Happy New Year 2013 Giveaway Hop Featuring Morpheus from Splintered by AG Howard

Announcing the 

Happy New Year 2013 

Giveaway Hop

Hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer & Babs Book Bistro

January 1st - 7th 2013

Happy New Years, everyone! I am so excited to be a part of this blog hop and introduce one of my favorite characters in the past year, Morpheus, from Splintered by AG Howard. This also happens to be the day the book comes out so get your copy right away!

 

Goodreads Book Description:  This stunning debut captures the grotesque madness of a mystical under-land, as well as a girl’s pangs of first love and independence. Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.

When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

 

A.G. Howard was inspired to write SPLINTERED while working at a school library. She always wondered what would've happened had the subtle creepiness of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland taken center stage, and she hopes her darker and funkier tribute to Carroll will inspire readers to seek out the stories that won her heart as a child.

My Scintillating Interview with Morpheus

Morpheus, it's a huge pleasure to have you visit my blog, Ensconced in YA. I have to say, you have a really attractive hat on. Can you tell us a little bit about it?  
 (removes the lilac colored hat from his head and taps the yellow moth corpses draped across the front) Why, thank you. This is my diction derby. It helps the words flow. However, had I known my interviewer was to be a beautiful young woman, I would’ve chosen my bowler hat so I might bowl you over with my charms. (smiles)

*swoons a bit*  Er, ahem, right. Next question. I think we all wish we could set foot in the place you call home, Wonderland. What would you say you love most about it? And what do you think you would like to change if you could?  

 Our landscapes are brilliant—from the ultraviolet foliage to the chaotic cliffs to the overgrown wilds. As for changes, those aren’t so much what(s), as they are who(s). You can discover the specifics of that list by frolicking through the pages of SPLINTERED.

I think we can all tell that a certain little lady is very important to you. All of my readers want to know-- how do you REALLY feel about her?  

Augh. (runs a gloved hand through his blue hair) She’s above frustrating, always pledging her loyalties to the wrong side. Though at times, she has an irresistible charm. Most especially when she does my bidding unawares. (rumbles a deep laugh) Most especially when she realizes she’s done my bidding. Righteous indignation becomes her. It brings the most delicious snarl to her lips.

I sensed some tension between you and her best friend, Jeb. What's the story there?

 (jaw twitches) He came into my world uninvited. Why would I wish to be hospitable to someone so lacking in manners?

I am so jealous that you can fly. Alyssa mentioned there might have been a bit of a metamorphosis going on-- I was confused. What did she mean?  

Ah, that’s an explanation worthy of a book’s pages. And that’s exactly where you shall find it. (returns hat to his head and tilts it on a cocky slant)

I've heard the strangest things about what you eat. What would you say is a typical meal for you? 

Anything that allows me to catch and eat it before it can do the same to me. That’s my ideal meal.

Who would you say your best friend in Wonderland is and why?  

Chessie . . . known to most of you as Cheshire Cat. (grins) Why him? He’s fluffy and has the ability to divide himself in half, which means he can double as fur mittens when the weather is cold. He’s also aces at hide and seek. You might catch one end of him, but you’ll never catch the whole, so he always wins. And he’s a creature of few words, but many smiles. I’ve met a great many people who could stand to be more like Chessie in that respect. One “Jebediah Holt” comes to mind.

Did you ever meet the original Alice? What was she like? How would you compare her to Alyssa? 
(bows head and averts gaze) Dear little Alice . . . curious to a fault. That was her undoing, it was. Per your final question, no one compares to Alyssa.

Thank you so much for your illuminating comments, Morpheus. I hope you'll visit again sometime soon! (stands, his wings sweeping behind like a cape) Perhaps. I go where the wind carries me. Should it bring me your way again, I’ll be wearing the proper hat. (winks)

Well, there you have it! Now you know you must have this book. I've bought my copy already! Enter to win some great prizes from A.G. Howard! 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Enter some other great giveaways, this is a giveaway blog hop!