” As a Searcher, whenever Addie is faced with a choice, she can look into the future and see both outcomes. It’s the ultimate insurance plan against disaster. Or so she thought. When Addie’s parents ambush her with the news of their divorce, she has to pick who she wants to live with—her father, who is leaving the paranormal compound to live among the “Norms,” or her mother, who is staying in the life Addie has always known. Addie loves her life just as it is, so her answer should be easy. One Search six weeks into the future proves it’s not.

In one potential future, Addie is adjusting to life outside the Compound as the new girl in a Norm high school where she meets Trevor, a cute, sensitive artist who understands her. In the other path, Addie is being pursued by the hottest guy in school—but she never wanted to be a quarterback’s girlfriend. When Addie’s father is asked to consult on a murder in the Compound, she’s unwittingly drawn into a dangerous game that threatens everything she holds dear. With love and loss in both lives, it all comes down to which reality she’s willing to live through . . . and who she can’t live without.

 

Defiance (Defiance, #1) by C.J. Redwine

 

While the other girls in the walled city-state of Baalboden learn to sew and dance, Rachel Adams learns to track and hunt. While they bend like reeds to the will of their male Protectors, she uses hers for sparring practice.

When Rachel's father fails to return from a courier mission and is declared dead, the city's brutal Commander assigns Rachel a new Protector: her father's apprentice, Logan—the boy she declared her love to and who turned her down two years before. Left with nothing but fierce belief in her father's survival, Rachel decides to escape and find him herself.

As Rachel and Logan battle their way through the Wasteland, stalked by a monster that can't be killed and an army of assassins out for blood, they discover romance, heartbreak, and a truth that will incite a war decades in the making.

 

Stalked by Death (Touch of Death, #2) by Kelly Hashway (Thanks to Spencer Hill Press)

 

Jodi knows that any slip-ups made by the Ophi--a special group of necromancers born under the 13th sign of the zodiac--will fall on her shoulders... and that Hades is just waiting for them to screw up so he can wipe out the Ophi line.

Unfortunately, Jodi has only convinced one Ophi to join her school: A hot guy named Chase who jeopardizes her relationship with Alex. Jodi loves Alex, but Chase can enhance her powers with just a touch—making her stronger than any Ophi has ever been.

Her mixed emotions send her powers surging out of control, and the dead start rising without her conscious summoning—exactly what Hades doesn't want! If she chooses Alex over Chase, she may lose the battle to Hades, leading the Ophi race to extinction. If she chooses Chase, she might be able to stop Hades for good… but lose everything else.

Jodi needs to figure things out fast--because death is stalking her at every turn.

 

Breaking Glass by Lisa Amowitz (Thanks to Spencer Hill Press)

 

On the night seventeen-year-old Jeremy Glass winds up in the hospital with a broken leg and a blood alcohol level well above the legal limit, his secret crush, Susannah, disappears. When he begins receiving messages from her from beyond the grave, he's not sure whether they're real or if he's losing his grip on reality. Clue by clue, he gets closer to unraveling the mystery, and soon realizes he must discover the truth or become the next victim himself.



Guest Post: Author Kelly Hashway

Books: 

Touch of Death (Touch of Death, #1)
Stalked by Death (Touch of Death, #2)

Jodi knows that any slip-ups made by the Ophi--a special group of necromancers born under the 13th sign of the zodiac--will fall on her shoulders... and that Hades is just waiting for them to screw up so he can wipe out the Ophi line.

Unfortunately, Jodi has only convinced one Ophi to join her school: A hot guy named Chase who jeopardizes her relationship with Alex. Jodi loves Alex, but Chase can enhance her powers with just a touch—making her stronger than any Ophi has ever been.

Her mixed emotions send her powers surging out of control, and the dead start rising without her conscious summoning—exactly what Hades doesn't want! If she chooses Alex over Chase, she may lose the battle to Hades, leading the Ophi race to extinction. If she chooses Chase, she might be able to stop Hades for good… but lose everything else.

Jodi needs to figure things out fast--because death is stalking her at every turn.

Highs and Lows

When I first stepped into the world of publishing, I had dreams of writing an amazing book and becoming a best seller.  I mean I grew up devouring book after book.  I knew what a great book looked like.  Kind of cute how naive I was, right?

I learned right off the bat that this industry is tough.  I received a ton of rejections when I tried to get my foot in the door by selling short stories to magazines.  But.... I kept writing.  And I kept reading.  Eventually, I did start selling my short stories and that momentum fueled me to rewrite my first novel for the third time.  Yes, third.  And while I queried agents and piled up the rejections, I wrote another book and another.  I cried many times, wondering if my dream was just that... a dream.  But I kept writing.  And I kept reading.

A year and a half after I began seeking publication, I found my agent.  Finally, I thought, this is it!  My agent took my book out on submission and I waited and kept writing.  During that time, I wrote a book called Touch of Death.  Drafting it in 14 days and working through revisions and my agent's edits.  All while the book we had out on subs remained unsold.  I had high hopes for Touch of Death, but as the months passed, my heart felt heavy and I wondered again if my dream was too far out of reach.  But I kept writing.  And I kept reading.

When my agent called me late one evening, I had just gone to bed after crying over how tough this industry is.  She said those magical words to me: "Your book sold."  I was speechless.  I laughed.  I cried.  And then I kept writing.

I think any writer you talk to will tell you publishing is tough.  It's full of highs and lows.  But in the end, the struggles make the successes that much better.  And through it all, you have to keep writing and reading because that's the heart of what we do.


**Thank you so much Kelly for stopping by!  I can only imagine what the process must have been like, but it was worth it if you ask me.  Touch of Death has become one of my favorites and for those of you readers out there who haven't had the chance to read it yet, go out and get yourself a copy...you won't regret it!