Interview and Giveaway for Cole Gibsen, Author of Breathless and Katana (INT)

Today at the Writer's Block I have Cole Gibsen, author of Breathless and Katana, seen below with a pretty darn good impersonation of Bellatrix LeStrange. Dr. Seuss lover.  Mountain Gal. And ya better not be rude to her at the Comicon cause she'll most likely show up as Phoenix and incenerate your @ss.

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What was your favorite book as a kid? Bunnicula. Seriously, is there anything better than a vegetable juice sucking vampire bunny? I submit that there is not! LOL! I recently won this in a giveaway. Hope my son comes to love it too. :)

Tell us your favorite quote. “Be who you are and say what you feel because the people who mind don’t matter and the people who matter don’t mind.”Dr. Seuss

What is your favorite genre to read and what makes it so awesome? Hands down, my favorite genre is young adult. I love YA because it’s an age full of ‘firsts’and emotion is so very raw.

Tell us your favorite author. Which book is your total fave from that author? Dr. Seuss. The man was a genius. My all time favorite is Oh, the Places You’ll Go!

Any pet peeves you'd be willing to share? Rudeness. There is no reason for not being kind to your fellow man/woman. We’re all neighbors here on this planet.

What was your most favorite pasttime as a kid? Horseback riding. I grew up around horses and I find them to be extremely therapeutic. There’s almost no problem that can’t be dissolved on top of a horse.

Take us through a typical writing day for you. Do you have anything quirky - like you have to have a certain pen to write  with, or the desk laid out in a particular manner, does it need to be raining, do you require a certain food/drink/candy to work by? Will you have an absolute   meltdown if the atmosphere isn't what you like?  Ahahahaha! Oh, how I wish I had some type of structure to my writing, or routine. No. I have a four-year-old, so my day consists of jotting a few words down between episodes of strawberry shortcake, play-dough craft time, swimming lessons, and laundry.

What do you do when you experience that lovely problem called writer's block? I log onto www.writeordie.com and set punishment level to kamikaze and GO!

When you were little, what did you think you'd be when you grew up? My family is very political. My grandmother’s held elected positions on the city council and my uncle is a US congressman. Growing up in this atmosphere, I was sure I wanted to follow in my uncle’s footsteps and become a politician. *shudder* Thank goodness I grew out of that. In fact, I became so burnt out on elections and government that, while I still believe what I believe, I’m the first one to walk away silently if a conversation turns to politics.

If you could live anywhere in the world you'd like, where would that be and why? Oh gosh, too many to list. But I’m a mountain girl. Put me on a big pile of rock and I’m happy-happy. That said, I’d love to visit Mt. Fuji and the Himalayas some day.

Do you have a secret obsession you'd be willing to share?< wink, wink> Sewing and comic books. And sometimes I throw the two together and make ridiculous *ahem* I mean epic costumes that I wear to conventions.

What food/drink would absolutely devastate you if they stopped production on? Coffee. Omigosh, my world would be over if I didn’t have my coffee.

If you could step into the shoes of any fictional character for one day, who would it be and why? My favorite superhero Phoenix. Seriously, who wouldn’t want the power to incinerate the world when you’re having a bad day?

Do you like to listen to music when you read or write? Tell us a few of your favorites. I have a station I created on Pandora that keeps me plied and sated with depressing indie ballads. The more depressing the music, the better the scene comes out—that’s how I roll.

Did you do anything special to celebrate your first book release? Absolutely! Hibachi!!! YUM!

Which book are you most looking forward to reading this year? Oh my goodness, so many! I’m a member of the Apocalypsies—a group of 2012 debut children’s authors—and the amount of amazing books being released this year is amazing! There’s no way I could choose just one.

Which do you prefer: ebook, hardback or paperback? I kind of went into the digital age kicking and screaming. I bought my first ereader a month ago and I still haven’t downloaded anything on it. My favorite book format remains the paperback. I love how versatile it is. You can throw it in your purse, leave it in a hot car, and take it into a bath tub with you without having to worry about ruining it.

This or That

Underworld or Twilight - Underworld

Original or Remake - I guess it depends…I’ll take the original 21 Jump Street over the joke of the movie any day. But the remake of Batman and Superman blew the others away.

Sweet or Salty Also depends. Am I PMSing? If so, I’ll take both, please.

