The Fantastic Flying Book Club: Welcome to the Club, Timestorm by Julie Cross

Book Addicts!

Welcome to another Fantastic Flying Book Club Event. This week we have to celebrate the release of Timestorm that hit our bookstores January 28th. Timestorm is the last book in the Tempest series and it promises a lot of breathtaking moments, so we wouldn't want to miss this extraordinary ending of Julie Cross' series!

Timestorm (Tempest #3)
by Julie Cross
368 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Release Date: January 28th 2014
Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Time Travel, Fantasy, Romance, Adventure, Paranormal

Synopsis:

The breathtaking conclusion to the time-travel trilogy that is “both tender and electric” (Publishers Weekly)

The battle between the Tempest division and Eyewall comes to a shocking conclusion in this final installment of the Tempest trilogy, where the need for survival stretches the boundaries of history, both past and future, and the world Jackson once knew is a place forever marked by the detrimental effects of time travel.

As Jackson recovers from his brush with death, he’s surrounded not only by the people he loves most—his dad, Courtney, and Holly—he’s also amongst a few of the original time travelers. As he learns more about their life and how this world began, it becomes apparent that they need to put a stop to Thomas and Doctor Ludwig’s experimenting at Eyewall Headquarters. What starts out as an escape plan becomes a war between time and humanity, between freewill and peace. It’s the battle Jackson was born to fight and he’s not about to back down. Not for anything. Not for anyone.

I'm the author of the YA sci-fi trilogy, the Tempest series (St. Martin's Press). I'm also the author of the YA contemporary novel, Letters To Nowhere. 

But even more importantly than the above, I'm a fan of books and an avid reader/reviewer. Keep in mind, however, that a review is just one person's opinion, one perspective. My goal is to show as much bias in my reviews as possible because this makes it easier for you to decide if your perspective is similar to mine or different. Everyone's tastes are different. I like books with emotion and believability. I don't mind edgy and heavy themes. I also like humor and quirk. I like weird characters in odd situations. 

I have low tolerance for insta-love, flowery sex scenes, or mushy declarations of feelings. Not a fan of possessive/controlling male characters who get the girl in the end. When I recommend books, I always ask about favorite current reads and cater to each person's taste. 

I believe every book plays an important role whether I love it or hate, it's having an effect on society. It's changing, shaping, and molding the future of publishing. Regardless of my feelings about a book, I value the author's time and effort put into creating their work. I only rate books available for purchase (or soon-to-be available) and consider those books as published works and their creators as professionals in their field therefore I treat them as professionals, giving my honest opinion on the work itself and not the person producing it.

If I rate a book and don't provide any written review and you'd like to hear my thoughts, feel free to comment on the review and if I can, I'll explain my reasoning behind the rating. I don't mind authors commenting on any review I post - negative or positive. Also happy to email to discuss Juliecrossauthor (at) gmail (dot) com please alert me if I misled readers or given false information (accidentally of course) and I'll correct the situation as soon as possible.

Little Women

Anytime I’m working on the first half of a novel or the very end.

American Horror Story

The Departed

Not cold.

Hallelujah the Jeff Buckley version

Snow crab legs

I loved Vane in Let the Sky Fall

Magic so long as theirs a Platform 9 3/4

YA!!

“Never let school get in the way of your education”—Albert Einstein

Usually other authors whom have books that I’m in love with. Also, gymnasts and other Olympians that I respect and have watched them make their dreams come true.

John Green used to be on my list and so did David Levithan. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting both of these amazing writers and so that leaves J.K. Rowling. I’ve always felt she and I could totally be bf's.

My pre-teen/teen celebrity crushes all involved the boys of Beverly Hills 90210.

Tempest – Every day is Exactly the Same by NIN

Vortex – Teenage FBI by Guided by Voices

Timestorm – Everybody Wants to Rule the World by Tears for Fears

Letters to Nowhere – Human by Christina Perri

Fifty First Times Story – Daylight (also the title) by Maroon Five

Third Degree – Bad Case of Loving You by Robert Palmer

Book Addicts are my favorite kind addicts.

