Authors are Rockstars Blog Tour Stop: Guest Post and Giveaway

I am SO excited to be a member of the authors are rockstars tour hosted by Fiktshun and Two Chicks on Books!

For tons of readers out there, authors aren't just people who write stories, they are our heroes! They make places that we can only dream about come alive, and help grow our imaginations and help us dream big.

For my stop on this awesome tour, I am hosting Cayla Kluver, author of Legacy and Allegiance (and the upcoming Sacrifice!).

Here's a little bit about Cayla:

I was born in Wisconsin on October 2nd, 1992.  I have an older sister named Cara, a younger sister named Kendra, and a supremely spoiled cat named Nina.  Cara's an actress, Kendra's a freaky super-genius like Reid from Criminal Minds, and Nina is my muse.

Nina, my muse.

My parents are both lawyers but they're not what you'd imagine when you hear the word "lawyer".  My mom is wonderfully crazy, and for those of you who are familiar with the show Gilmore Girls, she's like Rory's mom Lorelei only way better.  She's my best friend and my best critic, always willing to hug me or give me a kick in the pants.  My dad sings and plays guitar.  I always assumed he was an average guitar player because he taught himself and I grew up watching him make it all look easy, then one day I realized most professional guitarists don't play as well as he does.  He's a finger-picking maniac.

Me, photo copyright Cara Kluver 2010

I've been writing forever.  According to my mother I dictated my first book to her when I was two, and it was about a bunny.  She tells everyone this, even though I don't remember it at all.  It's because of my mom that I'm published -- if you're confused about how many editions of Legacy are available, here's the explanation!

When I was fifteen, my mom started her own publishing company to put Legacy out, in the hopes of attracting a larger company.  We released it on April 15, 2008, in paperback with this cover:

My mom's plan worked -- in March of 2009 I was connected with the Amazon.com team launching AmazonEncore, the company's publishing arm.  On August 18, 2009, Legacy was released in hardcover by AE, with this artwork:

I had a great time with AmazonEncore and got to meet some amazing people, but ultimately we parted ways.  On June 28th, 2011, HarlequinTEEN released a newly edited paperback edition of Legacy:

Legacy's sequels, Allegiance and Sacrifice, will be coming out through HQTEEN respectively on February 28, 2012, and in November 2012.  Legacy has additionally been sold in sixteen foreign countries.

Courtesy of Cayla Kulver's blog

Now onto the awesome guest post by the lovely Ms. Kluver!

Top 10 Places Alera and Narian Would Spend a Romantic Vacation

Rohan, Middle Earth:  Home of the Horselords.  Since both Narian and Alera have a passion for horseback riding, this would be an exquisite vacation destination for the two of them.  Staying in the Hall of Meduseld with Theoden King would be comfortable and homey for Alera, since she is royalty and didn’t much care for cave-dwelling in the end of Allegiance.

Camelot. Again, Alera would be comfortable in a castle setting, and Narian could get advice from Merlin on being a magic-wielder.  And, as we all know, in Camelot, the rain may never fall ‘til after sundown; by eight the morning fog must disappear.  In short, there’s simply no

t a more congenial spot for happily-ever-aftering than here in Camelot.

El Dorado: the City of Gold. Besides being the ultimate sight-seeing destination, the weather in El Dorado is perfect for swimming and tanning.  The road to El Dorado is filled with unique and charismatic people, making the trail Alera and Narian would blaze to get there just as enjoyable as their stay in the city.

The Hundred-Acre Wood.  This destination is peaceful and beautiful, a gorgeous expanse of land home to heffalumps, woozles, and other wonderful things.  There are long, idyllic trails to walk, and plenty of honey to eat, not to mention the unbeatable companionship of the great philosopher Pooh Bear, who could teach Narian to always make today his favorite day.

Gallifrey:  Planet of the Time Lords.  A quick trip in the Tardis would transport Alera and Narian to a land of silver-leafed trees and a red-orange sky, something the like of which they have never seen before.  With Narian’s curiosity for travel and Alera’s appreciation for natural beauty, this would be an ideal getaway for Hytanica’s foremost couple.

Honah Lee.  A vacation by the sea would be a refreshing change for Alera and Narian, and again, there is much Narian could potentially learn about his own abilities from Puff the Magic Dragon.  Of course, this vacation would benefit Puff as much as it would the couple – he’s been lonely since Little Jackie Paper grew up and moved away.

Collinwood.  A decadent getaway, Collinwood is full of twists, turns, and dark shadows to keep Alera and Narian guessing.  The patriarch of the Collins clan, Barnabus, has what seems centuries worth of wisdom to impart, and the daylight hours in particular leave plenty of time for the happy couple to be alone.

Madagascar.  With beautiful weather and wildlife (both botanical and otherwise), Madagascar is where the party is at.  King Julian’s hospitality is unmatched, and he keeps the music blaring at all hours.  For anyone who likes to move it, move it, this is the place to be!

Oz.  Everyone wants to see the Emerald City, even if it’s only for one short day.  Home to the famous Lollipop Guild and one of the best walking tours in the world, there’s no shortage of things to do and see in the land of Oz.  Also a plus – Narian already has experience with evil witches, so the Wicked Witch of the West would have trouble catching our lovebirds off guard.

The Ponderosa.  Hoss and Joe and Adam know every rock and pine on their father’s sprawling ranch in Nevada.  Plenty of horseback riding and wild west adventures would keep Narian and Alera occupied, and the moonlight on Lake Tahoe is as romantic as it gets.  Narian would be fascinated by the advanced weaponry of the cowboys, and Alera would love those rollicking dance parties at the ranch house!

What an amazing guest post!! Thank you SO much for being on by blog Cayla..you truly are a rocks star :)

Harlequin Teen has graciously decided to host a giveaway of either Legacy or Allegiance (its your choice!!) and will ship to US/Canada!

To enter..fill out the form below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway