Review (63): The Wanderers by Kate Ormand (w/ Giveaway!)

The Wanderers

by Kate Ormand

Release Date: September 1, 2015

Publisher: Sky Pony Press

Pages: 320

Format: eARC

Source: Author

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My Thoughts: 

Sixteen year-old Flo’s life is anything but ordinary--she is just one of many performers in a traveling circus. On the outside, this seems like any normal animal circus, but the secret lies in the fact that there aren’t any actual animals in tow. Instead, the humans shape-shift into their animal forms when it is time to perform. Shifters are unknown to the human world, so when a human spots Flo practicing her routine, panic seizes the circus and anxiety causes Flo to accidentally shift from horse to human in front of an unsuspecting audience. Her mistake unleashes the fury of the hunters (a government run group titled EOS whose purpose is to eradicate the shifters and make sure the humans never find out about them). Luckily Flo and a few others are able to flee in time. Together they embark on a journey that reveals secrets they never thought possible and causes them to question everything they’ve been taught and, worst of all, who they can trust. 

I thought the entire book was very well written and well-thought out. I really liked the premise of this and the fact that the characters shape-shifted into many different types of animals because the only other books I’ve read about shape-shifters seem to focus solely on werewolves. The beginning is pretty slow, but then everything picks up and doesn’t really slow down until the very last page (it was a bit rushed in my opinion). For anyone that likes a lot of action, this is the book for you. As soon as things go wrong during Flo’s performance the fighting and killing is almost constant (some of it is kind of graphic so be aware of that if it is something you are not comfortable with). There was a lot of death which I thought was kind of excessive, but at the same time believable since it was trained hunters against a bunch of scared kids--in their animal form or not, they still weren’t warriors. The only thing I would have liked to see was a greater emphasis on the circus itself because that was something I was pretty excited about.

Flo isn’t my favorite character, but she does a lot of growing throughout the story which I admired. She starts off terrified of just performing her short act in front of complete strangers, but by the end she is completely willing to put her life on the line for all of her friends. This is stemmed from the fact that she feels responsible that everyone is running for their lives and wants to help make it as right as possible, but I don’t think everyone would step up to the plate that way. She refuses to run when offered the chance mutiple times and fights until the very end. 

I’m not sure if this will have a sequel or not (the ending seems to be open for one), but I will most likely pick it up because I am intrigued by this shifter world and how Flo and Jett’s story continues. 

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* Thank you to the author and publisher for an eARC in return for my honest review *

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Guest Post: What makes an amazing hero? by Chris Malburg

Title: A Pirate's Time Served

Author: Chris Malburg

Release Date: July 22, 2015
Pages: 234

Careful what you wish for...

Sarah Schilling’s twelve year-old brother is wicked smart. But this? Pure genius. Brian snagged an invitation to spend the summer with their favorite aunt and uncle on St. Croix. Uncle Jack tells them, “There will probably be some swimming, some diving. We like to run. There’s a range, so maybe you’ll learn to shoot. Cooking. Your Aunt Helen is a classically trained chef. You knew that, right? There’s the Mallard seaplane, so maybe you’ll learn something about flying. That sort of thing.”

That sort of thing sounds like too much work for Sarah Schilling’s summer on the beach. Until Brian’s scuba regulator mysteriously fails sixty feet underwater. Her training snaps into laser focus. During Brian’s rescue they unearth the 250 year-old secret of Black Bart—the pirate and his ghost. The discovery launches them into a hurricane of peril at the hands of modern-day pirates. The Schilling family will not survive unless Brian and Sarah discover the most powerful weapon that is within themselves.

A Pirate’s Time Served is a YA thriller of a ghost story. It shows how two teens can dig deeper than they thought possible, discovering what it means to lead, to follow, and to never ever give up—especially on family.

A Pirate’s Time Served is my third novel. I wrote it while attending Stanford’s Writers School, Continuing Education. My second novel, God’s Banker, reached number eight on Amazon’s suspense list. I have also written eleven business books published by Simon & Schuster, Putnam, McGraw-Hill, Wiley, and Adams.

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What makes an amazing hero?

by Chris Malburg

There are a number of ingredients that I strive for when creating the heroes used

in my books. First, the person must have a solid moral compass. Readers need to

trust the hero—even a flawed one—to do the right thing. However, in the

action/adventure genre, the hero cannot be too good. They’re going up against

some pretty unsavory types. So they are often somewhat flawed. This allows for a

certain redemption—authors call it an epiphany. We want to see the hero grow

and change in some significant way.

In A Pirate’s Time Served Brian and Sarah Schilling are two teens who turn into

amazing heroes. My readers have developed a relationship with their uncle, Jack

Schilling, over the first two books in the Enforcement Division series—Deadly

Acceleration and God’s Banker. Like Uncle Jack, Brian and Sarah are consistent

throughout and true to the values of justice and faith in themselves and their

teammates. These are core values on which readers can always count.

I chose Jack Schilling as the two teen’s primary coach because he’s

extraordinarily competent, from the training of his early days as a Navy SEAL

and later in the SEC’s Enforcement Division. Jack carries none of the swagger

and self-righteousness that some authors give their lead characters, making them

something of a walking cliché. Instead he is humble and focused on his people

and his objective. These are the qualities he and Helen Schilling teach Brian and

Sarah. In my interviews with those having such a background in real life, every

one of them has such qualities. I have had the privilege of spending time with men

having Schilling’s background—they are the best of the best. Knowing them is

quite an experience. Jackson Schilling is modeled after these extraordinary

individuals.

