Mariella Hunt's Blog, page 51

Dissonance is LIVE!

Dissonance is LIVE!.

Filed under: Guests Tagged: books, Dissonance, guests, indiebooksbeseen, kayla, literature, self-publishing

interview with Jodi Meadows, author of The Orphan Queen

I’m excited to have had the chance to speak with Jodi Meadows, author of The Orphan Queen. 

In the novel we follow Princess Wilhelmina as she embarks on a precarious, exciting journey to take back her throne. It’s a great fantasy novel and I love the characters.

Perhaps it’s just me, but this was one of those stories where I could also sympathize with shadier characters. They’re all very real and human, with strengths and weaknesses, always a plus in a novel.

I’m eager for the next installment, to see how Wilhelmina continues on her mission. She’s got a huge responsibility for someone so young, but she’s determined and stubborn, so I’m pretty optimistic!

You can find my review here. 

Which books influenced you growing up, and did any help inspire your own work, The Orphan Queen?

Everything inspired me when I was growing up, from Baby Sitter’s Club to The Blue Sword (Robin McKinley) to Sabriel (Garth Nix) to Arrows of the Queen (Mercedes Lackey). I read as many books as I could get my hands on — particularly fantasy, when I realized that was a real genre people wrote in.

So in their own way, every book I’ve read has helped inspire The Orphan Queen. And Incarnate. And everything else I’ve ever written. My stories are a product of both what I want to read, and what I have read.

In the book, which character would you call your favorite and why?

Oh I don’t think it would be smart for me to pick favorites. But the book is about Wilhelmina, and if I didn’t find her the most fascinating in the story, the story would have been about someone else.

Describe your work desk. Is it tidy? Do you have “writing snacks” or a specific kind of coffee that helps you write? Please share!

Well, it’s fairly tidy. Tidy-ish. It gets tidier when I’m avoiding my book, and less tidy when I’m really into whatever I’m working on. I have a lot of stuff on it — from my computer to a small fish tank to calligraphy supplies to spindles to yarn stuff to copies of my books . . . The tidiness depends on the phase of the moon.

Follow Jodi Meadows on Twitter, and buy The Orphan Queen here!

Filed under: Guests, Reading Tagged: booklr, books, coffee, fantasy, guest post, interview, ireadya, jodi meadows, literature, reading, the orphan queen, ya, yalit

Dissonance by Mariella Hunt

Mariella Hunt:

My friend Kayla got to read Dissonance early and she reviewed it. I don’t even know what to do except stare at it and grin. LOVE YA!

Visit her personal blog here!

Originally posted on bookishwives:

Original title: Dissonance
Year published: 2015
Published by: Mariella Hunt
Number of pages: 250
First sentence: “The December wind clawed at Allie’s face, stinging her eyes.”

 Plot: Fifteen-year-old Allie Grant lives crippled by her illness. Though kept in isolation, she’s never alone: A spirit named Song lurks in the silence of her bedroom.

When Song reveals its dark nature on the night of her recital, the show ends in tragedy. Verging on death, Allie’s taken in by an uncle she’s never met.

Julian claims to be a Muse with power over music and answers that’ll heal her. The cure she needs is rare, requiring of him a difficult sacrifice. Allie soon suspects her uncle has a secret that’ll turn her world around.

But with days left to live, she might fade without learning the truth…like the finishing chord of a song.

My thoughts: Where do I begin? I really…

View original 539 more words

Filed under: Stray Thoughts

City Love by Susane Colasanti

Sadie, Darcy, and Rosanna are living together in New York City the summer before their freshman year of college begins. With no parents, no rules, and an entire city to explore, these three girls are on the verge of the best summer of their lives.

Sadie is a native New Yorker. She is hopeful, romantic, and an eternal optimist who is ready to find her soul mate. Then she meets her dream boy: cute, funny, and quirky in all the right ways. The chemistry between them is unreal. Could he be the one?

