Sasha Hibbs's Blog, page 9
September 14, 2014
Fairy Tale Magic Blog Hop
Love...All things Fairy Tale? We're celebrating them in all their forms...originals, adaptations, twists and re-tellings. Sweet or steamy or a little bit twisted! Hop through all the blogs for giveaways at each stop! And don't forget to enter for the $100 Amazon gift card grand prize drawing too! For a chance at winning a prize given away by yours truly, follow me on Twitter, and sign up on my blog (tab to the right of this screen where it says "join this site." Winner will be picked at the end of this hop! Don't forget to click on over to the next site for chances at some amazing prizes!
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September 4, 2014
Adina West, Author Interview
I'm so excited today to have Adina West, author of Dark Child, on my blog!
Hi Adina! I’m so excited about our interview J
Allow me to introduce myself. I’m a full-time RN (real life happens), YA author, blogger, reader and reviewer for NetGalley and BTS Magazine.
Before moving forward with questions I wanted to take a moment and gush about your debut novel, Dark Child. What a beautiful, haunting, and breathtaking cover. Having scoped your blog out, the additional covers in the series are amazing as well. I simply love them! They definitely grab your attention and say, “Read me!” And having read Dark Child, I cannot recommend it enough. What a unique and compelling story!
Thank you so much for letting me visit your blog, Sasha! And for the wonderful questions. I get a real buzz from the fact you’re an Appalachian girl. I’ve had at least one person tell me they were inspired to visit the Appalachians and try ramps in the Spring after reading this book. JI love my covers too, and yours are simply beautiful as well – I especially like the ethereal quality to the dress on your Black Abaddon cover. And congratulations on the forthcoming release of your third title too. I’m in awe of the fact that you work full-time in a challenging profession, have kids, read and review so many books as well as writing your own!
Shucks, Adina. Thank you!
1.) Can you tell my readers a little bit about how Dark Child was born? Where the idea was conceived?
I’ve loved this genre, both on screen and in print, for a long time. But I think what gave me the push I needed to actually sit down and write (and more importantly to finish a book) was reading a big long ‘how I got started’ story on Stephenie Meyer’s website. She apparently wrote Twilight really fast – the words just poured out of her – but what I found most inspiring was the fact that she had young kids, and wrote around the many demands of motherhood.
The timing for these things is never really ideal, which is no doubt why my need to write reached a point of desperation when I had an eighteen month old child. Dark Child started out with just a shadow of an idea about an extraordinary young woman who moves to New York and goes to live in a building that she shouldn’t be able to see, let alone enter. I was sleep deprived and time poor when I started writing, but the muse didn’t care about any of that it seemed, and Dark Child was the result.
That's awesome. I read Ms. Meyer's road to publication too, and it was inspiring. Sometimes it's hard to believe that even the most successful authors had very humble beginnings. 2.) How long between the inception of Dark Child and the actual publication? Readers love a snapshot at other author’s road-to-publication stories.
I’ll give you the long version. J Dark Child (the Awakening) is my first published novel, so I was primed and prepared for the whole process to take a while…and it did! I was brainstorming the very first ideas for Dark Child in late 2008, and completed my first draft in 2009. Then I spent 6 months or so editing it, with feedback from beta readers, and started my search for an agent. That took another six months…and my agent requested further revisions that I completed at the end of 2010.
Around that time, things were pretty grim in the economy in general, and certainly in the world of publishing, so it was another twelve months of nail-biting waiting (and I’m not the most patient of people!) before we got an offer for Dark Child from Momentum Books, the digital division of Pan Macmillan, early in 2012. And it was another year again before Dark Child (the Awakening) Episode One was released in February 2013. So, four-and-a-bit years from inception to publication, all up. I still think that moment was worth the wait, though!
Thank you for sharing this with my readers. You're absolutely correct: it can take years, years people, to get a book published. But the key is to NEVER give up! I'm so glad you didn't and you can now share Dark Child with the world :)
3.) What was it like to get the “yes/acceptance” from your publisher when they agreed to publish Dark Child?
The timing was quite funny. I was at playgroup with my kids when I got the call from my agent. It was actually a missed call, as I often forget I have my phone muted! When I called her back, she gave me the news that Momentum had made an offer for world e-book rights. It was a wonderful moment, but I had to contain my jumping up and down and squealing as I didn’t want to alarm the kids. JI did fire off a bunch of text messages to share the good news though!
Awesome! It is exciting. I literally cried when I got "the call". I'll never forget. 4.) Most exciting for me as I’ve lived in West Virginia and the Appalachian Mountains my entire life, what made you decide on the location/setting for Dark Child?
I’m a country girl myself, and the setting really appealed to me. I’ve read and loved Barbara Kingsolver’s books, and the way she writes about this region is wonderfully evocative. The region is so beautiful and with a unique quality in both its geography and its people that only seems to survive in areas that are relatively isolated. There was something about WV and the Appalachians that made me believe things could happen there that were quite out of the ordinary, and when I chanced on all the information about ramps growing wild in the springtime, I knew I’d made the right choice. Pure serendipity!
Adina, you're a woman after my heart! WV is such a beautiful state. Mountains as far as the eye can see, lush foliage, rivers...I can go on and on about living here. WV is dear to my heart. I'm so thrilled you picked my home state as the setting for Dark Child!
5.) What are your writing conditions like? Isolated desk with an amazing soundtrack, or writing wherever, whenever you can?
I find it easiest to write at my desk at night, when it’s dark, and quiet, and my kids are in bed. I’m trying to shake the habit as it’d be good to work more productively in the daytime too! When I’m really in the zone, immersed in a project, I’ll write longhand in a notebook whenever an idea strikes me, and scribble notes and reminders to myself any chance I get.
