Nicky Peacock's Blog, page 14

Book Spotlight: The Apollo Academy by Kimberly P. Chase

Synopsis:

Take off with this dynamic, thrill-seeking, sexy New Adult Science Fiction series debut. Welcome to the exclusive Apollo Academy, where Aurora is about to discover that achieving her dream is only the first step towards her future.

As the heiress to Titon Technologies, eighteen-year-old Aurora Titon can have whatever she wants���clothes, expensive gadgets, anything money can buy. But all she really wants is to escape her pampered, paparazzi-infested life for the stars. Becoming the first female pilot to train as an astronaut for the exclusive Apollo Academy is exactly the chance for which she has been waiting. Flying is everything she ever dreamed, her best friend also got into the Academy, and the paparazzi is banned from campus. Everything would be perfect, but for her unreciprocated crush on a fellow student, the sexy astronaut bent on making her life hell, and the fact that someone keeps trying to kill her.

The most important education doesn���t happen in the classroom���

About the Author:

Kimberly writes young adult and new adult science fiction. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Aeronautical Science, which basically means she’s kind of a geek and loves flying airplanes. Naturally, her books tend to include aviation, hot flight instructors, aviator glasses, and let’s not forget kissing! When Kimberly’s not writing or reading, she’s hanging out with her husband,four-year-old son, and two dogs. Her debut novel, The Apollo Academy, released August 6th, 2013 and is now a Writer’s Digest Award Recipient.

http://kimberlypchase.blogspot.co.uk/

 

Filed under: Book Review Tagged: The Apollo Academy by Kimberly P. Chase

Book Spotlight: Obsession by Bonnie Vanak (Werewolves of Montana Mating Mini #2)

Synopsis:

He comes to her in a dark dream promising sensual pleasure ��� sexy, tempting and dangerous. Raphael is an obsessed wolf with one thing on his mind. He wants Jessica naked beneath him, and nothing will stop him until he has her in his bed.

Jessica Tyrell is a Lupine with a mission ��� find her missing brother, her only living blood relative. Now, with the help of magick crystals, her dream can come true. All she needs is to hack into restricted records at her friend Alexa���s ranch. The only thing standing in her way is Raphael Amador, head of pack security. The wolf wants her with the same ruthless intent he displays in protecting the pack. Jessica knows if she surrenders to his sensual allure, she could lose her soul to Raphael.

Haunted by his tortured past and determined to never love again, Raphael finds his passion awakened by the lovely redhead, who threatens his control. He has vowed to seek revenge against the man who killed his intended mate and scattered his pack. Can he experience a night of pleasure with the lovely redhead and pursue his goal of revenge, or will Jessica capture his broken heart?

About the Author:

After graduating from the University of Florida with a journalism degree, I worked as a newspaper reporter. After, tired of simply reporting the news, I became a

writer for a large international charity. My work took me to countries like Haiti and Honduras to write about famine, disease and other issues. Humanitarian jobs are fulfilling,

but emotionally draining. The work is for a good cause,

but the pressure can be enormous.

So to counter the suffering I encountered in my travels,

I began writing romance novels. My first romance novel,The Falcon & the Dove, was about a handsome Egyptian sheikh protecting a treasure hidden in the sands for centuries. He meets his match in the lovely American who comes to Egypt to unearth the treasure. The Falcon & the Dove won the historical category of the 2001 RWA Melody of Love contest. A year later, it was published by Dorchester Publishing.

http://www.bonnievanak.com/

Filed under: Book Review Tagged: Obsession Bonnie Vanak (Werewolves of Montana Mating Mini #2)

Casting your Book.

Okay, so its every author���s dream to have their book made into a movie, and yeah sometimes it can end up a nightmare! But I truly believe that casting the characters that run amok in your head, whilst scribbling down your manuscript, can really help to round them out and keep them straighter in your mind���s eye.

Pinterest is the best tool for this. Just about every actor on the planet is on there and you can create a private board to cast your book (if you feel the need, you can open the board to the public as an extra promotional tool when your book comes out) I found, by doing this, you can create a wonderful linear visual for yourself whilst writing about your characters.

