Meradeth Houston's Blog, page 84

Science Sundays: What's in a Species?

Welcome back to Science Sundays! A place for writers to learn a little about some random science stuff, and maybe find a way to work it into their stories :) Or, ya know, have a little fun learning something random for the week!

I have gotten some awesome suggestions for future posts, but would love to hear if you have any more--just shout it out in the comments!

Today I thought I'd talk a little bit about what a species is, how we define it, and all that fun stuff. And by species, I don't mean this:

I mean, more like this:

How do we define what belongs to one species, and what belongs to another? I see this regularly used to define a new species of mutant human, or alien, in plenty of books, so I think it might be somewhat useful.

Now, most of the time, people who see different organisms don't have too much trouble organizing them into groups that look similar to one another. But, there are grey areas where this can become kind of tricky. What do I mean? Well, what if two species look really alike? Or they can interbreed? Are they separate species then?

In general, there are two ways scientists break things down at this point:

The Biological Species Concept: where species are defined as separate when they can't produce viable offspring with one another.The Ecological Species Concept: where species are kept distinct through natural selection, which selects against any possible offspring.So, how does this work? Well, according to the BSC, species are distinct from one another when they can't interbreed (ya know, have reproductively  viable offspring). So, take a horse and donkey--they can mate and have mules, but mules are sterile and can't have offspring of their own, because horses and donkeys are different species. (I know there are some random and rare exceptions to the donkey/horse thing, but in general this is the case.) This is the most common and more generally recognized method for dividing up species.
According to the ESC, then, two different species may have offspring, but their offspring aren't going to be as fit and therefore are going to be selected against. Darwin's Finches are always used to illustrate these examples, so here's one: say there are two types of finches, one with large beaks and one with small. Now the two types can interbreed no problem, but they have medium beaked offspring, and those medium sized beaks don't allow them to do well in either of the environments of their parents. So, like they don't have a big enough beak to eat the hard seeds their big-beaked parent eats, and there aren't enough smaller seeds their small-beaked parent eats to support them. So, they're the odd man out and natural selection weeds them out of the population.
Make sense? Hope it's handy!

Guest Post by Katie Carroll, Author of ELIXER BOUND

I'm happy to bring you all Katie Carroll today, with a heart-wrenching post. You might need to break out the tissues, but don't let that scare you--Katie's is a beautiful story. Her novel, ELIXER BOUND is available and you should totally pick it up!
Katie's the one in red, reading to her little sister. Cute!Thanks for having me on the blog Meradeth. I have to warn your readers, though, this post is sad. However, sharing my journey is important to me, and in the end, there’s always hope.
I’ve always heard stories about people who knew practically from birth what they wanted to be when they grew up. I am not one of those people, but I do know the exact date when I truly became a writer. You’d think a day like that would be a happy day, but for me it was as far from joyful as anything could be.
On April 10th, 2002 instead of being in class, I was in the driver’s seat of my green Geo Metro in a mall parking lot. Balloons bobbed in the backseat and a Harry Potter doll sat shotgun. They were for my 16-year-old sister, Kylene, who was sick in the hospital. My head rested on the steering wheel as my chest filled with pain. It wasn’t a heart attack; it was the pain of dread.
Just like Beth I thought. I couldn’t help but make the connection to Little Women. Four March sisters, four Carroll sisters. Where the March sisters had Laurie, we had our brother. Paralleling Kylene with Beth brought hot tears to my eyes. Beth dies.
Six days after my epiphany in the car, Kylene too would die. It was only a few weeks after she got sick with what the doctors initially thought was just a bad case of pneumonia, but turned out to be a mystery illness that attacked her lungs. Shocking doesn’t come close to describing how it felt. Devastating doesn’t do it either. Really there are no words adequate enough to express the pain and grief. It split my life in two: a before and an after.
I still can’t quite make sense of what happened. How does a perfectly healthy, vibrant 16-year-old girl fall so sick that doctors and all of modern science can’t figure out what’s wrong with her? What do you do when the world you knew is shattered into a million pieces and one of the most important ones falls through a crack in the floor, never to be seen again?
You shuffle through the leftover pieces as best as you can and reassemble them to form a new world. When you’re 19 and your younger sister has just died, you realize you have to do something with your life that matters. For me that meant telling stories, and suddenly I realized I was a writer.
My dad suggested I write a story for Kylene. About a year later I took a journaling class and started jotting down ideas and came to one about two sisters on a quest. Inspired by The Hobbit, I affectionately called it “There and Back Again: A Sisters’ Tale.” After much labor and many revisions, A Sisters’ Tale morphed into my first published book Elixir Bound.
The 10-year anniversary of Kylene’s death was earlier this year, and today Elixir Bound is officially a book. The dedication reads To Kylene: In life you were a sister, friend, and confidant. In death you are a sister, friend, confidant, and muse. I wrote Elixir Bound in mourning for my sister, but I release it to the world with joy.
Elixir Bound blurb:
Katora Kase is next in line to take over as guardian to a secret and powerful healing Elixir. Now she must journey into the wilds of Faway Forest to find the ingredient that gives the Elixir its potency. Even though she has her sister and brother, an old family friend, and the handsome son of a mapmaker as companions, she feels alone.
For it is her decision alone whether or not to bind herself to the Elixir to serve and protect it until it chooses a new guardian. The forest hosts many dangers, including wicked beings who will stop at nothing to gain power, but the biggest danger Katora may face is whether or not to open up her heart to love.
Elixir Bound is available for your Kindle, Nook, PC, or other device from the MuseItUp Publishing website. Look for it on Amazon, the Barnes and Noble e-book store, and other online e-book retailers soon. For more about Katie visit her website at www.katielcarroll.com.

