Cassandra Page's Blog, page 23

Cover reveal: ‘Divided’ by Sharon M. Johnston

Sharon is one of my fellow Aussie Owned and Read bloggers (she’s the one that named Isla’s Oath for me, due to my chronic incompetence at naming things). I’m so pleased to see Divided coming on the market, and with a gorgeous cover; I’ve read this story before and really enjoyed it, because Ryder.

Also, I’m dead keen for the sequel. Get cracking, Sharon!

A new heart should mean new life, instead it’s a living nightmare.

Mishca Richardson’s life is at an all-time high after her heart transplant. With new boyfriend, Ryder, she has the perfect summer romance. Even the nightmares plaguing her sleep since her operation can’t dull her new dream world.

Yet, life starts to unravel when Mishca develops superhuman abilities. She does her best to hide them so as not to end up a science experiment in a lab, but she can’t ignore the strange instant attraction she experiences when she meets her university professor, Colin Reed.

Torn between love and obsession, Mishca must unite her divided heart and decide between the two men. But when the truth about her weird powers comes to light, she’ll have a lot more to worry about than romance.

Preorder here

Praise for Divided

“DIVIDED is a fast-paced adventure filled with mystery, romance, action, and humor. Mishca and Ryder rank up there with my favorite heroines and heroes ever! Sharon M. Johnston is an author to watch out for.”  — WENDY HIGGINS, USA Today and New York Times bestselling author.

Giveaway

Win one of four ecopies of Divided here.

About the author

From sunny Queensland in Australia, Sharon writes weird stories and soulful contemporaries across a number of categories. Working as a PR specialist by day, in her spare time she writes, blogs, plays with her fur babies and plays computer games with her family. She’s also been stalked by women wanted to know where she buys her shoes.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Review: ‘My Story’ by Julia Gillard

On Wednesday 23 June 2010, with the government in turmoil, Julia Gillard asked then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd for a leadership ballot.

The next day, Julia Gillard became Australia’s 27th Prime Minister, and our first female leader. Australia was alive to the historic possibilities. Here was a new approach for a new time.

It was to last three extraordinary years.

This is Julia Gillard’s chronicle of that turbulent time – a strikingly candid self-portrait of a political leader seeking to realise her ideals. It is her story of what it was like – in the face of government in-fighting and often hostile media – to manage a hung parliament, build a diverse and robust economy, create an equitable and world-class education system, ensure a dignified future for Australians with disabilities, all while attending to our international obligations and building strategic alliances for our future. This is a politician driven by a sense of purpose – from campus days with the Australian Union of Students, to a career in the law, to her often gritty, occasionally glittering rise up the ranks of the Australian Labor Party.

Refreshingly honest, peppered with a wry humour and personal insights, Julia Gillard does not shy away from her mistakes, as well as detailing her political successes. Here is an account of what was hidden behind the resilience and dignified courage Gillard showed as prime minister, her view of the vicious hate campaigns directed against her, and a reflection on what it means – and what it takes – to be a woman leader in contemporary politics.

Here, in her own words, Julia Gillard reveals what life was really like as Australia’s first female prime minister.

This is the first non-fiction I’ve reviewed on this blog, and it’s overtly political. What could possibly go wrong…?

*dons flak jacket and face shield before continuing*

For those that don’t know, Julia Gillard was Australia’s first (and, to date, only) female prime minister. A member of the Labor party, our equivalent of the US Democrats, she came to power in controversial circumstances, replacing Kevin Rudd. Rudd seemed to present well interstate but here in Canberra, where the federal government is based, he had a reputation for being angry, disorganised and hell to work for. He did some good work with the GFC, but when he dropped the ball on environmental reform, his polling numbers tanked.

Consequently, I think Canberrans were among the least surprised when Gillard took his place as PM.

I was always fond of Gillard, especially when she was being fiery and speaking off the cuff (her canned speeches, on the other hand, were a cure for insomnia — sorry, Jules, but they were). Some of that was because her politics broadly align with mine. A lot of it was because of the abhorrent way she was treated by the conservative media and the lunatic fringe. I felt a certain girl power solidarity, you know?

