Friday 30 November 2012

AFTER DARK BY EMI GAYLE

ISBN/ASIN: 9781937744144
Publisher: JTaylor Publishing
Pages: 344
Formats Available: E-book

BLURB from Goodreads
What eighteen year old Mac Thorne doesn’t know will probably kill her.

In exactly eight months, five days, three hours and thirteen minutes, Mac has to choose what she’ll be for the rest of her life.

She has no choice but to pick. As a Changeling, it’s her birthright. To Mac, it’s a birth chore. Like going to school with humans, interacting with humans, and pretending to be human during the pesky daylight hours.

Once darkness descends, Mac can change into any supernatural form that exists—which makes her as happy as she can be. That is, until Winn Thomas, the biggest geek in her senior class figures out there’s more to what hides in the dark than most are willing to acknowledge.

In this first of the 19th Year Trilogy, Winn might know more about Mac than even she does, and that knowledge could end their lives, unless Mac ensures the powers-that-be have no choice but to keep him around.


MY REVIEW
I received this e-book from JTaylor Publishing in exchange for my honest review.
The cover has a female on it whom I would presume is Mackenzie. Mackenzie or Mac as she prefers to be called likes to hang out in the cemetery after dark. She has a favourite tree and a favoured few headstones she hangs around too. The cover depicts all that very well. By now you will be thinking that Mac is at best a little strange? Well she is quite different, you see Mac is a "Changeling". So Mac is "special" at night she change literally change into more or less anything, vampire, demon, dragon, fairy,or witch to name a few. All that sounds great and I would say from reading the book Mac enjoys the fact she can change at her own will every night. During the day time Mackenzie is a normal human teen. The one rather large problem she has is that she must choose one of those forms to stay as forever by her birthday. The council made up of one of each of her possible choices continually pressures her to choose early but she resists. The council and her surrogate parents a fairy for a mother Alina and a vampire father Lucas are allowed to help her by answering her questions, which sound straight forward until you discover that Mac has to ask exactly the right questions to obtain her answers.
There are lots of "laws" and "rules" to be learnt as the reader but it makes the book all the more interesting to the reader. Also theirs a rather important book in the plot too. Winn a rather geeky guy from school has found a book and it has Mac totally engrossed....then Mac and Winn are paired together for a school assignment on mythology which the book is about. When Mac finally gets a good look at the book she realises the author has the exact same full name as herself but how can that be? Winn and Mac get quite close which could be dangerous, as the council do not like "mixed relationship" will Mackenzie ever make her choice. In fact she has to choose a "teacher to help her work out what she wants to be. Who can she choose, Josie the siren, or Felix the vampire perhaps, their are plenty of choices but who does choose? Who, if anyone does she trust?
This book is packed with action, mystery, and suspense as well as unlikely friendships, traitors, protectors and romance. I love how the book is written and will be looking out for other books by the author.
So did I enjoy this book? Yes, I really did. Would I recommend this book? Yes and will be doing so, to my daughter and my blogger/reader friends too! Would I like to read more in this book series? Yes please Bk#2 is already on my wishlist. Would I be interested in reading more by Emi Gayle? Yes definitely.

Available from Amazon.co.uk


AUTHOR INTERVIEW - EMI GAYLE



Do you work another job as well as your writing work?
Yup! Gotta pay those bills!

How long does it usually take you to write a book, from the original idea to finishing writing it?
Usually 45-60 days or less. It's been a lot longer lately because I have so many things to do including marketing, kid stuff, etc.

Which of your books were easier/harder to write than the others?
After Dark was super easy because the whole story hit me like a ton of bricks. It was 'just there' and I didn't have to pry it from my own head.

Do you have plans for a new book? Is this book part of a series?
This one is book 1 in a series of 3 and the next comes out next summer!

What genre would you place your books into?
YA Paranormal romance.

What made you decide to write that genre of book?
It's what I love to read!

Do you have anybody read your books and give you reviews before you officially release them?ie. Your partner, children, friends, reviewers you know?
Always. I have a group of amazing friends who read everything I write first and pick into all the details to help me make it right.

Would you ever ask a reviewer to change their review if it was not all positive about your book/books?
Never. A review is an opinion and while I'd love to make everybody happy all the time, I know I can't. Want to, but can't.

What do you think makes a book a really good/bestseller ?
A great story.

Do you or would you ever use a pen name?
I do! Emi Gayle is not my real name. :) 

Where can readers follow you?

