Nicky Peacock's Blog, page 15
December 3, 2014
Interview with Ed Kurtz
Tell us about your publishing journey…
I started taking writing seriously after graduate school around 2007. I had no idea what I was doing, so I started writing a novel, and then another one after that, and so on, with no clue whatsoever how to go about getting published. It was only once I started attending professional conferences like the World Horror Convention that I met loads of people in all stages of their careers and began to learn about the business. After my first con I started publishing short fiction, and during my second I made my first novel sale to Thunderstorm Books with a little horror/sci-fi hybrid called Control. Since then I’ve branched out into Westerns (A Wind of Knives) but mostly crime/noir/mystery (The Forty-Two, Freight). I was honored this year with inclusion in 2014’s Best American Mystery Stories, with my story “A Good Marriage” selected from Thuglit by Otto Penzler and Laura Lippman, and my first of four novels from DarkFuse, Angel of the Abyss, is out this month.
What do you love about being an author?
I have always loved storytelling. It began with cinema but quickly segued into literature (though I remain a hardcore cinephile). All I’ve ever wanted to do is tell stories, and I’ve always had a dozen rolling around in my skull waiting to be written down. I wish I’d taken it seriously sooner than I did, but now that I’m in the thick of it, I can’t fathom doing anything else. To be perfectly honest, though, I’m in general agreement with Dorothy Parker when she said, “I hate writing, I love having written.” I find the process grueling. I find the self-promotion loathsome. But a finished book or story delights me to no end, and like nothing else I’ve ever known. It’s like being a god to my own little universe. And I’m a totally unreliable, trickster sort of god.
If you could have dinner with any literary character, who would it be and what would you eat?
As an only somewhat apologetic Edgar Rice Burroughs geek, I’d have to go with Tarzan of the Apes and a gazelle he just killed with his bare hands.
If your book was to be made into a movie, who would you cast as the leads?
Graham Woodard and Jake Maitland are the main roles in Angel of the Abyss, so I think Jake Gyllenhaal would be great as Graham and maybe DJ Qualls for Jake. Cloris Leachman would make a terrifically wicked Cora Parson. For poor, doomed Grace Baron? Michelle Williams.
As a horror writer you are looking to scare readers – what scares you? 
Human beings. Just regular people. Every so often a truly evil person comes along, but for the most part I think humanity in general has the capacity for it, and nearly anybody under the wrong circumstances could be driven to despicable acts. It’s a thought that leads to suspicion and anxiety about the world around us, and what drives me to write about people doing awful things to one another.
If you had a time machine, which era would you go back to and why?
That’s easy—I’d head back to 1970 and enjoy that gloriously fun and filthy decade for all it was worth, spending the preponderance of my time in Beame and Koch’s wild and wooly New York City. The Forty-Two was my time machine for that purpose, the closest I could get. But I’d still take the real thing.
What life advice do you wish you’d been given sooner?
Two things spring immediately to mind:
You’re not as good as you think you are. Keep learning, keep improving.
This isn’t nearly as solitary a process as you want it to be. Go out there, online and in the real world, and meet people. It’s a rare artist—or professional of any stripe—who makes it entirely on their own. Networking is a good thing.
If you were a supernatural creature, what would you be and why?
Probably Sasquatch because nobody can find him and he gets to hang out naked in the woods, which sounds refreshing and pretty liberating.
Where do you write best?
On the porch, hopefully in cool weather, with a pack of Marlboros and a cup of tepid black coffee close at hand.
What was the last book you read, and what were your thoughts on it?
Rob Hart’s New Yorked, which is coming out in June from Polis Books. I harangued him for an ARC at this year’s Bouchercon and tore through it like I had 24 hours left to live. It’s an absolutely tremendous NYC crime novel, one of the best I’ve read, told from the point of view of a morally ambiguous bruiser with a broken heart and a somewhat skewed sense of right and wrong who just wants to find out who killed the screwed-up girl he loved. I adored it and can’t wait to see it earn all the heaps of praise it deserves. Grade A noir.
If you didn’t write in your genre, which other would you prefer and why?