There is, however, a slight pitfall ��� try not to type cast! Yes, although these guys are purely in your head (for now) type casting a certain actor/ actress into a role can leave your characters as diluted versions of other more famous ones. For example, casting Jennifer Lawrence as a serious, yet plucky arrow slinging hero could land you in a Hunger Games homage ��� however the same character cast as Lucy Lui could open up a whole new world.

Also, don���t be swayed by actors who tend to play the same characters over and over again. Not mentioning any names, but there are those that are basically themselves just in various outfits ��� unless you are basing the character on the actor in question, try to stay clear. The actor you choose is purely as a visual, the traits and personality of your character are theirs alone and only serve your story and plot ��� not the other way round.

If you have a lot of characters in your book, it can help to either define them or boil them down to a concentrated few. If you find that your have a character that does very little to move the plot forward, could their role be simply added to someone else���s? By casting your characters this can be almost instantly identified, if your famous leading lady is merely a wall flower in the book, maybe she needs to be plucked out?

You���ll also find that the ���who would you cast as your leads��� is a stock question in most interviews ��� I know I use it! So it���s good to be able to answer this pretty quickly without spending weeks on trying to fit a character to a particular actor.

Great characters are part of the foundation of a great book. But amazing characters can make a series. If your readers are hungry to know what happens to them after the book ends, well that���s the sign that, as an author, you���ve down something right. So cast away fellow writers!

 

Filed under: Nicky's Posts - My ramblings..., Writing Advice Tagged: books into movies, Casting your book, Characters, choosing the right actors

Interview with Gigi Pandian

Tell us about your publishing journey…

I started writing because it was a fun hobby, but I began taking my writing seriously after being awarded a Malice Domestic Grant for my work I progress. After polishing the book, I found an agent. She helped me edit the book, then she began pitching the book to publishers. While we waited to hear from publishers, I worked on my next novel. I was content to wait around for something to happen ��� until I had a brush with death.

After a cancer diagnosis, I needed to seize the day. I decided to I self-published my first novel, Artifact. I put the work in to do it professionally, and continued to work with my agent, so the year after published my first novel, I had offers from two publishers for two three-book deals.

After learning everything that goes into publishing behind the scenes, I���m now thrilled to be working with two wonderful publishers for two series: my Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt mystery series (Henery Press) and my new Accidental Alchemist paranormal mystery series (Midnight Ink).

What do you love about being an author?

I love that I get to follow my creative passion and share it with others. Hearing from readers is fantastic.

If you could have dinner with any literary character, who would it be and what would you eat?

Tea with Amelia Peabody, Elisabeth Peters��� intrepid Egyptologist, at Shepheard���s in Cairo.

If your book was to be made into a movie, who would you cast as the leads?

Female alchemist Zoe Faust hasn���t aged in over 300 years, except for her hair, which turned white. She keeps it cut into a stylish, short haircut, and people assume she dies it to be trendy, never realizing it���s truly white. I imagine that Zoe looks rather like Switch from The Matrix.

Dorian the gargoyle was once a stone carving, similar to the most famous gargoyle on Notre Dame in Paris, before he was accidentally brought to life by a French stage magician. He would need to be animated with CGI effects!��

Vampires – do you prefer them as sexy leads or blood hungry monsters?

Can I have both? I���m thinking of Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

If you had a time machine, which era would you go back to and why?

My favorite era of mystery fiction was the Golden Age of detective fiction, in between the two world wars. One of my favorite authors is John Dickson Carr, who died shortly after I was born. I���d love to have met him to see how his mind worked.

What life advice do you wish you’d been given sooner?

Life���s too short to worry about what others expect of you. Follow your passions.

If you were a supernatural creature, what would you be and why?

I���ve written a book about a stone gargoyle brought to life, so can you guess my answer? I���ve been fascinated by gargoyles since my first trip to Europe at age ten. They represent all things mysterious.

Where do you write best?��

I can���t concentrate at home, because there are too many distractions. As I type this, I���m at my favorite caf�� where I also write my novels.

What was the last book you read, and what were your thoughts on it?

Keeper of the Castle, a paranormal mystery by Juliet Blackwell. It���s the fifth book in the Haunted Home Renovation series, and it���s my favorite one yet. I love how Blackwell blends history and folklore into her stories in fascinating ways.

