Review: The Ghost and the Goth (The Ghost and the Goth #1) by Stacey Kade

Title: The Ghost and the Goth (The Ghost and the Goth #1)
Author: Stacey Kade
Started: 26/11/11
Finished: 29/11/11
Medium: Paperback (From The Book Depository)
Goodreads

Goodreads Synopsis:  

Alona Dare–Senior in high school, co-captain of the cheerleading squad, Homecoming Queen three years in a row, voted most likely to marry a movie star… and newly dead.

I’m the girl you hated in high school. Is it my fault I was born with it all-good looks, silky blond hair, a hot bod, and a keen sense of what everyone else should not be wearing? But my life isn’t perfect, especially since I died. Run over by a bus of band geeks—is there anything more humiliating? As it turns out, yes—watching your boyfriend and friends move on with life, only days after your funeral. And you wouldn’t believe what they’re saying about me now that they think I can’t hear them. To top it off, I’m starting to disappear, flickering in and out of existence. I don’t know where I go when I’m gone, but it’s not good. Where is that freaking white light already?

Will Killian–Senior in high school, outcast, dubbed “Will Kill” by the popular crowd for the unearthly aura around him, voted most likely to rob a bank…and a ghost-talker.

Seriously, who would ever think that breezy writing could feel so refreshing. The Ghost and the Goth was a breeze, literally. It could be one of those romantic comedy movies taken place in high school and the cover backs up that statement as much as anything else. I enjoyed reading this book even though it didn't have much depth that captures a readers attention. But thats not so much of a problem. Sometimes I'd read those books with a lighter plot like this rather than the complicated ones that requires too much thinking and predicting.

The book was very vibrant, lively with a gleaming radiance. It was written in Will and Alona's perspective, which I found confusing at times, especially for someone who is used to reading books in one perspective. The characters were distinctly different and its hard to hate either Will or Alona, even though Alona was one of those perky, shallow, popular kids who bully harmless kids for sport.

The story progressed rather quickly, during which a freaky ghost comes in and the usual disagreements between the characters are inputted. The Ghost and the Goth is one of the most smooth books I've ever read. It was funny, uplifting with the most hilarious and somewhat shallow characters that you can't help but have a love-hate relationship with. The biggest highlight = The popular girl and the goth? Really?! A definite page-turner that is guaranteed to keep you occupied for a day.

Blog Tour: Guestpost (Green Lantern Edition) + Excerpt Unnatural Law by Natasha Larry

AUTHOR BIO: Natasha Larry resides in Huntsville, Alabama with her daughter and fiancé. She graduated from Tusculum College with a B.A. in History and is currently working on getting her certificate in education. Apart from writing, she is a self-proclaimed comic book nerd and urban fantasy junkie. Her poetry and short fiction has appeared in publications such as Writing Edge magazine and Escaping Elsewhere. Darwin’s Children is her first work of novel length fiction.

Blog | Website | Facebook | Twitter (@natashalarry) |
E-mail: Natasha(at)natashalarrybooks(dot)com

In Brightest Day 

A Tribute to Hal Jordan 

The question I’m most often asked is what inspired my writing. As such, I’d like to spend a little time talking about my muses, rather than about my own writing. 

Despite the fact that Darwin’s Children rings of X-men lore, my writing is actually more inspired by the DC comic book universe than Marvel. Don’t get me wrong, I love Stan ‘the Man’ Lee but Marvel’s superheroes don’t have the same iconic appeal as DC’s. 

Hulk smash!... but he isn’t a symbol. 

Superheroes should become more than man… they are supposed to be ideas. To be the change they wanted to see in the world. 

No one defines this iconic transcendence more than Hal Jordan-the first Earthling to serve in the galactic brotherhood of protectors, the Green Lantern Corps. Before I prattle on about Hal, I’d like to discuss the creation of the universe, superhero bling, and the birth of fear. 

In the beginning a powerful group of Guardians watched the galaxy explode in a sea of light. Figuring it needed protecting, they decided to set up the headquarters of their rule in the very center of the galaxy on the planet of Oa-sector 0. 

It was here that the central power battery was created, at which time, at reservoir of green willpower, fueled by every sentient being in the universe, was stored. The Guardians decided that green was the color of courage, and thus the most important part of being a Green Lantern, a member of the corps they set up and charged with the protection of the galaxy. 

This emotional energy was then transferred to a personal lantern for each of the members of the corps to carry with him/her/it that would charge each member’s power ring. These rings had to be charged every 24 hours. No matter where one of these galactic peacekeepers were, they could summon the lantern to charge the ring. 

The ring allows the Green Lantern to do anything… 

Anything he can imagine, and the stronger his will, the more powerful the Lantern. The beauty was that in order to put on the ring, the lantern had to be chosen by the galaxy … and to charge it, one had to swear one of the most famous oaths in comic history: 

In brightest day 

In blackest night, no evil shall escape my sight 

Let those who worship Evil’s might 

Beware my power… Green Lantern’s Light. 

In Blackest Night 

Before Hal Jordan came into his glory, Abin Sur was considered the most heroic member of the Green Lantern Corps. 

Jordan certainly had large shoes to fill when he died, making Hal the first human in the Corps history. 

Before Hal had to bust his ass making nice with a bunch of sentient beings, the Guardians of the universe made a huge decision. 

In the DC Universe, green is the color of courage. For the longest time it was accepted by every member of the Green Lantern Corps, that the one thing they had a natural weakness to was the color yellow. 

Yellow is the color of fear, and fear is the purest form of evil. The Guardians made the decision to trap the color yellow because it could not be controlled. 

Sinestro, a Green Lantern that was considered a master of the ring, and thus the will, became privy to this fact. He found the central power battery and forged yellow power rings to prove that fear was stronger than will.

Well, to make a very long story short the Guardians forced Sinestro into exile. Sinestro was finally able to free the space parasite known as Parallax.

In the crappy movie Hal Jordan won out against Parallax, but in reality what happened is the single coolest thing in comic history. It is so impressive that it is worth quoting at length. 

Maddened by the grief over the destruction of Coast City, Hal destroyed both blue and green, undoing the Guardians and their core in order to acquire the energy necessary to make things right. In that moment, Hal Jordan made himself a vessel for the power of fear. At long last, fear had a name… Parallax.” 

Now, it might seem pretty crappy to undo the entire Green Lantern Corps and the Guardians of the Universe, but having the will to do it is just damn impressive. So, I say…. Hail Hal Jordan! Oh, and he’s pretty hot too. ;) 

(Naj's Note: I love Hal Jordan! And I was surprised and grateful to have this on my blog. Thanks for stopping by Natasha! Hal Jordan is hot too. :D But not in the picture above. He looks kind of creepy up there. :D)

Excerpt and Blurb from Unnatural Law

Seventeen-year-old Jaycie Lerner’s psychokinetic power surge is over, and her astounding powers are under control for the time being – sort of. As she struggles to maintain her humanity in the face of the awesome terror and responsibility of her abilities, she also yearns for the chance at a normal life – and a relationship with Matt Carter, the best friend she had to leave behind. But Matt’s got a few tricks up his sleeve, and he’s not about to give up on his feelings for Jaycie. As Jaycie and her family grapple with the day-to-day routine of trying to keep their world together, Jaycie’s mother figure, Allison Young, endures a personal crisis of her own. The superhuman blonde possesses the physical equivalent of Jaycie’s awesome psychic power. So evolved, at ninety-two she still looks twenty. But what good is extended life when everyone else around her is so fragile? With no one to share her unusual life, she’s a uniquely lonely woman yearning for the romantic love she sees all around her. But in a dream she gets her wish – and it quickly turns to a nightmare for everyone else in her life. The memory of a rose is all she can hold onto in the storm of obsession that nearly sweeps her away. Things quickly turn deadly for the vampires, but the Dey-Vah Guard fairies refuse to acknowledge there’s an imbalance in the nature they protect. As the danger gets ever closer to Jaycie and her family, the race is on to find answers before a secret plot can destroy them all.

Prologue

Haylee sat with her best friend and watched the four most powerful supernatural beings in the world approach Mason and John. Lucy’s face glowed under the dull street lamp, her delicate fairy features savage and unforgiving. Haylee couldn’t see all the others, but she knew their unnatural and extraordinarily powerful enemies surrounded them on all sides, aiming weapons soaked in their own blood. I guess being attacked by a bunch of dead guys didn’t help our case, she thought to herself bitterly.“What is Allison Young’s decision?” a male voice boomed suddenly. Haylee resisted the urge to look around, knowing Allison was somewhere hidden from their view, fighting with every inch of her strength to protect him. All of this because of love. To defend a relationship that

threatened to halt evolution in its tracks. Haylee heard Mason tell Landon of the Inner Circle that Allison was on her way. She knew he was stalling in the vain hope this would not come to a fight. She thought of all the supernatural creatures that could kill her –a vampire or even a vampire slayer – and grew angry at the idea that a fairy might end her life tonight. She could feel the fire from Jaycie itching to break loose. Hopefully Mason could get through to the Inner

Circle and make them all see the truth. It was a futile hope. Suddenly the scene in Big Spring Park changed right before Haylee’s eyes. Allison was loose. The Second Tier screamed for her blood. Chaos erupted all around them, and Haylee couldn’t focus her eyes on any one thing. Her family was surrounded by anarchy. They might be dying. The last image Haylee saw before that final flash of red was Lucy grabbing Jaycie by the neck. If no one got there fast enough, the being created to protect her was going to snap her neck.

          

Review: To Kill A Warlock by H.P. Mallory

Title: To Kill a Warlock
Author: H.P. Mallory
Started: 23/11/11
Finished: 26/11/11
Medium: Paperback (From The Book Depository)
Goodreads

Synopsis:
Dulcie O'Neil is a fairy. And not the type to frolic in the gardens. She's a Regulator, a law-enforcement agent who monitors the creatures of the Netherworld to keep them from wreaking havoc in the mortal world. When a warlock is murdered and Dulcie was last to see him alive, she must uncover the truth before she's either deported back to the Netherworld, or she becomes the next victim.

To Kill a Warlock is a perfect mix of humor, scarce action and really confusing romance that is thrown in to tickle the ladies. When I first read that Dulcie was a fairy, I was hesitating whether or not to read it. I didn't want to read about either a flesh-eating ugly creature or a sparkly, tinier version of a human. But because of a friends recommendation and the great reviews. I might as well jump to it. Dulcie, is not your typical tiny, sparkly, winged fairy. She's just like a normal person except for the fairy dust, magic and the pointy ears. She's an easy character to keep up with. She wasn't annoying or overwhelming like most of our heroines. For a read as light as this, she is just right.

We meet Dulcie while she is a slobbering, big, green booger. Yes, a booger. She was snooping around a dark arts store when a warlock called Fabian turns her into a booger, while she was distracted by a mysterious stranger. Go figure. She's pissed and totally grossed out which I found completely hilarious. She goes to her witch best friend hoping she could turn her back to her normal fairy self.

The characters were all written up and constructed pretty well! But a few still had one of those annoying characteristics that pop up more than their good ones. The scenario on the other hand was brilliant. Nationals of the Netherworld and Earth live along side each other openly and sort of peacefully, but having it a bit more realistic in terms of 'how easily us humans accepted the supernaturals' would have been better.

Overall, To Kill a Warlock is a firm, light and fun read, that will surely keep you entertained in one sitting. The plot may not be completely capturing but it still holds its own together enough to entertain us all. For readers who love the mix of entertaining characters, humor and paranormalcy.

Blog Tour: Review + Feature Darwin's Children Series

Due to the lack of time and my exams, I was only able to review the 1st book of the series. :( 

To make up for it! I'll be featuring the lovely new covers. 

AUTHOR BIO: Natasha Larry resides in Huntsville, Alabama with her daughter and fiancé. She graduated from Tusculum College with a B.A. in History and is currently working on getting her certificate in education. Apart from writing, she is a self-proclaimed comic book nerd and urban fantasy junkie. Her poetry and short fiction has appeared in publications such as Writing Edge magazine and Escaping Elsewhere. Darwin’s Children is her first work of novel length fiction.

Blog | Website | Facebook | Twitter (@natashalarry) | E-mail: Natasha(at)natashalarrybooks(dot)com

SYNOPSIS: Life can get pretty complicated for any seventeen-year-old girl, but for a home-schooled telepathic black girl trying to survive in a prestigious private school in small-town Jonesborough, Tennessee, it can be maddening; especially when her telepathic father keeps eavesdropping on her thoughts!

Jaycie Lerner's family isn't the usual mom-dad-kid setup. Jaycie's mom is MIA, but Allison, her personal live-in trainer, is more than a mom, with her own special abilities, like being able to lift cars and run incredibly fast. And Jaycie's godfather John is more than persuasive; he can literally convince anyone to do anything.

As far as the rest of the world's concerned, Jaycie's on the outside looking in. The townsfolk love Jaycie's paediatrician father, but she doesn't fit in with "normal" kids, and she doesn't really want to. Most of her free time is spent training to keep her telekinetic and telepathic powers under control. But there's one thing she can't control; and that's her feelings, especially when her best friend Matt is nearby. If only he knew what she was truly capable of...

Everything seems to be status quo for Jaycie until she receives a cryptic message from a stranger and meets a very unusual girl new to Jonesborough. Then all hell breaks loose!

My first look into a telepaths world and boy was it different. It had tons of new outlooks into the paranormal world that was refreshing to me and most welcome!

The main characters Jaycie, Mason, John and Allison are seen in the beginning and I loved the relationship they had with each other. They’re one big happy, goofy family that Larry wrote so descriptively that you could feel the love. And on top of that she added humor and romance into the mix. Jaycie’s relationship with her long time best friend Matt blossomed to something different and the transition was perfect and very realistic which added points to the overall rating.

Of course, every protagonist needs a girlfriend into the mix and she has one in a form of Haylee, who’s disturbed and broken. Jaycie fixes that and in the process becomes her best friend with an unusual bond. Haylee didn’t hold any annoying qualities. No one in the story did, which surprises me in a good sense, of course.

The plot was somewhat there. I’m guessing Larry is waiting for the second book to come out, so she can show off her mad plotting skills! She’s pretty much nailed everything else.

Darwin’s Children is a refreshing read from an amazing author. It has everything you love about paranormal in it and more. It has Action, love, romance, and family. The best combination for a YA read. I can't wait to read Unnatural Law!

Darwin's Children (Darwin's Children #1) | Unnatural Law (Darwin's Children #2)

I present to you the new cover of Darwin's Children and the lovely cover of the second book. 

Below from left to right (Old Cover and New Cover)

The lovely second book and its synopsis:

SYNOPSIS: Seventeen-year-old Jaycie Lerner’s psycho-kinetic power surge is over, and her astounding powers are under control for the time being – sort of. As she struggles to maintain her humanity in the face of the awesome terror and responsibility of her abilities, she also yearns for the chance at a normal life – and a relationship with Matt Carter, the best friend she had to leave behind. But Matt’s got a few tricks up his sleeve, and he’s not about to give up on his feelings for Jaycie.

As Jaycie and her family grapple with the day-to-day routine of trying to keep their world together, Jaycie’s mother figure, Allison Young, endures a personal crisis of her own. The superhuman blonde possesses the physical equivalent of Jaycie’s awesome psychic power.

So evolved, at ninety-two she still looks twenty. But what good is extended life when everyone else around her is so fragile? With no one to share her unusual life, she’s a uniquely lonely woman yearning for the romantic love she sees all around her. But in a dream she gets her wish – and it quickly turns to a nightmare for everyone else in her life. The memory of a rose is all she can hold onto in the storm of obsession that nearly sweeps her away.

Things quickly turn deadly for the vampires, but the Dey-Vah Guard fairies refuse to acknowledge there’s an imbalance in the nature they protect. As the danger gets ever closer to Jaycie and her family, the race is on to find answers before a secret plot can destroy them all.

Check back in 2 days and I'll have a Guestpost for ya'll! 

Happy Reading!

Review: Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Title: Lola and the Boy Next Door
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Started: 21/11/11
Finished: 22/11/11
Medium: Hardbound (From The Book Depository)
Goodreads

Goodreads Synopsis:

Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit -- more sparkly, more fun, more wild -- the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.

When Cricket -- a gifted inventor -- steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

Stephanie Perkins has written another masterpiece that combines, teenage drama, love and realism all in one book. Lola and the Boy Next Door is a beautiful book about Lola and her resurfaced feelings for the Bell twins who moved back into the neighborhood.

From start to finish, Perkins holds you in her wordly grasp as she writes about Lola's struggle to overcome the obstacles she's facing to be honest with herself. Lola is a colorful character with two gay dads and a love for fashion. That's a little of an understatement. She doesn't love fashion, she loves costume. Which she creates herself. She has a wonderful personality and friends.

I'm happy Perkins mentioned the characters from her last book (Anna and St. Clair) and carefully writes them to surround Lola. They don't play a big part in the story but they're there for moral support and a little push here and there for both Lola and Cricket.

Cricket Bell, is the Boy the Next Door. Incredibly sweet and awfully nice. He's always been around Lola and there has always been unspoken tension around the both of them, that takes half of the book for them to both be honest and real to each other. I didn't mind the wait since Perkins kept me fully occupied with other events in Lola's life.

To sum it all up, Lola and the Boy Next Door was an amazing read that will tickle your toes, make your eyes go blurry and totally make you go "awwwwwwwh!" I say again, Stephanie Perkins is brilliant rising star!

Blog Tour: Review of Silver's Chance by Billi Jean

AUTHORS BIO: Billi Jean has been writing since high school when she couldn't wait for Robert Jordon to write his Wheel

of Time series faster. She writes from home in a little two hundred year old farm house in Western Massachusetts where she shares her space with her active children, an old dog, and two lazy cats.

Her first book, Midnight Star, has won numerous awards and was voted Best Book by Long and Short Reviews. Her next installment in the Sisters of the Moon series, Silver's Chance, hit the shelves in August 2011. The next, A Spartan's Kiss will arrive right on Valentine's Day, 2012.

Stop by her blog http://readingwritingromance.blogspot.com/ and leave a message! She can also be found on twitter and Facebook. For more information on what's coming up in her series, friend her on Goodreads, or follow her blog for snippets of her upcoming stories in the Sisters of the Moon series.

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Manic Readers / Bitten by Books

SYNOPSIS: When life throws Samantha a curve ball in the form of an ancient Lykae warlord bent on marking her as his—what's she going to do? Run like hell? Oh, yeah, that so worked the first time around. With Derrick hot after her tail, Samantha discovers being the hunted just might not be as bad as she thought.
Derrick is a warlord hardened by centuries of battle. Now that he's free from years of torment, he discovers his mate. Only his beautiful little half wolf is as determined to deny him, as he is to claim her.

As the battle to keep her safe intensifies, Derrick faces the biggest fight of his life: winning Samantha's heart and keeping alive long enough to claim her.

At first, I thought this was the usual dragging sort of tale about badly constructed characters and a weak plot and the fact that it was 408 pages and in eBook format made me delay reading the book even more. And I regret to have delayed it for as long as I did.

The beginning of the book was capturing and immediately had a series of events that draws you in immediately. The main character Samantha reminded me a lot of Cat from the Night Huntress series and Mac from the Fever series. And that combination is perfect. She also has a mad sense of humor that cracked me up every time! She's even funnier when she's with her best friend, who is also a witch. Samantha is a witch who finds her mate to be a wolf, Derrick, who is so hot and very sexy. He’s been missing since 1810 and Sam frees him from his bounds.

I loved how the love grew between the two. Though I was annoyed at Derrick a little. He was pushy when it came to mating and such. But I guess that's normal when a wolf is imprinted to a particular person. However, the plot and the hot scenes made up for that little creepy characteristic Derrick has.

Silver’s Chance, is a story basically about how Samantha is on a hunt to find her kidnapped sister and in the process she finds Derrick literally screwed up on a door (or was it a wall) by metallic bars. The story was filled with all kinds of supernaturals, the Faye, demons, vampires, wolves, mages, giants, and witches. And each one plays an important role in the book. The book was well written, equally inviting, action-packed, exciting and steamy. Derrick and Samantha are inseparable. I can’t wait to read more from Billi Jean.

In My Mailbox #31

A weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren, where we post all books we have received where in the mail, bought or got from the library.

These books came just today itself! So I'm kind of late posting this up. :D

The best part is the Asylum by Kathleen Tucker Bookmarks I designed. 

Fateful by Claudia Gray 

Iron King (Iron Fey #1) by Julia Kagawa

Original Sin (Personal Demons #2) by Lisa Desrochers

Storm Born (Dark Swan #1) by Richelle Mead

Late comer! :D 

Savor (Warm Delicacy #1) by Megan Duncan (I've read this and loved it to bits! Review is here)

Thank you Megan for the paperback and the note you left!

That's all I got this week. :D Let me know what you got with a comment below!

Review: The Wedding Gift by Kathleen McKenna

Title: The Wedding Gift
Author: Kathleen McKenna
Started: 13/11/11
Finished: 20/11/11
Medium: Paperback (from author)
Goodreads

Goodreads Synopsis: 

17 year old Leeann Worthier is the perfect girl in town - or so she says.

George Willets is the heir to a booming petroleum business.

When they announce their engagement, George's controlling mother is unimpressed and Leeann absolutely refuses to live with her mother-in-law. So George gives his new wife a house as a wedding gift.

Thirty years before, the same house had hosted a grisly scene: George's uncle and cousins had all been slaughtered, his aunt Robina accused of both murder and suicide.

The house is a gorgeous, well-maintained mansion but has stood empty since the tragedy. It's intimidating, but who is Leeann to turn down a free house? When the ghost of Robina begins to haunt Leeann, she realizes she's made a huge mistake ...

"A rip roaring murderously good time," Tiffany Harkleroad of Tiffany's Bookshelf.

Most readers would say they hated this book because of how it's being narrated by a "redneck hillbilly Sookie Stackhouse" and for them to say such a thing about a book and its character is ridiculous. I'm open-minded enough to present to you The Wedding Gift. It was narrated by a 17-year-old Corn Princess Leanne Worthier from Dalton, Oklahoma who may be a little "loose" and got herself pregnant and married into a rich family at a young age. She was given a house as a wedding gift from her in-law's and she wasn't too happy about it because of the fact that an entire family was murdered in it including the "murderer" who killed herself after doing the big K.O. on her own family.

I admire Ms. Kathleen for writing such a "character" like Leanne into such a scary and thrilling plot. I didn't mind how Leanne was and how she talked and acted. I'm pretty open-minded to see a book for its plot and how it's written. I enjoyed the book. It had stern characters which all played a part in the story and my favorite would be Jessie, who is Leanne's best friend. I loved how strong-willed and outspoken she was. Usually, the main characters would be the one to hold these characteristics and I'm happy this is something new out there.

The beginning of the book was a little dragging but began to instantly pick-up when the ghost stories rolled in. It was completely chilling and gory. The ending was amazing and how Leanne found out what really happened in that house at the time of the murders and what to do about it. A real mysterious story that I loved till the end.

Kathleen, managed to write and describe each gruesome scene that will send chills down your spine. Her writing was wonderfully executed and her characters made me laugh, cry and scared the living day-lights out of me. I am glad to have received a review copy from the author herself and I appreciate her patience while I read and reviewed this book.

This book is not for young readers.

Author Interview with Tara Fox Hall

Welcome Tara Fox Hall! 

AUTHOR BIO: Tara Fox Hall is an OSHA-certified safety and health inspector at a metal fabrication shop in upstate New York. She received her bachelor’s degree in mathematics with a double minor in chemistry and biology from Binghamton University. Her writing credits include nonfiction short stories, flash, short and novella-length horror stories, and contemporary and historical paranormal romance. She also coauthored the essay “The Allure of the Serial Killer,” published in Serial Killers - Philosophy for Everyone: Being and Killing (Wiley-Blackwell, 2010). Her first E-Book, Surrender to Me, was published in September 2011. She divides her free time unequally between writing novels and short stories, chainsawing firewood, caring for stray animals, sewing cat and dog beds for donation to animal shelters, and target practice.

Facebook | Blog | Website

What inspired you to write?

My mom had a drug interaction with some medication she was taking in summer 2007. Instead of taking her off it, her doctor of the time instead misdiagnosed her with cancer, and told her she had a year to live, at most. She called me at the fabric store on my cell in tears. I was a wreck inside the rest of the day, though I put on a brave face. On the way home, I remembered that I’d always been telling her I was going to write her a book, but I was busy with other things and never took the time. Now I was out of time, and didn’t know if I even would have the time to finish it before she was gone. That made me more upset. I came home that night after visiting with her and started on Promise Me. She hated it at first, but I kept revising it, and it slowly got better. When I finished it, she wanted to know what happened next, so I began work on a sequel. By the time she was well again five months later (and had a new doctor), I’d finished Promise Me, and three sequels to it. I mused that since they were all finished and she loved them, maybe I should try submitting them. I’d won awards in school for writing, and published short animal rescue stories for years in a friend’s nature magazines, but never reached higher. (Naj's Note: Thats sweet)

Have you ever had writers block while writing? If so how'd you get over it? 

How long does it take you to write? 

I can write about five thousand words in a day, average, if I have a clear idea and outline of where the story is going. But fitting in special events, such as in a historical novel, or when you are working on a series and have to go back and check dates, names, etc., takes much longer. And that’s if I sit there and write at least eight solid hours in the day. (Naj's Note: Very dedicated! Everyone should be as dedicated as you)

What particular place do you write in? Coffee Shop? Home?

I write mostly in bed, late at night.

You run into a bookstore, where do you go first?

To the Godiva chocolate if its Barnes and Noble.

How big is your To Be Read Pile on your shelf?

Reaching epic proportions, but I hope to wind that down in the next few months.

In all the books you've read. Who is your most favorite character and why?

Bilbo Baggins. The Lord of the Rings is an excellent book, but my favorite book is The Hobbit. Bilbo had no idea what he was doing for most of the book, and his companions were not that appreciative or nice to him. But he tried his best anyway in his quiet way, and never gave up, though he could have many times. He stood up for what was right when it would have been much easier not to. That’s what we have to do: keep going, no matter what, even when it seems like you just can’t just take another breath, much less another step. (Naj's Note: I love Bilbo! He's so sweet and epic, especially in The Hobbit)

State 5 random facts about yourself. 

Hmm…I better make these interesting, right?

• I make wonderful bread and rolls from scratch 

• I can operate a chainsaw with finesse (Naj's Note: Scary and soo awesome)

• I love the sound of rain 

• I have handled many snakes, both my own and wild, and never yet been bitten 

• I still tear up thinking of my two German shepherds who passed away a few years ago. I am tearing up just writing this. 

What are you currently reading?

I am between books – I’m involved in NaNoWriteMo, so have taken a hiatus from reading for November.

Your favorite Genre?

I don’t have one. Lumped in my to-read pile are romances, mysteries, thrillers, horror, non-fiction, westerns, and fantasy.

How many books in a month do you tend to read?

If I’m really into a series – such as The Vampire D series by Hideyuki Kikuchi – I can devour a book in a few days. A longer epic—like Robert Jordan’s Eye of the World series—takes me much longer, not because its less exciting, but because there are so many characters to keep track of.

Here’s your chance to market your book. Describe your book and why readers should pick it up?

I can get a type of it, where I’m not sure where the novel should head next, and none of my ideas seem to feel right. That happened once. I went out into public, and looked for inspiration, then also watched a ton of shows at random, things I hadn’t seen. I just had to hit on the right inspiration-a movie, as chance had it-and I was back in business. 

Honestly and straight to the point? Because at 3$, Surrender To Me is an easy way to see if you like my style of romance, and want to read more of my work. I have horror stories online at places like Flashes in the Dark that you can read for free, but they were tailored to horrify or terrify the reader, not tantalize and seduce. Devlin—like all my vampires—was created to be not just a passionate, romantic vampire, but also ruthless and calculating in pursuit of his goals. He would take your heart, your body, your blood, and your soul, and you would thank him with your last sated breath. 

Here is a brief description of Surrender To Me:

At the turn of the 19th century, former aristocrat turned lowly vampire Devlin Dalcon gets by on his supernatural charms—surviving by singing for his dinner, swindling others for money and goods, and occasionally hiding from daylight in the sleeping quarters of the women he seduces. When Devlin encounters bride-to-be Annabelle—another potential victim of his charms—he finds the tables have turned as he falls in love with her. Although initially reluctant, Anna eventually reciprocates. After the lovers are discovered, Devlin is sentenced to death. Tested by a blizzard, robbed by gypsies, and forced to kill to survive, Annabelle and Devlin triumphantly escape to begin their new life together.

Thanks Tara for being part of my blog today! I hope you had fun! 

Visit her on goodreads, on her website or on facebook!

Blog Tour: Invisible by Jeanne Bannon RECAP

Blog Tour Recap

Thank you Jeanne for being such a sweetheart with the tour! I enjoyed working with you and everyone who has taken part in the tour. Thank you guys! You are awesome! 

Contact me if anyone needs a host or a spot filled in a blog tour. :D 

Day 1: Unputdownable Books | Book Excerpt 

Day 2: Read Like Good Readers Do | Interview

Day 3: WORD! from Cyber-Chicago | Review

Day 4: Bethany Lopez | Interview

Day 5: Kayden Mcleod | Book Excerpt

Day 6: The Magic Attic | Review + Giveaway

Day 7: Bird's-eye View | Guest Post

Day 8: Letters Inside Out | Review + Giveaway

Day 9: Ashley Suzanne | Excerpt + Interview

Day 10: Eamonn | Interview (Not Posted)

Day 11: Book Briefs | Review + Giveaway

Day 12: Bittersweet Enchantment | Excerpt + Giveaway

Day 13: YA Book Lover| Excerpt + Giveaway

Day 14: Character Depot/Readers Suite | Guestpost + Giveaway

GIVEAWAY DEADLINES ARE ON THE 18th November. 

Go and Join them now! :D

Blog Tour: Guestpost + Giveaway with Rachel Wells

Goodreads | Amazon

Are paranormal novels just a trend? Or will it be everlasting?

by Rachel Wells, Author of Enchanted

Paranormal novels have been the hot item lately among thousands, if not millions, of readers. So the question is, is it a trend or is it here to stay? My opinion, it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. Why? Life is too serious, too harsh, too cruel and people need a way to escape. A paranormal novel or story is a ticket to an unforgettable destination.

With the paranormal genre, there’s something for everyone. The paranormal romance is running rampant among the other sub-genres, fueled probably by the release and success of the Twilight series. I feel this just gave everyone a taste of what was waiting to be read out there. You want a little quirky and humorous, check out the books by H.P. Mallory. I could go on and on, but if you do a simple search online you will literally find hundreds that fit into the genre, each a little different than the last.

I would say paranormal is a type of fantasy. It encompasses everything from ghosts, to vampires, to zombies, to witches, and more. In my experience with reading paranormals, there’s usually at least one person in the book who is “normal”…aka no magical abilities or dark tendencies. To me the normalcy is what makes paranormals, which are so otherwise far-fetched, relatable. Inevitably, the “normal” person in the book gets involved with the paranormal element in some way, whether it’s falling in love with the forbidden, mysterious vampire or becoming the subject of a haunting. It’s exciting. And really, isn’t that what we all want? A little excitement?

Paranormal stories give you the opportunity to live vicariously, to experience the “dark” side, the “bad” side. It opens the readers’ minds to the possibilities of the unknown. Sure not many people are willing to say they believe in say, vampires or zombies, but loads of people will admit to believing in ghosts. People can relate to the paranormal! Everyone has their own story, their own personal experiences with those certain creaks they heard, or when they just felt like they weren’t alone. Isn’t it fun to say, “What if…” It’s fun to let yourself believe, to get lost in the paranormal, even if only for a little bit.

With this day and age there are so many demands and stress placed on people. People like to keep up a certain image. You have to have the looks, the money, the car, the job, the status. There are no signs of this kind of attitude slowing down or going away. Sometimes you just need to get away from it all. To put things in perspective. To see things from new perspective. Sure, maybe your 9 to 5 job sucks, but you need it to pay the bills…at least you’re not being chased by a flesh eating zombie, or stalked by a love-struck, blood thirsty vampire, or worrying about failing your magic exams. As long as people need to get away from the every-day monotony of life, there will be a need for paranormals. To put it in “paranormal talk”, paranormals are and forever will be immortal…

eBook Giveaway of Enchanted by Rachel Wells (International)

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