Sunday, July 31, 2011

In My Mailbox (72)

In My Mailbox is a weekly post created by The Story Siren.

For Review:


Thank you to Pan Macmillan!

Bought:
Book 3 in the Wolves of Mercy Hills Trilogy

The Really Useful Ultimate Student Cook Book by Silvana Franco

And.. hopefully if there are places still open I may even get to meet Maggie Stiefvater at the Brisbane Writer's Festival in one of the writers workshops.  Fingers crossed!  See My Alter Ego Charlie for more info regarding Brisbane Writer's Festival.  Coming soon.

So what did you get in your IMM?

Saturday, July 30, 2011

Hard Spell by Justin Gustainis and Giveaway!

Title:  Hard Spell
Author:  Justin Gustainis
Genre:  Urban Fantasy/Detective
Publisher:  Angry Robot  
Publication Date:  26th July 2011 
ISBN:  978 0 857661142
Stand alone or series:  Series 
Book Received from:  Author/Publisher (Proof Copy)
First Lines:  This is the city - Scranton, Pennsylvania.  It used to be a coal town, back in the days when anthracite was king. 

Synopsis:
Stan Markowski is a Detective Sergeant on the Scranton PD's Supernatural Crimes Investigation Unit.
Like the rest of America, Scranton's got an uneasy 'live and let unlive' relationship with the supernatural. But when a vamp puts the bite on an unwilling victim, or some witch casts the wrong kind of spell, that's when they call Markowski. He carries a badge. Also, a crucifix, some wooden stakes, a big vial of holy water, and a 9mm Beretta loaded with silver bullets.


My Thoughts:
Hard Spell is one of those books that grabs your attention from the beginning.  Once I began reading I knew straight away I was going to like the main character Stan Markowski.

The supernatural beings in Hard Spell are back to the traditional type; Vampires turning into bats etc.  I haven't come across many books that go back to those types.  It's more the glittery type vampires you can fall in love with, than the scary watch-your-back type and it's good to go back to these.

Markowski is definitely a one of a kind character.  He's a no B/S kind of detective whose witty remarks between him and his partner had me constantly reading them out loud to my other half.

The storyline is definitely your hardcore detective type that will keep you guessing until the end.  There were so many twists in this I hadn't seen coming, as well as a few that I did but it was an engaging story that I loved from beginning to end!  I also loved how despite the funny comments throughout, the crime scenes they attend are in your face kind of gruesome and it rung true for the story and the characters.

A definite recommended read for those of you that like your paranormal/detective type stories laced with humour throughout! 


Fave Lines:  There are so many. Okay here's one. ' Unless he did a Dracula and killed everybody aboard.... But that solution presented problems of its own - like who was going to run the boat come sunrise.


Now for the Giveaway!!

I have one finished copy of Hard Spell to give away!  That's right!  

Giveaway Rules
INTERNATIONAL
Closes 11:59pm 30th August 2011
Not necessary to be a follower but appreciated.
Gotta be in it to win it ;)

CLOSED

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Spellbound Noticeboard (11)


Welcome to Spellbound Noticeboard. Here is where Authors, Bloggers and others can send in anything that you'd like promoted. Competitions, book releases, blog events etc. This is your spot! So feel free to send me a line if you have anything book related (Including books made into movies) and I'll be sure to post these up! I'll also be including features etc that I come across to help spread the word for other Authors and bloggers! Just email me at melissa@spellboundbybooks.com 

****************************




Lauren Kate, author of the FALLEN series, will be appearing in-store at Dymocks Chermside to sign books from 11am-12.30pm.

FALLEN is an intensely addictive book series about fallen angels and forbidden love by Lauren Kate. If you loved Twilight, you'll love this series.

Create & feature in your own FALLEN trailer: http://www.facebook.com/fa​llenbooks?sk=app_161365157​258902

http://www.facebook.com/fa​llenbooks
http://www.fallenbooks.com​.au

Like Dymocks Chermside on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pa​ges/Dymocks-Chermside/1399​73276069361


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Internationally bestselling teen and fantasy author is coming to Australia to promote her thrilling new sci-fi/dystopian young-adult series, Insiders.

Maria V. Snyder switched careers from meteorologist to novelist when she began writing the New York Times best-selling Study Series (POISON STUDY, MAGIC STUDY and FIRE STUDY) about a young woman who becomes a poison taster.

Meet Maria at Dymocks and get a book signed!