Your Blog details?

Your Web site?

Your Facebook page?

Your Goodreads Author page?

Your Twitter details?





PROMOTIONAL SPOTLIGHT & BOOKMARK GIVEAWAY - AFTER DARK BY EMI GAYLE

BLURB from Goodreads
What eighteen year old Mac Thorne doesn’t know will probably kill her.

In exactly eight months, five days, three hours and thirteen minutes, Mac has to choose what she’ll be for the rest of her life.

She has no choice but to pick. As a Changeling, it’s her birthright. To Mac, it’s a birthchore. Like going to school with humans, interacting with humans, and pretending to be human during the pesky daylight hours.

Once darkness descends, Mac can change into any supernatural form that exists—which makes her as happy as she can be. That is, until Winn Thomas, the biggest geek in her senior class figures out there’s more to what hides in the dark than most are willing to acknowledge.

In this first of the 19th Year Trilogy, Winn might know more about Mac than even she does, and that knowledge could end their lives, unless Mac ensures the powers-that-be have no choice but to keep him around.




GIVEAWAY

Well I love collecting bookmarks and swag items (especially signed) so when Emi Gayle kindly sent me some signed bookmarks I decided to share the good fortune and do a "Signed Bookmark Giveaway"
Please enter below using the Rafflecopter Form:

Thursday 29 November 2012

TOUCHED - A SENSE THIEVES NOVEL BY CORRINE JACKSON

ISBN/ASIN: 9780758273338
Publisher: K Teen - Kensington Publishing Corp
Pages: 343
Formats Available: E-Book, Paperback
Available from: 27th November 2012

BLURB from Goodreads
Remy O’Malley heals people with touch—but every injury she cures becomes her own. Living in a household with an abusive stepfather, she has healed untold numbers of broken bones, burns,and bruises. And then one night her stepfather goes too far.

Being sent to live with her estranged father offers a clean start and she is eager to take it. Enter Asher Blackwell. Once a Protector of Healers, Asher sacrificed his senses to become immortal. Only by killing a Healer can a Protector recover their human senses. Falling in love is against the rules between these two enemies. Because Remy has the power to make Protectors human again, and when they find out, they’ll becoming for her—if Asher doesn’t kill her first.

This is Book One in the Touched trilogy.


MY REVIEW
My daughter, Rachel of Rai29BookReadNReview received this book in exchange for her honest opinion and review so I decided I'd like to read it. In fact I had heard about this one and wanted to read it quite a lot. Firstly I will start with the cover which I really really love!
The beautiful rose on the cover, which you will learn the relevance of upon reading the book. I also like the byline on the cover which says "Don't get too close"... which is a problem that Remy has with everyone she loves, gets close and then gets hurt. Also it would refer to her and Asher not being able to initially. The character names and their persona's are brilliantly well chosen and well developed too. I mean Asher, and Gabe are pretty strong sounding names, and Remy is not a "typical victim" name. I love the "forbidden" love element in the book too. Sure I admit the book has "Twilight by Stephanie Meyer" similarities and also reminded me a little of "Cursed by Jennifer L Armentrout" and also elements that shared similarities with the  X-men movies too. To me it didn't matter as I felt it had so much more extra and "new" too. I loved the new concept of Healer's and Protector's. I had kind of guessed that Remy was extra extra special but I still loved how it was revealed at the end. The ending of the book left so many opportunities and different ways that the whole story can go. I thought the way that Anna finally told Remy what/who she really was, was very original. Another thing I thought was so well done is a section where Remy realises that she should have gone with her intuition (you'll realize which bit when you read the book).
Remy's life doesn't have the greatest of starts living with her mom and her mom's violent partner Dean. Dean does some seriously awful stuff to Remy and her mom.
I really do not want to say much more, as I want you all to experience the book for yourselves as I did. I must admit to having a lump in my throat and a tear or two in my eyes at different points of this book.
So did I enjoy the book? Yes I really did. Would I recommend it? Oh, Yes I certainly would.
Would I read more by Corrine Jackson? I would certainly take a look at any books by her and consider reading them. Would I read another book in the Sense Thieves Series? Oh Yes, the next one will be going on my wishlist as soon as find its available and I know the title.