There’s a converse to what makes a great hero. That’s what makes a great villain.

After all heroes need villains to go up against. Great villains are tough for me to

create. I have no frame of reference for people who would do such awful things as

shown in A Pirate’s Time. But I’m a fast learner. What helps me most is to think

of how I would react in that situation, then do exactly the opposite and ramp it up

to inflict the most pain and misery.

Some characters start out as villains and have an epiphany. By story end they are

every bit as loved as those characters who maintain their hero status wire to wire.

Black Bart is just such a character. He begins the story as the villainous ghost of

the most notorious pirate who ever was. But he changes—partly due to Brian and

Sarah.

I crafted Bart so that readers can see inside him to his point of view and how he

rationalizes his past. To me, this is the key to creating both great heroes and

villains. Readers need to see inside the person. Their behavior must be consistent

with the person they are portrayed to be. Their actions must logically follow from

this construction of the person. Anything other than this confuses everyone and

creates a less believable character.

When done right heroes and villains alike become unforgettable characters.

They’re strong enough to appear in book after book and to carry a series—as 

Jackson Schilling has done for three books with a fourth now in production.

Oorah, Jack!

Enjoy the day,

Chris Malburg

_______________________________________________________________________

About the Author:

Chris Malburg is a widely published author, with work spread over 11 popular business books--including How to Fire Your Boss (Berkley) and Surviving the Bond Bear Market (Wiley, March 2011).  In his other life, Chris is a CPA/MBA, a former investment banker and now the CEO of Writers Resource Group, Inc., providers of professional financial literary content to corporations (www.WritersResourceGroup.com).  That’s the professional side of Chris’ career.  The fun side began when UCLA’s Writers’ school taught him to transition from biz-speak to fiction. GOD’S BANKER and the first installment in the Enforcement Division series, DEADLY ACCELERATION, both combine Chris’ natural talent for story telling with his professional command of the high-stakes investment world and what money and power do to some people. 

GOD’S BANKER  came to fruition from Chris’ hospital bed while recuperating from an athletic injury.  As a long-time endurance athlete, Chris is no stranger to the surgeon’scalpal.  Over 130,000 words later, GOD’S BANKERwas complete.  “It just poured out me,” says the author.  “I carried my note pad to physical therapy; made plot notes during the hours in the gym doing rehab; even while on my long bicycle rides through the hills overlooking the Pacific Ocean where we live.  Slowly endurance returned and with it, GOD’S BANKER.”

Chris Malburg lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Marilyn.  Their hobby is raising service dogs for Guide Dogs for the Blind.  As of this writing, they have raised eight Labrador retrievers and have had three make the cut for placement with their disabled partners.

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Review (60): Like Candy by Debra Doxer

Like Candy

by Debra Doxer

Series: Candy, #1

Other Reviewed Titles: None
Release Date: July 28, 2015

Pages: 299

Format: eBook

Source: Netgalley

Author Website

My Thoughts: 

Candy Seaborne is pretty sure her father is a spy—or maybe even an assassin. Either way, he’s a total badass and she wants to follow in his footsteps. But for now she’s a senior who’s trying to reestablish her place in the high school hierarchy. She is instantly drawn to Jonah Bryson who seems to be full of contradictions. He’s a jock, but not your typical player. He’s popular, but kind of antisocial. And despite the fact that they just met, he seems to understand her better than anyone. 

This is told over two full-length books; Like Candy and Sweet Liar. The beginning was kind of slow as we are introduced to the characters and it mainly focuses on Candy’s growing relationship with Jonah. I love it when the author actually takes the time to build the romantic relationships in their book; it is always enjoyable and much more believable seeing a relationship bloom slowly rather than having the characters get together after just 5 pages or whatever. 

It wasn’t until almost the very end that the action picked up and the interesting stuff started to happen (which was a little frustrating because I had no clue where the plot was going most of the time since there wasn’t much happening in the first 3/4 of the book). I still have no idea what Candy’s father does for a living or what he did to piss off his superiors, but it is something that is spilling into his personal life quickly—and, shockingly, into Candy’s as well. I won’t say how, but I will say that it was a well-developed plot twist that I did not see coming! The story also ends in a pretty massive cliff-hanger that leaves you wishing this was not split into two books because you need to know exactly what happens after the last word. 

I didn’t particularly love Candy at the start, but she definitely grew on me as the story progressed. I feel like as Jonah got to know her better, so did I. She is manipulative and thrives off of revenge, but is also really sweet and kind of a homebody; she would rather spend her nights at home cooking dinner for her father instead of being out all night with her friends. Jonah was also really sweet and caring. He does some of the nicest things for Candy, but at the same time is very secretive which made it hard to really get to know him; I’m hoping we get to learn more about who he really is in book two. 

I would probably have given this a full 5 stars had it not been for the lull in the plot at times. I appreciate that the time was taken to really develop the characters and their relationships with each other, but it would have also been nice if a bit more action was thrown in earlier. But other than that, I really did enjoy this and will definitely be picking up Sweet Liar and any other books written by Doxer in the future.

