teatimelit

Tag: Mid-Year Freak Out Tag

Y’all know what time it is! It’s mid-year freak out tag time! I love doing this tag every year because it’s so fun to look back at everything I’ve read so far and see what the standouts were, new favorites, ones that didn’t deliver and what I’m looking forward to for the rest of the year!

From January to June I read 109 books and for some categories it was easy to find a clear winner and others were a little tricky. I also tried as hard as I could to not repeat books but…when it’s good it’s good and there are a few books that appear in multiple categories for multiple reasons because well, it’s my mid-year freak out tag and I can assign winners as I want to. (I was trying to make a “it’s my party and I’ll cry if I want to” reference there, not sure if it worked the way I wanted it to…)

Anyway! Let’s get into the tag!

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Interview with Sasha Peyton Smith, Author of The Witch Hunt

Hello tea party friends! I’m so excited to announce that Sasha Peyton Smith, author of The Witch Haven & The Witch Hunt is joining our tea party today! I absolutely adored The Witch Haven duology, and had the best time with this interview!

Months after the devastating battle between the Sons of St. Druon and the witches of Haxahaven, Frances has built a quiet, safe life for herself, teaching young witches and tending the garden within the walls of Haxahaven Academy. But one thing nags; her magic has begun to act strangely. When an opportunity to visit Paris arises, Frances jumps at the chance to go, longing for adventure and seeking answers about her own power.

Once she and her classmates Maxine and Lena reach the vibrant streets of France, Frances learns that the spell she used to speak to her dead brother has had terrible consequences—the veil between the living and the dead has been torn by her recklessness, and a group of magicians are using the rift for their own gain at a horrifying cost.

To right this wrong, and save lives and her own magical powers, Frances must hunt down answers in the parlors of Parisian secret societies, the halls of the Louvre, and the tunnels of the catacombs. Her only choice is to team up with the person she swore she’d never trust again, risking further betrayal and her own life in the process.

Links for The Witch Hunt:  Goodreads | TheStoryGraph | Bookshop | IndieBound

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Guest Post: Fairytales Within Fairytales, By Gina Chen

Hi friends! Today, I’m so excited to share this guest post by Gina Chen, author of Violet Made of Thorns on fairytales within fairytales, while still creating a new story.  Without further ado, read her post below!

Violet is a prophet and a liar, influencing the royal court with her cleverly phrased—and not always true—divinations. Honesty is for suckers, like the oh-so-not charming Prince Cyrus, who plans to strip Violet of her official role once he’s crowned at the end of the summer—unless Violet does something about it.
But when the king asks her to falsely prophesy Cyrus’s love story for an upcoming ball, Violet awakens a dreaded curse, one that will end in either damnation or salvation for the kingdom—all depending on the prince’s choice of future bride. Violet faces her own choice: Seize an opportunity to gain control of her own destiny, no matter the cost, or give in to the ill-fated attraction that’s growing between her and Cyrus.
Violet’s wits may protect her in the cutthroat court, but they can’t change her fate. And as the boundary between hatred and love grows ever thinner with the prince, Violet must untangle a wicked web of deceit in order to save herself and the kingdom—or doom them all.

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Interview with Kyla Zhao: Author of The Fraud Squad

Hi, hello friends!  I’m so excited to share that Kyla Zhao, author of The Fraud Squad is our latest tea party guest! I’ve been hyped for The Fraud Squad ever since I heard about a The Devil Wears Prada meets Inventing Anna meets Crazy Rich Asians book, and loved the chance to pick Kyla’s brain a little more! 

For as long as she can remember, Samantha Song has dreamed of writing for a high-society magazine—and she’d do anything to get there. But the constant struggle to help her mom make ends meet and her low social status make her dream feel like a distant fantasy.

Now, Sam finds herself working at a drab PR firm. The closest she’ll get to that life is living vicariously through her socialite coworker and friend, Anya Chen. Then she meets Timothy Kingston: the disillusioned son of one of Singapore’s elite families—and Sam’s one chance at infiltrating the high society world to which she desperately wants to belong.

