SWEPT UP BY THE SEA by Tracy & Laura Hickman--Book Review

SWEPT UP BY THE SEA by Tracy and Laura Hickman. This 323 page fantastical story had very interesting characters. I enjoyed getting to know all of them. The adventures they had incredible. The world the Hickman's created was just as fun as the characters. It was a fun read that was definitely a Romantic Fairy Tale. I would recommend it for 18 and over.

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Determined to seek his fortune, Percival Taylor leaves behind his sleepy hometown and sets out to become a legendary pirate. The only problem is, no one at the rough-and-tumble seaport of Blackshore will allow him anywhere near a ship!

Percival must find other means to win the heart of the beautiful Tuppence Magrathia-Paddock, who has mistaken him for a pirate rogue out of one of her romantic books. She is entirely willing to swoon into his arms if he can prove his buccaneer soul—and she will even arrange her own kidnapping to prove it.

Percival eventually find himself captain of a broken-down ship, complete with a crew of reluctant pirates, a jilted fiancee, a reclusive master shipwright, and an old professor with a magical secret that could kill them all. Join the strangest assortment of characters you'll ever meet on the Nine Seas as they set sail for treasure and romance!

*Cover and back cover blurb taken from DesertBook.com. The publisher provided the book, but it did not influence my review.

Baked Alaska by Josi S Kilpack--Book Buzzin'

BAKED ALASKA by Josi S Kilpack. I'm really excited about this one. It's due out in February. Be sure to stay tuned for the Book Blast and more coming up in the month of February and March.

An Alaskan cruise is the setting for amateur detective Sadie Hoffmiller’s latest adventure. Sadie plans to spend time relaxing with her two grown children, Breanna and Shawn, and her boyfriend, Pete, while enjoying the luxury and cuisine of an elegant cruise ship and helping to plan her daughter’s upcoming wedding. But even as the crew prepares to leave port, Sadie has suspicions about the voyage ahead and the relationship between her normally easygoing son and a mysterious female passenger he obviously knows but refuses to discuss. When the woman’s dead body is discovered during the first night at sea, Sadie’s apprehension escalates. Over the last few years, Sadie has developed an extreme dislike for secrets—and it would seem her son is keeping one from her.

Turning Pages by Tristi Pinkston--Book Review

TURNING PAGES by Tristi Pinkston. Who doesn't love a cute romance? I found this book very entertaining and just a fun page turner. Authors that I know and love were mentioned, as well as some I don't know. Addie and Blake were easy to relate to and I enjoyed being a part of their lives. I would highly recommend this book to any and everyone who loves a fun, clean, good read. Be sure to take a look at Addie's book recommendations as well. Click on the title to purchase your own copy.

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With his pride and her prejudice, what could possibly go wrong?

When the arrogant Blake Hansen steals Addie Preston's promotion at the library, he pretty much rubs her nose in it. But Addie, who dreams of being a full-fledged librarian, decides to stick it out. She loves surrounding herself with books and keeping her father's memory alive in the building where they spent so much time together.

Soon, Addie learns that her beloved library will be torn down to make room for a larger facility, and she has to make a choice. Fight, or let go?

To complicate things, she finds herself attracted to Blake, who is engaged to someone else. Will Blake and Addie ever resolve their differences?

Pledged by Gwynneth White--Book Review

PLEDGED by Gwynneth White. I had mixed feelings about this book. The main characters seemed fun and I wanted to get to know them, but I felt like this was a story about their friends. I learned about Seth and Erin through them watching other people. I don't feel like the story really ended, but I'm curious where it is going. It was an interesting read that I would like to read all at once, when the saga is complete. A giveaway will be coming soon. Stay tuned for more info. Check out an excerpt from the book, here, and an interview with Gwynneth below.

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Everyone has a soul mate. But what do you do when your soul mate would rather give his soul to the demons than be with you? 

Seventeen-year-old Erin has a problem. Seth has been hers forever, but now an ancient promise is tearing him away. And Reuel, the demon to whom the promise was made, will stop at nothing to force Seth to forsake Erin and to worship him.

How can Erin win against a pledge so binding that it has damned countless others to the same fate she and Seth will face if Reuel wins – an eternity alone?

The answer lies in the past. To find it, Erin and Seth must risk all, travelling back in time to a dangerous world where love is forbidden, and life – and death – hang on a promise. 

