Katie Hamstead's Blog, page 74

Review: Sacrifice by K.A. Last

From Goodreads: Sacrifice is a 23,000 word prequel to Fall For Me. It tells the story of Grace and Seth, and what happened in that castle. It is meant to be read after Fall For Me, although it can be read first...

Seth’s heart is breaking. He knows his decision will hurt the one person he keeps breathing for, but he can’t take it anymore. He can’t be near Grace knowing she will always be just out of reach.

Grace is oblivious to Seth’s turmoil. She loves him unconditionally, but not in the way he wants. They both know that in Heaven physical love is forbidden, and to break the rules is to defy everything they’ve ever been taught.

When Grace and Seth are sent on a mission to save a young mother and her unborn child, Grace must face the fact that Seth won’t be returning home. She doesn’t understand Seth’s decision and hates him for it. But what neither of them realise is how big a part that single decision will play in shaping their entire future.

What would you sacrifice for the one you love?

**This book is a novella prequel to Fall For Me, so my review is short.**
This was a nice bridge to answer some questions from Fall For Me. It makes me appreciate Seth all the more. It's also interesting to see Grace's perspective when Seth fell.

From Goodreads: Bound is a 3,000 word bonus scene and takes place towards the end of Sacrifice.

Seth would do anything to win back Grace’s love and trust.

Anything.

When he makes a deal with Michael, the archangel who banished him to life on earth, he hopes it will fix everything. But can Grace’s broken heart be mended that easily, or will Seth’s request end up haunting him for eternity?

My Thoughts:

Since this is just a chapter, I don't have a lot to say. But, it's definitely worth the read if you're following the series. It adds depth to Seth's character.

By Your Request! Review: Fall For Me by K.A. Last

So last month, I had you, my readers vote on what I read this month. You voted for Fall For Me by K.A. Last, and I promised my review. So here it is! And don't forget the cast your cote for what I read and review next month right HERE and you will go into the running to win one of my books.

From Goodreads:
“Angels aren’t supposed to fall in love, especially with each other. But for the record, you were worth it.”

Grace Tate is a Protection Angel and Vampire Hunter, and she has always followed the rules. But some rules are made to be broken…

Until now the fight against evil has been simple, and falling in love was never part of the plan. So what happens when it’s beyond Grace’s control, and when she least expects it she falls for the wrong person?

All hell breaks loose, that’s what.

At Hopetown Valley High, not everything is as it seems, and the one person Grace thought was her enemy becomes her most important ally.

Blood will be shed, lives will be lost and friendships will be tested. It all comes down to one decision, and when Grace tries to save all those dear to her, she realises not everyone can be—or wants to be—saved.

My thoughts...

Well, this was an interesting one for me. I usually avoid angel stories like the plague because they bother me to no end. The reason is most people don't have a firm grasp on biblical angels. I could go into a huge preachy thing about how angels don't have wings and they are simply people on "the other side", but I won't. There were parts that bothered me in this story because of this, and the whole heaven's council irked me, but I pushed through.
The first part felt slow and a bit dry, but again, I pushed through and found the story, once it got into the nitty gritty, quite interesting. Grace does find herself in quite a predicament, and it definitely leaves me to wonder who she will choose in the end. I'm rooting for Seth, but I do feel for Josh.
All up, once I got past my irritation, I found the story pretty enjoyable. Once I focused on them being fantasy rather than heavenly, and the story itself progressed, I became swept away with the characters and their intrigues.
A good read for people who enjoy this genre.

Cover Reveal: Horror Business by Ryan Craig Bradford and Giveaway #M9BFridayReveals

Welcome to the Cover Reveal forHorror Business by Ryan Craig Bradfordpresented by Month9Books!Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

Armed with a passion for classic B-grade horror movies, a script co-written by his twin brother, and a wicked crush on his death-obsessed neighbor; hardcore horror fan Jason Nightshade must finish his student film.But his plans are derailed when the children of suburban Silver Creek start disappearing – his twin brother among them. Battling a possessed video camera, a crazy zombie dog, a monstrous bully, and a frighteningly broken down family life, Jason embarks on a mission to find his lost brother so the two can write an ending for his story.As any horror fan knows, saving the day won't be easy, as Jason finds himself forced to face the real world where death isn't just a splash of fake blood on a camera lens.

