Cassandra Page's Blog, page 26

‘Melpomene’s Daughter’ teaser and excerpt

Melpomene’s Daughter is scheduled for release next Tuesday. Finally you guys will get to read my favourite book in the series. Some parts were challenging to write, because there were a few different loose threads from the other books that I needed to braid together, but the end result is (IMNSHO) worth it!

To celebrate, I thought I’d give you guys a glimpse at a teaser and an excerpt in advance of the big day. Because squee!

If you’ve got some catching up to do, for details on the various places you can buy the first two books in the series, click here.

Excerpt from Chapter Two of Melpomene’s Daughter

“Isla?” Ryan called from inside the shed, his voice echoing against the steel walls. “Can you come here for a sec?”

Great. Could this day get any worse? I grimaced, heading down the path, and stopped a couple of metres away. The steel in the walls didn’t bother me—something about the manufacturing process diluted the iron’s toxic effects even as it hardened the metal. Still, I could feel the nauseating effect of the iron sculptures from here. “I’m not coming inside.”

“Right.” My older cousin appeared in the doorway. Dishevelled ginger hair stuck up on the top of his head and bags smudged the skin under his eyes. His aura was a sad, dull silver.

“You look awful,” I said, and then winced. Good one, Isla.

Ryan didn’t seem to notice. He rubbed his forehead. Freckles stood out on his pale skin. “I haven’t been sleeping. And I’ve got a rotten headache.”

“Aislinge vision?”

Ryan’s visions were revealed through his drawings and paintings. Other aislinges—human seers created by the aosidhe—had their individual abilities manifest in different ways. Everest’s Shannon had been able to envision the locations of people and places, but as far as I knew, she’d never been able to see the future as Ryan did.

Ryan nodded grimly. “I tried to ignore it. I didn’t want to paint it. But the dreams got worse and worse.” His hands shook, and he added in a croaking voice, “I didn’t have a choice.”

“I’m so sorry, Ryan.” Tears of remorse burned the back of my eyes. I swallowed hard. I hadn’t meant to make him into an aislinge, and now I had no way to undo it.

“That’s not what’s bothering me. Here, let me show you.” He ducked back inside the shed and returned within moments, holding a large sheet of paper. He’d drawn a picture in black ink, which glistened in the afternoon sunlight. Ryan’s hands shook, distorting the image. I gently took it from him.

The picture was of a headstone. The edges were still sharp, as though the stone was newly made, and there was no grass growing on the dirt before it. A fresh grave. But the headstone was blank.

“Whose is it?” I whispered.

“I don’t know. Believe me, I’ve tried to see. I have. I just can’t.”

Gnawing at my lip, I stared at the picture. All of Ryan’s previous visions—of my mother, an attack on Dad’s farm, Everest’s impending death—had been tied to me, as though his power was only attuned to things I’d care about. If the vision was of a duinesidhe’s death, such as Jack’s or my mother’s, I doubted they’d have such a prosaic human headstone. But my human family, my friends…

“Shit,” I said.

Also, in case you missed it, this month I’ve been busy writing about writing over at Aussie Owned and Read. You can read my post on dialogue tags here, and on the advantages and disadvantages of first-person point of view here.

Review: ‘The Intern’ by Gabrielle Tozer

Josie Browning dreams of having it all.

A stellar academic record, an amazing career in journalism – and for her current crush to realise she actually exists. The only problem? Josie can’t get through twenty-four hours without embarrassing her sister Kat or her best friend Angel, let alone herself.

Josie’s luck changes though when she lands an internship at the glossy fashion magazine Sash. A coveted columnist job is up for grabs, but Josie’s got some tough competition in the form of two other interns. Battle lines are drawn and Josie quickly learns that the magazine industry is far from easy, especially under the reign of powerful editor, Rae Swanson.

From the lows of coffee-fetching and working 10-hour days, to the highs of mingling with celebrities, scoring endless free beauty products (plus falling for her cousin’s seriously gorgeous flatmate James) this is one year Josie will never forget.

The Intern was an enjoyable book by an Aussie writer who you can tell has worked in the fashion magazine industry before — she had all those little details right. Or at least she was able to fake it. I can’t exactly claim to be an expert, as I don’t actually read them. I think it was my lack of interest in fashion and gossip magazines that meant I found the story a little hard to get into at first…

But then Josie won me over, with her wonderful, quirky personality. She was nerdy, naive and clumsy — but not in a Bella Swan, not-really-clumsy-except-very-rarely kind of way. Josie was really clumsy (as someone with poor vision I can relate to that), and it often got her in trouble. She also had exactly no verbal filter, meaning that the first time she meets a cute boy she tells him all sorts of embarrassing stories, including about how that one time she pooed her pants…

Yeah, I cringed a little too.