Darcy is a free spirit from SoCal with rebellious tendencies and unlimited financial resources. Moving to New York City is just another adventure for her. Darcy wants this summer to be all about boy adventures—nothing serious. But how much fun is too much?

Rosanna leaves Chicago for NYC so she can put her past behind her and reinvent herself. The only thing standing in her way is the grand total of seventy-three cents she has saved. Then she meets a guy who wants to show her the glamorous side of New York—a side that she would never get to experience on her own. If Rosanna doesn’t resist, she may find herself in city love.

Told from alternating points of view, City Love captures the moments in each girl’s life when everything is thrilling, amazing, and terrifying all at once . . . in a way it will never be again.

find on Goodreads | Barnes and Noble

Told from three alternating POVs, City Love follows Sadie, Darcy, and Rosanna as they adapt to life in New York and find love along the way. The girls are very different from one another–different backgrounds and personalities–but they’re good friends towards the end.

I liked how each character was written to stand on her own. Darcy is not Rosanna; Sadie is not Darcy. They’re different characters, very well developed, which is a feat I love in novels–coherent characters.

My favorite character was Rosanna, as she was the one with the hardest time getting used to fast life in New York. I’d probably relate to her if I moved to a big city. But other people could relate more to Darcy–that’s what’s really cool about these characters.

The setting was very well done. I could feel busy New York all around me as I turned the pages. I could hear the noise and sense the energy. This is one of those books in which a city almost becomes a character; Susane Colasanti has captured New York City fantastically, doing her justice.

If you’re looking for a good, romantic summer read, this is it. The story isn’t over yet–we have a sequel coming up! I’m excited to see what happens to these friends next.

I can’t resist making a note on the book cover. I lifted the wrap-around and saw the hardcover also had an image on it, making this book truly unique in design. It’s going up there with my shelf of pretty books!

Filed under: Book Reviews Tagged: books, city love, ireadya, literature, new york, nyc, reading, romance, susane colasanti, yalit

the cover reveal was fantastic. thank you, guys.

Exactly a week ago was the book cover reveal for Dissonance. Now that things have settled down, I have time to blog about it.

I bet at some point you wondered why I chose May 19 as my book cover reveal. Well, it’s the feast day of St. Celestine, the patron saint of book binders, and I thought he could intercede to make things go well. He most certainly did.

All day I watched the blog posts pop up and got this warm fuzzy feeling. These people were here for me and I’m so grateful! Many people shared on Facebook and Instagram, so I can’t link back to them here. Just know, guys, that I thank you with all my heart.

But without further ado, the people who lent me a spot on their blogs to help give Dissonance a proper launch: (If I missed your blog, send me the link and I’ll edit the post!)

The Overactive Imagination

Emily Rachelle

J.N. Cahill

The Last Book on the Left

Sometimes I’m a Story

Disregard the Prologue

The Librarian Files

Kayla’s Books

Verbosity Book Reviews

Summer Snowflakes

Brett Michael Orr

Angie Grigaliunas (ze writer)

Games, Books and Cookies

Princess Meets World

The Ultimately Useless Stories of an Average Teenager

Julia the Writer Girl

Woolgather

Just Hannah dot Rose

The Crazy Perfectionist

Tea with Words

The Lonely Recluse

Monique Ocampo Writes

Briana Mae Morgan

And if you’re wondering when the book will be out, know that I’m working to put out the eBook this week. I’ll be sure to drop a link.

Love you, guys! Thanks again!

Filed under: Journal, Writing Tagged: books, catholic, cover reveal, Dissonance, indiebooksbeseen, literature, reading, self-publishing, writing

Guest Post: Prepare for Gaming!

My blog is titled life, literature, & coffee–but I rarely get to blog about life, because I’m so often focusing on literature and writing.

That’s why I love having guest bloggers who talk about their lives and what’s important to them. Recently I made a pen pal named Leonie and she’s a brand-new blogger–follow her here!