6.) If you could team up with any author, who would he/she be and why?
Wow, this is a tricky one, because my process is so messy and organic that I’m pretty sure I’d drive any other author crazy before too long. But ideally I’d love to work with an author who has years of experience behind them, and a few bestsellers under their belt, so I could benefit from their accumulated wisdom about the writing craft. Because there’s always more to learn. That much I do know!
7.) What is your favorite novel and why?
This is a really hard one, and does change for me on a regular basis…but I have an enduring love for Katherine, by Anya Seton. It’s an old one, but a wonderful romance, the story of the love affair between Katherine Swynford and John of Gaunt. Seton writes the historical setting so beautifully. I’m in awe of the amount of research she must have done to bring this period to life.
8.) Do you plot your novels or do you fly by the seat of your pants?
People like me are called plantsers – halfway between the two! I certainly don’t outline everything in advance, but I don’t entirely ‘pants’ it either. I usually have a few key turning points in mind when I start writing but most of the process from then on is quite organic.
9.) What advice would you give to aspiring authors?
Approach every part of the process in a professional way, whether you’re considering traditional publishing or self-publishing, and be willing to work hard! The hardest thing of all is finishing that first book, and if you’ve already achieved that, give yourself a big pat on the back because you’ve broken through a barrier that stops many aspiring writers. Persistence is the key, as well as a clearly defined set of goals, because every part of the journey reveals new obstacles that could stop you from achieving your dream if you let them.
Great advice!
10.) What’s next for you?
I’m working on the next title in the Dark Child series. That’ll keep me busy for a while, though I do have other projects outside this series that I’m keen to spend time on in the future. Unfortunately some genius thought 24 hours was plenty for one day. Any mother who writes will surely agree that’s not enough! ;-) Very true! I can't wait for your next title. Thanks so much for being here today, Adina. And I wish you all the luck in the world:)
Amazon Author Website Twitter Facebook Momentum Books
Blurb:
Perfect for fans of The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare, this intriguing urban fantasy follows the story of Kat Chanter, who discovers that the world she knows is controlled by ancient creatures who feed on blood. And she might just be one of them …
Lately things have been getting weird for pathology technician Kat Chanter. She’s been craving raw meat, and having dreams so realistic they’re scary. When she accepts a job offer from the prestigious Hema Castus Research Institute, she hopes she’ll have the chance to discover what’s wrong with her, but instead, her move to New York thrusts her headlong into a treacherous hidden world, where the wrong move could be fatal . . .
Tarot, witchcraft and astrology all take on a frightening resonance in Dark Child’s richly imagined alternative reality where vampiric beings live among us, hidden by magic. Dark romance tangles with paranormal fantasy and page-turning suspense in this enthralling tale of ‘dark child’ Kat Chanter, half human and half vampire, who has woken an ancient prophecy and must face a formidable destiny.
Adina West grew up surrounded by trees, on a remote property on Australia’s east coast, in country New South Wales.
“As a child, I was never afraid of the dark,” she says. “The night, for me, was filled with infinite possibility.”
Adina is from a large family, and she remembers how she and her siblings would come running when their mother took a loaf of her homemade bread out of the oven. “The pine kneading board my mother uses to make bread was brought to Australia by my European grandmother when she emigrated. We’d often finish the whole loaf while it was still warm. And we always fought over the crust, because it was crispy. It was the best bit.”
Adina wrote her first story at age eight. “I typed it up on my parents’ old typewriter,” she says. “I always knew I wanted to write stories.”
Though her subject matter may have matured, that desire has remained unchanged.
Adina spent most of her childhood curled up with a book, and her first teenage job was shelving books at the local library, where she was cautioned more than once for reading them instead of putting them away.
Now, Adina lives in Sydney’s leafy north-west with her IT guru husband, two children, and a couple of unwelcome possums who really don’t know how to take a hint. Her debut novel Dark Child, a new-age paranormal fantasy, is being released as a serialised e-novel by Pan Macmillan’s Momentum books starting February 2013. It’s an eclectic mix of ancient and modern, tarot, astrology, suspense and romance, and she loves that writing it made watching Vampire Diaries necessary research.
Hi Adina! I’m so excited about our interview J
Allow me to introduce myself. I’m a full-time RN (real life happens), YA author, blogger, reader and reviewer for NetGalley and BTS Magazine.
Before moving forward with questions I wanted to take a moment and gush about your debut novel, Dark Child. What a beautiful, haunting, and breathtaking cover. Having scoped your blog out, the additional covers in the series are amazing as well. I simply love them! They definitely grab your attention and say, “Read me!” And having read Dark Child, I cannot recommend it enough. What a unique and compelling story!
Thank you so much for letting me visit your blog, Sasha! And for the wonderful questions. I get a real buzz from the fact you’re an Appalachian girl. I’ve had at least one person tell me they were inspired to visit the Appalachians and try ramps in the Spring after reading this book. JI love my covers too, and yours are simply beautiful as well – I especially like the ethereal quality to the dress on your Black Abaddon cover. And congratulations on the forthcoming release of your third title too. I’m in awe of the fact that you work full-time in a challenging profession, have kids, read and review so many books as well as writing your own!
Shucks, Adina. Thank you!
1.) Can you tell my readers a little bit about how Dark Child was born? Where the idea was conceived?
I’ve loved this genre, both on screen and in print, for a long time. But I think what gave me the push I needed to actually sit down and write (and more importantly to finish a book) was reading a big long ‘how I got started’ story on Stephenie Meyer’s website. She apparently wrote Twilight really fast – the words just poured out of her – but what I found most inspiring was the fact that she had young kids, and wrote around the many demands of motherhood.
