Devon Ashley's Blog, page 24

Interview with Michelle Pennington, Author of Candid

This week at The Writer's Block I have debut novelist Michelle Pennington. She's fresh on the scene with Candad, the first book in the True Images series. She's a shark week finatic, and Super Mom, who's not afraid to let the kiddos veg out in front of the TV to get some writing time in! And as Christmas-obsessed as she is, she's probably one of those people ready to knock you down for that Black Friday deal. :P Let's take a few minutes to get know this overworked mommy.

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Tell us your favorite quote. My favorite quote of the moment is one by Albert Einstein: “Creativity is intelligence having fun.”
What is your favorite genre to read and what makes it so awesome? I love to read many genres, but if a book doesn’t have romance in it, I have a hard time getting into it. Conversely, I’m really picky when it comes to the kind of romances I’ll read because they have to be clean. I am a sucker for those moments in a romance where your heart swells up so that you can barely breathe and you have to take a moment to gather yourself so that you can fully appreciate the storm of gooey emotions in a good love scene. I love the moment when they confess their love for each other. Nothing beats that.
Tell us your favorite author. Which book is your total fave from that author? My favorite author is Georgette Heyer. She’s the queen of regency romance and no one will ever match her wit or story crafting – at least in my eyes. Choosing a favorite among the gems of her books is like trying to choose which of my children is my favorite. Since I have three kids, I’ll try to narrow it down to that many: The Masqueraders, The Nonesuch, and Devil’s Cub.
Any pet peeves you'd be willing to share? If we’re talking about life in general, it’s when my husband asks what the kids are up to in another part of the house when I’m in the same room he’s in. Seriously, does he think I can see through walls? If we’re talking about writing, I hate when an author tells you the same thing over and over and over again.
If the Earth suddenly became uninhabitable, would you rather live under the sea or in space? I confess that I would choose under the sea. For one thing, I always had a fascination for Marine Biology, but since I grew up in Arkansas, I didn’t see that I had much chance up competing in the field against people who grew up with the sea in their back yard. I still watch every documentary on the oceans, marine animals, and I’m a Shark Week fanatic.
Take us through a typical writing day for you. I write early in the morning before my kids wake up and my day gets crazy. I admit that I let them veg on the couch in front of cartoons for a while if they wake up too early so I can get my writing time in. When I wake up, I’m alert and full of ideas. I turn on some music, open my laptop on my kitchen table and zone for as long as life lets me.
What do you do when you experience that lovely problem called writer's block? In college, I was taught that writing block was caused by not knowing who your audience was. I’ve found that there’s sometimes some truth in that. If I let pressure from writing a story that so and so would like affect me, I stop listening to my gut and my characters’ voices. Sometimes, I just get ahead of my brains’ advance work. (when it’s thinking on its own without any interference from my conscious self) and I just have to go do something else for a while until it catches up. It’s a weird feeling to realize that so much of what I write comes from a part of me that I don’t control. I guess writing is taking that unconscious part and translating it for other people to understand.
What is the craziest dream you've ever had? I live in tornado country, and I’ve never been afraid of tornados. I do have a healthy respect and awe for them though and I have recurring dreams about them. I’m always hunkered down in a building somewhere, watching a tornado spin towards me while my heart is about to beat out of my chest. It gets closer and closer, the building expands and contracts like a pair of lungs, the wind roars and things start to get really surreal right before it hits. Then the darn thing bounces of the window and goes another direction. It’s pretty anti-climactic, but always a relief. If anyone can tell me if this means something, I’d love to know.
If you could live anywhere in the world you'd like, where would that be and why? I’d live on Roatan Island, Honduras because it’s a dream of my hubsand's to live there. Anywhere he goes, I go, and I have to admit, it would be pretty fabulous to live there.
Do you have a secret obsession you'd be willing to share? <wink, wink> Christmas. That’s right, Christmas. Everything about it. Especially the music.
What food/drink would absolutely devastate you if they stopped production on? I’m not sure if it qualifies as a food or a drink. It’s kind of a food, but I do drink it. La Martinique French Vinaigrette. I pour too much on my salads just so I can slurp up what’s left at the bottom of the bowl. My local grocery stores don’t carry it, so I drive over to the neighboring town to stock up occasionally. The cashiers probably think I’m crazy to buy so many bottles at once. One time I couldn’t find it because they rearranged the shelves and I almost had a heart attack that they weren’t carrying it anymore.
Do you like to listen to music when you read or write? Tell us a few of your favorites. It’s almost impossible for me to write without music. I’ve got different playlists for different moods or situations. Some of my songs range from “Gravity” by Sara Bareilles to “Fallin’ for You” by Colbie Caillat to “All of Me” by Evanescence.
Which do you prefer: ebook, hardback or paperback? I love the feel and smell and comfort of a physical book, though I prefer to read paperback over hardback. I have to say though, I’ve been totally converted to ebooks the last few years though since I got my kindle. Benefits include: I can buy them whenever I want. I can afford more books. My kids don’t turn the pages or rip them out. I can take it anywhere and have a whole library of books with me. Nobody makes fun of me for reading a romance with a cheesy cover on it. Most importantly, my husband doesn’t knock my book out of my hands so that I lose my place. He thinks it’s hilarious to bug me like that, (so annoying!) but he doesn’t want to break my kindle, so I’m safe. Once my brother even threw my book out the car window while we were driving down the highway at 70 mph! He would never have done that to a Kindle, so if you have men in your life like the ones in my life, ebooks are the way to go.
This or ThatSweet or Salty – I like Sweet and Salty together…I always add ¼ to ½ tsp of extra salt to my cookie dough recipes. Drama or Comedy – Comedy all the way.Fantasy or Romance – Romance, but put the two together and I’m so thereAutumn or Rain Tree house or Man Cave – Hello Swiss Family Robinson
Candid was a really cute read that I just breezed through in one sitting. I highly recommend picking it up, and you can check out my review here.

Candid by Michelle Pennington

Candid (True Images #1)
Michelle Pennington

Synopsis: Life is simple for high school senior, Sienna Whitfield. With a few good friends, a camera, and a dream, she has everything she needs to be happy. But when Jordan Rubio, the most popular girl at Haskins High, makes her mad, she decides to use the power of photography to right a few social wrongs. As if that doesn’t cause enough drama in her life, she realizes she’s falling for the new guy, Lee Franklin. Strong and protective, he’s just what she needs to survive the craziness she’s stirred up at school. If only she didn’t have to keep her feelings for Lee a secret from her mom…
This being a debut novel that didn't have any reviews going in, I wasn't really sure what I was getting myself into. Turns out, I was actually pleasantly surprised. :) I began Candid late one night and stayed up a few hours to read it all the way through...cause I just couldn't seem to put it down. Sienna is your typical girl-next-door senior, easily getting by the social war zone of high school by staying under the radar. But when she takes the job to photograph the football team's home games, trouble stirs up between her and the queen bee of the school, little miss cheerleading captain Jordan. So...Sienna decides it's time to kick the bee's nest and see if she can use her photography blog's newfound popularity to change the perception the student body has on a couple of people. And no, I don't mean finding the most humiliating pictures and poking fun, but spotlighting the kinder people that hang with the popular crowd. Dethroning the queen...who hasn't wanted to do that at one point in their lives?
As much fun as it is to watch the popular crowd squirm, what I really loved about this novel was the growing attraction between Sienna and Lee, the new hottie in school that seemed to have his eyes solely on Sienna, much to the popular crowd's dismay. Only problem was, her mom didn't allow her to date, cause for some reason (ie. mommy's past hormonal mistakes) all teenagers are horny, can't control their urges, are doomed to throw themselves at one another and pop out a kid. Yeah...um...I didn't have that problem in high school Did you?  Unfortunately for Sienna, her mom doesn't listen to reason, or believe her when she says that she and Lee aren't looking to jump into that any time soon. She tries to respect her mom's wishes, cause she before Lee, she actually agreed dating in high school and getting emotionally attached to a guy wasn't worth risking the future she had planned out. But now that she's met Lee...well that kind of thinking was just plain silly!
All in all, really cute book. Guess it was since I couldn't put it down. And any book that can keep me up late cause I absolutely want to know NOW what's going to happen, gets five stars in my book.

Novel provided by author or honest review.

