Superpowers Don't Always Make You A Hero

SURPRISE! I have a slight curveball for you guys today as it doesn't exactly fit with my Believathon reading of children's books, nor does it fit with my Nanowrimo! I HAVE A CONTEST FOR YOU GUYS!

Those lovely people at Electric Monkey and I got chatting on Twitter recently about the third and final book in the Monster trilogy, Hero. I admitted that I hadn't read this trilogy nor the previous series this follows, the Gone series (PUT THOSE PITCHFORKS AND TORCHES DOWN!) but I wanted to do something as I know some of you guys LOVE this series. "Could I host a small contest or something for Hero?" I ask and they replied, stupidly fast, "Why not do a contest for the whole trilogy?"

So, dear reader, I am hosting a small contest where one winner will win the entire MONSTER trilogy!

Now, before I go any further, let me chat what this series is about. Set after the dramatic conclusion of the Gone series, we follow Shade who witness the dome coming down, thinking that it would be the end of the troubles. How very wrong everyone was. Shade swears to never feel powerless again and then, four years later, she finds part of the meteor that began it all and discovers that she is changing, mutating...

And that's where the real troubles begins...

Actually, let me throw this book trailer up. That might explain better than me!

So, to co-inside the release of the final book in the trilogy, Hero, Electric Monkey is letting me do a contest where one winner will win the entire MONSTER trilogy!

Now, before I go any further with rules (it's been a while since I've held a contest on the Pewter Wolf so bear with me), I do want to say that I have been told this trilogy does come with trigger warnings for violence.

Ok, now the rules/boring stuff. To enter the contest, you need to fill in the GoogleForm below. This is a UK address only contest and the contest will close on Friday 15th November 2019 at 7pm! The winner will be chosen at random using random.org, and then will be announced on Twitter. The winner will, then, be emailed by me to get their address so Electric Monkey can send them out! And don't worry - once all that's done, all info will be deleted.

All good? Any questions, pop me an tweet/email and will answer the best I can. All that is left to say is GOOD LUCK and may the odds ever be in your favour.

Shatter Me Contest!

CONTEST TIME!!! And it's a good'un! I promise!

After years of hype and excitement in the US, a UK publisher - Electric Monkey - finally picked up the rights to publish the Shatter Me series in the UK. And not only are we getting the trilogy, Tahereh Mafi is writing an extra three books within this world as TV studios write a TV pilot based on the world.

For those who aren't aware of this series, Shatter Me follows Juliette, a girl who has been held prisoner in a cell without human contact for over 200 days. Why? Because her touch is lethal. Anyone who touches her will fall red within seconds. If she wasn't a threat, she would be the perfect weapon. But something expected happens that no one sees coming...

A boy touches her. And he survived her touch...

The series follows her journey from there, continuing through Unravel Me and Ignite Me. The fourth book in the series, Restore Me, sees Juliette and those who survive thinking the war they fought in is over. How very wrong they are...

If that doesn't wet your appetite, here's a trailer to feast your eyes on...

Get it? Feast your eyes on... yeah, I'll see myself out...

Anyway, to celebrate the release of the series so far coming to UK bookshops, the lovely people at Electric Monkey have given me the series so far to give away! One lucky winner will win a copy of Shatter Me, Unravel Me, Ignite Me & Restore Me! 

Ok, the boring info-dump time! For you to enter contest, fill in the form below. That's it. Nothing more than that. Although, heads up, this is a UK addresses only contest, and this contest will end on Thursday 22nd March 2018 at 7pm. The winner will be chosen at random via random.org and will be announced on Twitter. Once done, will email the winner for details for the books can be posted to them as soon as the publisher can. 

With that out of the way, good luck and may the odds be ever in your favour. 

Front Lines - What If...?

To celebrate the second book in the Front Lines series by Michael Grant, Silver Stars, Electric Monkey/Egmont asked if I wanted to be involved in this tour and I said yes. I haven't read the series, but in a world that is in the terrifying climate we're in, reading books like this are vital, in my opinion.

In this series, Michael goes "What If...?" on us. What if, during the Second World War, women were allowed to join the US army and fight alongside their male counterparts. What would have happened to the war in the USA? What would have happened to the Second World War in general?

So, where can I go with a post about "What If" during the second World War? Well, you can thank a random [contains swear words] youTube video about that... (and please forgive me if I make a mistake. I am not well-versed in US history so had to use the Internet to get information).

For a long time, the United States didn't realise how terrible the Holocaust was in Europe. Americans, at the time, knew the Nazi were encouraging vandalism and hate crimes towards Jews. But the US government didn't feel strongly enough to give refugees a safe place. At one point, the US turned a ship, filled with approx 900 Jews, back to Europe - most are feared to be have died in gas chambers. After this, the US Government reject a proposal to allow 20,000 Jews children to claim sanctuary. Anne Frank and her family were refused asylum. Albert Einsten wrote letters, begging Franklin D. Roosevelt to let Jews in.

The reason? Taken from a speech made by then-President, he said "Today's threat to our security is not a matter of military weapons alone. We know of other methods, new methods of attack. The Trojan Horse... Spies, saboteurs and traitors." (Fireside Chat 15: On National Defence - May 26th, 1940).

But what if... what if the US did allow Jewish refugees in during the Second World War? What if that bill to allow 20,000 Jewish children to stay in the US went through? Or the US didn't order the boat with 900 Jews to turn back to Europe? What would have happened if the American Government was brave enough to help those in need of help? Countless Jewish lives would have been saved, right? The death toll of those who died due to Nazism could have been lower than it is today.

But could this have changed when America joined the war? Japan bombed Pearl Harbour on 7th December 1941 and Germany decaded war on the US four days later. The vote on the bill to allow 20,000 Jewish Children to come and stay in the US was on January 20th 1939, less than 2 years earlier. So, if this bill went through, would have the US joined the war against Nazi Germany and its allies sooner? If so, would the war have ended sooner?

And after the war, what would have happened to the US then? Would the US be more kind toward refugees? Show empathy and compassion? Or would there be more cruelty and a possible rise of white supremacy, all in the name of "America First"?

And far would the effects be felt, both good and bad? Would it be a short period of time (a few years?) or would be we be feeling them today? Would be living in a kinder world for showing kindness and empathy? Or would be living in a crueller world, because people feel that their kindness was abused in some form?

This is the problem with "What If". You ask a simple question and the answer is far more complex than we expected. It's a butterfly effect - a small change could create huge consequences, both good and bad.

So, until we can treat time travel, we can play what if in our heads, in books, in Tv and radio and films. And we can look back into history and make sure we don't repeat the mistakes of our past and, because of this, create a hopeful, better future...