If you didn’t write in your genre, which other would you prefer and why?

I���ve never been able to write a story without a mystery, so I write both traditional mysteries and paranormal mysteries. I have an idea for a young adult paranormal mystery. Now I just need to find the time to write it!

Where can fans find you online?

There���s more about me and my books on my website (http://gigipandian.com/) and blog (http://gigipandian.blogspot.com/).

I love Twitter (https://twitter.com/GigiPandian), track my obsessive reading on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/GigiPandian), am reluctantly on Facebook: (https://www.facebook.com/GigiPandian), and am having fun on Pinterest: (http://www.pinterest.com/GigiPandian/)

Buy The Accidental Alchemist:

Amazon��|��Barnes & Noble��|��Indiebound��|�� Midnight Ink

 

Filed under: Interviews with other authors

Happy Birthday Evernight Teen!

Happy Birthday to EVERNIGHT TEEN!

EVERNIGHT TEEN turns two this month and we���re having a huge party to celebrate! It may be EVERNIGHT TEEN���s birthday, but you get the presents. So, grab a piece of cake, hop from blog-to-blog and discover EVERNIGHT TEEN!

Be sure to visit every stop on the hop and answer each question. The more blogs you hop, the more chances to win the GRAND PRIZE of an iPad Mini sponsored by EVERNIGHT TEEN (one entry per blog). Plus, hop each blog for a host of other fabulous prizes.

Have your TBR list handy because we have lots of new titles for you to add, including my featured book���

Battle of the Undead: Bad Blood which features vampires VS zombies squaring off in a monster fight. It’s True Blood meets The Walking Dead.

Enter for a chance to win EVERNIGHT TEEN���s GRAND PRIZE of an iPad Mini and my blog prize by answering this question (be sure to include your email address to be eligible to win):

QUESTION: Which country is Bad Blood set in?

The birthday blog hop continues here:

Powered by Linky Tools

Click here��to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list…

Filed under: Nicky's Posts - My ramblings...

Book Review: Unexpected Eden by Rhenna Morgan

Synopsis:

Most people believe Eden no longer exists. Lexi Merrill���s about to learn they���re wrong. A hard-working bartender with a self-sufficient backbone and a wary nature, she knows pickup lines like a second language. So, when Eryx Shantos barges into her world with too-smooth words and a body to back it up, she locks up her libido and vows to keep her distance.

Eryx has other ideas. As king of the Myren race, Eryx is duty-bound to enforce the laws preventing exposure of their existence to humans. Yet The Fates have led him through his dreams to Lexi, a temptation he doesn���t want to resist. The question���is she Myren, or human – which makes her forbidden fruit?

When Eryx���s nemesis tags Lexi as his next target, Eryx insists on taking her home where he can keep her safe. Lexi had no idea ���home��� would mean the one-and-only land of creation���or that she���d trigger a prophecy that could doom her newfound race.

Available at���� Amazon������ BN������ Kensington�� �� Kobo���� iTunes���� ARe

About the Author:

Rhenna never thought a weird dream, a bucket list, and an addiction to romance novels would lead her into publishing, but that���s exactly how Unexpected Eden came to life. Okay, there might have been a jillion revisions in there somewhere, and a few points where her family thought she���d lost her ever-lovin��� mind, but pretty much everyone���s accepted that this author thing is chronic.

When she���s not working on the rest of the Eden books or her naughty contemporary romances, you���ll find her chasing two precious little girls, batting eyelashes at her indulgent husband, or driving with the top down and the music up loud. Oh, and ���researching��� on the internet. Those half-naked men she uses for inspiration don���t download themselves.��

She���d love to share her ���research��� with you too and get to know you a little better in the process. Find her blog, Facebook, Pinterest, and other social media links at http://www.rhennamorgan.com. Be sure to sign up for her newsletter there too for snippets, upcoming releases, and author news.

