Wednesday, 31 December 2014

COVER REVEAL - SACRIFICED - THE LAST ORACLE BY EMILY WIBBERLEY

Title: Sacrificed
Series: The Last Oracle
Author: Emily Wibberley
Release Date: 15th February 2015

BLURB from Goodreads
It's hard living in the present when all you can see is the future.

Fifteen-year-old Clio should have never been the Oracle of Sheehan. That power is passed from mother to eldest daughter, and Clio is the youngest of four sisters. But when her entire family is murdered by Mannix, the king's adviser, Clio is left all alone and heir to a power she never wanted and doesn't understand.

Hunted by Mannix, Clio seeks refuge in a foreign city where oracles are absolutely forbidden. If she's found out, she will be sacrificed atop a great pyramid. 

Clio has no choice but to win the trust of Riece, an enemy warrior. Despite the growing feelings between them, Clio knows that if he finds out who she really is, he won't hesitate to kill her.

Clio tries to hide her budding powers, but the visions she has of Mannix bringing a barbarian army into Sheehan torture her conscience. She alone has the strength and foresight to stop him, but only if she can embrace her destiny and sacrifice everything.


EXCERPT

            The slaver forced her on her feet and back to the group. Her mind was a blank. Somehow her legs moved her forward, but Clio didn’t feel connected to them anymore. She trudged through the throng of people who had witnessed and cheered for her sister’s death, and rage slowly filled the emptiness. Rage at these people, at Morek, but most of all, rage at Mannix. He consumed her thoughts.
            She would escape, and he would pay for this.
            They were led around the pyramid and stopped at its entrance. Warriors stood guard, but these warriors bore no resemblance to the ones in Sheehan. These men truly looked like the warriors of the sun deity. They wore pure gold breastplates over the traditional leather gear of the Sheehan warriors. Glistening cloaks of different colored feathers flapped in the breeze, signaling their rank. But what drew Clio’s attention most were their weapons of black obsidian.
            One of the girls up front spoke up. “Is this the way to the temple?”
            A warrior answered, “The temple? No, you are to be taken into the pyramid.”
            Clio could feel panic stirring in each girl — each girl except the bald one before her. She just looked up at the pyramid’s façade with an expression of fatal resolution, as if she already knew this was to be their final destination.
            “No, I think you are mistaken. We are here to become temple maidens.” Fear pitched the girl’s voice higher and higher.
            The warrior laughed. “We don’t have temple maidens in Morek, slave. The Priest doesn’t allow women in his Temple. You are here as a sacrifice.”
            There was no more discussion. One by one the girls were marched into the gaping maw of the pyramid, a path that only had one ending — amongst those rotting bodies at its base.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Seven Things about Me

1. I graduated from Princeton University in June 2014 with a bunch of people who are a lot smarter than I am.

2. I’m just starting out so I’m not “the best-selling author” of anything, but…

3. I did once stand in line to meet Joss Whedon at a comic book signing when I was in middle school and got him to autograph a Buffy the Vampire Slayer poster for me.

4. I was the flute section leader in my high school’s marching band.

5. Besides YA, some of my favorite reading material comes from Jane Austen and the Preacher comic book series. I also like to spend my free time playing video games like The Last of Us.

6. I have two rescue German Shepherds. One is really sweet and the other thinks he’s a NAVY SEAL and that every cat, skateboarder and motorcyclist is a terrorist.

7. L + R = J.

AUTHOR LINKS 


***GIVEAWAY***





Tuesday, 30 December 2014

PROMO/AUTHOR INTERVIEW & REVIEW - AN UNCOMMON BLUE - COLORBLIND BY R.C. HANCOCK

Title: Uncommon Blue
Series: Colorblind 
Author: R.C. Hancock
Publisher: Cedar Fort Publishing
Release Date: 9th December 2014

BLURB from Goodreads
In Télesphore, the glowing color of a person’s palm determines their place in society, and touching hands with another mixes the colors permanently. When sixteen-year-old Bruno accidentally kills a royal soldier, he goes from favored to fugitive. Now Bruno's only chance at survival is to become someone else. That means a haircut, a change of wardrobe, and most important, getting rid of his once cherished Blue. Now he’s visiting parts of town he never knew existed, and making friends with people he would've crossed the street to avoid only weeks ago. At the last minute, Bruno’s parents arrange a deal to clear his name and get his life back. All Bruno has to do is abandon those in the Red slums that look to him as a leader and let an innocent Green boy die in his place.