The timing for these things is never really ideal, which is no doubt why my need to write reached a point of desperation when I had an eighteen month old child. Dark Child started out with just a shadow of an idea about an extraordinary young woman who moves to New York and goes to live in a building that she shouldn’t be able to see, let alone enter. I was sleep deprived and time poor when I started writing, but the muse didn’t care about any of that it seemed, and Dark Child was the result.
That's awesome. I read Ms. Meyer's road to publication too, and it was inspiring. Sometimes it's hard to believe that even the most successful authors had very humble beginnings. 2.) How long between the inception of Dark Child and the actual publication? Readers love a snapshot at other author’s road-to-publication stories.
I’ll give you the long version. J Dark Child (the Awakening) is my first published novel, so I was primed and prepared for the whole process to take a while…and it did! I was brainstorming the very first ideas for Dark Child in late 2008, and completed my first draft in 2009. Then I spent 6 months or so editing it, with feedback from beta readers, and started my search for an agent. That took another six months…and my agent requested further revisions that I completed at the end of 2010.
Around that time, things were pretty grim in the economy in general, and certainly in the world of publishing, so it was another twelve months of nail-biting waiting (and I’m not the most patient of people!) before we got an offer for Dark Child from Momentum Books, the digital division of Pan Macmillan, early in 2012. And it was another year again before Dark Child (the Awakening) Episode One was released in February 2013. So, four-and-a-bit years from inception to publication, all up. I still think that moment was worth the wait, though!
Thank you for sharing this with my readers. You're absolutely correct: it can take years, years people, to get a book published. But the key is to NEVER give up! I'm so glad you didn't and you can now share Dark Child with the world :)
3.) What was it like to get the “yes/acceptance” from your publisher when they agreed to publish Dark Child?
The timing was quite funny. I was at playgroup with my kids when I got the call from my agent. It was actually a missed call, as I often forget I have my phone muted! When I called her back, she gave me the news that Momentum had made an offer for world e-book rights. It was a wonderful moment, but I had to contain my jumping up and down and squealing as I didn’t want to alarm the kids. JI did fire off a bunch of text messages to share the good news though!
Awesome! It is exciting. I literally cried when I got "the call". I'll never forget. 4.) Most exciting for me as I’ve lived in West Virginia and the Appalachian Mountains my entire life, what made you decide on the location/setting for Dark Child?
I’m a country girl myself, and the setting really appealed to me. I’ve read and loved Barbara Kingsolver’s books, and the way she writes about this region is wonderfully evocative. The region is so beautiful and with a unique quality in both its geography and its people that only seems to survive in areas that are relatively isolated. There was something about WV and the Appalachians that made me believe things could happen there that were quite out of the ordinary, and when I chanced on all the information about ramps growing wild in the springtime, I knew I’d made the right choice. Pure serendipity!
Adina, you're a woman after my heart! WV is such a beautiful state. Mountains as far as the eye can see, lush foliage, rivers...I can go on and on about living here. WV is dear to my heart. I'm so thrilled you picked my home state as the setting for Dark Child!
5.) What are your writing conditions like? Isolated desk with an amazing soundtrack, or writing wherever, whenever you can?
I find it easiest to write at my desk at night, when it’s dark, and quiet, and my kids are in bed. I’m trying to shake the habit as it’d be good to work more productively in the daytime too! When I’m really in the zone, immersed in a project, I’ll write longhand in a notebook whenever an idea strikes me, and scribble notes and reminders to myself any chance I get.
6.) If you could team up with any author, who would he/she be and why?
Wow, this is a tricky one, because my process is so messy and organic that I’m pretty sure I’d drive any other author crazy before too long. But ideally I’d love to work with an author who has years of experience behind them, and a few bestsellers under their belt, so I could benefit from their accumulated wisdom about the writing craft. Because there’s always more to learn. That much I do know!
7.) What is your favorite novel and why?
This is a really hard one, and does change for me on a regular basis…but I have an enduring love for Katherine, by Anya Seton. It’s an old one, but a wonderful romance, the story of the love affair between Katherine Swynford and John of Gaunt. Seton writes the historical setting so beautifully. I’m in awe of the amount of research she must have done to bring this period to life.
8.) Do you plot your novels or do you fly by the seat of your pants?
People like me are called plantsers – halfway between the two! I certainly don’t outline everything in advance, but I don’t entirely ‘pants’ it either. I usually have a few key turning points in mind when I start writing but most of the process from then on is quite organic.
9.) What advice would you give to aspiring authors?
Approach every part of the process in a professional way, whether you’re considering traditional publishing or self-publishing, and be willing to work hard! The hardest thing of all is finishing that first book, and if you’ve already achieved that, give yourself a big pat on the back because you’ve broken through a barrier that stops many aspiring writers. Persistence is the key, as well as a clearly defined set of goals, because every part of the journey reveals new obstacles that could stop you from achieving your dream if you let them.
Great advice!
10.) What’s next for you?
I’m working on the next title in the Dark Child series. That’ll keep me busy for a while, though I do have other projects outside this series that I’m keen to spend time on in the future. Unfortunately some genius thought 24 hours was plenty for one day. Any mother who writes will surely agree that’s not enough! ;-) Very true! I can't wait for your next title. Thanks so much for being here today, Adina. And I wish you all the luck in the world:)
Amazon Author Website Twitter Facebook Momentum Books
Blurb:
Perfect for fans of The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare, this intriguing urban fantasy follows the story of Kat Chanter, who discovers that the world she knows is controlled by ancient creatures who feed on blood. And she might just be one of them …
Lately things have been getting weird for pathology technician Kat Chanter. She’s been craving raw meat, and having dreams so realistic they’re scary. When she accepts a job offer from the prestigious Hema Castus Research Institute, she hopes she’ll have the chance to discover what’s wrong with her, but instead, her move to New York thrusts her headlong into a treacherous hidden world, where the wrong move could be fatal . . .
