~ Blog Tour: Frozen by Melissa de la Cruz & Michael Johnston ~

Welcome to the Frozen blog tour! We at Penguin are thrilled to introduce the first book in the Heart of Dread series by Melissa de la Cruz and Michael Johnston. Follow along on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for the next three weeks as Mel and Mike share their thoughts on everything from the end of the world to romantic partnerships they love (other than their own, of course!).

From New York Times bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz and Michael Johnston comes this remarkable first book in a spellbinding new series about the dawn of a new kind of magic.

 Welcome to New Vegas, a city once covered in bling, now blanketed in ice. Like much of the destroyed planet, the place knows only one temperature—freezing. But some things never change. The diamond in the ice desert is still a 24-hour hedonistic playground and nothing keeps the crowds away from the casino floors, never mind the rumors about sinister sorcery in its shadows.

At the heart of this city is Natasha Kestal, a young blackjack dealer looking for a way out. Like many, she's heard of a mythical land simply called “the Blue.” They say it’s a paradise, where the sun still shines and the waters are turquoise. More importantly, it’s a place where Nat won’t be persecuted, even if her darkest secret comes to light.

But passage to the Blue is treacherous, if not impossible, and her only shot is to bet on a ragtag crew of mercenaries led by a cocky runner named Ryan Wesson there. Danger and deceit await on every corner, even as Nat and Wes find themselves inexorably drawn to each other. But can true love survive the lies? Fiery hearts collide in this fantastic tale of the evil men do and the awesome power within us all.

~Trailer~

~Playlist~

A FROZEN Playlist

Michael Johnston

Angels by The xx

The xx provide a perfect soundtrack for the ruined Pacific Ocean featured in FROZEN. Their music is at once haunting and ethereal, a perfect complement to our world.

St. Petersburg by Brazilian Girls

“St. Petersburg” is the sort of song I imagine playing in the background somewhere in New Vegas.

Blood Bank by Bon Iver

“Blood Bank” tells a melancholy love story. It describes two people meeting, talking, and falling in love. The lyrics remind of Wes and Nat, our heroes, and how they met.

Fire Eye’d Boy Broken Social Scene

We have a fire eye’d girl, but I think you get the connection.

Black Wave by Arcade Fire

“Black Wave” carries a strong sense of impending doom. I picture the trash-filled ocean, the dark waves when I listen to this song.

An End Has a Start by Editors

The line “even an end has a start” really sums up FROZEN. It’s a book about a tragedy and a new beginning.

Cosmic Love by Florence and the Machine

FROZEN is an epic romance and I can think of no love song more epic than “Cosmic Love.”

Born to Die Lana del Rey

Everyone’s born to die in FROZEN. Life is short and our characters live it to the most. “Born to Die” captures that spirit.

Mr. November by the National

I think “Mr. November” is a great theme song for Wes. I love the tone, the attitude.

The District Sleeps Alone Tonight by the Postal Service

The voice reminds me of Nat, the words “I was the one worth leaving” sound like ones Nat might utter.

Takk…(the album) by Sigur Ros

I listened to a lot of Sigur Ros while writing FROZEN. The album, like FROZEN, has a haunting, but hopeful tone.

It’s Time by Imagine Dragons

“It’s Time” captures the spirit of Nat and Wes’s adventure. It’s about casting off the past and starting over. (Mel: I listened to this song again and again while we were writing FROZEN. We would also play it in the car and our daughter would sing along too. That's why it's an epigraph in the beginning of the book.)

About the Authors

Melissa de la Cruz is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of many critically acclaimed and award-winning novels for teens including The Au Pairs series, the Blue Bloods series, the Ashleys series, and the Angels on Sunset Boulevard series. She has worked as a fashion and beauty editor and has written for many publications including The New York Times, Marie Claire, Harper's Bazaar, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Allure, The San Francisco Chronicle, McSweeney's, Teen Vogue,CosmoGirl! and Seventeen. She has also appeared as an expert on fashion, trends and fame for CNN, E! and FoxNews. Michael Johnston is Melissa de la Cruz's husband and co-creator of the Blue Bloods and Witches of East End series, and the co-author of the Wolf Pact series. 

Melissa and Michael collaborate in every capacity in crafting their books, from plot outlines to character sketches and dialogue, from first draft to final polish. They have a daughter and live in Los Angeles and Palm Springs. 

Follow along the Frozen blog tour to see all of Mel and Mike’s guest posts!

 9/23 Lytherus 

9/25 Paranormal & Urban Fantasy Reviews 

9/27 Fiktshun

9/30 Bloggin’ ‘Bout Books 

10/2 Word Spelunking 

10/4 Owl Always Be Reading 

10/7 The Compulsive Reader 

10/9 Poisoned Rationality 

10/11 There’s a Book