I’m happy to jump between several genres, and even cross them, in my work. I started out in horror and continue to work in that world, but I also write Westerns, crime fiction, and I even have a sci-fi novel bumping around in my brain. I love genre fiction in general because of the opportunity to play with tropes and conventions, but I’m not satisfied to be pigeon-holed in any one of them.
Where can fans find you online?
My online home is http://www.edkurtz.net, and I’m also on Facebook.
Filed under: Interviews with other authors
December 2, 2014
Book Review: Anomaly (Schrodinger’s Consortium #1) by Tonya Kuper
Synopsis:
Reality is only an illusion.
Except for those who can control it…
Worst. Birthday. Ever.
My first boyfriend dumped me – happy birthday, Josie!- my dad is who knows where, I have some weird virus that makes me want to hurl, and now my ex is licking another girl’s tonsils. Oh, and I’m officially the same age as my brother was when he died. Yeah, today is about as fun-filled as the swamps of Dagobah. But then weird things start happening…
Like I make something materialize just by thinking about it.
When hot badass Reid Wentworth shows up on a motorcycle, everything changes. Like, everything. Who I am. My family. What really happened to my brother. Existence. I am Oculi, and I have the ability to change reality with my thoughts. Now Reid, in all his hotness, is charged with guiding and protecting me as I begin learning how to bend reality. And he’s the only thing standing between me and the secret organization that wants me dead…
About the Author:
Tonya Kuper’s debut, ANOMALY, the first in the Schrodinger’s Consortium young adult scifi trilogy, releases November 2014 by Entangled Teen. She lives in Omaha, NE with her two rad boys and husband, is a music junkie, and a chocolate addict. Star Wars & Sherlock fan.
My Review:
YA fiction is really starting to evolve now. Since Twilight made reading cool for teens again, there’s been a tonne of authors trying to capture that crown, and most are using the same formula: girl having a crappy normal life, realises she’s not normal, falls in love with supernaturally inclined hottie – it all roughly works out in the end. Don’t forget the parental problems and the BFFs, then mix together and publish. Anomaly, although ticking some of those boxes, actually did it in an interesting way, making the book more of a stand-alone that a Twilight rip off (whether vampires are there nor not)
From a writer’s perspective, I must admit I really found it hard to like Josie. She was a nerd, which was great, but it felt like (especially in the first few pages) she was almost smacking us over head with that fact every other sentence. This can be a dangerous trait for a main character to have, as there will be some readers that feel an instant connection with her and get her ‘inside’ jokes, but others that won’t get what she’s talking about at all and so feel no connection. When it comes to writing characters, I call it the Marmite conundrum. If you pick a subjective and powerful tendency for your character, you either get readers loving them – or hating them – there is no in between. The perspectives did slide between Josie and Reid, and I found myself actually preferring his side of things, it was cleaner and more interesting as he had been in the plot longer (at the start of the book) The world itself was interesting, it took a few repeated terms for me to figure out what everything was, but that’s okay – better than a massive info dump to explain everything – which some authors do!
The front cover is very teen – and will definitely stand out on the virtual book shelf.
Overall, I’d give Anomaly, 3 out 5 stars – interesting concept and written well, just could have done with a more like-able protagonist (just my personal opinion)
Filed under: Book Review Tagged: Anomaly (Schrodinger's Consortium #1) by Tonya Kuper
November 25, 2014
Interview with Stephanie Keyes
Tell us about your publishing journey…
I wrote on and off for most of my life—starting books and never finishing them. I think that was mostly because I couldn’t connect with the characters. When I got the idea for The Star Child, I thought, hey, let’s make this story from a guy’s point of view. It took off. I wrote The Star Child in nine months, but it would be another four years to a publishing contract. That’s when Inkspell Publishing came and brought it to life. I’ve since published The Fallen Stars (2013), After Faerie (2013), The Star Catcher (2013), and I’ll be releasing a new novella The Last Protector on December 15th!
What do you love about being an author?
I love the sheer act of writing, of getting to create these worlds that no one knows about but me where I can just…disappear into them.