She’s a gamer and loves what she does. Even though I’ve never really been hooked on a game, I think it’s cool that there are so many and we can have adventures through hem. However, not everyone perceives things this way–so I’m glad she decided to blog about this.

Without further ado, prepare for gaming!

For as long as in can remember, gaming has been part of my life.

My parents owned a Super Nintendo Entertainment System, SNES in short. We had a lot of games, and playing these with my parents was my first time playing games ever. Mario, Lufia and MegamanX are some of the titles that I loved playing, and are still in my collection, carrying the title of favourite game.

Nowadays, gaming is seen as something geeky, nerdy. For those who are introverts. But experiencing and living in the world of gamers, I can say most of them are anything but introverts. They may not go out often, they may have their own interests, but that doesn’t mean they’re nerdy or don’t have friends.

Looking at my friends, a huge amount are those I have met on the internet, either playing games or on social media. And the things we do together are things we are best at, playing video games. Not only that, becoming each other’s best friends, we’re also there to hear each other’s problems, help think of solutions and be there where possible, even if we’re miles apart.

People still find it weird when I tell them I play video games, but I have gone a step further, I started writing reviews on the games I have played in the past. I don’t mind what people think of my hobbies, but I do want them to respect them and me for making the choices I have.

The thing I do want to be judged on is my writing, as that’s what I love to do and want to improve on. It’s another hobby of mine.

Yup, you heard me, I am a gamer, with different hobbies. I like to write, as well as read and be sportive. So next time you see someone playing video games, or hear about a person who does, think about this blog post.

There is a person behind the gamer, he or she’s got normal hobbies, of which one is playing video games. Don’t judge them for it, but praise them for being themselves, because being a gamer in the world we live in now can be quite hard sometimes.

Filed under: Guests, Life Tagged: entertainment, gaming, guest post, leonie, life, pen pal, reading

interview with Kristin Halbrook

A couple of weeks ago I picked up a book called Every Last Promise and became completely engrossed in it. Usually I have control and am able to put down a book to go to bed, but I was up well into the morning because Every Last Promise has a killer hook. So I was excited to get the opportunity to speak with author Kristin Halbrook about the book that definitely made me an insomniac!

Read my book review here! And now, the interview:

Me: I’m very excited to speak with you! Every Last Promise is one of the most powerful books I’ve read this year; I have no doubt it’ll become a favorite.

KH: Thank you so much! I am humbled to hear this. And thank you for these questions! I am very lucky to get to chat books with awesome people.

It’s haunting, making me realize the depths to which humanity will sink when loaded with guilt or fear. The danger of threatening someone who has power. Not only that, though–I was fascinated by how you wrote it, so I’d often get mixed feelings for the characters. They were human, with likable qualities and imperfections.

I tend to favor books where fear is a driving force; they’re easy to relate to.

This means a lot, to me. I aimed to create very human characters who are reflections of so many of us. It’s hard to be a hero (however “hero” is defined)—which is why we idolize them—and completely human to make mistakes. Life journeys are rife with challenges and moments we might not be proud of, but also chances for change, for forgiveness, for self-development, for growth and moving forward. Fear is certainly an effective motivation, but I also think the person who emerges after conquering their fear is more splendid.

I have some questions about the writing process for Every Last Promise.

First, could you describe what it’s like writing a story that switches from Spring to Fall? Did it get confusing, do you have tips for outlining a book this way? I found it to be a unique touch and some insight would be great!

I already had some experience writing a little bit outside the linear, single POV box with my first book Nobody But Us and, honestly, even though that book didn’t jump time, learning how to write alternating POV chapters that changed, that adjusted the style of the story for the reader, was a big help when writing the non-linear chapters for Every Last Promise. I also found that there were character and plot development benefits from writing Spring and Fall. I got to dig into my characters at two important points in their lives. I was able to parallel events and personalities in a way that lets me and readers see stark changes, laid side-by-side. And I liked that each season had its own build-up to a climax and its own resolution. The second resolution is the opposite of the first, and we get to see why that is.

