by Emma Raveling Publication date: TBA YA, urban fantasy
They are the Strange, those born of magic, myths, and legends. Beings who defy scientific explanation, whose physical and mental abilities far surpass the limitations of the human body.
When they first appeared, the world resisted, frightened by their powers. But after decades of bloodshed, humanity finally accepted that the Strange were here to stay.
A tenuous peace exists. For now.
WELCOME TO BRANNIGAN CITY
Seventeen-year-old Delaney Corbeau is one of the Skilled. As a Chancer, she uses her magic to help humans find everything from misplaced keys and hidden heirlooms to lost pets.
'
She can find anyone and anything…except the two people she needs the most.
Liam Connelly is an Earth Shifter and son of Brannigan City’s Alpha. When his older brother goes missing, he must turn to his former childhood friend for help. Delaney’s the only person who can locate him.
The problem is they haven’t spoken in four years.
When a reclusive art collector hires Delaney to locate a stolen antique Japanese book, her path crosses with Liam once again. Soon, the simple retrieval job becomes something much more terrifying.
An old evil is stirring and it’s determined to punish every living being in Brannigan City, both Strange and human.
Delaney and Liam will have to work together if they want to survive.
Lost Blood is the first book in Emma Raveling’s new Chancer series, featuring two unlikely allies and a mysterious, thrilling adventure set in a dark world full of monsters and magic.
Emma Raveling writes a wide variety of fiction for teens and adults. She is the author of the young adult urban / contemporary fantasy series, the Ondine Quartet, and Lost Blood, the first installment of the forthcoming young adult urban fantasy series, Chancer. She’s also working on the first book in her new Steel Magic series for adults.
An avid traveler hopelessly addicted to diet coke and coffee, she currently resides in Honolulu, Hawaii with her husband and German shepherd.
Feature and Follow Friday is hosted by two different hosts, Parajunkee and Alison Can Read! This meme is here for bloggers to gain new blogger friends and followers.
This weeks topic:
What books would you give to newbies in your favourite genre?
Well, my favourite genre is dystopia - though it needs to be really good with solid world-building. Against odds, I wouldn't recommend The Hunger Games to a newbie (most likely newbie would have heard of it anyway and in my opinion, there's better books in the genre than THG). I'd give the newbie Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi (because the world-building is stunning and even more imporantly, the characters are maybe the best I've ever had pleasure to read) AND The Maze Runner by James Dashner (because I can). I'd also highly recommend Proxy by Alex London (though I'd add that the sequel isn't as good, in fact, I struggle to even read it).
After those I'd probably recommend even more books but this can do for now. Although I just realized how few dystopian books I've actually read. I need to read more dystopians in the future!
Speak
by Laurie Halse Anderson
Published by Puffin
Hardcover (borrowed from library)
YA, contemporary
Melinda Sordino busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops. Now her old friends won't talk to her, and people she doesn't even know hate her from a distance. The safest place to be is alone, inside her own head. But even that's not safe. Because there's something she's trying not to think about, something about the night of the party that, if she let it in, would blow her carefully constructed disguise to smithereens. And then she would have to speak the truth. This extraordinary first novel has captured the imaginations of teenagers and adults across the country.
If I'm right, this is one of those books kids need to read in school (or if it isn't, then it definitely should be). In English speaking countries, at least. I had heard about this one before but somehow always missed it on bookstores or libraries - even if it's apparently translated in Finnish. However, I finally borrowed it from library after I saw it on Booktube and I'm glad I did. I just wish I'd read it sooner but maybe that's not what matters most.