Still, I loved her passion for writing and her desire to be a journalist. During the course of the story, she learns that she can actually find stories and write about things she cares about, even if she’s working for a “light” magazine like Sash. I really liked that about her — that she made the best of a less-than-ideal situation. (I guess by then she’d had a lot of practice!)

I loved some of the other characters, including her fellow intern, Steph; sister, Kat; and of course the cute boy in question, James (he was genuinely a nice guy, which is so great to see!). I was less sold on Josie’s best friend, Angel — she seemed to be rather selfish, to be honest, and I don’t think she was in the story enough to redeem herself or really win me over. Still, since one of the elements of the story was Josie and Angel (who were high school best friends) struggling to maintain their friendship after graduation, it did fit.

There aren’t any really “bad” characters in The Intern, except for a few bit characters who just pass through. Everyone who is looked at in any depth at all is revealed to just be a regular person, with good and bad aspects, including the stereotypical “cold boss”, Rae, and the “mean girl” intern, Ava. I kind of liked that, actually; it gave the book more of a happy vibe, when it could’ve been really catty and enraging.

I felt really awful for Josie’s mother, who is struggling after the recent failure of her marriage to the girls’ father. I hope that in the sequel we get to see her thrive. (If she reunites with her ex I will throw things through the wall.)

The Intern is a fun read that touches on some serious subjects but still manages to retain its lighter tone. Given Josie’s age you could consider it new adult, but it doesn’t have any of the traditional new adult subject matter (raunchy sex or drug use) and would be suitable for younger teens.

Sneaky cover reveal: ‘Melpomene’s Daughter’

This week I’ve been busily beetling away on my galley proof for Melpomene’s Daughter, the last book in the Isla’s Inheritance trilogy. Like I said the other day, this is my favourite book in the series, and it’s been blessed with my new favourite cover in the series. Because ocean, and pretty hair.

Don’t tell the other two books.

And now, back to the proofreading cave!

*drops Goodreads link smoke bomb*

*swirls cape*

*vanishes in a puff of red ink*

Review: ‘Half-Blood’ by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Today over at Aussie Owned and Read, I’m reviewing “Half-Blood” by Jennifer L. Armentrout. I liked it, but didn’t love it — click here to find out why: Review: ‘Half-Blood’ by Jennifer L. Armentrout.

Blurb for ‘Melpomene’s Daughter’

For those of you that missed it on other social media, the final book in the Isla’s Inheritance trilogy, Melpomene’s Daughter, has its own Goodreads page. Where you could add it. If you wanted to. *shuffles feet*

The cover isn’t up yet — I’m hoping to have it in the next week or two — and the exact release date is to be confirmed. But there is a BLURB. Which I shall re-create for you here in all its blurby glory.

Isla struggles to embrace her fae nature while preserving her humanity in this final, exciting instalment in the Isla’s Inheritance trilogy.

Isla has spent months persuading the Canberra fae that she isn’t a tyrant like her mother, trying to prove that — despite her mixed blood — she’s human, not a monster. That she’s one of them, not one of the high fae who enslaved them.

But a vision of a fresh-dug grave warns that someone is going to die.

When the Old World fae move once again against her family, seeking revenge for old wrongs, Isla will stop at nothing to keep those she loves safe. She just wants to be left alone. But to win that right for herself, her family and all Australian fae, she must cross the oceans and take the fight to the country of her birth.

Isla will prove she really is Melpomene’s daughter after all.

I love this book, you guys. I know writers usually say that their favourite book is the one they wrote most recently, and I did work on copy edits for Melpomene’s Daughter the weekend before last, but I really do think that it is the most fun, most exciting and most heartrending book in the series.

I can’t wait to share it with you all.

[Obligatory promo link to the first book goes here, so you can catch up before Melpomene’s Daughter comes out!]

Review: ‘Last Will and Testament’ by Dahlia Adler

Lizzie Brandt was valedictorian of her high school class, but at Radleigh University, all she’s acing are partying and hooking up with the wrong guys. But all that changes when her parents are killed in a tragic accident, making her guardian to her two younger brothers. To keep them out of foster care, she’ll have to fix up her image, her life, and her GPA—fast. Too bad the only person on campus she can go to for help is her humorless, pedantic Byzantine History TA, Connor Lawson, who isn’t exactly Lizzie’s biggest fan.

But Connor surprises her. Not only is he a great tutor, but he’s also a pretty great babysitter. And chauffeur. And listener. And he understands exactly what it’s like to be on your own before you’re ready. Before long, Lizzie realizes having a responsible-adult type around has its perks… and that she’d like to do some rather irresponsible (but considerably adult) things with him as well. Good thing he’s not the kind of guy who’d ever reciprocate.

Until he does.

Until they turn into far more than teacher and student.

Until the relationship that helped put their lives back together threatens everything they both have left.

