Roxanne Kade's Blog, page 345
October 31, 2012
iFrankenstein Blog Tour: Character Interview with Victor Frankenstein
Hello Therians,
Halloween is my favorite holiday. I love all things weird, wicked and ghoulish. Ghost tales, scary movies and trick or treating! It is just so much fun! And, what could be better than having a positively dark and chilling story to enjoy for Halloween?? That's why today I am treating you to the weirdly twisted and uniquely written, iFrankenstein by Bekka Black. This is the second instalment in the iMonsters series and is the re-telling of the classic by Mary Shelley. So join me on another awesome JKS Communications Blog Tour, as we showcase this exciting book.
Frankenstein comes to life for the wired generation.
Following her critically-acclaimed iDrakula, award-winning author Bekka Black breathes life into a modern re-telling of iFrankenstein, using only text messages, web browsers, tweets, and emails.
Homeschooled teenager Victor Frankenstein is determined to write his own ticket to independence: a chatbot to win the prestigious Turing prize and admission to the high tech university of his choice. He codes his creation with a self-extending version of his own online personality and unleashes it upon the internet. But soon he begins to suspect his virtual clone may have developed its own goals, and they are not aligned with Victor’s. The creature has its own plan, fed by a growing desire to win darker and more precious prizes: unfettered power and release from loneliness.
As the creature’s power and sentience grows and its increasingly terrible deeds bleed over from the online world into the real one, Victor must stop his creation before his friends and humanity pay the ultimate price.
Get your copy of iFrankenstein today!!
And now, for your real treat, here's an interview with Victor Frankenstein! Enjoy!
Hello Victor, Thank you for joining us today. I’m glad we were able to drag you away from your laptop long enough for a quick chat J
You didn’t really. I’m typing this on my laptop. The new one. Oh, well, you can't say I never tried *shakes head*
1. Tell us a bit more about yourself.I’m a homeschooled kid from Palo Alto who likes to program and hang out online. I used to have dreams of taking over the world, but I think I need to adjust those a bit.
2. Why do you have such a dislike for nature?The climate control is terrible! It’s too warm, too cold, too windy, and too wet. Also, there are things out there that bite you and the last time I tried to commune with nature I was almost struck by lightning. Should I go on? Err, no. I think we get the picture. 3. You’re so wrapped up in your technology. Do you ever worry that you’ll miss something? Life is buzzing around you yet you seem quite oblivious to it at times.Life buzzes plenty online, thank you. Touché
4. Didn’t you ever feel a little selfish, especially when there was so much of Europe to see with Elizabeth and all you wanted to do was be tucked away with your laptop?I was trying to create an entirely new form of life! That’s very time-consuming and, perhaps, more important than visiting creaky museums full of art. Although, in retrospect, that’s what I should have done and I have apologize to Elizabeth many, many (many!) times.5. Why was creating a chatbot for The True Turing Prize Contest so important to you?I wanted to show my father that I wasn’t wasting time online, that I could create amazing things there. Also, I hoped it would make it possible for me to get a scholarship for college. My father is a photographer, so we’re not exactly rolling in dough.
6. Do you feel that your haste to create V.V. is what caused his “malfunction”?No, I think the concept was flawed from the start.
7. When you were first hacked, were you never suspicious that it had something to do with V.V.?I couldn’t even imagine that he could get so powerful so quickly. Nothing like that has ever happened before.
8. And later, when it got more personal? (referring to a certain letter emailed to you)Then I started to suspect a very close friend. You know who.
9. Do you really believe that V.V. cured Henry? If so, are you not in the least bit curious to see if you can re-create V.V. for the greater good of mankind? (With proper control measures this time, of course)I’m still not convinced that V.V cured Henry, no matter what Henry says. I am curious as to ways I could create a more controlled V.V and I have some ideas for how…wait…I can’t. I promised Elizabeth.
10. Have you tried creating another chatbot?Umm…no…not at all…no way. Hmmm, yes sure...of course I believe you *raises eyebrow*
11. What did you learn from the entire V.V. experience?I learned not to create a sentient life form with no moral code. And also that Elizabeth is amazing, and Henry is a good friend at the worst of times.
12. It spokes volumes about your true character when you agreed to be on an even playing field, with Henry, in the hopes of winning Elizabeth’s heart. So tell me, were you victorious in the end? Are you a “Golden God” ;) That’s still playing out. I’m hopeful.
About the Author:
After a childhood often spent without electricy and running water, Bekka escaped the beautiful wilderness of Talkeetna, Alaska for indoor plumbing and 24/7 electricity in Berlin, Germany. Used to the cushy lifestyle, she discovered the Internet in college and has been wasting time on it ever since (when not frittering away her time on her iPhone). Somehow, she manages to write novels, including the award-winning Hannah Vogel mystery series set, in all places, 1930s Berlin, and The Blood Gospel series (with James Rollins).
She lives in Berlin with her husband, son, two cats, and too many geckoes to count. iDrakula is her first cell phone novel. Website: http://bekkablack.com/ Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Bekka_Black Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bekka-Blacks-IDRAKULA/216973029998?fref=ts Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3353633.Bekka_Black
Halloween is my favorite holiday. I love all things weird, wicked and ghoulish. Ghost tales, scary movies and trick or treating! It is just so much fun! And, what could be better than having a positively dark and chilling story to enjoy for Halloween?? That's why today I am treating you to the weirdly twisted and uniquely written, iFrankenstein by Bekka Black. This is the second instalment in the iMonsters series and is the re-telling of the classic by Mary Shelley. So join me on another awesome JKS Communications Blog Tour, as we showcase this exciting book.
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Frankenstein comes to life for the wired generation.
Following her critically-acclaimed iDrakula, award-winning author Bekka Black breathes life into a modern re-telling of iFrankenstein, using only text messages, web browsers, tweets, and emails.
Homeschooled teenager Victor Frankenstein is determined to write his own ticket to independence: a chatbot to win the prestigious Turing prize and admission to the high tech university of his choice. He codes his creation with a self-extending version of his own online personality and unleashes it upon the internet. But soon he begins to suspect his virtual clone may have developed its own goals, and they are not aligned with Victor’s. The creature has its own plan, fed by a growing desire to win darker and more precious prizes: unfettered power and release from loneliness.
As the creature’s power and sentience grows and its increasingly terrible deeds bleed over from the online world into the real one, Victor must stop his creation before his friends and humanity pay the ultimate price.
Get your copy of iFrankenstein today!!
And now, for your real treat, here's an interview with Victor Frankenstein! Enjoy!
Hello Victor, Thank you for joining us today. I’m glad we were able to drag you away from your laptop long enough for a quick chat J
You didn’t really. I’m typing this on my laptop. The new one. Oh, well, you can't say I never tried *shakes head*
1. Tell us a bit more about yourself.I’m a homeschooled kid from Palo Alto who likes to program and hang out online. I used to have dreams of taking over the world, but I think I need to adjust those a bit.
2. Why do you have such a dislike for nature?The climate control is terrible! It’s too warm, too cold, too windy, and too wet. Also, there are things out there that bite you and the last time I tried to commune with nature I was almost struck by lightning. Should I go on? Err, no. I think we get the picture. 3. You’re so wrapped up in your technology. Do you ever worry that you’ll miss something? Life is buzzing around you yet you seem quite oblivious to it at times.Life buzzes plenty online, thank you. Touché
4. Didn’t you ever feel a little selfish, especially when there was so much of Europe to see with Elizabeth and all you wanted to do was be tucked away with your laptop?I was trying to create an entirely new form of life! That’s very time-consuming and, perhaps, more important than visiting creaky museums full of art. Although, in retrospect, that’s what I should have done and I have apologize to Elizabeth many, many (many!) times.5. Why was creating a chatbot for The True Turing Prize Contest so important to you?I wanted to show my father that I wasn’t wasting time online, that I could create amazing things there. Also, I hoped it would make it possible for me to get a scholarship for college. My father is a photographer, so we’re not exactly rolling in dough.
6. Do you feel that your haste to create V.V. is what caused his “malfunction”?No, I think the concept was flawed from the start.
7. When you were first hacked, were you never suspicious that it had something to do with V.V.?I couldn’t even imagine that he could get so powerful so quickly. Nothing like that has ever happened before.
8. And later, when it got more personal? (referring to a certain letter emailed to you)Then I started to suspect a very close friend. You know who.
9. Do you really believe that V.V. cured Henry? If so, are you not in the least bit curious to see if you can re-create V.V. for the greater good of mankind? (With proper control measures this time, of course)I’m still not convinced that V.V cured Henry, no matter what Henry says. I am curious as to ways I could create a more controlled V.V and I have some ideas for how…wait…I can’t. I promised Elizabeth.
10. Have you tried creating another chatbot?Umm…no…not at all…no way. Hmmm, yes sure...of course I believe you *raises eyebrow*
11. What did you learn from the entire V.V. experience?I learned not to create a sentient life form with no moral code. And also that Elizabeth is amazing, and Henry is a good friend at the worst of times.
12. It spokes volumes about your true character when you agreed to be on an even playing field, with Henry, in the hopes of winning Elizabeth’s heart. So tell me, were you victorious in the end? Are you a “Golden God” ;) That’s still playing out. I’m hopeful.
About the Author:
After a childhood often spent without electricy and running water, Bekka escaped the beautiful wilderness of Talkeetna, Alaska for indoor plumbing and 24/7 electricity in Berlin, Germany. Used to the cushy lifestyle, she discovered the Internet in college and has been wasting time on it ever since (when not frittering away her time on her iPhone). Somehow, she manages to write novels, including the award-winning Hannah Vogel mystery series set, in all places, 1930s Berlin, and The Blood Gospel series (with James Rollins).
She lives in Berlin with her husband, son, two cats, and too many geckoes to count. iDrakula is her first cell phone novel. Website: http://bekkablack.com/ Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Bekka_Black Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bekka-Blacks-IDRAKULA/216973029998?fref=ts Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3353633.Bekka_Black
October 25, 2012
48fourteen Halloween Sale!!
Hello Therians, I have a real treat for you today! Get your hands on some fantastic 48fourteen titles at a reduced rate!! That's right! No trickery here :)
Sale ends at midnight on Halloween day!
Check out the selection of books on sale now over at Amazon and Barnes & Noble...
The Human Cure by Tracy Auerbach [image error] Kate Plesser is leading a dead-end life as an office assistant with a penchant for bad relationships. She is lost. When Kate is kidnapped by Hunter, a gorgeous stranger, she assumes that he is just some sick psychopath. She never suspects that he is actually a vampire, and that she is about to be plunged into a world stranger than her wildest dreams. In the underground city where Hunter lives, she encounters his otherworldly cousin Chase, who holds the key to her freedom. She is thrust into a village where humans are farmed for feeding and breeding. In this mysterious new world beneath Queens, New York, Kate eventually finds something she never expected; her own purpose.
Amazon
& Barnes & Noble
Tourist by Lucas Bantner
Imagine gravity was not simply a feature of an organic planet, but a complicated system maintained by a network of large machines. Imagine the Earth was supported by these machines, providing the energy and the subsystem for Earth to function as it does. What would happen as those machines aged? Would they begin to wear down over time? Would they eventually fail? Could they be repaired?
Just before being arrested on suspicion of murder, a young man named Ian Sheridan discovers that he is able to call upon strange, destructive powers. As he is chased around the globe by the authorities, he takes asylum with a group of people, four hundred years old, that try to convince him his abilities are a result of the machines and their failing health. Ian soon realizes he is the only person who can repair these ailing machines and put the world right again… or can he? As he searches for the machines, he must overcome the demons of his past and the idea that he is simply a pawn in something much larger than himself.
Amazon
& Barnes & Noble
Change of Pace by Sofia Essen
What do you do when you get dumped, fired, and turn thirty in a single unfortunate week? You book the last available ticket on the next plane to Greece. Or at least that’s what the normally unadventurous Anna Cox does in a moment of uncharacteristic spontaneity. When she panics as she belatedly realizes that not booking a hotel room in a country she knows nothing about might not have been the best or smartest idea, the charming and easy on the eyes Englishman in the seat next to her comes to her rescue – he takes her to the rural island village in Crete that he calls home.
As Anna settles into village life, she learns that change, even the unwanted and unexpected kind, can be a good thing. She begins to see that there is always more to any story or person than meets the eye, including herself. In Crete, where time moves differently and days float and blend into one another, Anna finds the courage to discover who she really is, open up to strangers, and to fall in love without holding back even though she might get hurt.
Amazon
& Barnes & Noble
Therian: The Bloody Crescent
by Roxanne Kade
All Amberlyn Darksky has ever wanted is to be normal. But what if normal is everything supernatural and legendary?
Amber has never been ordinary. She has a gift, the ability to see memories through simple touch, and for her it’s a curse. Especially when she has to relive her mother’s death the night she was born, through her father’s eyes. Leading a sheltered life for years under his constant watch has her yearning for freedom and her acceptance into Cyprus Falls University gives her just that.
She is immediately plunged into a world of true love, heartache, seduction, and horror. With a deepening affection for Tayelon Cree, whose sparkling hazel eyes leave her breathless, and the undeniable allure of Lucard Colbaine, who seems to be immune to her gift, can she accept what either of them represent in her life? And what about the steely-eyed vampire who invades her dreams? When the blackouts and nightmares begin, Amber fears the pain that rips into her soul and threatens to destroy her. Before long she is faced with the truth of her destiny as well as the devastating secrets that surround the people she holds dearest; dark secrets that will truly change the course of her very existence. Amber doesn’t know if she has the strength to accept the hand fate has dealt her. She will have to fight as hard as possible to remain human while the beasts inside her rage to take over.
Amazon
& Barnes & Noble
Dead Heart by R.L.King
Would you give someone your own beating heart so they may live? That is the question Doctor Paul Vieyra will have to ask himself as his world comes crashing down around him, and the ghost of those who died on his operating table haunt his mind. When Dr. Vieyra sister’s heart begins to fail and her life fade away, a new heart or surgery are her only chances for survival—a chance no doctor is willing to take. Dr. Vieyra will risk everything he has and more for his sister. He will need the help of both old and new friends along with his mental ghosts if he is going to overcome the incredible obstacles that stand in his way.
The clock is ticking. Will he be able to save his sister’s dead heart? What is he willing to risk?
Amazon
& Barnes & Noble Happy reading!! 
Sale ends at midnight on Halloween day!
Check out the selection of books on sale now over at Amazon and Barnes & Noble...
The Human Cure by Tracy Auerbach [image error] Kate Plesser is leading a dead-end life as an office assistant with a penchant for bad relationships. She is lost. When Kate is kidnapped by Hunter, a gorgeous stranger, she assumes that he is just some sick psychopath. She never suspects that he is actually a vampire, and that she is about to be plunged into a world stranger than her wildest dreams. In the underground city where Hunter lives, she encounters his otherworldly cousin Chase, who holds the key to her freedom. She is thrust into a village where humans are farmed for feeding and breeding. In this mysterious new world beneath Queens, New York, Kate eventually finds something she never expected; her own purpose.
Amazon
& Barnes & Noble
Tourist by Lucas Bantner
Imagine gravity was not simply a feature of an organic planet, but a complicated system maintained by a network of large machines. Imagine the Earth was supported by these machines, providing the energy and the subsystem for Earth to function as it does. What would happen as those machines aged? Would they begin to wear down over time? Would they eventually fail? Could they be repaired?Just before being arrested on suspicion of murder, a young man named Ian Sheridan discovers that he is able to call upon strange, destructive powers. As he is chased around the globe by the authorities, he takes asylum with a group of people, four hundred years old, that try to convince him his abilities are a result of the machines and their failing health. Ian soon realizes he is the only person who can repair these ailing machines and put the world right again… or can he? As he searches for the machines, he must overcome the demons of his past and the idea that he is simply a pawn in something much larger than himself.
Amazon
& Barnes & Noble Change of Pace by Sofia Essen
What do you do when you get dumped, fired, and turn thirty in a single unfortunate week? You book the last available ticket on the next plane to Greece. Or at least that’s what the normally unadventurous Anna Cox does in a moment of uncharacteristic spontaneity. When she panics as she belatedly realizes that not booking a hotel room in a country she knows nothing about might not have been the best or smartest idea, the charming and easy on the eyes Englishman in the seat next to her comes to her rescue – he takes her to the rural island village in Crete that he calls home.
As Anna settles into village life, she learns that change, even the unwanted and unexpected kind, can be a good thing. She begins to see that there is always more to any story or person than meets the eye, including herself. In Crete, where time moves differently and days float and blend into one another, Anna finds the courage to discover who she really is, open up to strangers, and to fall in love without holding back even though she might get hurt.
Amazon
& Barnes & Noble
Therian: The Bloody Crescent
by Roxanne Kade
All Amberlyn Darksky has ever wanted is to be normal. But what if normal is everything supernatural and legendary?Amber has never been ordinary. She has a gift, the ability to see memories through simple touch, and for her it’s a curse. Especially when she has to relive her mother’s death the night she was born, through her father’s eyes. Leading a sheltered life for years under his constant watch has her yearning for freedom and her acceptance into Cyprus Falls University gives her just that.
She is immediately plunged into a world of true love, heartache, seduction, and horror. With a deepening affection for Tayelon Cree, whose sparkling hazel eyes leave her breathless, and the undeniable allure of Lucard Colbaine, who seems to be immune to her gift, can she accept what either of them represent in her life? And what about the steely-eyed vampire who invades her dreams? When the blackouts and nightmares begin, Amber fears the pain that rips into her soul and threatens to destroy her. Before long she is faced with the truth of her destiny as well as the devastating secrets that surround the people she holds dearest; dark secrets that will truly change the course of her very existence. Amber doesn’t know if she has the strength to accept the hand fate has dealt her. She will have to fight as hard as possible to remain human while the beasts inside her rage to take over.
Amazon
& Barnes & Noble Dead Heart by R.L.King
Would you give someone your own beating heart so they may live? That is the question Doctor Paul Vieyra will have to ask himself as his world comes crashing down around him, and the ghost of those who died on his operating table haunt his mind. When Dr. Vieyra sister’s heart begins to fail and her life fade away, a new heart or surgery are her only chances for survival—a chance no doctor is willing to take. Dr. Vieyra will risk everything he has and more for his sister. He will need the help of both old and new friends along with his mental ghosts if he is going to overcome the incredible obstacles that stand in his way.The clock is ticking. Will he be able to save his sister’s dead heart? What is he willing to risk?
Amazon
& Barnes & Noble Happy reading!!
October 23, 2012
Cover Reveal: Shadow of the Mark by Leigh Fallon
Hello, Therians!
Today I have the great pleasure of revealing the cover for Shadow of the Mark by Leigh Fallon!!
I won't keep you waiting...so here goes...drumroll please....
Ta-daaa!!
Isn't it beautiful!?! I really love the colors! And now, here's a little more about Shadow of the Mark... Life for Megan Rosenberg just got a lot more complicated.While she evoked the air element, and her feelings for Adam intensified, a web of lies, deceit, and betrayal has been spun around her. With the Order tightening its hold, and the reinstatement of the Mark Knights, Megan has more questions than answers as the Marked Ones grow in strength.New people arouse suspicion, the DeRises start behaving strangely, and Megan begins to unravel a destiny shrouded in mystery. It’s a destiny the Order has struggled to hide, and a destiny someone from the past…far in the past, has already laid claim to.
Shadow of the Mark is the second instalment in the Carrier series! I really loved Carrier of the Mark and I cannot wait for the release of Shadow of the Mark! I have followed Leigh Fallon's career ever since she appeared on Inkpop, and she is truly an inspiration to all aspiring authors. Especially those on Figment (previously Inkpop) as well as Authonomy!
About the Author:
I started out life in South Africa. A year later my parents moved home to Dublin, Ireland. When I was older and realized my parents had moved me from exotic Durban, to sedate Rathfarnham, Dublin 16, I was rightly ticked off.Giving up lions for sheep, I grew up in the foothills of the Dublin Mountains where I went to a convent school and had to contend with uniforms, gabardines, and nuns. When not dodging the beady glare of the Sisters of Mercy, I was devouring every book I could get my hands on.I traveled all over Europe while working in banking and treasury, but I gave up my calculator in favor of a keyboard and haven’t stopped writing since. My first book, Carrier of the Mark, was published by HarperTeen in 2011.Our home is in Cork in the south of Ireland, but we’re currently on loan to Massachusetts in the US where I continue to write books about magic, ghosts, and romance, with a bit of Irish flavor. What Leigh had to say about the cover: "I know, there's no mistaking it. This is definitely a Carrier Series cover, but that was the intention. After the amazing reception to the cover of Carrier of the Mark, HarperCollins wanted Shadow's cover to be instantly recognizable. And it is, but the new darker color palette reflects the darker tone that this installment brings, and the pink and purple really make it pop. I love it and think HarperCollins have done another amazing job. I hope you like it too."
Leigh Fallon can be found on Goodreads, Twitter & Facebook. You can also connect with her on her Blog or Website.
Shadow of the Mark is due to hit the shelves on the 9th July 2013 but you can pre-order it now on Amazon .And if you really cannot wait that long (I know I can't), Leigh is giving away one signed ARC of Shadow of the Mark, as well as a signed copy of Carrier of the Mark and some awesome swag!!
Just enter on the rafflecopter below for a chance to win!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Haven't read Carrier of the Mark??? Why not!!???
Get your copy today:
IndieBound
|
Amazon
|
Amazon UK
Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million
Book Depository
Or get the Carrier of the Mark audiobook:
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October 12, 2012
Blog Tour: Skating On The Edge by Joelle Charbonneau
Hello, Therians!
Welcome to the Skating on the Edge Blog Tour hosted by JKS Communications! Before I share this fantastic book with you, let's meet, Joelle Charbonneau, author of Skating on the Edge.
About the Author
One of the hardest working authors of today, Joelle Charbonneau will havehad seven books published by established publishing houses within just three
years.
She’s the author of two adult mystery series: The Rebecca Robbins mysteries (her latest, Skating on the Edge, releasing Oct. 2 from Minotaur Books) and the new Glee Club mystery series (Murder for Choir, July 3, Berkley Books). Charbonneau launches the first of her Graduation Day young adult trilogy in May 2013 from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children’s. Early readers are calling The Testing a mix between the high school ACT and The Hunger Games.
A storyteller at heart, Charbonneau has performed in a variety of opera and musical theatre productions across Chicagoland. In addition to her stage work, she has also performed with several bands and worked as a solo performer. She now teaches private voice lessons and uses her stage experience to create compelling characters in her books. She also gives lectures about surviving rejection in the entertainment industry.
Charbonneau earned her bachelor’s in vocal performance at Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois, and went on to DePaul University for her master’s in opera performance. The mother of a toddler, she hardly ever sleeps. And when she’s not writing, she’s either signing, cooking or watching sports.
Website: Joellecharbonneau.com
Author blog: Do Some Damage and The Stiletto Gang.
@jcharbonneau
Author Joelle Charbonneau
Joelle Chabonneau
I always love to find out how an author started out or what obstacles they had to overcome before being published. Aspiring authors are always looking for advice and some kind of guidelines to navigate this tough industry, so I am honored to have Joelle here today to share a bit about her journey.
Up, down and loop-da-loop. The publishing rollercoaster ride.
By: Joelle Charbonneau
The first time I sat down at my computer to type the opening of a novel, I never dreamed I’d attempt to publish it. I‘d always been a reader, not a writer. The decision to write was one of impulse. An idea for an opening line popped into my head and wouldn’t go away. So, I wrote it down. Then I wrote the next line. In between doing eight shows a week at the theater, I typed. Day after day. The pages added up. Soon I had 100. Then 200 and the number kept climbing. Finally, months after I began the adventure, I typed THE END!
I had scaled the proverbial mountain, come down the other side and felt fabulous about the effort. Was it the best book in the world? Hell no. In fact, I would say it was a not so great book. No one should read that book. Trust me. But the lack of greatness did not detract from the accomplishment. I had taken the roller coaster up the hill and ridden it down in triumph. Wheeee!
Of course, now that I had done that, I wanted to do it again and this time I hoped to write something the reading public might enjoy. So, I climbed back on the roller coaster, strapped myself in and once again started the climb. Wheeee!
I went up and down the hill 5 times before I received an offer of representation from an agent. Each climb went a little faster. A little smoother. Was more exciting on the way down because I had begun to understand the business of publishing. I understood how great an accomplishment it was to get to THE END. I was also submitting and receiving rejections, but hearing “no thanks” from publishers and agents didn’t bother me all that much. They were just bumps along the way. Part of the ride I had come to understand.
Or did I?
Once my agent signed me, the ride changed. The submission process became a much taller hill and the rejection drops more stomach wrenching. Then a publisher offered us a contract and the hills and valleys grew even taller and someone added a few loop-da-loops into the mix. Revisions. Reviews. Praise and pans. Nail-biting while hoping that someone at the publishing house believed in the series enough to offer another contract and keep it going.
Thankfully, they did. And other publishers offered to let me take their roller coaster for a spin. None of it has been easy. All of it has involved terror, hand wringing and the hope you arrive safely back in the station.
I thought I understood what the ride looked like when I climbed onto it. I was wrong. SKATING ON THE EDGE marks the 4thbook I have had published in just over 2 years. The one thing I have learned is that when I think I know how the ride is going to go, someone throws a loop into the mix. With each book the hill to create each book gets higher. The triumph after getting to the end is greater and the rest of the ride—well, I keep getting on the coaster because I’m dying to see how the ride will go.
Thank you, Joelle!!
Praise for SKATING OVER THE LINE
“Rebecca is a spunky, independent heroine. . . . [She] and the quirky secondary characters will appeal to Evanovich fans.”— Booklist
“A visit to Indian Falls is time superbly spent. Filled with delightful citizens, including grandfather Pop, an Elvis impersonator and hugely warm character, this loving close-knit
community embraces you from the first page. Joelle Charbonneau has a fresh and lively and insightful voice, and she has created characters we’d love as friends. This is a wonderfully fun read.”—Louise Penny, New York Times bestselling author of A Trick of the Light
Dear Reader,
Joelle Charbonneau skillfully blends murder with roller-skating to create a winning pair in SKATING ON THE EDGE (Minotaur Books; ISBN 978-0-312-60663-3; October 2, 2012; $25.99; Hardcover).
It’s Native American Summer Days in Indian Falls, and Rebecca Robbins is roped into taking a turn in the Senior Center dunk tank. That is, until her rhinestone-studded grandfather Pop needs help setting up his Elvis act. Minutes from climbing into the tank, Rebecca has to find a replacement. Roller derby girl Sherlene-n-Mean takes her place, and is promptly electrocuted and killed. It’s obvious to the police and Rebecca that this was no accident, and no one knows who the murderer’s intended target was. With Pop cheering her on and aided by a trio of self-appointed bodyguard derby girls, Rebecca digs for answers, dodges bullets, and races to find a killer.
Author Joelle Charbonneau has worked as a professional singer and actress, and is currently a private voice instructor. Her mother was a national and world champion roller-skater. Joelle lives with her husband and toddler son in Illinois.
Best regards,
Hector DeJean
Associate Director of Publicity
Minotaur Books
646-307-5560
hector.dejean@stmartins.com
( I received a copy of Skating on the Edge via JKS Communications for an honest, unbiased review. )
REVIEW
Let me start off by admitting that I haven't read the first two books in this series, but after having read Skating on the Edge, I most certainly will make a point of reading them!
Wow! This was such a fun and exciting story, and I quickly became engrossed in the lives of each and every character. Charbonneau has an easy writing style that helped me settle into the story from page one and it held on tight until the very end.
Rebecca Robbins is a strong MC who doesn't take an ounce of nonsense from anyone, especially resident Deputy, Sean Holmes. Even when she's fretting for her life, Rebecca puts on a brave front and goes about her usual business like nothing life-threatening has ever happened.
When Rebecca’s replacement at the dunk tank is murdered, the biggest question is who was the murderer’s real target – Rebecca or Sherlene-n-Mean? A series of deadly events made it clear who the killer was after…why, was still the elusive question. And, was the stunt at the dunk tank really supposed to have killed anyone?
I really enjoyed being with Rebecca every step of the way as she interrogated suspects, dug up clues, and pieced together the mystery.. Although a number of people had the means and ways, even the motive, there was never a time when one person stood out from the rest and I could actually say “Aha, it was so and so!” The mystery was kept alive throughout the story until the very end, making it feel like I was involved in a game of Cluedo!!
And then of course, as small towns go, there were many smaller dramas going on around the main mystery: The miraculous discovery of ancient native artifacts, Rebecca’s somewhat eccentric grandfather and his womanizing ways, her strange father who showed little to no interest in her, a phony psychic and a curse. But my favorite of all was the not so obvious love triangle. Rebecca clearly cares for Lionel and I wish there had been something more to solidify their relationship, one that I’ll get to know a bit more about once I read the first two books, but I have to agree with Erica, there were definitely sparks between Rebecca and Sean. They had great love/hate chemistry and I see it developing into a whole lot more as the series continues.
This was a fun, quick read, with many interesting characters and an even more captivating plot.
It gets…
Thank you to JKS Communications for giving me the opportunity to read and review Skating on the Edge.
Welcome to the Skating on the Edge Blog Tour hosted by JKS Communications! Before I share this fantastic book with you, let's meet, Joelle Charbonneau, author of Skating on the Edge.
About the Author
One of the hardest working authors of today, Joelle Charbonneau will havehad seven books published by established publishing houses within just threeyears.
She’s the author of two adult mystery series: The Rebecca Robbins mysteries (her latest, Skating on the Edge, releasing Oct. 2 from Minotaur Books) and the new Glee Club mystery series (Murder for Choir, July 3, Berkley Books). Charbonneau launches the first of her Graduation Day young adult trilogy in May 2013 from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children’s. Early readers are calling The Testing a mix between the high school ACT and The Hunger Games.
A storyteller at heart, Charbonneau has performed in a variety of opera and musical theatre productions across Chicagoland. In addition to her stage work, she has also performed with several bands and worked as a solo performer. She now teaches private voice lessons and uses her stage experience to create compelling characters in her books. She also gives lectures about surviving rejection in the entertainment industry.
Charbonneau earned her bachelor’s in vocal performance at Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois, and went on to DePaul University for her master’s in opera performance. The mother of a toddler, she hardly ever sleeps. And when she’s not writing, she’s either signing, cooking or watching sports.
Website: Joellecharbonneau.com
Author blog: Do Some Damage and The Stiletto Gang.
@jcharbonneau
Author Joelle Charbonneau
Joelle Chabonneau
I always love to find out how an author started out or what obstacles they had to overcome before being published. Aspiring authors are always looking for advice and some kind of guidelines to navigate this tough industry, so I am honored to have Joelle here today to share a bit about her journey.
Up, down and loop-da-loop. The publishing rollercoaster ride.
By: Joelle Charbonneau
The first time I sat down at my computer to type the opening of a novel, I never dreamed I’d attempt to publish it. I‘d always been a reader, not a writer. The decision to write was one of impulse. An idea for an opening line popped into my head and wouldn’t go away. So, I wrote it down. Then I wrote the next line. In between doing eight shows a week at the theater, I typed. Day after day. The pages added up. Soon I had 100. Then 200 and the number kept climbing. Finally, months after I began the adventure, I typed THE END!
I had scaled the proverbial mountain, come down the other side and felt fabulous about the effort. Was it the best book in the world? Hell no. In fact, I would say it was a not so great book. No one should read that book. Trust me. But the lack of greatness did not detract from the accomplishment. I had taken the roller coaster up the hill and ridden it down in triumph. Wheeee!
Of course, now that I had done that, I wanted to do it again and this time I hoped to write something the reading public might enjoy. So, I climbed back on the roller coaster, strapped myself in and once again started the climb. Wheeee!
I went up and down the hill 5 times before I received an offer of representation from an agent. Each climb went a little faster. A little smoother. Was more exciting on the way down because I had begun to understand the business of publishing. I understood how great an accomplishment it was to get to THE END. I was also submitting and receiving rejections, but hearing “no thanks” from publishers and agents didn’t bother me all that much. They were just bumps along the way. Part of the ride I had come to understand.
Or did I?
Once my agent signed me, the ride changed. The submission process became a much taller hill and the rejection drops more stomach wrenching. Then a publisher offered us a contract and the hills and valleys grew even taller and someone added a few loop-da-loops into the mix. Revisions. Reviews. Praise and pans. Nail-biting while hoping that someone at the publishing house believed in the series enough to offer another contract and keep it going.
Thankfully, they did. And other publishers offered to let me take their roller coaster for a spin. None of it has been easy. All of it has involved terror, hand wringing and the hope you arrive safely back in the station.
I thought I understood what the ride looked like when I climbed onto it. I was wrong. SKATING ON THE EDGE marks the 4thbook I have had published in just over 2 years. The one thing I have learned is that when I think I know how the ride is going to go, someone throws a loop into the mix. With each book the hill to create each book gets higher. The triumph after getting to the end is greater and the rest of the ride—well, I keep getting on the coaster because I’m dying to see how the ride will go.
Thank you, Joelle!!
Praise for SKATING OVER THE LINE
“Rebecca is a spunky, independent heroine. . . . [She] and the quirky secondary characters will appeal to Evanovich fans.”— Booklist
“A visit to Indian Falls is time superbly spent. Filled with delightful citizens, including grandfather Pop, an Elvis impersonator and hugely warm character, this loving close-knit
community embraces you from the first page. Joelle Charbonneau has a fresh and lively and insightful voice, and she has created characters we’d love as friends. This is a wonderfully fun read.”—Louise Penny, New York Times bestselling author of A Trick of the Light
Dear Reader,
Joelle Charbonneau skillfully blends murder with roller-skating to create a winning pair in SKATING ON THE EDGE (Minotaur Books; ISBN 978-0-312-60663-3; October 2, 2012; $25.99; Hardcover).
It’s Native American Summer Days in Indian Falls, and Rebecca Robbins is roped into taking a turn in the Senior Center dunk tank. That is, until her rhinestone-studded grandfather Pop needs help setting up his Elvis act. Minutes from climbing into the tank, Rebecca has to find a replacement. Roller derby girl Sherlene-n-Mean takes her place, and is promptly electrocuted and killed. It’s obvious to the police and Rebecca that this was no accident, and no one knows who the murderer’s intended target was. With Pop cheering her on and aided by a trio of self-appointed bodyguard derby girls, Rebecca digs for answers, dodges bullets, and races to find a killer.
Author Joelle Charbonneau has worked as a professional singer and actress, and is currently a private voice instructor. Her mother was a national and world champion roller-skater. Joelle lives with her husband and toddler son in Illinois.
Best regards,
Hector DeJean
Associate Director of Publicity
Minotaur Books
646-307-5560
hector.dejean@stmartins.com
( I received a copy of Skating on the Edge via JKS Communications for an honest, unbiased review. )
REVIEW
Let me start off by admitting that I haven't read the first two books in this series, but after having read Skating on the Edge, I most certainly will make a point of reading them!
Wow! This was such a fun and exciting story, and I quickly became engrossed in the lives of each and every character. Charbonneau has an easy writing style that helped me settle into the story from page one and it held on tight until the very end.
Rebecca Robbins is a strong MC who doesn't take an ounce of nonsense from anyone, especially resident Deputy, Sean Holmes. Even when she's fretting for her life, Rebecca puts on a brave front and goes about her usual business like nothing life-threatening has ever happened.
When Rebecca’s replacement at the dunk tank is murdered, the biggest question is who was the murderer’s real target – Rebecca or Sherlene-n-Mean? A series of deadly events made it clear who the killer was after…why, was still the elusive question. And, was the stunt at the dunk tank really supposed to have killed anyone?
I really enjoyed being with Rebecca every step of the way as she interrogated suspects, dug up clues, and pieced together the mystery.. Although a number of people had the means and ways, even the motive, there was never a time when one person stood out from the rest and I could actually say “Aha, it was so and so!” The mystery was kept alive throughout the story until the very end, making it feel like I was involved in a game of Cluedo!!
And then of course, as small towns go, there were many smaller dramas going on around the main mystery: The miraculous discovery of ancient native artifacts, Rebecca’s somewhat eccentric grandfather and his womanizing ways, her strange father who showed little to no interest in her, a phony psychic and a curse. But my favorite of all was the not so obvious love triangle. Rebecca clearly cares for Lionel and I wish there had been something more to solidify their relationship, one that I’ll get to know a bit more about once I read the first two books, but I have to agree with Erica, there were definitely sparks between Rebecca and Sean. They had great love/hate chemistry and I see it developing into a whole lot more as the series continues.
This was a fun, quick read, with many interesting characters and an even more captivating plot.
It gets…
Thank you to JKS Communications for giving me the opportunity to read and review Skating on the Edge.
October 7, 2012
Blog Tour: The Star Dwellers by David Estes
Hello, Therians!!
Well, once again, I'm excited to be sharing news of the amazing, The Dwellers Saga by David Estes.
A little while ago I was honored to be included in the cover reveal for The Star Dwellers, the second book in this exciting dystopian series, and today I'm even more honored to be able to give you all a sneak peek into just how amazing this book is.
But first, just in case you've forgotten, here's the awesome cover and synopsis :)
After rescuing her father and younger sister, Adele is forced to leave her family and Tristan behind to find her mother in the cruel and dangerous realm of the star dwellers.
Amidst blossoming feelings for Adele, Tristan must cast his feelings aside and let her find her own way amongst the star dwellers, while he accompanies Adele's father to meet with the leaders of the moon dwellers and decide the fate of the Tri-Realms.
Will Adele be able to rescue her mother and make it back to the Moon Realm before the President and the sun dweller soldiers destroy her family?
Can Tristan convince the moon dweller puppets of the error of their ways?
Was Adele's lost kiss with Tristan her one and only chance at love?
In her world there's only one rule: Someone must die
Excerpt taken from Chapter One of The Star Dwellers.
Chapter One
Adele
Tawni shrugs and keeps walking. Having no other choice, I do the same. That’s when I hear it.
At first a soft tinkle, the noise becomes louder, a swishing—and then a gurgle. Water, has to be. Tawni looks at me and we both smile. The map was right!
For only the second time since we entered this godforsaken tunnel, the monotony is broken as the passage opens up to our left. The right wall remains straight and solid, but to the left there is an empty darkness. I feel cool air waft against my face, ruffling my hair. At our feet is water, lapping against the edge of the tunnel floor.
We go a little crazy. Or maybe just I do. Letting out a Whoop! I sling down my pack and thrust my cupped hands into the cool liquid. First I throw a handful into my face. My breath catches as the icy water splashes over my skin. But I don’t shiver—it feels wonderful. It’s like the water is healing me, rejuvenating more than just my skin: refreshing my soul. The wet drips off my chin and dribbles down my neck and beneath the neckline of my tunic. It feels so good I can’t help myself.
With no room in my mind left for embarrassment, or modesty, I pull my tunic over my head and toss it aside, leaving just my undergarments. Oh, and my shoes, too, which I pull off, along with my socks. I leave my flashlight angled on a rock so I can see.
I splash into the knee-deep water, relishing the soft caress of the cooling elixir. The lake bed is covered with long, smooth rocks that massage my sore feet. As I scoop water onto my arms, stomach, and legs, I remember a story my grandmother used to tell me about the Fountain of Youth, a pool of water with life-extending power. The cool touch of this pool feels equally potent, and I half-expect to see myself growing shorter, shrinking to reveal a younger me, the size of my half-pint sister perhaps.
I don’t shrink, but I am cleansed. When I turn around, Tawni is grinning. She tosses me a sliver of soap, which I manage to juggle and then catch. As I use it to wash my body, she methodically uncaps each canteen and fills them. She is the responsible one.
Seeing her with the canteens reminds me of the hungry thirst in my throat. I finish with the soap and hand it to Tawni to use. She is already undressed and daintily steps into the pool, looking as graceful as a dancer, particularly when compared to my own clumsy entrance.
I turn around and splash some more water on my face.
“Where’d you get that scar on your back?” Tawni asks.
Looking over my shoulder, trying to gaze at my back, I say, “What scar?”
She moves closer, places a hand on my back, and I shiver, suddenly feeling cold. Her fingers linger somewhere near the center of my back, where I can’t possibly see, just below my undergarments. “Curious,” she says absently.
“What is it?”
“It’s a crescent-shaped scar, small, but slightly raised off your skin. It looks like a recent scar…”
“Maybe I got it in the tunnels somewhere—or from Rivet,” I say, but I know that’s not right—there would have been blood, and someone would have noticed the wound seeping through my tunic.
“No, it’s not that fresh. Just looks like it’s from something that happened in the last few years. If I didn’t know better, I’d say it looks just like…”
I turn to face my friend, taking in her quizzical expression in an instant. “Like what?” I ask when she doesn’t finish her statement.
“Nothing, I don’t know what I was thinking,” she says unconvincingly.
“You were going to say ‘Tristan’s scar’, weren’t you?” I laugh. “You’re nuts, you know that?”
She laughs high and musical. “And you’re not?”
I grin at her and cup my hands, once more using them as a scoop to lift a portion of water to my face. As I open my mouth to receive the glorious liquid, I see Tawni’s face change from mirthful to one of confusion. It looks like she’s playing with something in her mouth, moving her tongue around, side to side. Her eyebrows are lowered. I plunge the water into my mouth, delighting in the slick feel as it slips over my tongue, down my gullet.
“Ahh,” I murmur softly, just before Tawni grabs my arm. Her eyes are wide—she is scared. “What?” I say.
“Spit it out!” Tawni shrieks. Now I am the confused one. “Spit it out!” she says again, reaching around and thumping me on the back.
“I can’t,” I say over her shoulder. “I’ve already swallowed it.”
Tawni releases me and says, “No, no, no, no…this is not good.”
That’s when I taste it. Something’s not right about the water. Like Tawni, I make a face, swish some spit around in my mouth. Overall, the water was refreshing, delicious even, but the aftertaste is not good. The water is…. “Contaminated?” I say.
Tawni nods slowly. “I think so.”
Not good.
As kids, all moon dwellers are taught to look for the signs of contaminated water. Strange coloring, frothy film on the top, a unique odor, strange taste: All are possible clues that the water is not good to drink. At home we used a testing agent every four hours to check our water. If the water turns blue when combined with the agent, it is okay. If it turns green or brown, your water is bad. Even if we had the stuff we needed to test the water, it is too late. We’ve drunk it.
I peer into the water. It looks okay. No film, no discoloring, no malodor. The nasty aftertaste might just be a result of trace metals in the water, picked up somewhere along its winding path through the depths. I doubt we’re that lucky.
“What do you think it is?” I ask. There are a lot of dangers associated with drinking bad water. In mild cases, you might just get a bad case of diarrhea or perhaps light vomiting, but there are many worse diseases and viruses that can be picked up, too. Like…
“Bat Flu,” Tawni says.
“What? No. I doubt it. Can’t be. Why do you think that?” Bat Flu is the worst of the worst. Infected bats release their infected droppings into a water source, which then becomes infected. The symptoms of Bat Flu are numerous and awful: severe stomach cramps; cold sweats and hot flashes in conjunction with high fever; mind-numbing headaches; relentless muscle aches; hallucinations; and in many cases, death. There was a mild outbreak at my school in Year Three. Four kids, a dog, and one of their parents got the Flu. The only one that survived was the dog.
Tawni steps out of the water, leaving a trail of drips behind her. She picks up the flashlight and shines it across the pool. I follow the yellow light until it stops on the far wall, which is pockmarked with dozens of small caves. Bat caves. “That’s why,” she says.
I feel a surge of bile in my throat as I see piles of dark bat poo littered at the tunnel mouths. Each time the bats emerge from the caves, they will knock the piles into the water with the flap of their wings. Evidently, they’re sleeping now—the caves are silent.
I choke down the bitter, acidic taste in my mouth and say, “But this is a key watering hole for an inter-Realm thoroughfare. It’s even on the map.” My words don’t change anything. The water is likely contaminated. I don’t want to be in denial. I just need to deal with what has happened as best I can. My mother always told me to “face the truth with grim determination and a smile on your face.” I’m not sure about the smile. “Okay, let’s assume it’s contaminated. We need to vomit it out, Tawni. Now!”
Without watching to see what Tawni does, I stick two fingers down my throat, gagging immediately, the stomach fire rising so fast I can barely get my hand out of my mouth before I spew all over myself. I retch, gag, cough twice, spit as much of the vile liquid from my mouth as possible. At my feet, my own vomit is floating around my ankles. At my side, Tawni is throwing up, too.
Clenching my abs, I say, “We’re both going to get very sick. But we’ll get through it together.”
“What do we do?” Tawni asks, her voice rising precariously high. Her lips are tight. I’m afraid she might lose it. Since I met her, Tawni has always been strong, even when her best friend was viciously murdered. But now she looks seriously freaked out. She must’ve seen firsthand what the Bat Flu can do to someone.
“Who do you know that had the Flu?” I ask, stepping out of the bile-choked water, Tawni flitting out next to me. We are still filthy, but there’s not much we can do about it now.
Tawni’s eyes flick to mine and then back to the water, to the bat droppings. “My cousin,” she says.
“What happened?”
“She passed.”
“That’s not going to happen to us.”
“It was awful.”
“Tawni.”
Her eyes dart back to mine and stick this time.
“We’re going to be fine,” I say. “Stay with me.”
Tawni’s steel-blue eyes get steelier, and then, after reaching a hardness level I’d never seen in them before, soften, returning to their soft blue. “Right. We’ll be okay,” she says, almost to herself.
I take the soap from Tawni and chuck it, along with the two canteens, across the pool. They clatter off the far wall and plunk beneath the surface.
“We should dry off with our dirty tunics and then chuck them away, too,” I say.
Although it’s kind of gross soaking up the water with our filthy old clothes, we both do it because we have to. It’s the nature of things in our world. Out of necessity you have to do a lot of things you don’t want to do. I wonder if it was the same in the old world, before Armageddon, before Year Zero.
When we are dry and our old clothes have been thrown into the foul water, we each don one of the fresh tunics from our packs. It feels good—the simple act of putting on clean clothes. It’s like a rebirth, a second chance, a new beginning. At least usually. This time neither of us wants to turn the page on our story. But like so many things in life, we have no choice.
“How far to the Star Realm?” I ask.
“We’re in the Star Realm now, technically.”
“But how far to the first subchapter? Subchapter 30, right?”
Tawni consults the map. “Yeah, first we’ll hit subchapter 30. I’d say at least a twelve-hour hike if we move fast.”
“We’ve got to make it in eight,” I say.
Exciting, right??!! Well, trust me when I say it just keeps getting better! Don't hestitate, get your copy of The Star Dwellers today! Ebook- Kindle, Nook, SmashwordsPrint- AmazonHaven't read, The Moon Dwellers? Get your copy here, and see where it all began!
Ebook- Kindle, Nook, SmashwordsPrint- Amazon
Early praise for The Star Dwellers
“Estes´s creative genius continues to shine in this installment. We get quite a few questions answered and more are raised.”Author Christie Rich “This is easily becoming one of the best dystopian books I've read.”Lolita Goodreads"The Star Dwellers surpassed all of my expectations and more. I was just completely amazed and thrown back into this fantastic world and left dying to know what will happen next."Kayleigh Goodread
Early praise for the author
“David Estes you are a genius! This book kept me on the edge of my seat. I felt such intense emotion to the main characters and their cause.”Tina Donelly Goodreads“Another fantastic book by David Estes that had me gripped straight away”Adele GoodreadsAbout the author
David Estes was born in El Paso, Texas but moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania when he was very young. He grew up in Pittsburgh and then went to Penn State for college. Eventually moved to Sydney, Australia where he met his wife. A reader all his life, he began writing novels for the children's and YA markets in 2010. He´s a writer with OCD, a love of dancing and singing (but only when no one is looking or listening), a mad-skilled ping-pong player, and prefers writing at the swimming pool to writing at a table
Author of the Evolution Trilogy
http://davidestesbooks.blogspot.comhttp://www.facebook.com/pages/David-Estes/130864990343920
https://twitter.com/#!/davidestesbooks
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3167424.David_Estes
Check out all the blogs on the Tour for more exciting news about The Star Dwellers. You may even be the lucky winner of your very own copy of this amazing book!!
Blog Tour Schedule!!
Oct 1st Maghon http://www.magluvsya03.wordpress.com
Author Info, Book Blurb, Cover & Giveaway (The Star Dwellers paperback)
Oct 2nd
Terri My Book Boyfriend. http://Mybookboyfriend.blogspot.com
Excerpt from The Star Dwellers
Oct 3rd
Zuleeza http://zue-leysza.blogspot.com.au/
Review & Giveaway
Oct 4th
Alana http://darkobsessionchronicles.blogsp...
Interview and Character Bio (Adele)
Oct 5th
Rachel http://www.moosubi.blogspot.com/
Guest post by David Estes
Oct 6th
Kayleigh http://k-booksxo.blogspot.co.uk/
Review & Giveaway
Oct 7th
Roxy Kade http://roxykade.blogspot.com.-
Excerpt from The Star Dwellers
Oct 8th
Alana http://www.passionatebookdivas.com/
Character Bio (Tristan)
Oct 9th
Martha http://theshortone08.blogspot.com/
Review
Oct 10th
Katrina http://www.athousand-lives.blogspot.c...
Character Guest Post
Oct 11th
Jennifer http://randomjendsmit.blogspot.com
Review
Oct 12th
April Http://myparanormalbookreview.blogspo...
Character Bio (Tawni)
Oct 13th
Marni http://wordtodreams.blogspot.com/
Guest post by David Estes
Oct 14th
Shieka http://doctorsnotes-shy.blogspot.com
Review
Oct 15th
Tana http://tana-someofmyfavoritebooks.blo...
Excerpt from The Star Dwellers
Oct 16th
The Cover Contessa http://thecovercontessa.blogspot.com
Interview & Review
Oct 17th
Laurice http://lauricewithlove.blogspot.com/
Character Guest Post
Oct 18th
Marissa http://beneaththemoonandstars.blogspo...
Character Bio (Roc)
Oct 19th
Think http://thinksbooks.blogspot.com
Review and closing giveaway (paperback of The Moon Dwellers and The Star Dwellers)
October 6, 2012
Blog Tour & Giveaway: 2:32am by Emily Ford - Author Interview
Hello, Therians!
Welcome to my third day on the 2:32am Blog Tour with Giveaway, hosted by JKS Communications! 2:32am is the first book in the Djinn Master's Legacy trilogy by Emily Ford.
Don't forget to check out the giveaway at the end of the post for your chance to win a copy of 2:32am!! ( US Only )
BOOK DETAILS
Paperback, $8.99ISBN: 9780988404601eBook, $5.99ISBN: 9780615601694YA fiction, 329 pagesOctober 1, 2012
SYNOPSIS
In the early morning hours nearing her 17th birthday, Cat Townsend woke to the sudden blur of a mysterious unknown man sitting on the edge of her bed. She did not feel fear – rather a strange calmness overtook her. In an instant their eyes locked, he lightly touched her hand, and then he disappeared into the nothingness of night.
Caught in that undefined place between asleep and awake, the moment felt hazy and surreal. A chill ran down Cat’s spine as she glances at the time – it’s 2:32 a.m.
What unfolds in the first book of The Djinn Master’s Legacy trilogy, is young Cat’s personal struggle with the overwhelming choice to accept a destiny of magic. As she contemplates the merits of unparalleled power, her new and ordinary world in Savannah, Georgia is understandably shaken. The closer her decision gets, the more twisted her life with family, friends and boyfriend becomes. Will she choose to give up everything she cherishes?
Find out, in 2:32 A.M. The time everything happens.
You've already met, Cat Townsend, now let me introduce you to, Emily Ford, the talent behind this exciting new series.Hi Emily,Thank you for taking the time to join us for a Q & A session!1. Tell us a bit more about yourself. Well let's see...I'm a mom, daughter, sister, aunt, friend, tennis partner, sports-aholic, taxi driver, short-order cook, Starbucks addict, fundraiser, reader, ice cream aficionado, world traveler, storyteller (big and small), klutz, animal lover and closet 'The Voice' fanatic. Did that cover it?2. Describe yourself in three words. Impossible!3. What do you do when you are not writing? Procrastinating probably. I'm easily distracted by beautiful weather and a pair of sneakers.4. What five things do you never leave home without? Hopefully my purse and keys, but also my computer, gum, pink lip gloss and a sweater.5. Who/what inspired you to write your first novel? My kids! We told awesome bedtime stories that couldn't be forgotten.6. What has been your most rewarding experience on the road to being published? Finishing the series. 7. What is the best piece of advice you have been given as an author? Find your voice and stick with it. 8. What advice would you give to aspiring authors? Find your voice and stick with it.9. Who are your favorite authors to read? There are way too many to list. But all time favoriteswould have to include classics like: Dr. Seuss for his absolute brilliance, J.R.R Tolkein for his imagery and description, and Margaret Mitchell for the gift of history in Gone With The Wind. But others include Agatha Christie, Harold Robbins, Dean Koontz, Robert Ludlum, and the amazing storytelling ability of JK Rowling, who gave a new generation of readers the gift of holding a book in their hands.10. How did you come up with the idea for 2:32am? The idea began as a bedtime story for my kids, and as all my stories, started with "There once was a girl/boy named__________". All the tales I ever told were about real kids in real situations, usually scary for my son, and more adventurous for my daughter. The story and plot twists would emerge as I went along and were never preconceived. Such as 2:32 AM came about. So in the end I'd say, the story more or less, wrote itself.11. Are any of the characters based on someone you know? Not any one person, but probably a conglomeration of several people I've known.12. Who is your favorite character, and why? As the creator of each personality, the only fair answer is "all of them". Seriously, I'm so connected to each of them they feel very real to me. In fact, if I see someone walking down the street that physically resembles someone, I have this instant where I'm tempted to say something. Thank goodness I don't. That would be creepy.There are however, those characters I wish I could know. I'd love to meet Finnegan, say over brandy with a roaring fireplace nearby and listen to some of his tales. No doubt I wish I had his wisdom...13. Which chapter was the most enjoyable/memorable to write, and why? The ending. It's memorable, as in nightmare! It's impossible for me to know where, and when to stop. Thank goodness for amazing Editors. Sometimes you just have to be told what to do!14. Are you working on any special projects at the moment? Books 2 and 3. They're just itching to get out!15. Where can readers stalk you? Links to my social networking sites etc. can be found in my bio below.
About the Author
Debut novelist Emily Ford has always been a storyteller. As a kid at summer camp in Maine, she’d make up ghost stories at bedtime for her fellow bunkmates.
Her Djinn Master’s Legacy trilogy also began as a simple bedtime story, intended for Ford’s then adolescent children to have in writing and use to tell their own kids one day. By the time she finished writing, she had three very full books.2:32 a.m., Ford’s first installment of her young adult series, caught early readers’ attention as a fiction book minus the typical vampire and werewolf characters.
The Texas writer interned each summer with KHOU-TV in Houston while gaining her bachelor’s degree in radio and television at The University of Arizona. She worked on the copy desk at The Dallas Morning News, and eventually started the marketing company KapsMark, Inc.
Website: EmilyFordAuthor.com
@DjinnMstrLegacy
The Djinn Master's Legacy
Emily Ford
a Rafflecopter giveaway
October 5, 2012
Blog Tour & Giveaway: 2:32am by Emily Ford - Character Interview with Cat Townsend
Hello, Therians!
Welcome to my second day on the 2:32am Blog Tour with Giveaway, hosted by JKS Communications! 2:32am is the first book in the Djinn Master's Legacy trilogy by Emily Ford.
Don't forget to check out the giveaway at the end of the post for your chance to win a copy of 2:32am!! ( US Only )
BOOK DETAILS
Paperback, $8.99ISBN: 9780988404601eBook, $5.99ISBN: 9780615601694YA fiction, 329 pagesOctober 1, 2012 SYNOPSIS
In the early morning hours nearing her 17th birthday, Cat Townsend woke to the sudden blur of a mysterious unknown man sitting on the edge of her bed. She did not feel fear – rather a strange calmness overtook her. In an instant their eyes locked, he lightly touched her hand, and then he disappeared into the nothingness of night.
Caught in that undefined place between asleep and awake, the moment felt hazy and surreal. A chill ran down Cat’s spine as she glances at the time – it’s 2:32 a.m.
What unfolds in the first book of The Djinn Master’s Legacy trilogy, is young Cat’s personal struggle with the overwhelming choice to accept a destiny of magic. As she contemplates the merits of unparalleled power, her new and ordinary world in Savannah, Georgia is understandably shaken. The closer her decision gets, the more twisted her life with family, friends and boyfriend becomes. Will she choose to give up everything she cherishes?
Find out, in 2:32 A.M. The time everything happens.
Yesterday, Cat gave her thoughts on heartache, specifically her own, so I thought I’d invite her back today to ask her a few questions about her current situation and how being a genie has changed her life.Hi Cat,Thank you for joining me today!1. You’ve had quite a year! How have you adjusted to your new life? Has it been as simple as Finnegan made it out to be, or do you find that leading a normal mortal life isn’t so easy whilst keeping such a huge secret? Well first, Finnegan never said being a Genie was easy. In fact, he was very honest about how difficult this life would be. Everything is new to me still, but so far, nothing has been simple. Keeping the secrets from my family and Todd has been by far the hardest part. That’s why I broke down and told Hayden. I’m so relieved that at least he knows the truth. 2. Would you ever consider letting your friends and the rest of your family in on the truth, even if it means losing them? I’m not sure. Telling Hayden and watching him freak out is not an experience I want to duplicate. But I’ve learned never to say never. 3. Speaking of family – how is Hayden? I have to admit I have a bit of a crush on him *blushes* Has your relationship changed in any way since he found out about you becoming a genie? And has he accepted your choice to be with Rolf rather than Todd? Hayden is great! Well it’s only been a short time since he found out, and I think he’s trying to adapt to all that my being a genie entails. I know it’s not easy to process…and I hate the way he found out! I never wanted to shock him like that. No—I don’t think Hayden will ever accept my relationship with Rolf. Todd’s his best friend…4. I know it must have been difficult choosing between Todd and Rolf! You had such amazing chemistry with them both. If you had confided in Todd and he had accepted your destiny, and of course if there wasn’t the whole “life partner” thing, would you still have chosen Rolf over him? That’s a good question, a tough one. “shrugs” If you remove all the obstacles we face about my being a genie and base our relationship solely on natural love, Todd might have a leg up on Rolf, simply because he knows me so well. But that’s not my reality. In my world, Rolf is the one who totally gets me. He understands more about who I am than I do, and that’s a powerful connection. Not to mention, he’s so totally hot. 5. Your final vision, what do you make of it? Has in made you question your choices in any way? I question every choice I make. Billions of times.6. Finnegan was a very wise djinn, what was the one most important thing you learnt from him? There have been so many things, it’s impossible to pick one. However, if I must it would be patience. I’m not patient at all right now, but I guess it comes easier in time. Living for eternity will teach me that I’m sure. 7. With Valentine out of the way, do you still think there is any danger? I mean, Cue’s last remark was definitely threatening. Do you think he’d come after you to avenge her death? Rolf has assured me there will always be danger in the genie world. Either from Cue or someone else. Okay I think that’s enough seriousness from one day, let’s end this conversation on a lighter note. 8. With all the magical abilities that you have acquired. What is the best and why? Are you kidding? The power of time manipulation is the coolest. Being able to take back what you say, speed things up, slow things down, go forward – nothing beats that.9. Have you ever been tempted, even for one second, to zap someone with magic if they have done something to upset you or hurt you in any way? (I know I certainly would have) *gives a wicked grin* I’ve only had my powers for a short time, so I’ve been good so far….Hahaha! Thank you so much for taking the time to answer a few questions. I wish you the best of luck in your new life, and I hope your heart finds the solace it deserves with the one you’re truly destined to be with.
About the Author
Debut novelist Emily Ford has always been a storyteller. As a kid at summer camp in Maine, she’d make up ghost stories at bedtime for her fellow bunkmates.
Her Djinn Master’s Legacy trilogy also began as a simple bedtime story, intended for Ford’s then adolescent children to have in writing and use to tell their own kids one day. By the time she finished writing, she had three very full books. 2:32 a.m., Ford’s first installment of her young adult series, caught early readers’ attention as a fiction book minus the typical vampire and werewolf characters.
The Texas writer interned each summer with KHOU-TV in Houston while gaining her bachelor’s degree in radio and television at The University of Arizona. She worked on the copy desk at The Dallas Morning News, and eventually started the marketing company KapsMark, Inc.
Website: EmilyFordAuthor.com
@DjinnMstrLegacy
The Djinn Master's Legacy
Emily Ford
a Rafflecopter giveaway
October 4, 2012
Blog Tour & Giveaway: 2:32am by Emily Ford - Cat Townsend Guest Post
Hello, Therians!
Welcome to the 2:32am Blog Tour with Giveaway, hosted by JKS Communications! 2:32am is the first book in the Djinn Master's Legacy trilogy by Emily Ford.
BOOK DETAILS
Paperback, $8.99ISBN: 9780988404601eBook, $5.99ISBN: 9780615601694YA fiction, 329 pagesOctober 1, 2012
SYNOPSIS In the early morning hours nearing her 17th birthday, Cat Townsend woke to the sudden blur of a mysterious unknown man sitting on the edge of her bed. She did not feel fear – rather a strange calmness overtook her. In an instant their eyes locked, he lightly touched her hand, and then he disappeared into the nothingness of night. Caught in that undefined place between asleep and awake, the moment felt hazy and surreal. A chill ran down Cat’s spine as she glances at the time – it’s 2:32 a.m. What unfolds in the first book of The Djinn Master’s Legacy trilogy, is young Cat’s personal struggle with the overwhelming choice to accept a destiny of magic. As she contemplates the merits of unparalleled power, her new and ordinary world in Savannah, Georgia is understandably shaken. The closer her decision gets, the more twisted her life with family, friends and boyfriend becomes. Will she choose to give up everything she cherishes? Find out, in 2:32 A.M. The time everything happens. I don't want to say too much about this book, you'll have to wait for my review a little later this week, but it's a definite must read for all readers who love a good love triangle. Cat Townsend is a really sweet character whose life turns flip side up and she is forced to make many difficult decisions. Today Cat is here to shed some light on the heartbreak and emotions that rocked her in the first instalment of this series.
Hey, Cat Townsend here!
Let’s talk heartbreak.
I know, I know…you think I have no room to talk since getting caught up in a love triangle is just about the most stupid thing a girl can do. But I’m not the only one in history to ever find herself caught in a mess like this.
Look no further than some of the greatest love affairs ever -- Cleopatra, Julius Caesar and Marc Anthony, or Queen Guinevere, King Arthur and Sir Lancelot! Add to that the fictitious but no less enticing love between Scarlett O’Hara, Rhett Butler and Ashley Wilkes. I would say I’m in rather good, if not uncomfortable company.
But try explaining how it’s even possible to have such enormous feelings for two different guys to my close friends or family. It’s like speaking a different language. No one can understand this kind of love. (Not even me).
I look back and try to pinpoint the exact moment I knew I was in love with both guys, and I can’t. Not really. The depths of my emotion for Todd and Rolf just slammed me. And I’ll never really be able to let go.
And that’s what sucks.
For now I’ve chosen Rolf. But in my heart of hearts – the place I’m too afraid to go…I know I can’t let go of Todd. Not fully. That’s the worst part of heartache. He’s a part of me, woven into my soul. And the entire not-being-able-to-trust myself around him feeling that I get if I see him, or think I’ll see him, will be there always.
For the rest of my life.
And that unfortunately is going to be a really, really long time.
Bye for now.
Awww, my heart just breaks for her. Really, once you read this book you will know why I say that and exactly why Cat is so torn!
About the Author Debut novelist Emily Ford has always been a storyteller. As a kid at summer camp in Maine, she’d make up ghost stories at bedtime for her fellow bunkmates. Her Djinn Master’s Legacy trilogy also began as a simple bedtime story, intended for Ford’s then adolescent children to have in writing and use to tell their own kids one day. By the time she finished writing, she had three very full books. 2:32 a.m., Ford’s first installment of her young adult series, caught early readers’ attention as a fiction book minus the typical vampire and werewolf characters. The Texas writer interned each summer with KHOU-TV in Houston while gaining her bachelor’s degree in radio and television at The University of Arizona. She worked on the copy desk at The Dallas Morning News, and eventually started the marketing company KapsMark, Inc.
Website: EmilyFordAuthor.com
@DjinnMstrLegacy
The Djinn Master's Legacy
Emily Ford
And now onto the giveaway!! (US Only)
One lucky winner will get a copy of 2:32am :) All you have to do is enter using the rafflecopter below!!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Welcome to the 2:32am Blog Tour with Giveaway, hosted by JKS Communications! 2:32am is the first book in the Djinn Master's Legacy trilogy by Emily Ford.
BOOK DETAILS
Paperback, $8.99ISBN: 9780988404601eBook, $5.99ISBN: 9780615601694YA fiction, 329 pagesOctober 1, 2012
SYNOPSIS In the early morning hours nearing her 17th birthday, Cat Townsend woke to the sudden blur of a mysterious unknown man sitting on the edge of her bed. She did not feel fear – rather a strange calmness overtook her. In an instant their eyes locked, he lightly touched her hand, and then he disappeared into the nothingness of night. Caught in that undefined place between asleep and awake, the moment felt hazy and surreal. A chill ran down Cat’s spine as she glances at the time – it’s 2:32 a.m. What unfolds in the first book of The Djinn Master’s Legacy trilogy, is young Cat’s personal struggle with the overwhelming choice to accept a destiny of magic. As she contemplates the merits of unparalleled power, her new and ordinary world in Savannah, Georgia is understandably shaken. The closer her decision gets, the more twisted her life with family, friends and boyfriend becomes. Will she choose to give up everything she cherishes? Find out, in 2:32 A.M. The time everything happens. I don't want to say too much about this book, you'll have to wait for my review a little later this week, but it's a definite must read for all readers who love a good love triangle. Cat Townsend is a really sweet character whose life turns flip side up and she is forced to make many difficult decisions. Today Cat is here to shed some light on the heartbreak and emotions that rocked her in the first instalment of this series.
Hey, Cat Townsend here!
Let’s talk heartbreak.
I know, I know…you think I have no room to talk since getting caught up in a love triangle is just about the most stupid thing a girl can do. But I’m not the only one in history to ever find herself caught in a mess like this.
Look no further than some of the greatest love affairs ever -- Cleopatra, Julius Caesar and Marc Anthony, or Queen Guinevere, King Arthur and Sir Lancelot! Add to that the fictitious but no less enticing love between Scarlett O’Hara, Rhett Butler and Ashley Wilkes. I would say I’m in rather good, if not uncomfortable company.
But try explaining how it’s even possible to have such enormous feelings for two different guys to my close friends or family. It’s like speaking a different language. No one can understand this kind of love. (Not even me).
I look back and try to pinpoint the exact moment I knew I was in love with both guys, and I can’t. Not really. The depths of my emotion for Todd and Rolf just slammed me. And I’ll never really be able to let go.
And that’s what sucks.
For now I’ve chosen Rolf. But in my heart of hearts – the place I’m too afraid to go…I know I can’t let go of Todd. Not fully. That’s the worst part of heartache. He’s a part of me, woven into my soul. And the entire not-being-able-to-trust myself around him feeling that I get if I see him, or think I’ll see him, will be there always.
For the rest of my life.
And that unfortunately is going to be a really, really long time.
Bye for now.
Awww, my heart just breaks for her. Really, once you read this book you will know why I say that and exactly why Cat is so torn!
About the Author Debut novelist Emily Ford has always been a storyteller. As a kid at summer camp in Maine, she’d make up ghost stories at bedtime for her fellow bunkmates. Her Djinn Master’s Legacy trilogy also began as a simple bedtime story, intended for Ford’s then adolescent children to have in writing and use to tell their own kids one day. By the time she finished writing, she had three very full books. 2:32 a.m., Ford’s first installment of her young adult series, caught early readers’ attention as a fiction book minus the typical vampire and werewolf characters. The Texas writer interned each summer with KHOU-TV in Houston while gaining her bachelor’s degree in radio and television at The University of Arizona. She worked on the copy desk at The Dallas Morning News, and eventually started the marketing company KapsMark, Inc.
Website: EmilyFordAuthor.com
@DjinnMstrLegacy
The Djinn Master's Legacy
Emily Ford
And now onto the giveaway!! (US Only)
One lucky winner will get a copy of 2:32am :) All you have to do is enter using the rafflecopter below!!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
October 3, 2012
Something Wicked Comes Giveaway Hop
I am super excited to be a part of this awesome blog tour/giveaway hop!!
A big thank you to the hosts
Rainy Day Ramblings
&
Babbling About Books
for organising such a fun event!!
October has to be my favorite month of the year because it means Halloween has arrived!
I love this ghoulish holiday!!
Although we don't go all out with celebrations here in South Africa, I still enjoy the festivities, and it means there will be plenty of bloody, scary movies on the telly :)
Now onto the reason we're here!
If you haven't heard of the amazingly talented, Candace Knoebel, and her debut novel Born in Flames, then where have you been for the last few weeks??!!
The minute I laid eyes on the cover for this book I fell in love, and I kept on falling as I read it. It truly is one of my favorite books of the year and that is why I am showcasing it for this hop. I think the world needs to sit up and take notice of Born in Flames!
As one of this year’s most anticipated releases, it has been met with rave reviews (read them on Goodreads.), adding a unique and refreshing voice to the YA Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy genre. Debut author, Candace Knoebel, was signed to 48fourteen Publishing, in December of 2011.
Juanita Samborski, of 48fourteen says, “Candace Knoebel's debut novel, Born in Flames, is captivating young adult novel, perfect for all ages. Each character has a striking, well-developed personality. Aurora, in her search to find herself and in her struggle with the decision to step into a world unknown to her, takes you on a thrilling adventure. Knoebel's words pull you to the edge of your seat as the first kiss between Aurora and Fenn lingers between the words. Knoebel takes you on an emotional journey that tugs at the heart as Aurora falls in love, discovers where she is from, what she is capable of, and rises above with such strength and determination that is inspiring. Knoebel paints a vivid picture with her words, as you click to the first page, you will enter the world she has created in Born in Flames.”
Praise for Candace Knoebel and Born In Flames:
“Born in Flames is SMOKIN!!” ~Kathryn, TSK, TSK, What to read?
“Candace weaves an emotional, action-packed tale that keeps you on the edge of your seat…” ~Shelley, TSK, TSK, What to read?
“This is one of my favorite books of the year and a 100% MUST READ!!” ~Terri’s Book Addiction.
“What a fantastic departure from the norm…If you’re a Sophie Jordan fan you will LOVE this book!” ~Tam’s Two Cents
Synopsis:
Red mirrored scales race up my arms as the haze of pain blurs my vision. My bones crack, breaking to realign. I scream. It is then that the realization of my unavoidable fate sinks in; I am of a dying race. I am dragon.
Aurora Megalos, orphaned and teetering on the edge of adulthood, thought finding her past would curb the sting of being an outcast .Having no memories of the time before she awoke on her foster mother’s doorstep, she yearns for the emptiness inside her to be filled. With her fellow orphaned best friend, Fenn, by her side, she has nothing to lose and everything to gain. But something powerful stirred within her that she couldn’t explain. Something wanted out.
In the dark of night, a crazed Seer, dubbed Mr.Creepy, erases everything she’s ever known with an impending prophecy. She now faces two paths. Return to her true home to protect a dying race against a growing evil, or stay hidden in the safety of our realm with a shot at a true love. With a vengeful Arch Enemy stopping at nothing to see her dead, she’s running out of time; a decision must be made. What would you choose?
Isn't the cover the most beautiful thing you have ever seen??!!!!!And if that synopsis doesn't draw your attention then I don't know what will...oh, wait, maybe this excerpt will entice you...
EXCERPT:
The call of the orb was strong now that it rested in my hands. A song thrummed in my chest as I felt the veins in my neck beating wildly. Looking at it now, the change wasn’t as scary as I had thought it would be. Even with knowing that I could be staring my possible death in the face. The question was—would I be strong enough to sustain these powers given to me? Maybe I was just scared of The Fates choosing my destiny, or maybe I was scared that what was about to happen would forever change my life. Either way, growing up I had always hoped that my life would mean something more than just being a foster child, but this, this was much bigger than anyone could imagine. And what lies ahead? Well if it’s anything compared to what I am going through now, then I expect my life to fall into a whole new level of crazy. And I think it may be just what I was looking for.
or better still, watch the amazing book trailer...
Born in Flameshas made it onto many Listopialists, check them out and please VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!!
Where to buy Born In Flames:48fourteen: http://www.48fourteen.com/catalog/born-flamesAmazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Born-in-Flames-ebook/dp/B0096PPK4Q/Amazon.co.uk: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Born-in-Flames-ebook/dp/B0096PPK4Q/Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/born-in-flames-candace-knoebel/1112772359
About the author:
Candace Knoebel dreamed of being a dancer ever since she could remember. With a love of all things art, she saw herself moving to New York and pursuing her passion as an artist. But all that changed on October 10th 2002 when she met the love of her life. Her dreams diverged and after marrying her high school sweetheart and having two beautiful children, she realized she missed her creative side.Growing up alongside the Harry Potter series, Candace found herself missing the epicosity of a story that pulls you in and won’t let you go. In 2009, she began dreaming up characters that would mold her first novel. Through lunch breaks and late nights, after putting her kids to bed, she built a world where she could escape the ever-pressing days of an eight to five Purgatory. She found her calling in life and knew this was more than dancing could’ve ever meant to her.Once complete in 2010, she began the grueling process of finding a publisher. With relentless determination, she was finally able to realize her dream in December of 2011 when 48fourteen offered her a publishing contract. With a HUGE yes and a happy dance, she now continues her Trilogy.I am so honored to have Candace on my blog today for a little Q & A :)
1. Tell us a bit more about yourself.
I guess I should start with the most important thing about myself; I am a stay-at-home mom to two little ones-Logan (my five-year-old) and Scarlett (my 19-month-old). They make the world go round. J I love music, art, dancing, laughing, good food, scary movies, midnight premiers, lace, Pinterest, Tobuscus, 30 Seconds to Mars…typical normal stuff I suppose. I have a very short attention span and become bored quite easily… sometimes to the point of being a bit annoying. *shrugs* Writing seems to be the only real thing that I think I’ve seen all the way through. I own a pair of Heely’s that I love to roll around in and I have a fetish with dying my hair. It’s currently brown with red highlights
2. Describe yourself in three words.
Quirky, kindhearted, and a dreamer.
3. What five things do you never leave home without?
Of course my cell phone and my Ipod. But also, my sunglasses, my journal, and water.
4. What do you do when you are not writing?
I try to take care of everything else in my life. Writing takes up a huge chunk of my time every day, so when I have free time, I spend it with my family and friends. I also paint and create crafts for a business my bestie and I run on the side. I’m always looking for new creative outlets to fill my time when writing can’t.
5. Your dream was to be a dancer. Right now, if you could choose, would you go back to your original dream or would you continue to write?
I would continue to write… without hesitation. I feel that everything happens for a reason. Every fork in the road is set there for a purpose and I don’t think dancing would’ve taken me where I needed to be. I know this because I feel complete when I write, more than I ever did with dancing. I know that I can grow in my writing and it’s something that I want… more than anything I have ever wanted before.
6. Who/What inspired you to write your first novel?
There wasn’t any one thing that made me sit down and write. Nothing that I could explain at least. I had this idea in my head around 2007 and in 2009, I decided to sit down and try it. The same thing I do with every other experimental creative vent I try. You never know what you’re good at until you try. I wanted to write something I would read and would fill the void of all the other good books I had read that had come to an end. And from there, it sort of grew into what it is now.
7. What has been your most rewarding experience on the road to being published?
I can’t help but smile right now. It’s finding so many people that believe in my writing. Every writer struggles with some sort of insecurity and worry that you won’t be accepted, but when you hear that it moves people and leaves them wanting more… I can’t think of anything better than that. It tells me that I am on the right path.
8. What is the best piece of advice you have been given as an author?
To take in the good and ignore the bad. You can’t please everyone and don’t expect to. It’s just the way the world works. Also, don’t give up. If you want it, don’t let other’s opinions sway you from your dream. Your dreams are all you have.
9. What advice would you give to aspiring authors?
I would share the same bit of advice I was given. Keep going for your dreams. Rejections are a part of the process. Even the best have been rejected. It’s a rite of passage and it doesn’t mean you aren’t good. Keep writing and keep believing!
10. Who are your favorite authors to read?
J.K. Rowling, Stephanie Meyers, J.R. Ward, Holly Black… it could go on for a while.
11. How did you come up with the idea for Born in Flames?
I knew I wanted to write about a girl that was part dragon. It just came to me… nothing specific triggered it. It took me until 2009 until I finally sat down and made an attempt at it. I guess I just never thought that I could actually do it. Everything else in the story (the plot and the characters), that all came as I began writing it. That’s why it took about a good four drafts until I felt it was ready and even after that I still made changes to it.
12. Your novel is based in Hawaii. What kind of research did you do regarding the setting and local folklore etc.?
I searched for a small town on an island that had traces of a volcano. I needed the volcano for the dragons (this will be understood in book three) and I needed the small town for Aurora’s feeling of being an outcast to be believable. This turned out to be Kapaa Kauai. I found as many images as I could and printed them out to familiarize myself with them so the descriptions would be realistic. As far as the folklore, I found a geyser known as the Spouting Horn that has a legend behind it. It’s about a lizard family that experiences a tragedy and the geyser is the lizard’s tears. A giant sea lizard-a dragon... it felt like fate to me, thus the beginning of choosing Kauai.
13. Are any of your characters based on someone you know?
Yes, though it wasn’t intentional. I guess I sort of put some of me into Aurora, some of my husband into Fenn, and some of my best friend into Alexis. You write what you know. Those are the three main characters to the story… so I spent the most time developing their characters and they just flowed naturally onto the paper. Knowing them helped me focus on the bigger things like plot and foreshadowing for the next two.
14. Who is your favorite character, and why?
Sheesh...tough question...umm...I have to go with the main character Aurora. I relate the most to her and admire her strength. She doesn't give herself enough credit sometimes, especially considering her circumstance and inevitable fate that constantly threatens her well-being. She's just fun and easy to write.
15. Which chapter was the most enjoyable/memorable to write, and why?
I have to go with Chapter 6 – The Storm. It’s a big moment for Rory. She not only experiences the full potential of her power over fire, but she also starts to really understand how much Fenn means to her. It’s more than a childhood friendship and it was fun working through that with her.
16. I’ve said it a million times, and I will say it again. The cover for Born in Flames is breath-taking! Tell us a bit about its creation, and what did you think the first time you saw it?
I was speechless when I first received the mock-up. No, more than speechless… I was trying to refrain from crying happy tears. It had originally started with a different girl. Her eyes were closed and she was looking up, hair blowing in the breeze. We were then given a handful of girls to choose from and finally decided on the cover. She most resembled what I pictured. Ravven was given the description of her normal and her in her shift form and ran with it. She did a fantastic job bringing her to life and I couldn’t be more thrilled!!
17. Are you working on any special projects at the moment?
Not currently. I am writing the third installment, From the Embers, and am in the review process for Embracing the Flames. I do however have an idea that I can’t wait to begin when I finally see this trilogy through. One thing at a time though.
18. Where can readers stalk you?
Twitter: @Candaceknoebel
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Candace-Knoebel/
Blog/Author site: www.candaceknoebel.wordpress.com
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6458922.Candace_Knoebel
GIVEAWAY TIME!!!
· Enter using the rafflecopter below · Giveaway is International ( eBooks available in ePub, Mobi. or PDF format ) · Entrants must be 13 years or older · The Winner will be contacted by email 48 hours after the giveaway ends, and will have 72 hours in which to respond.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
October 1st:
Jenny@Supernatural Snark: Kirsty Eagar: Night Beach
Heidi@Rainy Day Ramblings: Wendy Higgins: Sweet Evil
Lila@Babbling About Books
Laurie@ Reader Girls: Thomas Winship: Vaempires: Revolution
October 2nd:
Carly@Fiction Fascination Dianna Hardy: The Witching Pen
Roxanne@ Books and Blossoms: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith and Jane Austen.
Rummanah@Books in the Spotlight: Freak by E.K. Henry
Blu@ Not Now...Mommy's Reading:The Fallen Boys by Aaron Dries
Heidi@Rainy Day Ramblings: Scorch by Gina Damico
October 3rd:
Jess@The Secret Files of Fairday Morrow: Cinderella Skeleton by Robert D. San Souci,
David Catrow (Illustrator)
Roxy@RoxyKade: Born in Flames by Candace Knoebel
Michelle@Michelle's Paranormal Vault of Books: Book of Ember by Jessica Sorensen
Heidi@Rainy Day Ramblings: Amanda Stevens The Prophet
October 4th:
Cassie@Gathering Leaves Brett Talley: That Which Should Not Be Named
Blu@ Not Now...Mommy's Reading: Nightwhere by John Everson
Heather@Buried in Books: Ann Aguirre Outpost Audiobook
Janiera@Books and Beauty: Derek the Ghost Scary School
Heidi@Rainy Day Ramblings: J.L. Bryan: Jenny Pox
October 5th:
Ari@Reading After Midnight: Mira Grant
Maghon@Happy Tails and Tales Blog: Cambria Hebert Betwitched
Kristin@ My Parahangover: Foretold Anthology
Aditi@Highly Readioactive: Kalayna Price: Alex Craft Grave Witch
October 6th:
Cindy@Once Upon a Time: Michelle Hodkin: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer
Veronica@Mostly Reviews Rachel Hartman: Seraphina
Rummanah@Books in the Spotlight: Holly Barrington
Heidi@Rainy Day Ramblings: Jennifer Martin:Don't Break the Glass: Fear Anthology
October 7th:
Lila@Babbling About Books
Catie@Forbidden Passions Reviews Richelle Mead: The Golden Lily
Aditi@Highly Readioactive: Richelle Mead: Bloodlines
October 8th:
Dafeenah@Indie Designz: Lizzy Ford
Jaspirit@The Readers Den Courtney Summers: This is Not a Test
Rummanah@Books in the Spotlight: B.C. Johnson
Jenn@JennRenee Reads Kate Locke: God Save the Queen
Heidi@Rainy Day Ramblings Rhiannon Frater: Pretty When She Dies
October 9th:
Michele@A Belle's Tales Ann Aguirre Razorland
Candace@Candace's Book Blog: Marrisa Marr: Carnival of Souls
Jennifer@Passionate Book Divas: Joe by HD Gordon
Michelle@ Michelle's Paranormal Vault of Books: Abbi Glines Existence and Predestined
Heidi@Rainy Day Ramblings: Darynda Jones: Death and the Girl Next Door
October 10th
Cambria@CambriaHebert
Nora@NoracastNora Weston: Twelfth Paladin
Karla@ Book Addict Kate Douglas: Demon Fire
Mina@Mina Burrows Blogspot: Kresley Cole: Poison Princess
Corina@Pink Fluffy Heart: The Den of Shadows Quartet by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
Heidi@Rainy Day Ramblings: Amber House: Kelly Moore, Tucker Reed, Larkin Reed
October 11th
Jennifer@Some Like It Paranormal: Lia Habel Dearly Beloved
Tricia@ Tricia Kristufek: Patricia Briggs
Atmika @I Talk Books!: Blackbrooke: Emma Silver
Heidi@Rainy Day Ramblings: Heather Hildenbrand: Dirty Blood
October 12th:
Diana@Offbeat Vagabond: Alan Goldsher: My Favorite Fangs
Natausha@Dreamland: A Teenage Fantasy
Danielle@Book Whore: Terri Bruce: Hereafter
October 13th:
Nikki@Close Encounters of the Night Kind
Blu@ Not Now...Mommy's Reading:Intricate Entanglement by Su Halfwerk
Aditi@Highly Readioactive:Maggie Shayne: Mark of the Witch
Heidi@Rainy Day Ramblings: Sean Beaudoin: The Infects
October 14th:
Prangon@The Nerd in Heels: Elizabeth Hunter Building from Ashes
Patricia@Lady with Books: Michelle Sagara: Silence
October 15th:
Andra@Unabridged Andra
Maria@A Night's Dream of Books
Heidi@ Rainy Day Ramblings: Cambria Hebert: Charade
October 16th:
Christy@Love of Books: Jeyn Roberts
Melissa@Writer Grrl Reads: Michelle Hodkin: The Unbecoming of Myra Dyer
Ana@Bookspark:Inger Iversen:Few Are Angels
Heidi@Rainy Day Ramblings: Rob DeBorde: Portlandtown
October 17th:
Lila@Babbling About Books
Megan@The Girly Bookworm
Nikki@NicsquaredThe Scent of Shdaows (Sign of The Zodiac #1) by Vicki Pettersson
Heidi@Rainy Day Ramblings: Ingrid Paulson: Valkyrie Rising
October 18th:
Jenn@Indie Supporter: Addison Moore
Suzanne@Paranormal Book Fan: Shannon Dermott Cambion Series
Barbara@Basia's Bookshelf: Velveteen by Daniel Marks
Heidi@Rainy Day Ramblings: Sanctumby Sarah Fine
October 19th:
Kimmie@Kimmie's Bookshelf: Rachel Hawkins Hex Hall
Rebecca@Kindle Fever
Kimba@The Caffeinated Book Reviewer: Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter
Ana@Bookspark: KC Neal: Alight
October 20th:
Natalie@Mindful Musings: Simon Holt: The Devouring
Jenifer@Under A Gray Sky: H.P. Mallory: Fire Cauldron Burn
Preet@ A Written Rhapsody: The Evolution of Mara Dyer
Leanne@The Reclusive Reader:Sarah Rees Brennan:Unspoken
October 21st:
Jeanette@Walking on Bookshelves: LM Pruitt
Jenn@JennRenee Reads
Blu@ Not Now...Mommy's Reading: Mind Games by Polly Iyer
October 22nd:
Pooja@On Books! :Rebecca Hamilton
Heidi@Rainy Day Ramblings: Jess Rothenberg: The Catastrophic History of You and Me
Ali@My Guilty Obsession: J.A. Templeton
Heather@Buried in Books
Benji@The Non Reluctant Reader: Witch Eyes by Scott Tracey
October 23rd:
Michelle@Book Briefs: Karina Halle: Dark House
Candace@Novels, Notes and News from your Northwest Neighbors: Kimberly Derting: Body Finder Series
Heidi@Rainy Day Ramblings: Undead: Kirsty McKay
October 24th:
Maja@The Nocturnal Library: Anne Aguirre: Outpost
Jenn@Indie Supporter: Cambria Hebert
Heidi@Rainy Day Ramblings: Venom: Fiona Paul
Kimmie@Kimmie's Bookshelf: Laura Elliot: Shadow Slayer
October 25th:
Nick@Nick's Book Blog: Tara Fullmer: Inbetween
Jenn@Indie Supporter: Lizzy Ford
Heidi@Rainy Day Ramblings: Melissa West: Gravity
October 26th:
Maghon@Happy Tails and Tales
Shirley@Shiirleyy's Bookshelf
Kai@Fiction State of Mind: Johnathon Mayberry
Angela@Chaotic Book Corner: Cambria Hebert: Betwitched
October 27th:
Claire@Claire Reads Katie Alender: Bad Girls Don't Die
Jude@ In Between: Gena Showalter: Intertwined
Margaret@JBridger Writing: Annette Curtis Klause: Blood and Chocolate
Aditi@Highly Readioactive:Kendare Blake: Anna Dressed in Blood
Heidi@Rainy Day Ramblings: Jody Gehrman: Audrey's Guide to Witchcraft
October 28th:
Rachel@Unforgettable Books: Katie Alender: Bad Girls Don't Die Triology
Kapri@Book Fanatics: Anna Jarzab: All Unquiet Things
October 29th:
Heidi@Rainy Day Ramblings: Rhiannon Frater
Jen@Starry Eyed Revue: Kendare Blake: Girl of Nightmares
Mandee@Vegan YA Nerds
Veronica@Mostly Reviews Christopher Pike
Melissa@Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelf
Blu@ Not Now...Mommy's Reading: JT Baroni: The Legend of Rachel Petersen
October 30th:
Elise@EC Writes: Halloween Anthology
Erin@Erin Danzer, YA Author
Katertot@A Belle's Tales R.L. Stine Goosebumps
Laurie@Reader Girls: Kimberly Sabatini: Touching the Surface
Michelle@ Michelle's Paranormal Vault of Books: Vlkolak King by Rebekah Armusik
Heidi@Rainy Day Ramblings: Derek the Ghost Scary School #2 Monsters on the March
October 31st:
Cambria@Cambria Hebert: Bewitched Novella Release
Krista@Breathe in Books: Libba Bray: The Diviners
Blu@ Not Now...Mommy's Reading: Brody Sommers
Monique@Monique Morgan:Rise of the Infected Release Day!
November 1st: Heidi@Rainy Day Ramblings: Wrap and Guest Post with Darynda Jones
Thank you for stopping by!
GOOD LUCK!!!
September 26, 2012
Cover Reveal: The Star Dwellers by David Estes
Hello, Therians!!
Today I have the great pleasure of doing a cover reveal for David Estes' second book in The Dwellers saga, The Star Dwellers which is due for release, September 30th!!
I was lucky enough to win a copy of The Moon Dwellers ( the first book ) a few months ago and it was amazing. I'm currently reading The Star Dwellers and this series just keeps getting better and better. My review for both books will be up soon!
So here it is....
After rescuing her father and younger sister, Adele is forced to leave her family and Tristan behind to find her mother in the cruel and dangerous realm of the star dwellers.
Amidst blossoming feelings for Adele, Tristan must cast his feelings aside and let her find her own way amongst the star dwellers, while he accompanies Adele's father to meet with the leaders of the moon dwellers and decide the fate of the Tri-Realms.
Will Adele be able to rescue her mother and make it back to the Moon Realm before the President and the sun dweller soldiers destroy her family?
Can Tristan convince the moon dweller puppets of the error of their ways?
Was Adele's lost kiss with Tristan her one and only chance at love?
In her world there's only one rule: Someone must die
www.shareAread.com
Contact: Nicole Passante CEO
Office: (321).750.9053
support@shareared.com
Early praise for The Star Dwellers “Estes´s creative genius continues to shine in this installment. We get quite a few questions answered and more are raised.” Author Christie Rich “This is easily becoming one of the best dystopian books I've read.” Lolita Goodreads The Star Dwellers surpassed all of my expectations and more. I was just completely amazed and thrown back into this fantastic world and left dying to know what will happen next. Kayleigh Goodreads Early praise for the author
“David Estes you are a genius! This book kept me on the edge of my seat. I felt such intense emotion to the main characters and their cause.” Tina Donelly Goodreads “Another fantastic book by David Estes that had me gripped straight away” Adele Goodreads About the author
David Estes was born in El Paso, Texas but moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania when he was very young. He grew up in Pittsburgh and then went to Penn State for college. Eventually moved to Sydney, Australia where he met his wife. A reader all his life, he began writing novels for the children's and YA markets in 2010. He´s a writer with OCD, a love of dancing and singing (but only when no one is looking or listening), a mad-skilled ping-pong player, and prefers writing at the swimming pool to writing at a table
Author of the Evolution Trilogy
http://davidestesbooks.blogspot.com http://www.facebook.com/pages/David-Estes/130864990343920 https://twitter.com/#!/davidestesbooks http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3167424.David_Estes
Find out where it all began, get your copy of The Moon Dwellers!
Paperback Kindle Edition
Today I have the great pleasure of doing a cover reveal for David Estes' second book in The Dwellers saga, The Star Dwellers which is due for release, September 30th!!
I was lucky enough to win a copy of The Moon Dwellers ( the first book ) a few months ago and it was amazing. I'm currently reading The Star Dwellers and this series just keeps getting better and better. My review for both books will be up soon!
So here it is....
After rescuing her father and younger sister, Adele is forced to leave her family and Tristan behind to find her mother in the cruel and dangerous realm of the star dwellers.
Amidst blossoming feelings for Adele, Tristan must cast his feelings aside and let her find her own way amongst the star dwellers, while he accompanies Adele's father to meet with the leaders of the moon dwellers and decide the fate of the Tri-Realms.
Will Adele be able to rescue her mother and make it back to the Moon Realm before the President and the sun dweller soldiers destroy her family?
Can Tristan convince the moon dweller puppets of the error of their ways?
Was Adele's lost kiss with Tristan her one and only chance at love?
In her world there's only one rule: Someone must die
www.shareAread.com
Contact: Nicole Passante CEO
Office: (321).750.9053
support@shareared.com
Early praise for The Star Dwellers “Estes´s creative genius continues to shine in this installment. We get quite a few questions answered and more are raised.” Author Christie Rich “This is easily becoming one of the best dystopian books I've read.” Lolita Goodreads The Star Dwellers surpassed all of my expectations and more. I was just completely amazed and thrown back into this fantastic world and left dying to know what will happen next. Kayleigh Goodreads Early praise for the author
“David Estes you are a genius! This book kept me on the edge of my seat. I felt such intense emotion to the main characters and their cause.” Tina Donelly Goodreads “Another fantastic book by David Estes that had me gripped straight away” Adele Goodreads About the author
David Estes was born in El Paso, Texas but moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania when he was very young. He grew up in Pittsburgh and then went to Penn State for college. Eventually moved to Sydney, Australia where he met his wife. A reader all his life, he began writing novels for the children's and YA markets in 2010. He´s a writer with OCD, a love of dancing and singing (but only when no one is looking or listening), a mad-skilled ping-pong player, and prefers writing at the swimming pool to writing at a table
Author of the Evolution Trilogy
http://davidestesbooks.blogspot.com http://www.facebook.com/pages/David-Estes/130864990343920 https://twitter.com/#!/davidestesbooks http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3167424.David_Estes
Find out where it all began, get your copy of The Moon Dwellers!
Paperback Kindle Edition
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