Speak is influential and stunning. Subject might not be amazingly original since I've heard and even read a couple of books with same subject. However, Speak is different than those, way different, mostly of how it's written and what it concentrates on. It's about unbearable subject but Anderson shows how talented storyteller she is by making the story differ from others. Unbearable subject doesn't have to mean a story that's hard, even impossible to read, with a same ways of dealing with a tragic that happened. Instead Anderson told a beautiful, sad story about a girl with a dash of hope of better times in the future. Speak is emotional ride, that's for sure, and it really made me cry in a weirdest parts of the story but it also was funny at times. There was funny things Melinda said and also things that I haven't thought before but what Melinda pointed out. It's not usually easy to relate a young high schooler from America but Anderson made it easy. She made me as a reader to feel the same things as Melinda and really understand why Melinda stopped speaking and why she did things she did.
I don't want to spoil anything so that's why I'm being very vague about the plot. I was spoiled before starting this and while it didn't ruin my experience, it would have been better not knowing. However, I must say that besides the great emotional and influential storytelling, Speak also has intriguing characters. Melinda for sure but also the supporting characters such as Melinda's parents, art teacher, her previous friends and her new friend. Speak is as much character driven as emotional driven story instead of plot driven - and it's perfect that way. There's a plot, sure, but it's not the main point of the story.
Speak is unique, stunning and truly influential story. Everyone should read it, so I recommend it to everyone who hasn't read it yet.
by Sunniva Dee
Publication date: October 28th 2014
NA, contemporary, romance
I’m free. Fucking free!
I’m in college with my best friends and far, far from home!
With my Scheuermann’s disease as the excuse, my father kept me locked up at home all through high school. Here in Deepsilver, I can finally be me, Pandora, so—
Why the hell should I hold back?
They accept our fake IDs at Smother, our local haunt. I’m the life of the party, everyone loves me—hell, I could get away with murder in this place! Drunk off my ass, I dance on the bar, and—
I’m on top of the world!
I need to get my shit together, though. If I don’t pull off good grades, my father won’t pay my tuition. There’s no way I’m moving back into his “fortress.”
At the bar, I set my eyes on a gorgeous stranger. My plans don’t involve him long term; one night should be enough. But Dominic is more than I bargained for. God, I’m so drawn to this man. My skin hums at his touch because—
He expels the shadows of my past and replaces my pain with desire.
I’m a wild child. A hot mess. Not grownup and focused like him. He’s addictive, and I am weak, but—screw this; I can wean myself off him! With the right antidote—
I write New Adult fiction with a paranormal twist and don’t shy away from romance and heart-wrenching passion when necessary.
I moved from Norway to the United States in 2001, and the first awesome five years I spent in the San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles. Then I read “The Book,” aka Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, which spurred my husband and me to move cross country to beautiful Savannah, Georgia.
I’m currently on my seventh year in the Deep South, where I enjoy the heat and the humidity. Besides writing, I spend my time with our “petting zoo” as in an opinionated parrot, a herd of cats that are experts on keyboard shortcuts, and puppies that…uh, bark.
I hold a Master’s degree in languages, with concentrations within literature and linguistics. I taught at college level for a decade before settling in as a graduate adviser at the Savannah College of Art and Design.
Writing is my passion, my joy, and my addiction. When I’m not writing, I read.
Shattering Halos is my debut novel, and its standalone sequel, Stargazer, is due out later this year.
He always gives me more than the hour I come for, and warm, strong hands slide over my bare skin in exactly the way he’s paid to do.
Still, there’s an electricity in the room when he’s near. My heart accelerates instead of slowing down. And sometimes, when I can’t help the way my insides clench for him, my breath stutters.
My response never goes unnoticed; for an instant, his hands freeze. Then, they resume their beautiful dance over me.
When I am starved for him, I flip on the bench. I shut my eyes because sometimes, sometimes, I am shy. He doesn’t speak, then. Through thin slits under my lashes, I watch him watch me.
Some days, his breath coasts light over my face before he kisses me. “Pandora,” he whispers, “I can’t do this here.”
I don’t answer. He stops massaging me, and his hands caress me instead. Glide over the ridges of my ribs until they brush the sides of my breasts.
I’ve got to get my shit together. My life’s a mess, and I love it, fear it, hate it. I’m driving him crazy. Driving myself crazy. But it is what I allow myself. For these few hours a week are my respite, when his hands quiet my mind.