Title: Horror Business
Publication date: February 2015
Publisher: Month9Books, LLC.
Author: Ryan Craig Bradford

Ryan grew up in Park City, Utah. His fiction has appeared in Quarterly West, Paper Darts, Vice, Monkeybicycle and [PANK]. He currently lives in San Diego where he acts as Creative Director for the nonprofit literary arts organization So Say We All. He’s the co-editor of the anthology Last Night on Earth and founder of the literary horror journal, Black Candies.

Connect with the Author: Website | Twi tter Complete the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win!(Winners will receive their book on release day)a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Slither of Hope Blog Tour Guest Post: Bringing cardboard characters to life with dialogue by Lisa M. Basso

Title: A SLITHER OF HOPE (ANGEL SIGHT #2)Publication date: August 5, 2014Publisher: Month9Books, LLC.Author: Lisa M. Basso
Rayna struggles to piece her life back together, but hiding in plain sight from the police, the SS Crazy, and the Fallen isn’t a foolproof plan—something Kade, the World’s Worst Roommate, reminds her of everyday. The late nights of failing to teach Ray how to protect herself against the Fallen are getting to Kade, changing him in ways he doesn’t like, and after a family emergency sends Ray back into Cam’s arms, Kade decides he’s had enough. News of Rayna’s resurfacing brings both angels and the Fallen to San Francisco by the dozens, all eyes scouring the city for the girl with the gray wings. Rayna will need both Kade and Cam’s help to ensure her family’s safety, navigate the new dangers and enemies springing up all over the city, and manage the surprises that arise with her new set of wings.
Chapters Indigo! | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | The Book Depository | IndieBound |



I’m a huge fan of outlining. Huge. If I didn’t outline I wouldn’t know who my characters were, where they needed to go, what they needed to do, or how they would get to the climax—or even what the climax entailed. Pre-planning, like outlining, is also how I learn about my characters.
After learning a little about my plot and where I expect it to go, I begin focusing on my characters. To do this I begin listing character traits. Age, date of birth, hobbies, habits, likes, dislikes, physical characters, etc. If I still feel like something is missing when all of this is done, especially with my main characters, I’ll put on my Rita Skeeter hat (yes, I went there with the Harry Potter reference) and start asking them questions.
This might sound odd, to interview a fictional character, but for me, it works.
A character interview isn’t something every character gets, because not all of them need it. Only the illusive ones get the A1 special treatment. When I was first plotting out A Shimmer of Angels, Rayna, my main character, was giving me a lot of problems. I needed to know some of her past, how and why she ended up hospitalized for seeing angels, and what went on in her head at the time. So I pulled up a fresh word doc and went at it.
One trick to creating a successful character interview is to hone your character’s voice, hear them speak through you. After all, to create a realistic character, you can list traits and descriptions all you like, but until your character truly speaks they’re just words on a page. If you know enough about them, you can start to get a feel for their voice. Do they speak formally, or more modern? Do they have an accent? Do they curse? Are they shy or outgoing? What is their sense of humor like? All of these things will help you form a character voice. The interview will help you hone this voice—after all, practice makes perfect, right?
The second trick to the character interview is to ask the right questions. You might not need to know what their favorite brand of shoes are or what toothpaste they use, but you’ll probably want to ask about their upbringing and hopes for the future. During my character interview with Rayna, I started with the hard-hitting journalism right off the bat. That didn’t work for her, she clammed up. So I switched to something easier, her current home life. As the interview went on (and I know this might sound crazy to some of you, but stay with me here), we both became more comfortable. She began to open up. My questions got tougher and her answers got more honest. I learned so much about her in the few short pages on the screen.
Once you have a voice, the next step is to improve it. Put them in a scene with someone else and get them talking. The first scene I wrote in A Shimmer of Angels (with my new, fully formed Rayna) was her having a conversation with Lee (her best friend). Who better for a character to talk to then their best friend? To my surprise, that scene, while rewritten several times, ended up staying as the first scene in the book. My advice, write a lot of dialogue. Through these first scenes of dialogue, I discovered Lee was an awesome technology loving, pop culture geek.
You learn so much more about your character seeing them interact with other characters, especially when there’s conflict involved. Ray’s first few interactions with Cam, the angel at her school, were tense and awkward, which brought out a lot of Ray’s insecurities. While her interactions with Kade, the dark-winged Fallen in the book, brought out another part of Rayna. She was scared of Kade and his never-before-seen black wings, but she also bolstered herself, made sure he didn’t see her fear. And just like that, she became stronger.