Date: Monday 8 August, 2011
Time: 5:30 PM
Venue: Dymocks on Albert , Brisbane
Cost: FREE but please book to ensure that you get a seat!

Bookings/ Enquiries: (07)3007 2800 or email brisbaneadmin@dymocks.com.au


****************************



Enjoy. And I might see you there at Lauren Kate's signing!!

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday (65)



Waiting on Wednesday was brought to you by Jill over at Breaking The Spine. It's a weekly post for you to share what upcoming books you can't wait for!


This week I wanted to share A Million Suns by Beth Revis which is the second the book of the Across The Universe Trilogy.  This one will be out in January 2012


Synopsis (Goodreads)
It’s been three months since Elder unplugged Amy, tearing her from her family and the life she always knew. Now, Eldest is dead and Orion awaits judgment for his murder as a frozen. Elder is finally free to enact his vision for the ship’s population—no more Phydus, no more lies.
But when Elder learns harrowing news about the ship, he and Amy are sent on a race to discover the truth behind life on Godspeed. They must work together to unlock a puzzle that was set in motion hundreds of years earlier, all the while dealing with the romance that’s growing between them and the chaos that threatens to tear them apart.
Beth Revis wows us again with a brilliantly crafted mystery filled with action, suspense, romance, and deep philosophical questions. And this time it all boils down to one mind-bending conclusion: They have to get off this ship.



Another awesome book I've come across is called In Too Deep by Amanda Grace.  This one's out in February 2012.  Unfortunately there isn't a big synopsis, just one line.


Synopsis
Revolves around a dark lie which spirals out of control.

Monday, July 25, 2011

Being Jamie Baker by Kelly Oram

This is a must watch trailer.  I'm so loving the way this has been done that I can't... and I mean CAN'T wait to read this book!


Sunday, July 24, 2011

Not A Happy Chappy!

Hi all,

Just a quick note.

I've noticed that the Intense Debate Commenting system on my blog seems to have broken before the Sticky Beak post. I've received comments on both the Sticky Beak and IMM posts but for some reason they do NOT show up. I've even gone as far as reinstalling the commenting widget, making the latest comments pending and then re-approving them to see if that works but to no avail.... My test run surprisingly works though.

I've contacted Intense Debate about this and am waiting for a response. If anyone else has had this problem what did you end up doing?

You can leave a comment if you like, I do still get them but I can't guarantee they will be posted.. or you can email me on melissa@spellboundbybooks.com

I'm seriously stressing here!

In My Mailbox (71)

In My Mailbox is a weekly post created by The Story Siren.

I've had the most awesome week.  See below to get what I mean ;)

For Review:
(Book 2 of Personal Demons)
(Book 2 of Raised by Wolves) 

Thank you to Pan Macmillan for sending these to me!

Legend by Marie Lu  (Proof Copy)
- Yeah!! Check this out! lol I'm so excited about this one

Thank you Penguin for sending this to me!


Thank you Ron for sending this to me. 
 I actually received this one and the next two a week or so ago but forgot to add these in!!


Thank you Marilena for sending this to me!


Thank you Helen for sending this to me!

Won/Bought:
(Book 3 in the Fallen Series)
I won this one over at Library Lounge Lizard.  Thank you so much for this

Bought 1 iPad 64gb Wifi + 3g 
and a keyboard....
and a smart cover....
and a case to put it in..
and.. YES!! I did get carried away lol.  
I've been soooo super patient waiting for tax time to get a hold of one of these and as soon as that money went in I was at JBHifi waiting for the door to open LOL.  I haven't really put it down yet. 
One pet peeve though, cant blog on it using Safari.. unless I do everything in the Html side of edit.. and lets face it I'm not that talented.  But I can do LOADS of other stuff.

Okay I'm shutting up now.  (Just so excited lol)

What did you get in your IMM this wee?

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Sticky Beak (62)

Sticky Beak is all about sharing. Sometimes we can't all get around to every single blog and website available so that's where Sticky Beak comes in. By word of mouth (well you get what I mean) we are more likely to get to those blogs that we wouldn't have normally seen without someone pointing them out to us.

Please feel free to add yours using the Links section!

