Author Interview: Laura Kreitzer

A little about Laura!

I went to school to be a geographer, cartographer, and geologist working in the field on environmental sciences, specifically water tracing of underground rivers. I was extremely passionate about my job (I worked in a dye trace laboratory at Western Kentucky University), but one day I discovered I wasn’t so horrible at writing fiction. This was all by chance, actually. I fell in love with Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight saga and had to read more. I soon discovered Midnight Sun, her unfinished manuscript. I was so disappointed it wasn’t finished that I scoured the Internet for more. That’s how I found fan fiction. Well, to be honest, I was not wholly impressed with fan fiction. Therefore, I decided to write some of my own. Soon I had several thousand reviews and more than a quarter million hits. I thought, “Wow, this is amazing.” That’s when I started to write my first original novel, Shadow of the Sun, which you can download for free on B&N, Amazon, or iBooks.  I struggled for almost two years before I started to gain recognition, but after all of my hard work and dedication, it’s finally paying off.


You are the author of the Timeless Series and the Summer Chronicles. Let’s start with the Timeless Series. Can you tell me a little about Shadow of the Sun, the first book in the Timeless Series?

SotS is about a young paranormal scientist, Gabriella. She’s a skeptic, which makes her perfect for her job. One day a shipment of three corpses are sent to her lab. They’re supposed to be thousands of years old, but when she opens the boxes, she discovers the bodies to be fresh. The bodies come back to life, and from there, Gabriella goes on a wild journey as angels appear and tell her about an ancient prophecy that says she is the Illuminator—the one who will bring light to those in darkness. I don’t want to go too in depth, but let’s just say that SotS is full of mysteries, adventure, and plot twists you won’t see coming.

Where did you get the idea for the Timeless Series?

I knew I wanted to write about angels, but I didn’t know how I was going to go about it. I probably wrote fifteen different beginnings before I gave up and wrote one of the middle scenes. From there, the story literally had a mind of its own. I tried to stay on an outline, but I soon discovered that my characters don’t give a flip about my outlines. Hah. I pretty much pulled the story from my arse, which might explain some of the craziness that is SotS.

There are currently three books in the Timeless Series released with books four and five set for release in 2012. How is work coming with the next two books in the series and will there be any more books in the series after book five is released?

I hope book five comes out in 2012, but I know Fallen Legion, book four, will be out before the end of the year. Currently I am busy editing the screenplay for Shadow of the Sun, which is exciting! Next on the agenda is a Timeless novella called Keepers. I hope to have that live on ebook in March. As far as writing more than five books in the series, I don’t think so. However, I am so invested in the characters I have considered writing a different series that would be a prequel to the Timeless series. There is so much rich history I could expand upon. We’ll see what happens

In my opinion, the covers of books really attract me to pick them up and read what they are about. The Timeless covers are stunning! Do you think it is important to have a great cover as well as of course a great storyline?

Thank you, and it depends. There are some books that took me forever to read because their covers were so unattractive, but now I regret waiting so long. I personally think a cover should compliment the story. Lately I’ve come across some amazing covers that seem to have absolutely nothing with the actual story inside. Though I want to judge a book by its cover, I’ve learned not even a beautiful cover means a beautiful story.

You released the first book in the Summer Chronicles 2011. Can you tell us a little about the first book Phantom Universe?

Absolutely! PU is about a young girl named Summer who was created to be a time machine by an organization called the Secret Clock Society. When she was only four, the Society discovered a miscalculation and ruled the experiment to be terminated. Summer’s caretaker didn’t approve and took off with the young girl. The Society, thinking they were being clever, hired a nasty sort to kidnap Summer. Angry the Society wouldn’t pay more for her, the kidnapper sells her to a modern day pirate after beating her into submission and silence. Twelve years later, the Society finds her but is unable to capture her. Instead, the ship sinks, and Summer is washed up on shore. There she discovers who she is and why they wanted the experiment terminated so badly. It was the first of my books to be available in audiobook format (read by the severely talented Karen Savage), and will soon be a free download as well on Amazon & Nook.

Where did you get the idea for the Summer Chronicles?

I knew I wanted to write about a slave girl and pirates. At first I thought about writing it Pirates of the Caribbean style, but just like with the Timeless series, the characters took over. To add in a scifi twist, I wrote it as a dystopian novel with some time traveling mixed in. Now that I think of it, I’m not sure where that came from. My brain works in mysterious ways.

Publication for the next three books in the Summer Chronicles are due for release in 2012. You will have a busy year ahead of you with five books to release! How are you feeling about this massive undertake?

One I know I won’t be able to undertake, actually. The release dates for the last two books in the Summer Chronicles aren’t official and will probably be two in 2012 and one in 2013. I’ve decided not to put any official release dates on any of my novels until they are completely written. I’m doing this because in 2011 three people I was very close to passed away, there was a flood, part of my house caught fire after my neighbor’s house burned to the ground, and I traveled a lot—unplanned. I can’t predict set backs in my life, so I think it’s best I don’t put official dates on anything until I’m 100% sure. Having to change Forsaken Harbor’s release from July to February was upsetting, and I don’t want to have to do that again.

In both your series of books they have elements of Paranormal, fantasy, romance, and sci-fi. Are these the sort of genres you think you will keep writing in or would you like to try any other genres i.e. contemporary, historical etc.

I might write contemporary, but I have no interest in writing historical novels (or at least not historically accurate ones). I write what I love, and I am not a fan of historical novels, to be honest. I find many of them tedious and a bore, but that is completely my taste in books.

Why should we read your books?

The real question you should be asking is: Why not? I believe there is a little of something for everyone in my novels. Romance, action, adventure, science fiction, fantasy all rolled into one. And if one series isn’t your cup of tea, the other might be. They are both completely different. The writing style, the voice, and the premise are not similar. Plus, Shadow of the Sun (and soon Phantom Universe) is a free ebook download. How can you say no to that?

Stalk Laura:

FB: http://www.facebook.com/LolaKreitzer

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/LauraKreitzer

GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/laurakreitzer

Blog Tour: Dead Radience by T.G.Ayer- Interview & Give@Away

Today I am excited to introduce author T.G. Ayer who just released her debut YA novel, Dead Radiance on February 25th. Check out my interview with the author and the swag giveaway at the end!

Can you tell me a little about yourself and how you got into writing?

I am a South African born writer and I guess I will have to admit I am a poet first and then a writer. I have always had the dream to one day write my own novel and be published but life and kids and responsibilities put dreams like that on the back burner. Now that my kids are teens I have much more time to concentrate on my writing and The Teens are a force to be reckoned with. Their demands for chapters are not unlike that of my editor.

Can you tell us a little about your debut novel, Dead Radience?

Dead Radiance is a novel centred around a teen foster kid with a history that even she is unaware. All she knows is she hates the strange ability that she has - she sees golden auras around people. The book opens at the point where she discovers that the aura is a prediction of death and she is mourning her dearest friend. Bryn is a complex character and struggles with trust, as well as her loneliness. The book explores the choices she makes and follows her as she learns of her heritage and finds her true destiny.

Dead Radience is based on Norse Mythology. Why Norse Mythology?

I have always been fascinated by mythology. To be quite honest I have a soft spot for Egyptian mythology but as always a writer needs to delve deeper and I thought Norse- its not a subject that's been touched too much.. I do know Neil Gaiman features Norse mythological characters in some of his novels. And Carrie Jones' NEED series takes a fresh look at Norse myths. I wanted to do something different and I hope it pleases my readers...

I love the cover of Dead Radience. Who designed it and did you have much say in the designing process?

My cover was created by the amazing Eduardo Priego. Thankfully I've had a lot of influence in terms of the design and structure of the cover. Eduardo was talented enough to bring my imagination to life. I tried to incorporated various aspects of the story within the cover- no too much though, just enough to intrigue. Of course the necklace and the sword are major players.

How does it feel to have just released your first novel?

It's quite surreal- it's like turning 30 - you know something amazing has happened but you don't really feel any different. I'm very happy though. It's a dream come true and I feel honoured to be able to create stories for people worldwide to enjoy...

Dead Radience is the first in the series how many can we expect?

At the moment there are three but I have a niggling suspicion there is a fourth that might raise its hand for attention. It depends entirely on how the next two books pan out in terms of plot conclusion and character growth. I wouldn't want to write a fourth or a fifth book just to fill a book with words. So we shall see - I will keep you posted :)

Why should we read Dead Radience in 140 characters?

If you want strong characters, meaningful character growth and a trip into a little-explored mythology then Dead Radiance is for you.

Thanks to T.G.Ayer for the interview! Dead Radience is avaiable to buy now in paperback & Ebook / Ebook UK

Stalk T.G.Ayer:

Twitter-

@TGAyerAuthor

FB-

T..G. Ayer, Author

Website:

https://tgayer.wordpress.com/

Giveaway:

For your chance to win some awesome swag including a metal bookmark, necklace and paper bookmark all related to Dead Radience by T.G.Ayer all you have to do is be a GFC follower of my blog. Giveaway is International! Leave GFC follower name and an email so I can contact you if you win!

-GIVEAWAY IS INTERNATIONAL

-GIVEAWAY IS SPONSERED BY T.G.AYER

-GIVEAWAY ENDS MARCH 10TH 2012

Author Interview: Julianna Baggott author of Pure

Can you tell me a little about yourself and your writing career so far?

Well, PURE is a huge departure for me, the collision of my wildest impulses. I've published 17 books -- some of which are under the pen names N.E. Bode and Bridget Asher, as well as three collections of poetry. I've also published social and political commentary in The New York Times, Washington Post, Boston Globe, International Herald Tribune, CNN.com ... I need to write. It's how I process the unwieldy world around me.

Can you tell us a little about Pure the first book in the Pure Trilogy?

Well, it's a post-apocalyptic, dystopian thriller. It's set after the detonations which have caused fusings. The main character -- now a 16 year old girl -- was holding a doll at the time of the detonations and the doll-head fused to her fist. Another character has birds embedded in his back. Another was doubling his brother on his bike and now, fused, he must carry his brother on his back for the rest of his life. There's also another character -- a "Pure" -- who's survived the detonations in a nearby Dome. These characters lives collide and intertwine and those elements make the book a thriller -- as well as the brutal landscape.

Where did you get the idea for Pure?



There's never just one idea but many. For one thing, I have four kids. And when holding infants -- for years on end -- it sometimes feels like they're fused to your body. The dollhead fist first appeared in an odd fabulist short story -- in the vein of Aimee Bender. The character wouldn't leave my mind and I wanted to write something with a big cinematic landscape. Eventually, I realized the world in which she belonged ... and why.

The cover for Pure (US) is beautiful. Who designed it and did you have much say in the designing of the cover?

I'm assuming the blue butterfly cover. (Different countries will have different covers.) The art department at Hachette created the cover. The photographer is amazing , and the mechanical butterfly on the back cover was created by Mike Libby (http://www.insectlabstudio.com/). Luckily, I didn't have to have much say in the cover. I loved it.

Why should we read Pure?

This is a hard question, not because I don't believe you should read PURE, but because saying you should feels like I'm touting it over all other books in literature. So I'm going to pretend that's not how my brain is interpreting the question, and I'm going to answer that I wanted to write something that was ambitiously cinematic in landscape and narrative scope, but something that was also intimate and hopefully poetic and imagistic. I hope I have and I hope you want to read it. I also wanted something that would resonate with the actual world. I hope that this work draws readers to true accounts of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, horrors we can't afford to forget.

Some fun questions!

Favourite book as a child and why? I loved Roald Dahl.

Favourite book as a teenager and why? I loved plays, actually, and went to a lot of theater. I loved TRUE WEST, YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU, MAMET. I was smitten by CANNERY ROW, a language thing, and mysteries. At 17, I read 100 YEARS OF SOLITUDE and that was it for me. I was in deep.

A book you have read that has taught you a lesson and why? I don't know that I think of books in terms of lessons learned. I value any book that creates a real character -- so believable and true that you can't deny that humanity. This deepens our empathy -- for everyone -- and bleeds over into every day life.

A book/author you would reccommend to my readers? You likely know your Atwood, but maybe try her poems. Not as well known, and well worth it.

Pure is avaiable to buy now! I am currently reading Pure look out for my review in March!

Stalk Julianna:

http://juliannabaggott.com/

http://pure-book.com/

facebook

twitter

Pure: The Inner Circle: http://bridgetasher.blogspot.com/p/pure-inner-circle.html

Review: Glory by Devin O Branagan

Thank you to author Devin O Branagan for letting me organise her blog tour for Glory and sending me a copy for review!

Glory was a quick, exciting book that I liked instantly. It took me just a few days to read and I really liked the concept of the story. Once I finished reading it I wanted more! The main protagonist in Glory is seventeen year old Glory Templeton who's blood holds the cure to a deadly pandemic plague and embarks on a journey to save humanity.Glory is a great female protagonist and even though she is in danger from human and super natural beings she still tries to stay strong and complete her mission. She cares about the rest of humanity, not just herself.

One of the great points about Glory by Devin O Branagan is that on Glory's quest she is joined by three supernatural guardians. Kind, independent, pretty, young witch Kaia, good-looking cowboy vampire, Zane and handsomely dark and mysterious angel, Dominic. Along the way we get to know about how each character ticks and how they became who they are all.

Once again, like many YA books, there is a love triangle between Glory, vampire Zane and angel Dominic. I really like love triangles and I really liked seeing how different Glory was with each guy. Passionate and overwhelming with Zane and an intense, caring love for Dominic. However one thing I wasnt sure about was how quickly and intense each relationship got but I suppose when I think about it I can understand the intensity in the situation they all found themselves.

Finally how can we forget about Hallie, Glory's Australian Shepard dog. She is her faithful companion the whole way though the story which was great to see.

Overall I really enjoyed Glory. It has a great storyline, great characters and was a great read. I can't wait for the next book in the series!

5/5 Butterflies

Author Interview: Meredith Zeitlin author of uncoming debut release FRESHMAN YEAR AND OTHER UNNATURAL DISASTERS

Can you tell me a little about yourself and how you got into writing? 

I'm originally from NYC, but my family (mom, dad, and younger sister) moved to NJ when I was 6. I was involved with theatre - especially musicals - from an early age, and actually wanted to be a Broadway performer after college. My full-time job is actually a bit different; I'm a voiceover artist, which means I do the announcing on radio and television ads (you can find more about that at www.mzspeaks.com if you're interested). I come from a family with many writers, and it's something I've always done as well. I entered poetry competitions as a kid, wrote for the high school paper, and later became its Editor in Chief. I was in a 12-person screenwriting program in college. I wrote essays, articles and reviews for various publications and websites after I graduated, and was usually working on something creative of my own as well. "Freshman Year..." was the first big project I completed and decided to move forward with, tho - I really wanted to get the book out there.

Can you tell me a little about your debut novel, FRESHMAN YEAR AND OTHER UNNATURAL DISASTERS?

It's the story of Kelsey Finkelstein, age fourteen, and her many misadventures as a high school freshman.

Where did you get the idea for FRESHMAN YEAR AND OTHER UNNATURAL DISASTERS? 

 

When I first got out of college, I used to babysit for an awesome little girl named Zoe. Sometimes when she did her homework, I'd read her books, and for the most part I found them really disappointing. They weren't at all like the YA novels I'd grown up with, which were about girls I could relate to; these were all about rich, sophisticated girls with unlimited spending accounts and wild sex lives. I decided to try my hand at writing about a REAL girl in NYC, based on my memories of high school and my observations of Zoe and her friends. And since I'm always getting into ridiculous situations that my friends find very amusing, I thought readers would enjoy a main character who had a similar affliction.

 

How does it feel to be releasing your debut novel?

 

Pretty surreal. This has been a very long process - much longer than I anticipated - so for a long time I didn't even know if I'd ever get to this point. Now that it's right around the corner, it almost feels like a strange but wonderful dream. I'm really proud of the work I've done, and I also feel incredibly lucky to have had such supportive friends, family, and coworkers to cheer me on along the way.

 

FRESHMAN YEAR AND OTHER UNNATURAL DISASTERS sound like a new, young fresh YA novel, moving away from the popular vampire, werewolves, fay, etc novels. Several YA 2012 debuts are moving away from this theme. Do you think it's good to move away from these type of novels and got back to "real life" and being able to relate to the book?

 

I definitely enjoy reading fantasy novels myself, but I do think that genre has sort of taken over the YA bookshelves in the past few years. Reading books with characters that made me reflect on my own life - girls who were like me - was really important to me growing up, and I did write this book to get a story like that into the hands of tweens and teens. So I think having a balance is a great idea, and I'm glad to see more books like this out there.

 

 

 

I think FRESHMAN YEAR AND OTHER UNNATURAL DISASTERS would make an awesome TV show. Would you like to see FRESHMAN YEAR AND OTHER UNNATURAL DISASTERS make into a TV show and if so which actress do you think would make the perfect Kelsey Finkelstein?

 

Thanks! I'd love to see Kelsey's adventures come to life on TV - that would be incredible. As to choosing an actress, I think a total unknown would be the most fun. That way she wouldn't be associated with any other characters and could really make the part her own.

 

Why should we read FRESHMAN YEAR AND OTHER UNNATURAL DISASTERS in one sentence?

 

Because you want to read about the slightly-bonkers adventures of a girl who is probably a lot like you: uncertain, excited, prone to making mistakes, but willing to learn from them... and also because you want world peace and happiness for all - this book is the key!

 

What do you hope to achieve in regards to your writing this year?

 

I wrote a children's picture book that I'm hoping will find a home soon, and a friend and I wrote a super-creepy horror feature that I'd love to see bought as well. I'm also working on another YA novel, which I hope to finish the first draft of this year. It'll require a trip to Greece though, so we'll see...

 

Freshman Year and Other Unnatural Disasters will be published by G. P. Putnam's Sons in March 2012.

To pre-order: http://mzwrit.es/yCTlMI OR http://mzwrit.es/wn2dfq

Stalk Meredith:

 

Twitter: @zeitlingeist

Facebook: www.facebook.com/FRESHMANYEARBOOK

Official website: www.kelseyfinkelstein.com

 

 

Glory Blog Tour: Author Interview

Hey! Welcome to the second stop on the Glory Blog Tour. Glory is an awesome YA urban fantasy novel from author Devin O'Branagan! Check out my interview with the author below and don't forget to check out all the other posts on the tour! Check out the tour page here!

Can you tell me a little about yourself and how you got into writing?

I write in a variety of literary genres, including urban fantasy, paranormal, and humor. My first published novel was a horror novel released by Simon & Schuster in 1988. My novels have been published internationally in a variety of languages and many of my books, including GLORY, have been bestsellers. I began to write when I was five. My first story was a ghost story; I’ve always been fascinated by the paranormal. Personally, I’m very involved in animal rescue and many of my writing projects support that cause.

Can you tell us a little about GLORY?

GLORY is an urban fantasy about a seventeen-year-old girl named Glory whose blood contains the only known cure for a deadly pandemic-plague that is killing millions of people. After Glory’s father dies and her mother is kidnapped, the mysterious “Caretakers of the planet” assign three supernatural beings to be her bodyguards: a witch, an angel, and a vampire. This heroic band of young rebels must survive natural and supernatural forces of evil in their quest to save humanity. It is a thrilling tale full of adventure, forbidden love, and a search for courage.

GLORY was nominated for the 2011 Best Popular Paperback for Young Adults List, sponsored by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) of the American Library Association.

Where did you get the idea for GLORY?

My literary agent dared me to come up with a unique twist on the popular vampire-themed novels. At the same time, the H1N1 Swine Flu had just appeared on the scene and predictions were made about a world-wide pandemic of horrific proportions. I put two-and-two together and created GLORY. Also, I was working on another novel at the time, a comic chick-lit novel about conspiracy theories titled RED HOT LIBERTY. One of my characters in that novel was an uber-patriotic character named Liberty True. Thus, you will note, GLORY contains some excellent conspiracy theories and patriotic character names such as Glory and Hallelujah. I just couldn’t help myself...

You have loads of Supernaturals in GLORY including witches, angels, vampires, and demons. What is your favourite Supernatural and why?

Oh, the witches. Many of my novels in a variety of genres include witches. Some of my best friends are witches. :-)

What genre would you classify GLORY as?

YA Urban Fantasy, although adults seem to love it as much, if not more, than my teenage fans.

Describe your main protagonist, Glory, in one sentence.

An ordinary young woman who is called upon to be extraordinary.

GLORY is the first in a series. When will the sequel be released and can you give us a tiny preview?

PRETTY SACRIFICES is scheduled to be released before summer 2012, but I am not yet certain of an exact date. Readers may sign up for my monthly eNewsletter to be notified when it is released: NEWSLETTER.

Here is an excerpt from PRETTY SACRIFICES:

Now that the nightmare was past, survivors began to pick up the pieces of a shattered world.

Very few people knew that my blood had contained the cure for the pan-plague, or of the crucial role I had played in stopping the horror. Few knew that the Caretakers of the planet had assigned a witch, a vampire, and an angel to be my bodyguards, or about the evil forces we had to face down in order to accomplish our mission. Actually, the only ones who knew were those who had been directly involved in my quest, and in my immediate circle that only included my mother, the local Catholic priest Father Michael, and my intrepid demon-fighting Australian Shepherd, Hallelujah. I wanted to share what had happened with my two best friends Jesse and Carmela, but it was so surreal that I was sure they wouldn’t believe me anyway. And, thus, I kept my secrets.

Later, it was a decision I regretted more than any other in my life.

My name is Glory Templeton.

Why should we read GLORY?

Because it is great entertainment with a powerful message.

Glory is available in both print and as an eBook, links to purchase it may be found at: www.GloryLegend.com

Stalk Devin:

http://twitter.com/devinwrites

https://www.facebook.com/devin.obranagan

Don't forget to come back on the 26th Febuary for my review of Glory.

Author Interview: Alivia Anders

A little about Alivia:

Gladly! My name is Alivia, I'm 20 years old, and I'm just starting to dip my toes into the waters of publishing. My Mom got my name from a reeeeally old TV show called Knots Landing and her huge love for Olivia Newton-John. Sadly, I can't sing like Olivia and acting has never been my forte. But for as long as I can recall I've been spinning tales. One day after cruising through countless quizzes on Quizilla one of my test results had a link to a website which turned out to be an RPG Forum board based on Harry Potter, called ReQuiem vicTus. I was intrigued instantly. The idea of creating a character of my own and writing with other characters created by other people became so much more appealing than just writing in a notebook by myself. Essentially, I took the 'backdoor' way into writing.

Can you tell me a little about your debut novel Illumine the first in The Illumine Series?

Illumine is the first in The Illumine Series, which follows the story of Essallie Hanley. This poor girl has been through more than any teenager should- murder, a fallen family, social out-casting. No one knows just how messed up this girl is though, no one is aware that she knows the attacker who killed her boyfriend, a demon summoned to kill her! He soon picks up that she isn't exactly one hundred percent human, and it sort of begins this nosedive into her life of both present and past, revealing why she was created, what she is, and what is meant to do.

Where did you get the idea for Illumine?

Illumine first started almost as a joke. I wish I could say there was some magical click or connection or dream that set this whole thing off, but it didn't. It started when I had stayed home one afternoon from school, woke up from a nap, sat in front of the computer and just wrote what I would come to know as the first piece of Essallie. For months I had been trying to make Kayden, who was initially named Dimitri, into a vampire in my manuscript because of how much I loved True Blood, but every time I tried it felt so wrong that I'd grow frustrated. Eventually I learned I just needed to sit back and let the idea come to me, and it would write itself in my mind exactly as it was supposed to.


How does it feel to have released your first book?

It feels so surreal, there aren't even words for it. The first time someone approached me in public and said, "You're the author of that book, Illumine, right?" I almost fainted! Seeing it on blogs, on Facebook, on Goodreads, it all chokes me up and leaves me so breathless to know I have something to my name like that, that I finally stepped forward and did what I've dreamed of for years. I hope the feeling never goes away, not even when I'm twenty books under my belt.

What genre would you class your novel?

Illumine is a Young Adult Urban Fantasy/Paranormal novel, with just a hint of Romance.

I really like the cover of Illumine. Who designed it and did you have much say in the designing process?

First off, I'm so glad you like it, thank you! Second, you may giggle at this, but I designed the cover! In the years I was involved heavily online on RPG Forums and sites alike, I did a ton of graphic design for character banners, avatars, wallpapers, you name it! Now it's more of an occasional hobby. I like to dabble with it when my brain is stuck or I have this idea for a banner. If you want, I can always show you some of my pieces! Illumine's cover was created in mind with the intent of showing the fire off of Essallie's skin, sort of silhouetting her arm and making it a huge focus point.

How many books will be in the Illumine series?

Currently I can tell you without a doubt that four books are projected. Six would be the most I'd ever go- I don't want Illumine to be this twelve book saga that just drags out everything for extra book space. Besides, if Illumine were to go on forever then how would I have time to write all the other novels I have in mind?

Can you tell us in one sentence why we should read Illumine?

Illumine is a fast-paced, head-spinning tale that will leave you eager for more of Essallie and Kayden!

Illmine launches in paperback on Febuary 21st 2012! Available in Ebook format now!

Stalk Alivia:

Follow her blog: http://aliviaanders.blogspot.com/
Follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/aliviaanders
Like her facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/aliviaanders

Author Interview: Elise Stephens

A little about Elise:

I was raised by a very loving family who home-schooled me through most of high school before I moved on to college. My family’s encouragement to use my creative side was part of what led me to pursue a Creative Writing degree at the University of Washington. I started reading at age four, drawing picture story books at age six, typing stories on the computer at age ten, and I haven’t stopped since.

Can you tell us a little about your book Moonlight and Oranges?

My book is about a marriage that gets off to a rough start, due to unbridled curiosity and broken trust. I’ve intermixed a love-at-first-sight romance with a young bride’s challenge of trying to fix the mess she’s made of her own love story, while also facing threats from a mother-in-law who’s bent on the heroine’s destruction.

Where did you get the idea for Moonlight and Oranges?

To do that, I’ll have to get a little Greek myth nerdy… I was reading a book about myths when I stumbled on the story of Cupid and Psyche and suddenly I realized I had never heard the full story. If you know the myth, you often only hear how Psyche couldn’t bear that she was forbidden to see her husband’s face, so she lit a lamp and stole a glance at her lover while he slept. Then Cupid wakes, he knows he’s been betrayed, and leaves her. It seemed to be just a lesson about following rules that you didn’t understand…but then when I learned the second half of the story, I had to write it. Psyche’s second half of the story thrusts her into a series of harrowing tasks set by Aphrodite in order to prove herself worthy of Cupid’s love.

Suddenly, I had a story of young impetuous love, an awful mother-in-law, and broken trust that needed to be rebuilt. When I set that in modern day Seattle, the sparks really started to fly!

Moonlight and Oranges is a great name for a book. What were the thoughts behind it?

I’m glad you like it! I thought long and hard to get it. To be honest, this book underwent a couple title changes. Wax Tears and Pierced Art were two old ones that just didn’t work. I choose Moonlight because this is an influence that affects both of my main characters on a romantic level—their most importance scenes take place in the presence of moonlight. I choose Oranges because this is the initial prick of Cupid’s Arrow (another Greek myth reference) - a cocktail made of orange juice and vodka that they share at a party which serves to bond them together more than practicality would suggest is possible. I choose the title because it incorporates two themes that run throughout the entire book, and it gives the magical feeling that I wanted to go for.



What genre would you class your book?

I’d say that this book is a romance that is best for later women in their late teens through women who are twenty- or thirty- something.

The cover is beautiful. Who designed it and did you have much say in the designing process?

I’m pretty crazy about the cover, myself. The designer is Isaiah Qualls. He sent me an incredible mock-up after I told him what my book was about and what my main characters looked like, and fell in love with it. I had a lot of say in the design process and then the rest of my team weighed in and gave me direction, which I then communicated straight to Isaiah. I’m extremely pleased with how it all came together.

Why should we read Moonlight and Oranges?

Our world needs more stories that start where “Happily Ever After” stops. We need more stories that deal with the baggage we bring into our relationships and the challenges (however extreme) that in-laws contribute to complicate matters. And we always need a story that portrays true love against the odds.

If you love romance with a healthy dose of adventure and the drama of learning how to trust again, you should definitely read it!

What do you hope to accomplish this year with regards to writing?

I hope to make some stellar edits and revisions to my current work-in-progress. I have a habit of taking years to edit a piece, and I really want to shorten my timeline while keeping the process more creative and fun. I also hope to publish a few more short stories. I’ve been working on several of those.



Elise Stephens received the Eugene Van Buren Prize for Fiction from the University of Washington in 2007. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys seeing live theater, swing dancing, eating tiramisu, singing, and painting. She lives in Seattle with her husband James. Her novel Moonlight and Oranges was a quarter-finalist for the 2011 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award. Visit her blog about relationships, life, and inspiration here:
www.elisestephens.com and follow her on Twitter @elisestephens and Facebook http://www.facebook.com/AuthorEliseStephens

The Childe Blog Tour: Dark Days Review & Give@way

Thanks to Adam & Carol for sending me an ARC of Dark Days for review! If you haven't already check out my other post from the tour, a This or That post with Ryan Beckford!

Dark Days is the second book in The Childe series. You can check out my review of The Childe here

My Review:

Where do I start with how much I loved Dark Days! As soon as I got it I read the first 200 pages that night. I couldn't put it down. Credit has to be given to Adam and Carol for a great series. I really enjoyed The Childe (the first book in the series) and didn't think it could get any better as it was already so awesome but to my surprise and joy it got a million times more better and I feel the next book and the next book after that will just get even more exciting!

I hope you excuse the rant but I really just love this series. Even so much I can compare the love to two of my other fave series of books Twilight Saga & the Harry Potter series. My love of The Childe Series is up there with them!

So, Dark Days! It starts of just where The Childe ended which I really liked. It felt like the story just continued to flow very easily from the first book to the second book. Cat are protagonist is till trying to get over the shock of finding out she is adopted. But little does she know there are more secrets to come. When Cat finds out that she is in fact a Childe she of course is like, what, your all crazy! But once it sinks in I think she takes it really well and tries to cope with it. Cat is a very strong character which I love!

The thing that I love the most with this series is I can kind of guest a little about certain things that are happening but also I keep getting shock, after shock of new revelations. One thing I did see coming was that there is not only vampires in the town but werewolves as well. Which I love! It seems if there is vampires or vs versus there has to be werewolves!

Again like in The Childe I loved Cat's friends! If you have read The Childe you will know they are a great bunch. Did you all guess Julies secret? I surely didn't, well I knew there was something. Was I that stupid, now I think of it, it makes sense.

Before I wrap this up and sorry again for rambling. I heart Ryan Beckford!!! Can he get any cuter!! I love him and Cat. However if I lived Astoria maybe I would have a chance with him. I am a redhead after all LOL.

Overall I really loved Dark Days! I cant recommend it enough! The ending has left me in suspense! Adam and Carol I need the next instalment :)

5/5 Stars

So here is how you can be in with a chance of winning a Kindle Fire:

You can gain "points" by doing various things! First of 5 different people must first comment below! Once this is done CA Kunz will come by and leave a question in the comments! The question will be related to my post so please make sure you read my post to find the answer! Once you have the answer you must send it with your name to this email kindlefirechilde@gmail.com

Please dont put answers in the comments!!

By sending your answer you gain 5 points however you can earn more points if you do the following! To gain these points do the following then comment below with the details required:

1 point – for following my blog (leave GFC name in comment)
1 point for tweeting about my blog post (you must leave the link in comments)

1 point – for following CA Kunz Blog (leave GFC name in comment)

1 point – Sharing the post on Facebook (you must leave the link in comments)

1 point – Like either CA Kunz Facebook page or The Childe Facebook page (comment which one you like and name used)

Leave all info in one comment and please leave an email address so you can be contacted!

Check out all the other blog stops on the tour for more chances to be entered to win the Kindle Fire!

AND: Every week one lucky commenter will be picked to win a signed copy of The Childe and a swag pack! So make sure you comment below with an email address!

Airel-Arson-Pyxis Blog Tour: Guest post by Aaron Patterson

“Why I Love (and Write) Teen Romantic Thrillers”by Aaron Patterson

I love teen fiction because of the way it breaks some of the boundaries. I mean where else can you get a cool vampire or a game where starvation and crazy tests are all the norm? I think it is so much more interesting and above all, I love writing YA because of these same reasons.

I have three adult novels (The WJA Series) and after I discovered teen liked what I wrote I decided to write some YA for myself. Airel was born and I must say this was the most fun I ever had writing a book. Not only is it super fun to write from a teen point of view, but as a guy to write from a female teen POV is so much more fun.

I grew up and all my best friends were girls. I just thought they were so much more interesting. All my guy friends were boring and all they talked about were sports or ego laced dumb guy stuff. Girls on the other hand were a mystery and I liked to hang if you will.

This did not serve me well in the girlfriend department as I was eternally in “The Friend Zone.” But I learned a ton about how they acted and thought. So, writing from this POV was not too hard and I had a great editor that kept me in the mindset. If I started getting to Guy-ish I would do something unexpected and a little over the top, problem solved.

As to the romance part, well… I am a big sap when it comes to that. Yeah, I admit it. I love a good gripping story and I tried to add in this element to the story. Love is a messy and heartbreaking game and I wanted to capture this emotion in Airel. She falls for Michael, and falls hard and fast. To some this may seem fake but I am here to tell you it can and does happen. If you don’t believe me go into any High School and watch.

The hardest part of writing this novel was the High School part of Airel’s life. I was home schooled and have never even been in a High School so trying to get the feel and how a normal day might have been I had to do research. I interviewed some teens and went into a few schools to see how it was. For most, the memory of High School is not hard to call up but I didn’t have any of this so I had to learn it all for the first time.

I really hope you all enjoy this series and feel free to shoot me a message if you like Airel. Here is to the first love and a wild exciting life!

Blog: www.TheWorstBookEver.blogspot.com

StoneHouse Ink website: www.StoneHouseInk.net  

Twitter: @Mstersmith

Spread Love, Not Hate!

Spread Love, Not Hate was a hop set up by authors K.C.Neal & K.M.Parr! The aim of this hop is speak out and have your say, against bullying.

What is a bully?  "a person who uses strength or influence to harm or intimidate those who are weaker" Source

I am one of the lucky people that has never been bullied, which I am thankful for, but I know people who have and its a horrible thing to happen to someone.

By simply, not doing or being like everyone else in society, by following the trend, it can lead to being bullied. For having an opinion can lead to bullying. Is there not a thing known as individually and free speech in today's society.

Many men and woman over many years have fought for us to have the right of freedom of speech and to be who we want to be, and by being the person you want to be, by saying what your think, you are critiqued, tormented and make to feel so small and insignificant that it may lead you to take drastic action just to be rid of the torment put upon you by another human being.

We now have access to the world wide web, we can communicate with people from the other side of the world, make new friendships that we never though we could make and we can also be bullied.

Social media has alot to answer for. I love my social media, facebook, twitter etc but to use it as a weapon to critique and mock others is disgusting.

I AM AGAINST BULLYING! Whether it be face to face, or online.

I know it is hard but to anyone who is being bullied. The person doing that is a lowlife who has to pick on someone to make them feel better. Speak out, tell someone!

SPREAD LOVE, NOT HATE!

Author Interview: Patrice Lyle author of 2012 release Lethally Blonde

A little about Patrice:


I grew up in the small Oregon coastal town of Astoria, where The Goonies, Free Willy and Kindergarten Cop were filmed. I started writing my first mystery novel when I was ten years old because I loved to read and make up fun stuff. Plus my dad was a detective so that spurred my love of reading mysteries, like Nancy Drew, as well as writing them. I’m writing middle grade and YA paranormal now, and they all have mystery elements in them.

Can you tell us a little about your novel Lethally Blonde?



If Elle Woods were a teenage demon, her name would be Morgan Skully. Morgan is the world's only blonde demon girl, and she's got a brand new, very unusual after school job. Spying for the Devil. She'd much rather use her cloak-and-dagger skills to spy on hottie-licious Derek with her friends, but the Devil won't take no for an answer. Luckily for Morgan, her new boss is kinda hot. Her assignment is simple: find out who at Pitchfork Prep is funneling secrets to the Siberian Werewolf Council. If she succeeds, pedicures and platinum highlights are just the beginning. But if she fails, she'll be expelled before she can woo Derek into asking her to the Brimstone Ball!

Where did you get the idea for Lethally Blonde?



When I was pondering what to write next, I started thinking about movies and novels that I loved. I thought about how much I loved Elle Woods in Legally Blonde and then I thought…hey, what if Elle was a teenage demon? And it went from there.

In you novel Lethally Blonde, your main character works for the devil. Would you ever work for the devil?


Only if he was the cute surfer-kind-of-devil in my book. Otherwise, I’d say no. I’d prefer to work for an angel.

Why should we read Lethally Blonde?

It’s a fast-paced entertaining read that takes you into Morgan’s world filled Demon Phat purses, shopping trips to Dante’s, and plenty of devilish intrigue. Plus, there’s a hottie-licious guy named Derek who is the captain of the Flame Throwing team and the Devil looks like a surfer! Oh, and the Hope Diamond even makes an appearance!

Is there any book you are excited to read that is releasing in 2012?



I’m part of 2K12, a group of awesome middle grade and YA authors debuting in 2012 so I’m very excited to read all their books. But I especially can’t wait to read Small Medium at Large by Joanne Levy. I also love Julia Karr and can’t wait to read her upcoming January release, Truth.

What sort of books do you like reading yourself and what are some of your fave books or authors?


I’ve recently discovered a love of reading on my Kindle while I walk on the treadmill, so I’ve read a ton of great YA and MG books lately. Currently, I absolutely love the Peachville High Demons series by Sarra Cannon. They are awesome. I also loved the Princess for Hire series by Lindsey Leavitt, Paranormalcy by Kiersten White, Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins, The Lipstick Laws by Amy Holder, and Bad Taste in Boys by Carrie Harris. For adult fiction, I love Robert B. Parker, James Patterson, H.P. Mallory, Mary Higgins Clark, Janet Evanovich, and Laura Levine.

Lethally Blonde is released Febuary 14th 2012! You can Pre Order your copy now!

Stalk Patrice:





Website: http://www.patricebooks.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/patricebooks

Twitter: @Patrice_Lyle

Class of 2K12 website:
www.classof2k12.com

The Secret of the Keepers Blog Tour- February 1st-February 24th & Give@way

Hey! Today kicks of The Secret of the Keepers Blog Tour! The Secret of the Keepers is the second book in the Kailmeyra Chronicles by Elizabeth Isscas.

Tour Schedule:

2nd February: A book excerpt and an ebook giveaway of The Secret of the Keepers over @ Girlz and their books

3rd February: A guest post and an ebook giveaway of The Secret of the Keepers over @ Stuck in Books

6th February: A character Profile and an ebook giveaway of The Secret of the Keepers over @ Reading A Little bit of everything

8th February: A guest post and a ebook giveaway of The Secret of the Keepers over @ Ya-Aholic

10th February: A review of The Secret of the Keepers over @ Stuck in Books

14th February: A character interview with Weylin and an ebook giveaway of The Secret of the Keepers over @ Chirenjenzie blogspot

16th February: A review of The Secret of the Keepers over @ Ya-Aholic

21st February: An author interview & an ebook giveaway of The Secret of the Keepers over @ Book Briefs

23rd February: A review of The Secret of the Keepers over @ Chirenjenzie blogspot

24th February: A review of The Secret of the Keepers over @ Book Briefs

Giveaway:

For your chance to win an ebook of The Secret of the Keepers book two in The Kailmeyra Chronicles leave a comment below along with your email address so I can contact you if you win!

-Giveaway is International
-Giveaway sponsored by Elizabeth Issacs
-Giveaway ends 24th February