New Year, New Books Day 24: Kristen Simmons + Three

Welcome to Day 24 of New Year, New Books! Today I'm featuring...

Kristen Simmons

-author of THREE (February 11th, 2014)

GUYS GUYS GUYS I AM SO EXCITED! I absolutely FELL IN LOVE WITH THE ARTICLE 5 SERIES. It is absolutely amazing and when I got an ARC of Three my brains basically exploded. If you have not read this series yet, I recommend it 100%. It is FULL OF FEELS, people. Full. Of. Feels. I can honestly say it is my favorite book in the world. Oh yeah. I went there.

Title: Three (Article 5 #3)
Author: Kristen Simmons
Shelves: Young Adult, Dystopia, Romance
Publication Date: February 11th, 2014
Publisher: Tor Teen

Goodreads|Amazon|B&N

Summary from Goodreads: Kristen Simmons' fast-paced, gripping YA dystopian series continues inThree.

Ember Miller and Chase Jennings are ready to stop running. After weeks spent in hiding as two of the Bureau of Reformation’s most wanted criminals, they have finally arrived at the safe house, where they hope to live a safe and quiet existence.

And all that’s left is smoking ruins.

Devastated by the demolition of their last hope, Ember and Chase follow the only thing left to them—tracks leading away from the wreckage. The only sign that there may have been survivors.

With their high profile, they know they can’t stay out in the open for long. They take shelter in the wilderness and amidst the ruins of abandoned cities as they follow the tracks down the coast, eventually finding refugees from the destroyed safe house. Among them is someone from Chase’s past—someone he never thought he’d see again.

Banding together, they search for a place to hide, aiming for a settlement a few of them have heard about…a settlement that is rumored to house the nebulous organization known as Three. The very group that has provided Ember with a tiny ray of hope ever since she was first forced on the run.

Three is responsible for the huge network of underground safe houses and resistance groups across the country. And they may offer Ember her only chance at telling the world her story.

At fighting back.


At the publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management software (DRM) applied.

Interview with Kristen Simmons

Kristen's website|Goodreads author page

Q1) If you were stranded on a deserted island with one other author, who would it be and why?

My BFF Katie McGarry, because even though she writes sweet stories, that girl is tough. She'd totally defend us from hungry monkeys or rabid wolves or bad weather.

Q2) When you write, do you have a routine or a ritual of sorts?

I suppose I do. I generally sit in the same spot at this little cafe (if someone's already sitting there, I can sit somewhere else, but as soon as they get up, I'm taking back the seat). I like to order green tea with a little honey, and then reread what I wrote last session. As soon as I'm done editing that, I push forward into the next scene. Okay. Maybe I'm a little superstitious about the whole thing...but if it works, it works, right?

Q3) Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

Never give up. I realize that sounds generic, but it's true. Writing is hard work, and it's mostly a solitary venture, and without support it's very hard to keep going. I wrote for 10 years before I found my agent. It was a long, painful journey, but it was so worth it in the end. I love my agent, and I love my publisher!

Q4) Do you base any of the characters from your novel off anyone in real life? If so, have you told him/her?

I don't! I think it was Stephen King that said something like, "Never write about your friends unless you want to get sued or shot on your way to the mailbox." That advice stuck. :) That being said, Rudy Lane in ARTICLE 5 is named after my precious greyhound, Rudy. I thought he deserved a shout out for all the footwarming he did for me while I was writing.

Q5) If you could have on character from Article 5 as your best friend, who would it be and why?

Probably Sean. He seems to be able to keep a level head when everything goes to crap. And he's funny. At least, I think he is!

Q6) What made you decide to become a writer?

I've always wanted to be a writer, even when I was a little kid. Some of my first stories were about my dog, cat, and hamster.

Q7) What other books can we expect from you soon?

THREE, which comes out in February and closes the ARTICLE 5 series. After that I have three stand-alones that are also with my publisher. The first is called THE GLASS ARROW and is about a girl caught in the wild and sold for breeding rights, the second, METALTOWN, is about sweatshop workers building the parts for a bombs, and the third...well that's still my work in progress!

Q8) What is the one word that comes to mind when others hear your name?

I think mostly it's "Who?" but it would be great if it was "author" or "dystopian" or even "nice!"

***GIVEAWAY***

The lovely Kristen is giving away a copy of ARTICLE 5 to one winner, and a copy of the sequel, BREAKING POINT to another!! I AM NOT KIDDING WHEN IS SAY YOU WANT TO READ THIS BOOK. 

Rules of entry:

1) US ONLY

2) No cheating with the entries, I always check!

3) The books will be sent out at the publisher's discretion.

4) Take the time to read this post with Kristen, not just enter the giveaway. All the authors featured in New Year, New Books are crazy busy, and deserve as much love and attention as any giveaway you enter.

5) There will be two winners.

6) GOOD LUCK!

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***Grand Prize Giveaway***

2 Surprise 2014 ARCs + swag

Yep, these will be from my own shelf. Yep, this giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY. Yep, it is a surprise and I am not telling you what the ARCs will be but here's an idea of what MIGHT be in it:

Any of these books are fair game! But in the end, the winner will only get 2. And I promise that the surprise ARCs will be good:)

Here are the rules of entry:

1) OPEN INTERNATIONALLY
2) The winner has 48 hours to respond to my email. If not, I will have to pick a new winner. 

3) The prize will be sent out at my discretion, so I might take me a little longer than a week to get it to you.

4) In order to earn the maximum amount of entries, you can comment on EVERY SINGLE DAY of New Year, New Books!

5) GOOD LUCK!

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