Gretchen C. Hohmeyer's Blog, page 88
July 19, 2012
Vacation Reads Giveaway Hop
Hey everyone! It’s time for ANOTHER giveaway hop! BE EXCITED! This one is hosted by I’m a Reader, Not a Writer and The Bookish Mama. There are about 100 blogs participating, so don’t miss out! Check out the list HERE.
So, here’s my giveaway!
When you’re going on vacation, it’s always a bother to bring a LOT of books, but you do it because you want a lot to read. Well, my giveaway is a fix for that. It is a five-in-one version of Amelia Atwater-Rhodes “The Kiesha’ra” series.
This HUGE book includes the entirety of the series, which goes:
Hawksong ~ Snakecharm ~ Falcondance ~ Wolfcry ~ Wyvernhail
(All links go to Goodreads)
Interested? Well, this giveaway runs til 11:59 on July 25th and is US only. Click HERE to enter.
Review: “Rapture” by Lauren Kate
Rapture (Fallen #4) by Lauren Kate
The sky is dark with wings . . . .
Like sand in an hourglass, time is running out for Luce and Daniel. To stop Lucifer from erasing the past they must find the place where the angels fell to earth. Dark forces are after them, and Daniel doesn’t know if he can do this—live only to lose Luce again and again.
Yet together they will face an epic battle that will end with lifeless bodies . . . and angel dust. Great sacrifices are made. Hearts are destroyed. And suddenly Luce knows what must happen.
For she was meant to be with someone other than Daniel. The curse they’ve borne has always and only been about her—and the love she cast aside. The choice she makes now will be the only one that truly matters.
In the fight for Luce, who will win?
The astonishing conclusion to the FALLEN series. Heaven can’t wait any longer.
4 stars
I guess the most important thing is what I’ll start with: Rapture is the perfect ending to this series.
It is just like the other three books, lyrically written and chuck full of Luce and Daniel. Everything is finally revealed and, yes, they get their happily ever after in the most perfect way.
When I began Fallen, it was the first angel book I ever read. I stuck with the series because I found it interesting, despite how you must know I feel about the romance in this book. After all, I HATE insta-love and overdone romance, which is really what these books have always thrived on. I mean, if you can’t take romance, I’ve always told people to RUN AWAY SO FAST. You need a stomach of iron to get through Luce and Daniel on every page.
Fallen and then Torment were always my exception to my “I HATE OVERDONE ROMANCE” rule. Passion actually really intrigued me, because it was so much different then the first two. After that one, I’ll admit that I worried Rapture would let me down.
It didn’t.
Fans of the series could NOT be disappointed with Rapture … well, unless you’re a Cam/Luce shipper. It had everything that made us fall in love with Fallen, Torment and Passion, from the fun mythology, the dream-like writing and–of course–Luce and Daniel. They aren’t apart for a SECOND of this book, don’t you worry. Kate also introduced some final characters that were fantastic, and tied everything back around nicely to the first book.
There were a few new plot devices introduced that I was confused about, like Patinas. Luce has spent so much time running from her enemies, why weren’t these super-secret hideaways introduced sooner? Also, how was this the first mention of the relics? Still, Kate managed to come up with semi-explanations for why we’re just learning about these now, so I sat back and enjoyed the ride.
I never did read Fallen in Love, so the little hints we got about the other angels’ pasts really made me happy. Even the Outcasts became totally cool in this book. Whereas Passion explored Luce and Daniel’s past, Rapture explored that PLUS the past of the others. It was really neat to see who everyone was before the Fall.
Honestly, there isn’t much I can say. As always, it’s ridiculously hard to write about books you liked as opposed to books you found issue with. An ending of a series is always so bittersweet. I also don’t want to splurge on any spoilers. I can say, however, that I’m very happy. The epilogue of Rapture was one of the sweetest things I’ve ever read. All loose ends were tied up perfectly neat.
July 18, 2012
I’m going to hang with some amazing authors for 10 days, and you do NOT want to miss this!
This post should be a Waiting on Wednesday feature, but alas I have no time to do the link up today! Why, you may ask? Because at this moment, I am on a plane on my way to Greensburg, PA, for a very special event.
You may trust everything I say about this event, because I went last year. Basically, it in a nutshell is this: Me and a bunch of other young writers (ages 14-19) are going to spend 10 days writing, critiquing and listening to fantastic authors lecture. We will also be having an INSANE amount of fun at all times. Literally, AT ALL TIMES. (Sleep doesn’t happen at Alpha, not really.)
But now you’re wondering, “Well, why do I care?”
If you follow me on the blog … you probably don’t. I mean, the blog will continue its regular, jam-packed posting schedule without interruption. I’ve still got tons of giveaways, reviews and more coming right at you. No rest for the wicked or the grossly over scheduled, they say!
But if you follow me on Twitter, it could mean everything.
I will be live tweeting my favorite pieces of advice or author tidbits from each lecture. So this either means this is the time to unfollow me on Twitter for a little bit (please don’t) or follow me on Twitter RIGHT NOW (please do!). These are the authors I’ll be live tweeting from:
Tamora Pierce
Tamora Pierce was drawn to books from a young age. Raised in rural Pennsylvania, the child of a “long, proud line of hillbillies,” her family never had much. “We were poor, but I didn’t know it then. We had a garden where my folks grew fruit and vegetables and our water came from a well,” she explains. But one thing they did have was plenty of books. So Tamora read.
A self-proclaimed “geek,” she devoured fantasy and science fiction novels, and by the age of 12 was mimicking her literary idols and writing her own action-packed stories. It was thanks to her father that Tamora began writing. “He heard me telling myself stories as I did dishes, and he suggested that I try to write some of them down,” Pierce says.
But Tamora’s novels had one major difference: unlike the books she was reading, her stories featured teenaged girl warriors. “I couldn’t understand this lapse of attention on the part of the writers I loved, so until I could talk them into correcting this small problem, I wrote about those girls, the fearless, bold, athletic creatures that I was not, but wanted so badly to be.”
Seventeen years later, after graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, a brief career in teen social work and some time spent writing for radio, Tamora Pierce held true to her childhood crusade, and published Alanna: The First Adventure, the first in a quartet about a valiant, young, female warrior. Pierce’s heroine struck a chord with readers across the country and quickly earned her a loyal following.
Pierce is now a #1 New York Times bestselling author and has written twenty-five books, including her newest, BEKA COOPER #2: Bloodhound. “It’s a pretty good life, if I do say so myself. Struggling along as a kid and even through my twenties, it’s the kind of life I dreamed of but never believed I would get. Yet here I am, after a lot of work, a lot of worry, a lot of care for details, and a massive chunk of luck, the kind that brought me such strong friends and readers. Pretty good for a hillbilly, yes? And I never take it for granted,” she says.
Pierce lives in upstate New York with her husband Tim and their three cats and two birds.
Kij Johnson
Kij Johnson (born January 1960 in Iowa) is an American writer of fantasy. She has worked extensively in publishing: managing editor for Tor Books and Wizards of the Coast/TSR, collections editor for Dark Horse Comics, and content manager working on the Microsoft Reader. In her time at Wizards of the Coast/TSR, she was also continuity manager for Magic: The Gathering and creative director for AD&D settings Greyhawk and Forgotten Realms. She is an associate director for the Center for the Study of Science Fiction at the University of Kansas, and serves as a final judge for the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award. Johnson is the author of three novels and more than 30 short works of fiction. She is best known for her adaptations of Heian-era Japanese myths.
John Joseph Adams
John Joseph Adams (www.johnjosephadams.com)—called “the reigning king of the anthology world” by Barnes & Noble.com—is the bestselling editor of many anthologies, such as Under the Moons of Mars: New Adventures on Barsoom, Brave New Worlds, Wastelands, The Living Dead, The Living Dead 2, By Blood We Live, Federations, The Improbable Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, andThe Way of the Wizard. He is a four-time finalist for the Hugo Award and a three-time finalist for the World Fantasy Award. He is also the editor and publisher of Lightspeed Magazine, and is the co-host of Wired.com’s The Geek’s Guide to the Galaxy podcast.
Catherynne M. Valente
Catherynne M. Valente is the New York Times bestselling author of over a dozen works of fiction and poetry, including Palimpsest, the Orphan’s Tales series, Deathless, and the crowdfunded phenomenon The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Own Making. She is the winner of the Andre Norton Award, the Tiptree Award, the Mythopoeic Award, the Rhysling Award, and the Million Writers Award. She has been nominated for the Hugo, Locus, and Spectrum Awards, the Pushcart Prize, and was a finalist for the World Fantasy Award in 2007 and 2009. She lives on an island off the coast of Maine with her partner, two dogs, and enormous cat.
What you do now is up to you! Just know these few important announcements and all will be good. Also know that I’m thinking of having a huge giveaway during my wrap up post. If you guys think it’s a good idea. Anybody want signed books from these guys? Anybody? ^_^
July 17, 2012
Top Ten Books for People Who Liked “Anna and the French Kiss”
Top Ten Tuesday is a feature hosted by the Broke and the Bookish!
You guys may or may not know that Anna and the French Kiss was my first 5 star review. This was even more shocking because I haaaate teenage romances. Usually. Unless they’re done REALLY WELL. So I decided to take that book to show you just how picky my tastes are!
1. Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry
This one made me laugh and cry. It was absolutely fantastic. I just…I just can’t even put my feelings into words. Oh wait, yes I can. I reviewed it.
Alright, alright, I know this one isn’t a contemporary, but bear with me. I’m going with the criteria of FANTASTIC ROMANCE with this one. This one doesn’t have a love triangle or a cliché ANYWHERE. It’s just … awesome. See my review for more.
3. Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
Yeah, this one is a semi cop-out, but c’mon. You know it’s true! (Although, I don’t actually think this one measured up to Anna…)
4. Paranormalcy by Kiersten White
No, this isn’t a contemporary EITHER. I didn’t say they all would be, did I? This was a fantastic ride on several levels, not to mention the cute romance to be had. I’ve gotten several people hooked on this series and I’m proud of it!
5. Streams of Babel by Carol Plum-Ucci
Okay, so, these aren’t particularly romance heavy, but the romance in them is done really well. They (it’s a duology) are also ridiculously powerful books that I’ve checked out multiple times from my library. They are just EXCELLENTLY written.
6. All-American Girl by Meg Cabot
Again, cop out, because Meg Cabot is like the queen in certain circles, but to be honest I never really enjoyed much of hers. This one, though, is SO EXTREMELY CUTE I COULD DIE. I love it. It’s like candy.
7. When it Happens by Susane Colasanti
Again, cop out, because it’s SUSANE COLASANTI. But still. This book. SO CUTE. I love it. It’s amazing. It makes me SO HAPPY.
8. Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
Not a contemporary, but people who’ve read both series can’t tell me that Anna and Sophie wouldn’t be BEST FRIENDS FOREVER if they met in “real” life. I certainly think they would. 
(Plus, Archer? HELLO SEXY. He and Entienne could burn down buildings just by walking into them.)
9. Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles
This is actually a second book of a series that is connected but doesn’t particularly have to be read in the same order, but I think it’s the best one for Anna fans.
10. Trickster’s Choice by Tamora Pierce
No, not a contemporary. But I still think Anna and Aly would make fiiiiine friends. OHMYGOD, SOPHIE, ANNA AND ALY. THIS WOULD BE THE BEST BOOK. Someone help me get these guys on that…
July 16, 2012
My Epic Quest to Go See Cassandra Clare, Holly Black and Sarah Rees Brennan and Why It was Worth It.
Last month, when I found out there was going to be a Cassandra Clare, Holly Black and Sarah Rees Brennan signing somewhat in my area, I decided I HAD TO GO. Usually I can’t find anyone close to me other than signings at Books of Wonder in NYC, which–while I’m sure is a perfect nice store–IS IN NYC. Just the trip alone there might kill me. So when I heard about this one, I happily told my father that there was a signing not six hours away from my house, but closer!
It was only four.
Luckily for me, I had a birthday coming up (18, that’s a big one, you guys may remember…). For a present, he gave me a gift certificate for his helping to drive me there and back. (That’s four hours ONE WAY, folks.) And yet, yesterday morning, he continued to go, until the moment we left:
“You sure you want to do this?”
“Yes.”
“You sure?”
“Yes.”
“You–”
“THEY ARE LIKE MY BEATLES. MY ELVIS. MY BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN.”
“You sure?”
“…”
Thankfully, we did eventually get out the door. Traffic, however, did not help ANYTHING. We were stuck in so much stop and go traffic all the way down that our hour early plan turned into a fifteen minutes late plan.
But still, we made it to our destination: Oblong Books and Music in Rhinebeck, NY. (Website | Facebook)
Unfortunetly, my lateness meant I’d missed all of Holly’s reading and most of Cassie, but I did totally get to hear Sarah reading from Unspoken. While the excerpt was excellent, it was made THIRTY TIMES BETTER by Sarah’s acting out of the scene, including an almost strip tease. 
A Q&A session followed, that was ridiculously entertaining. I didn’t get a chance to live tweet it as much as I wanted because I was laughing so hard, but I did get a chance to get a few of them in! I’ll just insert my screen shot here below…
After that came the signing! Because I was so late, I was literally THE last person in line out of a crowd of over 100 people, so I sat around waiting for a long time to get mine signed, but it was totally worth it. I got pictures with every one of them! (Also, remember, FOUR HOUR CAR RIDE. This is why I look like a wreck. Also, love my Team Jem shirt? Apparently I was like THE ONLY Team Jem member representing. SAY WHAAAAT?)
All in all, I got 3 books signed by Holly (my Modern Faerie Tales set), 3 books by Cassie (City of Glass, Clockwork Angel and Clockwork Prince) and 1 book by Sarah (Team Human). Allow me to show off a few of my lovelies…
And there you have it! My VERY FIRST author appearance post for the blog! I was fangirling the whole night long, and these guys were so fantastically nice and funny. I wish I could have just sat down with them longer and listened to them tell the funny stories about each other. They are three of my IDOLS, and I couldn’t believe my luck that I got to be near them for a just a few minutes. As you can tell, I’m a little out in the middle of nowhere where book signings (and freaking anything else) are concerned. When I got home I basically passed out from exhaustion, but it was SO WORTH IT.
Review: “Of Poseidon” by Anna Banks
Of Poseidon (Of Poseidon #1) by Anna Banks
Galen, a Syrena prince, searches land for a girl he’s heard can communicate with fish. It’s while Emma is on vacation at the beach that she meets Galen. Although their connection is immediate and powerful, Galen’s not fully convinced that Emma’s the one he’s been looking for. That is, until a deadly encounter with a shark proves that Emma and her Gift may be the only thing that can save his kingdom. He needs her help–no matter what the risk.
4 1/2 stars
You know, there was a day when I swore I would never hop onto the mermaid trend. I mean, I’m a Disney girl through and through but I never even really liked The Little Mermaid. But I kept seeing my blogger friends everywhere loving it, so some force unknown it to me caused me to buy it.
And boy am I so glad that I did.
You know how I knew Emma and I were going to be best friends? On page one, she describes herself as being as clumsy as an “intoxicated walrus.” Those of you who are unfortunate enough to know me in person know that SO AM I. Add clumsiness, coupled great personality and snark, and I was hooked on Emma before the story even really started.
And then the story STARTED. With a shark attack.
To be fair, the rest of the novel didn’t really have that level of action at all, but it certainly had enough to invest me into the story. I did feel like the ramifications of the shark attack were dealt with too quickly, but I can at least understand the reasoning.