PURCHASE LINKS

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

What can we expect from you in the future? 
A few sequels in the Colorblind Series and a stand-alone Sci-fi that's a cross between The Selection and Hunger Games.

What is your favourite book and Why?
Matilda by Roald Dahl has been my favorite since elementary school because I identified so completely with her. Precocious, under-appreciated, and wanting to be special in some spectacular way.

Do you think books transfer to movies well? Which is you favourite/worst  book to movie transfer? 
I love when the filmmakers are able to fix problems with the novel. For example, the screenwriters for Voyage of the Dawn Treader turned an episodic, preachy narrative into a seamless, powerful whole. Hunger Games were also well done. Those first two Harry Potters, though.... I don't think I'll ever forgive Chris Columbus.

What are you currently reading? Are you enjoying it? What format is it?
I'm reading Golden Son, by Pierce Brown. It's the sequel to Red Rising. Random House gave me an ARC eBook in exchange for a review. I'm enjoying it so far (I loved the first one.) Just wish they weren't so gritty.

Are there any New Authors you are interested in for us to watch out for? and Why should we watch out for them? 
My writer buddies Brock Booher and Adrienne Quintana have written awesome debut novels and can't wait to read more from them! Also, Janette Rallison is one of the most underrated authors out there. Every one of her books I've read have been hilarious and engaging.

What do you think about book trailers?
Since they will never be up to the level of professional movie trailers, they can only come across as hokey. Even the professionally done ones I've seen on TV: Lame.

What piece of advice would you give to a new writer?
Keep writing. If no one likes your first (or second) story, keep pumping out the novels. You'll get better as you go, and soon you'll have a best seller on your hands. (It also helps to read books on the craft and find competent beta readers....i.e. not your mom.) 

Do you or would you ever use a pen name? 
Although my friends know me as Ryan, I decided to go with RC (middle name Charles) for three reasons: 1. So I can quickly tell the difference between friends and fans. (Although I love them both.) 2. My favourite British Authors use initials. (CS Lewis, JK Rowling, JRR Tolkien.) 3. Currently authors who use initials are mostly women trying to identify with male readers (like my author friend CJ Hill--Janette Rallison who writes about dragons.) By hiding my male identity, I hope to take away a little of the stigma that authors who go by their initials are always women trying to hide their gender.


People can follow me at

REVIEW
Title: Uncommon Blue
Series: Colorblind 
Author: R.C. Hancock
Publisher: Cedar Fort Publishing
Release Date: 9th December 2014

BLURB from Goodreads
In Télesphore, the glowing color of a person’s palm determines their place in society, and touching hands with another mixes the colors permanently. When sixteen-year-old Bruno accidentally kills a royal soldier, he goes from favored to fugitive. Now Bruno's only chance at survival is to become someone else. That means a haircut, a change of wardrobe, and most important, getting rid of his once cherished Blue. Now he’s visiting parts of town he never knew existed, and making friends with people he would've crossed the street to avoid only weeks ago. At the last minute, Bruno’s parents arrange a deal to clear his name and get his life back. All Bruno has to do is abandon those in the Red slums that look to him as a leader and let an innocent Green boy die in his place.

INITIAL THOUGHTS
I was seriously looking forward to this one. The author R.C. Hancock had actually contacted me himself and asked it I would be interested in reading his book when it was available. I read the info he sent me about the book and to be honest I'd have read it straightaway if it had been available then! So I signed up to the tour. Then there was a small hiccup and I didn't hear anything, somehow my name hadn't been added to the tour list, however Meagen at Cedar Fort soon sorted this out when I explained I really wanted to read and review this book. I truly loved the premise of the blurb, it gave me high expectations for reading the book.