Each character’s voice is just as important and distinct as the author’s voice. No two characters will have the same life experiences, so they shouldn’t sound exactly the same. No matter how you do it, the key to a solid, multidimensional character is making them as real as possible. And for me, when I can hear their voice in my head as I type, that’s when I know I’m no longer writing for me, I’m writing as them.


Lisa M. Basso was born and raised in San Francisco, California. She is a lover of books, video games, animals, and baking (not baking with animals though). As a child she would crawl into worlds of her own creation and get lost for hours. Her love for YA fiction started with a simple school reading assignment: S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders. When not reading or writing she can usually be found at home with The Best Boyfriend Fiancé that Ever Lived ™ and her two darling (and sometimes evil) cats, Kitties A and B.

Author Links:   Website  |  Twitter  |  Facebook  |  Goodreads
Winner will be drawn August 29, 2014 ·         Four (4) winners will receive a digital copy of A Slither of Hope by Lisa M. Basso (INT)·         One (1) winner will receive a digital copy of A Slither of Hope by Lisa M. Basso AND a $10 Amazon Gift Card or B&N Gift Card – Winner’s Choice (INT)
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Voting for my Reading Time Again! #amreading

It's that time of month again and since the last one was such a success, I'm going to have you all vote again. I have included the top two runners up from last month, then added some new ones in for the other three. Like last time, vote in order of your top three, and tell me why :-) Then, I will select a winner of one of my ebooks again. Ready?

1. How to Date Dead Guys by Ann M. Noser

2. The Making of Nebraska Brown by Louise Caiola

3. Souls Entwined by Ann B. Cole

4. Evade by Jessa Russo

5. Broken Forest by Eliza Tilton
There they are folks! It's funny because three were Pitcharama finalists. Bonus points if you can tell me which. Now vote, tweet, share, and make me read what you want me to read in September!

Cover Reveal: The Schwarzschild Radius by Gustavo Florentin

Date of Re-Release­­:September 23, 2014.
Cover Artist: Andrea Garcia (http://andyg4rcia.com/)       
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22828394-the-schwarzschild-radius
The review tour is scheduled for 22nd September - 3rd October; excluding weekends. If you’re interested in participating, please sign up here: https://docs.google.com/a/curiosityquills.com/forms/d/1NZYUEogUHCICEBq_aPyJ9Ts6ZaofJCZoJLe9yW4xYiM/viewform
Description:
Rachel, an 18-year-old Columbia University student, descends into the netherworld of runaways and predators to find her sister, Olivia, who has suddenly disappeared.After getting a job in a strip joint where Olivia worked, then doing private shows in the homes of rich clients, Rachel discovers that Olivia has been abducted by a killer who auctions the deaths of young girls in an eBay of agony.When she finds Olivia, Rachel becomes the killer’s next target.--

About The Author:GUSTAVO FLORENTIN was born in Queens, New York, and received a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Polytechnic University of New York. He spent a decade in the defense industry, working on the F-14 fighter jet and classified electronic warfare projects.After the fall of the Soviet Union many thought America wouldn’t need weapons anymore. While others waited for the “peace dividend,” he moved on to the financial sector in New York where he is currently a network engineer. His passions include violin, travel to exotic destinations and exploring worldwide conspiracies. He’s currently working on his third novel in his New Jersey home.Find Gustavo Florentin Online:
Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/GustavoFlore...) | Twitter (https://twitter.com/gflorentin6) | Goodreads(https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...) 