Available from Amazon.co.uk

COVER REVEAL - SHADOW OF TIME BY JEN MINKMAN

BLURB supplied by the Author

All Hannah longs for is a nice and quiet vacation after her first year of teaching French at a high school. She joins her brother Ben for the summer in their mom’s log cabin in Arizona. There, she meets Josh again, Ben’s childhood friend from the Navajo reservation. The little boy from the res has grown up fast, and Hannah can’t help but feeling more for him than just friendship.
But fate apparently has something else in store for her. And it’s not peace and quiet. Night after night, Hannah is plagued by strange nightmares about the past of Navajo Nation and terrifying shadows chasing her. They seem to come closer – and why is Josh always present in her dreams?
Sometimes, the past has a way of catching up with you.

MY COVER COMMENTS
Hmm this one is a hard one for me as the I like the blurb and it make's me want to read the book. In fact I have it arranged to read and my review to appear on my blog in January as part of the blog tour. I would guess that the two silhouetted figures are Josh and Hannah somewhere on the reservation. I pride myself on giving my honest opinion and am sorry to say I am not totally convinced with the cover. I don't like the font that the title is wrote in. Perhaps it is one of those covers that you warm too and I may see more within the cover upon reading the book.




Wednesday 28 November 2012

AUTHOR INTERVIEW - KATHERINE MCINTYRE

What is your name, where were you born and where do you live now? 
My name is Katherine McIntyre and I’ve always lived in the suburbs of Philadelphia.

Did you always want to be a writer? If not what did you want to be? 
When I was younger, I always wanted to be a writer and an artist. Eventually that waned down to just writer, but I’ve always read voraciously and wrote just as much.  

Do you work another job as well as your writing work? 
I work as a massage therapist.

What is the name of your latest book, and if you had to summarise it in less than 20 words what would you say? 
The name of my latest book is “An Airship Named Desire.” If I had to summarise it in less than twenty words? Bea and the crew of the Desire obtain a box that plunges them into more danger than they’ve faced before.

Who is your publisher? 
Hazardous Press

How long does it usually take you to write a book, from the original idea to finishing writing it? 
I can usually sit down and write a book in a couple months. Editing though…that’s a different beast.

What can we expect from you in the future?
I’m currently working on a young adult science fiction and an adult fantasy.  Sticking to similar genres.

What made you decide to write that genre of book? 
I’ve gone to several steampunk events and am quite taken with the sub-genre. However, I also have and will always love pirates, so the two meshed quite nicely.

If you had to choose to be one of your characters in your book/books which would you be? and why?
I would be Bea. She’s got a ridiculously exciting life, but also a really freeing on. Plus, her support system aboard the Desire is solid.

How long have you been writing? And who or what inspired you to write? 
I’ve probably been writing as long as I could read. I have thousands of pages of old poems, short stories and story concepts I wrote when I was a kid. I started writing my first manuscript at eighteen and kept rolling from there, trying to improve my craft, my plots, etc. As for who inspired me to write, I’d probably say my dad. He used to tell us stories when we were kids and when you’re around that much imagination, it’s infectious. Plus, my mom always read us books too, so my brother and I had a lot of stories as a child. We both read a ton. My family’s incredibly supportive and they have been behind me the entire way, even suffering through my earlier writing. 

Do you have a certain routine you have for writing? ie You listen to music, sit in a certain chair? 
I write anywhere. I tend to produce the most when I’m typing away while listening to music, but sometimes I take a notebook outside and sit in the grass and write, sometimes I jot down sections on scrap paper when I’m out or at work.

Do you have anybody read your books before you officially release them? 
My husband is the best reader imaginable. I usually give my manuscript to him when I’m still editing and he’ll turn around and give some of the most insightful critiques I’ve ever had, beta-readers included. And I’ve let a couple of friends and also family take a look at it before I start sending it out, so I can get last minute critiques.

Do you gift books to readers to do reviews? 
I offer a free review copy, yes. I think review blogs provide an indispensable service to the reading community and to authors.

Would you ever ask a reviewer to change their review if it was not all positive about your book/books? 
Never. A review is someone else’s take on the work. Even if they hated the book or it wasn’t their style, that’s their own view and the author has no right to try and interfere with that.

Do you decide on character traits (ie shy, quiet, tomboy girl) before writing the whole book or as you go along? 
A lot of times I choose things as I go along. I write in the moment and then add a lot of the characterization and finesse in the edits. Letting the character naturally unfold has worked for me since based on the way the character handles the stuff thrown at them, they set apart their characteristics on their own.