Follow Erin and Seth as they travel to ancient Shenaya to break the pledge that has plagued their families for millennia. Caught in a war between the Angelic Guardians and the Gefallen, the disembodied dead, they must fight to keep their souls in tact and their love untainted.

Hello, Bonnie, thank you for inviting me onto your blog. I really appreciate it.

1. What made you decide to become a writer?

You know, it wasn’t really a decision. It was more like . . . it just happened. When I first started working, life thrust me into jobs where they needed someone with writing skills. I seemed to be it. Then my husband – he’s a writer/publisher/film-maker – needed a travel guide written in a hurry, so I did that too. It became a best-seller. No one was more surprised than me. A second travel guide followed. Then I had a loooooong hiatus while I raised my children. But all through that drought, I had a story brewing in my head. When it refused to go away, I decided to give it voice. And I cannot tell you how happy I am to be out of the wilderness and back in the writing world. It is truly my first professional love.

2. Who inspires you?

This is actually a very personal question, but I will give you a glimpse into that private world. I draw a great deal of inspiration from my understanding of good and evil, and what happens to us before we are born and after we die. But, in case you are worrying, Pledged is not a religious book – it’s a time-travel adventure, filled with romance, action, and the meddling of the dead in the affairs of the living. Like all writers, I suppose, I just reflect my inner beliefs in my work. My other great motivators are my family. My mother was dying with cancer when I started Pledged, and did I ever need a distraction! After she died, I still sensed her presence – strongly – as if she was telling me to get over my grief and finish the book. My other drivers are my children . . . I want them to know that you have to follow your dreams, even if it means hard work and masses of effort.  

3. What would you like your readers to get out of your writing?

Pleasure! And an escape! A break from reality . . . I want them to lose themselves in a magical world where almost anything is possible.

4. Where did this idea come from?

I wish I knew! One day, a bunch of strangers took up residence in my head, complete with story. I didn’t invite them in, they just pitched up. Sometimes I think they’re real people, living in a parallel universe, who found a willing victim – me - to channel their life stories through. Continuing that crazy thought, It’s even possible that somewhere in Andromeda, some poor person is being plagued with our stories  . . . forced to sit, day in and day out, writing about our lives! Well, this is what I tell myself to keep myself sane. I don’t expect anyone else to buy into it.

5. Who was your favorite character to develop?

Jared. I’m in love with him. He is, in my mind, the perfect blend of a bad-good guy. Warlord of Shenaya, he’s one of the people Seth and Erin meet when they travel back in time to that ancient world. Jared is not uber good-looking, but he’s got a strong, commanding face, which pretty much tells the world what he’s about. When you first meet him, you’ll find him sardonic and egotistical. But if you win his heart, he will be loyal to you unto death. 

6. Any advice for aspiring authors?

Writing is hard, but the rewards are worth the fight. Tell yourself that every day until you believe it, so when the challenges and self-doubt come – as they will – you will be strong enough to believe in yourself and not give up. 

7. What can we expect next from you?

Pledged is the first book in the Soul Wars Saga trilogy. The next in the series, Sacrificed, will be released in January 2013. And the final book is due out in June 2013.

8. Where can we purchase your book?

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Pledged-Soul-Wars-Saga-ebook/dp/B0088PEEYC/ref=la_B0089TDV8C_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1341914118&sr=1-1

Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/171570

Hope you enjoy them!

Bonnie, thanks for having me on my blog. 

Surrender by Elana Johnson--Book Review

SURRENDER by Elana Johnson. I enjoyed this book much better than POSSESSION. The characters weren't as wishy washy in their relationship. I loved the journey up until the end, which I felt stopped at the same point as POSSESSION. It ended but it didn't. Now, I have to admit that I'm curious about the next installment. Check out my review of POSSESSION, and interview with Elana.

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Forbidden love, intoxicating power, and the terror of control… 

Raine has always been a good girl. She lives by the rules in Freedom. After all, they are her father’s rules: He’s the Director. It’s because of him that Raine is willing to use her talent—a power so dangerous, no one else is allowed to know about it. Not even her roommate, Vi. 

All of that changes when Raine falls for Gunner. Raine’s got every reason in the world to stay away from Gunn, but she just can’t. Especially when she discovers his connection to Vi’s boyfriend, Zenn. Raine has never known anyone as heavily brainwashed as Vi. Raine’s father expects her to spy on Vi and report back to him. But Raine is beginning to wonder what Vi knows that her father is so anxious to keep hidden, and what might happen if she helps Vi remember it. She’s even starting to suspect Vi’s secrets might involve Freedom’s newest prisoner, the rebel Jag Barque....