So, with that huge disclaimer, what did I think of My Story?

Bits of it, especially the first third, were riveting. Bits of it were, as the blurb says, wryly funny. Bits of it — especially her insights into Rudd’s behaviour after he was ousted — filled me with righteous indignation. (Australia is in the grip of conservative government now, and it’s fair to say that Rudd is largely responsible for that. Thanks very bloody much, Kevin.)

But bits of My Story were kind of a cure for insomnia too.

This is the first political memoir I’ve read, and it makes sense that politicians in these kinds of books will be keen to establish their legacy, in their own words. And while I enjoyed the personal anecdotes and the insights into negotiations, I really zoned out during the talk of numbers and budgets and something about nominal growth? What? If I’d been reading the paperback, I would’ve skimmed the middle section, but because I was listening to the audiobook I slogged through the whole thing while cooking dinner and colouring in. (Adulting is hard.)

Maybe if I’d paid more attention, I would’ve gotten more out of it. :p

Still, Julia was gracious in acknowledging where others had done good work — even Rudd, in the early days. She was also honest about the places where the Labor government went wrong on certain policies and decisions, and accepted the blame where she had a role in those mistakes. I respect that, as well as her ferocious intellect and her resilience.

If you’re on the centre/left of Australian politics, this is worth a read.

My Autographed Book Collection

Until a couple of years ago I didn’t own any autographed books. That was partly because I used to buy a lot of books by overseas authors, and partly because my inclination to queue up to get a signature has always been pretty low. I’d only ever done it once, and it was as a present for my then-boyfriend.

Queues = ugh.

Then I started discovering indie authors, and Twitter, and suddenly I started to build a collection of autographed books. In every single case, the author has posted me the book (or in one case a bookplate, which TOTALLY COUNTS!). No queuing required! :D

Not all of these authors are indies, obviously. Jay Kristoff and Delilah S. Dawson are traditionally published, and Lauren K. McKellar and Stacey Nash are hybrid authors (doing a little bit of column a and a little bit of column b).

I’ve put these more-or-less in the order that I received them. As much as I can remember, anyway.

Bound by J. Elizabeth Hill

The Problem With Crazy by Lauren K. McKellar

 Immagica by K. A. Last

(I also have Fall For Me signed too!)

Shh! by Stacey Nash

(I also have signed copies of Fall For Me and Wait!)

The Last Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff

Hit by Delilah S. Dawson

What signed books do you have? Make me jealous with your collections! Do iiiiiiiit!

(Also, if you wanted a signed copy of Isla’s Inheritance, just hypothetically, that is a thing that could be arranged. ;) )

My Auto-Buy Authors

I have a LOT of auto-buy authors — you know, those writers whose books you must own, no matter what. And although this week’s Top Ten Tuesday (an awesome bookish list-making meme) asks me to list ten, that’s in no way possible. The size of this list is a pretty clear indicator of why my TBR pile is so huge. Just so you know.

Also, these are in no particular order.

Lauren K. McKellar Stacey Nash K. A. Last

Jay Kristoff Paula Weston Chuck Wendig

Delilah S. Dawson Kevin Hearne Jacqueline Carey

Marissa Meyer Kim Harrison A. G. Howard

And there are other authors whose books I will own one day, but guilt over the current size of my TBR pile is staying my hand … for now. Sometimes the only difference between the two piles is the fact that these guys have a huger backlist or I’ve just discovered them, and I need to nibble away at it. (I’m trying to teach myself restraint, you guys!)

Maggie Stiefvater Kasie West Melissa Keil

Terry Pratchett Dahlia Adler Holly Black

John Green Neil Gaiman J. K. Rowling

Cassandra Clare Kate Forsyth

Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

Who are your auto-buy authors? Do we have any in common? :)

Update on Lucid Dreaming

If you follow me on Twitter, you may have seen me doing virtual cartwheels because I finished the final proofread of Lucid Dreaming. That means the manuscript is DONE. DONE, I SAY!