Do you basic plot/plan for your book, before you actually begin writing it out? Or do you let the writing flow and see where it takes the story? 
Usually I start with a basic idea and then write the first couple chapters. Once I can see the tone, I can better determine the direction, although I usually know how my story will end from the beginning. Once the beginning’s established I write a loose plot to follow.

What do you think makes a book a really good/bestseller ? Simply? 
Enjoyment. My take as an avid reader is that you could have a phenomenally written book, but if I don’t like the plot or characters, there goes my interest in reading it. I think a good book is one you enjoy, one you don’t want to put down. Anything that lets you escape for awhile and adventure into another world or someone else’s mind.

Have you ever suffered from a "writer's block"? What did you do to get past the "block"? 
I sometimes will sit down to write and have a hard time putting words to the page. I write anyway. If I don’t write as much that day, I don’t, but it’s a discipline and if I wait for some magical muse, I’d never get as much done as I do.

What do you do to unwind and relax? Do you have a hobby? 
Hah, I write to relax. But when I take my breaks I’ll play a video game, or read. And then I usually get inspired and want to write again.

Have you ever based characters on people you know or based events on things that have happened to you? 
Earlier manuscripts that I wrote were heavily based around people I’ve known and things I’ve done. While I moved away from that, I think there are always elements of what we know and who we are that come out in our writing. Bea in “An Airship Named Desire” is way more adventurous than I am in real life, but more importantly, I think she experiences the excitement I crave and I can live it through her.

Is there a certain Author that influenced you in writing? 
Pretty much everything I’ve read and loved has inspired me or influenced my writing. That being said, I have a lot of respect for Jim Butcher’s writing, not only because of how he balances elements of his books, but also because of the sheer volume of works he produces.

Which format of book do you prefer, ebook,hardback, or paperback? 
Hardback is my least favorite. They are so unwieldy (not good to carry in purses) and expensive. There’s still something amazing about paperback and holding the book in your hands, but to be honest, I love ebook as well. The overall convenience is just fantastic.

Do you think books transfer to movies well? Which is you favourite/worst  book to movie transfer? 
I think it takes good screenwriting and understanding of the medium to transfer books to movies well. The best adaptation I’ve seen has been Game of Thrones on television, but the best example of how different mediums require different approaches is Coraline. Neil Gaiman was directly involved in the screenwriting and it shows. He adds an entirely new character into the movie because all of the internal monologue doesn’t hold up as well in a movie, which is a highly visual format.

What are you currently reading? Are you enjoying it? What format is it?(ebook, hardback or paperback) 
I’m currently reading Captain’s Fury, the fourth in the Codex of Alera series in ebook format. Although, only a couple days ago I finished A Hidden Fire, by Elizabeth Hunter. Absolutely fantastic.

Do you think children at schools these days are encouraged enough to read? and/or do Imaginative writing? 
I think in schools there’s a flaw in how reading is presented. There are lots of books that have to be read, ones that are outdated and in an archaic language that’s not readily digestible for kids. I think it creates this atmosphere that reading isn’t fun, it’s a chore. While kids end up enjoying some of the books, I feel like there should be more of a choice on the kid’s part as to what they read. Even if it’s a rollicking adventure through outer space, you can still learn valuable lessons through reading the book.
   
Where can readers follow you?

Your Web Site? 
Follow me @PixieRants

PROMOTIONAL SPOTLIGHT - AN AIRSHIP NAMED DESIRE BY KATHERINE MCINTYRE

BLURB directly from the Author
Airships, sky-pirates, smugglers and soldiers... An Airship Named Desire is an action-filled steampunk adventure.

Ever since their last botched smuggling job, First Mate Bea and the crew of her airship can barely afford fuel, let alone a barrel of grog. So, when a gentleman from Old Germany offers them a fortune to steal a locked box from a British merchant airship, they jump at the opportunity. Somehow, though, their employer forgot to mention the box's military escort, and the Morlock mercenaries who would kill to get their hands on it. Oh, and that if made public, the contents could engulf Europe in another devastating war. 

Stealing the box was the easy part. Now, with a target on their back, and some of the toughest characters in the sky after them, they have to find a way to survive. If the crew of the Desire don't polish their pistols and prepare for a hell of a fight, they'll end up worse than grounded. After all, everyone from the Brits to the Morlocks will kill for the contents of that box, and no one survives an airship crash.


