False Awakening

October 9, 2014October 7, 20143 Comments

False Awakening One of the best parts of my online life has got to involve the writing community. There are so many talented authors out there, and more often than not, they’re genuinely lovely people. Sometimes it’s hard to remember that, but hopefully the forgetting is only temporary.

Anyway, one of the lovely, talented authors I’ve had the good fortune to become acquainted with is Callum McLaughlin, whose book, False Awakening, is out now:

When teenager Abi Watson wakes in a hospital bed with no memory of the incident that put her there, she must begin the long and difficult process of piecing her life back together, but unfortunately, her search for answers will merely give rise to further questions. Frayed relationships and haunting revelations soon come into play, leading Abi to discover that some things are best left forgotten.

With a past that is unwilling to let go, her only option is to delve into the depths of her own mind so that she can uncover the truth and finally awaken from her living nightmare.

The book’s official launch was yesterday, and I’m happy to continue the celebration here. In that vein, I’ve got an excerpt from the book, available behind the cut. 🙂

An American Faerie Tale

October 8, 2014October 7, 20144 Comments

thestolen Over the summer, I was lucky enough to snag a review copy of Bishop O’Connell’s book, The Stolen. I was excited about it from the moment I saw that it was set partly in Tír na nÓg.

Of course, life happened, and I didn’t get around to reading it right away. But when I did? I couldn’t get it out of my head.

I was thrown off a bit by the beginning, as the story opens with a bit of back story about Brendan, who’s on his way to meet Áine, the girl he loves. The blurb, though, focuses on Caitlin and the main plot of the book:

Tonight, for the first time in over a century, a mortal child will be kidnapped by faeries…

Book blogger confessions

September 16, 2014September 15, 201418 Comments

Fantasy Angel over at the Avid Reader Blog tagged me in this fun little game and, since I have nothing better to do (okay, I do, but I’m procrastinating) right now, here be my answers:

Which book did you most recently not finish?
Uhhh…I don’t understand the question.

Which book is your guilty pleasure?
I know not of this guilt of which you speak. The only guilt I experience about reading is when I’m too busy reading to do other things, like clean the house or work on my own books.

Which book do you love to hate?
Twilight. No, I’ve never read it, but I did see the movie, and it just wasn’t for me. I’ve heard that it’s not good, but having never read it, I cannot attest to the veracity of that rumor. Also, Fifty Shades of Gray. Haven’t read that one either. Have no desire to.

That said, if you love these books, then read them proudly. Lord knows people should read more…

How did I spend my weekend?

September 15, 20148 Comments

Why, engrossed in the latest Banned Underground novel to hit my phone, naturally. Suffering, as I was, from a complete lack of motivation and a nasty headache to boot, I settled down yesterday afternoon and read the whole of Have Frog, Will Travel in the space of an afternoon.

What’s it about? Glad you asked! From Goodreads:

Go Fridge-diving at Grizelda’s in Have Frog, Will Travel

A traditional witch’s cottage is a wondrous, if sometimes impractical, thing. But not in the eyes of the County Council Building Regulations Inspectorate. And when the Council Inspector condemns her home after a chance encounter with the Fridge, Grizelda (off-white witch and leading proponent of the people/frog spell) is forced into a quest for a competent builder to make the necessary alterations.

But such things are not always easy to find, and as for a suitable plumber, well, you could throw money down the drain. Or the frog pond, as it might be… Just who is going to turn out to be Another Brick In The Wall?

And because Amazon’s blurb differs slightly, here’s that one:

Privatized

September 13, 20142 Comments

That’s right, I’ve privatized the majority of my poetry posts. I’m working on a follow-up to Tuesday Daydreams, and in preparation, I’ve made private all the posts that will be featured in my second collection. Formatting with two little monkeys climbing on me is proving a challenge, and I’m having issues with a couple other things, but I hope to have it available soon.

I’ll keep you posted!

And the winners are…

September 3, 2014Leave a comment

The Summer Reads Blog Tour is finally at an end. Can you believe it? I know I can’t! It seems like just yesterday I was sharing the first round of great books. What happened to summer?

At any rate, the winners of the Rafflecopter contest have been chosen, and if you scroll down, you can see who won which prizes and how to claim them! So long, summer, and hello, booky goodness!

And the winners are…
a1a52-summer2breads2bbanner …behind the cut!

A chocolatey challenge

June 10, 201412 Comments

The Chocolate Bar Challenge is a blog tour in which participants choose up to eight of their favorite books and then pick the perfect chocolate to go with each of them. I was tagged by the lovely AFE Smith and since the only thing I like better than books or chocolate is books AND chocolate, this seemed like a fantastic idea.

Now, on to the deliciousness! In no particular order, of course. 🙂

First up, it’s my all-time favorite book, Time Enough for Drums by Ann Rinaldi. It’s set in Trenton during the Revolutionary War and follows Jemima, a staunch Patriot who can’t understand why her parents allow a Tory to tutor her. But things aren’t quite what they seem, and as the war takes an unexpected toll, she learns some hard lessons about freedom and responsibility. It’s a fantastic book, and I’ve read it so many times I can quote it at length.

I think the best chocolate to pair with a great comfort read like this (because it’s one of my favorite comfort reads) is a milk chocolate Dove bar. Smooth and creamy with just the right amount of sweetness…

Chasing Azrael

June 3, 20146 Comments

Hello! Me again. I’ve finished two books quite close together, so I’m back with another review for you. Today, let’s take a look at Chasing Azrael by Hazel Butler, archaeologist, artist, and fellow member of the Alliance of Worldbuilders. From Amazon:

When Andee Tilbrook’s husband died, her preoccupation with death turned to obsession. Thanks to her unique ability to commune with the dead, her husband remains all too close, yet never close enough. Mired in grief, she clings to James’s spirit, slowly losing touch with the world, her friends, and any desire to continue living.

But when her friend Josh becomes the target of Natalya, a jealous, capricious and violent Russian beauty, Andee somehow finds the strength to free herself from her misery long enough to help him. They soon discover that Natalya is wanted by the police for her involvement in a series of grisly murders, and Andee is dragged into the inquiry by the same man who investigated her own husband’s death.

Torn between new feelings for Josh, and fear that he might be involved in the murders that seem to threaten anyone who comes close, Andee must face the realities of her life, her past, and her very nature-and do it all in time to save her own life.

I could not put this book down. I stayed up past the witching hour…

Review time!

June 2, 201410 Comments

I’ve been reading again the last few weeks, something I really should do more of. I used to always have my nose in a book, but now trying to find time to escape into another world so completely when there are so many other demands on my time is just exhausting. I really do need to make more of an effort, though, because reading more (and widely) is one of the best, easiest, and most entertaining ways to improve my own writing.

With that in mind, behold the glory that is City of the Sun by Juliana Maio. This fantastic book is set in Cairo during WWII, which is one of my favorite periods to study, the Holocaust in particular. I love reading accounts of what it was like living under Nazi rule because it’s so different from what I know, and it terrifies me to think that people can be so horrible to each other.

But this book is a work of fiction; while real people appear in it, and similar events did take place, the author used them for her own purposes. From Goodreads:

Ambitious American journalist Mickey Connolly has come to Cairo to report on the true state of the war. Facing expulsion by the British for not playing by their rules, he accepts a deal from the U.S. embassy that allows him to remain in the country. His covert mission: to infiltrate the city’s thriving Jewish community and locate a refugee nuclear scientist who could be key to America’s new weapons program. But Mickey is not the only one looking for the elusive scientist. A Nazi spy is also desperate to find him–and the race is on. Into this mix an enigmatic young woman appears, a refugee herself. Her fate becomes intertwined with Mickey’s, giving rise to a story of passion, entangled commitments, and half-truths.

Once I started this story, I couldn’t put it down. Well, okay, I could, obviously, or it wouldn’t have taken me so long to finish it, but when I wasn’t reading, I was thinking about it. Mickey and Maya wouldn’t leave me alone; they demanded I finish reading to see what happened. The romance was captivating, and the tension just kept ratcheting up the further I read. I noted some parallels between what happened in the Middle East 70-odd years ago and what is happening there today, which made the story all the more intriguing.

If you like historical fiction, and you like a good love story, and you’re looking for a thrill, then check out City of the Sun. It’s got all of that and more!

Author Interview with Juliana Maio and Giveaway

My writing process

May 19, 201414 Comments

Last week, my friend and fellow author Tricia Drammeh tagged me in the My Writing Process blog hop, so that’s what I’ll be talking about today. I’ll try not to bore you all to tears, but no promises.

I kid. I won’t bore you. I hope. 😀

What are you currently working on?

Lipei
Artwork by Hazel Butler

I’m currently in the midst of rewriting The Lokana Chronicles. I think this is Official Rewrite No. 3, but since I’ve been working on this series for the better part of a decade, it’s hard to tell – I’ve decided that keeping track of all the revisions this thing has undergone is impossible, and I gave up trying a long time ago. Once I finish revising the first book, I’ll be heading back to the query trenches with it, and this time, I hope I’ll have better luck. I feel like the story is much stronger now than it was the first time I queried, and I hope to find someone who agrees with me.

I also have a short story in the works called The Colony, which is about…