Well, except for the formatting. So almost done. :p

That means we’re on track for early November release. If you’ve got any kind of social media and would be interested in taking part in the cover reveal on 3 September, you can sign up here and the lovely Giselle will email you the info pack a couple days before. I’d love to have you. :)

Of course, that means I have more editing to do. This afternoon I’m going to get stuck into my first-round edit on the as-yet-unnamed fantasy inspired by Ancient Greece.

Who knows, maybe I’ll go crazy and name it too!

Lucid Dreaming chapter one word art courtesy of Wordle

The Book of Faces

Cassandra Page:

If you want to reliably see what I’m up to on the Book of Faces, Jay Kristoff has the good oil on how to do it. My Facebook page is here!

Originally posted on Jay Kristoff - Literary Giant:

So I’m not sure if you beautiful folks are aware of this, but I thought I’d share since Facebook isn’t all that great at spreading the word about its own functionality.

The facey lair of Lord Zuckerberg has been shrouded in dank shrouds of dank, shroudy mystery for a while now, and most authors I know don’t really bother with it as a social media platform anymore. Not only does the Tome of Face-ishness seem oh so very Naughties, but it’s just not all that great for getting the word out about your warez, as opposed to Twitter or Tumblr or Tinder (omg all these T words) or whatever it is the cool kids are using this week.

One of the reasons companies and content creators are fleeing like virginal 16 year old protagonists in the presence of hockey-mask-wearing mass-murderers is that the Grimoire of Facery actually doesn’t…

View original 285 more words

Cover reveal: ‘Diverging Cadence’ by Katie Hamstead

When Cadence Anderson woke to find her husband and infant daughter had been killed, she thought her life was over. Instead, she was offered a second chance and sent back in time to do it all again.

She’s made the most of this opportunity, repairing her relationship with the best friend she lost the first time, avoiding the romantic mistakes she made originally, and even bringing her family closer together. But she’s also done something she wasn’t planning on—she’s fallen in love with someone other than her future husband.

Stepping onto a plane and flying across country to attend university is the hardest decision she’s had to make. But unless she follows through with it, her future with Austin might never happen. And what becomes of her beautiful baby if she stays with James, the man she was never supposed to love?

The only thing she knows for certain is that she has to see Austin again, and she’s intent on reliving that part of her previous life exactly like she did the first time. Even if that means she has to lie to James to do it. Because, deep down, she can’t quite bring herself to let him go.

Now, past and future are about to collide, and Cadence has to make her final choice—follow the uncertain path of a life with James, or the one she came back to save . . . with Austin.

In this emotional conclusion to the story that began in Deceptive Cadence, relationships will be tested, identities revealed, and the past will overshadow the future, putting the finishing touches on an unforgettable tale of courage, sacrifice, and, above all, love.

Add on Goodreads

About the Author

Born and raised in Australia, Katie’s early years of day dreaming in the “bush”, and having her father tell her wild bedtime stories, inspired her passion for writing.

After graduating High School, she became a foreign exchange student where she met a young man who several years later she married. Now she lives in Arizona with her husband, daughter and their dogs.

She has a diploma in travel and tourism which helps inspire her writing. Katie loves to out sing her friends and family, play sports and be a good wife and mother. She now works as an Acquisitions Editor to help support her family. She loves to write, and takes the few spare moments in her day to work on her novels.

Find Katie Hamstead on Twitter, Facebook, and her website.

 

Review: ‘Just Breathe’ by Tamara Mataya

Twenty-one-year-old Elle Granger’s boyfriend broke up with her like a coward. He moved to another city without so much as a kiss goodbye. Devastated and embarrassed, Elle told her friends the break-up was mutual and hid her heartache working long hours at the library. By night, she self medicated with pot. Weeks later, with her heart and lungs screaming for a break, Elle quits smoking and turns to her friends. But before she can let them in on Jason’s betrayal, her best friend moves to Spain, and her roommates start acting strangely.