Available from  Amazon.co.uk

Tuesday 27 November 2012

AUTHOR INTERVIEW - CANDACE JANE KRINGLE / CANDYCANE CLAUS



What is your name, where were you born and where do you live now?
My full, legal name, and the name I publish under, is Candace Jane Kringle. But up here, everyone calls me Candycane Claus, or just Candy. I was born in the Village of the North Pole and will probably always live here because the Pole is the absolute funnest place in the world to live, and because this is the best place for my father to do his work.

What is the name of your latest book, and if you had to summarise it in less than 20 words what would you say?
My latest book, which is also my debut book, is called North Pole High: A Rebel Without a Claus - a memoir by Candace Jane Kringle. Wow, the title alone is almost 20 words. Here’s the quick and dirty summary: Santa Claus has a teenage daughter. She’s dating a boy on the Naughty List. (Hey, that’s fourteen words too, same as the title!)

Who is your publisher? or do you self publish?
I made a list of agents I wanted to query, then checked it twice like my father taught me, and it turned out they were all on Daddy’s, um, “bad” list. So I decided to let the elves have a crack at publishing. So this is actually the first book ever to be “elfpublished.”

How long does it usually take you to write a book, from the original idea to finishing writing it?
Since this book was  a true story, I first had to sit down and figure out what parts of it would become the beginning, middle, and end. That resulted in a three-page summary. Then I expanded that into a sixty-step outline, then a detailed 25-page “treatment.” All that took two months. The first draft took four months. Two or three subsequent drafts were one month each, with two-month breaks in between for distance and to wait for notes from my editor. All-in-all, it was about a year.

Do you have plans for a new book? Is this book part of a series?
If there’s enough demand for a series, and if anything book-worthy happens to me in my senior year at North Pole High, then I would definitely like to expand this into a series. Otherwise, I may try my hand at fiction, but I haven’t decided yet what that next book will be.

What genre would you place your books into?
I call it non-fiction, but the lawyers insist on labeling it fiction because they say a lot of people don’t believe I exist. As fiction, I categorize it as young adult. It’s definitely more whimsical than most of the dark, paranormal/dystopian YA that’s out there, but at its heart it’s a teen romance that’s appropriate for teens from 12 to 92. And there’s certainly nothing objectionable in it for the advanced middle-grade reader either.

Do you read all the reviews of your book/books?
Always. The good ones make me smile all day. The bad ones make me cry. Remember that, reviewers. Just because I live in the North Pole doesn’t mean I’m some cartoon character. I’m a real person, with real feelings. :)

How do you come up with the Title and Cover Designs for your book/books? Who designed the Cover of your books?
An elf friend of mine has a cousin in California, America, named Jessica who is a wonderful graphic designer. Since candy canes are my namesake and style, Jessy used the stark red stripes over a white background to evoke candy canes as well as a Christmas theme. Then she made the stripes noticeably askew to hint at all the craziness that goes on at the North Pole (and in the book).

What do you do to unwind and relax? Do you have a hobby?
I love to sing Christmas carols, and I’m constantly coming up with new Christmas tree designs just for fun. We all play tons of snow games up here. We like to ride our snow scooters on Butterscotch Hills and ice skate down Main Street and build snow people and igloos. Sometimes Chefy lets me help in the kitchen. I also have one of every toy ever made, so I never get bored.

Which format of book do you prefer, ebook, hardback, or paperback?
Oh, definitely ebooks. We have a great infrastructure up here for delivering packages out of the North Pole, albeit all in one night every year, but it’s much harder to get physical books shipped into the Circle. Whispernet is like magic!

Where can readers follow you?

Your web site?
http://www.northpolehigh.com/

Your Facebook page?
http://facebook.com/NorthPoleHigh

Your Goodreads Author page?
http://goodreads.com/CandycaneClaus

Your Twitter details?
http://twitter.com/CandycaneClaus

And any other information you wish to supply?

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/NorthPoleHigh

Amazon US
Kindle: http://amzn.to/Ps5im6
Paperback: http://amzn.to/Th0P4P

Amazon UK
Kindle: http://amzn.to/RkQLpc
Paperback: http://amzn.to/TWhwz9

ABOUT THE AUTHOR - CANDACE JANE KRINGLE



About the Author:

Candace Jane Kringle is a junior at North Pole High. She likes candy canes, unicorn races, and making snow angels. Her father is the most well-known and beloved toymaker and distributor in the world. Her memoir, North Pole High: A Rebel Without a Claus, is her first book. After high school, she plans to enroll at North Pole University and write more books.