To Sam’s surprise, Tim and Anya both agree to help her make a name for herself on Singapore’s socialite scene. The borrowed designer clothes and plus-ones to every glamorous event can only get her so far; the rest is on Sam, and she’s determined to make an impression on the editor-in-chief of Singapore’s poshest magazine. But the deeper Sam wades into this fraud, the more she fears being exposed—especially with a mysterious gossip columnist on the prowl for dirt—forcing her to reconcile her pretense with who she really is before she loses it all. 

Links for The Fraud Squad: Goodreads | TheStorygraph | Bookshop | IndieBound

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Features: Allison Saft, A Far Wilder Magic, and Animal Crossing!

Hello hello, friends! Happy Friday! I hope you’re all doing well and staying safe! Grab a cup of tea, or another warm beverage of your choice, and get cozy. We’ve got a guest here today at tea time lit, and it’s a post that I’ve wanted to do for a really long time! 

As you may know, I’m a huge Animal Crossing fan. Ever since I was little, I’ve always loved playing Animal Crossing — in fact, I named my childhood dog after KK Slider himself. So you can only imagine my excitement when Allison Saft was down to visit tea time lit again for A Far Wilder Magic’s release, and to decorate her island as the world of A Far Wilder Magic for a post! 

When Margaret Welty spots the legendary hala, the last living mythical creature, she knows the Halfmoon Hunt will soon follow. Whoever is able to kill the hala will earn fame and riches, and unlock an ancient magical secret. If Margaret wins the hunt, it may finally bring her mother home. While Margaret is the best sharpshooter in town, only teams of two can register, and she needs an alchemist.

Weston Winters isn’t an alchemist–yet. Fired from every apprenticeship he’s landed, his last chance hinges on Master Welty taking him in. But when Wes arrives at Welty Manor, he finds only Margaret and her bloodhound Trouble. Margaret begrudgingly allows him to stay, but on one condition: he must join the hunt with her.

Although they make an unlikely team, Wes is in awe of the girl who has endured alone on the outskirts of a town that doesn’t want her, in this creaking house of ghosts and sorrow. And even though Wes disrupts every aspect of her life, Margaret is drawn to him. He, too, knows what it’s like to be an outsider. As the hunt looms closer and tensions rise, Margaret and Wes uncover dark magic that could be the key to winning the hunt – if they survive that long. 

Links for A Far Wilder Magic: Goodreads | TheStorygraph | Bookshop | IndieBound

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Guest Post: Characters From These Violent Delights As Taylor Swift Songs by Chloe Gong

Hi friends! Today, I’m so excited to share this guest post by Chloe Gong! As you all know, we’re huge fans of Chloe Gong, These Violent Delights, and of Taylor Swift, and so we asked her to assign a Taylor Swift song per character for this guest post! Without further ado, read her post below!

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Interview with Denise Williams, Author of The Fastest Way to Fall

Hi, hello tea party guests! I’m so incredibly excited today to share an interview with Denise Williams, author of How To Fail at Flirting, and The Fastest Way to Fall! I personally loved How to Fail at Flirting, and couldn’t be more excited that the release date for The Fastest Way to Fall has finally rolled around!


Britta didn’t plan on falling for her personal trainer, and Wes didn’t plan on Britta. Plans change and it’s unclear if love, career, or both will meet them at the finish line.
 
Britta Colby works for a lifestyle website, and when tasked to write about her experience with a hot new body-positive fitness app that includes personal coaching, she knows it’s a major opportunity to prove she should write for the site full-time.
 
As CEO of the FitMi Fitness app, Wes Lawson finally has the financial security he grew up without, but despite his success, his floundering love life and complicated family situation leaves him feeling isolated and unfulfilled. He decides to get back to what he loves—coaching. Britta’s his first new client and they click immediately.

As weeks pass, she’s surprised at how much she enjoys experimenting with her exercise routine. He’s surprised at how much he looks forward to talking to her every day. They convince themselves their attraction is harmless, but when they start working out in person, Wes and Britta find it increasingly challenging to deny their chemistry and maintain a professional distance.