I tended to work backwards, when developing the story for this book. I knew what the conclusion for each season was, so I had to work out how Kayla reached each of those points. I did actually tend to write the chapters in order, because that’s how I work best, and I found it refreshing to be able to jump time spans every few days.

Also, reading the book I noticed small towns pictured in two ways: A warm, comforting birthplace…and the dark, stifling town where secrets are nearly impossible to keep, and a step out of line could ruin a reputation. There are certainly downsides to everyone knowing each other.

Which did you find easier to illustrate, especially in a story like this? Have you lived in a small town where you got to see this sort of environment in real life?

I have lived in big cities, in the suburbs, and in a small college town, so I’ve been able to get a good look at how those living situations vary. The small college town I lived in looked quite different, in some ways, from Kayla’s town, but some of the sentiment was the same. There’s an insular, proud quality in some small towns—not necessarily undeserved!—and there’s a beauty to small, tightknit communities that look after each other. Many small towns thrive on tradition, work ethic, and hope. Some small towns are truly beautiful places that foster slow living, the arts, living close to the earth, and other ways of life that can be difficult to achieve in the city or suburbs. However, while writing Every Last Promise, I was hearing a lot about cases of sexual assault in small towns, so it was easy to be very angry at the kinds of communities that foster secrets or too much of a “take care of our own” mentality. So, in that sense, it was harder to write the small town as a positive, affirming place. Originally, Kayla was this character who was only desperate to get out of her small town, but as I explored the reasons why more fully, I realized it wasn’t so much that she wanted to get out, but that she was being pushed out for shattering that perfect vision people had of their small town. It’s not easy to see the realities and truths of the things we innocently think of as being perfect.

Do you drink a specific coffee while writing? Is there a particular snack or playlist that helped you with this book? Describe a little what your desk looks like! :)

I promise I’m not a shill for the company, haha, but I’m an avid fan of Caffe Appassionato’s Fair Trade Espresso Blend. It’s smooth and flavorful and the beans are so fresh and oily. I probably drink an average of four shots of it a day. Good thing I have my own espresso machine or I’d be bankrupt on espresso drinks, ha. I don’t otherwise snack when writing. I do have a playlist for Every Last Promise, but I often prefer writing in silence. My desk, oh dear. It’s kind of mess, right now. I have watercolor and oil paints and paintbrushes everywhere. Stacks of art paper, letters, and field trip forms for my kids. My season tickets for the opera have just arrived, so they’re in the middle of everything. Beneath it all is a large desk calendar, scrawled all over with events and doodles. My desk chair is falling apart, as my youngest likes to peel off little bits of the fake leather from the seat. Behind the chair is my sewing machine and piles of fabric that I’ll eventually do something with. And yet…somehow I get work done here! It’s as much a place to live, to create, to explore as it is a place to work.

Every Last Promise is without a doubt one of the best books I’ll read this year. Buy it on Barnes and Noble, and follow Kristin on Facebook and Twitter!

Filed under: Book Reviews, Guests Tagged: abuse, anxiety, books, depression, interview, ireadya, kristin halbrook, literature, reading, reviews, yalit

and finally–the cover for Dissonance–a project 5 years in the making

So happy to be sharing this with you! I think I might cry!! I haven’t got a set release date, but it’s coming soon. By soon, I mean in a few days. ;)

Blurb:

Fifteen-year-old Allie Grant lives crippled by her illness. Though kept in isolation, she’s never alone: A spirit named Song lurks in the silence of her bedroom.

When Song reveals its dark nature on the night of her recital, the show ends in tragedy. Verging on death, Allie’s taken in by an uncle she’s never met.

Julian claims to be a Muse with power over music and answers that’ll heal her. The cure she needs is rare, requiring of him a difficult sacrifice. Allie soon suspects her uncle has a secret that’ll turn her world around.

But with days left to live, she might fade without learning the truth…like the finishing chord of a song.