Book Blitz: Dream Boy by Madelyn Rosenberg and Mary Crockett

Dream Boyby Madelyn Rosenberg and Mary CrockettRelease Date: 07/01/14Sourcebooks Fire
Summary from Goodreads: Annabelle Manning feels like she’s doing time at her high school in Chilton, Virginia. She has her friends at her lunchtime table of nobodies. What she doesn’t have are possibilities. Or a date for Homecoming. Things get more interesting at night, when she spends time with the boy of her dreams. But the blue-eyed boy with the fairytale smile is just that—a dream. Until the Friday afternoon he walks into her chemistry class.

One of friends suspects he’s an alien. Another is pretty sure it’s all one big case of deja vu. While Annabelle doesn’t know what to think, she’s willing to believe that the charming Martin Zirkle may just be her dream come true. But as Annabelle discovers the truth behind dreams—where they come from and what they mean—she is forced to face a dark reality she had not expected. More than just Martin has arrived in Chilton. As Annabelle learns, if dreams can come true, so can nightmares.

Available from:
Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Kobo Books * The Book Depository

Advanced Praise:“Dream Boy explores the mysterious world of dreams, where we access our deepest desires…the authors expertly weave fantasy and the real world in a perfect blend.”-- Erica Orloff, author of In Dreams
"Eerie, twisty, fast and funny, Dream Boy will forever change the way you see your dreams--and your nightmares. An exciting, imaginative look at what might happen when people from the corners of your mind suddenly show up in your real life."-- Lois Metzger, author of A Trick of the Light
Reviews:“The perfect book to add to your summer reading list. An awesome balance of love, humor and action, this new read may just be your dream come true!” – GirlsLife
"Hits the chick-lit and romance buttons, adding suspense and an intriguing idea as well for nicely rounded entertainment." -- Kirkus Review
"An original, twisty paranormal romance." -- Booklist
“Five stars... Perfect writing, perfect characters … perfect plot.” -- Paperback Wonderland

“Dream Boy skillfully and creatively tackles the common theme of good and bad dreams coming alive.... The writing is tight and well-paced, and nicely balances action with Annabelle’s character development as she tries to unravel the mysteries of... her dreams. Her teenage voice is spot on: unsure of herself, but spirited, with a sarcasm that masquerades as confidence. The plot twists and moves in unexpected yet fascinating directions." -- The Roanoke Times
About the AuthorsMary Crockett likes turtles, licorice, and the Yankees. Madelyn Rosenberg likes cats, avocados, and the Red Sox. Luckily they both like the weirdness of dreams (and each other) enough to write novels together. The friendship has survived three moves, six kids and countless manuscript revisions. Madelyn lives just outside of Washington, D.C. Mary remains in the mountains near their hometowns in southwestern Virginia.
Where to find Mary:  Website | Goodreads| Twitter | Facebook Where to find Madelyn:  Website | Goodreads| Twitter | Facebook
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Three Year Blogiversary and #Giveaway

Sign up for the Deceptive Cadence Cover reveal Here.

Three years ago today I set up this blog. It's changed a great deal since then, as have I. It originally started as just a meas to type out and share old stories I wrote growing up for my friends. Little did I know it would ignite my passion for writing and start me down a career path that not only brings me great joy, but has saved our little family on several occasions.
I've learned so much along the way. When a sister of a friend, who is also a friend of a friend and knew my husband growing up but I didn't meet her until this point, stumbled across my blog, she pointed me down the writer's path. I feel like I owe a great deal to Darci Cole, because if she hadn't introduced me to other bloggers and eventually twitter, I definitely wouldn't be where I am.
Through her, I started following Cassie Mae's blog, and soon after, she posted about GUTGAA.
The rest all kind of went from there.
To celebrate, I'm going to giveaway a paperback copy of any of my books of your choice (note: Branded won't be available in paperback until Nov) All you need to do is leave a comment showing me how much your writing has developed and grown since you first started out by using excepts from an early work and a recent one. I will then use random.org to pick a winner. But, your comment must be legit or I won't include it ;-)
For fun, I will post an excerpt of my first story I posted on here, and then put an excerpt of the same story, rewritten after I started publishing. It's the same scene, pretty much, when the MC meets her brother's best friend who takes an instant fancy to her. It amazes me the difference, and it's so fun to see how much I've learned and grown. Maybe when I get down on my writing, I should pull out old manuscripts and give them a look over. Maybe you should too!