Wes isn’t supposed to be training clients, much less meeting with them, and Britta’s credibility will be sunk if the lifestyle site finds out she’s practically dating the fitness coach she’s reviewing. Walking away from each other is the smartest thing to do, but running side by side feels like the start of something big.

Links for The Fastest Way To Fall: Goodreads | TheStorygraph | Bookshop | IndieBound

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Interview with June CL Tan, Author of Jade Fire Gold

Today’s tea party guest is June CL Tan, author of Jade Fire Gold, and we’re so excited to have her at our tea party! I was so lucky to read an eARC of Jade Fire Gold, and absolutely loved it — it comes out on October 12th in the US and November 4th in the UK, and it’s one that you won’t want to miss! We’ve also got a special something going on over on our Twitter, which I’ll elaborate more on at the very end! 

In an empire on the brink of war . . .

Ahn is no one, with no past and no family.

Altan is a lost heir, his future stolen away as a child.

When they meet, Altan sees in Ahn a path to reclaiming the throne. Ahn sees a way to finally unlock her past and understand her arcane magical abilities.

But they may have to pay a far deadlier price than either could have imagined.

Links for Jade Fire Gold:  Goodreads | TheStorygraph | Bookshop | IndieBound

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Excerpt: The Right Side of Reckless by Whitney D. Grandison

Today on teatimelit we’re sharing an excerpt from Whitney D. Grandison’s The Right Side of Reckless, which comes out on July 13th! Major thanks to Inkyard Press for this opportunity!

When a bad boy in need of a second chance meets a good girl who is off limits, sparks fly and forbidden friendship forms in this edgy own-voices romance, perfect for fans of Katie McGarry and Kristina Forest.

They were supposed to ignore each other and respect that fine line between them…

Guillermo Lozano is getting a fresh start. New town, new school, and no more reckless behavior. He’s done his time, and now he needs to right his wrongs. But when his work at the local community center throws him in the path of the one girl who is off limits, friendship sparks…and maybe more.

Regan London needs a fresh perspective. The pressure to stay in her “perfect” relationship and be the good girl all the time has worn her down. But when the walls start to cave in and she finds unexpected understanding from the boy her parents warned about, she can’t ignore her feelings anymore.

The disapproval is instant. Being together might just get Guillermo sent away. But when it comes to the heart, sometimes you have to break the rules and be a little bit reckless…

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Interview with Aamna Qureshi, Author of The Lady or the Lion

Hello, tea party attendees! We’re so excited to have Aamna Qureshi as a guest at our tea party today. I was incredibly lucky to read an ARC of The Lady or the Lion, and absolutely adored it — it comes out on July 20th, and this is one that you won’t want to miss!

Retells “The Lady or the Tiger?” against a Pakistan-inspired world of forbidden love and court intrigues.

Once there was a princess forced to choose a fate for her lover – to a future in the arms of a beautiful lady, or to death in the mouth of a lion? But what came first was the fate she would choose for herself.

As crown princess of Marghazar, Durkhanai Miangul will do anything to protect her people and her land. When her grandfather, the Badshah, is blamed for a deadly assault on the summit of neighboring leaders, the tribes call for his head. To assuage cries for war, the Badshah opens Marghazar’s gates to foreigners for the first time in centuries, in a sign of good faith. Enter Ambassador Asfandyar Afridi, a wry foreigner who admits outright that he is a spy. Stubborn, proud, and suspicious of foreigners, Durkhanai does not appreciate that he won’t bow to her every whim and instead talks circles around her.

And yet, she has to make him her ally to expose those truly responsible for the attack as more ambassadors from neighboring tribal districts arrive at court, each one of them with their own agenda and reasons to hide the truth.When a mysterious illness spreads through the village and the imperialists push hard on her borders, Durkhanai must sort through the ever shifting loyalties at court and her growing feelings for Asfandyar. Will she be able to leave the antics of a spoiled princess behind and become what her people need – a queen?

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