If you enjoyed Unexpected Eden, Eryx and Lexi would sure appreciate it if you shared your review at Goodreads, Amazon, or other favorite online bookstore. Lexi would make you a mean cyber-cocktail in exchange if she didn���t have her hands full with Eryx, but rumor has it they haven���t left the royal suite in days.

https://www.facebook.com/RhennaMorgan

https://twitter.com/rhennamorgan (@RhennaMorgan)

http://www.pinterest.com/rhennamorgan/

https://www.goodreads.com/Rhenna

https://plus.google.com/+RhennaMorgan

http://rhennamorgan.tumblr.com

My Review:

I always like finding a book that has a different paranormal aspect. Although I must admit that I felt a little lost when I started the book. There was a lot to take in and whilst you take in all the lore and world building, its hard to get to know the characters and where/ how the plot is unfolding.

From a writer’s perspective, it was hard for me to keep up with the story being told from so many perspectives (this is more to do with my complete lack of concentration rather then the author’s abilities!) For me, and this is just my opinion, I’d have preferred it all through Lexi’s POV. There is one thing that really frustrates me sometimes with paranormal romance, the relationships develop ubber quick and the guy is always too hot to be true and the heroine ends up a puddle of hormones on the floor before the first chapter is done. This happened here, but certainly not to the degree of other books I’ve read recently – but for just once, I’d like a stronger leading gal who doesn’t turn into a gibbering wreck at the site of a tight t-shirt clad hunk, although this does seem to be the recipe for most romances, and maybe there’s a reason for that…

The front cover is another one that has the hunk on, but not much to do with the story, which is a shame because there’s been a lot of effort put into an original story line – this could be another viking romance, or even a highlander one.

Overall, I’d give Unexpected Eden 4 out of 5 stars – a great plot and premise and definitely worth a read.

Filed under: Book Review Tagged: Unexpected Eden by Rhenna Morgan

Interview with Margaret Skea

Tell us about your publishing history…

I spent far too long hiding behind writing short stories. 3000 words was my comfort zone and while I’ve had some success with that form, having won and been placed in quite a number of competitions (for example: Neil Gunn, Winchester, Mslexia, Fish) and remain very proud of some of those stories, writing them was an excuse not to knuckle down and fulfill my primary ambition – to become a novelist. I deeply regret now not taking the advice I was given over 20 years ago by a literary editor, whom I had met as part of the prize for a short story competition for unpublished writers run by Woman and Home magazine, who told me to ‘Go home and write a novel.’ I went home and wrote more short stories…

Still, better late than never as the saying goes: my debut novel, Turn of the Tide, which was the Historical Fiction Winner in an Harper Collins / Alan Titchmarsh competition for unpublished novelists, was published by an Edinburgh publisher, Capercaillie Books, in 2012, and in May of this year – 2014 – I was awarded the Beryl Bainbridge Award for Best First Time Author. I am now almost finished the sequel, which hopefully will be out in the spring of 2015.

 What do you love about being an author?

I now have a sense of fulfillment in that I feel I’m finally making proper use of the talent I’ve been blessed with, rather than just tinkering around the edges, and it’s enormously encouraging to find that readers enjoy what I write. I love the interaction with readers, both online and face-to-face, and it’s been a particular thrill (if slightly scary) to visit book groups when they are discussing my book. For practical reasons, those have all been in Scotland, but I’d love to travel far afield via Skype…

I’ve also found (a little to my surprise) that I enjoy running workshops for other writers and encouraging wannabee writers in schools – not to ‘Do as I did, but rather to do as I say and start now!’

As far as the writing is concerned, I love that I can get to 130,000 words, and that I can then be sufficiently ruthless to cut it back to c 100,000 (the publisher’s preferred length). I’ve discovered that pruning is always an improvement.

 If you could have dinner with any literary character who would it be and what would you eat?

 If I can only choose one it has to be Francis Crawford of Lymond (from Dorothy Dunnett’s Lymond Chronicles). But as to what to eat – I’d like him to choose for me – whatever he most enjoyed in all of his travels. I know that could take me right outside my comfort zone, but stepping outside of what you know and are comfortable with is, in part, what writing historical fiction should be.

If your book was to be made into a movie who would you cast as the leads? 

I think that Tom Ward (Silent Witness) would make a fantastic Munro, and Sean Connery a brilliant Glencairn with Ioan Gruffudd (Hornblower) as Patrick Montgomerie. I’ve never been able to come up with a preferred choice for Kate Munro – open to suggestions on that one.