Count Down To Love by Julie N Ford--Book Review and Interview

COUNT DOWN TO LOVE by Julie N Ford. I agreed to participate in the blog tour because the book just sounded so cute, and I have to say that it met all my expectations. The characters are so easy to love. The side characters are hilarious. I loved the plot, setting, and everything about the book. I'd recommend this to any and everyone who loves to read. It a great, fun, clean escape from reality. Be sure to stop by on Sept 1 for a chance to win a copy. Also, take a look at Julie's guest post and interview (below). There's info on a Grand Prize giveaway that is going on in conjuction with the blog tour too.

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Abandoned at the altar, Kelly Grace Pickens finds herself left holding not only the bouquet but also the exorbitant bill for an A-list wedding. Homeless, a once promising singing career floundering, and her life bearing an uncanny resemblance to one of her country music ballads, she reluctantly accepts a last minute offer to appear on a reality TV show akin to the bachelor. Pitted against silicon-enhanced supermodels in four-inch heels, Kelly feels confident that she will be among the first would-be fiancés to be excused. Only, when the mysterious bachelor from New York City, Dillon Black, invites her to stay, Kelly finds herself thrust into the vortex of a game she doesn’t have the first idea how to play. Nursing her hopelessly broken heart while avoiding the foils of her fellow contestants, Kelly is oblivious to Dillon’s affections as she wades through hurt and betrayal to discover, in the end, that she has landed firmly on both feet.

 

Leaving behind Nashville’s Music Row for the majestic Grand Teton mountains, Count Down To Love takes readers on a journey from duplicity to sincerity as Kelly discovers that being true to oneself is the first step in finding happiness and everlasting love.

Grand Prize Giveaway:

 

As part of the tour, Julie is generously offering a grand prize giveaway of a hard copy of Count Down to Love, a CD of the band Due West, and a copy of the single, “Who I Am”, which Julie and Due West wrote and recorded specifically for the book. All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post or any of the other stops on the tour. (Visit the tour page for the full tour schedule.) The more stops you comment on, the more entries you have into the contest!

What made you decide to become a writer?

I never “decided” to become a writer per se. I’ve always had stories in my head that I would play around with but never really considered turning any of them into a novel. Then, about five years ago, I had just finished chemotherapy treatments for Lymphoma when we moved to a new city. I didn’t know anyone, my girls were in school and I was at home waiting for my hair to grow back when the dialog and narration for my first novel just started coming to me—insistent, almost, that I let it out. I thought I might as well go ahead and write some of it. So one day I sat down at the computer and started my first chapter. One chapter turned into twenty and three months later I had my first novel.  

Who inspires you?

Kristin Hannah. She is my favorite author. In fact, if I could die and come back as any author, it would be her. I tried to emulate her while writing my first two novels but in the end both books just sounded like me. I guess that’s okay too.

What would you like your readers to get out of your writing?

With Count Down to Love I hope my readers will be entertained and maybe even laugh a little. And by taking Kelly’s journey with her, every woman will see that she too can find her true self. 

Where did this idea come from?

The idea for this story began as most of my ideas do, with a dream. Every now and then I’ll wake up in the morning with a story brewing. If I’m intrigued by the premise I’ll mull it over some more, allowing it to mushroom until I have a basic concept—characters, plot, central conflict. Then, living in Nashville around many struggling music artists, I was inspired to make Kelly a jilted signer/song writer. 

Who was your favorite character to develop?

Dillon. His character sprung from my secret affinity for cowboys. Then the fact that reality dating shows often choose handsome and wealthy men, someone they think women will swoon over like money and looks are all we ladies care about—as if—made me want to add another dimension. So, I made him a self-made millionaire with a mysterious past that would also give him some depth and an upbringing similar to Kelly’s. 

Any advice for aspiring authors?

Write because you love it, because the voices in your head won’t let you rest until you free them onto the page (or computer screen), because to stop is not an option. Keep writing when you get discouraged because even if you never make a dime off your work, the journey was well worth the effort.

What can we expect next from you?

My next novel is titled The Cadaver Ball and will be coming out sometime in 2013. It’s a women’s fiction/mystery about a woman from Southern California who meets the man of her dreams when she attends Vanderbilt Medical School’s, Cadaver Ball, with her college roommate. A year later she is married and living in Nashville with two step sons and has a sneaky suspicion that something doesn’t feel right regarding her husband’s first wife’s death. Being the curious person that she is, she just can’t help but go poking into the past, which lands her right in the middle of a dangerous conspiracy. The story is sort of a modern twist on the Rebecca and Jane Eyre novels. 

Where can we purchase your book?

Amazon and Barnes & Noble.com. And you can order a signed copy from my web site. JulieNFord.com. 

THANKS JULIE!

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand--Book Review

UNBROKEN by Laura Hillenbrand. This book was absolutely amazing. I can't believe anyone every lived through WWII. The amount of research that was done and the way Laura wove the story together was breathtaking. I learned so much about the war, perserverance, humanity, and life. I couldn't put it down, yet when I think of recommending it, I have to be completely honest. Some of the things that happened were absolutely horrific. It made me ill to think anyone actually had to live the way the POW's lived. Is it an amazing book . . . yes. Should you read it . . . yes.

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On a May afternoon in 1943, an Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific Ocean and disappeared, leaving only a spray of debris and a slick of oil, gasoline, and blood.  Then, on the ocean surface, a face appeared. It was that of a young lieutenant, the plane’s bombardier, who was struggling to a life raft and pulling himself aboard.  So began one of the most extraordinary odysseys of the Second World War.

The lieutenant’s name was Louis Zamperini.  In boyhood, he’d been a cunning and incorrigible delinquent, breaking into houses, brawling, and fleeing his home to ride the rails.  As a teenager, he had channeled his defiance into running, discovering a prodigious talent that had carried him to the Berlin Olympics and within sight of the four-minute mile.  But when war had come, the athlete had become an airman, embarking on a journey that led to his doomed flight, a tiny raft, and a drift into the unknown.

Ahead of Zamperini lay thousands of miles of open ocean, leaping sharks, a foundering raft, thirst and starvation, enemy aircraft, and, beyond, a trial even greater.  Driven to the limits of endurance, Zamperini would answer desperation with ingenuity; suffering with hope, resolve, and humor; brutality with rebellion. His fate, whether triumph or tragedy, would be suspended on the fraying wire of his will.

In her long-awaited new book, seven years in the making, Laura Hillenbrand writes with the same rich and vivid narrative voice she displayed in her blockbuster bestseller, Seabiscuit.  Telling an unforgettable story of a man’s journey into extremity, Unbroken is a testament to the resilience of the human mind, body, and spirit.

Pledged by Gweynneth White--Book Buzzin'--Excerpt

PLEDGED by Gweynneth White. Here is one of the excerpts talked about in my earlier book buzz.

EXCERPT ONE: Meet Seth and Erin . . . 

Despite the heat, Seth felt icy. Dread could do that to him. Or so he had recently discovered. Deep breathing usually calmed him, so he sucked in a lungful of desert air and told himself to relax. It didn’t help. By the time he’d walked from the aircraft to the immigration hall he’d ripped off a jagged piece of thumbnail, already bitten raw. He handed his US passport to the Botswanan border official, and, after a frown, and a stamp, he joined the crowd at the baggage carousel. Botswana in southern Africa was the last place on earth he’d ever have picked for a holiday destination. But he wasn’t here on holiday. Not even close.

His backpack was slow in coming. Tired from his long-haul flight from New York, he leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. Almost as if to mock him, the hated vision that had brought him to Botswana burst into his mind. In an instant he was back in ancient times, watching a man he knew only as Gideon. As usual, Gideon was huddled on a windswept hill with his band of hopeless soldiers, waiting to be slaughtered by a huge army gathered in the valley below.

Seth snapped his eyes open to stop the battle from waging in his mind. It wasn’t that he was particularly squeamish; he’d watched enough movies to iron clad his stomach against gory visuals. But no movie had ever left him icy with dread the way Gideon’s battle did. And the reason for that was simple. The moment the visions had started, he had known that the war, fought so long ago in a place he’d never heard of, was far from over. And, as reluctant as he was, he too was being enlisted to fight in a cause he didn’t understand or want. 

He forced himself to focus on the present: Erin, who waited for him in the arrivals hall; his brother Kyle, whom he’d come to Botswana to visit; Kyle’s expedition to find the Lost City of the Kalahari . . .

He ripped off another piece of fingernail. Thinking about the search for the Lost City was almost as bad as the war-vision. I hope Kyle never finds the damned place. He slapped his hand on his thigh. Enough! Grabbing his backpack off the carousel, he set his face into a smile and strode into the arrivals hall.

The first hurdle was finding Erin. She was due to arrive an hour earlier on a flight from Cape Town in South Africa, one of Botswana’s neighbours. He’d never met her, although they had spoken over the phone once. Then she’d described herself as “a short, seventeen-year-old (a year younger than him) with a mass of ginger hair.” She’d sounded nice. Meeting her was the one ray of brightness in this otherwise dark picture.

He stopped to scan the crowd. A petite girl with shoulder length, reddish-blonde curls, dressed in skinny jeans and a purple blouse, immediately caught his eye. It had to be Erin. Nice legs. What’s it with girls that they always under-sell themselves? He studied her face with his artist’s eye. Vermeer would’ve killed to paint her. Suddenly wishing he didn’t look so grimy after his three plane-changes, he walked over to join her. “Hi, I’m Seth. You’ve got to be Erin. My brother’s just married your sister Izzy.”

“And after only knowing each other for about a week.”

Her dimpled grin was infectious, making him crack his trademark crooked smile. “Madness.”

“Mysterious.” Erin cocked her head to one side, seemingly appraising him. He knew he had been accurate when he’d told her he was tall and dark-haired. But what he had failed to mention was what girls had often said they liked about him: his strong, angular face, softened by expressive brown eyes. He watched her eyes rove over his grey Muse: Resistance t-shirt, taking in his broad shoulders and chest. From there they darted down his black camo-pants to his boots. Amused by her blatant assessment, he cocked his head to one side, watching her. Suddenly Erin giggled – was she embarrassed? – and picked up her bag. 

“We’ve yet another plane to catch. My fourth in the last twenty-four hours,” Seth said, hoping to explain away his rumpled appearance. “To a place called Maun.” 

“So we do. Let the adventure begin.” 

Shifter by Steven Jackson--Book Review & Interview

SHIFTER by Steven Jackson. The concept of this book intrigued me from the back cover. I got the book with high hopes and it basically held up to what it said it would. The concept is very unique, something I haven't ever run across. It was a refreshing read. The characters were easy to relate to. The setting was wonderful, and I loved the ending. There was a little bit of language and I had some personal issues with the writing style, but I would recommend this to anyone who loves a good, interesting read.

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John Davis might be going insane. Or he might be reshaping reality. He isn’t sure which.

When the world starts shifting around him, he’s the only one who seems to notice. The changes seem harmless at first—sunny skies, a nicer apartment, new furniture—but quickly turn sinister when his best friend vanishes without a trace. In his search for the truth behind his friend’s disappearance, John uncovers a mysterious organization dedicated to hunting down those who can shift reality—and they want John dead. If John isn’t the Shifter, he needs to find out who is before the organization catches up to him and his reality unravels completely.

What made you decide to become a writer?

Ah, nothing glamorous I’m afraid! I’d love to say I was adopted by a troupe of travelling librarians at the age of three and made to read books by candlelight...but unfortunately although I love books and always read a lot I never really thought about writing and never once attracted the attention of wandering bibliosoph. That is until I finished reading Harry Potter, or maybe it was the Twilight series...(how many writer-points have I just lost?!)... I’m not sure – this was October 2009 so it could well have been Breaking Dawn. Anyway, I just wondered how people like Stephanie Meyer could just sit down one day and write these incredible novels that people absolutely loved, having barely looked at a book before. I thought that if the rumours were true, and J K Rowling just dreamed up Harry on a train one day, maybe I could have a go at writing something. So I tried. I just wanted to see if I could write a coherent, interesting novel. It was for me back then, I wasn’t thinking about publication at that point. Perhaps in the end it was a challenge I set myself, never really thinking I’d manage it.

Who inspires you?

When I was asked that in an interview once I panicked and said “Alfred the Great”. I didn’t get the job. These days I’d say Stephen Hawking, for making physics accessible to someone like me. His book A Briefer History of Time had a sort of wry humour in places which you have to admire, plus it explained things so that I can appear more intelligent than I really am at parties. He’s an amazing story of triumph over adversity, but he’s humble, amusing and self-deprecating with it. And if it’s something we Brits love it’s a self-deprecating hero. And if Hawking can write a book without having the full use of his body, then what excuse do I have not to try?

What would you like your readers to get out of your writing?

I’d like it if people came away feeling that they had connected with the main character, and that they felt for him in his plight. I think he’s a really likeable guy, the kind of person you’d like to meet. In a way, I feel sorry for what I put him through! So if there was something people could take from my writing it’s probably a feeling that they were really engaged with the story and the people in it. Also, someone once asked me if there was a romantic relationship between two of the characters that I’d not really considered when I was writing it. That was a pleasant surprise, to think that there were elements to these people that I as their creator hadn’t thought about. I’d heard that when you’re writing some characters get away from you and develop into something you can’t remember intending for them to be, but it was a revelation to have it happen to me. I’d like readers to see something in those characters I hadn’t seen, a depth or a personality trait that they’d discovered and I hadn’t. 

Where did this idea come from?

The idea of Shifts and Shifters developed out of my hope that nothing was set in stone. I think I wanted to believe that if you tried, you could shape your own reality and mould your future regardless of your present. In a funny way it kind of reflects my journey into the world of writers and stories and books. I was set doing one thing, looking wistfully into a world I didn’t belong to and wanting to see if I could do what they did. I think the idea of shaping and realising your own reality, making it and yourself into who and what you want to be, is something that everyone thinks about. It’s the whole concept of taking control of your life and becoming the person you want to be and making the world fit around it; it’s quite an empowering thought. Of course that’s only how the general idea came about; in the book it’s much more dangerous and unpredictable, capable of causing death and destruction as well as good things. Perhaps it comes back to being careful what you wish for, only my characters never wished for it even if I did.

Who was your favorite character to develop?

I think in all honesty my favourite was probably Brice, the highly unpleasant technology guy. He, and one or two others have been described by one reviewer as a total sociopath, which is probably fair. I loved getting into his head, putting myself in his shoes and immersing myself in his twisted character. He is partially based on the nameless pangs of anger and jealousy we’ve all felt and quickly suppressed - being unsuitable for polite society - and partially based on my experience of people like him. He’s the dark side given life and a brain. It was interesting to pit him against the unfailingly cheerful Stuart, who actually I started to resent myself, having spent too long thinking with Brice’s mind. I think it’s disturbing how easy it is to adopt an evil person’s point of view if you try hard enough.

Any advice for aspiring authors?

Don’t take it too seriously. Have fun with it. If at any moment you begin to resent your book or the act of writing it, put it away. I am extremely aware of how pretentious I sound when I say this but writing is an art. It’s not something to be rushed or judged as it’s taking shape. I managed to complete Shifter within seven weeks, but I only realised that was quite fast when I later considered trying to get it published. I never started out wanting to publish; I only wanted to write to see if I could. When I decided to try and publish it, then it got serious and I started freaking out. My advice to people is to concentrate on the story and your enjoyment of creating it, not the end goal of publishing it and living in a giant house made of diamonds. I hear most people make virtually no money on their first book anyway, so don’t think like that or you’ll disturb your writing and get disappointed all in one go. Just enjoy it.

What can we expect next from you?

I am about 60,000 words into my second book, which I am having great fun with at the moment. I can’t wait to finish it and send it to my publishers. It’s just finding the time to finish it is so hard! Work is suddenly really busy and weekends and evenings get booked up with social things so quickly. I don’t have a huge amount of time to myself. It’s no surprise really that Shifter (written at a time when I was living at home with my parents trying to make enough money to move out) was finished in less than two months. This one (being written now that I’m living with my partner in the city) has already taken a year and it’s hovering at the two thirds mark. I’m hopeful that in the next two months it’ll be done. It’s a supernatural thriller; I’m playing with werewolf/demon concepts but setting it very firmly in the real world with real people. It has a controversial aspect to it that I’m wondering if people (i.e. my publishers!) will like; I guess it’s a risk I take for telling the story I want to tell in the way I want to tell it. I guess I’m still unknown enough to get away with writing my story rather than the story I think will sell!

 Where can we purchase your book?

You can get it at Barnes and Noble, Amazon and from Rhemalda Publishing at www.rhemalda.com. I’m currently working on a publicity campaign to spread the word a bit and maybe have it available at a few other places but that’s still quite a way off. The links to the book are below – I’m pretty nervous about it being exposed to the world; nothing prepares you for that - but I really hope people enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it!

Paperback Edition (USA)
http://www.amazon.com/Shifter-Steven-D-Jackson/dp/1936850494/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1341952666&sr=8-1&keywords=shifter+jackson

Paperback edition (UK)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Shifter-Steven-D-Jackson/dp/1936850494/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1341952666&sr=8-1&keywords=shifter+jackson

eBook edition (USA)
http://www.amazon.com/Shifter-ebook/dp/B008H72D80/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&qid=1341952666&sr=8-1

eBook edition (UK)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Shifter-ebook/dp/B008H72D80/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&qid=1341952666&sr=8-1

THANK YOU, STEVEN!

Friends and Foes by Sarah M Eden--Book Review

FRIENDS AND FOES by Sarah M Eden.

Another book by one of my favorite authors. I don't think I will ever tire of Sarah's books. They have me engaged from the minute I open the book, to the minutes I close it, wishing I had another one right away. FRIENDS AND FOES was no exception. I loved everything about the book and can't sing high enough praises. I can recommend it to any and everyone who loves a great read.

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After five years of tracking and capturing spies on English soil, Philip Jonquil, Earl of Lampton, is in pursuit of his last quarry. But at a traveler’s inn, he encounters an unexpected and far more maddening foe: Sorrel Kendrick, a young lady who is strikingly pretty, shockingly outspoken, and entirely unimpressed with him. Indeed, Sorrel cannot believe the nerve of this gentleman, who rudely accuses her of theft and insults her feminine dignity. Doubly annoyed when they both end up at a party hosted by mutual friends, Philip and Sorrel privately declare war on one another. But Philip’s tactics, which range from flirting to indifference, soon backfire as he finds himself reluctantly enjoying Sorrel’s company; and, much to her dismay, Sorrel finds Philip’s odd manner to be increasingly endearing. In the midst of this waning war and growing attraction, Philip catches wind of the French spy he’s been tracking, and Sorrel inadvertently stumbles upon a crucial piece of the puzzle, making her indispensable to the mission. But can two proud hearts negotiate a ceasefire when cooperation matters most?


paperback - http://deseretbook.com/Friends-Foes-Sarah-M-Eden/i/5076966
for Kindle - http://www.amazon.com/Friends-and-Foes-ebook/dp/B006UKH7KU/ref=sr_1_11?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1325965051&sr=1-11

Big In Japan by Jennifer Griffith--Book Buzzin' and Interview

BIG IN JAPAN by Jennifer Griffith. This one sounds entertaining, hilarious, and just plain fun. Check it out. Also, stay tuned for a guest post by Jennifer next week!

Buck Cooper, huge Texas nobody, goes to Japan and accidentally becomes a sumo wrestler. He must win the Emperor’s Cup to save The Girl!

INTERVIEW Q&A : JENNIFER GRIFFITH 

Q. A little biographical info?

A. I grew up in Idaho, studied technical writing in college, but I never tried my hand at fiction until our first son was born. My husband encouraged me to write, and that’s when my first of four published novels came about. My son is 14 now, we have five kids and a dog (who is kind of my nemesis) and I’ve been writing ever since. 

Q. You’ve got a new book! Tell us about it.

A. It’s called BIG IN JAPAN. It’s a fish out of water story. An overweight Texan, Buck Cooper, is just a nobody. He’s overlooked in every aspect of his life. He goes to Japan in a family emergency, and there he accidentally becomes the first blond sumo wrestler. 

It’s a light, breezy story, meant to be just cotton candy fun. It’s a sports  novel, but it’s more than about sports. There’s a romance, but it’s more than a romance. This story is about Buck coming out of his shell as an overweight man and coming to realize he has something to offer, becoming the warrior he was always meant to be.

Q. What made you choose sumo? What’s sumo all about?

A. When I lived in Japan I was with some friends riding in a car and the radio was tuned to a sumo match. The teenage girl with us went wild over the results of a match. It kind of shocked me, since sumo seemed so … well, weird to me. But when I started writing BIG IN JAPAN, I had to research it, and it is really pretty cool. 

There are no weight classes, so lighter guys have to face heavier guys, and sometimes they can beat a bigger guy due to better balance or strategy. They just have to push their opponent out of the ring or else make him touch the ground with any part of his body other than the bottom of his foot, so it seems pretty simple. But there’s so much power involved. Anybody who’s interested in sumo can watch a ton of different clips of matches online. 