Interview with Kate Lynd, author of GLADIATOR, and a giveaway!

I'm super happy to bring to you Kate Lynd today, fellow MuseItUp Author, and late-night writer :) She's here to talk to us a little bit about writing, and her steamy and awesome new book, Gladiator!

Ten years ago Tristan Shane had failed to pick sides and he paid with the ultimate price—his family.  Enslaved as a post-apocalyptic gladiator, he is now faced with a similar dilemma, serve the despot  Queen and murder her innocent sister, or face certain death himself. What will he choose?


Tristan Shane was a moderate before the nuclear and economic crisis which plunged the world into darkness. While his sister Aidia ran off to fight the rebel’s war he desperately tried to hang onto normalcy and lost his wife and children in the process. Spending the next ten years as the Crown’s favored and the mob’s favorite Gladiator, he never expects to meet the Queen’s sister, Alexandra, a Healer.
She claims to be the much whispered about Savior sent to heal the wounded Earth and oceans, the one who would bring about her cruel sister’s dethroning. But is she? Or is she just a fraud? But he quickly learns her erotic touch has the power to heal his heart and his to save her life. But as the passion heightens and the danger increases will they have forever or will he have to give up everything to save the planet?

Purchase a copy at the MuseItUp bookstore!

(Q) Thanks for stopping by my blog! Let’s start with the basics: where are you from?Is there any place online you’d like to direct us to learn more about you?
I’m from Louisville, KY and I bleed some serious BLUE.  http://Ctreative-Chatter.blogspot.com and http://amylmccorklekentuckyauthor.webs.com

(Q) I always love hearing about how the idea for a particular book came about. Please fill us in on how you got the idea for Gladiator. 
It was really a three step process, I was looking for something to write about. I saw the cover of a Harlequin Love Inspired historical with a gladiator on its cover. I heard the music from the movie gladiator, and finally I read about a futuristic YA mystery all of that came together to create my story.
(Q) Which authors have most influenced your own writing? 
Not the ones you’d expect. I’d say my favorite author is Kurt Vonnegut. Slaughterhouse Five was just a revelation to me as a high schooler. But there are just too many others to name.
(Q) What do you do for fun other than writing? 
Eat, drink copious amounts of coffee, and read, and go to the movies.
(Q) If you could describe your ideal writing spot, where would it be? 
A bookstore. 
What music would you listen to (if at all)? Depends on the project. 
What treats would you have on hand? Coffee and sour slices.