Original -

The young man who had spoken took my hand and bowed. He was hansom enough, dark eyes, near black hair and by the tan of his skin I could tell he was a farmer.
"Would the Lady Alana mind if I were to call on her?" He inquired of me.
I looked at him surprised and was about to say 'Yes, she would mind, she has no desire to marry yet' but James stopped me, "No, she wouldn't mind at all, but right now we must meet our father"
"Then I shall call in on you in due time. At the cottage I presume?"
"No," Martin spoke up "We are going back to the farm today"
"Is that so?" the young man smiled at Martin, then returned his gaze back to me "Then I shall write, for I too must return to my own farm in two days so I will send correspondence"
James then gave him our farm's name and we parted. I refused to talk to him after that, but he didn't seem to mind.

Rewritten (Name changes that are more period and culturally accurate, and that overlap with stories I've written.)

The five young men approached, all examining me. I hated that. Being young, and part of a well-to-do family, I definitely had more appeal than at least two thirds of the other women around. 

“Adele,” Edmund said, gesturing at the young men. “I’d like you to meet my friends. We play rugby together.” 

They all bowed, offering me their names. 

“May we take a turn in the gardens?” Edmund asked. 

I squeezed his arm, trying to tell him no, but he ignored me. 

“Oh, yes,” one, who had introduced himself as Thomas, said. “It would be lovely to take a break to make your sister’s acquaintance.”I took a deep breath, counting to five as I tried not to roll my eyes.As we walked, the other four men slowly departed to return to their duties, but Thomas remained, strolling alongside Edmund. I watched him as he and Edmund conversed, laughing every now and then, realizing Edmund had mentioned him on occasion, calling Thomas his closest friend. No wonder he wanted me to marry him.“So tell me, Miss Escott,” Thomas said, leaning forward to see me. “Are you truly the prankster Edmund claims you to be?”“Edmund claims many things,” I replied, looking ahead to avoid admiring his pleasant features. “Doesn’t mean they are true. He is a fine storyteller.”Edmund grinned. “I have such a great source for my stories. Come, Adele, you have so many good tales to tell.”Yes, enough to hopefully scare off this Thomas. I slapped on a smile, and turned up my gaze to meet Thomas’ light brown eyes. “My father tried to have me attend a finishing school once. The problem was, the matron was cruel. So, I caught a blue tongue lizard and slipped it between her sheets.”Edmund laughed. “The wench thought it was a snake!”I elbowed him, grinning. “This is my story, you weren’t there.”“Sorry.”“Anyway, the screaming woke the whole household. Everyone went into a mad frenzy, while I rolled laughing. She knew right away I was to blame, so had me take it away, and promptly sent me packing in the morning.”“Pa wasn’t impressed,” Edmund said, a playful smile curling his lips.“No.” I shook my head. “But it doesn’t matter. I’m going to be an explorer, like Blaxland, Lawson, and Wentworth. An explorer doesn’t need finishing school.”Edmund nudged me, clearing his throat.“An explorer?” Thomas nodded, his arms behind his back. “That’s a dangerous path.”“Danger isn’t—”Edmund elbowed me sharply in the ribs.I glared at him.He shook his head.
“There is still much land to be explored,” Thomas said, apparently oblivious to our exchange. “And with new advances coming out of England and America all the time, we will be flying soon.”I stared at him, wondering if he was teasing me, but found him gazing into the sky, his eyes bright as he smiled.Edmund nudged me again, winking.I cleared my throat. “Don’t we need to be somewhere?”Edmund looked toward the docks, shielding his eyes. “No, the ship has barely docked. We have some time yet.”“We don’t have that long. We should really be going.”Edmund turned his focus to Thomas. “Pa has arranged something special for Adele. It seems she is eager to find out what it is.”“Yes.” I tugged at Edmund’s arm. “Now, can we go?”“I will walk with you,” Thomas said.“What an excellent idea. Don’t you agree, Adele?” Edmund turned his head so Thomas wouldn’t see his smirk and raised eyebrow.Really subtle, Eddie. “Oh yes, excellent.”
As we turned to head back, Thomas slipped around behind us and strolled next to me. I shuffled closer to Edmund, not wanting to give Thomas ideas.