Tarot, witchcraft and astrology all take on a frightening resonance in Dark Child’s richly imagined alternative reality where vampiric beings live among us, hidden by magic. Dark romance tangles with paranormal fantasy and page-turning suspense in this enthralling tale of ‘dark child’ Kat Chanter, half human and half vampire, who has woken an ancient prophecy and must face a formidable destiny.
Adina West grew up surrounded by trees, on a remote property on Australia’s east coast, in country New South Wales.
“As a child, I was never afraid of the dark,” she says. “The night, for me, was filled with infinite possibility.”
Adina is from a large family, and she remembers how she and her siblings would come running when their mother took a loaf of her homemade bread out of the oven. “The pine kneading board my mother uses to make bread was brought to Australia by my European grandmother when she emigrated. We’d often finish the whole loaf while it was still warm. And we always fought over the crust, because it was crispy. It was the best bit.”
Adina wrote her first story at age eight. “I typed it up on my parents’ old typewriter,” she says. “I always knew I wanted to write stories.”
Though her subject matter may have matured, that desire has remained unchanged.
Adina spent most of her childhood curled up with a book, and her first teenage job was shelving books at the local library, where she was cautioned more than once for reading them instead of putting them away.
Now, Adina lives in Sydney’s leafy north-west with her IT guru husband, two children, and a couple of unwelcome possums who really don’t know how to take a hint. Her debut novel Dark Child, a new-age paranormal fantasy, is being released as a serialised e-novel by Pan Macmillan’s Momentum books starting February 2013. It’s an eclectic mix of ancient and modern, tarot, astrology, suspense and romance, and she loves that writing it made watching Vampire Diaries necessary research.
September 2, 2014
Review Round-up
Still taking my early New Years resolution seriously. Here are some titles I've recently read and reviewed. Thank you to all the authors and publishers for sending them my way. Please remember, I only post reviews on my site for books that I love.
1.) Day 21, book # 2 of The Hundred
My review here: Goodreads review
2.) The Kiss of Deception
My review here: Goodreads review
3.) Ever Shade
My review here: Goodreads review
4.) Dangerous Dream
My review here: Goodreads review
5.) Dangerous Creatures
My review here: Goodreads review
Happy Reading!
1.) Day 21, book # 2 of The Hundred
My review here: Goodreads review2.) The Kiss of Deception
My review here: Goodreads review 3.) Ever Shade
My review here: Goodreads review4.) Dangerous Dream
My review here: Goodreads review5.) Dangerous Creatures
My review here: Goodreads reviewHappy Reading!
August 29, 2014
Review/Feature of STILL PHOTO by Kim Harnes
Title: Still PhotoAuthor: Kim Harnes
Genre: YA Contemporary Suspense
Publisher: Evernight Teen
Length: 272 pages
Published: March 26, 2014
Blurb:
Jess Waterford’s mother is evil. Since she took off seven years ago—just days after Jess’s ninth birthday—without so much as a wave goodbye, Jess has always wondered what happened to her. And despite the end of her mother’s mental and physical abuse, the memories and the scars still remain. Jess conceals the hurt within by practicing her photography, and by spending as much time as her dad will allow with her baseball star boyfriend, Brody Campbell.Determined to make use of her new camera, Jess dives into photographing everything in sight. But periodically the resulting prints are flawed, ever so slightly: a smudge on a tree trunk; a blemish in the bus window. These imperfections are not as random as they may seem, however, and Brody and Jess soon discover together that each of these pictures combine to form another image—the grisly image of a murder scene, with Jess’s mother as the victim.
As the new photograph takes shape, Jess’s desire to complete it consumes her, and Brody’s health begins to deteriorate. Torn between her quest to reveal her mother’s killer and her continued worry over Brody’s failing health, Jess finally finds the last piece to the puzzle, and the answer sends her world spiraling into depths from which she may never recover.
My review: 5 Creepy, Spine-Chilling Stars! You must read this!
At a glance, the cover led me to believe that I was in for a sinister, creepy ride, and I can say at the end, that is exactly what happened. There was no disappointment.
There are a few novels that at the end, I'm left scratching my Kindle screen, saying to myself in a futile attempt to make my Kindle produce more pages, "Where's the rest? I want more!" And so that was the case with Still Photo. It was just that good.
This is a genre I don't visit too often and having devoured Still Photo I think I'll reconsider and am a bit afraid other psychological suspense novels might perhaps pale in comparison.
The flow of the story and the character building were nothing short of stunning. This was one of those novels that at 1AM I had a conflict crop up between my two selves. One saying, "Seriously, you have to get up at 6AM. PUT. IT. DOWN!" and then my other self was saying, "Just one more chapter. JUST. ONE. MORE!"
Oh what a ride! I loved all the characters: Brody, Jess, her Dad...Ms. Harnes fleshed them out in great detail.
Still Photo easily earns 5 very creepy, spine chilling stars from this reader. I will certainly be on the lookout for future works.
Author Bio: Kim Harnes learned to read at the age of two and never looked back. Growing up as an avid lover of horror novels, campfire stories, and the obsession with ghost towns and cemeteries, it only made sense that her own writing would incorporate the paranormal, the bizarre, and the unexplained. She is an award-winning songwriter, an active member of the SCBWI, and currently lives with her family and numerous pets in Sparks, Nevada. Author Buy links: Evernight Teen Goodreads Author Website Amazon
August 26, 2014
Interview with YA author, M. Kircher!
