Friday, April 5, 2013

Saving Casey by Liza O'Connor - Virtual Book Tour and Giveaway


Today we're talking to Liza O'Connor on her tour with Goddess Fish Promotions for the YA novel, "Saving Casey".

Saving Casey will be reduced from $5.99 to $2.99 for the duration of the tour (March 5th-April 5th) at Amazon, B&N, DP/Bono, ARe, Coffee Time Romance, BookStrand and Smashwords.

Liza will be awarding a $25 Amazon GC to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour, so comment for your chance to win!.

Thanks to Liza for choosing to answer some fun questions!

Pretend your protagonist is at school and opens her locker – what will we see inside?

Since the school doesn’t allow locks on the lockers, Cass is never sure what she’s going to find inside.

The school bully, Bradford, has warned everyone to stay away from Cass, or they’ll suffer the same torments she receives, so there’s no chance of anyone leaving something nice in her locker.

She notices the tape she placed on her door has been broken. She opens the locker with caution. Seeing nothing amiss, she worries someone may have marked out all those pesky words in her new school books just like her old ones had incurred. And she’ll be blamed for it. Having facial tats pretty well ensures no one will believe her when she insists someone else is doing all this crap she’s getting blamed for.

She opens the top book, prepared for the worse and sighs in relief. Words remain!

What’s this? Someone has written on the first page:

You are in danger. You need to leave!

She ripped the page out and threw it in the trash. There is no way she’s leaving. Bradford isn’t just her problem; he’s everyone’s problem, and she’s declaring war.

What superpower would you love to have?

I would like the power to push back time and do stuff again…and again if necessary. I’ll have Ground Hog days until I get it right.

Fix all those times I opened my mouth and said stuff that got me into trouble and cost me friends or future promotions at work.

And for all those people I thought were my friends, and then I discovered they were only using me while trashing me to others…I’d go back and make better friends with other nicer people I didn’t even notice the first time around.

And yes, I could go back and make money on stocks that go sky high the next day, but the SEC will be all over me for insider trading, so I’ll only do that if I’m desperate.

Sum up your book for Twitter: 140 characters or less.

#SavingCasey: 80 yr old Cass inexplicably wakes up in the body of a 17 yr old troubled teen whose enemies are now hers.

What four literary characters would you most like to have over for dinner?

Honestly, I’d like to have my own characters over, but I’ll play fair and invite four known characters: Sherlock Holmes, Author Dent from Douglas Adams’ Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, Rachel from Rebecca Royce’s Warrior series, and Elizabeth Bennett from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.

I won’t bother cooking dinner, because I’m pretty sure this disparate group of characters will leave before appetizers are served. First of all, only one of the four has any sense of decorum. That would be Miss Elizabeth Bennet.

Unfortunately, Sherlock Holmes tells her she’s the least interesting person he has ever met.

Elizabeth declares Sherlock Holmes the rudest, most arrogant man of her acquaintance: “From the very beginning…from the first moment, I may almost say…of my acquaintance with you, your manner, impressing me with the fullest belief of you arrogance, your conceit, and your selfish disdain of the feeling of others."

Rachel, feeling the need to protect such a gentle woman, pulls out her werewolf sword and forces Sherlock to leave.

Having never met a young female warrior from a future dystopia, Elizabeth finds a bit Rachel frightening, and thus recalls her sister Lydia has eloped with a scoundrel and she needs to return home to calm her mother.

Finding all this too weird, Author Dent jumps in my bathtub and throws a towel over his head.

Rachel glares at me and shifts into her battle stance. “Why did you bring us here? Clearly, not for dinner, since you didn’t even cook one.”

“You can’t attack me just because I hate to cook. Besides, I’m human and I happen to know you fight like a girl when your opponent is human.”

Rachel gives me a final glare and leaves.

I shake my head and return to writing, muttering that other people’s characters behave worse than mine.

You’re stranded on a desert island—which character from your book do you want with you?

Yeah! I love to hang with my characters. Since I can only have one, I’m inviting Vic Hamiliton. Despite dressing like a young Englishman, Vic is actually a woman. She’s funny, although she doesn’t actually realize that and she gets in sooooo much trouble. In fact, her partner calls her a trouble magnet. Together, we’ll turn our desert island into a rain forest. (I noticed you said desert vs. deserted).

You’ve just won a million dollars and you’re not allowed to save any of it. What do you spend it on? 

Oh no! I am NOT winning a million dollars, and you can’t make me. Unearned money is unlucky. I don’t want a million bad lucks on me. Nope, give it to someone else. I’ve written a story about the curse of lotteries. (not yet published) My character has a terrible time after she wins a huge lottery. She eventually gives a criminal the money in exchange for her life. And just like that people stop trying to kill her and life turns good again. I intend to earn my money, which means I really need everyone to buy Saving Casey. :-)

Besides the $25 Amazon Gift Card being given to one commenter over the tour, for this blog a commenter can win the opportunity to have a picture of themselves marred with tattoos just like Saving Casey’s. Just leave your email address in your comment.






Eighty-year-old Cass wakes up in the body of a troubled seventeen-year-old girl named Casey, which all believe has survived a suicide attempt. Cass intends to turn the girl’s life around, only it’s harder than she expects. All Casey’s troubles have now become Cass’s and someone wants her dead.







