Interview and Giveaway with Heather Lyons

I recently read Heather’s books, A Matter of Fate and A Matter of Heart, in just a few days. I was so fascinated with her characters and story line that I couldn’t stop reading until I devoured them both. I am very lucky to have her here today to discuss her new book, A Matter of Heart, which just recently came out.

1. Tell me about your new release, A Matter of Heart.

I recently released the second book in my Fate series, A Matter of Heart (the first is A Matter of Fate). The series, which starts as Young Adult and transitions to New Adult in this second book, follows the journey of Chloe Lilywhite, a powerful Creator who is not only partially responsible for all of the worlds she and the rest of the Magicals oversee, but is also entrenched in a truly messy love triangle between twin brothers. In A Matter of Heart, Chloe settles into her role on the Council while having to deal with all of the complicated emotions stemming from being in love with two people.

2. Where did you come up with the idea for this series?

Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve been fascinated with various mythologies from around the world. It was always fun to wonder what it would be like if there WERE people who oversaw our world, from the crops we grow to the weather to how people acquire knowledge. So when I sat down to write the Fate series, I knew I wanted to explore what these beings would be like and how they work; having one of the most powerful (and conflicted) being a teenage girl seemed almost too fun to pass up.

3. Do you have any actors that you envision when you are writing your characters?

For some, right away yes, for some no. There are a lot of characters that I have trouble matching up to actors/models/etc. But for the three main characters in my Fate series, I do have a pair of actors that I feel look fairly close to how they do in my head. For Chloe Lilywhite, Imogene Poots is pretty spot on. For Jonah and Kellan, who are identical twins, I see Ben Barnes (when he was younger) in the role.

4. What are you currently working on ?

I am currently wrapping up a story that has its roots in Greek mythology. See? I love me some mythologies!

5. What is your favorite book that you’ve read at the moment?

Oh, wow. This is like picking a favorite child. Hmm….I’m going to have to go with Persuasion by Jane Austen. I’ve only read it a zillion times! If we’re talking recent releases, I absolutely adored Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. Ooh-la-la!

6. What advice would you give aspiring writers?

Write. Write some more. And then keep on writing!

Thank you so much for answering my questions. It is a pleasure to have you here today.

Thank you so much for having me!

About the Author:

Heather Lyons has always had a thing for words—She’s been writing stories since she was a kid. In addition to writing, she’s also been an archaeologist and a teacher. Heather is a rabid music fan, as evidenced by her (mostly) music-centric blog, and she’s married to an even larger music snob. They’re happily raising three kids who are mini music fiends who love to read and be read to.

Links:

Website /Author Goodreads / Twitter /Facebook

Chloe Lilywhite struggles with all the normal problems of a typical seventeen-year-old high school student. Only, Chloe isn’t a normal teenage girl. She’s a Magical, part of a secret race of beings who influence the universe. More importantly, she’s a Creator, which means Fate mapped out her destiny long ago, from her college choice, to where she will live, to even her job. While her friends and relatives relish their future roles, Chloe resents the lack of say in her life, especially when she learns she’s to be guarded against a vengeful group of beings bent on wiping out her kind. Their number one target? Chloe, of course.

That’s nothing compared to the boy trouble she’s gotten herself into. Because a guy she’s literally dreamed of and loved her entire life, one she never knew truly existed, shows up in her math class, and with him comes a twin brother she finds herself inexplicably drawn to.

Chloe’s once unyielding path now has a lot more choices than she ever thought possible.

Amazon / Barnes & Noble /Goodreads

Jennifer’s Review of A Matter of Heart

TITLE: A Matter of Heart

SERIES #: Fate Series #2

CHARACTERS: Chloe Lilywhite, Jonah and Kellan Whitecomb

AUTHOR: Heather Lyons

PUBLICATION DATE: 06/25/13

ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS: No longer in high school, Chloe Lilywhite is now living and working in Annar, the Magicals city-state plane of existence. Since moving, she’s joined the Council, gone on missions with the Guard, moved into her own apartment, and enrolled at the University of Annar. Plus, she’s happily engaged to be married to Jonah Whitecomb, the literal man of her dreams, not to mention her Connection. While she still struggles with aspects of her craft, Chloe feels like she’s finally coming into her own, especially after a difficult year that had her questioning nearly everything in her life.

After a brutal attack by the Elders, her life is turned upside down once more. Accusations fly throughout the Council and Guard, forcing Chloe to confront her worst fears about what she’s capable of as a Creator. And then there’s the matter of Kellan Whitecomb, Jonah’s twin brother and Chloe’s ex, who resurfaces after disappearing months before. Although Chloe chose Jonah, and despite their best efforts, the two find it hard to stay away from another.

But no matter what Fate throws at her, Chloe is determined to take charge of her life, even as it begins to spiral out of control.

REVIEW PROVIDED BY: Jennifer NUMBER OF STARS: Five Stars

REVIEW: I devoured A Matter of Fate in a couple of days and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on A Matter of Heart. Chloe Lilywhite has taken her place as Creator on the council and is immediately assigned challenging missions right out of the gate. Being put in a powerful yet stressful position at such a young age provides Chloe with so many conflicted emotions that it was hard to watch at times as she struggled with these difficult decisions. She has a terrible burden placed on her shoulders and I was impressed with her character because I know that I never would have been able to handle that level of stress at her age. With these changes, Chloe also has to deal with the fact that the threat from the Elders is escalating and is now putting everyone that she loves in harm’s way.

Her relationship with Jonah has taken a more serious turn now that they have moved to Annar and live next to each other. They are engaged to be married but Chloe still feels conflicted because of her feelings for his twin, Kellan. In the first book, I absolutely adored Kellan because I just felt that he was a better match for Chloe, even though she was Connected and destined to be with Jonah. In this book, she still has to work with Kellan, which is awkward and confusing at times because they are both unsure about what to say to each other. The feelings are still there and I just find myself liking Kellan more and more. The love triangle between the three intensifies in this book and it was such an gut-wrenching emotional roller-coaster from beginning to end.

I loved A Matter of Heart and Heather’s writing captured my attention from the very start. I can’t wait to read A Matter of Truth which is due out in December because I can’t wait to see what happens to Chloe next after the events in A Matter of Heart.

Giveaway

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August 9, 2013August 7, 2013

Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea Interview with April Genevieve Tucholke

I am so excited to have April Genevieve Tucholke here today to discuss her new novel, Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea. This book has been on my radar for quite some time and I definitely enjoyed this Gothic thriller.

1. Tell me about your new release Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea.

It comes out Aug. 15 from Penguin/Dial. It’s a Gothic horror. It’s 368 pages. The characters cook a lot of good food, in between scenes of dread and terror. There is some kissing, and some blood. It’s rated PG-13 for violence and some sexuality.

2. Where did you come up with the idea for this?

I read this article while living in Scotland: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/8574484.stm The entire book spun off from this truth-is-stranger-than-fiction news story. I wondered about the kid who started the rumor about the vampire in the cemetery–no doubt it all came down to one charismatic little liar of a kid. This is where I got the idea for River…

3. What attracted you to the YA genre?

I like writing teenage characters. I remember being a teen. Vividly. I think it’s a complex, fascinating, action-packed stretch of time. Or at least I can make it seem that way, fictionally.

4. Did you have any actors in mind when you were writing your characters?

You know, I didn’t. I was worried I would unconsciously alter the original characters, if I imagined actors playing the role. I still haven’t thought about it, I guess. Maybe I’ll have to leave it up to the readers 🙂

5. What are you working on now?

I’m doing the final revisions on the DEVIL sequel, BETWEEN THE SPARK AND THE BURN. Then I go back to working on my post-apocalypse book THE SCARECROW.

6. Are there any authors that you feel influence you?

Completely. Meg Rosoff. Susanna Clarke. The Brontes. Daphne du Maurier. Stephen King. Lovecraft.

7. Any advice for aspiring writers?

Read. Write, sure, that’s important…but also read. Read, read, read. All genres. Not just the one you’re writing in. Read the classics and read poetry and read science fiction and travel memoirs. Read it all.

Thank you so much for being here today and I hope that everyone reads your book because I know they will love it.

Thanks for this opportunity.

About the Author:

April Genevieve Tucholke digs classic movies, red-headed villains, big kitchens, and discussing murder at the dinner table. She and her husband Nate Pedersen live in Oregon at the edge of a forest.

Jennifer’s Review of Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea

TITLE: Between The Devil and The Deep Blue Sea

CHARACTERS: Violet White and River West

AUTHOR: April Genevieve Tucholke

PUBLICATION DATE: 08/15/13

ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS: You stop fearing the Devil when you’re holding his hand………..

Nothing much exciting rolls through Violet White’s sleepy, seaside town…until River West comes along. River rents the guesthouse behind Violet’s crumbling estate, and as eerie, grim things start to happen, Violet begins to wonder about the boy living in her backyard. Is River just a crooked-smiling liar with pretty eyes and a mysterious past? Or could he be something more?

Violet’s grandmother always warned her about the Devil, but she never said he could be a dark-haired boy who takes naps in the sun, who likes coffee, who kisses you in a cemetery…who makes you want to kiss back. Violet’s already so knee-deep in love, she can’t see straight. And that’s just how River likes it.

REVIEW PROVIDED BY: Jennifer NUMBER OF STARS: Five Stars

This was a hauntingly romantic story with dramatic characters and a rich atmosphere that just adds to its Gothic storyline. Violet and her brother, Luke, are living on their own ever since their parents left to study art in Paris. To make ends meet, Violet rents out the cottage behind their home to the mysterious and charming River West. Violet and River start spending a lot of time with one another and Violet soon begins to develop feelings for this handsome young man. Around the time of River’s arrival in town, strange events occur around Violet and her friends, which leads her to believe that River may have ulterior motives for being there. Is River a victim of circumstance or is he behind all the mysterious occurrences?

River was definitely a bad boy, someone who you know will break your heart but you can’t help falling in love with him anyways. He was so charming, smart and everyone automatically liked him on sight. But that was his downfall. If someone seems to be too good to be true, they usually are and I always felt that River was hiding something from Violet throughout the course of the book.

Violet was such a sweet girl and I connected with her from the very beginning. She was trying to keep everything together with her parents and her beloved grandmother gone, and she had this inner strength that you usually don’t see with girls that age. Even though she was a smart young girl, she still had this innocence about her, especially when it came to boys and relationships. Watching Violet fall in love for the first time brought back memories because that first love is always bittersweet and even though she believes that River may be responsible for the mysterious events plaguing the town, she can’t help falling for him.

Between The Devil and The Deep Blue Sea is a great novel that is bound to become a classic. With its timeless characters and darkly rich scenery, April Genevieve Tucholke is a master storyteller and I can’t wait to see what she creates next.

August 2, 2013August 2, 2013

Letters to Nowhere with Julie Cross

I’m proud to have Julie Cross here today to discuss her new book, Letters to Nowhere. This is a sweet romance that I hope that you will check out.

1. Tell me a little bit about your new release Letters to Nowhere.

LtN has all the usual elements readers are looking for in a contemporary teen romance—a swoon worthy boy, sexual tension, emotional connection and conflicts that make the relationship complicated at times—but there’s also this added element of the world of elite gymnastics. I’m such a fan of sports-themed YA and NA novels. I read all of them I can get my hands on and I can honestly say that LtN is very true to the sport of gymnastics and it is a huge part of the plot, not just this thing on the side that doesn’t get nearly enough page time. Gymnastics is my main character, Karen’s, life. She lives it and breathes it. She does all her schooling online and trains 7-8 hours per day, six days a week. There’s really no room for boys in her life but somehow, one boy finds his way into her life and her heart. In this case, it’s exactly what Karen needs.

2. I understand that this book has a special place in your heart. Are you able to share with us?

Yes, LtN is truly the book of my heart. Up until a few months before my first novel, Tempest, released I worked full time as a Gymnastics Program Director at the YMCA. I participated and competed in gymnastics on and off until I was 15. At 15, I started coaching at a YMCA in the Chicago area. I’ve coaching ever since and I’m 33 now. My daughters compete in gymnastics now so I volunteer coach at their gym when I’m available. My passion for the sport and learning everything I could about it is identical to my passion for writing.

Since I began writing in May of 2009, I’ve dreamt about writing a YA novel with an elite gymnast narrating. It combines my two greatest passions—gymnastics and teen fiction. I would have killed to read this book or anything like it when I was a teenager and even now. But at the time I began writing and even after having a book deal, there just wasn’t much of a market for contemporary YA and NA didn’t have a place at all until recently, so I pushed the idea aside and forced myself to think of concepts that would pay the bills and allow me to be at home with my kids. Until I had a very clear concept in January of 2012. It started with a question, as books often do. Female elite gymnasts are often still children and the support system required from families to get to that level is huge. So I had this girl in my head who had big dreams—World and Olympic level dreams—and then I thought, what if her support system was suddenly and instantly gone? Could she keep going? And if not, what would she do? She’s never been to high school, never done teenage activities, she doesn’t know how to be 17. The characters spoke to me and wouldn’t stop. The scenes played out. Then the Olympic Games happened last summer, and I had no choice but to write this book, marketable or not.

3. Which actors do you envision playing your characters in Letters to Nowhere?

Karen, to me, has always been a red-headed McKayla Maroney. I can’t see her as anyone else. Her teammates make up the secondary characters and I have former and present day gymnasts envisioned for each of them. As far as Jordan (the main love interest in LtN) goes, Conner Jessup from the TNT hit series Falling Skies is just perfect.

4. What are you working on next?

I’m working on sequels for LtN. There’s still a lot for Karen to accomplish and many of my early beta readers threatened to stalk me constantly if I didn’t continue the story. I also have two Mature YA/NA releases coming out this fall and a co-authored NA series set in the world of NYC models that I wrote with Mark Perini titled HALFWAY PERFECT has sold recently and will probably release summer 2014. There’s also TIMESTORM, the final book in the Tempest series releasing in January 2014.

5. What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

1) Read a lot. And more specifically, read in the genre you’d like to be published in
2) If you’re writing YA or NA or even MG, write the story your teen or tween self would have wanted to read.

About the Author:

I live in central Illinois with my wonderful husband and three kids currently between the ages of 7 and 12 (the kids not the husband). My writing journey began in May, 2009 with a short story in a notebook.

Within a year, I had written seven (some good some God-awful) young adult novels. Not being a college graduate and having spent the previous fifteen years teaching gymnastics and working as a YMCA Program Director for Recreational Gymnastics, professional writing wasn’t in my plans. Not even close. But ever since the day I started that short story, I haven’t been able to stop. It was love at first sight.

After about a year of writing, I had a three book deal with St. Martin’s Press, and a film option with Summit Entertainment. Crazy, right? I know. It wasn’t until August of 2011 that I quit working full time in order to be at home with my kids more and of course, write more. My young adult time travel debut novel, Tempest, released on January 17, 2012. The rest of my personal story remains unwritten.

Jennifer’s Review of Letters To Nowhere

TITLE: Letters to Nowhere

CHARACTERS: Karen Campbell and Jordan Bentley

AUTHOR: Julie Cross

PUBLICATION DATE: 08/06/13

BOOK SYNOPSIS: Seventeen year old Karen Campbell has just lost both her parents in a tragic car accident. Grief stricken and alone, her gymnastics coach opens his home to Karen, providing her a place to live while she continues to train, working toward a spot on the world championship team.

Coach Bentley’s only child, seventeen year old Jordan is good-looking and charming enough to scare away a girl like Karen–someone who has spent ten times more hours on balance beams and uneven bars than talking or even thinking about boys. But the two teens share a special connection almost immediately. It turns out Jordan has a tragic past of his own, grief buried for years.

As Karen’s gymnastics career soars, her nightmares and visions of the horrible accident grow in strength. She can only avoid facing her grief for so long before it begins to surface and ultimately spin out of control in a very dangerous way. Can discovering love and lust (simultaneously) help with the grieving process or will it only provide a temporary distraction while waiting for reality to hit full force.

REVIEW PROVIDED BY: Jennifer NUMBER OF STARS: Four Stars

REVIEW: This book was an emotional coming of age story about a young gymnast named Karen who is still reeling from the loss of her parents after a tragic car accident. Not sure where to go with her parents gone, her coach offers to take her in so she can finish school and still be able to train with her team. Coach Bentley has also dealt with loss, and his young son, Jordan, becomes an ally and confidant for Karen during this troubling time. Besides dealing with her grief, Karen also starts to experience normal teenage milestones such as dating and falling in love without the support of her family.

I loved Julie Cross’ style of writing in her previous novels and this book really captures Karen’s emotional journey of navigating through her teenage years without her mom and how that loss shapes who she is. I loved how Karen wrote letters to the people in her life about what she was feeling that she never planned to send, which really touched my heart. I couldn’t imagine losing my family such as Karen did and she was tremendously brave to continue with her normal routine knowing that every step of the way she would be thinking of her parents. I connected with her almost immediately and I was glad that she had the relationship with Jordan that she did. He was smart, funny and just what Karen needed to get through this period of her life. Neither of them are perfect but they fit well together and I loved watching their relationship grow during the course of this story. I really enjoyed Letters to Nowhere and Karen’s story of grief, triumph, friendship and love will stick with you long after you finish the last page.

July 1, 2013June 30, 2013

Cover Reveal of Origin by Jennifer Armentrout

Daemon will do anything to get Katy back.

After the successful but disastrous raid on Mount Weather, he’s facing the impossible. Katy is gone. Taken. Everything becomes about finding her. Taking out anyone who stands in his way? Done. Burning down the whole world to save her? Gladly. Exposing his alien race to the world? With pleasure.

All Katy can do is survive.

Surrounded by enemies, the only way she can come out of this is to adapt. After all, there are sides of Daedalus that don’t seem entirely crazy, but the group’s goals are frightening and the truths they speak even more disturbing. Who are the real bad guys? Daedalus? Mankind? Or the Luxen?

Together, they can face anything.

But the most dangerous foe has been there all along, and when the truths are exposed and the lies come crumbling down, which side will Daemon and Katy be standing on? And will they even be together?

Goodreads/Amazon /B&N

About the Author:

# 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer Armentrout lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell, Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen.

She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

Twitter /Facebook /Website

January 16, 2013January 12, 2013

Jennifer’s review of The Edge Of Nowhere by Elizabeth George

TITLE: The Edge of Nowhere
AUTHOR: Elizabeth George
PUBLICATION DATE: 9/04/12
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Becca King is on the run. Her ability to hear “whispers”–the thoughts of others–has put her at risk from her stepfather, whose criminal activities she’s discovered. When she arrives on Whidbey Island, beautiful, wild and a world apart, she embarks on a life very different from her old one, with new friends that include, Seth, a kind-hearted dropout turned gypsy jazz musician; Derric, a Ugandan boy adopted by a local family; Diana, with whom she shares a psychic powers; and Debbie, who makes a habit of helping runaways.

REVIEW: I was very excited to read the beginning of this new Young Adult series from Elizabeth George because I have enjoyed her mysteries in the past. This book held the promise of mystery and romance with a paranormal element among a secluded locale which should have been thrilling to read. The only problem was that this book didn’t follow through with any of these aspects that were promised. Becca King, the main character, has a hearing disability that is helped via an auditory device that can drown out excess noise to help her focus when others are speaking. When she doesn’t use this device, she is able to pick up “whispers” from people, which are snippets of their true thoughts. This helps Becca discover people’s most intimate thoughts and feelings, even when their facial expressions portray something else entirely. She is currently on the run from her stepfather, because she learned from his “whispers” that he killed his business partner and covered up the crime. She is brought to Whidbey Island to stay with a family friend, but nothing goes as planned and Becca finds herself living alone in a strange city with no one to help her.

To me, Becca was a very sad character that spent most of the book feeling sorry for herself instead of looking for anything positive in her new surroundings. The pacing of the story was very slow and the mystery aspect of this novel turned out to be not a mystery at all. I have enjoyed Elizabeth George’s Adult mysteries but I was very disappointed in this installment in her YA series. The second one may be more interesting but I was unable to connect with these characters and will not be reading the next one after reading The Edge of Nowhere.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

December 22, 2012December 22, 2012

Real Mermaids (YA) Series by Helene Bourdreau

Real Mermaids Don’t Wear Toe Rings

Real Mermaids #1

First zit. First crush. First…mermaid’s tail?

If she hadn’t been so clueless, she might have seen it coming. But really, who expects to get into a relaxing bathtub after a stressful day of shopping for tankinis and come out with scales and a tail?

Most. Embarassing. Moment. Ever.

Jade soon discovers she inherited her mermaid tendencies from her mom. But this revelation raises a serious question: if Mom was a mermaid, how did she drown?

Jade is determined to find out. But how does a plus-sized, aqua-phobic, mer-girl go about doing that, exactly? And how will Jade ever be able to explain her secret to her best friend Cori, and her crush, Luke?

This summer is about to get a lot more interesting

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Real Mermaids Don’t Hold Their Breath

Real Mermaids #2

Jade begins her summer confused. Yes, there’s that whole “will this be a leg-day or a tail-day” kind of confusion, but Jade’s got even bigger problems: it’s been three weeks since Mom returned to the ocean with no news of her whereabouts. Plus, it’s been twenty-one days since Jade first kissed her mer-boy Luke and now-nothing.

Will Mom find the enchanted tidal pool that will allow her to become human? And why is Luke acting so weird?

The SEAquel to Helene Boudreau’s critically acclaimed Real Mermaids Don’t Wear Toe Rings is as energetic and fresh as a salty sea breeze.

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Real Mermaids Don’t Need High Heels

Real Mermaids #3

Jade is really ready for life to return to normal—even if ninth grade is like being a goldfish in a shark tank and being asked to Junior Prom means Jade must get over her fear of awkward dancing. But there is unrest in the ocean, and the whole mer-world is on the brink of civil war. Can Jade find a plus-sized junior prom dress that doesn’t look like a shower curtain, keep her mer-ness a secret, and finally figure out if she and Luke are officially dating?

Check out Helene’s books here:
Helene’s Amazon Page | Helene’s B&N Page

Real Mermaids Don’t Wear Toe Rings

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Real Mermaids Don’t Hold Their Breath

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Real Mermaids Don’t Need High Heels

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Real Mermaids Don’t Hold Their Breath