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* Thank you to the author and publisher for an eARC in return for my honest review *

Review (56): Don't Ever Change by M. Beth Bloom

Don’t Ever Change

M. Beth Bloom

Release Date: July 7, 2015

Publisher: HarperTeen

Pages: 368

Format: eARC 

Source: Edelweiss

Author Facebook

My Thoughts: 

Eva has wanted to be a writer for as long as she can remember. So when she hands in her last writing assignment of her high school career and her writing teacher tells her she should focus on writing “what she knows”, she is a little distressed and realizes she doesn’t actually know all that much. She decides to take advantage of her last summer before college to gain new experiences and finally live a life worth writing about. That’s how she ends up as a camp counselor even though she is wholly unqualified, how she finds herself falling for the last person she ever thought possible, and how she almost loses her two best friends. 

Eva is a judge-y, know-it-all who has this irritating need to be different than everyone around her. But despite all of this, I found myself liking her. She knows how problematic she is (because she is told by pretty much everyone she talks to) and she genuinely seems like she wants to change her negative attitude. She realizes that she hasn’t lived any life changing moments thus far because she hasn't really let herself; she’s been more preoccupied trying to be different and unique that she has shunned people and passed up opportunities. She kind of reminds me of my high school self in this regard, unfortunately.

Her sister, Courtney, is also a great character. She is 21 and, although she is more confident and in control than Eva, she is also a little lost and trying to find herself. She is going to community college and doesn’t sound like she fully knows what she wants to do with her life—except maybe travel. I really liked her and Eva’s relationship. She is always there whenever Eva needs her and is actually great at giving her advice and making her realize when she’s being difficult or ridiculous. 

The plot isn’t particularly exciting or action-packed, but it is real. The book takes place the summer after Eva’s senior year and is spent just like any new graduate probably would; with a summer job, spending as much time with friends as possible, and coming to terms with the fact that going to college means leaving the only home you’ve ever known. What I also really liked about this is that Eva doesn’t go through a magical transformation and doesn’t turn into a completely different person by the end of the story. She learns a lot about herself during those few weeks but she herself recognizes that this is just the beginning and that she has a long way to go. And I think that’s perfect.

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* Thank you to the author and publisher for an eARC in return for my honest review *

Review (55): Faking Perfect by Rebecca Phillips (& Giveaway!)

Faking Perfect

Rebecca Phillips

Release Date: June 30, 2015

Publisher: Kensington Books

Pages: 272

Format: eARC

Source: Netgalley

Author Website

Author Blog

Book Website 

My Thoughts: 

Like most high school students, Lexi Shaw is pretending to be someone she’s not. In order to fit in with the popular crowd at school—and ultimately make Ben Dorsey fall in love with her—she needs to look and act the part. This means hiding the fact that her mom is hardly ever around because she is too busy off drinking with one of her boyfriends. And making sure no one finds out what she does with Oakfield High’s resident bad boy in her room at 1 A.M. Oh, and keeping her relationship with her best friend a sort of secret because her popular friends think he’s weird.

Although this seems like it is going to be about the Lexi-Tyler-Ben love triangle, it is really about Lexi’s self-growth. For two years she has tried to be the perfect everything just so she can impress a boy she doesn’t truly know—ultimately losing herself along the way. She has been fixated on her idea of Ben instead of who he really is; she even pushes away two of the only real friends she has because she can not bear to disappoint him. When everything blows up in her face—and someone from her past resurfaces complicating things further—she snaps out of it and allows herself to be, well, herself. Mostly because she doesn’t really have a choice, but also because she finally sees that what you wish for might not always be what you actually want.

Nolan is probably my favorite of all the characters. He does not care an ounce what people think of him and actually takes pleasure in making them squirm when he gets the chance. (Still not sure what everyone’s problem with him is either…) I just really liked his friendship with Lexi because he shows how much he cares in a quiet kind of way. He is her rock and she knows she never has to hide who she is from him and that he’ll always be there for her no matter what. I wish we had gotten to know Tyler more because he is so sweet (albeit a little hotheaded) and could have been a great character. I wanted more Lexi and Tyler scenes that really took the time to develop their romantic relationship. 

As for Lexi, she is a bit lost, has low self-esteem and believes that she is not good enough for anyone. She doesn’t have the greatest support system or role models at home—Nolan’s parents practically raised her and her mom doesn’t even bother to attend her high school graduation. I can see why she would want to pretend to be someone else and I applaud her for standing up to her mother. 

I think this cover is perfect. The girl in the picture just looks so FREE which perfectly sums up Lexi at the end of the book. (It is the same image used for Heather Topham Wood's Falling for Autumn, but honestly I much prefer the way this one was designed).

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* Thank you to the author and publisher for an eARC in return for my honest review *

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Review (54): Sarina, Sweetheart by Megan Carney (with Giveaway!)

Sarina, Sweetheart

by Megan Carney

Release Date: March 5, 2015

Publisher: N/A

Pages: 227

Format: eBook

Source: Author

Author Website

My Thoughts: 

Her mother wanted a baby to please her father, her father wanted a weapon that could destroy the world. Using the IVF lab at the hospital where he worked, he tinkered with embryos and their genes. Most died long before being implanted, but then on try number two Sarina was born. Her breath is literal poison and she in the only person in the world—besides her mother and father who were injected with the antidote—that can carry HF186-2A without dying. She was discovered at only six weeks old when her father decided to use his new weapon to infect tourists on a cruise ship docked in Key West. Somehow government officials traced the budding pandemic to her family and she has been locked up in a lab being tested and prodded ever since—until someone helps her escape.

I honestly wasn’t expecting to like this as much as I did. In my opinion this is sort of similar to Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi; both protagonists are locked in a lab being tested and detained because of “powers” they can’t control and each vow to destroy the people that have kept them captive their entire lives—no matter the consequences. However, I may actually like Sarina, Sweetheart better because I found Sarina to be a much more enjoyable character than Juliette. Sarina is ridiculously smart which isn’t surprising since she has spent 23 years basically doing nothing but reading and watching anything she can get her hands on. She knows so much I feel like I learned a thing or two from just reading the book. She is also extremely resourceful (she came up with and created some pretty impressive things while on the run), tenacious, and a bit socially awkward.

The overall plot was interesting and kept my attention throughout. The amount of action is just right and, more importantly, it is believable. She doesn’t automatically turn into a ninja when the time calls for it which I appreciated. There are also some graphic gory scenes (particularly chapter 8) so be aware of that if blood is something that freaks you out; it made me cringe a little, not gonna lie.

I didn’t like the romance aspect but I guess it wasn’t the main focus of the story so it didn’t need to be particularly amazing. She has 2 love interests throughout the book—one of which she claims to be in love with after about 3 days—but any time we spend with them is brief. She constantly refers to herself as an animal that can’t be controlled whenever she's around them…it was just kind of unrealistic to me. I know she’s been sheltered her whole life and these are the first guys around her age that she’s known, but I feel like that should make her hesitant to throw herself at them. But I don’t know maybe that’s just naive of me to say? I also didn’t particularly love the cover. I think this book deserves a much more badass, attention-grabbing cover so I hope it gets updated in the future. 

Overall, I really enjoyed Carney’s writing. She doesn’t overpower with details, but the way she describes things really brings them to life. I will definitely be picking up her next release!

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* Thank you to the author and publisher for an eBook copy in return for my honest review *

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Guest Post from Rebekah L. Purdy, Author of Daisy and the Front Man (& Giveaway!)

Title: Daisy and the Front Man

Author: Rebekah L. Purdy
Release Date: June 16, 2015

Hell hath no fury like a fangirl scorned...

When Daisy Morris finds out she's spending the summer with her dad, bodyguard for Seconds to Juliet--the hottest boy band around--she knows it couldn't be more perfect. But not because she's a fan. Oh, no. Because ever since front man Trevin Jacobs completely humiliated her by standing her up for homecoming, Daisy is out for a little revenge. Yup, Trevin Jacobs is goin' down...

When one of his bandmates bets Trevin he can't make Daisy--the gorgeous but surprisingly ice-cold daughter of their bodyguard--fall in love with him, it's a bet he can't resist. Sure, Daisy won't give him the time of day for reasons he can't understand, and her dad's hell-bent against his little girl spending time with a superstar. But the terms are set, and Trevin is determined to make Daisy fall...hard.

But every front man should know never to trust a girl with a pretty face...

This Entangled Teen Crush book contains adult language, sexual situations, and seriously hot boys. It may cause swoony daydreams involving a certain super-cute front man.

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How to Prepare to Write a Book About Boy Bands:

Okay, so this whole book series started out as an idea on twitter. Basically throw in a few authors talking about their love for boy bands on the net and BOOM, a book series proposal is born. But before we could start writing our books, we had to discuss, how many guys we wanted in the band and who wanted to write what guy/girl combo. 

And once we had a general idea of what kinds of storylines/tropes we each wanted to write, we had to pitch it to an editor. Which, lucky for us Stacy Abrams at Entangled Publishing loved our idea to take 5 authors and each write about a guy in this super famous (made up) boy band.

To prepare ourselves to write this series, we created a google group/google docs page where we had to update information on where we wanted our tours to be (dates/venues etc). But this was a place to also list our characters and their information (descriptions/likes-dislikes/friends/what part of the tour we wanted to write/names of fake songs/also backstories for some of our people).

We also had to depend on pictures of insides of tour buses, photos of famous people who reminded us of our characters to post and give everyone kind of a visual of how we saw our guys/girls. We shared playlists and numerous emails back and forth asking one another stuff like “Hey would your guy do something like this?” And sometimes we wouldn’t all agree on one thing, like our band name (LOL). We were glad to have some help naming our band from readers and our editor. 

But for me, I started to watch a lot of boy band videos—as in the behind the scenes type stuff. Like what certain bands did while out on tour, backstage stuff (and yes I bought some 1D DVDs and also brought out some of my old New Kids on the Block VHS tapes I still had). I took lots of notes and I read online columns and such regarding tours etc. I tuned into TV shows/specials that had to do with boy bands. I wanted to know everything there was to know about how the different groups ticked and what some of their downfalls were. I wanted to make things realistic, even though this book is about a fictional band.

One of the most fun parts of writing this series with other authors was the emails back and forth, with hot guy pics and links to boy band music videos. And since my character, Trevin, who is Korean American is kind of based off some of the KPOP bands I discovered through my niece and daughter, it was awesome sharing some of those videos with the others. If I got the chance to work with these ladies again, I’d jump on it.

The only sad thing about this series is that this band doesn’t exist in real life (LOL). I LOVE Seconds to Juliet and all our fabulous guys we created: Miles, Ryder, Trevin, Will, and Nathan. 

_______________________________________________________________________

About the Author:
Rebekah was born and raised in Michigan where she spent many late nights armed with a good book and a flashlight. She's lived in Michigan most of her life other than the few years she spent in the U.S. Army. At which time she got a chance to experience Missouri, Kansas, South Carolina, and California. Rebekah has a business degree from University of Pheonix and currently works full time for the court system. In her free time she writes YA stories, anything from YA Fantasy to YA Contemporary Romance. Rebekah also has a big family (6 kids). She likes to consider her family as the modern Brady Bunch complete with crazy road trips and game nights. When not hiding at her computer, Rebekah enjoys reading, singing, soccer, swimming, football, camping, playing vidwo games, traveling, and hanging out with her family and gazillion pets.

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Interview with Diane Rinella, Author of Love's Forbidden Flower

Title: Love's Forbidden Flower

Author: Diane Rinella

Release Date: Nov 28, 2012
Genre: Edgy/NA Romance

The heart cares not what society forbids.

Lily nurtures a secret love for a flawless man—the one who is her soul mate. Donovan is gorgeous, charismatic, and delights in all of Lily’s talents and quirks. Their innate knowledge of each other is almost telepathic. Together they interlock like fine threads creating luxurious silk.

But society dictates this picture-perfect adoration is the ghastliest of all possibilities.

As Lily embarks on a quest for the romance the heavens intended, her suitor turns reluctant. Desperate to uncover why Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hiding decayed from a tender-hearted gentleman into a ferociously self-serving, cocky bastard, Lily is prepared for battle when it comes to the salvation of her soul mate. However, Donovan traps Lily in a mental game of chess, leaving her to question his sanity. When Lily’s revelations about Donovan’s destructive alter ego lead to an unconceivable truth, can she help Donovan survive fate’s cruel joke?

Impassioned, witty, and deeply moving, Love’s Forbidden Flower is filled with stunning controversies that will forever haunt your heart.

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Hi Diane! What can you tell us about your book in 140 characters or less?
Love’s Forbidden Flower is a dark human rights piece disguised as a witty romance novel.

What inspired you to write Love's Forbidden Flower?

The whole thing started when I watched The Buttercup Chain, a 60’s counter culture film. The two main characters are cousins, via identical twins, who were raised as brother and sister. A small part of the story is based on their obvious romantic connection. The woman is accepting of her emotions while the man is conflicted. Both the book and the film taunted you with the situation but never gave you enough of it to make the storyline satisfying. Upon doing research I discovered that there are so many biases toward the subject that I could not find a single book that really tackled it non-judgmentally. Yet the more I dug, the more common I found the real-life situation to be. There are definitely stories to be told, and I wanted to do so while making the reader forget about the relation and just see the unfairness of societies biases. 

Do you ever experience writer’s block? How do you get through it?

Definitely. With me it is brought on by a lack of confidence, either about myself or my work. Once I find the source, I just need to work my way through it. Life then falls back into place.\

Tell us 4 interesting things about yourself.

• I’m a vintage rock fanatic who shows off her autographs with pride.
• I am such an original Battlestar Galactica fangirl that I made several costumes, including two light-up helmets.
• I drink tea out of a cup used on the original Dark Shadows TV show.
• I’ve been involved in the Rocky Horror Picture Show since I was seventeen.

What’s the worst job you’ve ever had? 

I worked as an office manager for a company that provided in home nursing. I had a horrible boss who constantly berated people to the point of tears. We would come in each morning and wonder who would be the day’s target.

What book are you currently reading?

All Too Beautiful, the story of Steve Marriott. I love British men!

THIS OR THAT:

• Coke or Pepsi? “All I wanted was a Pepsi, and she wouldn’t give it to me!”
• Sweet or salty? Combined!
• Summer or winter? Summer weather, winter holidays.
• Full House or Family Matters? Got any cheese?
• Dogs or cats? Cats to own, dogs to play with.
• Cake or pie? I used to make high-end wedding cakes.
• History or science? History, for the romance value.

Once again, thank you for sitting down with us & good luck with your new novel!

_______________________________________________________________________

About the Author:
Enjoying San Francisco as a backdrop, the ghosts in Diane’s 150-year old Victorian home augment the chorus in her head. With insomnia as their catalyst, these voices have become multifarious characters that haunt her well into the sun’s crowning hours, refusing to let go until they have manipulated her into succumbing to their whims. Her experiences as an actress, business owner, artisan cake designer, software project  manager, Internet radio disc jockey, vintage rock n’ roll journalist/fan girl, and lover of dark and quirky personalities influence her idiosyncratic writing. She is currently completing the sequel to Love’s Forbidden Flower.

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Guest Post from Brandy Nacole, Author of Uniquely Unwelcome

Title: Uniquely Unwelcome

Author: Brandy Nacole
Date Published: Sept 2012
Genre: YA Paranormal

Racquel is unique. The bloodlines of four of the most powerful beings in the Shadow World are intertwined within her DNA. She has never craved attention. She just wants to be able to live as normal life as she can. But she’s about to find that even though she’s uniquely unwelcome wherever she goes, her abilities also make her the best chance the Shadow World has to stop a threat to all the Shadow races.

Once arriving home, Racquel finds that greater evils exist and that the person she cares for most in this world, her half-sister Addie, has been kidnapped along with other Shadow World beings. Racquel finds herself facing horrible odds with those who would rather see her dead than alive.

As her journey continues, Racquel learns more about herself, what she is capable of, and that not every being looks at her as an abomination. Coy, a human captive that Racquel saves from the Vampires, starts showing kindness toward her. Racquel tries putting distance between her and the human boy but as they spend more time together it becomes harder and harder for Racquel to fight the affection she wants and needs.

But will Coy’s friendship and her new found discoveries be enough to help Racquel unravel the strangest mystery that has ever plagued the Shadow World?

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Why Book Covers Are So Important

There’s this saying, ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover,’ but let’s face it, it happens. When searching for a book the first thing someone is going to notice is the cover. The cover can then draw that person into reading the synopsis. If the synopsis and the cover draw the reader in, they could possibly buy it or put it on their to-be-read list.

My own personal experience with a cover design came with Uniquely Unwelcome. The first edition cover was a hand drawing of a girl looking up at an eagle. While it was a nice drawing, it just wasn’t up to par with other Fantasy covers. It became very apparent to me, especially after a few readers recommended that I change the cover, that a change was indeed

needed.

Why did I decide to use a hand drawing? Well it was kind of a dream of mine. My husband is a great artist. He’s also my support system. Whenever I’m frustrated, stuck on an idea, or just at a complete loss, he’s there. I wanted to pay some tribute to his support and so I thought I would

have him do my first cover. From there, I would go with the “traditional covers” but for my first publication I wanted to incorporate him in some way.

My lesson from that, sometimes we have to let go of the smaller dreams/goals to reach the bigger ones. I felt guilty I guess you could say when I told him I thought it was best if we changed the cover. Being a great supporter like he is, he agreed. He was honored that I had tried and that I had even used his art to begin with. So together we picked out the cover for Uniquely Unwelcome and then again with Blood Burdens.

So yes, books are judged by their covers. I’m not saying that every person does this, but most probably do. I’m happy with the new cover for Uniquely Unwelcome and have a paperback edition of both the first edition with my husband’s cover design and the newer edition so I at least have a small token of my little dream.

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About the Author: 

Brandy Nacole resides in Arkansas where her imagination runs wild. Her obsession is reading but herpassion is writing. She put her dream of becoming a writer on the back burner and went to collegeto become a psychologist. Three years after endless classes in a field she only felt half satisfied with, Brandy picked up her pen once again and wrote the outline to Uniquely Unwelcome. She finished outher degree in psychology but traded her dream of writing for the degree and put psychology on the backburner. Whenever she’s not reading or writing, Brandy is spending time with her family and friends, throwing around crazy ideas, and laughing through the crazy moments.

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GIVEAWAY & Excerpt of Second-Rate Chances by Holly Stephens

Title: Second-Rate Chances

Author: Holly Stephens
Release Date: Jan 11, 2013

Sam wakes up in the hospital expecting to find his girlfriend by his bedside. Instead, he finds a bleached-blond diva, claiming to be his fiancee, hovering over him. When he learns that he's just woken up from a coma and has lost the last three years of his life, any semblance of stability he thought he had falls down around him. All he wants--all he needs--is Lil.

After countless visits with her shrink and too many sleepless nights waiting for the one man she loves to walk back through the door, Lil wants nothing more than to separate herself from the life she used to have. But the moment Sam smiles at her, Lil knows it's going to take more than self-restraint to stay away.

Second-Rate Chances is about a young man fighting to regain his memory, and the one thing in his life that felt real. A modern-day Samson and Delilah, it's a look at what it means to love and be loved, and to fight though it seems hopeless. 

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Excerpt from Chapter 1:

Sam didn't sleep. He couldn't. Not after having the joy of Lil in his arms. This bed? It wasn't his. It was something Chloe had chosen. The mattress was too firm and the style too contemporary--the tall headboard with its clean lines and the streamlined look of no footboard. Lil's bed, their bed, was comfy with all of its pillows and soft, pillow top mattress. The curved woodwork made it feel homey.

Instead of sleeping, he dug through every inch of his home, looking for anything and everything that might let him see a glimpse of the man he once was. He had gone through his closet, the cabinets in the kitchen, even his dresser. Everything he once knew, all the old jeans with holes in them from normal wear and tear--the concert t-shirts he had collected all through college--all of it had been replaced by designer denim that was distressed by a machine and starched button down shirts and ties. It wasn't until he was searching through the bottom drawer that held his gym shorts, did he find what he realized he had been searching for all along.

Tucked in the very back, Sam's hand ran across the small box. Slowly, afraid that it might disappear once he laid his eyes on it, he pulled it out and stared at the black box, his heart beating ninety to nothing. The hinges creaked as he opened it. He swallowed past a lump in his throat as the diamonds sparkled, reflecting off the light in his bedroom.

He had bought Lil an engagement ring. The same day he had bought the infinity bracelet for her. He had loved the design; he felt like the meaning signified exactly what their relationship meant. His love, no matter what, would go on and on. And it had.

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About the Author:
People have often told me that I live in a fantasy world. Little did they know, I was building an empire of stories in my head one day to share.

I'm a mother first, a wife second, and a writer third. I'm so thankful to have been given this chance to get my stories out of my head and onto paper.

When I'm not writing, I sell plumbing (no I'm not kidding) and read romances that leave my heart a flutter. I know a ridiculous amount of pop culture information and can quote certain movies word for word. Music drives me to write and to also sing off key.

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GIVEAWAY & Excerpt of I Am Alive by Cameron Jace!

Title: I Am Alive
Author: Cameron Jace
Release Date: May 23, 2012

Every girl dies--not every girl really lives.

Sixteen-year-old Decca Tenderstone feels captivated when she meets Leo, who is arrogant, silent, beautiful, and shoots almost every one he meets.

The usual boring girl meets badboy story...hmm...with a twist...

They live in a dystopian future in Los Angeles where every sixteen-year-old is ranked on a scale from one to ten to determine their future. Outranks, who are considered danger to society, are forced to attend the Monster Show, a brutal sacrificing ritual that is broadcasted worldwide on live TV, where rebellious teens are labelled Bad Kidz or Monsters and get to fight for their lives in deadly games. 

To prove that you're still alive you have to scream I AM ALIVE every six hours. Lower your voice, and you're dead. 

Decca doesn't need Leo's company. She has secrets of her own. While they both can't stand each other, she will find out why she doesn't fit into any rank.

Nothing will stand in her way as she has to make choices concerning love, life, staying alive, growing up, and finding out who she really is.

Excerpt from Chapter 1:
I am going to surprise you. You have no idea...

Every time the bus hits a patch of uneven pavement, it jostles me from side to side. I am holding on to the overhead railing while on my tiptoes, trying my best to keep my balance. Faustina, the school's queen bee, laughs at me, checking out her fingernails. She must be calling me a dork under her breath. She is predicted to become a Nine today, and Nines are always mean to me.

I live in a world where every teen is ranked on a scale from five to nine. Nines are the luckiest and highest rank in our nation, and Fives are the lowest rank allowed. I've been told that I would make a perfect Seven.

The bus stops in front of my school, Cubberley High. I wait for the Nines and Eights to get out first. Nines are usually the most beautiful. Eights are the most elegant. Predicted Sevens like me have to wait in line. At least I get to get up before the Sixes and the Fives.

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About the Author:
Cameron writes books that he can't find elsewhere, basically to amuse himself. Everything Cameron does is for fun, so don't take him seriously. Never call him a writer. He hates that. He prefers the word: Storyteller, or the boy next door who claims he can tell stories.

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Excerpt of The Last Witch by Debbie Dee

Title: The Last Witch

Author: Debbie Dee
Publisher: Dolce Books
Pages: 248

For generations the Incenaga Witches have been forced to use their power to fulfill the wishes of others until they are drained of their magic and left to die. Desperate to protect his infant daughter--the last surviving witch--Emmeline's father escapes with her to the forests where he vows to keep her hidden from the world and from the truth. 

Sixteen years later, Emmeline is discovered and finds herself in the grip of a traitor who will stop at nothing to get what he wants, even if it means abusing her power until she dies. She is taken to a distant country and told she must marry the Crown Prince or her own country will be overtake, its people slaughtered. But what sort of prince would marry a witch? And why would she be the difference between war and peace?

As she fights to regain her freedom, she is faced with a choice between a prince who offers a lifetime of security and a common gamekeeper who has no idea of her power, but offers his heart.

But who can she trust when her power can be used against her?

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Excerpt from Chapter 1:

"Stay here," he ordered.

Emmeline nodded and wrapped her arms around herself. This is it. This was how all the other witches lived out the end of their days. Cold, alone, and chained to a relentless master.

"Pace yourself as you near the soldiers, Emmeline. When they recognize you many will try to run. Kill them."

Emmeline gasped. "Please, don't make me do this." But she was already stepping toward the soldiers.

"Wait," her master said. "Only kill those who run. My men are in need of sport. Detain the remainder until we come to you. You may go."

Emmeline fought every step, but the need to obey was stronger. Her movements were jilter like a wooden puppet on a string. There was nothing she could do to stop. With the torch still in her hand, her face shone like a beacon. The soldiers narrowed their eyes as she neared. A few drew their heads back, their eyes wide.

"An Incenaga!" one of them shouted. "Run for your lives!"

"No!" Emmeline called out, her voice a strangled cry. "Don't run!" But they couldn't hear her and her arms were already lifting in obedience. 

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About the Author:
Debbie Dee recently moved to southern Idaho with her husband and three children where she is learning how to be a country girl in her favorite pair of blue heels. She adores fairy tales and happy endings, but secretly crushes on the bad guy now and then. As a dedicated musician who practices way too much, she never expected writing would sweep her off her feet until she jotted down a scene from a daydream, which turned into two scenes, which turned into a messy house and her first novel. Since then she hasn't been able to let a day go by without writing.

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Kfir Luzzatto's Top 10 Favorite Books

Title: An Italian Obsession
Author: Kfir Luzzatto

Release Date: Sept 3, 2012

In the lax atmosphere of middle-class post-war Italy, sex and drugs are easy to come by. Roberto tries to find his own balance, but a crush he had for Alessandra in elementary school is reignited and the course of his life is changed forever.

It's the 1970's, a time of political upheaval driven by disillusioned young people. Roberto is caught up in the times. He makes a new start, but his past catches up with him. Finding himself accused of a crime, he must defend himself even when he isn't sure he committed it. A vivid snapshot of European post-war society, this novel is viewed through the eyes of a young adult coming of age. 

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1. The Trial, by Franz Kafka - because of the genius that emanates from every page, dialogue and situation in the book.

2. I, Claudius, by Robert Graves - because the people and struggles of the time come alive in this book like nowhere else.

3. Aunts Aren't Gentlemen, by P. G. Wodehouse - because it is the funniest, wittiest and most enjoyable book I ever read, the dialogue is simply outstanding and the prose is perfect.

4. The Chrysalids, by John Wyndham - because of the vision of a possible, haunting future, which is all the scarier because it is based on human nature, and not so different from the present we witness in some parts of the globe.

5. Memoirs of a Geisha, by Arthur Golden - because Golden managed to make me care for the protagonist, and to keep reading on, in spite of the long and winding descriptions that should't have made me stop reading after page 50.

6. Fluke, by James Herbert - because of the naive, but still great idea behind the book, couples with Herbert's great prose, which leave you wanting more.

7. Not Quite Dead Enough, by Rex Stout - because Archie Goldwin and Nero Wolfe make an irresistible  odd couple and the plot is brilliant.

8. Aztec, by Garry Jennings - because midway through the book I found myself surprisingly identified with a man from a totally different, strange and violent culture, and taken again and again back in time.

9. The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, by Douglas Adams - because it is crammed with the most original and funny, irreverent ideas about human beings, and it utterly and unrelendingly absurd.

10. Ubik, by Philip K. Dick - because I couldn't put it down, so I skipped a night's sleep and read through to the last page.
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About the Author:
Kfir was born and raised in Italy, and moved to Israel as a teenager. He acquired the love for the English language from his father, a former U.S. soldier and WWII veteran, a voracious reader and a prolific writer. Kfir has a PhD in chemical engineering and works as a patent attorney. He lives in Omer, Israel, with his full-time partner, Esther, and their four children, Michal, Lilach, Tamar and Yonatan, and the dog Elvis.

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Guest Post from Gareth Russell, author of Popular

Title: Popular
Author: Gareth Russell

Publisher: CreateSpace
Pages: 326  

On the first day of September, 16-year-old Meredith Harper rules over the teen it-crowd of Belfast, Northern Ireland. But beneath the surface, Meredith's complicated web of manipulative lies and self-serving intrigue are slowly beginning to threaten her social position and she finds herself being challenged by handsome Mark Kingston, the only guy in the school who's always hated her. In a world where nothing stays secret for very long, Meredith and her friends will need all their skills to guess who's in, out, coming out, going up, going down, dating, cheating, lying and trying to cope...

Let the games begin!

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Judging a Book By Its Cover

The old saying "Never judge a book by its cover" is supposed to be a reminder to all of us that we shouldn't make judgements based on appearances. It's a noble idea, certainly--but particularly when it comes to what books we pick, that saying can be misleading. Realistically, most of us are attracted to a new book by its cover and publishers therefore spend a great deal of time designing artwork for their books. If they don't, then they certainly should, because a bad cover can sink a good book. I love the visual; I love things that look good and show artistic flair. So I've always wanted good covers for the "Popular" series and, luckily, I've been able to compare a few of them to see what works and what doesn't.

Author Interview & GIVEAWAY of The Prophecy by Rachel Deagan

Title: The Prophecy

Author: Rachel Deagan

Release Date: Feb 8, 2013
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy / Sci-Fi

"The cards tell me of the children of the stars."

Jacey thinks her life is worthless, when she finds herself in a psychiatric hospital after a failed attempt to end her life; her wounds miraculously healed. Devin, who claims to kill on touch, is also there. When Michael arrives, bearing telekinetic powers, he insists the government, and an even darker, more powerful force, wants them dead.

In a desperate attempt to escape for their lives, the three teens find they must confront an even greater adversary, themselves--and with a prophecy forced upon them, they must find a way to accept their fate, or rebel together, as one.

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Hi Rachel! Thank you for taking the time to answer some questions about your new book! First off, did you always know you wanted to be a writer?
No. I wanted to be an actress and an Olympic Equestrian Rider first. Funny thing is, in fourth grade I wrote my first 'book'. It was about horses. Although, the equestrian dream has fizzled over the years, I do think my love of acting helps greatly in developing and feeling out the characters I write.

What authors inspire you?
As far as authors go, I love Cassandra Claire's flare for characterization and storytelling. Although, I didn't start reading her work until after my first book, Caged Moon, was into the editing phase. My original inspiration stemmed mostly from Maggie Steivator's Shiver, Melissa Marr's Wicked Lovely Series. Julie Kagawa, and her Iron Fey Series are definitely a favorite of mine now.

Is your family supportive of your writing?
Yes, once my parents realized the seriousness of my writing, they became some of my most forefront advocates. My two little boys are probably my best cheer squad.

Do your characters talk to you when you're writing?
All the time. They never shut up and sometimes we even argue when they want to go in a direction that I hadn't planned. This happened numerous times over the course of writing, The Prophecy. They told me to throw out my book outline numerous times. I finally gave up on that. ;)

Do you like it quiet or do you need noise to write?
It honestly depends on my mood. Sometimes it's hard for me to focus with music on because I end up listening to it instead of zoning in on the writing, but sometimes it helps set the mood if I can put into the 'background' and focus. It can aid emotional mood of a scene. If I do have music on, it's usually non-vocal thematic music from movies.

Are you currently writing anything?
Yes! The Prophecy is the first book of a series. There is a book two in the works. I'm also finishing up book two of my Caged Moon series, which will be out shortly. Right now, we're looking at an early April release date.

What do you do when you're not writing?
I have two little boys that keep me pretty busy, but when I do find time to myself, I always enjoy watching a good movie/tv show. I'm hooked on The Vampire Diaries, and Supernatural. I also love reading, and have recently taken up Zumba.

Once again, thank you for sitting down with us & good luck with your new novel! 

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About the Author:
Rachel grew up in a small town Massachusetts where she spent most of her time writing about strange paranormal creatures instead of paying attention in class. She has always been considered the 'dreamy' one with her head in the clouds. She now lives in Nevada with her two sons, a cat, and a rat named Sam,

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