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Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Blog Tour and Giveaway: The Winner's Crime by Marie Rutkoski


Welcome to the blog tour for The Winner's Crime by Marie Rutkoski! I'm thrilled and honored to participate in this tour, and to help promote this AMAZING series. Want to know what MY winner's curse is? Check out my response below, and enter to win The Winner's Crime!





About the Book:


The Winner's Crime by Marie Rutkoski
Book Two of the Winner's trilogy
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Publication Date: March 3, 2015

Summary (from Goodreads):

Book two of the dazzling Winner's Trilogy is a fight to the death as Kestrel risks betrayal of country for love.

The engagement of Lady Kestrel to Valoria’s crown prince means one celebration after another. But to Kestrel it means living in a cage of her own making. As the wedding approaches, she aches to tell Arin the truth about her engagement…if she could only trust him. Yet can she even trust herself? For—unknown to Arin—Kestrel is becoming a skilled practitioner of deceit: an anonymous spy passing information to Herran, and close to uncovering a shocking secret.

As Arin enlists dangerous allies in the struggle to keep his country’s freedom, he can’t fight the suspicion that Kestrel knows more than she shows. In the end, it might not be a dagger in the dark that cuts him open, but the truth. And when that happens, Kestrel and Arin learn just how much their crimes will cost them.



Follow the Author!



What Is Alyssa's Winner's Curse?

My education. Hands down, no further questions. I attend Johns Hopkins University (#11 in the country), as an environmental engineering and Spanish double major. This is a private university (not a state school). It was difficult enough getting into the school, in terms of academics. Let's talk money. Want to see the breakdown of costs? This is my budget, according to the university (this is what shows up on my student account to be billed):

Tuition: $47,060.00 
Matriculation Fee: $0.00 (It's $500 for incoming student) 
Room: $8,168.00 (Ha! My housing is more like $10,000.)
Board: $6,078.00 (Food.)
Personal Expenses: $1,000.00 (Like laundry.)
Books & Supplies: $1,223.00 (My books are more expensive than this - yes, to rent them used.)
Travel Expenses: $0.00 (I'm in-state.)
Loan Fees: $0.00 (No fees to take out loans. Yay.)

Total: $63,529.00

(Let's not get started on the physical and mental demand of an engineering major. Or engineering major + second major.)

I literally copied those numbers straight from my student account. I don't pay this all though (neither do my parents). The financial aid program at Johns Hopkins is pretty great (and I'm not just saying this because my family is super poor, or because I happen to work at the Financial Aid office). But still. Even paying $20,000 or $10,000 a year is a lot (whether via payment, or loan). 

But, you get what you pay for. A degree from this school is worth it. Especially an environmental engineering degree - the Department of Geography and Environmental Engineering at Johns Hopkins is one of the best worldwide, and environmental engineering isn't offered at many top universities anyway. I work hard and earn good grades and I know that paying what I pay for (may it be in money, blood, sweat, tears, neurons, sleep, social time, etc.) is totally worth it. Also, like I mentioned before, my family is poor, so my financial debt won't be 4 x $64,000 = $256,000 (thank goodness). But it will be a chunk. Yay loans.


The Giveaway:

Win The Winner's Curse OR The Winner's Crime (not BOTH). USA only.

29 comments:

  1. Winner's curse: let me see, working insane long hours only to be penalized move to a higher tax bracket.

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  2. Gorgeous post Alyssa. <3 Yay for also being a part of this tour :D I love your Winner's Curse. <3 But aw. So sorry that going to school is so damn expensive :\ Glad I don't go, hiih (A) but yay for you getting an education :D Anyway. Gorgeous post. <3 Thank you for sharing sweetie :)

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  3. Higher education in the US is so damned expensive and you are working really hard for it girl! I'm sure it won't be really a winner's curse, because it will be worth the effort and money!

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  4. Oh man, I went to a private, for-profit Art school. You know the one on the news and has the bad Rep? AI? Yeah.... My life's regret :P Though I got a bachelors degree in science out of it? So that's something :D
    I loved the Winner's curse. If my 'curse' was to buy Arin.... I would have no regrets!

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  5. My winner's curse would be that I get great grades, but I'm stressed out all the time.

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  6. Books would definitely be my material winner's curse, especially if I could get whatever ARCs I wanted before their release dates! But if my family were in need, I'd do whatever to make sure they were safe and healthy.
    Thanks for the giveaway!

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  7. My winner's curse is that I spent years going to school for something I don't want to do anymore.

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  8. My winners curse would probes,y be my credit card debt. I spend my twenties buying clothes that were way to expensive and now I bs e s closet full of stuff I can't wear and thousands in debt. Such a fail. I have become much more fiscally responsible since becoming a mother but I sill have my splurge moments like on make up.
    ❤️Britt

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  9. My winner's curse is learning. In undergrad, I did summer classes every year - not to graduate early, but because I wanted to take more classes. I also spend way too much money on new hobbies and books/classes for learning. And I've already decided that when I need a break from my career later on, I'm getting a master's in something unrelated that I want to study more.

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  10. WOW! I could not afford to go to John Hopkins. But God, I wish I could. I know that's a wonderful school and you should be so proud of yourself for going there. My winner's curse, I don't have anything expensive like school, heck the only expensive thing I buy is gas and my bills. Even that is way too much. I also love to buy books. The only thing I really love (besides my family). Thank you for participating in the blog tour. I love this series, Can I also say Congrats and thank you for running a blog while going to that kick ass school? It's much appreciated.

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  11. Probably traveling to see authors in book festivals like Ya'llfest and Ya'llwest... It's so expensive, yet such an amazing opportunity!

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  12. Since I'm not in college yet, it would probably buying too much eyeliner and band tees. And boots.
    Though, soon enough, it'll probably be college and all the joy that brings..

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  13. My winner's curse is to backpack across Europe and Australia/ New Zealand. It's always been a dream of mine so I would do anything to experience it! Thank you for this amazing chance! :)

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  14. I have heard nothing but great things about this series so I am really excited to read it!

    Mine will be dealing with bookish things. Also, traveling. I don't care how much, I am doing it.

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  16. My winner's curse is me prioritizing my TV shows but having less time to study for exams

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  17. My winner's curse? My grades slowly slipping through my fingers XD Thank you for the giveaway

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  18. On an objective note I would pay a lot of money for shoes and books. I would also pay a lot of money for traveling, because I'd love to go to England someday. As for things that are out of my reach, I would pay money for a more accepting and loving society. Especially towards women and young girls. (:

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  19. I'm in grad school for something I don't want to do for at least five years but if I didn't do it now, I'd never do it.

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  20. My winners curse would probably be my job! Its great but it can be very stressful

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  21. My winners curse is books!
    Thanks for the chance to win!

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  22. My winners curse is probably my business! It can be very stressful but so rewarding too.

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  23. My winner's curse is The Winner's Trilogy!!!

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  24. My Winner's Curses (Yes. Plural! Woe is me.) are books, chocolate, and friends who know what I'm thinking from one glance.

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  25. Winters Curse: Staying in touch with old friends... or not. It gets harder every passing year.

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  26. My Winner's Curse is reading. Either too late or too long (if I have a test the next day...)

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  27. Yikes. I got to a private school so I know how expensive they ARE but even mine is not as much as yours (but I also don't board so that might bring the cost closer to mine. My winner's curse is procrastination. I think I can do it and that I'm successful in cramming but nope. I never make the super high grade I should have gotten. go me haha

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I love comments! I will always try and reply to your comments, as well as leave some comment love on your blog! :)

Also, this an award and tag free blog. While I am flattered that you would think of me, I really do not have the time to follow up. Thank you!