Here's Mine:


Cool Stuff To Check Out: 
Maggie Stiefvater: Day 5-7 of Forever Tour!
OOM Blog - Schoolastic: The Secrets of a Copyright page!
Love Romance Passion: 10 Reasons why Werewolves are Sexier than Vamps
You Tube: R.L. Stines very FIRST book trailer for It's The First Day Of School Forever
GalleyCat: Harry Potter Rules Top Grossing Book Apps List - And yes, as soon as I'd heard this I was looking into it too lol


For Writers:
GalleyCat: Writers Who Want To Connect on Google+
Margo Berendson: Writing Tips - An awesome amount of useful info to check out
GalleyCat: Union and Guild Resources for Writers
Write For Your LIfe: Are You Pointing Your Writing Passion in the Right Direction
The Script Lab: Creating Characters - Use the Family


Friday, July 22, 2011

Books You Did Not Finish.

(Source - WeHeartIt)

Lately I've been going through a rough patch with reading.  You may have noticed with the lack of reviews this past two weeks.  It's not for the lack of trying but the last few books I've picked up I haven't been able to get into.  Shadowland by Alyson Noel is one, Alaska by Sue Saliba the other.  I was really excited when I received both these books but to be honest, my review pile is absolutely backlogged at the moment (because lets face it, I can't say no ;) )

The thing is, I've been sent the whole Immortal series by a publisher and I'm stuck on book three.  And, well I requested to review Alaska because I thought I was getting into the whole verse novel reading but now I'm not so sure.  

So my first question is, how far in do you read before you give up and move on?  Seriously.

And, do you go back and try to re-read the book if this is for review?

I'd love to hear your thoughts on these so please feel free to comment below

Chain Reaction by Simone Elkeles Book Trailer

I thought I would share this one with you guys.  I havent' read any of her books yet but I'm loving this book trailer that seems so much like a movie!  Hope you guys enjoy


Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday (64)

Waiting on Wednesday was brought to you by Jill over at Breaking The Spine. It's a weekly post for you to share what upcoming books you can't wait for!

This week I've got a couple of awesome picks I want to share with you. The first one is Misfit by Jon Skovron.  This one is released on the 1st of August 2011 and the synopsis has definitely won me over.

Synopsis (Goodreads)
Jael Thompson has never really fit in. She’s changed schools too many times to count. The only family she’s ever known is her father, a bitter ex-priest who never lets her date and insists she attend the strictest Catholic school in Seattle. And her mother—well, she was a five thousand year old demon. That doesn’t exactly help.

But on her sixteenth birthday, her father gives her a present that brings about some unexpected changes. Some of the changes, like strange and wonderful powers and the cute skater boy with a knack for science, are awesome. But others, like the homicidal demon seeking revenge on her family? Not so much.

Steeped in mythology, this is an epic tale of a heroine who balances old world with new, science with magic, and the terrifying depths of the underworld with the ordinary halls of high school.

This next one is Stay With Me by Paul Griffin.  This one will be released on 8th September 2011 and I stumbled across this one at La Femme Readers.  Another one worth checking out!

Synopsis (Goodreads)
An urban romance that will capture your soul, break your heart, and restore your faith in the human spirit

Fifteen-year-olds Cece and Mack didn't expect to fall in love. She's a sensitive A student; he's a high school dropout. But soon they're spending every moment together, bonding over a rescued dog, telling their secrets, making plans for the future. Everything is perfect. Until. Until. Mack makes a horrible mistake, and in just a few minutes, the future they'd planned becomes impossible. In this stark new reality, both of them must find meaning and hope in the memories of what they had, to survive when the person they love can't stay.

From award-winning writer Paul Griffin, Stay with Me is both heartbreaking and uplifting, filled with characters (both dog and human) that will forever change the way you look at the world.

So what are you waiting on?

Sunday, July 17, 2011

In My Mailbox (70)

In My Mailbox is a weekly post created by The Story Siren.


For Review.



Thank you to Gerard, Pan Macmillan and Angry Robot (Justin) for sending these to me.

Bought:
N/A

What did you get in your IMM this week?
Using the new link gadget I've come across.  Please leave your thoughts on the links section.  If you like it or hate it feel free to tell me.



Saturday, July 16, 2011

Sticky Beak (61)

Sticky Beak is all about sharing. Sometimes we can't all get around to every single blog and website available so that's where Sticky Beak comes in. By word of mouth (well you get what I mean) we are more likely to get to those blogs that we wouldn't have normally seen without someone pointing them out to us.

Please feel free to add yours using the Links section!~

Here's Mine:

Cool Stuff To Check Out:
La Femme Readers: Tantalizing Future YA Releases.  This is like the uberlist of awesomeness.  There's been so many I've added to my Goodreads list thanks to this post!
Goodreads: Must Read Excerpt of Holly by Richard Denney
GalleyCat: Charlaine Harris to end Sookie Stackhouse Series
GalleyCat: Download a free poster summarizing the complete Harry Potter series in cartoon

For Writers:
Wattpad: The Latest Wattpad writing contest is now Open
M.K. Louie: Post makes for an interesting read!
GalleyCat: 5 Tips on How To Write Smart Thrillers
The Script Lab: Creating Your Cast of Characters
i09: The 7 Types of short story Opening, and how to decide which is right for your story

Giveaways/Competitions:
Pure Imaginations: Supernaturally Giveaway!

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Vampire Venators Series by Felicity Heaton

Vampire Venators Series – The vampires

Firstly, I want to say thanks to Melissa for having me here again as part of my Paranormal Pandemonium 2011 Blog Tour and letting me share all my releases with you guys. My latest release, Forbidden Blood, is a vampire romance novel and the first in my new Vampire Venators romance series.

Here’s a little bit about me and this series. I’m a paranormal romance / sci-fi romance author writing as Felicity Heaton and F E Heaton, and I have penned over forty stories since I started writing in 2005. Most of those are still available, either for purchase as e-books and paperbacks or as a free download.

The Vampire Venators series is my second vampire romance series, the first being my ongoing Vampires Realm series that I write as F E Heaton. The world of the Vampire Venators series is complex. There are nine demon species living in either our world or in the demon realm, with a tenth species known as the Sovereignty that governs them. The Sovereignty are a group of nine beings, one for each species of demon, and they are the last of their kind. They’re ancient, powerful and mysterious, and were elected to govern the demon species by using Venators, hunters who are given power by the Sovereignty, to deal with any who break the law. Each species has its own hunters. The series focuses on the laws and Venators of the vampire species, but it will feature other demons in future stories.

Forbidden Blood is a dark romantic tale of love, betrayal and revenge, full of passion and action that will keep you turning the pages and panting for more, and is the first book in the series.

I’ve already spoken about eight of the demon species during my blog tour, and today I’ll be talking about the species at the centre of the series. The vampires.

The vampires in my Vampire Venators series are different from what you normally get in a vampire romance. They aren’t dead for a start, and there are three different types of vampire. All vampires share common abilities such as heightened senses and an aversion to sunlight, but each type of vampire has it at a different level. Vampires can breed, so their bloodline is literally their family. Their hearts beat, but at a rate far slower than our human ones do, and because of that they age more slowly. All vampires suffer the usual weaknesses such as death through decapitation and staking, much the same as a human would. They can be killed through blood loss and share the same weaknesses that we do. Enough damage to their bodies will kill them. They can also starve like we can.

The most powerful and elite of the vampires are the Nobles. Nobles have abilities beyond the grasp of those bloodlines beneath them. They’re extremely powerful, their heightened senses are second to none, and some of them inherit abilities such as telepathy and psychometry, etc, on top of their usual powers. Their normal powers allow them to tear someone apart without touching them, destroying them through thought, or turn on lights in their house, drive a car without needing to lay a hand on the steering wheel etc. There are vampires in the Noble bloodlines who inherit rare talents too. Nobles aren’t immune to sunlight, but can withstand all but the noonday sun if they have to, although most prefer to stick to night hours when moving around outside.

Second to the Nobles, are the Lesser Nobles. They’re weaker than the vampires of the Noble bloodlines, but they live alongside them, in families, and can also use powers and some of them have special abilities like the Nobles, although this is quite rare in the Lesser Noble lines. Because they’re weaker than the Nobles, they can’t tolerate the sun other than at dawn or dusk.

The Nobles rule over the Lesser Noble families, but they live in harmony, and many members of Lesser Noble bloodlines seek to marry into a Noble line to improve their status within vampire society. Both the Lesser Nobles and Nobles can turn humans through a single bite. Even a scratch from their fangs is enough to start the transformation process. No blood exchange or death required. Over the period of a few years, the human will gradually change and will become a vampire when their thirst awakens. Many Noble families look upon turning humans with disgust. They prefer to keep their bloodline pure, and some will even frown upon a Lesser Noble marrying into their family.

Noble and Lesser Noble bloodlines often have many different lines of their family living in the same house, and behaving in different ways. There is a ruling line for each house, and these are the titled vampires. The ruler of a Noble bloodline is the Duke or Duchess. The ruler of a Lesser Noble bloodline is the Earl or Countess. I won’t go into detail about their hierarchy now though. I’ll be writing an article about that at a later date in my blog tour. Other lines in a bloodline will act as servants or guards, or run businesses and live away from the family home. Only children of a ruling line can go on to rule the family upon their parents’ deaths. Not all Venators come from the ruling line. There are many bloodlines where the Venator line is one of the other families. Under those circumstances, the Venator line is allowed to live with the same freedom and respect, and benefits, that the ruling line has, as Venators are very respected amongst the Lesser Nobles and Nobles.

The third type of vampire is what the Noble and Lesser Noble families refer to as Commoners. Commoners are very different to them. They can’t tolerate sunlight at all and have no special abilities, so all they have is heightened senses and strength. Commoners require a blood-exchange and death to turn a human. They’re more like what we think of as a vampire. Lesser Nobles and Nobles don’t tend to interact with Commoners. There are no Venators amongst the Commoners because they don’t have the strength and powers required by the Sovereignty, and are deemed unworthy of the role. Venators from the Lesser Noble and Noble families can also carry out justice on a vampire from the Commoners line.

I hope this post has given you some insight into the vampires of my Vampire Venators series. If you have any questions, please feel free to leave them as a comment and I’ll do my best to answer them. If you’re interested in the series, you can find details of the first book in the series, Forbidden Blood, below, and can also follow me on my blog tour by visiting my 2011 Blog Tour page on my website - http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/paranormal-pandemonium-blog-tour.php


Forbidden Blood is available now in e-book formats direct from my site, on Amazon Kindle, Smashwords, Barnes and Noble Nook, Apple iBookstore, Sony Reader Store and Kobo Books. It is also available in paperback from Amazon.com and will shortly be available in paperback from Amazon worldwide and Barnes and Noble.


Forbidden Blood by Felicity Heaton 

In a dark world where vampires exist and where Source Blood, a rare human blood type, can bestow godlike powers upon them, the vampire Venators of the Sovereignty fight to protect the humans by banishing those who drink it to the endless dark.
Exiled from his family and with only his duty to sustain him, Kearn has been on the trail of an elusive Source Blood abuser for three years. When he saves a beautiful human female from the vampire’s grasp, it turns out she’s the lead he’s been waiting for. Amber is a Source Blood and the perfect bait, but for who?
As they race to catch the vampire and survive the cruel games he plays, Amber is pulled deeper into Kearn’s world and discovers the painful secrets he hides behind his handsome but emotionless exterior—hurt that she has the power to heal if she is brave enough.

Read an excerpt: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/ebooks.php?title=Forbidden%20Blood

Available in e-book for $3.99 from:
Author's website: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/ebooks.php?title=Forbidden%20Blood
Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0055I1LNW/
Amazon Kindle Germany: http://www.amazon.de/dp/B0055I1LNW/
Amazon Kindle UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0055I1LNW/
Barnes and Noble Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/forbidden-blood-felicity-heaton/1103572024
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/66030

Available in paperback for $10.99 from:
Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1461132193/



Biography:
Felicity Heaton is a romance author writing as both Felicity Heaton and F E Heaton. She is passionate about penning paranormal tales full of vampires, witches, werewolves, angels and shape-shifters, and has been interested in all things preternatural and fantastical since she was just a child. Her other passion is science-fiction and she likes nothing more than to immerse herself in a whole new universe and the amazing species therein. She used to while away days at school and college dreaming of vampires, werewolves and witches, or being lost in space, and used to while away evenings watching movies about them or reading gothic horror stories, science-fiction and romances.

Having tried her hand at various romance genres, it was only natural for her to turn her focus back to the paranormal, fantasy and science-fiction worlds she enjoys so much. She loves to write seductive, sexy and strong vampires, werewolves, witches, angels and alien species. The worlds she often dreams up for them are vicious, dark and dangerous, reflecting aspects of the heroines and heroes, but her characters also love deeply, laugh, cry and feel every emotion as keenly as anyone does. She makes no excuses for the darkness surrounding them, especially the paranormal creatures, and says that this is their world. She’s just honoured to write down their adventures.