If you could have dinner with any literary character, who would it be and what would you eat?
Hermione Granger and grilled chicken. I don’t know, she seems like a grilled chicken kind of girl.
If your book was to be made into a movie, who would you cast as the leads?
I don’t know…probably Logan Lerman as Kellen and Hunter Parrish as Gabe. I’ve still never really found the right Calienta.
Vampires – do you prefer them as sexy leads or blood hungry monsters? Sexy leads.
If you had a time machine, which era would you go back to and why? The eighties—because that era really knew how to apply fluorescent colors to everything. It’s a lesson we can all stand to be reminded occasionally. Ha! No, if I could go anywhere, I’d be interested to see the future more so than the past.
What life advice do you wish you’d been given sooner?
People’s reactions and responses have nothing to do with you and everything to do with them.
If you were a supernatural creature, what would you be and why?
A shape shifter. It would be so cool to just take on another form. Especially if you were avoiding, say, door-to-door salespeople.
Where do you write best?
In my basement office at the crack of dawn each day. Sounds depressing, but it’s really a nice sunny yellow. I pretend I’m in a London flat.
What was the last book you read, and what were your thoughts on it?
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. I don’t have a ton of time to read, so when I do, I prefer to read in my genre. The blurb for Anna just reeled me in, though. I loved it from start to finish.
If you didn’t write in your genre, which other would you prefer and why?
I’m writing outside of my genre now. I have one Middle Grade Sci-Fi project and then a NA Romance going on. I think I’ll be wherever the story takes me. Whether that is in the paranormal genre or not depends on the characters.
Where can fans find you online?
Website: http://www.stephaniekeyes.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Stephanie-Keye…;
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/StephanieKeyes
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/stephaniekeyes/
Tumblr: http://www.tumblr.com/blog/stephkeyes
Google+: https://plus.google.com/101104903861657395788/posts
Goodreads :https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5360651.Stephanie_Keyes
Book Links:
Amazon http://Author.to/StephanieKeyes
Amazon http://myBook.to/thestarcatcher
Barnes & Noble http://bit.ly/keyesbn
All Romance Books http://bit.ly/keyesallrom
Indie Bound http://bit.ly/keyesib
Filed under: Interviews with other authors Tagged: interview with author, Stephanie Keyes
November 24, 2014
Book Review: The Tears of the Rose by Jeffe Kennedy
Synopsis:
Three sisters. Motherless daughters of the high king.
The eldest is the warrior-woman heir; the middle child is shy and full of witchy intuition; and the youngest, Princess Amelia, she is as beautiful as the sun and just as generous.
Ami met her Prince Charming and went away to his castle on the stormy sea-cliffs—and that should have been her happily ever after. Instead, her husband lies dead and a war rages. Her middle sister has been taken into a demon land, turned into a stranger. The priests and her father are revealing secrets and telling lies. And a power is rising in Ami, too, a power she hardly recognizes, to wield her beauty as a weapon, and her charm as a tool to deceive…
Amelia has never had to be anything but good and sweet and kind and lovely. But the chess game for the Twelve Kingdoms has swept her up in it, and she must make a gambit of her own. Can the prettiest princess become a pawn—or a queen?
Available at Amazon
Available in ebook and paperback
About the Author:
Jeffe Kennedy is an award-winning author with a writing career that spans decades. Her works include non-fiction, poetry, short fiction, and novels. She has been a Ucross Foundation Fellow, received the Wyoming Arts Council Fellowship for Poetry, and was awarded a Frank Nelson Doubleday Memorial Award. Her essays have appeared in many publications, including Redbook.
Her most recent works include a number of fiction series: the fantasy romance novels of A Covenant of Thorns; the contemporary BDSM novellas of the Facets of Passion, and an erotic contemporary serial novel, Master of the Opera, which released beginning January 2, 2014. A fourth series, the fantasy trilogy The Twelve Kingdoms, hit the shelves starting in May 2014 and a fifth, the highly anticipated erotic romance trilogy, Falling Under, will release starting in July.
She lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with two Maine coon cats, plentiful free-range lizards and a very handsome Doctor of Oriental Medicine.
Jeffe can be found online at her website: JeffeKennedy.com, every Sunday at the popular Word Whores blog, on Facebook, and pretty much constantly on Twitter @jeffekennedy. She is represented by Foreword Literary.
http://www.jeffekennedy.com/category/blog/
https://www.facebook.com/jeffe.kennedy
https://twitter.com/jeffekennedy
My Review:
I do like reading Jeffe Kennedy’s books, so I jumped at the chance to read this one. It was however, the 2nd in a series which I needn’t realise till I was a bit into it – d’oh! However, it was kind of nice to be thrown straight into the action, rather than have to wade through an endless period of catch-up before you get to the good stuff.
I really enjoyed the book though, and have actually bought the first one as a bit of a catch up. It’s nice to read some fantasy which isn’t high fantasy and therefore hard to get into (that’s probably just me though!)
From a writer’s perspective, it was completely engrossing and such an interesting take to cover the lives of three princesses, what happens to them and how they inter-act. It was was first person, which I like; I find it much easier to bond with the protagonist this way. The whole thing just flowed nicely and I now really want to read the other two books in the series.
The front cover is okay, nothing too dramatic and from a marketing point of view, matches the others in the series, which is good.
Overall, I’d give Tears of the Rose 5 out 5 stars – a perfect read it you secretly enjoy series like the Hobbit or Game of Thrones, but don’t want to be engrossed in a high fantasy novel that you need a pen and notepad to read and understand.
Filed under: Book Review Tagged: fantasy, Jeffe Kennedy, tears of the rose, twelve kingdoms
November 23, 2014
Book Review: Love Me to Death (Underveil #1) by Marissa Clarke
Synopsis:
What you want the most just might kill you…
Medical research scientist Elena Arcos has always lived her life under the radar. When she is shot in a convenience store robbery, Elena finds herself rocketed into supernatural insanity courtesy of a sexy immortal law enforcer. He’s convinced she’s some kind of freaky half-vampire thing and that her deceased dad was the real deal: a blood sucking monster. Yeah, right.
Nikolai Itzov never anticipated battling the urge to kiss the offspring of his father’s murderer. As a Slayer, an elite law enforcer descended from Azrael himself, his orders from the Underveil General are clear: Kill her or die.
Nikolai and Elena find themselves in a life and death battle to stop a plot designed to lift the Underveil and enslave humans. With her analytical mind and his centuries of training, they might be able to foil the plot with their lives and maybe their hearts intact. But in order to succeed, he must help her become the very thing he hates the most: an Undead.
“A fascinating new world! Enter with caution. You’ll never want to leave!” –Kerrelyn Sparks, New York Times bestselling author
About the Author:
Marissa Clarke lives in Texas, where the everything is bigger, especially the mosquitoes.
When not writing, she wrangles her rowdy pack of three teens, husband, and a Cairn Terrier named Annabel, who rules the house (and Marissa’s heart) with an iron paw.
Also writes YA for Penguin USA as Mary Lindsey
Represented by Kevan Lyon of the Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.
My Review:
Ever since Sookie Stackhouse ended on a bum note, I’ve been looking for a new paranormal romance author to read, and although the story line of ‘Love me to Death’ was great, I got really annoyed with the main character. Elena was weak and every sentence she seemed to utter was a prelude to how sexy she thought Nikolai was. Hmmmm, I know there needs to be chemistry in romance books, but how can a female lead hold her own and appear strong in the eyes of the reader when she’s almost drowning in her own drool! She also didn’t seem to ponder for too long on the fact he was sent to kill her – I guess when you’re good looking you can get away with murder!
From a writer’s perspective, it was a little naughty to start the book with a character thought, for a brief moment I was happy it was first person narrative (that’s my fav POV in reading – that’s not a criticism just a personal preference) but then it dropped into third. Maybe it would have been easier to feel for Elena if it had of been first person from her point of view? Still, the writing was superb and the action was well written, plotted and paced.
The front cover is nice – who doesn’t like a sexy muscle man covered in tattoos? But it doesn’t say much about the storyline itself and is another one of those covers that cuts off the guy’s head to include more of the body – who else would prefer to see a chiselled jaw with a day’s worth of stubble and eyes that twinkle with mischief? Me!
Overall, I’d give Love me to Death 3 out 5 stars – not my cup of tea, but it’s still worth a read to those who like the romance genre.
Filed under: Book Review Tagged: Entangled Publishing, Love me to death, Love Me to Death (Underveil #1) by Marissa Clarke, romance, Young Adult
November 22, 2014
Interview with A.L. Butcher
Tell us about your publishing journey…
Hi and thanks for the interview. I’m primarily a dark fantasy author but I’ve also written horror, poetry, short stories and general fantasy. I’ve been a writer for as long as I can remember – I was usually the one writing for the school display. I never really thought it would go beyond that, if I am honest. The first novel sprung from something I’d written for an RPG, which was adapted and expanded. I’ve run and planned role play games for a while, including a vampire based on, and have folders of adventures, which might get adapted. OK yes I am a geek…. The recent horror stories – which feature in Tales from Darker Places – came from a ‘Jack the Ripper’ story I’d written for something else. I read a lot of true crime and that particular set of murders I find interesting – at least all the theories. The vampire story grew from a character idea – the bored, disillusioned vigilante vampire. Wolfgang will appear again, in other short stories and may yet be expanded.
What do you love about being an author?
Creating new worlds and new peopleJ. I love to read as well, but there is something wonderful about creating a story. Storytelling is so important to us – it helps us learn, to explore the fantastic and to be free.
If you could have dinner with any literary character, who would it be and what would you eat?
Ohh, that’s a tricky one. I’m not sure I could pick just one…. I think I’d go for Odysseus to discuss his adventures and heroism; Dr Frankenstein to discuss science and human nature; Erik, the Phantom of the Opera, to discuss his music and inner beauty; Heathcliff to discuss love and tragedy; Aragon to discuss leadership and Tempus from Sacred Band to discuss courage, and war in human society.
What would we eat? Italian or Thai food probably, or something with tons of cheese…
If your book was to be made into a movie, who would you cast as the leads?
Sir Ian McKellen as Archos, perhaps.
Luke Evans as Olek.
Emma Watkins as Ozena.
Keira Knightly or Evengeline Lilly as Dii.
For the horror – Luke Evans as Wolfgang.
The Jack the Ripper Story – Ray Winstone.
As a horror writer you are looking to scare readers – what scares you?
Clowns, dolls, puppets, ventriloquists, enclosed spaces, crowds.
If you had a time machine, which era would you go back to and why?
Ancient Rome – I love the mythology. Renaissance or Industrial Revolution – I love the emerging science and the forging of the modern world.
What life advice do you wish you’d been given sooner?
Live for the fun things, the things which make you happy. Life’s too short for crap.
If you were a supernatural creature, what would you be and why?
A dragon – because I could do what the hell I likedJ and dragons are cool.
Or a naiad. J
Where do you write best?
Usually in the armchair with the massage capabilitiesJ I have a problem with my back so I write on the laptop as it is easier than sitting at the PC.
What was the last book you read, and what were your thoughts on it?
A couple of true crime books which I’ve read before. I’ve also just finished Inconvenient People: Lunacy, Liberty and Mad Doctors in Victorian England. It’s a fascinating non-fiction book about madness and those who were wrongly accused of it. Not an easy read but it does give a good insight into attitudes of the day. The last novel I read was Poets in Hell, part of the shared universe of Heroes in Hell, by Janet and Chris Morris. It’s a lot of fun, as well as dark and delightful.
If you didn’t write in your genre, which other would you prefer and why?
As I said I write fantasy as well as horror, plus poetry. I’m planning some historical fantasy at a later date. I read a lot of historical fiction and as a fan of history I’d love to combine dark fantasy and history.
Where can fans find you online?
I have a blog which features info about the books, plus articles, interviews with authors, readers, editors, audio book narrators and a wide variety of characters. http://libraryoferana.wordpress.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6430414.A_L_Butcher
Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Alexandra-Butcher/e/B008BQFCC6/
Twitter:@libraryoferana
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DarkFantasyBeyondTheStorm
Filed under: Interviews with other authors Tagged: A.L. Butcher
November 21, 2014
Book Review: I’m Dreaming of an Undead Christmas by Molly Harper
Synopsis:
Experience the vampire world for the holidays through the eyes of Gigi Scanlon in this e-novella prequel to The Dangers of Dating a Rebound Vampire from beloved paranormal romance author Molly Harper!
College co-ed Gigi is headed home to Half-Moon Hollow for her first Christmas since her sister, Iris, was turned into a vampire by her beloved undead husband, Cal. Iris is working overtime to make this holiday as normal and special as possible. After all, it’s taken her months of working with Jane Jameson and the Hollow’s vampires to convince herself that she won’t bite her baby sister on sight.
Gigi has her own worries. She’s falling out of love with her high school sweetheart, Ben, and has no idea how to tell him. She’s got a secret job interview with terrifying teen Council official, Ophelia Lambert. And there’s a handsome but cagey vampire following her around town and then disappearing before Gigi can confirm that he’s not, in fact, a figment of her fertile imagination. Holidays with family are complicated. Christmas with an undead family can be downright dangerous.
About the Author:
My mother remembers an 8-year-old me setting up my “writing office” in our living room by putting her old manual typewriter on the couch next to a toy phone. And I (very slowly) pecked out the story of my third-grade class taking a trip around the world and losing a kid in each city.
I had a dark sense of humor, even then.
In high school, when other girls my age were writing poems about dying unicorns and bleeding roses, I was writing essays about having political arguments with my dad at the dinner table. (Whoever made the other person laugh at their own political party won the argument.) I knew I wanted to write when I grew up, but I also knew there was very little chance I could make a living writing books, so I went for the next best thing – newspaper writing.
I majored in print journalism at Western Kentucky University and used my shiny new degree to get a job at my hometown newspaper. I married my high school sweetheart, David, a local police officer. And for six years, I wrote about school board meetings, quilt shows, a man “losing” the fully grown bear he kept as a pet in his basement, and a guy who faked his death by shark attack in Florida and ended up tossing pies at a local pizzeria.
I loved my job at the paper. I loved meeting new people every day and never knowing where I would end up. But somehow, the ever-shifting schedules of a police officer and a reporter did not equal “family friendly.” One of us needed to take a normal job for the sake of our young daughter. I took a secretarial position at a local church office, which left me with dependably free evenings for the first time in my adult life. David was working the night shift that summer and I was losing.my.mind. We were living in “The Apartment of Lost Souls” while building our new home. This was the place where appliances and small electronics went to die. Every night I would tuck our snoozing child into bed and wait for the washing machine to start smoking or the computer to suddenly flash the “blue screen of death.” Then there was the plague of frogs in the bathroom that put our daughter of potty-training for about six months.
Normally, when things get tough, I can take solace in reading. But I surveyed my packing box of favorite books with the apathetic air of someone who stands in front of the open refrigerator for 10 minutes and can’t find anything. Nothing sounded good. So I just sat down and started writing something I would want to read.
Being a huge fan of vampire movies and TV shows, I wondered, what would be the most humiliating way possible to be turned into a vampire- a story that a vampire would be embarrassed to share with their vampire buddies over a nice glass of Type O. Well, first, you’d have to make the protaganist a bit of an accidental loser. She’s single, almost 30, and a librarian working in the small Kentucky town where she grew up. This “triple whammy of worry” has made her a permanent fixture on her Mama’s prayer list. And despite the fact that’s pretty good at her job, she just got canned so her boss could replace her with someone who occasionally starts workplace fires. She drowns her sorrows at the local faux nostalgia-themed sports bar and during the commute home, she’s mistaken for a deer and then shot by a drunk hunter. And then she wakes up as a vampire.
And thus, Jane Jameson and the wacky denizens of Half-Moon Hollow were born.