Last Will and Testament is the second of Dahlia Adler’s books that I’ve read. The first was a young adult and was light as fairy floss in comparison to this (note: it wasn’t that light). Some of that is because LWaT is new adult rather than young adult, but some of it is that the story starts in a much darker place.

I admit I found Lizzie’s initial circumstances quite confronting, and if the story had stayed in that space I doubt it’d have been much more than a three-star read for me despite the stellar writing. Lizzie sleeps with whoever takes her fancy (which I don’t have a problem with), including someone else’s boyfriend (which I do, although the blame sits more with him than her as far as I’m concerned). She smokes, drinks too much, and parties all weekend so that she’s barely maintaining a passing grade.

When her parents die and she realises she needs to get her life together for her brothers’ sake, she grits her teeth and gets on with it. Over time, she grows up enough to see that she did the wrong thing by helping Trevor cheat on his girlfriend. But she doesn’t start to look down on her former partying lifestyle or those friends of hers who still take part in it. For that reason, I’m hesitant to describe LWaT as a redemption tale, because that suggests it might be sanctimonious. It definitely isn’t that. And I liked that it didn’t inadvertently slut shame Lizzie or Lizzie’s friends.

Lizzie has a lot of trouble adjusting to being a newfound single parent to two boys. I felt her pain – I only have the one child, and he’s not a tween yet, but I know how much of a scramble life can be when you’re dealing with it on your own. Adler definitely nailed that side of things. I was a little disappointed at the solution to her problems at the end, but at the same time I can see that it was the only way that things could resolve themselves under the circumstances.

Far and away the stand out thing for me about LWaT was the writing, and that’s what elevates the book from a four- to a five-star read. Adler’s snarky sense of humour comes through; Lizzie’s dialogue is a scream and had me actually laughing out loud several times. (I rarely laugh out loud when I’m reading. Usually the best a book gets is a heh in my head. I’m such a robot!)

The supporting characters are fleshed out, and I could see why Lizzie developed such a massive crush on Connor. He’s a history nerd from Canada who wears daggy clothes; I was on board with that crush before she was! I also loved her two female friends, especially the wildly flamboyant and unashamedly “pansexual” Frankie. I was disappointed that the next book in the series is about the more serious Cait rather than Frankie, to be honest!

This is definitely worth your time to take a look.

My semi-annual geek tee stock-up

Ten months ago I posted about my geek t-shirt collection (I don’t any regular t-shirts), with pictures of my five favourite geek tees. Sadly, my Statler and Waldorf and Scooby Doo ones have died, and the Minecraft one isn’t fit to leave the house in — although it is still very comfy. (I am wearing it as I draft this.)

So I ordered four new t-shirts to replace them. And they have arrived. SO EXCITE!

Note: I’ve included buy links on each of the shirt names if you want to be cool like me. ;)

Guardians of the Galaxy

Because I am a giant greenie at heart. Also, I am Groot. (I got this in the chocolate brown, because brown is my favourite colour. Because I am a greenie and love the Earth, I guess? And also, more realistically, because chocolate.)

“Galaxy Forest Conservation Program“

Firefly

I couldn’t pass this up when I saw it. Kaylee is just the most adorable character ever written, and also, notice how she’s been drawn with some curves, not just up top but down below too? I like that.

“Kaylee’s Spacecraft Repair“

Doctor Who meets Firefly

Because if Captain Mal were ever given the chance to steal a TARDIS, he’d be on that like Kaylee on a strawberry. Like Jayne on Vera. You know what I’m sayin’.

“The Time Job“

Doctor Who meets Frozen

There is the risk that this t-shirt will cement Do You Wanna Build a Snowman in my subconscious even more firmly than it already is, but that is a chance I am prepared to take.

“Come Out and Play“

What is your favourite t-shirt? Linkies, because I always need more. I DO!

Cover reveal: ‘Deceptive Cadence’ by Katie Hamstead

I’m excited to be able to reveal the book cover for the latest release by my fellow Aussie Owned and Read blogger, Katie Hamstead. Isn’t it gorgeous?!

Cadence Anderson has the perfect definition of happily ever after . . .

Until she doesn’t. A freak earthquake shatters her life as surely as her home, taking away everything she holds dear. She wakes in a hospital to find that her beloved husband and infant daughter have been killed, crushed by the earthquake’s wrath. Disoriented, injured, and alone, Cadence refuses to accept the loss. So when a man claiming to be her guardian angel appears and offers her a chance to go back in time to save her family, she doesn’t need to give it a second thought. She accepts.

Thrust back eleven years, she now faces the ordeal of high school all over again. But this time, she’s armed with all the knowledge of her adult life and the determined to do everything better, from preventing the loss of her best friend to avoiding her original, drama-inducing boyfriends. She’s focused solely on Austin, her future husband, and is content to bide her time until she meets him again.

But then James Gordon crosses her path. Cadence wants to remain single, but James has his sights set. He is determined to win her over, and he’s very hard to resist. As Cadence starts to develop unwanted feelings for him, she realizes he threatens to disrupt everything, changing the future and distracting her from her original goal. Now, Cadence must choose: deny the unpredictable and exciting path James offers her, or stay true to the life she had and is trying desperately to resurrect. Second chances are more complicated than they seem.

Deceptive Cadence combines the soaring emotion of a heartfelt romance with the innovative storytelling of magical realism, crafting a uniquely moving, intricate tale about love and loss that asks: what would you do if given the chance to right all your wrongs?

Add on Goodreads

About Katie Hamstead

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.

 

 

Ten recent adds to my already teetering TBR pile

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme where I get to make lists. Lists about books. It’s an anal-retentive book nerd’s Best Day Ever. And it happens every week! This week’s theme is “Ten Books You Recently Added To Your To-Be-Read List”. I’ve gone with my Goodreads TBR rather than the crazy pile of paper sitting to my right (trust me), because it’s easy to sort through.

I picked these two up on sale at my local bookshop. I’ve heard good things about Eleanor & Park, and I love John Green’s dialogue so I’m keen to read Paper Towns too.

I love Chuck Wendig’s books, and I’m interested in seeing how his style translates to YA. And I’ve read a few glowing reveiws about The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making. That title alone would be enough to catch my eye! o.O

Someone told me about Scarlet in the Snow when I was looking for Australian fairytale retellings for my Australian Women Writers challenge for this year. And I was given an e-ARC of Storm in a Teacup for being part of a group that helped Emmie out of a bind last year — it’s come out now, and I’m ashamed I haven’t read the ARC yet. I’ll get there.

I’ve wanted to read Becomming Jinn since Lori and I were in the same pitching contest years ago. And I discovered Cornerstone, Death Whispers and Fragile Creatures via the e-ARC review I did of Losing It — each of those authors had a short story in the compilation, and I loved their stuff enough to add the books to my TBR pile. (Which is, of course, what a good anthology is all about!)

Now I just need to find time to read them all! :)

What is the last book you added to your TBR pile?

Guest post: ‘How I Became a Writer’ by Lauren K. McKellar

Today’s guest post is by the fabulous Lauren K. McKellar, who is one of my favourite contemporary authors. If you think that’s a big call, go read one of her books and see for yourself! — Cass

Like many authors, I love books. I was that kid who’d read in the car on long holiday trips – hell, I’d read at the bus stop when I was two minutes early on the trip to school! For as long as I can remember I’ve loved to read, read, read!

The same could be said for writing. I wrote my first novel at age ten, and I filled up three 520-page exercise books with my hand-written story about a group of teenagers who were bullying my protagonist – and then she found out they were witches!

Since then, I’ve definitely progressed. Obviously I type primarily on a keyboard now, because who has time for handwriting and then transcribing? I stopped writing fiction for approximately ten years, and then returned to it about three years ago. I did NaNoWriMo, and boy, did I learn so much. I learnt how no first draft, second draft, third draft, hell, often no fourth draft is ever going to be good enough – you need to work to be good at this craft.

I learnt all about beta reading, and things such as good story and character arc, and the importance of growth. I drafted a few stories, and one was even picked up by a publisher, which was fabulous, but I think my big light-bulb moment came after reading a lot of NA books – think Tamara Webber, Colleen Hoover, Abbi Glines … it was like I suddenly found direction. I wanted to make people feel things when I put pen to paper. And that’s when I wrote The Problem With Crazy.

It has certainly gotten easier as time has gone on, although I’ll admit, writing a series was a little tricky for me and I found it to be somewhat difficult, especially since Eleven Weeks takes place at the same time as The Problem With Crazy. There was a lot of fact checking going on!

Now, I wouldn’t go back for anything! While I took some time off writing last year (to get married and change jobs) this year I am back in action, and have written two books in the last three months. Here’s hoping to many more over the course of the next eleven!

About the Crazy in Love series

The Crazy in Love series consists of three titles: The Problem With Crazy, Eleven Weeks and The Problem With Heartache.

The Problem With Crazy

Goodreads│Amazon│Barnes & Noble│Kobo Books

Eleven Weeks

Amazon│Barnes & Noble│Kobo Books

About Lauren

Lauren K. McKellar is an author and editor. Her debut novel, Finding Home, was released through Escape Publishing on October 1, 2013, and her second release, NA Contemporary Romance The Problem With Crazy, is self-published, and is available now. She loves books that evoke emotion, and hope hers make you feel.

Lauren lives by the beach in Australia with her husband and their two dogs. Most of the time, all three of them are well behaved.

Author Links

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