Now enjoy an excerpt:

Cass sees herself in the mirror

Upon settling down on the toilet, Cass noticed the floor to ceiling mirror facing her and screamed at the sight of the creature within it. Short black hair spouted about its head, black circles surrounded both eyes and fell like triangular knives down the cheeks. Black lips, stretched in horror as if in a nightmare. Pulling up her pants, she moved closer to the mirror.

She was a ghoul, an honest to God ghoul!

The door crashed open and her father stared at her, fear and panic clear in his eyes.

She touched her face. “Please tell me these aren’t permanent.”

His panic remained a second longer as her words filtered into his brain and then he pulled her into his arms. “Don’t worry, we will get them removed—if you want to…”

“If? Oh, I definitely want them removed,” she said.

How can I turn around my life if I look like the walking dead from a low-grade monster movie?


I live in Denville, NJ with my dog, Jess. We hike in fabulous woods every day, rain or shine, sleet or snow. Having an adventurous nature, I learned to fly small cessnas in NJ, hang-glide in New Zealand, kayak in Pennsylvania, ski in New York, scuba dive with great white sharks in Australia, dig up dinosaur bones in Montana, sky dive in Indiana, and raft a class four river in Tasmania. I’m an avid gardener, amateur photographer, and dabbler in watercolors and graphic arts. Yet through my entire life, my first love has and always will be writing novels. I love to create interesting characters, set them loose, and scribe what happens.

SAVING CASEY BUY LINKS

Bonobookstore: http://bonobookstore.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=3_54&products_id=79

Amazon Link to Saving Casey: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00A7KRSOO

Barnes&Noble Link to SC: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/saving-casey-liza-oconnor/1113795362?ean=2940015849295

Video links:

Saving Casey Trailer: http://youtu.be/WxcaMP0Dgzc

Abridged My Crappy New Life series: http://youtu.be/p6QzYsxJ7jQ

Liza links:

Blog and Website: http://www.LizaOConnor.com

Facebook Profile: http://www.facebook.com/liza.oconnor.90

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Liza0Connor



29 comments:

  1. Thanks for having me.

    Because this is my last tour stop, I've upgraded the prize for this stop. One winner will have the choice of a $5 Amazon Gift Card or a set of temp tattoos. That's in addition to the $25 Amazon Tour Prize.

    For those of you who have followed me through the tour-you guys are great!

    And don't forget, this is the last day Saving Casey's will be half price on Amazon, so don't delay!

    I've had such fun reading your comments and getting to share new information and funny interviews with you.

    If you miss laughing, stop by my blog for a fix.

    I love you guys!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Manipulating time would be my superpower, but you may borrow it.

    marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ah, we are of like minds.
      Your parents must be worried.

      Delete
  3. I like what you said about unearned money.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh, I totally agree with your choice of Rachel. :) All the best!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I am really sorry to have your tour over. I have loved every minute of it. I am definitely going to read this book. I really feel for Cassey.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The book will make you laugh, cry and yell. However, buying it will make me very happy.

      Delete
  6. you know, I think people are a lot more aware of bullying these days. Kids as well as parents and teachers try to stop it. I feel like if a bully said something like "you'll get the same as this person if you tell" or whatever, people would still share that information. I've loved this tour! Thanks for sharing all the wonderful posts with us!

    andralynn7 AT gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It depends upon the power of the bully. In this case: the torment of Casey was so severe, the other kids feared the bullies torturing them for speaking up more than they believed telling an adult would stop the bullying. In their eyes, no one could save Casey. They needed to protect themselves.

      Thanks for coming along the whole tour. Glad you enjoyed it.

      Delete
  7. Great interview, Liza! Congratulations on a successful Blog tour and many happy sales.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I enjoyed this book.

    http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2013/03/book-saving-casey-2012-liza-oconnor.html

    ReplyDelete
  9. Snapping my fingers to have a clean house would be my superpower. Just imagine the extra time at the end of the day!! Congratulations, Liza.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Since I can never bother to clean, it wouldn't save me any time at all.

      Delete
  10. I have enjoyed the tour and can't wait to read your fabulous book.

    Kit3247(at)aol(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Ingeborg. If you buy it today, it's half price.

      Delete
  11. You don't want a million dollars??? I'll take it!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Well, I win lotteries I never entered every day, but, even if they were real lotteries and not scams, I'd never give them to someone because I truly believe they are unlucky and will ruin your lives.

    For example, the cop down the street won a lottery and now the family is divorced and the kids are in trouble. Even the dog misbehaves.

    ReplyDelete
  13. It would be great having Elizabeth Bennett over for dinner, but Darcy would be better... ;-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, but I wanted to use her infamous rejection of Darcy on Sherlock Holmes.

      Delete
  14. Hmmm...so if we win this giveaway then the money is unlucky? Maybe you can change the luck before you send it out to the winner? =)

    fencingromein at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. $5 or $25 gift card is NOT unlucky. You won't lose your family& friends over it. Besides, you have certainly earned it, being a faithful follower. So you're safe.

      Delete
  15. Your literary dinner party sounds like a riotous romp! I'd love to be a fly on the wall (or a spider under the table).
    catherinelee100 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  16. Wonderfully diverting post as always, Liza! I'd come to your dinner parties any day. :) Good luck with Saving Casey!

    1jennajaxon(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  17. Wow, the things I find out about you during these interviews. Sorry, I'm sooo late. I tweeted. ella@ellaquinn dot net

    ReplyDelete