If you had a time machine what era would you go back to and why?

This is one of those really tricky questions and my answer would probably change as often as British weather! At the moment I’m immersed in the late 16th century and loving it – though I’m not so sure about the lack of ‘facilities’ – the chilly experience of going to the outside toilet at the end of the yard at my grandparent’s house is one of my most vivid childhood memories. However as I survived that, I guess I would cope. The frost fairs and the fabulous clothes would definitely compensate.

What life advice do you wish you’d been given sooner?

I was given good life advice at a very young age, summarized  in a verse in the New Testament – ‘Whatever you do, do it with all your might, as unto the Lord.’  As my faith, in terms of a personal relationship with Christ, is central to my life, so that verse remains the  maxim by which I try (but don’t always manage) to live.  And striving to be the best that you can be is, I think, great ‘life advice’ for everyone – of any faith, or none.

How do you go about researching your novels?

My aim is to be able to write about an historical period as naturally as if it was my own time and for me that means lots of research into every aspect of life in the period before I even begin to write. As far as the 16th c is concerned it’s not hard to get information on food, clothing, modes of transport, housing, money, etc. There are lots of ways to ‘eavesdrop’ on the past. One of the most important is of course contemporary sources such as letters, wills, parish records, books, pamphlets, household accounts, maps and so on. But there are other ways too that are equally important to me: including visiting locations whenever possible, and spending time in ‘living’ museums where I can, albeit to a limited extent, experience the conditions of my chosen period. I have found that the more literally I can do this, the better. For example two weeks ago I was able, for the first time, to manhandle a musket – and to get some sense of the process and physical strength required to load and fire it. I’m hoping very soon to be able to do the same with a black powder pistol, and first-hand experience of sword-fighting techniques is definitely on my ‘to do’ list! I believe good research is essential, my main problem is that it’s so endlessly fascinating that sometimes it’s hard to stop researching and start writing…

Where do you write best?

I wish I was one of those writers who can work anywhere, but I’m not. Recently, when I was struggling to write at home, a friend offered me the use of an empty cottage in the hills, part way up a dead-end road. I had a kettle, a microwave, a (small) circular garden table, a chair, fingerless gloves, a hot water bottle and a portable gas heater, so somewhat Spartan. On the plus side I had no phone, no internet and no-one other than my husband knew when or where I was (and as he can’t drive due to eyesight problems he couldn’t get there.)

It has been fabulous – the ‘block’ that I was experiencing evaporated and I found that every day as I drove to the cottage my brain went into ‘Munro’ mode, so that by the time I arrived and sat down I was ‘in the groove’. Of course there were times when I struggled, and if I’d been at home I’d have found lots of other ‘jobs’ that needed to be done, but because I couldn’t use ironing or cooking or cleaning as displacement activities and had no nearby friends to visit, I had no choice other than to keep writing.  Sadly, as of this weekend  the builders are moving in, so I need to de-camp, I’m just hoping that the good habits I’ve learnt in the last 2 months will continue back at home. It was certainly an eye-opener to me just how useful isolation and lack of distraction can be.

What was the last book you read and what are your thoughts on it?

This may seem a little odd, but it was actually an illustrated children’s book called Errol Come Home by Harvey Rooster. I needed 1) to have something very light and a complete change from what I was writing and 2) something simple that would help me get to grips with how my first ever e-reader worked.

I loved the illustrations and the story of a cat whose nose is put out of joint by the appearance of children in a house rings very true. However this book is written from the cat’s pov and for that reason I felt the author made a mistake in referring to the humans in the story as the ‘master’ and the ‘master’s’ family – most folk know that cats don’t have ‘masters’ – they have domestic servants!  There are a couple of other minor slippages in the sense of words that didn’t seem appropriate for a cat – for example the swimming term ‘breast-stroke’, but still, it’s a charming story ideal for reading to young children.

If you didn’t write in your genre, which other would you prefer and why?

 I’d love to try writing biographies of some of the characters I have ‘met’ during my research, particularly those who don’t currently have a voice – not kings and queens, but some of the ‘ordinary’ people for whom survival was a struggle but whose stories have something to say about the human spirit.