Drama or Comedy - Again, am I PMSing? Usually, I like comedy. But every so often I’m in the mood for a good cry.

Fantasy or Romance - Can’t I have both? ;)

Spring or Autumn - Autumn. The fall colors in the Midwest are amazing.

Michael Jackson or Whitney Houston - I used to have the biggest crush on Michael when I was younger. But I also performed Whitney’s “I Wanna Dance (With Somebody)” for my first grade talent show—so I’m calling this one a toss up.

Walter Mathau or Jack Lemmon - Walter Mathau. There are days when I can totally relate to his grumpy demeanor.

Dirty Dancing or Footloose - Dirty Dancing. Nobody puts baby in a corner.

American Idol or X-Factor or The Voice - Um, can you pass the remote so I see what else is on?

Movie Theatre or Loveseat - Movie Theatre. The popcorn is so much better there.

Tea or Coffee - Coffee. Or as I like to call it, COF-WHEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Rain or Sunshine - Sunshine.

Skiing or Surfing - Zumba! I like to shake my booty and I try to avoid sports where I’ll more than likely fall on my face.

Tree House or Man Cave - Which one has wifi?

And now for the giveaway! Miss Gibsen is offering a combo of a SIGNED BOOKMARK and a 'GOT FIN?' BRACELET to FIVE winners. :) How awesome is that? Just fill out the rafflecopter below and pick up her books at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Books-A-Million, Indigo or IndieBound. And don't forget to check out my review of Breathless.

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Breathless by Cole Gibsen

Breathless
Cole Gibsen

Synopsis: Obituary-reading emo girl Edith Small is broken - the end result of forcing herself inside a mold that doesn't fit. All she wants is to conform to her strict sergeant stepfather's rules long enough to make it to graduation day.

But a boat accident threatens to unravel the life Edith has worked so hard to keep. After waking up in a hospital with a lacerated shoulder, Edith fakes amnesia. Because admitting she received her injuries from a blue-haired girl who breathes underwater is all the reason Sir needs to send Edith on the first bus to military school.

Safe at home, Edith struggles to put the nightmare behind her. But the mysterious creatures that live in the ocean aren't about to let her forget.

After meeting Bastin - a strange boy with silver hair and black eyes - on a secluded dock, Edith learns about the war raging undersea to end human existence. A war that Edith, unwittingly, has become the key to winning.

In a world where death is an ever-present shadow and motives are as dark as the bottom of the ocean, Edith must decide if her life is worth risking for a love that can't survive past the shore.

Poor Edith is just trying to make it to graduation so she can get the hell out of her dysfunctional home. Her little brother died some time back, but her family never recovered. And it seems to be Edith's fault...or at least they have no problem making her feel that way. Her step-father no longer allows her to call him father - it's Sir now - and the way he treats Edith and her mother was even emotionally draining on me as the reader. I was quite enraged with Sir, and it sometimes made it difficult for me to read at times, because I just wanted to beat the crap out of him since Edith and her mom were too emotionally damaged to do it themselves. It's kind of sad as a reader because Edith comes off as such a weakling at times, and I don't particularly care to read about characters that just roll over like that.

Luckily, Edith's new friend Morgan helps her become a little more defiant and shake loose some of this weakness. As does Bastin, a merman who begins appearing at her window soon after she's involved in a collision at sea where she's pretty certain she saw some things she shouldn't have - like mermaids ripping the people in the water a new one. Fear gets her to ignore him for a few nights, but once he leaves a gift for her, she's suddenly willing to speak to him. Uh - hello! Can you say bait? {Ladies! Never fall for a pretty trinket. It'll only get you into trouble later! As Edith will prove...}

Bastin's a little weird to me in the physical sense - like really long silver hair - so it's hard for me to relate to Edith when she finds herself so attracted to him...but hey, to each his own. He finds himself drawn to her as well and they spend every night hanging out. Of course this doesn't go unnoticed for long, not by his people - who detest humans and who ache to flood the world to drown them all - or by Sir, who's itching for any little mistake so he can validate shipping her off to military school. The jerk even has her bag packed and won't let her unpack it...he just leaves it in her room, taunting her every day and reminding her she's as good as out the door. But Sir's the least of her problems right now. Since the mermaids have become wise to his attraction for her, Edith becomes bait to force Bastin, the future king of one of the tribes, to trade something precious for her survival: the tool necessary to flood the world. So it leaves Bastin forced to choose between the life of the girl he's come to love, or life of all humanity. No pressure or anything...

Breathless is a pretty good read with an absolutely gorgeous cover. My only issues are the interactions with Sir and his desperation to get rid of his remaining child, and a mother that does nothing to heal their family dynamic. I look at my little boy and I couldn't ever imagine pushing him away and denying him love like that. I guess that's why the family interactions are so hard for me to stomach. But check it out anyway!

Novel provided by author for honest review.

eBooks Now Available on iTunes, Kobo and Diesel

The first two books in the Immortal Archives series are now available at iTunes, Kobo and Diesel too.

 

ORDAINED (#1)

Paperbacks available on Amazon US, UK, DE and FR, and my E-Store.

eBooks available on Kindle US, UK, DE, FR, IT and ES, Nook, Kobo, Diesel, iTunes and Smashwords.

METAMORPHOSIS (#2)

Paperbacks available on Amazon US and my E-store.
eBooks available on Kindle US, UK, DE, FR, IT and ES, Nook, Kobo, Diesel, iTunes and Smashwords.

Interview and Giveaway with J.A. Redmerski, Author of The Mayfair Moon

Howdy folks! Today I have the adorable J.A. Redmerski for the Writer's Block segment. So many crazy things....which to address. Hmm... Addicted to Starbucks (aren't we all?). :) Obsessed with Brothers Grimm fairytales. And as you can see below, is willing to go shopping in her work-out clothes! Let's take a few minutes to get to know this cool chic!

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Tell us your favorite quote. “Love is a trick that Nature plays on us to get us to reproduce.” – Callisto – Xena Warrior Princess – I’m not against love or anything like that, I’ve always just been awed by that quote. Not to mention, Callisto was awesome!

Tell us your favorite author. Which book is your total fave from that author? I would have to say Neil Gaiman (though it’s so tough because Anne Rice is right up there, too!). Neil Gaiman is like the rock star of the literary world and he doesn’t limit himself to one genre. My favorite book by him would have to be Neverwhere.

If you could meet any dead person, who would you choose? Any particular reason why? Whoever *really* destroyed the Ancient Library of Alexandria in Egypt. I would ask that person why they did it and then tell them to point me in the direction of all the artifacts from it that they hid.

If the Earth suddenly became uninhabitable, would you rather live under the sea or in space? In space! I’m obsessed with the Universe. Besides, the thought of living in the ocean sort of terrifies me….

What was your most favorite pastime as a kid? Fishing and playing in the wooded creek at my grandparents’ house in Greer’s Ferry, Arkansas. I wish I could do that today, but since I live more than an hour from there, I have to settle for memories.

If you could live in any time period other than the present, which would you choose and why? A couple of years ago I would have answered any various time periods from the past, but these days I’m more fascinated with the future and space exploration. So, I guess my answer would be I’d love to live in the future, maybe even on another planet. Oh! And whatever ship I travel in MUST have a Holodeck!

What do you do when you experience that lovely problem called writer's block? I’m all about prevention. It’s easier to do the right things to prevent a horrible disease such as Writer’s Block, than it is to cure it. And the way I prevent it (most of the time) is by always stopping in the middle of a scene, even a sentence, and calling it a day. For me, this keeps my mind fresh and buzzing, because all I can think about is that scene. By the time the next day arrives and it’s time to start writing again, for obvious reasons it’s easy to just dive right in. But also, that time away from the manuscript is often great because more ideas about what’s going on in that scene tend to arise and a lot of times, I already have the next scene fully mapped out in my head.

If you could live anywhere in the world you'd like, where would that be and why? Sorrento, Italy. For my very first novel (one that is not published), I did a lot of research on Sorrento and fell in love with it. It’s absolutely beautiful and I kind of feel like I’ve lived there for a short time because I spent so much time reading about it.

What food/drink would absolutely devastate you if they stopped production on? Starbucks Venti Vanilla Iced Latte – Oh the horror! I don’t want to think of life without it! K

Which is your favorite fairytale? I like the Brothers Grimm fairytales. I’ve always been more attracted to the dark and weird stuff.

Which do you prefer: ebook, hardback or paperback? Definitely paperback, hands down. I have a Kindle and I’m not fond of it. Hardbacks can’t be held comfortably (yes, I bend the spines! I’m totally guilty!). I can’t imagine a world without physical books. It’s depressing to imagine, actually.

This or That

Underworld or Twilight - Underworld

Original or Remake - Original
Sweet or Salty - Salty
Drama or Comedy – Drama
Fantasy or Romance – Fantasy
Spring or Autumn – BOTH!
Michael Jackson or Whitney Houston – Michael Jackson
Walter Mathau or Jack Lemmon – Walter Mathau
Dirty Dancing or Footloose – Dirty Dancing (love that movie!)
American Idol or X-Factor or The Voice – Meh! I can’t stand shows like that.
Movie Theatre or Loveseat – Movie theatre for awesome stuff, loveseat for all the rest
Tea or Coffee – Tea
Rain or Sunshine – I love both
Skiing or Surfing  - Water skiing
Tree House or Man Cave - Tree house


Choose a challenge...if you dare!

Write a sentence using all these words: joker, fireball, backpack, sticker, hula hoop. The joker pulled a fireball from his backpack and whirled it around his body like a flaming hula hoop, all to win a stupid sticker.

Write a sentence using all these words: wolf pack, mirror, pop rocks, cuckoo clock, Edward Cullen, hairspray. Edward Cullen stared in the mirror eating pop rocks while the wolf pack snuck in through the back and stole his hairspray and cuckoo clock.

Write a sentence using all these words: love birds, Twizzlers, fireworks, Ferris wheel, turtle. The turtle met the love birds while standing in line for the Ferris wheel and he shared his Twizzlers with them as they watched the fireworks.

And now for the giveaway. But seriously, check out my review and pick up this book regardless. J.A. Redmerski is generously offering a paperback for US residents and an ebook copy (Kindle, Nook or pdf) for my international peeps. Just fill out the rafflecopter below. Good luck!

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Mayfair Moon by J.A. Redmerski

Mayfair Moon

J.A. Redmerski

Synopsis: After a nightmarish encounter with a werewolf, seventeen-year-old Adria Dawson loses her sister, but gains the love of a mysterious young man and his legendary family.

Strange and tragic things begin to happen in the small town of Hallowell, Maine: residents come down with an unexplainable ‘illness’ and some disappear. In the midst of everything, Isaac Mayfair is adamant about keeping Adria safe, even from her sister whom he has warned her to stay away from.

As unspeakable secrets unfold all around Adria, impossible choices become hers to bear. Ultimately, no matter what path she takes, her life and the lives of those she loves will be in peril. As she learns about the werewolf world she also learns why her place in it will change the destinies of many.

I've noticed the reviews comparing this book to Twilight alot...and it so is! At least in terms of the romance moving a little fast and leaving you wondering why the attraction is so strong after so little; but in terms of the story, The Mayfair Moon is soooo much freakin' better! Seriously. And I kinda hate that I just read this...cause if I had waited a little bit longer, I wouldn't have to twiddle my thumbs the next several months waiting for Kindred to come out!

<twiddles thumbs...Is it ready yet?>

Adria and Alex are incredibly close sisters, that is until they're attacked by what appears to be a werewolf. Both tend to keep to themselves in the beginning while they deal with the shock, but their sudden beat-up appearance in a home people know have an unstable step-father gets them removed and sent to their aunt and uncle in Maine. But trouble seems to follow. Alex won't come out of her room and shuts Adria off completely. Then one night Adria witnesses her sneak out, meet up with a group of creepy guys and doesn't come back. And since Alex is eighteen, no one can do anything.

Adria tries to move forward, but things around her are weird, especially this group of people that moved to Maine right after she did - the Mayfairs...who apparently have more than blood relatives in their family. Every month they disappear for a week with no other reason than being sick. People in the community are coming down with mysterious illnesses as well, some resulting in death. When Adria's world begins to mix with the Mayfair family, she finds a close friend in Zia and a love interest in Isaac. But as her love life gets better, every other aspect goes to crap.

The Mayfair Moon was filled with unexpected surprises and it had a little bit of the gore I've been missing in other werewolf books. And Redmerski gives us a great peek into the life of a werewolf clan, first from the outsider's perspective, then from the insider's perspective, which makes it all more enjoyable to find out what exactly it is their protecting.

<Seriously...is Kindred freakin' ready yet?!!!!>

But seriously, if you were addicted to Twilight in any manner, you're gonna love this book. Sadly, I hate comparing The Mayfair Moon to Twilight because I think it's so much better. I don't know if Redmerski tried submitting this to literary agents, but if she did, this fell through the cracks big time and those agents should be smacked!

And I KNOW what Isaac did in the last few pages of the novel! GASP! Oh, I can't wait to see the fallout for that one!

<Come on, Kindred, come on!>

Novel provided by author for honest review - Thank the Lord!

The Weepers by Suzanne Winnacker (ARC)

The Weepers (The Other Life #1)
Suzanne Winnacker
Exp. Pub: May 15, 2012 TOMORROW!!!

Synopsis: 3 years, 1 month, 1 week and 6 days since I’d seen daylight. One-fifth of my life. 98,409,602 seconds since the heavy, steel door had fallen shut and sealed us off from the world

Sherry has lived with her family in a sealed bunker since things went wrong up above. But when they run out of food, Sherry and her dad must venture outside. There they find a world of devastation, desolation...and the Weepers: savage, mutant killers.

When Sherry's dad is snatched, she joins forces with gorgeous but troubled Joshua - an Avenger, determined to destroy the Weepers.

But can Sherry keep her family and Joshua safe, when his desire for vengeance threatens them all?

Remember Will Smith in I Am Legend? Yeah, it's a lot like that.

Sherry and her family managed to live in their LA bunker for more than three years before they ran out of food. Their part of the country was ravaged by a new strain of rabies, one that only one in ten were immune to. The other nine? Well, if they were lucky, they died. But a lot turned into a rabid, intelligent version of a zombie (the infected actually remind me of those in I Am Legend)

Not gonna lie. I'd wet myself just thinking I'm gonna run into this guy. Hope it's some place dark so I won't see it coming!

So Sherry and her dad are forced to go topside. Not only do they need food but it's been a few months since they've managed to reach anyone on their transistor radio. They encounter a few Weepers in the local Wal-Mart and Sherry's dad does a disappearing act. The only reason Sherry survives the Weepers is Joshua. He takes her to a place outside of town called the Safe-Haven. Sounds safe, right? Heh heh. If I spent the past three plus years hiding out in a bunker, I'd be a little weary about sleeping in a bed all by myself with a window in a farm house in the middle of nowhere. I'm no fool - I'd be sleeping like this:

But hey, that's Sherry's mistake. I value my life and a decent night's sleep.

The rest of the novel is spent trying to move her family to new location and searching the known Weeper nests for her father, who she hopes is still alive. There's a little romance brewing between Sherry and Joshua. Normally I would say relationships that begin under extreme circumstances never work out (yes, I'm quoting Speed here) but seeing how the population has pretty much dwindled to nothing, I'm thinking these two may find a way to make it work. As for the plot, there's not really much there in the way of sub-plots and the main plot is less than stellar and been done before. But I will say that The Weepers was a fast read that kept my attention, and I pretty much read it in one sitting.

Novel provided by publisher via NetGalley.

Interview and (US) Giveaway for Veronica Blade, Author of Something Witchy This Way Comes

Yay! Another Jane Austen admirer! This week on the Writer's Block we have the lovely Veronica Blade, author of several romance novels. I recently got to read Something Witchy This Way Comes and absolutely loved it (you can check out my review here). Let's a few minutes to get to know this woman who would totally knock off Elena to get her mitts on Damon (Bleh heh heh - who wouldn't!)

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What is your favorite genre to read and what makes it so awesome? I love anything and everything related to the Young Adult genre, whether it’s books, movies or TV shows. There’s something so fresh about it. With YA, I’m not reading about the kids, the hubby, the mortgage, or the company, etc. I get that every day — I don’t want to read about it too!

If you could meet any dead person, who would you choose? Any particular reason why? Jane Austin, because I’m so impressed with that she accomplished and that her work is still admired after all this time — especially by me.  

If the Earth suddenly became uninhabital, would you rather live under the sea or in space? The problem is that I wouldn’t actually live under the sea since I can’t swim. Pathetic, but true.

What was your most favorite pastime as a kid? I drew a lot and made animals out of clay. I used to do that for hours!

If you could live in any time period other than the present, which would you choose and why? I don’t think I could live in the past. I’m much too outspoken to survive in a time where women didn’t have a voice. But if I had to pick a time, I’d probably pick the old west where I could at least tote a gun.

What do you do when you experience that lovely problem called writer's block? I step away and hopefully gain objectivity. But when it doesn’t go away, that usually means something about the plot is really wrong and I need to work it out or start over. Writer’s block is rare for me though. I’m one of those obsessive writers who lives and breathes her stories/characters. When I’m driving, the radio is off and I’m making mental notes on my WIP. Same with the shower or when I’m waiting in line at the grocery story. My brain is always going, so by the time I get on my laptop, I have plenty to write about.

When you were little, what did you think you'd be when you grew up? An actress or singer. Not sure what I was thinking at the time — I was way too shy as a kid to do either of those things. Pffft!

Do you have a secret obsession you'd be willing to share? <wink, wink> Channing Tatum… except that my obsession isn’t really a secret!

What food/drink would absolutely devastate you if they stopped production on? Dr. Pepper. I’m a total junkie!

If you could step into the shoes of any fictional character for one day, who would it be and why? I’d be Elena from The Vampire Diaries and I’d totally give Damon what he’s been wanting. It would be quite a hardship on me, I’m sure, but I’m very generous that way :-P

Which is your favorite fairytale? Cinderella. My favorite retelling is Ever After. *big sigh*

Which do you prefer: ebook, hardback or paperback? Hardback is too awkward to handle when I’m reading in bed and too heavy to carry around. These days I’m hooked on my Kindle Fire, because if one book isn’t hooking me, I can go to straight to the next one.

This or That

Underworld or Twilight  :Because with me, it’s all about the romance, which Twilight had plenty of.

Original or Remake: It depends. Some remakes are great, but others can’t be outdone, like The Matrix.

Sweet or Salty : But I like both.

Drama or Comedy : Dramas are too depressing. And don’t we get enough of that in the real world?

Fantasy or Romance : It’s all about the romance.

Spring or Autumn : Because you’ve just finished a long winter and that first warm day makes you feel like you have a new life. Plus, the flowers are blooming and who doesn’t love that?

Michael Jackson or Whitney Houston : Neither. I’m more of a Ray LaMontagne girl. I tend to go bluesy, maybe even with a country edge.

Dirty Dancing or Footloose : Dirty Dancing all the way!

Movie Theatre or Loveseat : Gotta have that popcorn and giant screen.

Tea or Coffee : Preferably with a little bit of chocolate and cream. Mm-mm.

Rain or Sunshine : Sunshine and then a little more sunshine.

Skiing or Surfing : Neither. I can’t swim and I really don’t like the cold.

Tree house or Man Cave : LOL. Man Cave.

Choose a challenge...if you dare!

Write a sentence using all these words: joker, fireball, backpack, sticker, hula hoop : The joker grabbed a fireball from his backpack, then aimed for the sticker on the hula.

Write a sentence using all these words: wolfpack, mirror, pop rocks, cuckoo clock, Edward Cullen, hairspray : When the cuckoo clock struck, the wolfpack mirrored Edward Cullen, using hairspray liberally, strumming guitars and singing pop rocks.

Write a sentence using all these words: love birds, twizzlers, fireworks, ferris wheel, turtle : The fireworks started and the love birds jumped on the ferris wheel with their turtle and fed each other twizzlers.

And now for the giveaway! YAY! Ms. Blade is offering up four - count 'em FOUR - paper backs for my US peeps. There will be four winners, one book per winner. The first winner will get to choose their book, the second from the remaining three, and so on. Doesn't matter cause they're all good!

US Giveaway

(click the links to check them out)

Blind Date, Checkmate: Adult Romance Novella

From Fame to Shame: YA Romance Novella

A Bite's Tale: A Furry Fable: Cinderella Novella with Werewolves and Vampires

Something Witchy This Way Comes: Mature YA Paranormal Romance

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Something Witchy This Way Comes by Veronica Blade

Something Witchy This Way Comes
Veronica Blade

Synopsis: Brainiac Tessa McClean’s newly discovered magical powers give her hope of an escape from her inadequate life. But the thrill of being a witch fades when she learns of a rival coven and begins to suspect her own coven’s objective. Evidence tells Tessa to trust one side, but instinct drives her toward the other.

When Hayden Anders, the most delinquent kid in school — and the toughest — offers self-defense lessons in exchange for tutoring, the timing couldn’t be better. Though the idea of hanging out with a bad-boy that tempting is unnerving, staying alive amidst warring witches takes priority. She vows to hold onto her values and not surrender to the bad-boy she begins to secretly want.

Together, Tessa and Hayden uncover the truth about the two factions — a truth that explains why the covens will stop at nothing to lure her to their side. Tessa has only a matter of weeks to form an alliance with one coven or the other, but the wrong decision could cost Tessa the lives of all those she loves — including Hayden.

Bleh heh heh...lots of romance scenes in this one.  J

This book jumps right to the point of the story, with Hayden, a delinquent that knows how to protect himself, being asked to look after fellow classmate Tessa until the proper protection detail arrives to do it themselves. The only reason Hayden does it is because the school administrator said he could make quite a bit of his misbehavior disappear from his permanent file and help him get his grades up a bit before graduation. Lucky for them Hayden’s trying to turn his life around and willing to go along with it cause he had no idea what he’d really gotten himself into. And neither did poor Tessa, who finds out she’s coming into some magical powers. Not really a bad thing, but there are two covens out there that expect her to take a side in a war that’s been going on forever. Both have hidden objectives that make it difficult for Tessa to choose, especially when she learns her older sister’s choice got her killed.

What I really enjoyed the most was the romantic tension between the two as they were now forced to spend all their time together. Hayden is a little bit free with the women…well, actually, he’s quite the hound dog. Tessa had one bad experience with a guy and finds it hard to trust any of them, particularly Hayden, who hooks up with a girl everywhere he goes. But she can’t deny an attraction is growing for him exponentially, and his jealous behavior every time a guy moves in on her proves he’s having the same problem.

I loved this book. The plot moved smoothly, as did their relationship and I enjoyed every minute of their frustration. Alright, there were times when I wanted to smack Tessa and tell her to get over Hayden’s past and realize he was trying really hard to better himself for her, but mostly, I just loved it. J Something Witchy This Way Comes is definitely for mature audiences and worth every minute you spend reading it!

Novel provided by author for honest review.

Interview and Giveaway with Kelly Libsack, Author of Preordained and Predestined!

High off Mountain Dew. Sam and Dean lover [sigh...Dean...<wipes drool>]. Obsessed with Edgar Allen Poe. And probably dresses up like Shakespeare's characters when we're not looking. LOL. (I could totally see Kelly hitting up the Renaissance Fair). :) Let's take a few minutes to get to know this crazy-cool chic!

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What was your favorite book as a kid? I had several, so I’ll list the top three. First, “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe. Second, “Romeo and Juliet” by Shakespeare. Third, “Flowers in the Attic” by V.C. Andrews

Tell us your favorite quote. "If you would attain to what you are not yet, you must always be displeased by what you are. For where you are pleased with yourself there you have remained. Keep adding, keep walking, keep advancing.”  St. Augustine

If you were stranded on a desert island what is the one book you couldn't be stranded without? Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart.”

What is your favorite genre to read and what makes it so awesome? There is something so ensnaring about gothic that it pulls me in so deep, I don’t want to struggle to get away from the eerie style.  

Tell us your favorite author. Which book is your total fave from that author? No doubt, Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart.” It’s a short story. But still my fave.

Any pet peeves you'd be willing to share? Uh…I hate writer’s block!!!  

If you could meet any dead person, who would you choose? Any particular reason why? Edgar Allan Poe or Shakespeare. They were brilliant writers.

If the Earth suddenly became uninhabitable, would you rather live under the sea or in space? Space without a doubt. I’ve said in another life, if I wasn’t…I should have been, an astronaut or astronomer. The sea, well, let me just say that that much water surrounding me, I would have a heart attack.

What was your most favorite pastime as a kid? Baseball. I was a tomboy.

If you could live in any time period other than the present, which would you choose and why? Medieval times because there was so much lore, mystery and possibilities of what was considered real and what was folly. 

Take us through a typical writing day for you. Do you have anything quirky - like you have to have a certain pen to write with, or the desk laid out in a particular manner, does it need to be raining, do you require a certain food/drink/candy to work by? Will you have an absolute meltdown if the atmosphere isn't what you like? Lol! No. I write where I can, when I can. I’m not picky. I could be in a convenience store line getting a soda and have the next sentence in novel pop in my head, just a sentence, and I can’t wait to get to my car to write it down.

What do you do when you experience that lovely problem called writer's block? Oy vey! There are so many opinions I’ve read over the question of whether or not ‘writer’s block’ truly exists. My answer, of course it does. Sometimes it’s simply because an author can take a story into so many directions and their perplexed on which road to take. Sometimes you can take the road less traveled and hit a dead end and your creativity hits the forsaken spot at the same time. What do I do when that happens? I doodle. Draw. Diagram. Then finally back away and wait (and pray) it’ll come to me. I’d read somewhere that someone described writers block as simply ‘fear.’ The author is afraid to take the story in the direction it needs. I can see that explanation as having merit, because I have felt that before. The most wonderful moment, though, is when I break down that wall of fear and trudge through the rubble determined and exhilarated at the same time.   

When you were little, what did you think you'd be when you grew up? I had wanted to be a writer, but was terrified to do so. That nasty culprit ‘fear’ hinged me. Because I believe, writing is a form of extroversion, allowing the reader insights into the writers mind. I was, and had always been, introverted, afraid to open my soul to the world. But once I finally cracked my introverted shell and crawled out…oh how good it felt to write.

If you could live anywhere in the world you'd like, where would that be and why? On a Gaelic countryside in Scotland or Ireland, living in a quaint stone cottage within walking distance of an old gothic castle. It would be such inspiration for my writing. 

Do you have a secret obsession you'd be willing to share? Reading. Seriously. I can read three books at a time and finish them in a couple of days (if I have time and they’re not too long).

What food/drink would absolutely devastate you if they stopped production on? Mt. Dew, ugh…even the thought.

If you could step into the shoes of any fictional character for one day, who would it be and why? I don’t want to sound biased here, but it would be my protagonist ‘Faith’ in my Preordained Series. To have her naivety again and be exposed not only to the first feelings of love, but to have ethereal sight and be able to bear witness to the truth of the other side, let alone surrounded by mesmerizing and haunting angels, caught between heaven and hell. 

Do you like to listen to music when you read or write? Tell us a few of your favorites. Yes. I love Evanescence and Nyctalgia.

Did you do anything special to celebrate your first book release? I did have a book signing.

Which is your favorite fairytale? Red Riding Hood

Which book are you most looking forward to reading this year? Book of Horrors. I love me some Stephen King and Brian Hodge.

Which do you prefer: ebook, hardback or paperback? It used to be paperback, but love, love, love me some ebooks now.

This or That

Underworld or Twilight : Underworld!
Original or Remake : Original

Sweet or Salty : Salty

Drama or Comedy : Thriller

Fantasy or Romance : Fantasy

Spring or Autumn : Spring

Dirty Dancing or Footloose : Dirty Dancing

Movie Theatre or Loveseat : Movie Theatre

Tea or Coffee : Coffee

Rain or Sunshine : Both

Choose a challenge...if you dare!

Go to http://madglibs.com and fill in a mad lib using people, places, etc from one of your books. Copy and paste here to share with us. Don't forget to tell us which book you used!

I used ‘Preordained’ and I had to use ‘The Raven-Edgar Allan Poe Mad Lib’

Once upon a midnight lore, while I pondered mysterious and haunting,
Over many a quaint and curious wing of forgotten angels,
While I dreaded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a fright,
As of fates gently rapping, rapping at my nieve door.
`Tis some love,` I muttered, `tapping at my nieve door -
Only this, and nothing more.`

Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the dead December,
And each separate disheartening ember wrought its passion upon the floor.
Eagerly I questioned the morrow; - knowledge I had sought to borrow
From my soul mates surcease of sorrow - sorrow for the gothic Lenore -
For the exquisite and mysterious maiden whom the angels named Faith -
Nameless here for evermore. 

And now for the GIVEAWAY!!! Kelly is generously offering 3 paperbacks of Preordained! Enter in the rafflecopter below, then read my review or Preordained and Predestined!

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