I know I’ve been talking about Dissonance and publishing it–forever. But now it’s really happening, guys! I have a book cover, designed by the lovely Syd. I want to share with you the full cover because the whole thing is beautiful! Check the featured image!

I spent hours awake designing the interior file for a print book. I figured out how to make fancy chapter pages. Now I’ve only got to write the Acknowledgements, and there will be so many people to thank…I’m afraid many won’t make it into the book, but let me use this moment to say thank you.

Some people have read through all five drafts of the book. Some came along as it was near completion. At one point in 2014 I sent the first five chapters to an agent–who in the end told me it sounded too much like a romance novel, even though it’s YA–but that’s when Heather became my beta and wound up helping shape the whole thing.

There are the inkies who’ve stayed with me, and the GTW people, and everyone in my street team. The new friends I met in Brett’s beta chatroom. (He’s been pretty cool, letting me sabotage his team like that. :D)

There’s Syd and Kristia and Gabrielle. Phil, Rachel Lynn, Jennifer Cahill, Kelly. Kate Sparkes, who helped me understand what I’m doing!

Finally, my family–mom, dad, Christian–who’ve been there for everything, even the Carpal Tunnel surgeries. Who’ve hugged me when I felt discouraged and reminded me that no matter what, they’d be there. They’ve been waiting for me to publish the book for a long time, so it feels nice to finally show them a cover!

There are so many people who’ve helped keep me sane that I need to sit down and take note of all of you. If I haven’t mentioned you here, it’s because I don’t want the post to get too long. There’ll be another post for that!

A cover reveal is not the final chapter, but the beginning of a new book, so I have a lot to say. Let me sum it up for now: Thank you. 

Check back in the next few days. I might accidentally drop an Amazon link!

Filed under: Reading, Writing Tagged: amazon, books, cover reveal, Dissonance, dissonancenovel, indiebooksbeseen, literature, love, reading, savealessandra, writing

the cover reveal’s in 2 days. thanks, guys!

I have a book cover reveal coming up in two days, and I just want to thank everyone who’s volunteered to help me. Honestly, when I first decided to self-publish, it had been painted to look like such a bleak and lonely path…but I met some wonderful people who changed my perspective on that entirely.

People all over the world have volunteered to use their blogs and facebook walls to help me reach as many people as possible. I know even two or three views of the beautiful cover Syd designed, that’s a potential audience. The only thing that bothers me is that I can’t reach out and hug you all. Just know I am so grateful that you’re helping me kick off my career, even if it’s just a cover reveal.

The book isn’t out till hopefully late June. Hopefully.

As you know if you’ve been following my blog, setting release dates got me into a lot of trouble. When I was unable to publish on the 12/13/14 release date, I fell into a horrible slump…I felt like I’d let someone down–myself, at any rate. I felt like walking away from the whole project. But with the coming of spring, I’m back in action.

That’s what I get for trying to take control of a project that, from the beginning, is only possible because of God. He gave me the gift of writing, the story I’m telling, and all these amazing friends who’ll be helping me.

And while a cover reveal is by no means the end of this project, it’s one of the final steps to getting it published. This story is finally going to have readers. Even if there aren’t thousands, a handful of people who like the story will be enough for me.

To everyone who’s stood by me with this project from beginning to end–thank you for believing in me and offering your time–to hear me complain, to give me advice, to tell me things will work out. I’ll still need all of you after the 19th. Love you guys! There are so many of you to thank. After the 19th I’m going to dedicate a post to all of you, so the world will know how awesome you are.

I really, truly wouldn’t be brave enough to do this alone.

So thank you. And to my readers, I hope you stick around on the 19th–and share the cover on social media, if you can. Every bit helps. Hopefully this will be the first cover reveal of many.

Filed under: Writing Tagged: books, cover reveal, Dissonance, dissonancebook, indie, indie publishing, indiebooksbeseen, literature, savealessandra, self-publishing, writing, ya fiction, yalit