Where can fans find you online?

My novel is available on Amazon http://tiny.cc/ewzw8w (US) and http://tiny.cc/t8npow (UK) both as a paperback and as an ebook. I also have a website http://tiny.cc/ibopow including a complete short story, and a Facebook novel page https://www.facebook.com/TurnoftheTide.Novel

 

 

 

 

 

Filed under: Interviews with other authors Tagged: Kate Munro, unpublished writers

Book Review: A Heart for Copper by Sharon Lynn Fisher

Synopsis:

A Heart for Copper by  Sharon Lynn Fisher

Genre: Steampunk (sweet)

An automaton created by an inventor’s son, Copper has finally been given a heart by her young master. Her choice of whether to keep the key or give it to him will decide her fate in this steampunk fairy tale.

SilkWords is the go-to source for interactive romance and erotic fiction.

With gorgeous custom covers and a clean, sophisticated design, the SilkWords site offers a secure, upscale reading environment. In addition to content on their web site, they offer stories for purchase in the standard e-book formats.

SilkWords is owned and operated by a full-time mom with a background in genetics and an RWA RITA-nominated, multi-published sci-fi romance author.

Their technology guy and site designer was the founder of Microsoft Xbox Live.

SilkWords features two formats that allow readers to choose how the stories will proceed.

Pick Your Path:

Will she or won’t she? With which man (or woman) in which location? With Pick Your Path romance, you decide. Romance and branched fiction are made for each other, like picking your favorite flavor of ice cream…positions, partners, and paraphernalia, oh my!

Reader Vote:

Readers vote at choice points and decide how the story will continue. These stories are a great way for readers and authors to connect. It’s exciting to be part of a developing story! 

https://www.silkwords.com/

About the Author:

I write stories for the geeky at heart — meaty mash-ups of sci-fi, suspense, and romance, with no apology for the latter. I live where it rains nine months of the year. And I have a strange obsession with gingers (down to my freaky orange cat).

I have two sci-fi romance novels published with Tor Books, and a third on the way. I also have a zombie-ish story, RED, in progress on Wattpad (free!).

For social media schtuff and links to more information about me and my writing, visit me at www.sharonlynnfisher.com.

My Review:

You had me at Automaton! I really love the choose your own adventure books. The problem is, reviewing them can be really difficult, as pace, plot and even character is not linear for all readers. What I would say though, is that I always seem to make the wrong or the safe decision in these books; it just shows me that, when it comes to love, I’m a bit of a Muppet!

From a writer’s perspective, it was great to have a steampunk adventure, and it was sweet and non-sexual in its content, that said this story has been lumped in with much more erotically charged books, which leaves it’s audience limited to adults. Perhaps there should be imprints in this brand so YA and NA readers can see them too. The banner below doesn’t exactly lend itself to sweet romance.

The front cover is okay, not overly exciting or steampunkish, apart from the man’s outfit. But I guess with the story being altered by reader variables, it’s hard to get the theme of a main story on there.

Overall, I’d give A Heart for Copper, 4 out of 5 stars, even when I choose the wrong paths, it was still exciting and well written.

Filed under: Book Review Tagged: a heart for copper, sharon lynn fisher, silkwords, Steampunk

Interview with Anne Tibbets

Tell us about your publishing journey…

I wrote CARRIER, Book One of The Line Series, when I was frustrated with my career. I’d published a couple of novellas with a super small press, with super small success, and I was tired of hearing at writer’s conferences that I shouldn’t chase the market, yet Paranormal and Dystopian were dead – and that’s what I wanted to write. How was I supposed to be successful with my next book if nobody would want to publish it?

At that point, I kind of gave up the idea of ever publishing the book, and wrote CARRIER for myself. I made fun, in my mind, of the typical protagonist trope of a girl waking up, and I made it the bleakest, most depressing, saddest nightmare I could imagine, and then I turned the second half into an action/thriller because that’s what I love. I had a blast. Eventually, the manuscript got an Honorable Mention in a writer’s conference contest, and that encouraged me to finish it and query literary agents. I had multiple offers of representation and went with Bree Odgen at D4EO Literary because I thought her notes were spectacular, and I loved her quirky, unique list of clients and I knew she’d be fantastic to work with.