Plotter vs Panster

So, to keep posts rolling on my blog, I'm recycling posts I wrote for Aussie Owned and Read. Find the original HERE. Enjoy!

Are you a plotter or a panster?
Since I am a great big panster, I needed to find out how plotters work. So I talked to the lovely ladies and also took it to the AZ Typelings (and Aussie Owned and Read) because I knew there was at least one plotter there who could tell me about her process. So, now I can talk about both! Ah ha!So basically a plotter is someone who plans out their WiP before sitting down and writing it out. A panster, on the other hand, gets an idea in their head and goes with it.A plotter can do their planning in several ways. Some write out scenes in points, some write out a few sentences about each chapter, some structure it with, quote, "introduction, theme stated, set-up, catalyst, main question of the protagonist, B story, fun stuff, midpoint, TERRIBLE DISASTER, finale." Either way, they have a fair idea what's going to happen and approximately how long the manuscript will be when it is completed. They can see the story as a whole before they start drafting.As a panster, I can say that when I think up a story, I usually only know each scene as they come. I'll start with a concept and roll with it. As I write, I think up how it will end, and with that in mind, I let the characters and plot take me from point A to point Z, and yes, sometimes things happen and I'm completely blindsided by them!There are pro's and con's to each. I know I've tried plotting and grew bored of the story before I even finished it, so scrapped it because it felt too predictable for me. But, a plotter can see everything before it happens. They can know what to expect word count wise and so forth, whereas I write out a first draft and have to go back and tie up lose ends in a second draft, and sometimes cut chunks out because the story is just too long.Honestly, neither works better than the other. But one will work better for YOU. Don't let anyone tell you what to do, or that you should try what you're not comfortable with, because you're the one writing it, you're the one creating the world and characters, so only you can know what's going to work for you.So what are you? A plotter or a panster? How do you construct your story?

Cover Reveal: Kissing Frogs by Alisha Sevigny @alisha7e @swoonromance

Kissing Frogsby Alisha SevignyRelease Date: 11/18/14Swoon Romance
Summary from Goodreads:Popular party girl and high school senior Jessica Scott has a secret: she used to be a nerd — a big one; a goody two-shoes, grade-skipping, all-state spelling bee champ. But she lost the braces, put on some contacts, and applied all her academic genius to studying and imitating the social elite. Now she rules the school from the upper echelon of the high school realm. With her cool new friends and hottest-guy-in-school boyfriend, life’s a beach — and that’s where she’s headed for Spring Break. That is, until her teacher breaks the bad news that she’s failing Biology — and her only chance to make up the grade is to throw away the culminating trip of her hard-earned popularity and join the Conservation Club in Panama to save the Golden Frog.
Unable to let go of her faded college dreams, Jess finds herself in a foreign country with a new social crew, and one handsome face that stands out as a blast from the past, threatening to ruin her queen bee reputation. Travis Henley may have grown up, but he still likes to play childish games and as payment for retrieving Jess’ lost ring from the bottom of a jungle pool, he wants three dates. While Jess does battle with spiders, snakes, wildfires and smart mean girls, she desperately tries to hang on to the last vestiges of her popular existence like the Golden Frog from its webbed toe. But as she starts to care about something more than tanning and texting – a species on the verge of disappearing forever – she may realize the worth of her inner nerd, and the one frog in particular that could be her prince in disguise.
Set in the lush and tropical El Valle de Anton, this modern fairytale re-imagining of “The Frog Prince” is toe-curling contemporary romance with an environmentalist heartbeat, in the tradition of Stephanie Perkins.

About the Author
Alisha Sevigny holds a degree in Sociology and Professional Writing from the University of Victoria, is a film school graduate, former literary agent and current Social Media and Communications Director for an award-winning English school. A shameless romantic, Alisha and her husband have travelled the world together. On a recent trip to Panama with their new daughter, Alisha fell in love with the country, culture, and their national emblem, the Golden Frog. She was inspired to write her first Young Adult novel, Kissing Frogs. Born and raised in Kitimat, British Columbia, Alisha has always had a strong connection to the environment and conservationist spirit. She now lives in Toronto with her family.
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