(Q) Plotter or pantser? Both? Neither? 
Always a pantster. (Yay for Pansters!)

(Q) Do you have any new projects that you are working on? 
I’m about to start work on the third book in the Gladiator Chronicles. 
(Q) What kinds of marketing do you think are the most successful in terms of getting your name/book out there? 
Wow I think if you’re talking ebooks you have to do different things. You have to have an online presence. Yahoo groups, FB writing groups, Fan pages, personal profiles, Twitter and at least an author website.  Maybe some advertising and reviews.
(Q) If you'd like to add anything, please do so.
Leave a comment for a chance to win an ARC of GLADIATOR

(Q) How about an excerpt to tantalize the readers? 
“What is it you want, Veronica?”

She leaned in close and whispered seductively, “Why, you know I only want you, Tristan.”

He snatched her up by her throat, pinned her against the wall and kissed her passionately, brutally, and without clemency. When he pulled away she was smiling with a darkness that made him angry. She was a power-hungry mongrel who played on her husband’s weaknesses and jealousies. Tristan hated her. And he hated himself for f***ing her. But this was his life. He let go of her and walked away.

“Is my poor Gladiator jealous? There’s really no need for that, is there? You know you’re my favorite.”

“What is it you really want, Veronica?”

She came up behind him and seductively began to ease off his armor. He was covered in sweat and blood and he felt her shiver against his body. And as always there was a twinge of nausea that would precede the raw animal aggression.

She turned him around. He looked at her. There was no doubt about it; she was beautiful. But she was poisonous—a rattlesnake with crystal green eyes and flaming red hair. Her father had promised peace and a return to normalcy and democracy in the wake of economic and nuclear disaster, and instead this was what had become of the world. And she was no doubt always enjoining her father to maintain her life in this fashion. He loathed her. He detested her. And every time he had sex with her his intense hatred for himself deepened a little bit more.

Guest post by the fabulous Chef, Juliana Neumann: Zucchini and Corn Pizza

I have a truly special treat for everyone today! One of my friends, Juliana Neumann, is a wonderful chef. How wonderful? She has her second cookbook coming out shortly! Seriously, you must take a look at her blog--not only does she have some amazing recipes to try, but her photography makes me wish I were, well, all the awesome places she is always visiting :) If you're curious to learn a little more about Juliana, you really should! Catch up with her on twitter too (she's a twitter newbie--go follow her :)!

Now, check out this recipe--doesn't it make you hungry?


Zucchini and Corn Pizza
Every Spring I think I'm going to plant zucchini, but I never do. I end up planing some other kind of summer squash and I'm actually glad I do. Our neighbors plant zucchini and when they go one summer vacation, we are kindly asked to pick them so they don't turn into baseball bats. Every day I go down and pick between one and three. I'm glad I don't have my own! This year they have green and yellow zucchini, and they've been growing faster than we can eat them.

 

We've had them sautéed and served with pasta, roasted and in quesadillas, as zucchini muffins (link: http://www.marthastewart.com/317832/sweet-zucchini-cupcakes), grilled and marinated (recipe in my cookbook (link: http://www.thorbecke.de/jahreszeitenkueche-frisch-vom-markt-p-1583.html?cPath=316_396), and stuffed. A couple of years ago I started making a zucchini pizza, and it's become a summer favorite.


This recipe is very easy and I can even put together a pizza with homemade dough after I get home from work. While the dough is rising I prepare the topping and make an heirloom tomato salad to go with it. Drizzle a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the sliced tomatoes, grind some pepper and add a sprinkle of sea salt over the top. Right before serving, add some torn basil. I hope you enjoy this easy dinner as much as I do.
Have a happy summern and thank you Meradeth for having me!
Zucchini and Corn Pizza
Pizza dough:-        3/4 cup lukewarm water-        1 Tbs dry yeast-        2 cups flour-        1 tsp salt-        1.5 Tbs olive oil-        olive oil
Topping:-        2 ears of corn-        5 oz mozzarella cheese, grated-        1 zucchini-        6 oz feta chesse, crumbled-        small handful of basil, torn
Sprinkle the yeast over the water and let sit for 5 minutes. Put the flour and salt in a stand mixer. Add the water and yeast mixture and the olive oil. Mix until the dough comes together. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface to form a ball. Lightly brush a medium sized bowl with olive oil and place the dough in the bowl. Carefully turn the dough in the bowl to cover with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut the corn kernels off the ears of corn and place in a skillet. Cover the corn with water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for a few minutes until corn is tender. Drain. Cut the zucchini in rounds.
Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface and place the dough on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Scatter the mozzarella over the dough. Carefully add the corn kernels and zucchini rounds. Top with the feta and torn basil.
Bake in the middle of the oven for about 30 minutes until the dough is golden.

After Reading: My Name Is Memory

By Ann Brashares (of The Traveling Pants variety)

Daniel has spent centuries falling in love with the same girl. Life after life, crossing continents and dynasties, he and Sophia (despite her changing name and form) have been drawn together-and he remembers it all. For all the times that he and Sophia have been connected throughout history, they have also been torn painfully, fatally, apart.

But just when Sophia (now "Lucy" in the present) finally awakens to the secret of their shared past, the mysterious force that has always separated them reappears. Ultimately, they must come to understand what stands in the way of their love if they are ever to spend a lifetime together.

Honestly, it's been a while since I've had a book that I want to get out on my roof and scream READ THIS BOOK!!! But this one really, really made me want to do this. I stumbled across it at a library book sale and knew I had to have it. It jumped right to the top of my tbr stack, too, because I knew it was going to be something I'd enjoy. The premise sounds awesome, right? Recurring lives, love, and a guy who can remember all the fun historical stuff (honestly, these rank at the top of the Drag Meradeth Into A Book list). Anyhow, I was worried it would disappoint, but really, it didn't. I stayed up way, way too late reading, and just didn't want it to end when I turned the last page. It was written to have a sequel, but that may or may not happen (though, really, it better!!!), so I really hope I can enjoy more of this story later. Haven't seen or heard of this one? Do check it out! Amazing writing, heartfelt characters, a timeless love story, and lots of fun historical stuff!

Read it? Liked it? Never heard of it? Shout it out in the comments!

Introducing Science Sundays: talking about Darwin and Natural Selection

SCIENCE SUNDAYS
Okay, so if you've been a follower here for a while, you probably have heard me rant here or there about the poor science in a book. And honestly, there are few things that turn me off from a book more than some crummy science. I frustrates the bejebers out of me. Okay, okay, I know most writers don't have a graduate degree in whatever topic they're writing about, and there is some allowance for suspended belief, but still. Blatant disregard for how things work? GRRR! So, yeah, I was thinking, "wait, I do have one of those advanced degrees in science!" (For whatever it's worth--and I'll be honest, it's not a whole lot.) But, maybe a fun little segment on Sundays that talks about something science related with a writerly bent. Who knows, maybe it'll be useful. Maybe not. We'll see.
Have any particular topics you'd like me to cover? Shout it out in the comments and I'll either post one (if I know enough about it) or I'll use my network to come up with a post!
So, today, I thought I'd touch on what we're going to go over this week in my class (this might happen a lot...). And what might that be? Oh, just the introduction to Darwin and Natural Selection. Yay! Some of my favorite topics :) (Avert your eyes if you don't like this kind of stuff, or read on and realize how it really works!)
Darwin. The man. The Legend. Where to start? There's so much! Darwin wrote ON THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES in 1859, after sitting on his research for decades. It wasn't until Alfred Russell Wallace contacted him, noting that he had similar conclusions, that Darwin got off his butt and published. (I'll admit, I have a penchant for all the crazy personal stories that go on behind the scenes for some of these theories--they are so interesting! Wallace is a totally interesting character.)
Darwin's theory of Natural Selection is based on three basic principles that all have to be functioning for it to work:Over Reproduction. A species will reproduce exponentially. Their resources won't (like food). Eventually a species will hit the limit for their habitat, and unless they're able to come up with another source, there will individuals who don't survive. This creates competition.Individuals Must Vary. When environmental crunch time comes, there will be some individuals who do better than other because of some trait they carry. They will be the ones who survive over those who don't carry whatever trait it is. There has to be some variation, or those who survive will just be due to chance, and then no long-term changes will occur.Variation Must Be Inherited. Or inheritable. Nothing that is non-heritable is going to work--so a trait that someone picks up during their lifetime will not be passed along (unless it's epigenetic...). No Lamarkian evolution here (or the inheritance of acquired characteristics, which really doesn't work)! So, in a lot of writings, the thing that I see messed up the most is point #3. The trait that is passed down must be genetic (unless it's behavioral, and then it's a whole other ball of wax). All three points have to come into play if Natural Selection is going to work.
One last point on this massive post: Natural Selection is NOT the same thing as Evolution. Many people mess this up, because they are totally related, but NS is a form of evolution, but they are not equivalent. Evolution is simple change over time. It can occur through NS, or through a variety of other means, like sexual selection (a very interesting concept!). But they are not the same. Good thing to keep in mind!
So, what do you think? Helpful? Other things you'd like me to elaborate on? Shout it out in the comments!

Guest Post by Marva Dasef, author of Setara's Genie

I'm pleased to bring you all Marva Dasef, author of Setara's Genie! Take it away, Marva!
SETARA’S GENIE
A girl, a genie, a few demons. Would could go wrong?by Marva Dasef MuseItUp Buy Link: http://tinyurl.com/SetarasGenie Amazon Buy Link: coming soon

* * * Leave a comment with contact info to be in the draw for prizes * * *

DEMONOLOGY

Demons are horrible, ugly, and cruel, right? Minions of Satan (or Shaitan since we’re talking middle-eastern mythology here), they’re purpose is to create havoc and torture souls. Pitchforks, red skin, fangs, and other nasty features depending on a person’s cultural background. Also, according to Islamic tradition, Shaitan employs jinn to do his dirty deeds. Well, I couldn’t have that since one of the heroic figures of Setara’s Genie happens to be a jinn. I turned that traditional view on its head, so why shouldn’t I also mess with the concept of demons?

Two of Setara’s best friends happen to be demons. Azizah and Kairav are blue demons, which are generally nice beings who go about their business and don’t harm humans. Azizah is a cave demon, and spends her time (yes, demons have gender) tending to caves. She keeps the caves neat (in her own manner) and even builds new caverns using her magic with rock. Kairav is a water demon who cares for all types of water—pools, rivers, lakes, and streams.

They don’t usually buddy up with people either, so old tales paint all demons as evil. There are bad demons, true. For example, the blue demons are enemies with the purple demons.

In another of my middle-eastern books, a character points out that blue demons are good and purple demons are bad, so I’ve maintained a consistent view of demons within my tales, even if I’m at odds with the rest of humanity in that regard.

Blurb

Abu Nuwas sits in the bazaar on his threadbare rug; a cup and sign proclaim him a teller of tales. For one small coin, he bids passers by to listen. A poor girl, Najda, sells spices from a tray. Would he, she asks, trade a tale for a packet of spice? Abu Nuwas agrees and begins the epic adventures of a girl and her genie.

As did Scheherazade before him, Abu leaves Najda hanging in the middle of each yarn to keep her coming back. Between stories, he questions the girl about her life. He discovers that she’s been promised in marriage to an old man whom she hates, but she must wed him to save her sick mother’s life. The rich bridegroom will pay for the doctors the mother needs. Meanwhile, Najda sells spices in the market to earn enough money to keep her mother alive.

He relates the adventures of the bored daughter of a rich merchant, Setara, and her genie, Basit, as they encounter the creatures of legend and folklore: a lonely cave demon seeking a home; a flying, fire-breathing horse who has lost his mate; a dragon searching for his family; an evil genie hunting for the man who put him in a lamp; and a merboy prince cast out of his undersea kingdom.

Excerpt
Setara is traveling with Azizah as they search for a home for the demoness. Along the way, they chance upon a beautiful pool in a forest glade. This excerpt shows the introduction of the two demons, Azizah and Kairav, to each other.

Basit frowned when he heard the voice and then snapped his fingers. “Kairav, is that you?”

The water dropped back to the surface, and an enormous form stood up out of the pool in place of the towering water. Clearly, this was another demon, although a lovely shade of light blue, almost a match for his pool if the sun were shining. The figure rapidly shrank to a more reasonable size, no larger than Basit.

With a booming voice, the figure cried, “Basit, you old dog! What have you been up to?” Then, more subdued, the demon continued, “Why I haven’t seen you since, when was it? Oh, yes, when old Shairan got tricked into the lamp by that Aladdin boy.”

Kairav stepped out of the pond and gave Basit a big hug, lifting him off his feet. Basit laughed and pounded Kairav on the back, which swooshed a wave of water over Setara, Azizah, and Sheik. “Oh, sorry!” Kairav said with a laugh. Sheik shook from head to tail tip, splashing even more water on Setara. Despite the soaking, she couldn’t help but grin at the happy reunion.

Finally, they broke apart, and Basit gestured to his comrades. “This is my mistress, Setara the Fair.” Setara felt her cheeks glow at Basit’s compliment. “Her fine dog, Sheik.” Sheik woofed a greeting when he heard his name mentioned. “And lastly, but certainly not least, the lovely cave demon, Azizah. We’re helping her find a new cave.”

“Ah, Azizah, eh? Are you not the mate of Petros? A fine demon, him.”

Azizah sniffled. “Yes, but I’m sad to say he passed on to the great cave in the sky a few seasons back.”

“I’m sorry to hear it. He was a good demon. Took care of his cave and never blocked up the streamlets running through it. That’s important to us water demons. Too many thoughtless demons blocking up the waterways. Should be a law against it.”

“Pardon my rudeness.” Kairav rubbed his hands together. “Please, take your ease.” With a flip of his hand, the water ran back into the pool, leaving the rocks around it perfectly dry.

Basit looked around the pool with more interest than he’d shown before. “Nice place you’ve got here, Kairav. Can’t say I’ve ever seen a more lovely setting for a demon pool. The waterfall is a nice touch.”

The demon puffed out his chest. “Thank you. I’m rather proud of it.”

Basit rubbed his chin. “Say, Kairav, what’s under the waterfall?”

“Nothing. It’s just a rock wall. I diverted quite a few small streams to get the waterfall flowing. I worked for a couple of months on that alone.” Kairav surveyed his little realm with a satisfied look.

The genie and the demon continued to chat about past experiences and common friends. Setara listened closely, fascinated by the accounts of the private lives of magical beings. She noticed Azizah looking glum, so she went to the side of the she-demon and touched her arm. “Are you all right, Azizah? You look a little blue. Oh, I mean, sad. Of course, you look blue.”

“Kairav reminded me of how much I miss Petros, that’s all. It’s the past now, so I need to move on, but it still makes me sad to think of him.” The dark blue she-demon smiled bravely, which, if one didn’t know her, could be quite frightening.

Setara noticed something else. Kairav kept glancing in Azizah’s direction. Setara wondered if there were rules about demon relationships. Could a cave demon and a pool demon get along? They were both shades of blue, if it mattered.

* * *

About Marva

Website: http://tinyurl.com/DasefAuthor
Book trailer: http://youtu.be/psQIC7vnCIU 
MuseItUp Author Page: http://tinyurl.com/MIU-MarvaDasef 
Blog: http://mgddasef.blogspot.com 

Bio: Marva Dasef is a writer living in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and a fat white cat.  Retired from thirty-five years in the software industry, she has now turned her energies to writing fiction and finds it a much more satisfying occupation.  Marva has published more than forty stories in a number of on-line and print magazines, with several included in Best of anthologies. She has several already published books and the Witches of Galdorheim Series from her super duper publisher, MuseItUp.

UPRISING by Jessica Therrien Cover Reveal

Oh man, am I excited to share this today! I totally loved OPPRESSION by Jessica, and I can't wait for the second book, UPRISING!!

[image error] Elyse knows what it means to keep a secret. She's been keeping secrets her whole life. Two, actually. First, that she ages five times slower than the average person, so that while she looks eighteen years old, she's closer to eighty. Second, that her blood has a mysterious power to heal. For Elyse, these things don't make her special. They make life dangerous. After the death of her parents, she's been careful to keep her secret as closely guarded as possible. Now, only one other person in the world knows about her age and ability. Or so she thinks. Elyse is not the only one keeping secrets. There are others like her all over the world, descendants of the very people the Greeks considered gods. She is one of them, and they have been waiting for her for a long time. Among so many of her kind, she should not be very remarkable--except for the prophecy. Some believe she will put an end to traditions, safeguarded by violence, which have oppressed her people for centuries. Others are determined to keep her from doing just that. But for Elyse, the game is just beginning--and she's not entirely willing to play by their rules.

Sounds awesome, right? If you haven't read it, you seriously need to check it out!

Okay, on to the reveal:



Release Date: February 19, 2013
Publisher: ZOVA Books
Paperback & Ebook
Author Links:
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Book Links:
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And Jessica has given us a little teaser to make things more fun:

We left everything but the weapons. Clothes, food, toothpaste. There wasn’t time for things that weren’t essential to escape. The five of us went on foot in a direction that was meaningless to me. I had never seen what was outside of the edges of the safe haven, not since I’d been here.

When Mac stopped abruptly after our fifteen-minute trek into the woods, we all froze at once, bodies poised and ready to attack, eyes searching for threats.

“We’re here,” Mac announced. “What should we expect Marcus?”

I had never heard Dr. Nickel called by his first name, and it made me realize he wasn’t as untouchable as I had imagined. Just because he was here, didn’t mean we were safe.

“I don’t know,” he answered. “Maybe an army, maybe nothing. Depends on where they are.”

“Everyone best get down on the ground just in case,” Mac decided with a nod. “Weapons ready.”

As I lay belly down in the dirt, I noticed Dr. Nickel pull a gun from his belt, and my stomach gave a heave.

“When I remove the haven walls, there will be a van. Everyone get in back. If anything goes wrong…” Mac paused, uncomfortable at the thought. “It’s been nice knowin’ ya.”

Jessica Therrien is the author of the young adult paranormal fiction series Children of the Gods. Book one in the series, Oppression, was published by ZOVA Books in February of 2012 and became a Barnes & Noble best-seller shortly after its release. The second book in the series, Uprising, will be available in February of 2013.

Aside from her Children of the Gods series, Jessica’s work can also be found in a published collection of flash fiction stories called Campaigner Challenges 2011.Out of over 350 submissions her story, The Soulless, won first place for people’s choice and fourth place in the judging round of Rachael Harrie’s Writing Campaign Challenge. Her story, Saved, is also available as part of the anthology.

Jessica spent most of her life in the small town of Chilcoot, California, high up in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. In this town of nearly 100 residents, with no street lights or grocery stores, there was little to do but find ways to be creative. Her mother, the local English teacher, inspired her to do all things artistic, and ultimately instilled in her a love for language.

In 2003, Jessica attended California State University Long Beach where her passion for language found her studying Chinese, and in 2005 she moved to Taiwan to study abroad. From 2005 to 2006 Jessica was fully immersed in the Chinese language as she attended National Taiwan University, and in 2008 she graduated from San Diego State University magna cum laude.

Jessica currently lives in Chula Vista with her husband and is working on book three in her Children of the Godsseries.