Q. Obesity is kind of a theme in the book, right?

A. Yes, it’s a theme, but it’s not really hammered away at. Buck has to deal with it some, of course. It seems like prejudice against fat is one of the last bastions of intolerance in our culture. We’re working our way through race relations and ageism and all of that, but we still have these fat jokes and often people who are overweight are simply overlooked and undervalued. It’s something people do subconsciously, but the challenge is still there. As a mom of five, I’ve been up and down the scale, and it’s tough when you’re tipping the higher numbers. It’s a real challenge to keep self esteem buoyed up, especially when the media and our culture are tearing away at it.

Q. How about Japan, do you speak Japanese?

A. In college I took a year and a half and lived in Japan as a missionary. It was the best! I got to live in a Japanese house, sleep on a futon, eat everything from natto (fermented soybeans) to pan-fried crickets, and speak the language. I met some of the most delightful people in the world. It was just the best experience I could imagine. Of course, the learning curve of going from speaking not a word of the language before I went to needing to speak to everyone wherever I went was pretty steep. That was tough! But totally worth it. I love, love, love Japan.

Q. How can someone get a copy of your book?

A. As of July 28^th, it’s in bookstores nationwide. Barnes and Nobles especially, and independent bookstores. Plus it’s available online. My publisher Jolly Fish Press was super about getting it in all formats. It’s in both hardcover and paperback, and it’s available as an ebook, too. Yeah, so here’s a link to it. If someone reads it, I love to hear from readers, so find me on Facebook or Twitter! http://www.facebook.com/AuthorJenniferGriffith  https://twitter.com/GriffithJen

Possession by Elana Johnson--Book Review and Interview

POSSESSION by Elana Johnson.

I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it. It kept me turning the pages although I found myself a bit confused with somethings that seemed to come out of nowhere. The characters were fun, but I did get mad at them at times for vacilating between whether or not to like each other or be mad at each other. The ending caught me off guard. My first thought was, "Well, now I have to read the second one." It was a good read that had some language that wasn't needed. I can recommend it to most anyone.

Like Elana's Facebook page and read the first 110 pages for free.

:) :) :) :

Vi knows the Rule: Girls don't walk with boys, and they never even think about kissing them. But no one makes Vi want to break the Rules more than Zenn...and since the Thinkers have chosen him as Vi's future match, how much trouble can one kiss cause? The Thinkers may have brainwashed the rest of the population, but Vi is determined to think for herself.

But the Thinkers are unusually persuasive, and they're set on convincing Vi to become one of them...starting by brainwashing Zenn. Vi can't leave Zenn in the Thinkers' hands, but she's wary of joining the rebellion, especially since that means teaming up with Jag. Jag is egotistical, charismatic, and dangerous--everything Zenn's not. Vi can't quite trust Jag and can't quite resist him, but she also can't give up on Zenn.

This is a game of control or be controlled. And Vi has no choice but to play.

What made you decide to become a writer?

I had suffered through something tragic in my life, and writing became the escape for those negative emotions. I first wrote my life history before turning to fiction, and I’ve enjoyed it so much, I’m still writing! And since I can’t just do something halfway, I researched how to get published, and pursued that.

Who inspires you?

Anyone who works for something and achieves it. Right now I’m watching the Olympic trials, and every single athlete I see inspires me. 

What would you like your readers to get out of your writing?

Honestly, I hope they just enjoy the story. I read for pure escapism and enjoyment, and I hope to provide that for readers.

Where did this idea come from?

I had just read UGLIES by Scott Westerfeld and wanted to write a book “like that.” But I didn’t know what dystopian was, so I had to do some research first. Once I figured it out, I knew I needed a government that looks good, but actually isn’t. So I came up with the brainwashing Thinkers and the angry girl who doesn’t want to be told what to do all the time. 

Who was your favorite character to develop?

I’ll admit that I love Jag. He’s complex, yet simple at the same time. And he does give me fits sometimes…

Any advice for aspiring authors?

My best advice is to write a lot. Practice really does make perfect in writing. 

What can we expect next from you?

Oh, many things! I have another dystopian, a science fiction tale, a fantasy, and some contemporary on the horizon!

Where can we purchase your book?

You can go to Simon & Schuster’s page, and then pick the retailer of your choice. http://books.simonandschuster.com/buy/Possession/9781442421264/from-other-retailers#book_retailers