If you want to know more about me, or want to get in touch, you can find me at the following places:
My website: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk
My blog: http://www.indieparanormalromancebooks.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/feheaton
Twitter:  http://twitter.com/felicityheaton
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/felicityheaton

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Brief Hiatus

Hi all,

I won't be blogging until either Saturday or Sunday of this week due to assignments being due as well as trying to get up to date with some of my review books that need to be read (So I can fill up the weeks with lots of reviews hehe) Hopefully you all will understand that this is only a brief hiatus and I shall be up and blogging very soon.

I'll still be trying to put up the occasional post over at My Alter Ego Charlie but we will see.

Oh before I forget, go check out Harlequin Teen's Facebook page!!  For your chance to interview and internationally best selling author Maria V. Snyder AND win an Ipad 2 all you have to do is like them!!  She's on tour in Australia and New Zealand in August 2011 so don't miss out!

Until the weekend.

Enjoy peoples.

Oh yeah don't forget to check out Felicity Heaton's awesome post on Vampires tomorrow!  Great Read!!

Sunday, July 10, 2011

In My Mailbox (69)

In My Mailbox is a weekly post created by The Story Siren

For Review 

The Starkin Crown by Kate Forsyth
(Book 6 of the Immortal series)
Days Like This by Alison Stewart
Thank you to both Pan Macmillan and Penguin Australia for sending these!

Bought: 

 (Book 1 of the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series)

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Sticky Beak (60)

Sticky Beak is all about sharing. Sometimes we can't all get around to every single blog and website available so that's where Sticky Beak comes in. By word of mouth (well you get what I mean) we are more likely to get to those blogs that we wouldn't have normally seen without someone pointing them out to us.

The links could be to your own post, a favourite blog post you would love to share, an authors blog/website, book/writing contests, reviews you really enjoyed, tour info or anything you would love to share with others. Just use the comments below to add your link!

Here's Mine:

Cool Stuff To Check Out: 
Mad Genius Club : Writers and Artists Collaborating
Galley Cat: How to Track Retweets and Clicks on Twitter
Galley Cat: What's the Most Beautiful Word in the English Language?
Bloggerverse:  Do you participate in or host a meme. Stop in and help to add to the Bloggerverse Meme's and fun Stuff

For Writers and Bloggers: 
Splintered Lands: Writing Contest.  Minimum of 4000 words.
Write It Sideways: 7 Ways to help others with your writing.
Writing Tonight: Subtle Fiction Writing by Gerard Bianco

Giveaways/Competitions: 
The Bookish Brunette : Zombie Craze - Guest Post and Giveaway with Daniel Waters


Enjoy!

Friday, July 8, 2011

Interview with Alyson Noel

Spellbound By Books would like to thank Caitlyn from Pan Macmillan for sending this Q and A's through!  I was hoping to interview Alyson Noel this month as I'm reading through the series but unfortunately she is on tour at the moment.

So without ado, here they are!

What were your favourite books as a child?

I loved anything by Dr. Seuss, Charlotte’s Web by EB White was the first book that brought me to tears, and Judy Blume’s Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret changed my life and inspired me to be a writer too!

What’s your advice for aspiring writers?

To read a lot—read outside of your usual genre, outside of your comfort zone. The books you like, as well as the books you don’t like—they all have something to teach you.
Also, be kind to yourself! It’s so easy to get discouraged when the words you write fail to live up to the vision you had in your head, which is why it’s important to remember that all writing is rewriting. The books you see on the bookstore shelves were revised numerous times to get to that point. Your first draft is for your eyes only—it’s the jumping point that allows you to build your story---it’s not meant to be published!

What did you do before you were a writer?

I worked as a New York City based flight attendant, travelling the world and working on my debut novel, Faking 19, during long weather delays and boring layovers—basically whenever and wherever I could find a free moment to spare!

Where do you do all your writing?

I have a home office where I pretty much hunker down in the morning and stay put all day—just like a “real” office job, only I go to work in my pyjamas!

Which of your characters do you most admire and why?

I really admire Ever for her strength. She was forced into this horrible situation—losing her family, burdened with psychic powers she doesn’t want—and has no choice but to navigate her way through a new life she really doesn’t understand, with no one to confide in. And though she makes some mistakes along the way, she always picks herself up and keeps going, determined to make amends, set things straight, and do the right thing. It’s a pretty tough gig that she’s got!

Is living in the OC as glamorous as what we see on the TV in the UK?

Every time I see one of those shows I can’t help but wonder what I’m doing wrong. My OC, while undeniably beautiful, with one of the most gorgeous coastlines around, consists of pretty much the usual, real life stuff—grocery shopping, bill paying—nothing anyone would ever want to film!

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Penguin Presents: Richelle Mead

This is awesome. Spend the time to watch and watch this. She's so down to earth!


Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday (63)

Waiting on Wednesday was brought to you by Jill over at Breaking The Spine. It's a weekly post for you to share what upcoming books you can't wait for!

Yes, again I have two books I'd love to share.  The First one is Unleashed by Nancy Holder and is the first in the Wolf Springs Chronicles series.  I can't wait to get my hands on this.  I enjoyed the Posessions series and have high hopes for this one but I will have to wait until 13th December 2011 for it to be out!

The second one is called The Right and the Real by Joelle Anthony.  Just reading the synopsis for me had me wondering how this story would pan out.  The Right and the Real won't be out until April 2012.

Synopsis
Kicked out for refusing to join a cult, seventeen-year-old Jamie must find a way to survive on her own

Jamie should have known something was off about the church of the Right and the Real from the start, especially when the Teacher claimed he wasn’t just an ordinary spiritual leader, but Jesus Christ, himself. But she was too taken by Josh, the eldest son of one of the church’s disciples, and his all-American good looks. Josh is the most popular boy at school too, and the first boy outside the drama geeks to give Jamie a second look. But getting her Dad involved in a cult was not part of the plan when she started dating Josh. Neither was her dad’s marriage to the fanatic Mira, or getting kicked out, or seeing Josh in secret because the church has deemed her persona non grata.

Jamie’s life has completely fallen apart. Finding her way back won’t be easy, but when her Dad gets himself into serious trouble, will Jamie be ready to rescue him, and maybe even forgive him? 



Synopsis
Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie, the New York Times bestselling authors of the Wicked series, have created an entirely new trilogy with the passion of Twilight and the grandeur of Fallen. The Wolf Springs Chronicles introduces readers to a town of secrets and the new girl who's about to start believing in werewolves.

Monday, July 4, 2011

The Taste of Apple by James Laidler

Title: The Taste of Apple
Author:  James Laidler
Genre:  Young Adult
Publisher:  Interactive Press  
Publication Date:  1st September 2010
ISBN:  9781921479816
Stand alone or series:  Stand Alone
Pages:  328 pages 
Book Received from:  James Laidler (Author
First Lines:  A tar-coated roof, an apartment block, Lennox Street
Synopsis:
Pedro Jones is lost. Abandoned by his father and forced into commission housing with his Filipino immigrant mother, the future seems bleak.But when Pedro meets the 'mad' street busker, Johnny Lazzaro, and gets involved with the East Timor freedom movement, life takes an unexpected detour through the uncharted backblocks of the human heart.
My Thoughts:
I've never read a verse novel ever, so I wasn't sure what I was expecting when James sent a copy of The Taste of Apple and the cd compilation with it.  One flick through the book and I was surprised to find the whole thing divided up into stages of Pedro's life and within that freelance poetry.

Right off the bat I can honestly say I've probably taken more away from this book than I have from anything I've read so far.   The way the story is told with the cd and book combo brought the whole story to life and I could imagine being there in Pedro's shoes hearing what he heard and seeing and feeling the things he had.

 So many subjects are touched upon throughout Pedro's story, some that I can relate to, others I can only imagine how Pedro would feel but they are told in such a way that you come away feeling as if you were the one to feel his father abandon him and his family.  To experience the harsh reality of living in Lennox Street and the stories that Pedro hears while out with Johnny.

James Laidler has got a way with words.  There's no doubt about it.  And I can tell you, coming from a person who used to hate poetry that didn't rhyme, well I've definitely changed my views on that.  I loved The Taste of Apple from beginning to finish. Absorbed every emotion and detail that I possibly could with both the book and the cd and highly recommend that you at least try this version of reading.  It's got that raw Australian feel to it.

And if you have had the chance to read it, which poem struck a chord with you?  The one that really got to me was Johnny's Song (Track 7)

Sunday, July 3, 2011

In My Mailbox (68)

In My Mailbox is a weekly post created by The Story Siren

For Review:

Thank you to Omnific Publishing, Penguin Australia, and Angry Robot for sending these to me!


Thank you to Jenna for sending this to me.

Bought/Won:


A signed copy from the Author (How awesome!?!)
I already have this one on my shelf to read so I might need to do a giveaway soon so the other one has a new home ;)

So that's my mailbox this week.  What did you get in yours?

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Sticky Beak (59)

Sticky Beak is all about sharing. Sometimes we can't all get around to every single blog and website available so that's where Sticky Beak comes in. By word of mouth (well you get what I mean) we are more likely to get to those blogs that we wouldn't have normally seen without someone pointing them out to us.


The links could be to your own post, a favourite blog post you would love to share, an authors blog/website, book/writing contests, reviews you really enjoyed, tour info or anything you would love to share with others. Just use the comments below to add your link!
Here's Mine:

Cool Stuff To Check Out:
La Femme Readers: Tantalizing Future YA Releases!
Arts Frontier: Realise Your Dream - Check this out! Win A Trip to Uk and $8000
Pottermore: The New J.K. Rowling Website which will be launched in October!
Boys Read: Developing a New generation of literate men
Vi.sualize.us: Bookmark the pictures you like around the web.
43 Things:  The Largest Goal Setting Community 

For Bloggers/Writers:
Language Is A Virus: Overcome Writers Block with writing prompts, tips and writing games to inspire your creativity.
Parajunkee's View: Book Blogging 101: How to make money off of your book blog

Contests/Giveaways:
Badass Bookie: Debut of the Month - All About Winter's Shadow + Giveaway

Friday, July 1, 2011

Evermore by Alyson Noel

Title:  Evermore
Author:  Alyson Noel
Genre:  Young Adult
Publisher:  Pan Macmillan  
Publication Date:  1st December 2009 
ISBN:  9780330512855
Stand alone or series:  Book 1 in Immortals Series 
Pages:  384 pages 
Book Received from:  Pan Macmillan (Publisher)
First Lines:  "Guess Who?"  Haven's warm, clammy palms press hard against my cheeks as the tarnished edge of her silver skull ring leaves a smudge on my skin. 

Synopsis:
Since a horrible accident claimed the lives of her family, sixteen-year-old Ever can see auras, hear people’s thoughts, and know a person’s life story by touch. Going out of her way to shield herself from human contact to suppress her abilities has branded her as a freak at her new high school—but everything changes when she meets Damen Auguste…
Ever sees Damen and feels an instant recognition. He is gorgeous, exotic and wealthy, and he holds many secrets. Damen is able to make things appear and disappear, he always seems to know what she’s thinking—and he’s the only one who can silence the noise and the random energy in her head. She doesn’t know who he really is—or what he is. Damen equal parts light and darkness, and he belongs to an enchanted new world where no one ever dies.

My Thoughts:
Evermore was one of those books that I avoided because everyone raved about them.  I know that sounds silly, but once I hear of so many people praising up a book big time I tend to leave them alone until all the hype has died down.  Silly? Yeah maybe, but for me.. having many people rave over a book is like building someone's expectations up so high that when you actually get to read it, it's like well.. that really wasn't as good as you said it was lol.

With the warning in place, when I was offered the series to read in exchange for an interview I couldn't knock it back.  I did have Evermore on my list to read but it had moved down the list up until the point where I'd forgotten it was on there.  I'd like to thank you to Pan Macmillan for taking the chance to send me all six of these books.  After finishing Evermore I'm itching to start reading Blue Moon and I really enjoyed these characters that I feel like smacking myself upside the head for not reading these sooner. (and yes, admittedly the series I do leave tend to be really good)

So we get to meet sixteen year old Ever Bloom (Ever as in have you ever.. lol I just thought I'd clear it up because I must have been thinking it was said Eva) who has transferred over to Californa.  From Chapter 1 I'm drawn into Ever as a character.  She knows things that can't possibly be known and while she is quite pretty she dresses down to hide herself from others.  We are also introduced to Damen at the beginning as well too and he's the mix of mysterious and amusing stranger who at times has you wondering whether he is a player.

I really enjoyed the story and I have a few favourite secondary characters.  Riley and Miles being the stand outs in the crowd.  I didn't really like Haven at all throughout the book.  She had her good traits but she was the sort of character that for me feels a little shallow .. or maybe it's too much green eyed monster-like for me to like her.

While I won't say too much more on this book as I don't want to ruin it, I will admit the storyline isn't something new but the writing style is fresh and I enjoyed reading about Ever and her friends.

I'm looking forward to reading Blue Moon!

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