MY REVIEW
So as you will have gathered, I received an e-copy of this book via Cedar Fort Publishing (who were one of the first publishing houses to send me books to read and review when I first started blogging back in August 2011) in exchange for my honest review. 
The cover of the book shows a pair of hands producing fire. I'd say from reading the book, the hands belong to Bruno. Bruno's fire is blue which is the highest colour in the hierarchy that makes up the dystopian society in this book.  Would the cover attract my eye enough to make me pick up the book in a book store? Yes it would!
The title of "Uncommon Blue" and also Series name "Colorblind" both fit the book well, you will discover the reason for this as you read the book. It's so difficult to explain without giving spoilers.
Now to the book, the society in this book is a tiered system which is dependant on what colour light/fire comes from your hands. Bruno is part of the highest of society the blues.
Then there's the "second class" citizens the greens, and the lowest of the low and most feared, yet thought of as "riff-raff" the reds. If you touch the fire of someone else then your own fire is no longer pure and can change colour too. When a boy tricks Bruno into touching his own fire, Bruno's fire changes. As his fire colour has changed he will no longer be welcome on the "blue" side of the town. However something else happens which is a major part of the storyline which I don't want to reveal, which makes Bruno wanted by the police too. Bruno disguises himself and take on various false names to evade the authorities and try to find the mysterious Aaren, who blackmailed the young boy Baptiste into touching fires with Bruno. This plot may sound complicated but it does make perfect sense and flow quite well when you are reading the book. I read a fairly uncorrected e-copy and the story still flowed enough for me to overlook the corrections that needed to be done. If you like dystopian plots that have a class system at the root of the society then this is for you. You also learn some interesting facts about Bruno's family, especially his grandmother, I really adored her rebellious character and the way she encouraged Bruno to think for himself and follow his heart. Within the book you do get a good look at all three sections of society, those at the top, revered and somewhat spoilt blues, to the greens who don't have as much as the blues but have a decent living, then finally the reds, thought to all be thieves, and the lowest of society, living in tents in the "slums" .
There is a little romance within this book too, kind of "West Side Story" feel, Bruno the privileged blue and Veronica the poor yet proud red. I did enjoy the conversations between the two, and how no matter how hard Bruno tried he seemed to always say the wrong thing to Veronica. Bruno does have some pretty large life changing decisions to make throughout the book. He often looks to his grandmother for guidance who basically tell's him when he needs to know what is right from wrong he will feel it in his heart, then it is up to him what choice he makes.
Right at the end of this book it seems the society has a new leader, so this makes you question if the society will change? Will the laws of the society change and how? Will life improve for the reds. Or will the new leader be merely a figure head and not allowed to change the society for the better.
The book is not only enjoyable but is also thought provoking, it certainly makes you compare certain parts of the book to our own society that we live in today and how things could turn so easily.
So did I enjoy the book?  Yes, I managed to read past the sentences that ended mid flow etc. and I really enjoyed the book, including learning about the society featured in the book.   Would I recommend the book? I would! if you like dystopian this book should be on your to read list.  Would I want to read more in this series? Yes please, I'd read the next one now if it were available! Would I be interested in reading other books by this author? I would certainly take a close look at any book by this author.

Monday, 29 December 2014

BOOK BLITZ - THE DOORKNOB SOCIETY - THE DOORKNOB SOCIETY BY M.J. FLETCHER

Title: The Doorknob Society
Series: The Doorknob Society
Author: M.J. Fletcher
Genre: Young Adult / Paranormal / Steampunk
Date Published: February 2012


BLURB supplied by Reading Addiction Blog Tours
Chloe Masters’ world changes in a heartbeat and all she did was touch a doorknob.

When she was young Chloe’s mother vanished. Wracked by feelings of abandonment and anger she lost herself traveling with her fathers magic act, where illusions were part of her everyday life. Yet everything changes when they are pursued by a mysterious man in black out to kill her father. Touching a doorknob activates abilities she never knew she had and she finds herself thrust into a world of ancient societies and secrets.

When her father disappears it is a race against time to find answers before she loses whats left of her family. Now Chloe must choose who to trust, the man who will do anything for her or the one she can’t stop thinking about.

Goodreads Link


PURCHASE LINKS
Amazon UK

The rest of The Doorknob Society Series 
(incl Amazon purchase links)



ABOUT THE AUTHOR

MJ Fletcher is the creator of the comic book series Adam Zero: The Last Man of Earth published by Ronin Studios. He’s also been published in Hope: The Hero Initiative and Digital Webbing Presents. The Doorknob Society was his first book series and still among his favorites. His other works include The Grimm Chronicles series and numerous novellas and short stories. He lives near the beach with his wife, daughter, and an insane dog.

AUTHOR LINKS
Twitter: fletch125
Instagram: mjfletcherwriter

BUY LINKS


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Saturday, 27 December 2014

BLOG TOUR - THE DUSTY CHRONICLES BY B.J. SHELDON

Title: Haunting
Series: The Dusty Chronicles
Author: B.J. Sheldon
Genre: YA Paranormal
Release Date: 29th April 2013

BLURB supplied by Girls Heart Books Tours
After a family tragedy, 15-year-old Dusty Vermeer has to start her sophomore year in a new town and a new school. Rural Iowa introduces her to Mark, a charming football player. Dusty can hardly believe her heart. Then, to her surprise Dusty meets another guy.

The chemistry between Dusty and Jack could spark a prairie fire on a rainy day. The only problem? Jack’s dead. The handsome soldier comes to Dusty in her dreams and introduces her to the horrors of a foreign battlefield and the enchantments of first love.

While Dusty tries to balance her feelings for the two new guys in her life, Jack steps out of Dusty’s dreams and into her reality. And he wants something. Jack has no memory of how he died more than half a century ago. Dusty vows to uncover the mystery, but her quest for justice puts her in the path of evil, a force that won’t stop until she’s silenced.

Goodreads Link


PURCHASE LINKS

Title: Imprint
Series: The Dusty Chronicles
Author: B.J. Sheldon
Genre: YA Paranormal
Release Date: 4th June 2014

BLURB supplied by Girls Heart Books Tours
Imprint follows Dusty and Jack through the next stage of their doomed romance.

Sixteen-year-old Dusty Vermeer starts off another school year as Mark Schutt’s girlfriend. At the same time, she continues to hide her feelings for Jack Olson, the ghost who haunts her heart. Other entities make an appearance, and Dusty begins to wonder if seeing ghosts has become a permanent part of her future. Tragic past events resurface and imprint themselves in Dusty's world. When Jack is ripped from her arms and imprisoned in a dark void, his absence is more than she can bear.


An invisible enemy grows increasingly violent, and Dusty’s health begins to deteriorate. When she tries to discover what it is that hides in the shadows, Dusty must turn to her family for help and convince her loved ones that she is not insane. Ultimately, she must battle evil, accept her fate and grieve for a love she was never allowed to keep.

Goodreads Link


PURCHASE LINKS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

BJ Sheldon lives near Rapid City, South Dakota with her husband, a veteran of the US military. She is the mother to 3 beautiful daughters, 2 of whom are still living at home and making her crazy.

Most days, she can be found in front of her laptop or reading a good book when she isn't trying to keep her dog and 3 cats from taking over the world. Her hobbies include cuticle care, fighting off zombies, and traveling through space and time with a mad man in a blue box.
In 2011, BJ was awarded a silver medal in the Reader's Favorite Award Contest in the Young Adult/Fantasy category for "Haunting". Her first series, The Dusty Chronicles, is a paranormal trilogy that takes a different spin on "paranormal". Future projects include Sci-fi, fantasy, and contemporary romance.


Her favorite authors include Nicholas Sparks, Isaac Marion, Hugh Howey, Suzanne Collins, JK Rowling, and Guy De'Maupassant.


  


EXCERPT
When Jack wasn’t around, all I could think about was having his arms around me. I remembered past encounters when we were together in my dreams and felt his lips on mine. I would have given anything for him to be real—flesh and blood. To know that the only way I could feel his breath on my cheek or his heartbeat through his chest was to be fast asleep weighed on my mind.
Our timing in life—and death—was horrible. I was constantly pushing those feelings aside as I tried not to think about the inevitable end. I seemed to be in denial, but it was so much easier than dealing with the reality of the situation…Jack would never age and would always be intangible, and I would get older. There was no growing old together. There was no ’til death do us part. He was already dead.
Yet there he was in my kitchen. And there was no more avoiding that something—besides being in love with a ghost—was very odd.
 “I’ve felt something,” I said. “Whatever it is seems to be hell-bent on keeping me from getting any sleep. Do you have any idea who it is?”
“I’m not positive it is a who.” Jack’s eyes glowed with worry.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
                “I’m just saying that I’m not exactly sure what we’re dealing with here. There’s definitely something hanging around, but I can’t be sure of anything. I haven’t seen any other entities hanging around. Trust me, I would have if there were. But, I can feel a disruption of some kind. Whatever - whoever - it is doesn’t belong.” Jack started to pace back and forth in the kitchen. “I don’t like it.”
“Well, I’m not exactly thrilled about any of it, either, you know.” My sarcasm hung in the air. “It was strange. The minute I stayed over at Kristi’s the other night, I slept like a baby. For the first time in weeks, I actually felt like myself. It’s almost like whatever it is doesn’t follow me. It stays here.”
“For now.”
I didn’t like the tone in Jack’s voice.
  



Thursday, 25 December 2014

MERRY CHRISTMAS & SPOTLIGHT ON PAULINE CREEDEN

First of all Merry Christmas!
and now onto today's post.


Paulinebanner2

In simple language, Pauline Creeden creates worlds that are both familiar and strange, often pulling the veil between dimensions. She becomes the main character in each of her stories, and because she has ADD, she will get bored if she pretends to be one person for too long. Pauline is a horse trainer from Virginia, but writing is her therapy. Armored Hearts, her joint effort with author Melissa Turner Lee, has been a #1 Bestseller in Christian Fantasy and been awarded the Crowned Heart for Excellence by InDtale Magazine. It is also the 2013 Book Junkie’s Choice Winner in Historical Fiction. Her debut novel, Sanctuary, won 1st Place Christian YA Title 2013 Dante Rosetti Award and 2014 Readers’ Choice Gold Award for Best YA Horror Novel. Her other books include: First Impression: A Shadow Maven Paranormal is her first mystery. It’s a dark urban/paranormal fantasy and was just released in March 2014. Abiding Flame: A Catalyst Novel is a Christian Science fiction/dark fantasy that has been described as a Star Trek episode with Frank Peretti influences, released with Prism Book Group’s new ILLUMINATE line. Chronicles of Steele: Raven is a steampunk fantasy set in an alternate universe. First released in a 4-part serial and now is in a complete pack.

Sign up for her newsletter HERE



Wednesday, 24 December 2014

BLOG TOUR - THE DONOR BY CANDACE OSMOND

Title: The Donor
Author: Candice Osmond
Genre: Sci-Fi Fantasy
Publisher: Guardian Publishing
Cover Artist: Majeau Designs

BLURB suppled by Bewitching Blog Tours
What's the first thought that would run through your mind if you woke up, completely naked, strapped to an operating table, sans a kidney?
What ran through Nora Daniels mind was that, sadly, nobody would even notice she was missing. No family, no friends, not even a boyfriend.
No, there would be no Prince Charming busting down the door to save the day or loved ones to mourn her death. Unless she could find a way to uncover the secrets hidden in her past and discover the one thing tying her to this world.

Goodreads Link
Amazon   Kindle   Kobo  BN  Nook


PURCHASE LINKS

EXCERPT
The strong stench of chemicals and bleach burned my nose and lungs, waking me from a deep and dreamlike haze, my eyes struggling open to find almost complete darkness. At least, I assumed it was; my mind and vision were both cloudy. Beneath the overwhelming odor of some kind of cleanser and noxious fumes, I caught a whiff of something dank, much like mold or mildew. In the distance, I heard a voice - no, two voices, muffled and just close enough for me to make out a bit of what they were saying. The sounds only compromised by the echoes which bounced off of the walls around me.
Was I in a tunnel?
Deep tones meant that both voices were male and I forced my mind to focus. Instantly, a searing pain erupted in my side, forcing the last bit of drowsiness away and bringing me to the surface of my consciousness. I’d never experienced anything so wretched before in my life! The growing pain was far worse than any headache or migraine that I’d ever had. It cut through me, like a hot knife, and every other thought fled from my mind. All I could concentrate on was this horrific sensation, not like a broken bone or a bad cut. No, it created an image of someone slicing into me and placing a burning hot coal, straight from the fire, deep into the right side of my body.
Instinctively, I reached to pull out the offending rock and instantly began to panic when my arms wouldn’t move. I thought, perhaps, the excruciating pain had caused my brain to not connect to my limbs. But as my natural reflexes had me trying to move, I felt the restraints at my wrists and ankles, holding me down. They were tight, and I realized they cut the circulation to my feet and hands. Trying to assess my situation, I noticed the cold, flat surface beneath me and, as I turned my head, the smallest bit of light crept into my line of vision.
I was blindfolded.
True panic had my blood pumping hot and fast through my body, and I attempted to control my breathing, trying to negate the effects of the agony in my side as well as my fear. I would never find a release if I didn’t calm down.
With clearer perception now, I noticed that the blindfold was thin, perhaps the black nylon of a pair of pantyhose, and it had slipped ever so slightly, allowing that small amount of light to shine just beneath it. Squinting and focusing until my eyes ached, I made out fuzzy shapes through the blindfold. From my limited perspective, I could tell that the room was larger than I’d first imagined, with tall ceilings, and I heard the familiar humming of bright fluorescent lights. The sound echoed the sensation in my body as I forced myself to ignore the debilitating pain.
Turning my head to each side, I took note of what appeared to be several small, cot-like, beds.
Hospital beds?
No, they were more like operating tables...and I was on one of them. I couldn’t make out occupants on top of any other beds, nor could I see anyone standing in the room I was in. But there was a darker spot in a far corner, and the voices seemed to be coming from that direction.
It must be another room.
Flexing my face and working my eyebrows, I managed to continue moving the blindfold so that I had a little more visibility. I tried one more time and got the entire thing shifted so it only rested on my eyelids, barely affecting my ability to see. I could pick out the two men standing in the frame of two open double doors, and I saw a tattoo on one of them.
With the material still weighing on my eyelids, it compromised my ability to see their upper bodies, but I stared at the tattoo on the man’s calf, just below a pair of loose beige shorts. It was shaped like a diamond, but the corner was too dim for me to catch the details. I stared hard, making sure to burn the image into my memory. I would use it to aid the police in finding my captor.
If I ever made it out of here alive.



ABOUT THE AUTHOR
&
AUTHOR INTERVIEW


Published author and freelance writer/editor Candace Osmond was born in North York, ON. From there she began her journey of discovering Canada, moving every few years and experiencing what every province had to offer. She was surrounded and influenced by many cultures which broadened her mind and personality. Coming from a family of writers and artists dispersed throughout, it was inevitable that Candace follow in her family's footsteps. By the early age of ten years old, Candace had won numerous writing and art competitions including a nation wide art contest for the Louie the Lightening Bug Play it Safe Around Electricity program where the company used her winning ad design. A few years later Candace found herself writing for the local news flyer and then branching off into fiction writing.

Candace published her first book by the age of 25, the first installment in a YA Urban Fantasy to which two others were published with it; The Iron World Series.
Candace is one of the creative writers to www.sssh.com, an acclaimed Erotic Romance website for women which has been featured on NBC Nightline and a number of other large platforms. Her most recent project is a screen play that is pending a nomination for an AVN Award.

Aside from writing, Candace did manage to get her certification for Interior Design and Decor. After years of working with fellow designers, architects, and home owners, Candace won a Peak Award for Best Kitchen Design under $10,000.
Now residing in a small town in Alberta, CA with her husband and two kids, Candace writes full time, developing articles for just about every niche, two more novels, and a hoard of short stories.


Do you work another job as well as your writing work?
Nope. I'm lucky enough to do this full time. I get to stay home with my kids while I work on my own projects and also maintain a freelance writing career.

What is the name of your latest book, and if you had to summarize it in less than 20 words what would you say?
The Donor, a SciFi Fantasy set just a few years in the future of Toronto, ON. Organ harvesters and light romance. How many words is that? lol

How long does it usually take you to write a book, from the original idea to finishing writing it?
Once I come up with an idea and plot it out, I would say about a year.

What can we expect from you in the future?  ie More books of the same genre? Books of a different genre?
Well, I'm working on a cool eBook mini series called Killer Me. Readers are saying that if you liked the TV show Dexter then you'll love this series.  It follows a punk girl named Alice Teller as she's stalked by a serial killer. The cool thing about it is the Alice in Wonderland theme! There's a new short story in the series released each month, number three just came out and there's going to be nine in total. I'm already considering a follow up series for it, so stay tuned! Other than that, I have a few novels in the works from the Fantasy and Romance genres.

What genre would you place your books into?
Well, The Iron World Series is definitely a YA Urban Fantasy. The Donor is a SciFi Fantasy, and then Killer Me is a Psychological Thriller series.

Where do you get your book plot ideas from? What/Who is your inspiration?
I'm very lucky to have an extremely creative husband. We have brainstorm sessions where we just sit down for hours and come up with book ideas. Also, my son. He's only four years old but, man, his imagination is off the wall! I sit in bed with him and, instead of reading books some nights, we just make up stories about magical creatures and scary "bad guys" lol

Do you have anybody read your books and give you reviews before you officially release them? ie. Your partner, children, friends, and reviewers you know?
Yes, I have a few beta readers who I trust to give me honest feedback. I think it's very important for every author to have that; people they know and trust to actually read the material and give helpful advice.

Do you gift books to readers to do reviews?
I gift digital copies of all my books to any book bloggers or reviewers. They usually contact me via email, Facebook, or Twitter.

How do you come up with the title and cover designs for your book/books? Who designed the cover of your books?
The titles usually just create themselves once I'm heavy into the first draft. The wonderful, and extremely talented, Majeau Designs handles all of my book covers, print ads, marketing material, etc. I love them. If you want professional quality for a super awesome price then go there. You can find them on Facebook, Twitter, etc.

How do you come up with characters names and place names in your books?
Well, my signature (I guess you could call it) is that all of my books have Canadian settings, so that's easy enough to create; I'm Canadian lol Characters are usually inspired from real people I know or they way I view certain people I've met in my life.

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?
Kind of a bit of both. I come up with an idea, plot it out with a basic outline and then just write. If a character takes a different turn or I discover a better way to end the story then, yes, things will definitely change as I go. I've even been known to write the ending first and then base the entire story or series around that.

How do you market/promote your books?
Mostly social media. But I do book tours for each new release, I register for as many trade shows and conventions as I can, and I try to do fun things like giveaways and stuff to keep readers entertained between book releases. I also keep in touch with a lot of book bloggers/reviewers to help me get my new books out there. The local libraries, bookstores, schools, etc are also something that I utilize by taking part in fundraisers and such. In 2015 I'll be at RTCon in Dallas, TX so I'm VERY excited about that, to say the least!

Have you ever suffered from a "writer's block"? What did you do to get past the "block"?
Ohhhh yes! I think every writer suffers from it from time to time. The best thing to do (for me, anyway) is to change my surroundings. Often, writer's block just comes from the lack of inspiration and stimulation. Go for a walk in a park you've never been to, read a book outside of the genre you normally like, go see a weird movie, etc.

Which format of book do you prefer, ebook, hardback, or paperback?
Paperback, hands down. EBooks are very convenient and save a lot of space in my house, but I'll always love a good ol' paperback that I can toss in my purse and hold to my chest when I'm done.

What is your favorite book and Why?  Have you read it more than once?
I have a ton of favorite books, and read them all at least once a year. But I have to say, the Wicked Lovely series by Melissa Marr really resonated with me. I've read it about a thousand times. Her world building skills are something to be admired and her characters have such depth. You fall in love with the supporting characters which is a trait that I love in books.

Do you think books transfer to movies well? Which is you favourite/worst book to movie transfer?
I think books can transfer to movies very well, as long as they have the right director behind the project and the perfect actors to portray already beloved characters. We all know a terrible book-to-movie adaptation, so I won't both to mention it, but one example of a perfect book to movie is The Hunger Games or the Fault in Our Stars.

Do you think ebooks will ever totally replace printed books?
Yes. But in the far, far, far, future. And only because of the fact that we are inevitably moving into a totally digital age; everything is digital nowadays. But I hope that there will always be the option to have a printed copy if you wanted to order it.

Did you have a favourite author as a child?
LOL yes, I think it was everyone else's favorite; R.L. Stine, the author of Goosebumps.

If you could invite three favourite writers to dinner, who would you invite and enjoy chatting with?
Oh, I love this question! Definitely Melissa Marr, Anne Rice, and Samantha Young! I think the diversity of the three would produce some very interesting dinner conversation!

Where can readers follow you?
Facebook, Twitter, Wattpad, Pinterest, Linkdin, Goodreads, etc. All the usually hang outs =)


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