After Reading: The Color of Snow

Can a troubled young girl reenter society after living in isolation?

When a beautiful 16-year-old girl named Sophie is found sequestered in a cage-like room in a rundown house in the desolate hills of Arbon Valley, Idaho, the entire community is shocked to learn she is the legendary Callidora--a baby girl who was kidnapped from her crib almost seventeen years ago and canonized in missing posters with portraits of what the fabled girl might resemble. Authorities soon learn that the cage was there to protect people from Sophie, because her biological father believes she is cursed.

Sophie is discovered after the man she knows as Papa, shoots and injures Damien, a young man who is trying to rescue her. Now, unsocialized and thrust into the world, and into a family she has never met, Sophie must decide whether she should accept her Papa’s claims that she is cursed and he was only trying to protect others, or trust the new people in her life who have their own agendas. Guided by a wise cousin, Sophie realizes that her most heartbreaking challenge is to decide if her love for Damien will destroy him like her Papa claims, or free her from past demons that haunt her mind.

I was given a copy of this book to review for the blog tour, and honestly, I had a hard time getting into it. I really think it just wasn't to my taste. The concept was great--a child who'd been kidnapped and raised in near-isolation, then having to re-enter the world? Sounds pretty interesting! It's just, well, I had a hard time getting into the voice of the novel. And I found myself wanting to cajole the characters to get Sophie some hard-core counseling. No one goes through that and then is just left with their family without having some serious therapy.... I also struggled with the religious aspect of the book, as I have a large portion of family from a small, LDS community, and I didn't feel like they were portrayed very accurately. Anyhow, interesting concept, and definitely some tough issues to tackle, but just not my cup-o-tea.

Brenda Stanley's Bio:
Brenda Stanley is the former news anchor at her NBC affiliate KPVI in Eastern Iadho. Her writing has been recognized by the Scripps Howard Foundation, the Hearst Journalism Awards, the Idaho Press Club and the Society for Professional Journalists. She is a graduate of Dixie College in St. George, Utah, and the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. Brenda lived for two years in Ballard, Utah, within the Fort Duchesne reservation where the novel is set. She and her husband live on a small ranch near the Snake River with their horses and dogs.


The Color of Snow web site: http://the-color-of-snow.blogspot.com/
The Color of Snow Twitter hashtag: #TheColorOfSnow
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Brenda Stanley's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brenda.baumgartnerstanley
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Brenda Stanley's Website: http://www.brendastanleybooks.net/
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After Reading: Hybrid

by Anita E. Viljoen (Book can be found here)


Author Anita E. Viljoen continues the McKay vampire saga in Hybrid, the sequel to her book, Feeders.Gemma Anne O’ Sullivan, also known as Gem, is the daughter of a human mother, Megan McKay, and a vampire father, Michael O Sullivan. She is a hybrid and the first female of her kind, a secret kept by the McKay council for two and a half decades. The reappearance of Sire Raymond Pitout in Canada threatens and compromises her secret, as the International Vampire Council sends out its head of security, Lord Malcolm Murphy (the first hybrid), to protect Gem and destroy Sire Pitout.Malcolm finds things becoming complicated, especially when he falls in love with Gem. He meets Gem’s friend, Deidre Wolff, who turns out to be an alter-seer (an oracle/vampire hunter), and also her human sister, Grace O’ Sullivan, who has the same unique trait as her aunt, Mia O’ Sullivan, Michael’s twin sister. With all of these unique personalities under one roof, Malcolm has his work cut out for him.It has been ages since I did a book review on here! I promise I have a few up my sleeve :) So, I've been in the mood for something other than YA of late, and have been reading a few "adult" books, such as Hybrid. I won a copy of this quite a while ago, and it was finally cropping up close to the top of my tbr stack! Anyhow, there was lots going on this book--and by lots, I mean LOTS. It was a fun romp, with some delightful *ahem* steamy scenes (hey, I may write YA, but I am an adult...). I did find myself wanting to get to the action toward the end sooner, as it felt a little drawn out, but overall, it was a fun book!