It took me almost a year to complete and edit a draft of the book, which I planned as the first in a three-book series. I spent three months using agentquery.com to ruthlessly stalk potential literary agents. (There were a lot of lists involved, I don’t want to re-live it.) I was gently rejected by at least half of them. I corresponded with some very nice, very patient people, but ultimately signed with the fabulous Stephany Evans of Fine Print Literary Management. Stephany was willing to take to the time to give me advice on how to imp
My Review:
I must admit I didn’t realise that this was a novella that came from a series. I really should pay more attention – although in my defence the front cover was just so festively lovely, how could I have resisted!
The start of the book did a great job of making the reader feel like they were ‘coming home for Xmas’ and the characters were obviously all tied together from previous events in earlier books, giving them a nice, warm bond.
From a writer’s perspective, there was a massive amount of characters and probably a third of the story devoted to back story catch-up. As I hadn’t ready any of the other books, I didn’t mind it, but if I had, I’d have been a bit annoyed with it. I know that you have to do a certain amount of reminding in series novels, but this one did go into some overkill. On the plus side though, it did make me want to read the other books, which I just got!
The front cover is stunning. Perfect and eye-catching. I always look for a good seasonal read around this time of year to get me in the mood for Xmas shopping, and this certainly hit that festive spot nicely.
Overall I’d give I’m Dreaming of an Undead Christmas 4 out of 5 stars. Whether you’ve read the series or not, a great stocking filler for paranormal romance lovin’ imagination.
Filed under: Book Review, Get your Christmas on 2014 Tagged: Half moon series, I'm Dreaming of an Undead Christmas by Molly Harper, Molly Harper, Xmas reads
November 20, 2014
Book Review: One Wish Away by Kelley Lynn
Synopsis:
Be careful what you wish for…
Lyra has always been ahead of the curve. Top of her class in school, a budding astronomer, and with a best friend like Darren she barely has time to miss the mother who abandoned her family years ago. She’s too busy planning to follow in her father’s footsteps, and to become the youngest astronomer at Space Exploration and Discovery.
When a star goes missing Lyra is determined to get to the bottom of it only to discover her braniac dad is the mastermind of a top-secret government experiment. They promise to build a perfect world, one galaxy at a time, but with every tweak of the present, a bit more of the future starts to crumble.
Lyra has to go undercover to reveal the truth and let humanity decide if the consequences are worth more than wishing on a star.
About the Author:
Eventually the day came when the voices in Kelley Lynn’s head were more insistent then her engineering professor’s. So instead of turning to her Thermodynamics book, Kelley brought up a blank page on her computer screen and wrote. Somewhere along the way she became a Young Adult author.
Kelley was born and raised a Midwestern girl. She’s not afraid to sweat and fills her free time with softball, soccer and volleyball. (Though you probably don’t want her on your volleyball team.) She occasionally makes guest appearances as a female vocalist for area bands. Music plays a large role in her writing process as well as the characters and plot lines within her stories.
You can find Kelley hanging out at her blog, titled in her name, as well as the group blog she shares with her fellow critique partners, Falling for Fiction. Kelley is a member of the Society of Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators.
http://getbetweenthebookends.blogspot.co.uk/
My Review:
I wanted to read this book because the book blurb looked amazing and the story was an original concept (which is rare to find in YA fiction nowadays) The story itself was a pleasant change from the usual the YA supernatural love triangle (which seems to have been the norm since Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight) but it still had those YA aspects that make teen books ‘comfortable’ such as the male best friend, the absent parent and the school character clichés – but in all fairness, they are kind of hard to stay away from in literature as they exist in real life too!
From a writer’s perspective, it was a little slow to get going and the plot sagged a little in the middle. It ended on a bit of a cliff hanger too which I don’t personally like, especially as it’s not promoted as the start of a trilogy/ series. Lyra was a little flat as a character and because she had the same unique-ish name as the protagonist from Philip Pullman’s Golden Compass, I found it hard to identify with her – I know that’s odd and I’m not even sure I can explain it! The concept although original was a little far-fetched by the end too which didn’t mesh well with the scientific aspect of the book – I guess, as an author that’s the downside of daring to bring something new to the table.
The front cover is nice, but kind of looks like a Chick-Lit cover rather than a YA – I actually originally saw this title on Netgalley and dismissed it in the first instance purely as a romance book; it wasn’t till I got the email for this tour and read the blurb that I realised that it wasn’t and requested it. So the cover might attract the wrong type of readers to appreciate a YA story.
Overall I’d give One Wish Away 3 out of 5 stars – interesting, and yes far-fetched in places, but perhaps not more so than a supernatural teen book when you really think on it.
Filed under: Book Review Tagged: One Wish Away by Kelley Lynn
November 18, 2014
Book Spotlight: Blood Chained by Eden Ashley
Synopsis:
Sometimes great evil is necessary to keep what you love most.
After centuries on the run, Rhane can avoid justice no longer. Primes have called him home and now he must finally answer for the sins of his past. But the situation in Rhane’s homeland is far worse than anyone could have imagined, and the judgment Rhane faces is a brutal one. Even relying on the strength of the immortal Banewolf, the man he has become may not survive.
Kali and the other kin work tirelessly to secure Rhane’s freedom, but many obstacles stand in their way. Wesley offers a solution that hinges upon resuming a dangerous search for the Siren’s Heart. Trusting him, she and the kin set out once again to find the elusive artifact, believing Rhane and Warren’s freedom can be bartered in exchange for the statue. But other creatures are searching for the Heart. And with greater resources and a head start, their enemies may reach it first.
About the Author:
Born and raised in a small sunny town in South Carolina, Eden finds thunderstorms to be inspiring. There are few things she loves more (except maybe cake) than curling up with a good book on a rainy day, often reading into the wee hours of morning when something really grabs her. DARK SIREN is her exciting debut novel. BANEWOLF, the thrilling continuation of Rhane and Kali’s journey, was released winter of 2013. Look for book 3 in 2014!
https://www.facebook.com/EdenAshleyAuthor
Filed under: Book Review Tagged: Blood Chained by Eden Ashley 
November 15, 2014
Guest Post from Andrew Greenfield Lockhart
Andrew is a member of my writers’ group, Creative Minds Writing.
“My second novel, The Tiger and the Cauldron is set in 1295 Mongol Persia:
Genghis Khan’s successors already control Asia and much of Europe. In their Iranian province, civil war is brewing as two rivals for the throne face one another across the salt deserts. Ghazan, son of the late Il-khan Arghun rallies his forces in the East, ready to march on Tabriz, the capital. However, only by converting to Islam can he guarantee victory.
Fifteen-year-old Hassan returns to his native country in search of adventure but unprepared for a chance encounter that will change his life.
Saved from a degrading forced marriage, Ghazan’s half-sister, sixteen-year-old Princess Doquz, is bent on revenge for her humiliation. With the rebel commander, Ahmed Sabbah, she declares war on Baidu, the usurper, and leads a guerrilla campaign against him from her base on Mount Sahand.
But Doquz is reluctant to play the religious card that will help Ghazan to the throne until a reunion with Hassan, her childhood companion, forces her to reappraise her objectives and her sexuality.
From Tabriz to the Valley of the Assassins, deep in the Alburz Mountains, Hassan and Doquz pursue their quest, unaware of secrets that can destroy them both. And Sabbah must break a solemn oath to save them.
The Tiger and the Cauldron is now available as an ebook from digital stores worldwide. However, I still have a dozen copies of the paperback, published in 2004, in brand new condition, and I am offering these on e-bay for £8.49 each in aid of the MacMillan Cancer Charity.
The price includes delivery to any UK mainland address, and a minimum of £2.97 per book will be automatically forwarded to the charity by e-bay. I will also donate to the charity any additional income from the sales, after deduction of postage and current costs.
Further details can be found on e-bay under ‘Books, Comics and Magazines - Fiction – Historical and Mythological’ or by following the link to the item:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/281477643866″;
Filed under: Interviews with other authors