PROMOTIONAL SPOTLIGHT - NORTH POLE HIGH BY CANDACE JANE KRINGLE aka CANDYCANE CLAUS


North Pole High: A Rebel Without a Claus
Candace Jane Kringle aka Candycane Claus

Genre: YA teen romance/humor/fantasy

Publisher: elfpublished books
ISBN: 978-0615681917

Number of pages: 302
Word Count: 80,000
Cover Artist: Jessica Weil

Book Description:

MEET SIXTEEN-YEAR-OLD CANDYCANE CLAUS. She's the most popular girl at North Pole High. Her father is world-famous. And every day is Christmas. What more could any girl want?

BOYS! And the new boy, Rudy Tutti, is hot chocolate. But he hates anything to do with Christmas!

When Candy and Rudy are forced to work together on a school Christmas-tree project, her world is turned upside down: Her grades start to suffer, she loses her taste for ice cream, and now the two North-Star-cross'd teens must contend with her overprotective father — Santa Claus — before Christmas is ruined for EVERYONE! 

Available from Amazon.co.uk

Monday 26 November 2012

THE BEST ADVICE I EVER GOT ON PARENTING - COMPILED BY JIM DALY

ISBN/ASIN: 9781936034482
Publisher: Worthy Publishing
Pages: 176
Formats Available: Hardback, e-book

BLURB from the back cover of the book
Whether it's a crying baby or a rebellious teenager, every parent has moments with their kids that they wish they'd been better prepared to handle - if only they'd known.
This book, published in conjunction with Focus on the Family, shares heartwarming and vulnerable experiences from well - known moms and dads. Their surprising, sometimes humorous, and always relatable stories of raising kids - and their warm accounts of the advice that got them through - will put your heart at ease as you learn to embrace one of life's most important assignments: parenthood.

MY REVIEW
I was asked to review this book by PRbytheBook and they sent me a physical copy in exchange for an honest review.
The book is a small hardback, what I used to call "Gift Book Size" when I worked in a book store. I like the cover it is appealing. The "byline" of "Incredible Insights from Well Known Moms and Dads" is very true of the book, there are some really useful situations covered in this neatly packages little book.
Though I do know Worthy Publishing publish Christian books and I had previously read The Best Advice I Ever Got On Marriage, I was still slightly unprepared for the amount of religious references in this book. I do say I don't read overtly religious books in my review policy but admit when asked and the book is on an interesting subject I find it hard to refuse.
I do admit I was a little irritated by so many references to different parts of the bible. I don't mind references to the bible but it seemed to be done in a pushier way in this book than the one on marriage. 
Having said that I did enjoy reading the book. One particular section I enjoyed and agreed with was the part where it is said every child is unique. I know my cousin has two girls and they are as different as chalk and cheese. When I look around my family at my cousins who have siblings they are all unique people, just because they are siblings doesn't mean they will all have the same temperament, likes, and dislikes.
I could imagine the book to be a useful reference piece, especially when you are at the end of your tether,you can turn to the book for inspiration and help.
The moms and dads in this book are all religious people, doctors or pastors themselves.
I also liked the Nine Myths Of Parenting, their the "rules" we fool ourselves and yet also guilt trip ourselves into thinking should be followed.
On the whole though I think there are facts and suggestions most parents would benefit from, this book does seem more suitable/aimed at those who are quite religious.
I could imagine a church recommending this book to newly married couples and those about to embark on starting a family, and/or newly pregnant mothers. It would make a great gift book for a newly expecting couple, because the book is for fathers as well as mothers.

Available from Amazon.co.uk

PROMOTIONAL SPOTLIGHT - THE BEST ADVICE I EVER GOT ON PARENTING - COMPILED BY JIM DALY

BLURB from the back cover of the book!

Whether it's a crying baby or a rebellious teenager, every parent has moments with their kids that they wish they'd been better prepared to handle - if only they'd known.
This book, published in conjunction with Focus on the Family, shares heartwarming and vulnerable experiences from well - known moms and dads. Their surprising, sometimes humorous, and always relatable stories of raising kids - and their warm accounts of the advice that got them through - will put your heart at ease as you learn to embrace one of life's most important assignments: parenthood.