Despite a promising beginning and an instant connection with Emma, I wasn’t as quick to catch onto Galen, his sister and his sister’s husband. His sister came off as too bratty for too long before getting some depth, and her husband just wasn’t given a chance to shine despite definite star quality. I honestly can’t tell if I didn’t like Galen for characterization reasons or the POV drama that was going on.
See, for starts, the book itself is written entirely in present tense. That’s a difference in and of itself. But then the chapters, which switched back and forth between Galen and Emma’s POV, switched back and forth between first person present (Emma) and third person present (Galen). For the first couple of chapters especially, that was ridiculously jarring.
Yeah, yeah, I know, this is a four and a half star review and I’m sounding overly critical, right? What made me rate it so highly then?
For starters, Emma. Emma is hysterical and I love her and I want her as my best friend. She’s pig-headed, temperamental and has a fantastic narrator’s voice. Sure, she falls for the whole insta-love thing with Galen, but she sure is vicious when she doesn’t get her way. Despite being head over heels for Galen, she sure as heck isn’t going to let him run her life. Now that’s refreshing.
The mythology of the story is also really interesting. We got to learn so much about Banks’ merpeople without it ever feeling like an infodump, and I still wanted more. Everything from the Gifts, to the reimagining of Atlantis, Poseidon and Triton was absolutely fascinating.
Plus, there was that ending. There are endings that leave you excited for the next book and then there are ENDINGS LIKE THAT. I’m pretty sure I could sue Banks for torture and the judge would agree with me.
The bottom line? This is the best book I’ve yet to read of the new mermaid trend, hands down.
The second book of this series has a title–Of Triton–but no release date as of yet.
July 14, 2012
Stacking the Shelves #3
Welcome to My Life is a Notebook’s 3rd Stacking the Shelves, as hosted by Tynga’s Reviews! I have 6 books to share with you guys this week, plus tons of insider information on two blog tours (with giveaways!) and an ARC I’ve already read…
Bought:
Possess by Gretchen McNeil – Goodreads
Changeling by Philippa Gregory – Goodreads
For Review:
What’s Left of Me by Kat Zhang – Goodreads
Mystic City by Theo Lawrence – Goodreads
Blog Tour:
Witchstruck by Victoria Lamb – Goodreads
Amateur Angel by Karri Thompson – Goodreads
July 13, 2012
ARC Review: “Throne of Glass” by Sarah J. Maas
Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass #1) by Sarah J. Maas
After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin.
Her opponents are men—thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king’s council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she’ll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom.
Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilarating. But she’s bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her… but it’s the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.
Then one of the other contestants turns up dead… quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.
5 stars
This review is of an ARC received from NetGalley. You can pick up a copy for yourself on August 7, 2012.
There are few beautiful things in this world. This is one of them.
That right there was my ONLY Goodreads status update over more than 400 pages of reading. I read this in one day, in nearly one sitting. (It would have been one sitting if my dad hadn’t interrupted with things supposedly more important. There is nothing more important than this.) This book was impossible to put down right from the get-go.
The main character of Celaena is initially very stiff. For the first few pages, I was wondering if I was going to like her at all. Then she opens her mouth to speak and the snark pours out and I decided I wanted to be her best friend. I found it wonderful how her character unfolds over the course of the novel, and you find out more and more about her as the pages go past. Even in the end of the book, you’re finding out a few more things that add loads of depth to her character and yet add more questions that need to be answered. Despite having no idea what it would be like to live her life, I found myself connecting with her all the same.
Originally, I wasn’t very excited by the idea of a love triangle forming between Celaena, Dorian and Chaol (or Captain Westfall, as the blurb names him). After all, you know how I feel about love triangles. (Hint: I hate them.) However, this one wasn’t badly done. Celaena is absolutely NOT a air-headed girl, and the guys played it out nicely. There was no brooding testosterone match. Plus, the love triangle was hardly the focus of the book AND it ended interestingly. So yes, believe it or not, I have found a love triangle I approve of.
No, pigs are not flying. Yet.
I had heard this world likened to that of George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones, and I can certainly see why. For one, I’m pretty sure there is only a handful of names in either books that I am actually sure how to pronounce. Another is that you have to try to keep track of a lot of country and character names. (Throne of Glass, however, is nowhere near as bad as Game of Thrones in that regard.) Also, to mention layers again, there are SO MANY. In a time when YA world-building is sometimes circumspect at best, Maas blows it out of the water with rock solid skill and precision.
All and all, I basically have no idea why you haven’t already pre-ordered this book. High fantasy seems to be an abandoned realm in YA fiction sometimes, yet Maas clearly shows that it is possible to have amazing world building, big character casts and countries and still keep it YA. The romance is wonderfully written, and it hardly takes over the novel. There’s a little bit of magic, a lot of snark and a whole bunch of utterly fantastic fight scenes. There are few times that NetGalley makes me ridiculously upset because I don’t own a print copy of this book, and this is one of them. I could lose myself in this world again and again and never get bored.
July 11, 2012
Author Interview + Giveaway: “Witchstruck” by Victoria Lamb
You guys may or may not remember that a couple of week’s ago, I chose Witchstruck by Victoria Lamb as my Waiting on Wednesday post. Right after that went live, Victoria Lamb herself emailed me about participating in a blog tour for Witchstruck when it was released. I readily said yes. One does not say no to a Tudor his-fic piece about a teenage witch! So, without further ado, give a warm welcome to Victoria Lamb!
While studying Elizabethan and Jacobean playwrights at university, Victoria Lamb conceived a desire to write a series of novels about Shakespeare’s ‘Dark Lady’. Now a busy mother of five, she has finally achieved that ambition after much research, and The Queen’s Secret is the result.
Daughter of the prolific novelist Charlotte Lamb, Victoria lives in Warwickshire – also known as Shakespeare Country – only twenty minutes from Kenilworth Castle where The Queen’s Secret is set. She is presently working on her new novel featuring Shakespeare’s ‘Dark Lady’, Lucy Morgan.
INTERVIEW
What inspired you to become a writer?
I was born into a family of writers, which helped set the scene for my future career. But it wasn’t until the day I was taken to see where the poet John Keats lived at Hampstead that I made a conscious decision to become a writer. I was fascinated by his tragic life story and by his poetry, and determined to write poetry myself – starting straight away at the age of about ten!
In one sentence, why should someone read your book?
It’s hard not to find a story about a teen witch intense and compelling when it’s set in a time when just being suspected of witchcraft could earn you an agonising death.
Briefly, can you talk about the path you took to getting your book published?
I had already discussed Witchstruck with my agent long before even beginning to write it, so he was fully behind the book by the time it was finished. I emailed him the manuscript, and about a week later the first three books of the series had been acquired by Random House Children’s Books.
When you’re writing, do you prefer silence or do some of your characters have soundtracks? Or do you do something completely different?
Normally I listen to music on my headphones while writing. Very loud pop music is my drug of choice. In general, I prefer mainstream pop to indie when working, as it tends to have a strong beat and the generic lyrics are unlikely to distract me. I do have playlists for some of my chapters. Sometimes I get entirely taken up in my writing and forget the music’s finished. That always feels odd when I finally notice. I’ve also developed a habit of clutching a pen in my hand while actually typing. I don’t know what that’s about. I gave up smoking about five years ago, so maybe it’s a substitute?
Can you see yourself in any of your characters?
Yes, I like to think I’m very like my hero in Witchstruck, Alejandro. I’m not Spanish, nor male, nor a priest, but I think he has my very dry sense of humour. And perhaps my tenacity too. He doesn’t give up easily.
Now, Witchstruck focuses on Tudor times when Mary is queen, but who’s your favorite wife of Henry VIII and why?
Definitely Katherine of Aragon, mainly because she stuck that man for twenty-four years and did her best to give him a son. She fell pregnant as many as six or seven times. Apart from Mary, she either miscarried or her children were stillborn or died soon after birth. And at the end of that, he divorced Katherine in her late forties and married a much younger woman in the hope of a male heir. The irony, of course, is that it was his daughters Mary and Elizabeth whose reigns stand out in history, while his son by Jane Seymour died after only a few years on the throne.