Timestorm is the book where you get all the answers. It’s hard to explain without spoiling the other books, but favorite characters all make an appearance and there are some new characters as well.

It was a little sad but also gave me a great sense of accomplishment. I mean, yes I signed on to this three book deal but since I’d never written a three book series before there was always that shred of doubt that I’d go crazy and cut off an ear or something before finishing. That would suck. Kidding. I knew the outcome for a long time, but it came together even better that I’d hoped for.

Timestorm is my favorite because I knew the characters already going into it and dove right into their emotional weight and all the challenged they faced. And I loved knowing I would finally get to provide a conclusion for fans of the series.

I created the time travel in Tempest series layer by layer. I started out going for simple and then the plot kept growing and growing. Time travel in this series differs mostly because there are several different types of time travel. And right from the beginning of book 1, Jackson introduces readers to what he believes is the only possible time travel—a form that allows him to lurk around a few hours or maybe a couple days in the past but it has no impact on the present. It’s like a shadow timeline. Then comes the alternate universe theory at the end of the second book and eventually you learn that some are able to time travel in a more traditional sense where the can create alterations to the future.

I don’t believe peace can truly exist without freewill, but at the same time, humans exercising freewill is inevitably going to create conflict. I think my behaviors and actions and choices would be very similar to Jackson’s—I would act on instinct rather than logic. My responses would be more emotional and centered around protecting loved ones. I have much sympathy for strangers in distress but I wouldn’t be the best person to see the big picture.

Jackson is in many ways, a normal nineteen year old guy. He lost his twin sister to cancer when the two were fourteen and he carries all the common scars from losing someone, this effects his relationship with his dad—survivor guilt—and it also effects his romantic relationships. He’s very casual and has trouble thinking about his future and making plans, not unlike many nineteen year olds. He’s also somewhat privileged, having grown up on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and never really having to worry about money, but there is loneliness present from the very beginning if you look hard enough. It’s there.

There’s this scene with Jackson and Holly in the Reproduction Room…

“Don’t mistake my choices for nobility. I’m playing a chess match, just like Thomas, only we have different strategies, different end games, and different teachers. My teacher, Frank believed in freewill above all things. Thomas’s teacher believed in peace above all things. Do you see where our lines cross?”

Logan Lerman would make a great Jackson. Also, Drew Roy from the TNT series Falling Skies. Dianna Agron from Glee would make an awesome Holly.

I have a New Adult contemporary novel, THIRD DEGREE, releasing March 25, 2014. Then I have a YA sports-themed contemporary coming out October 7, 2014. And either December or January (not officially scheduled yet) the NA/YA crossover co-authored book, HALFWAY PERFECT releases. I wrote HALFWAY PERFECT with Mark Perini who is the model portraying Jackson on all the Tempest series covers.

Click on the banner or here to follow the FFBC: Timestorm Blog Tour and don't miss any of the stops!

• There will be TWO winner
• You must be 13 or older to enter this giveaway
• It's an US/CAN Only giveaway.
• Each day there will be available a #QOD (question of the day) in each participant blog. You can earn more points by answering the answers.
• For those who don't know how this works, the winners will be those who have participated the most. Meaning, the winners will be those who have more points. No Rafflecopter luck this time, Book Addicts. This is all on you now! If there's a draw, then the odds will decide and this time the Rafflecopter luck would be a major factor deciding if you win or not.

1) Have you read any of the Tempest series?
A) Yes -> Which book's your favorite one in the Tempest series? And why do/did you want to read Timestorm?
B) No -> What's the thing that attracts you the most of this series? And why do you want to read Timestorm?

2) Which Dream Cast do you like more? Logan Lerman & Dianna Agron or Drew Roy & Dianna Agron?


Win (1) of (2) hardback copies of Timestorm by Julie Cross (US/CAN Only)


a Rafflecopter giveaway



Thank you to our beloved team for making this event possible.