Indie Author Giveaway Hop - Show Some Love! (INT)

You'd have to be living under a rock to not know that Indie Authors are on the rise. Yeah, in the beginning, it was hard to find a good book that wasn't filled with plot holes or in need of some desperate editing or formatting. And the original covers - bleh. Nowadays, the number of awesome Indie books available on the market are endless. Did you know that these are Indie books?
The Mayfair Moon Destined Laney Elemental Reality Lure Ordained
If you're weary of reading Indie books, I can't promise you won't come across a really bad one cause those are still out there. Sadly, a few newbies still throw it out there before it's ready. (Hell, even I was a little guilty of needing some more editing with the first edition of my first book). And I'm sure you all remember Amanda Hocking's reviews filled with endless criticisms about her lack of editing...but luckily it didn't stop people from reading them.
For this giveaway, I'm offering you $10 to pick up your choice of a few indie ebooks at Amazon, Barnes and Noble or Smashwords. I highly recommend the ones above!
Check out my header text for more giveaways!
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The Lifeguard by Deborah Blumenthal (ARC)

The Lifeguard
Deborah Blumenthal

Synopsis: It's an unsettled summer for Sirena. Back in Texas, her family's splitting apart, but here in Rhode Island, at the cottage of her aunt, it's a different world. There are long days at the beach and intriguing encounters with Pilot, the lifeguard with shamanic skills. Sirena explores her obsession with Pilot and discovers his mysterious - almost magical - gifts.

Hmm...where to begin with The Lifeguard? Well, let's just say there was a better taste in my mouth going out than in. Cause for a good chunk of this book, Sirena really annoyed me, to the point I wanted to quit reading. And I guess you could call this a romance, but really, more pages were spent on her obsessive stalking than romance, and she was way to desperate to get his attention. This girl's so freakin' crazy she actually steals (yeah, that's right - STEALS) a painting of Pilot from a small town art gallery while the owner's out to lunch. A normal, albeit obsessive-crazy-person, would have simply taken out their phone and taken a snapshot of it...but with Sirena, she needs the actual painting.
I can appreciate Ms. Blumenthal's attempt to weave in a culture involving people with the ability to draw from the earth and be able to heal people by doing so. However, I have a hard time swallowing the fact that this hottie of a white boy can be Shaman. I need this role to be handed down to someone that actually looks like his descendents came from the rain forest, not Malibu.
About two-third's of the way through, Sirena and Pilot both became more likeable and the story got a little more interesting, but it wasn't enough to rebound the feelings I'd already developed earlier for The Lifeguard. I'm not one to disencourage anyone from reading a book...some people are willing to five star this, I just don't happen to be one of them.

Novel provided by publisher via NetGalley.

Saving June by Hannah Harrington (ARC)

Saving June
Hannah Harrington

Synopsis: Everyone's sorry. But no one can explain why. Harper Scott's older sister, June, took her own life a week before high school graduation, leaving Harper devastated. So when her divorcing parents decide to split up June's ashes, Harper steals the urn and takes off cross-country with her best friend, Laney, to the one place June always dreamed of going - California. Enter Jake Tolan, a boy with a bad attitude, a classic-rock obsession...and an unknown connection to June. When he insists on joining them, Harper's just desperate enough to let him. With his alternately charming and infuriating demeanor and his belief that music can see you through anything, he might be exactly what Harper needs. Except...Jake's keeping a secret that has the power to turn her life upside down - again.
Harper is sick of everyone at the funeral asking her if she's okay. Of course she's not okay. Her sister just committed suicide and she was the one that found the body. She's also filled with guilt over their last conversation cause they were squabbling like teenage sisters tend to do...or at least Harper was, cause June already knew what she was gonna do. Not to mention her divorcing parents and nosy-Jesus-is-the-answer-to-everything Aunt, who tends to get a little ticked when Harper calls her on saying June went to Heaven when the bible clearly says she's going to hell. (Hey, if you can't take it, don't preach it. The rules don't change because you're related to someone). And then there's this strange guy smoking in the backyard that Harper bums a cigarette from. Who the heck is he and how'd he know June? Unfortunately, he takes off before she can really find out.
So her sister just died, her mom is falling apart, and her dad avoids them like the plague and moves forward with his new love interest. Harper's best friend Laney is the only thing keeping her sane, and even she's constantly asking her if she's okay. But what's really bugging Harper is that her parents, who smashed all hopes June had of leaving this hell-hole and going to school in her dream location of California, have decided they want to split her ashes between them, which sets Harper on fire. She wants nothing more than to lay June to rest in the one place she really wanted to be - California.
Going through June's stuff looking for answers as to why this happened, weird clues lead her to a music shop, where lo and behold, the mysterious funeral crasher works - Jake, a guy June was apparently tutoring.  When Jake finds out Harper and Laney are gonna sneak off with June's urn to California, he offers to drive. Not realizing he has his own motive for going, they take him up on the offer cause they're still minors, and traveling with someone no one knows will help get them to their destination before their parents and the police can find them and yank them all the way back home again.
The road trip is filled with tribulations for each character and the three probably learn more about the other than they care to know, but the biggest shock of all will come with what Jake has to share about June...and Harper won't be pleased.
Saving June is definitely New Adult (Mature YA) and has lots of language, mature subjects and some sexual content.

ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley.

Who-hoo! Vacation I'm-Not-Gonna-Write-I'm-Gonna-Read-ATHON

Yay!!! I'm officially done writing my pixie novel Dust. I had origanlly planned to take this indie, but now that the story has unfolded in ways I never saw coming, I think the uniquness of the storyline could do very well in the YA marketplace, so I've decided to change to the publisher route. To celebrate, I'm going to take an entire month off from writing and focus on the fun of reading. Yeah, yeah, yeah...I know I need to get to finishing Catacombs and working on Falling Away, but it's time to spend some much needed time with my neglected bookshelf. It's just filled with goodies I haven't had time to get to yet. (Don't even get me started on all the books sitting on my Kindle, but hey - out of sight, out of mind!)

First off, I've gotta start with my ARC pile cause I really wanna get caught up on that. Luckily, I keep my requests to a minimum, so I only have twelve that I need to read for publishers. Normally, I'd hit up the ones I'm most excited to read, but since several of these have already hit their publishing date, I'm gonna get to those first. Check 'em out:


Of course, I'm still going to be running my feature The Writer's Block. I've cut the number of authors down to half for this time period, but I've still got to read the books being spotlighted. The ones I currently have lined up are:


Once I'm done with all those, I'm moving on to some much needed bookshelf love. Take a peek at what I plan to tackle - cause hey - some of these goodies may just pop up on my monthly Previously Loved Book Giveaways!

Some of these are on loan to my sister-in-law, so I may not get them back in time to knock them out, but I think I've got enough to keep me busy! And my hubby is reading Divergent, and as epically slow as he is at reading, I'll be lucky to get that back sometime this year! LOL. Any suggestions for what I should read first?

Interview and Free Download with Elle Strauss

Howdy gals and gents! This week we have the lovely Elle Strauss with us on the Writer's Block. She's the author of the adorable Clockwise novels you see below. Another fan of the unsinkable Jane Austen. Addicted to dark chocolate and red wine. And she even spends time teaching the English language to poor farm kids in Romania . 'Super Awesome' sticker goes right here! Yeah, there's a free download attached to this interview, but let's take a minute to learn a thing or two about this generous gal!




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What was your favorite book as a kid? The Reddy Fox books by Thorton Burgess and Nancy Drew
If you were stranded on a desert island what is the one book you couldn't be stranded without? Bible
What is your favorite genre to read and what makes it so awesome? I love YA. I like reading about first experiences and a world that can still be fresh and not jaded. 
Any pet peeves you'd be willing to share? Finding out that the stand alone book you're reading is actually the first book of a trilogy on the last page. 
If you could meet any dead person, who would you choose? Any particular reason why? Jane Austen. Just to see if we got our perceptions of her right. :) 
What was your most favorite past time as a kid? Reading of course. I also loved to water ski, a sport I no longer do. 
If you could live in any time period other than the present, which would you choose and why? I think I'd like to live in the fifties. Lived seemed simpler and more wholesome then (though I'm sure it wasn't). I think that's why I chose 1955 for the main character to travel back to in Like Clockwise. 
What do you do when you experience that lovely problem called writer's block? I do something physical, like hiking or yoga. It seems to unlock things for me. 
If you could live anywhere in the world you'd like, where would that be and why? Right now, it would be somewhere tropical because winter this year felt so long. :) 
What food/drink would absolutely devastate you if they stopped production on? Dark chocolate and red wine. And soy lattes. :)
Which book are you most looking forward to reading this year? Probably Insurgent by Veronica Roth. 
Which do you prefer: ebook, hardback or paperback? I've swung from paperback to ebook this year. 
This or ThatUnderworld or TwilightOriginal or RemakeSweet or SaltyDrama or ComedyFantasy or RomanceSpring or AutumnDirty Dancing or FootlooseAmerican Idol or X-Factor or The VoiceMovie Theatre or LoveseatTea or CoffeeRain or Sunshine



This series is super cute. If you're still on the fence, check out my reviews of Clockwise, Clockwiser and the companion novel Like Clockwork. There's also a fourth done in Nate's POV called Clocked, but I haven't gotten to that one yet! Now for the FREE DOWNLOAD of CLOCKWISE! This book is so freakin' adorable it's a crime we get it for free! So be sure to pick this up at either Amazon, iTunes, Kobo or Smashwords.

Like Clockwork by Elle Strauss

Like Clockwork (A Clockwise Companion Novel)
Elle Strauss

Synopsis: Adeline Savoy had hoped that the move west from Cambridge to Hollywood with her single dad would mean they’d finally bond like a real family, but all she got was a father too busy with his new female friends and his passion for acting to really see her.

Instead she finds herself getting attached to Faye, the divorcee hair dresser she befriends when she travels back in time to 1955. Plus Faye has a hottie, James Dean-esque, bad-boy brother who has Adeline’s heart all aflutter. But bad boys from the past can be dangerous.

Is is possible that Adeline really does belong in her own time and that maybe the right boy lives as close as next door?
This is the companion novel to the Clockwise series, which instead of following Casey back into the 1800's, follows another time traveler Casey once met named Adeline, into 1950's Hollywood. Casey and Adeline are polar opposites. Whereas Casey is cheerful, spunky and has a sense of humor, Adeline seems absolutely miserable. Her personality is easily annoyed, just wants to be left alone and quite frankly, a little rude to everyone. I guess you could say she's a normal unhappy teenager...at least when she's in the present, where's she's having major issues with her dad's mid-life crisis. But back in the 1950's, she's a happier person...well, she's still a little rude at times though. But the fifties seem to suit her better, where she has a nice loving woman named Faye that takes on the motherly role she so desperately needs, and the hot bad boy, definitely-too-old-for-her James Dean lookalike she's got a major crush on.
As her relationship with her gotta-surround-myself-with-ridiculously-named-actress-wannabees father sours, her life in the 1950's becomes a little complicated as well. Howard, the hot James Dean lookalike is showing some interest in Adeline, which gets the attention of Leroy, a really bad boy Howard apparently owes money to, putting Adeline smack in the middle of a place no girl lying about her age should be. And things get a little complicated when one person from the past gets shuffled to the present and vice versa.
Personality-wise, Adeline manages to scuff off that outer rough later and learns to be a litter nicer to people, and she figures out that whole loner lifestyle isn't the best way to live when you actually meet decent people to befriend. I'm a sucker for the 1800's so I still prefer Casey's adventures, but if you love anything about the 1950's - like poodle skirts, Jame Dean, Marilyn Monroe haircuts, greased-back hair, musician-wannabees and bikinis that won't get you arrested for indecent exposure - pick this up...it's a good read.

Novel provided by author for honest review.

The Glimpse by Claire Merle (ARC)

The Glimpse
Claire Merle
Exp. Pub.: June 7, 2012

Synopsis: Once you've seen into the future, can you change your destiny?

In a near future, society is segregated according to whether people are genetically disposed to mental illness. 17-year-old Ana has been living the privileged life of a Pure due to an error in her DNA test. When the authorities find out, she faces banishment from her safe Community, a fate only thwarted by the fact that she has already been promised to Pure-boy Jasper Taurell.

Jasper is from a rich and influential family and despite Ana’s condition, wants to be with her. The authorities grant Ana a tentative reprieve. If she is joined to Jasper before her 18th birthday, she may stay in the Community until her illness manifests. But if Jasper changes his mind, she will be cast out among the Crazies. As Ana’s joining ceremony and her birthday loom closer, she dares to hope she will be saved from the horror of the City and live a ‘normal’ life. But then Jasper disappears.

Led to believe Jasper has been taken by a strange sect the authorities will not intefere with, Ana sneaks out of her well-guarded Community to find him herself. Her search takes her through the underbelly of society and into the pits of the human soul. And as she delves deeper into the mystery of Jasper's abduction she uncovers some devastating truths that destroy everything she has grown up to believe, but she also learns to love as she has never loved before.
In this dystopian world the Pure bloodlines (ie. no genetic markers for mental illness) are separated from the Crazies who live in the Community (ie. people with genetic markers for mental illness). Apparently Ana has been living the life a Pure but only because her father had access to the testing database and altered the results of her Pure test. Ana does something a typical stupid teen will do (I'll let you read what), raises the suspicions of the Pure board and they retest her Crazy-@ss. Now they've got quite the condundrum. Should they kick her into the Crazy civilization to defend for herself or allow her to go through with the binding ceremony (ie. engagement) with Pure Jasper if he's still interested? Jasper still cares for her and goes through the proceedings but they'll never be allowed to have children. But Jasper, whose father is important in a huge pharmaceutical company dealing with mental illness, does a disappearing act before they can be married and authorities believe he's been kidnapped by some radicals in the Community.
Right before he's taken, Jasper mentions a few unsettling things to Ana. Things he was looking into about the Pure/Crazies that probably got him into trouble. So what's a girl to do? Wait and see if the authorities can find these people (whom Jasper clearly said he couldn't trust) or sneak into the community and use the clues he gave to track down the people suspected of taking him? Guess which one she chose? I actually preferred the story once she got into the community, event though it was a little ridiculous for a seventeen year old girl to be doing this. There she infiltrates the radicals and learns that maybe Jasper's suspicions were right after all. But if the radicals were wrongfully blamed, what exactly happened to Jasper?
At some point someone's going to have to explain to me the segregation that's going on this book, cause if I was reading it right, their homes are segregated but Ana goes into Crazy infested areas to go to school and for her binding ceremony. I don't get that. Why bother segretating at all if you're comfortable with your children mingling with people that can snap any moment? Overall, the story was creative and kept my attention, but what I really liked best was the developing attraction between Ana and one of the radicals (sorry Jasper). The Glimpse is definitely worth your time, so pick it up.


ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley.

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Clockwiser by Elle Strauss

Clockwiser (Clockwise #2)
Elle Strauss

Synopsis: The last year has been smooth sailing for Casey Donovan. She and her boyfriend Nate are doing better than ever, and things at home are good, too. Everything’s been so calm, she hasn’t even “tripped” back to the nineteenth century.

Then the unthinkable happens and she accidentally takes her rebellious brother Tim back in time. It’s 1862 with the Civil War brewing, and for Tim this spells adventure and excitement. Finding himself stuck in the past, he enlists in the Union army, but it doesn’t take long before he discovers real life war is no fun and games.

Casey and Nate race against the clock to find Tim, but the strain wears on their relationship. It doesn’t help that the intriguing new boy next door has his sights on Casey, and isn’t shy to let her know it.

Can Nate and Casey find Tim in time to save him? And is it too late to save their love?
This was a cute follow-up to Clockwise. Casey and Nate have continued to date even though he's in college and Casey has two years left to go in high school. It doesn't take much to throw a wrench into the working gears of their relationship, and it happens in the form of a cute guy moving in next to Casey, who made it clear he was interested. Her brother Tim isn't make life easy either, and accidentally tagged along for a trip back to the past when the two siblings were going at it. Not only did he not respect the moral rules of the past, he refused to tag along as Casey was forced back to the present (with Willie of all people - oops!). Being the stupid teenager that he was, Tim takes to heart Casey's idea that maybe she can't die in the past, and enlisted in the Civil War because he thought it would be cool to shoot some people. Duh...life is not a video game - video games do not have the consequences the real world has. So you can imagine the trouble he found as Casey desperately tried to force her way back to the past to save him from his stupidity.
The only thing I felt was lacking was closure with Willie. Coming to the future allowed him to learn the fate of his family, and himself. He knew going back how he was going to die, so I was left wondering if he allowed himself to die the way the past said, or if his survival instinct took over and caused some hesitation when the time came.
This is still a really cute series, so check it out. :)

Novel provided by author for honest review.