Available from Amazon.co.uk

Sunday 25 November 2012

AUTHOR INTERVIEW - MIA HODDELL

A Little Author Bio Background

Mia Hoddell lives in the UK with her family and two cats. She spends most of her time writing or reading and her preferred genre is Young Adult, Paranormal Romance. Before 2009, Mia wouldn't even pick up a book and was more interested in sports. However she finally found some novels that captured her interest and developed a love of both reading and writing. Mia began with poems and after getting two published in separate anthologies she moved on to short stories. Although she enjoyed this, Mia found she had too much to tell with too little space, so later on she created her first series The Wanderer Trilogy and from there other ideas have emerged which she hopes to turn into novels as well. Elemental Killers is her second series and book two will be out soon.


And Now The Interview!

What is your name, where were you born and where do you live now?
I'm Mia Hoddell, I was born in the UK and have lived here all my life, even though I would love to travel around the world some day.

Did you always want to be a writer? If not what did you want to be?
I started taking writing seriously when I was fourteen but I have always had a passion for it.

Who is your publisher? or do you self publish?
I self-publish my work for now.

How long does it usually take you to write a book, from the original idea to finishing writing it?
The first book I wrote took me three years as I had to balance it with exams, college etc but now that all that is out of the way I have been able to complete the others in just over a month per book.

Which of your books were easier/harder to write than the others?
I would have to say The Sheol (The Wanderer Trilogy #1) was hardest to write as I started writing it the wrong way,  ie. Without a plan or idea of where the story was going. I did however correct that when I made the decision that writing is what I wanted to do. I'm finding that every book I write gets easier as I am learning more about what to do/not to do but there are always parts in each book that I dread writing when I look at my plan.

What can we expect from you in the future?
I am aiming to have written at least six books by the end of next year (three more). At the moment all my ideas are related to the paranormal/romance genres but once I have completed all the ideas in my head right now I may move onto other genres, you'll just have to wait and see.

Do you have plans for a new book? Is this book part of a series?
Yes, I have already planned and started writing the final installment in The Wanderer Trilogy and I have also planned all four books in my new series, The Elementals.

What genre would you place your books into?
The Wanderer Trilogy are YA, dark paranormal romances but The Elementals are more of  a romance with paranormal aspect.

Where do you get your book plot ideas from?What/Who is your inspiration?
There are quite a few places. First would have to be my dreams. You probably don't want to know what goes on in my head sometimes, I have some crazy dreams but there are themes or aspects that spark off an idea. I also use my surrounding and people I am around as inspiration sometimes. I feel that by basing a character slightly around a person I know it helps make them more realistic.

Do you gift books to readers to do reviews?
Yes, I also love giving away my books in competitions and giveaways.

Do you read all the reviews of your book/books?
Yes, I must admit that I always get incredibly nervous when opening a link to a review that someone has sent me but I'm guessing most authors do.

Do you choose a title first, or write the book then choose the title?
I don't necessarily chose an exact title, I generally come up with a concept and maybe the series title but the official title doesn't really come until the book is written.

How do you come up with characters names in your books?
Sometimes my characters do name themselves, such as Kala (The Wanderer Trilogy) and Serena (The Elementals). However other characters aren't so easy to name. When this happens I have found that using alphabet fridge magnets help. I sat in front of my fridge for two hours trying to find my leading male's name in The Elementals.

Do you decide on character traits (ie shy, quiet, tomboy girl) before writing the whole book or as you go along?
For all my main characters I write a character plan. I include in this, their height, build, looks, colouring, personality, age, clothes and many other things. I find that the more detailed this plan is, the easier it is to keep them the same throughout the book.

What do you do to unwind and relax? Do you have a hobby?
I love to read and review books while I am not writing but I also do photography. Due to the fact that I live in the country-side it is easy to wander off around fields just to unwind.

Do you think books transfer to movies well?
I would love to think they would as I have tried to think of them outside of just books. I have also had a reviewer say that she could picture The Sheol like a movie.

Did you read a lot at school and write lots of stories or is being a writer something newer in your life?
I used to hate reading. My teacher would make us review a different book every month and because I never had I used to make them up (I guess I should have seen the hint then). I have however always loved writing. I started off with poetry and got my first poem published at 12 year old, from there my writing developed.

Are there any New Authors you are interested in for us to watch out for? and Why should we watch out for them?
Would it be bad to say myself...?

Where can fans/readers follow you?

Blog: 

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Goodreads Author page: 

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Print Books available at Lulu: 

Smashwords: