The Crazy Dream Blog

Monday, April 9, 2012

Official Trailer for Ordained (The Immortal Archives #1)

As some of you already know, my urban fantasy novel Ordained (The Immortal Archives #1) won first place in the Fantasy division for Reader Views 2011 . My prize was a free trailer made by Blazing Trailers. After watching I'm incredibly impressed cause as experienced as I am in the world of computers, book covers and HTML code, I find this whole trailer business daunting. So I'm so glad Kim over at Blazing Trailers was able to come up with this for me! Thanks Kim! And thanks to the readers that participated in the Reader Views competition and chose Ordained for Best Fantasy.

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Interview and Giveaway with Jessie Harrell, Author of Destined

So today I have with me Jessie Harrell, the author of the beloved Destined I've seen all over everyone's GoodReads shelves. I always ask my interviewees to offer up a different kind of pic and Jessie certainly delivered! Love the unicorn! What she said: "Here's a picture of me and my youngest daughter, Samantha, at the Fern Bank Museum in Atlanta. I've always LOVED unicorns. And if you want to get really candid, here's me about to shove cupcake in my mouth after serving them up at my oldest daughter's birthday party. As you can see, I obvious believe my sunglasses are a superior form of hair clip."

...yum...now I want a cupcake. BRB!

Okay, sugar crave satisfied. On with the interview!

What was your favorite book as a kid? This ties back into the unicorns. I loved this series called Morgan Mine (also included were Morgan & Me and Morgan & Ewe). They were about a unicorn named Morgan and they were illustrated with the most beautiful pictures and written so lyrically for children's books. Probably no surprise that my oldest daughter is named Morgan.

Any pet peeves you'd be willing to share? I can't stand people who drive at or below the speed limit until there is an actual police officer in the immediate vicinity. I have places to go, people!

If the Earth suddenly became uninhabital, would you rather live under the sea or in space? No question about it, under the sea! "Darling it's better, down where it's wetter, take it from me!" Sorry, Little Mermaid flashback. Space travel is another one of my pet peeves (don't get me started) and my time as a certified diver wasn't nearly long enough.

What was your most favorite pasttime as a kid? Duh - reading!

Do you have a secret obsession you'd be willing to share? <wink, wink> Checking e-mail. Although it's probably not-so-secret and thankfully not that shameful, but I've gotten adult onset ADD as a result of technology and I have to know if I have email ALL. THE. TIME.

Do you like to listen to music when you read or write? Tell us a few of your favorites. I love listening to Joshua Radin - he's so mellow and his music just inspires me. I got to meet him after a concert a few years back and, as he was scribbling his name on my CD like every other person in line, I told him he was my favorite person to listen to while I was writing. I'm sure he TOTALLY remembers me now.

Underworld or Twilight: TWILIGHT!!

Sweet or Salty: SWEET! (I seem locked in caps lock tonight, but some of these choices I feel very passionate about. LOL.)

Fantasy or Romance: ROMANCE

Spring or Autumn: Autumn in Asheville

Walter Mathau or Jack Lemmon: I'm not old enough to admit I know who these men are ;) [LOL-You're my age girlie (which is young, of course) so I'm gonna bet you've seen Grumpy Old Me by now!]

American Idol or X-Factor or The Voice: American Idol (esp. the first episodes where the show all the people who suck - like I would if I were foolish enough to audition)

Tea or Coffee: COFFEE

Rain or Sunshine: I like both, actually. Rain for reading and napping; sunshine for playing

Treehouse or Man Cave: Dude, treehouse, all the way. Can I have one like the Swiss Family Robinson in the Magic Kingdom?

Alright, so if you haven't already put Destined on your to-read lists, you should do it now. :) Seriously, I'll even link it for you. And in case you're not convinced yet, just check out the synopsis and my review of Destined. Now on to the giveaway. Jessie is graciously offering one winner an ebook of Destined and a signed bookmark! Just fill in the rafflecopter below.

Get paperbacks of Destined at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, the Book Depository. Grab the ebooks at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Smashwords.

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Destined by Jessie Harrell

Destined
Jessie Harrell

Synopsis: When Psyche receives a prophecy gone horribly wrong, she learns that even the most beautiful girl in Greece can have a hideous future. Her fate? Fall in love with the one creature even the gods fear.

As she feels herself slipping closer into the arms of the prophecy, Psyche must choose between the terrifyingly tender touch she feels almost powerless to resist and the one constant she's come to expect out of life: you cannot escape what is destined.

Psst... Do you feel that? It's the long, calming sigh of satisfaction you get once you read the last sentence in a truly heart-wrenching novel. You immediately say Aww and your heart warms a little. Sigh... And then disappointment cause you realize you've left that spectacular fantasy world containing the totally yummy, scrumpdidlyumptious hottie that you've been drooling over the past 200 pages and you're suddenly stuck back in reality without him. [Uh, no offense babe! I totally love you! heh heh...eh] Oh, well. The fantasy was good while it lasted.

So Psyche has been dubbed the new mortal daughter of Aphrodite by the goddess herself. Happy dance, right? Except it didn't work out too well for Aphrodite's first mortal daughter, Helen of Troy, did it? Uh...no. Psyche is blindsided but she goes with the flow - until Aphrodite brings her son Eros (aka Cupid) over and tells them she wants them to marry. Shocker, neither take to the news too well and end up throwing a few inappropriate comments. Eros is an immortal and gets to storm off to has his hissyfit but Aphrodite wants revenge against the mere human that dared to defy her wishes and reject her immortal son. She decides Psyche's destiny is to spend her remaining days in love with a despicable creature and declares that Eros must pierce her with one of his arrows to force this love upon her. But when the time comes to shoot Psyche, he finds he just can't do it and ends up nicking himself with the arrow. Now in love with Psyche himself, he must find a way to keep her safe and fulfill his mother's wishes all at the same time. Not an easy feat...

Now I will say that I know nothing about the myth involving Cupid and Psyche so I don't know how this compares, but I think any author deserves a little latitude when it comes to making it their own. I'm not one to criticize if it isn't an exact retelling - quite frankly I would find that boring (had I known it). I can say that I enjoyed watching these two characters grow to love one another once they put their pride aside and let their guards down long enough to do so. Sorta like Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. Sigh...

Anyways, Destiny offers reluctant lovers, lots of mythical characters (my fave being the dead man that ferries the dead, or shades, into the Underworld), swoon-worthy heartthrob, and some of those horrible 'tests' the Gods like to throw at you to see if you're worthy of their time.

Novel provided by author for honest review.

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Cover Reveal for Falling Away (Falling #2)

Synopsis: Jenna’s first two years of community college are almost over and it’s time to decide where to finish her degree. Should she stay near Harvard to be with Robert, or off to Rutgers, where she really wants to go? Their life together seems perfect but she can't help thinking that maybe there's something more out there. As Sophie and Jhett’s wedding nears and Jenna is swamped with Maid of Honor duties, she begins to question if she and Robert will live happily ever after too. Right on cue with her doubts, a familiar dream boy pops up in her dreams again. But Chance’s entrance is as abrupt as his exit and Jenna’s left wondering about his safety. Concern and curiosity get the best of her and a trip back home puts her within arm’s reach of a man that still adores her. Only question is, are Jenna's nerves just playing with her over Robert, or is she suddenly realizing she should've chosen Chance?

Expected publication for Falling Away is still 2013 and I can tell you that Jenna's final choice is still up in the air. :)

So who do you guys think Jenna should end up with? Robert or Chance? Neither?

Haven't read Falling In Between yet? Enter to win a copy at GoodReads.

March Winners and Previously Loved Book Giveaway - April

Happy March everyone! I've got a few quick winners to announce before jumping into the giveaway for April. First, winners of the Writer's Block featuring Augusta Blythe is