Today I had the privilege of interviewing M. Kircher, YA author of The Horizons Trilogy. Book 2 in her series, The Horizons Trilogy, The Gray Horizon, just came out! Make sure to snatch up your copy. If you haven't read the first, The War Inside, be sure to grab that up too!
1.) Tell my readers a little about yourself: Thanks so much for having me today, Sasha! I’m a thirty-one-year-old writer and mom of two little kiddos. My son, Sean, is two and my daughter, Nora, is one. My husband and I adopted my son out of foster care when he was seventeen months old…a month after my miracle daughter was born. So I’m kind of still reeling from having what I like to call an “instant family”!
I’ve always been an extreme book nerd. As a kid, my parents used to bribe me to have friends over, but I’d never take them up on it. Reading alone in my room was pure bliss then…and still is now. I gobble up books like nobody’s business. (Can’t wait to find out what happens in Book Three Sasha! If you haven’t picked up Black Amaranth or Black Abaddon, do it! Such a good story.) I also love movies. Anything with a great storyline really sucks me in. I will admit that I have cried watching The Hunger Games and Divergent, simply because I was in awe of the stories and world building. Ah! Such a nerd!
I got started writing as a blogger with my husband. We had a marriage/relationship blog that did rather well and then magazines started publishing us and then a publisher approached us about a book. After that book came out I realized that perhaps I actually could write fiction (something I always dreamed about). But it wasn’t until a friend of mine told me, “You have to write a novel,” that I actually sat down and did it. The War Inside was written while I was waiting for my foster care license. My next book, Dream On, with Astraea Press, was written the summer after I had my daughter. I’m so excited to be back with the Horizons trilogy and releasing Book Two, The Gray Horizon.
Oh shucks, Melissa! Thanks for the shout out :) Book three should be released sometime next month. And I hear ya...I cried reading and watching the Hunger Games (something my cousin, Tiffany, will never forgive me for. I made her watch the movies and now she'll never trust me again:). Divergent...I wanted to so bad, but hearing the serious spoilers spoiled it for me. I know it's beautiful, but that #$%^ ending! Why? *shakes fist toward the sky*
2.) YA is such a popular genre, how does your current release stand out among the rest? The Gray Horizon is YA dystopian, so it’s in the mix with a horde of awesome books, but I like to think it has a really positive twist to it. Yes, it’s about the destruction of society, but the focus does not stay there. The trilogy really digs deep into the choice we all have between good and evil and how there are always second chances. It’s dystopian with the emphasis on putting everything back together—a rebirth of human awareness.
I loved the first one, The War Inside. I know I'll love the second one too! Your writing style is beautiful and I'm really on a huge Dystopian kick!
3.) Tell my readers a little about your new release:
The Gray Horizon is Book Two in a planned trilogy. The first book, The War Inside, is told from the perspective of one of the main characters, Thea, and is the introduction to a planet where disconnection has ruined everything. A worldwide black out destroyed modern society, and then when people crawled out of their electronic haze they discovered the Earth had been demolished and the sun obliterated by a thick layer of pollution. Thea meets an innocent girl named Viv, and her life is changed forever. There’s a paranormal twist involved, and of course, some cute guys! The Gray Horizon continues the story from the perspective of Caden, Thea’s love interest in Book One. Caden deals with a lot of inner demons, this strange power he’s been given, and what exactly it means to put others first. There are creepy shadow creatures, lots of action and intrigue, epic journeys, and some steamy kisses. J
Oh I can't wait! 4.) Having been both self published and traditionally published, what words of advice would you give to aspiring authors?
Keep writing and keep learning. Know your market by reading a lot. Don’t hold any one novel too dear. I just went to a writing group where most people there had been editing the same novel for like 3-4 years. They hung on to those things for dear life thinking, “If I just keep at this one book enough, someone will recognize how brilliant it is and I’ll make it big.” You can’t build a career off one book. Write a book and try to sell it. If you can’t, then maybe self-publishing is for you. Publish it and then move on to your next book. Try to sell that one to agents. Rinse and repeat. I’ve heard over and over again from authors and agents that the key to getting published is to write lots of books.
I personally have learned that I love working with publishers more than self-publishing. It’s just my cup of tea now that I’ve experienced both ends of the spectrum. I love editors and I love the editing process…when I’m not the one who is in charge of line-by-line corrections! Self-publishing is awesome and has many perks. It’s just whatever ends up clicking with each unique author. Thanks for the advice. The road to publishing *lets out a long sigh* we all have our scars, but it's nice to come away with some knowledge after going down the long hard road. Kudos to you for accomplishing both!
5.) If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
I just saw a story online about the Er Wang Dong cave system in China. It has its own weather system and the images that have been taken there are stunning. While I’m a bit claustrophobic, the idea of going all Jules Verne and traveling someplace underground like that sounds amazingly appealing. I think if I were ever given the chance to spelunk down there, I would grit my teeth and do it. What an amazing setting for a novel, too! Check out some pictures here: http://www.wunderground.com/news/china-cave-weather-20131002
Thanks for the pics. This place sounds and looks awesome! 6.) If you had the opportunity to write a novel with another author, who would it be and why?
Marissa Meyer, the author of the Cindernovels. I was so skeptical of yet another fairy-tale retelling, but she literally blew my mind. The way she weaves old themes with futuristic sci-fi is amazing. I would love to collaborate with her on some kind of alien book…maybe aliens that have been trapped in lost caves in China!
Nice! I've heard of Ms. Meyer and I think her covers are very eye catching. My cousin and I have talked about finally giving in and reading them. When you hear that much about a series there has to be something to it :)
7.) How do you deal with writer’s block?