Enter sexy library patron Dominic, who sweeps Elle off her feet and into his Maserati. He makes her feel oh so good, and puts effort into coming up with dates that don’t set off her Synaesthesia. Just when Elle starts feeling whole again, Jason returns, determined to reunite. Elle rejects his effusive apologies and reasons for leaving — until she catches Dominic in a devastating lie.

Will his betrayal push her back into her suddenly attentive ex’s arms? Can she trust Jason not to break her heart again? The wrong choice and Elle’s happy ending could go up in smoke. But when your only choices are the devils you know, all you can do is JUST BREATHE.

I finished Just Breathe more than week ago, and it’s taken me this long to sit down and try to write a review. There are parts of this story I love so hard, and other parts I didn’t so much — but  I am positive that the things I didn’t love are because this book is, at the end of the day, a romance. I know, I know! It’s published by Swoon Romance and yes, I’m a dummy. But I picked it up because I’ve seen Tamara on Twitter and love her. She is a librarian with synaesthesia, like her main character in this novel, and since I love libraries and wanted to learn more about that condition, this became a must-read for me.

Of course, my TBR pile being the rampaging hellbeast that it is, I bought Just Breathe last year and only just now read it…

Synaesthesia is a condition where a person, on experiencing one sensory input, gets hit with a second, involuntary one as well. The handling of Elle’s condition was far and away the best part of Just Breathe. In her case, the main thing is that when she hears sounds they trigger a tactile sensation. So some music is jarring and makes her want to flee, while other music fills her with a physical bliss. She also responds very strongly to fabrics; there is a sex scene in this book involving a set of satin sheets that made me totally jealous of her and her condition. It sounded divine!

(While I’m on the topic, Just Breathe does include some steamy sex scenes, and also — as the blurb makes clear — recreational marijuana use. Neither of those things bothered me, but YMMV.)

I quite enjoyed reading about Elle’s work at the library, although some of the details possibly went a little further than the story required. Still, the book recommendations were great! And as far as Jason and Dominic go … well, Dominic is basically TO DIE for, and Jason needs to be run over by a large vehicle. And then reversed over a couple of times.

Given all of that, why is this a 3.5 star review? I agonised over that, you guys, but in the end looked at the Goodreads scale (3 = I liked it; 4 = I really liked it) and figured I was somewhere in the middle. And the reason is that, although I love a romance sub-plot like nobody’s business, I’ve started to realise that pure romance doesn’t often do it for me. There’s a formula there that meant I was able to predict every plot twist (more or less exactly), so although I enjoyed going along for the ride, there weren’t any surprises there. I guess I just love my surprises too much.

Still, if you love romance and want to read about an unusual, creative and above all real character, who makes mistakes but slowly begins to see her self-worth (and about Dominic *swoon*) — then you should definitely give Just Breathe a go.

Blitz: ‘How to Save a Life’ by the wonderful Lauren K. McKellar

I am super-excited to be taking part in the blitz for How to Save a Life by Lauren K. McKellar. This woman is one of my rocks in the writing community; she’s also incredibly, incredibly talented and has made me cry on more than one occasion. (Because of her writing, not because she’s been mean or whatever. I don’t think she has a mean bone in her body.) I’ve read a couple of excerpts from How to Save a Life now, and I’ve already laid in a stock of tissues in preparation for when I get my grabby hands on this book. Which, by the time this post goes live, I will have.

I’M NOT JOKING.

If that’s not enough of a recommendation, then there’s also a giveaway if you scroll to the bottom of the post. :)

Title: How To Save A Life

Series: Emerald Cove #1

Author: Lauren K. McKellar

Genre: YA Contemporary Romance

Release Date: 21 July 2015

Life is not a love song …

I learnt the hard way that labels stick. Laura took “lovely”, and the teacher branded me “lady-like”.

It stuck with me, even through my high school years. It felt like that was all I’d ever be.

Until everything changed.

Lonely Lia.

Little Lia.

Lia the liar.

Lia the lost …

Now the choices are endless. But I don’t want to be any of those either.

My name is Lia Stanton. And this is my story.

Add on Goodreads

Buy it now

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Excerpt

She walks up the stairs, and straight away my heart leaps from my chest, beating a staccato that raps into my throat, the pulse point at my wrist, all throughout my body. I go from steady to strung-out in the blink of an eye.

“Mum,” I call, and this time on the staircase, she spins around.

“Yes?” She frowns.

Don’t go up there,

I try to say the words, but my stupid voice won’t work. My mouth moves, but no sound comes out, and Mum tilts her head to the side. “Lia …”

Don’t!

I try to scream so loud my lungs hurt, and still, nothing.

Don’t go into your bedroom.

You can’t see that.

It will ruin you.

“Lia, you’re normally such a sensible girl.” She sighs and turns her back, then walks up the stairs again.

My voice mightn’t work but my feet do, and I charge after her, leaping up those stairs two at a time. She floats down the hall toward their room, and I run, run as fast as I can, and grab onto her shoulder just as she tightens her grip on the door.

“Lia, will you drop it?” She turns to face me. “I’m just going to see if your father is home. What harm could I possibly do?”

My stupid voice is without once again, and as I try to yell at her, to tell her that no, she shouldn’t go in there, that seeing what’s behind that door will destroy her—

She twists the handle.

She opens the door.

And she screams.

And straight away I’m back on the couch, hearing that blood-curdling noise that chills me to my very bones, that signifies the start of the end of life as I know it. I race up the stairs to try help her, to try and make it stop, but when I get there she has collapsed in the hall.

She’s broken.

And nothing I try to do will fix that.

Giveaway

Enter to win a $25 Amazon gift card!

Author bio

Lauren K. McKellar is the author of romance reads that make you feel. She lives by the beach in Australia with her husband and their two dogs. Most of the time, all three of them are well behaved.

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I finished writing a book, you guys

I had an amazingly productive week last week. It turns out all I need to have happen in order for me to get things done is:

a) have a medical treatment that means I feel fine but can’t be around people because I am slightly radioactive, and

b) send my son to his father’s place interstate for a week (see a, above).

This is what a lead container holding a radioactive tablet looks like. Note the gloves. #TwoByTwoHandsOfBlue

I had my expensive tablet on Tuesday of last week and went home to my silent house. There, I spent all day continuing to work on my edits for Lucid Dreaming, finishing them by dinnertime. (If you need an editor for an indie project, I can strongly recommend Lauren K. McKellar.)

The next day, I cracked open my work in progress, the fantasy inspired by Ancient Greece, which I’m sure I’ve mentioned here before. I was only a few chapters from the end, so I wrote … and wrote … and wrote… By the weekend, when I collected my son, I had 12k words down, with only a couple thousand left needed to finish the book.

I wrote those couple thousand on Monday night this week.

If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook, you’ll have seen me getting all giddy about it. Because although the draft is — like all first drafts — as rough as guts, and there are a couple of niggling plot holes I have to fix before I do anything else, it’s DONE! And that is the best feeling, because you can’t edit nothing. And because I am a super-slow writer, and the fact I’ve managed to finish five novels is just OMG wow, you guys.

This was me, basically. Only with more glasses and less bow tie. #BowTiesAreCool

I started this project in October last year, around the same time Isla’s Inheritance came out. It was always a challenging project for me, because I’ve only ever written urban fantasy before, and I found fantasy a lot more difficult due to the world-building required. (That’s why I put off writing it for over a year.) But I attribute more of the delay to the fact I released two books after I started drafting — editing and promotion are time-consuming — and wrote two novellas for different projects as well.

The book doesn’t yet have a name; it’s working title was (wait for it) “Greek Fantasy”. I am a freaking legend at naming things! It’s currently 92k words, making it the longest first draft I’ve ever done.

The plan from here is to proofread Lucid Dreaming so I can give it to the formatter, and then I will read over Greek Fantasy and tidy it up for my critique partners. And then I will start the sequel to Lucid Dreaming, which also doesn’t have a name yet.

(send help)