I wasn't tagged by anyone but Cait @ Notebook Sisters kind of tagged anyone who wanted to do this. And I love meme's and tags so I took the chance. Also, here's Cait's post - go and read it, it was fun!
1. How tall are you?
About 170cm (or 5'5 - I have to confess, I needed Google to come up with that, I have never learned British and American way to say heights).
2. Do you have a hidden talent? If so, what?
I'm not sure I have any particular talent at all. I mean, I can do a little bit that and that but there's nothing I'm particularly good. I can cook, draw, paint, and I've had various hobbies when I was younger (such as different kind of sports, riding, arts) but see, I'm not talented with anything. Or I think I'm not. I can do a little bit all those but I've never held interest in them long enough to actually master anything. Except reading. That counts, yeah? And I do write a lot (when I have time, studying tooks way too much of my time).
3. What's your biggest blog related pet peeve?
Blogs which tooks forever to download. If the blog takes too long to download, I'll probably be long gone before it downloads. And the music, oh gosh, do not put any songs on your blogs that blastes whenever I go there. It tooks forever to download and the song probably isn't something I want to listen. So yeah. (Luckily those songs are out of fashion this moment but there was a time when they were everywhere.)
4. What's your biggest non-blog related peeve?
People who parks their cars wrong way. Like took two parking lots for one car and uh that's so annoying when you're looking for a parking lot and there's none and then some not-so-nice-people have parked their cars so that they took two parking lots. Go to driving school to learn how to park your cars, savvy?
5. What's your favourite song?
Ugh, I don't like favourite questons. It's so hard to pick one! I mean, my favourite song changes a lot, depending on mood and weather and everything. Almost. Let's say Bad Moon Rising by Mourning Rituals, Animals by Maroon 5, No One's Here To Sleep by Naughty ft. Bastille, A Step You Can't Take Back by Keira Knightley and Things We Lost In The Fire by Bastille.
(See? I'm incapable of picking one.)
6. What's your favourite etsy store that isn't yours?
I don't use etsy so yeah, don't know any etsy stores.
7. What's your favourite way to spend your free time when you're alone?
Reading, watching TV shows, writing, hanging on Internet, reading more, researching (usually random things like names, legends, how to do that and that, you know) jumping around the room and doing silly things. So yeah. I'm used to being alone and I even like it (I need my alone time to remain sane) so I do a lot of things.
8. What's your favourite junk food?
Depends on what counts as a junk food. Subs? Pizza? Probably both.
9. Do you have a pet?
Techinically no but my family has two dogs. Topi and Kimi, white west highland terriers. A couple years ago our first dog died, his name was Julius and yeah, he was my best friend for twelve long years. Topi is eighteen months old and Kimi is four months so they're babies, kind of. There's never quiet with them when I'm my parents house.
10. What is your top favourite non-fiction and fiction book?
Non-fiction: The Hanged Man by Robert Bartlett. It's one of study books and let me tell you, it's so much fun and easy read and my favourite type of history. Already read it twice.
Fiction: Hard. I can't only pick one! Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë, Half Bad by Sally Green, Under the Never Sky trilogy by Veronica Rossi, Hushed & Made of Stars & Suicide Watch by Kelley York and The Maze Runner by James Dashner.
11. What's your favourite beauty product?
Umm. I don't have one?
12. When you were last embarrassed? What happened?
I'm so bad at questions like these. My mind goes blank and I don't remember anything embarrassing ever. I swear. I do get embarrassed a lot over small things because well, I'm that kind of person but it doesn't last that long.
13. If you could only drink one beverage (besides water) for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Tea and coffee. Though, they're my water, I'd pick them over water any time. I can't survive without tea and coffee.
14. What's your favourite movie?
Bang Bang You're Dead, Brokeback Mountain, Gladiator & Beauty and the Beast.
(You should just give up. I'm never going to name just one thing when talking about favourites.)