When you aren’t writing, what kind of stuff do you read? Any favorite titles you think everyone should read?
I read quite a lot of fantasy fiction, sci fi, and also non-fiction. I’m researching Steampunk at the moment. I don’t like recommending new books in general, as it feels a bit awkward. But everyone should read an Anne McCaffrey ‘Pern’ novel at some point. Futuristic other-world telepathic dragons and their riders. For YA readers I’d start with Dragonsong .
So, I know you can’t be writing all the time. What kind of adventures have you gotten up to while taking a break from writing?
I am actually writing nearly all the time, or researching/planning my next book. I’m a bit obsessive like that. For fun I like to translate Latin, mostly because it makes my brain work in a completely different way to writing. (Rather like people who enjoy doing crosswords.) I also enjoy walking beside the sea and daydreaming. Once I was abducted by webfooted aliens …
What’s the better YA trend: vampires, angels or mermaids? Or do you run screaming from all three?
I’d have to go with angels there. Vampires feels like it’s been done to death, and angels have a long and venerable history dating back to before the Bible was written, which gives them rather more gravitas than someone with over-sharp teeth and a blood fetish. Or it should. Mermaids though? Seriously?
What’s the last book you read? Any books out there that you’re dying to be released?
I recently finished ‘Witch Light’ by Susan Fletcher, which was quite a literary read. I’m looking forward to ‘Frostfire’ by Zoe Marriot, another new release this month.
Thank you!
I’ve enjoyed it. Thank you, Gretchen!
Witchstruck
Meg Lytton has always known of her dark and powerful gift. Raised a student of the old magick by her Aunt Jane, casting the circle to see visions of the future and concocting spells from herbs and bones has always been as natural to Meg as breathing. But there has never been a more dangerous time to practise the craft, for it is 1554, and the sentence for any woman branded a witch is hanging, or burning at the stake.
Sent to the ruined, isolated palace of Woodstock to serve the disgraced Elizabeth, daughter of Henry VIII and half-sister of Queen Mary, Meg discovers her skills are of interest to the outcast princess, who is desperate to know if she will ever claim the throne. But Meg’s existence becomes more dangerous every day, with the constant threat of exposure by the ruthless witchfinder Marcus Dent, and the arrival of a young Spanish priest, Alejandro de Castillo, to whom Meg is irresistibly drawn – despite their very different attitudes to her secret.
BUT WAIT, there’s more! There’s a GIVEAWAY! You’re excited, right? Because who wouldn’t want a copy of this? It goes til July 18th, 11:59 PM and is INTERNATIONAL! Click HERE to enter!
Waiting on Wednesday #17
Waiting on Wednesday is a feature hosted by Breaking the Spine!
Title: Furious
Author: Jill Wolfson
ETA: April 16, 2013
Summary from Goodreads: Three high school girls become the avenging Furies of Greek legend.
We were only three angry girls, to begin with. Alix, the hot-tempered surfer chick; Stephanie, the tree-hugging activist; and me, Meg, the quiet foster kid, the one who never quite fit in. We hardly knew each other, but each of us nurtured a burning anger: at the jerks in our class, at our disappointing parents, at the whole flawed, unjust world.
We were only three angry girls, simmering uselessly in our ocean-side California town, until one day a mysterious, beautiful classmate named Ambrosia taught us what else we could be: Powerful. Deadly. Furious.
Why I’m Waiting: Again, I find this part of my post the hardest to write. I don’t have to TELL you guys why this sounds awesome. Didn’t you just read that summary? I just discovered this on Goodreads, and it made my day. Most of the Greek stuff out there right now deals with the Gods, but this is something I’ve never seen before. It sounds SO AMAZING. April is a long way away, I know, but trust me. I’M WAITING TOO. And it’s SO PAINFUL. Why is it always this painful? XD