We shopped the book initially as a Young Adult, but understandably, the YA editors were leery of the sexual slavery themes and the violence, so I rewrote the book into a New Adult, making Naya older and little wiser, and it sold to Carina Press editor Rhonda Helms a few weeks later, along with the unwritten sequel, WALLED. I couldn’t be happier. Rhonda was an absolute joy to work with and Carina Press is the perfect place for CARRIER and WALLED.

What do you love about being an author?

I love the process of discovering a character’s voice, of thinking of that amazing plot twist while I’m washing the dishes, and getting amazing feedback from readers, who either love what I’ve done, or absolutely hate it.

I’m down with it either way. I want to spark conversations; I want to make people feel something, even if it’s disgust. I think too many people just kind of float through life, going through the motions, reacting to situations but not really paying attention, and if by reading my work you look at things a little differently and feel something profoundly, whatever it is, good or bad, then I’m the happiest clam in the sea.

If you could have dinner with any literary character, who would it be and what would you eat?

This is tough. Only one? I know this is probably a bit cliché, but I’d probably chose Lizzie Bennet from Pride and Prejudice, and we’d definitely have pot roast and boiled potatoes so I can ask her how she found the courage to go against her family’s wishes and turn down Mr. Collins’ proposal. Then we’d laugh about our families, talk about books, and compare notes about how our husbands are so, so, so very similar in nature.

If your book was to be made into a movie, who would you cast as the leads?

I don’t know if other writers do this, but I built the physical aspects of my characters around existing actors and actresses. The personality of Naya is truly the deepest black pool of my subconscious, but she was physically modeled after Ziyi Zhang, the actress who played Sayuri in Memoirs of a Geisha. Many of you may be shocked to know I’ve always pictured Naya as Asian, but in the future of Auberge, there is no race, just light skinned and dark skinned, so the publisher wisely chose models for the covers with indiscernible race.

Now, for Ric, his personality is a cross between Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice, Mr. Thornton from North and South, and an action/adventure rogue like Rick O’Connell in The Mummy. Physically, he was always James McAvoy in Atonement and Penelope, complete with his rolled up sleeves and his scruffy hair.

Sadly, however, both these people are – how do I put this nicely? – TOO OLD to play 22 year-old Naya, and 25 year-old Ric, so if an actual movie got made, I’d have no suggestions other than to say, “Somebody like Ziyi Zhang and James McAvoy.”

Dear Movie Studios, Good luck with that. ;)

Vampires – do you prefer them as sexy leads or blood hungry monsters?

Monsters. Buffy over Twilight. I’m old school. Although, True Blood/Sookie Stackhouse vamps are a nice cross between the two.

If you had a time machine, which era would you go back to and why?

Let’s say the Doctor and the Tardis show up on my doorstep and ask me where in history I want to go, where would I say?

Can I choose a non-answer?

I wouldn’t want to go back. I’d want to go forward.

Show me another planet, another species, another century. Show me the future.

The past is fun and if I HAD to pick the past I’d go visit Bath, England during the Regency era (Jane Austen strikes again!), but in truth – send me to the future, because that’s where my heart truly lies.

What life advice do you wish you’d been given sooner?

Stop trying to live up to the expectations of everybody else. What do you believe in? What do you want? Who cares what everybody else thinks. This is your life. Live it your way and forget judgers, haters, and soul suckers.

If you were a supernatural creature, what would you be and why?

Hands down: I’d be a witch. A) flying brooms, B) I want a wand like Professor McGonagall (I actually have her wand on my desk), but I want it to be real and to actually work, C) Hogwarts, D) Snape, E) How freaking cool would that be?

Where do you write best?

My desk in my office surrounded by coffee cups and Ding Dongs.

What was the last book you read, and what were your thoughts on it?

I read all three of Rachel Bach’s Paradox series (Fortune’s Pawn, Honor’s Knight, and Heaven’s Queen) and thought they were spectacular. Sci-fi, female protagonist, action, drama, romance, sex – it was quite nearly perfect and made me wish I’d written it.

If you didn’t write in your genre, which other would you prefer and why?

I write both Sci-Fi and Horror, but I’ve tried Fantasy and Contemporary as well (with my earlier novellas) so I don’t know if I have one specific genre, but for the sake of argument, I’d say I’m awaiting the day when Paranormal comes back. I love Paranormal and I hope to some day write a series involving all things spooky and scary within that. Like a Paranormal/Horror crossover, or a Sci-Fi/Horror crossover – yes please!

Where can fans find you online?

Truthfully, the best place to reach me is on Twitter. I’m @WriteforCoffee. But if you want to see all the places I’m online (and it’s a lot – I’m a total addict), you can find all my links on my website at http://www.AnneTibbets.com

Filed under: Interviews with other authors

Book Review: Hemlock Veils by Jennie Davenport

Synopsis:

When Elizabeth Ashton escapes her damaging city life and finds herself in the remote town of Hemlock Veils, Oregon, she is smitten by its quaint mystery; but the surrounding forest holds an enchantment she didn’t think existed, and worse, a most terrifying monster. The town claims it vicious and evil, but Elizabeth suspects something is amiss. Even with its enormous, hairy frame, gruesome claws, and knifelike teeth, the monster’s eyes speak to her: wolf-like and ringed with gold, yet holding an awareness that can only be human. That’s when Elizabeth knows she is the only one who can see the struggling soul trapped inside, the soul to which she is moved.

Secretly, Elizabeth befriends the beast at night, discovering there’s more to his story and that the rising of the sun transforms him into a human more complex than his beastly self. Elizabeth eventually learns that his curse is unlike any other and that a single murderous act is all that stands between him and his freedom. Though love is not enough to break his curse, it may be the only means by which the unimaginable can be done: sacrifice a beauty for the beast.

About the Author:

Though Jennie Davenport was raised throughout the Midwest, she now lives in the little desert mining town of Bagdad, Arizona, where six guys beg for her constant attention: a husband, three young, blond sons, a German shepherd with a name much mightier than his disposition (Zeus), and a black cat named Mouse. When she isn’t trying to run her home with as little casualties as possible, Jennie loves snuggling with her family, laughing with her friends, delving into brilliant entertainment of any vein, and playing outside. Despite the way being a writer is in her blood, and the wheels of her writerly mind are constantly turning, Jennie likes to think that in another life, she would have been a Broadway star. Or an American Idol finalist.

Jennie lives for the fall, and not just because of her adoration for the NFL (Go Broncos!). In her perfect world, she would have the springs, summers, and falls of Colorado, and the winters of Arizona—someplace where the climate and weather would allow her to go on a trail run all year round. But even though she prefers the pines and mountains, she is a devoted fan of all nature, from sandy beaches to woodsy cabins, and all are her greatest inspiration. She believes nature is one of the best healing remedies, with a magic all its own.

Jennie’s passion for writing is the way she survives, and is as vital to her sanity as oxygen, caffeine, food, and music. Even before she began writing it, well-told, original, and character-driven romance was always her weak spot. Add the paranormal or magical realism element and she may never make it back to reality.

http://jenniedavenportauthor.blogspot.co.uk/

My Review:

So, this is a retelling of the classic, Beauty amd the Beast. Now im a massive Angela Carter fan, so thisbook was going to have really knock my literary socks off to compete, and although it certainly wasn’t as dark, as a thriller, it holds its own.

From a writer’s perspective,  it was hard to get into at the start. There was a lot of description which although beautiful,  was stunting the action. It kicked off with thehint of a murder, then wandered off into poetic prose and scattered info dumps. Im quite an impatient reader, and to be fair, if I wasn’t reviewing the book for a tour, I’d have given up and missed out on a good book. Which is probably more of a self criticism than a criticism of the writing style.

The front cover is pretty, but doesnt really express the story, but then again a semi clad hunk probably wouldn’t be the right tone for the book either, so perhaps Elizabeth on there ?

Overall I’d give Hemlock Veils 4 out of 5 stars, definitely worth a read, whether you prefer beauties or beasts.

Filed under: Book Review Tagged: Hemlock Veils by Jennie Davenport