I either write through it or take time off. Both ends of the spectrum! If I decide to write through, I allow myself to write total crap. Sometimes writing twenty pages of crap can get you through the rough patches and back into the flow of the story. You can always go back an edit profusely later!
When taking a step back I don’t forget about the story. Quite the opposite, actually. I don’t write for a couple of days, but I think about the thing all the time. While I’m washing dishes, driving, in the shower…I let the tricky parts ruminate and roll around in my noggin until I figure out the next part of the story. This method usually works, especially because I don’t allow myself to take too much time away from the computer. Just enough to be inspired once more, and then it’s back to the daily grind. (The immensely fun daily grind.)
Writers block can really be tough. I usually dealt by stepping away, drinking some coffee and watching HBO. But after the True Blood finale, I've sworn off HBO! *Crying inside, why HBO, why?*
8.) What’s your all-time favorite novel?
I literally cannot answer this question! There are too, too many to count. My recent favorites would have to be: Cinder, The Atopia Chronicles, Lexicon, Salvage, and Starstruck.
I'll have to check those out!
9.) Where does your inspiration come from?
My own freakish mind. Seriously, I’m a dreamer. I can remember dreams I’ve had way back as a kid. I have a list going right now of book plots that I’ve dreamt about. Just last night I dreamed this whole NA retelling of The Little Mermaid. I think perhaps I should eat less chocolate before bed…or maybe more…the jury is still out on that one!
Oh, nice! NA retelling of The Little Mermaid? That sounds awesome. I would totally read that!
10.) What’s next for you?
I have three books in the works right now: Book Three in the Horizons Trilogy, The Rising Sun. I also have a super-hero novel that I will be shopping around to agents in the late fall/early winter. And an alien book that’s in outlining stages. I’m really jazzed about all of them!
I LOVE that title, The Rising Sun. Thanks for stopping by and I've had a great time interviewing you!
Randomness:
1.) Favorite food: Chocolate.
2.) Favorite movie: Currently, Winter’s Tale.
3.) Mountains or beach? Beach.
4.) Hardback or eBook? I love both equally.
5.) Favorite color: Black.
6.) Plane or car? Car. I have an intense fear of flying, but love to travel. It’s a curse.
7.) Cat or dog? Dog
8.) Silk or cotton? Cotton. Less maintenance.
9.) Favorite season? Winter. Crisp snow outside and a mug of coffee snuggled up with a good book inside is heaven.
10.) Fiction or Non-Fiction? Fiction, all the way!
Add to Goodreads: Book 2
Buy on Amazon: Book 2
Author website: here
Author blog: here
Twitter: here
Facebook: here
I'm in the process of reading The Gray Horizon. Review will be coming soon! Thanks again, M. Kircher, for stopping by today and happy writing!
1.) Tell my readers a little about yourself: Thanks so much for having me today, Sasha! I’m a thirty-one-year-old writer and mom of two little kiddos. My son, Sean, is two and my daughter, Nora, is one. My husband and I adopted my son out of foster care when he was seventeen months old…a month after my miracle daughter was born. So I’m kind of still reeling from having what I like to call an “instant family”!
I’ve always been an extreme book nerd. As a kid, my parents used to bribe me to have friends over, but I’d never take them up on it. Reading alone in my room was pure bliss then…and still is now. I gobble up books like nobody’s business. (Can’t wait to find out what happens in Book Three Sasha! If you haven’t picked up Black Amaranth or Black Abaddon, do it! Such a good story.) I also love movies. Anything with a great storyline really sucks me in. I will admit that I have cried watching The Hunger Games and Divergent, simply because I was in awe of the stories and world building. Ah! Such a nerd!
I got started writing as a blogger with my husband. We had a marriage/relationship blog that did rather well and then magazines started publishing us and then a publisher approached us about a book. After that book came out I realized that perhaps I actually could write fiction (something I always dreamed about). But it wasn’t until a friend of mine told me, “You have to write a novel,” that I actually sat down and did it. The War Inside was written while I was waiting for my foster care license. My next book, Dream On, with Astraea Press, was written the summer after I had my daughter. I’m so excited to be back with the Horizons trilogy and releasing Book Two, The Gray Horizon.
Oh shucks, Melissa! Thanks for the shout out :) Book three should be released sometime next month. And I hear ya...I cried reading and watching the Hunger Games (something my cousin, Tiffany, will never forgive me for. I made her watch the movies and now she'll never trust me again:). Divergent...I wanted to so bad, but hearing the serious spoilers spoiled it for me. I know it's beautiful, but that #$%^ ending! Why? *shakes fist toward the sky*
2.) YA is such a popular genre, how does your current release stand out among the rest? The Gray Horizon is YA dystopian, so it’s in the mix with a horde of awesome books, but I like to think it has a really positive twist to it. Yes, it’s about the destruction of society, but the focus does not stay there. The trilogy really digs deep into the choice we all have between good and evil and how there are always second chances. It’s dystopian with the emphasis on putting everything back together—a rebirth of human awareness.
I loved the first one, The War Inside. I know I'll love the second one too! Your writing style is beautiful and I'm really on a huge Dystopian kick!
3.) Tell my readers a little about your new release:
The Gray Horizon is Book Two in a planned trilogy. The first book, The War Inside, is told from the perspective of one of the main characters, Thea, and is the introduction to a planet where disconnection has ruined everything. A worldwide black out destroyed modern society, and then when people crawled out of their electronic haze they discovered the Earth had been demolished and the sun obliterated by a thick layer of pollution. Thea meets an innocent girl named Viv, and her life is changed forever. There’s a paranormal twist involved, and of course, some cute guys! The Gray Horizon continues the story from the perspective of Caden, Thea’s love interest in Book One. Caden deals with a lot of inner demons, this strange power he’s been given, and what exactly it means to put others first. There are creepy shadow creatures, lots of action and intrigue, epic journeys, and some steamy kisses. J
Oh I can't wait! 4.) Having been both self published and traditionally published, what words of advice would you give to aspiring authors?
Keep writing and keep learning. Know your market by reading a lot. Don’t hold any one novel too dear. I just went to a writing group where most people there had been editing the same novel for like 3-4 years. They hung on to those things for dear life thinking, “If I just keep at this one book enough, someone will recognize how brilliant it is and I’ll make it big.” You can’t build a career off one book. Write a book and try to sell it. If you can’t, then maybe self-publishing is for you. Publish it and then move on to your next book. Try to sell that one to agents. Rinse and repeat. I’ve heard over and over again from authors and agents that the key to getting published is to write lots of books.
I personally have learned that I love working with publishers more than self-publishing. It’s just my cup of tea now that I’ve experienced both ends of the spectrum. I love editors and I love the editing process…when I’m not the one who is in charge of line-by-line corrections! Self-publishing is awesome and has many perks. It’s just whatever ends up clicking with each unique author. Thanks for the advice. The road to publishing *lets out a long sigh* we all have our scars, but it's nice to come away with some knowledge after going down the long hard road. Kudos to you for accomplishing both!
5.) If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
I just saw a story online about the Er Wang Dong cave system in China. It has its own weather system and the images that have been taken there are stunning. While I’m a bit claustrophobic, the idea of going all Jules Verne and traveling someplace underground like that sounds amazingly appealing. I think if I were ever given the chance to spelunk down there, I would grit my teeth and do it. What an amazing setting for a novel, too! Check out some pictures here: http://www.wunderground.com/news/china-cave-weather-20131002
Thanks for the pics. This place sounds and looks awesome! 6.) If you had the opportunity to write a novel with another author, who would it be and why?
Marissa Meyer, the author of the Cindernovels. I was so skeptical of yet another fairy-tale retelling, but she literally blew my mind. The way she weaves old themes with futuristic sci-fi is amazing. I would love to collaborate with her on some kind of alien book…maybe aliens that have been trapped in lost caves in China!
Nice! I've heard of Ms. Meyer and I think her covers are very eye catching. My cousin and I have talked about finally giving in and reading them. When you hear that much about a series there has to be something to it :)
7.) How do you deal with writer’s block?
I either write through it or take time off. Both ends of the spectrum! If I decide to write through, I allow myself to write total crap. Sometimes writing twenty pages of crap can get you through the rough patches and back into the flow of the story. You can always go back an edit profusely later!
When taking a step back I don’t forget about the story. Quite the opposite, actually. I don’t write for a couple of days, but I think about the thing all the time. While I’m washing dishes, driving, in the shower…I let the tricky parts ruminate and roll around in my noggin until I figure out the next part of the story. This method usually works, especially because I don’t allow myself to take too much time away from the computer. Just enough to be inspired once more, and then it’s back to the daily grind. (The immensely fun daily grind.)
Writers block can really be tough. I usually dealt by stepping away, drinking some coffee and watching HBO. But after the True Blood finale, I've sworn off HBO! *Crying inside, why HBO, why?*
8.) What’s your all-time favorite novel?
I literally cannot answer this question! There are too, too many to count. My recent favorites would have to be: Cinder, The Atopia Chronicles, Lexicon, Salvage, and Starstruck.
I'll have to check those out!
9.) Where does your inspiration come from?
My own freakish mind. Seriously, I’m a dreamer. I can remember dreams I’ve had way back as a kid. I have a list going right now of book plots that I’ve dreamt about. Just last night I dreamed this whole NA retelling of The Little Mermaid. I think perhaps I should eat less chocolate before bed…or maybe more…the jury is still out on that one!
Oh, nice! NA retelling of The Little Mermaid? That sounds awesome. I would totally read that!
10.) What’s next for you?
I have three books in the works right now: Book Three in the Horizons Trilogy, The Rising Sun. I also have a super-hero novel that I will be shopping around to agents in the late fall/early winter. And an alien book that’s in outlining stages. I’m really jazzed about all of them!
I LOVE that title, The Rising Sun. Thanks for stopping by and I've had a great time interviewing you!
Randomness:
1.) Favorite food: Chocolate.
2.) Favorite movie: Currently, Winter’s Tale.
3.) Mountains or beach? Beach.
4.) Hardback or eBook? I love both equally.
5.) Favorite color: Black.
6.) Plane or car? Car. I have an intense fear of flying, but love to travel. It’s a curse.
7.) Cat or dog? Dog
8.) Silk or cotton? Cotton. Less maintenance.
9.) Favorite season? Winter. Crisp snow outside and a mug of coffee snuggled up with a good book inside is heaven.
10.) Fiction or Non-Fiction? Fiction, all the way!
Add to Goodreads: Book 2
Buy on Amazon: Book 2
Author website: here
Author blog: here
Twitter: here
Facebook: here
I'm in the process of reading The Gray Horizon. Review will be coming soon! Thanks again, M. Kircher, for stopping by today and happy writing!
August 25, 2014
Review Round-up
Here's my next batch of recently read and reviewed titles. These books were killer, especially MELT (It melted my beating heart). Thank you to the authors and publisher's for sending these my way:)
1.) MELT
My review here : Goodreads review
2.) THE WINTER PEOPLE
My review here: Goodreads review
3.) THE 100
My review here : Goodreads review
4.) THREATS OF SKY AND SEA
My review here : Goodreads review
5.) GLITCH
My review here: Goodreads review
Happy reading! Coming up in my schedule I have the wonderful YA author, M. Kircher, talking to us about her current release and what's in the future for her. I'll have the interview posted very soon.
Also, I'm participating in a YA Appreciation week beginning the first week of Sept.
And the third in my series, BLACK ATONEMENT, will be coming out next month as well! It's going to be a busy month. Stay tuned for interviews, new posts, and my poor effort at my review round up. I'm still swamped with books and reviews, but I am gradually making my way through!
1.) MELT
My review here : Goodreads review
2.) THE WINTER PEOPLE
My review here: Goodreads review
3.) THE 100
My review here : Goodreads review
4.) THREATS OF SKY AND SEA
My review here : Goodreads review
5.) GLITCH
My review here: Goodreads review
Happy reading! Coming up in my schedule I have the wonderful YA author, M. Kircher, talking to us about her current release and what's in the future for her. I'll have the interview posted very soon.
Also, I'm participating in a YA Appreciation week beginning the first week of Sept.
And the third in my series, BLACK ATONEMENT, will be coming out next month as well! It's going to be a busy month. Stay tuned for interviews, new posts, and my poor effort at my review round up. I'm still swamped with books and reviews, but I am gradually making my way through!
August 11, 2014
Tortured Souls Blog Tour: Promo/Review
Blurb:
Sometimes Rest in Peace isn't an option.
Kacie Ramsey sees ghosts—and it's ruining her life. Her mother left, her father blames her, and no matter how hard she tries, she can't keep the ghosts away. Now a new power has emerged. Nightly visions of grisly murders and a relentless predator draw her to the brink of insanity.
When the phantom appears at a party, Kacie's longtime crush, Logan, saves her. He invites her to join the Orion Circle, a group of supernatural hunters with chapters in schools all over the country. Through the Circle, Kacie learns to embrace her spiritual powers, and for the first time in her life she feels in control rather than a victim.
But the Foxblood Demon will not give up so easily. A demented serial killer in life who trapped the souls of the thirteen children he murdered, imprisoning them within the walls of his mansion. Now in death, he plots his return while drawing power from the pure souls of the children. He recognizes something in Kacie he's never seen before—a medium powerful enough to provide a vessel for his tainted soul.
Kacie can't ignore the tortured souls of the children crying out to her every night. With Logan at her side, she will fight the Foxblood Demon. But can they banish this powerful phantom, or will Kacie lose not only her body, but her eternal soul to the monster.
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My Review: 5 Stars!
Tortured Souls was amazing from page one clear through The End! Instantly, the reader is introduced to Kacie, a strong female lead who also happens to see ghosts, that in mind, the book was super creepy in places that made me scared to get off my couch. You know the writing is good when you believe ghosts could be waiting around the corner.
The romantic element in this novel was just right. In the very first pages, Kacie’s crush, Logan, saves her from a phantom they both can see and the action just begins there and never stops. I loved Logan. With him and Kacie combined, the romantic tension was written beautifully. I was captivated by The Orion Circle, reading about their mission, how they engage on the field, and how Kacie fit into it all.
Tortured Souls, book 1 in The Orion Circle, is a wonderful start to a new YA series that offers much to fans of supernatural, suspense, and things that go bump in the night. I will certainly be on the look out for book 2.
About the author:
Kimber Leigh Wheaton is a bestselling YA/NA author with a soft spot for sweet romance. She is married to her soul mate, has a teenage son, and shares her home with three dogs, four cats, and lots of dragons. No, she doesn’t live on a farm, she just loves animals. Kimber Leigh is addicted to romance, videogames, superheroes, villains, and chocolate—not necessarily in that order. (If she has to choose, she’ll take a chocolate covered superhero!) She currently lives in San Antonio, TX but has been somewhat a rolling stone in life, having resided in several different cities and states.
Author media and buy links:
Add to Goodreads
Amazon Kindle
Paperback
Author blog
August 6, 2014
Review Roundup
Staying true to my New Years resolution, here's a roundup of more titles I've received from publishers and authors to read and review. Book cover included with review link to the side.
Review here: Goodreads
Review here: Goodreads review
Review here: Goodreads review
Review here: Goodreads review
Review here: Goodreads
Review here: Goodreads review
Review here: Goodreads review
Review here: Goodreads reviewAugust 2, 2014
Review Roundup
In the spirit of my early New Years resolution in wading through all the titles I've been sent to read and review, I'm going to attempt to complete a weekly review round-up of the ARC's I've read. Please note that I only blog/promote/leave reviews for titles I actually enjoyed. So, here you'll only find novels that are 3 out 5 stars and above. I don't have it in me to leave negative reviews, so how I handle those comes from fundamental teaching....If you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say anything at all. There are novels I read that I absolutely forced myself to read, some I gave up on mid way, and some I disliked so much I wanted to go on a rant. But there are enough candid reviewers out there, I don't think anyone is going to miss my negative opinion. And the bright side to this is if I liked the book, then you'll see it featured somewhere here on my blog, on Goodreads, or BTS Magazine. Here's some of those awesome titles sent to me on behalf of the publisher: Links available to my full review/s.
Review here: Goodreads review
Review here: Goodreads Review
Review here: Goodreads review
Review here: Goodreads review
Review here: Goodreads review
Review here: Goodreads review
Review here: Goodreads Review
Review here: Goodreads review
Review here: Goodreads review
Review here: Goodreads review
July 30, 2014
BTS eMagazine
I wanted to share this lovely magazine that I read and review for: BTS Magazine.
Below is the July/August issue. Check out featured reviews, interviews and authors!
BTS Magazine
Below is the July/August issue. Check out featured reviews, interviews and authors!
BTS Magazine