15. What were you in high school? (Prom queen, nerd, cheerleader, jock, band geek, valedictorian, loner, artist, prep, etc.?)
So American question. I mean, in Finland we don't have cheerleaders, no prom, we don't name valedictorian and in most schools there's no bands either. So yeah. I can't say what I was because I don't only fit in one category. I was kind of loner but I did have three good friends, kind of artist but not quite, a little bit nerd but not that much. I could go on and on. I just don't fit those American high school cliques.
16. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?
Almost anywhere but Finland. I'm not patriotic at all. Okay, I can answer this simple way: London. (Though I'm not picky as long as it's Great Britain.) I've loved GB and London for most of my life and I went to London once already and fell even more in love with it. It's my kind of place.
17. PC or Mac?
Easy, PC.
18. Last romantic gesture from a crush, date, boy/girlfriend, spouse?
I hugged the dogs and they sat on my lap and licked my face. That's all romance I'm capable of.
19. Favourite celebrity?
Dylan O'Brien.
20. What blogger do you secretly want to be best friends with?
I'm so new and I haven't get to know well anyone yet, so everyone. And that's perfectly good answer.
I won't tag anyone particular but if you want to do this, do it! And if you link your post to me, I'll check it out :)
Feature and Follow Friday is hosted by two different hosts, Parajunkee and Alison Can Read! This meme is here for bloggers to gain new blogger friends and followers.
This weeks topic:
Characters, sometimes our favorites, die during books. If you'd get to choose, who would you bring back?
Firsly, I can't believe a question suggested by me got picked. This is awesome!
It's hard to pick one because so many of my favourite characters have died. Finnick from The Hunger Games, Knox from Proxy and Brom from The Inheritance Cycle are high on my list because their deaths were tradegy. However, I'm going to choose Sirius Black from HP because that's the death I cried the most. I loved him so much and his death was horrible even though I understand why Rowling had to kill him. It still hurts and yeah, I'd bring him back any second possible.
by Annika Martin & Skye Warren Publication date: October 23rd 2014 NA, romance
He seethes with raw power the first time I see him—pure menace and rippling muscles in shackles. He’s dangerous. He’s wild. He’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.
So I hide behind my prim glasses and my book like I always do, because I have secrets too. Then he shows up in the prison writing class I have to teach, and he blows me away with his honesty. He tells me secrets in his stories, and it’s getting harder to hide mine. I shiver when he gets too close, with only the cuffs and the bars and the guards holding him back. At night I can’t stop thinking about him in his cell.
But that’s the thing about an animal in a cage—you never know when he’ll bite. He might use you to escape. He might even pull you into a forest and hold a hand over your mouth so you can’t call for the cops. He might make you come so hard, you can’t think.
And you might crave him more than your next breath.
I’m a NYT bestselling author living a stone’s throw away from the Mississippi with my awesome husband and two cats in a home full of plants, sunshine and books. I'm heavy into writing love stories about criminals--some of them are dirty and fun (my Kinky bank robbers!) others are dark and intense (Prisoner!)
I also write gritty romantic suspense as the RITA-award winning author Carolyn Crane.
Skye Warren is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author of dark romantic fiction. Her books are raw, sexual and perversely tender. For those new to her work, consider the bestseller Wanderlust or Don't Let Go.
Thanks
so much for having me! I’m Skye Warren, New York Times bestselling author of
dark romance. I’m excited to share my new release, Prisoner, which is a book I
co-wrote with my friend and bestselling author Annika Martin.
I
think one of the joys of reading, thinking back even to childhood, was the
sense that anything could happen. Wardrobes opened to new lands and golden
tickets opened the gate to magical chocolate factories.
So
I really didn’t have a sense that there were boundaries in books. That was
something I learned later, as an adult.
And
it’s something I try to unlearn, in a way.
I
try to push my own boundaries with each new book. I try to stretch myself.
Because that’s a huge part of the fun of writing. And even though this is my
career, I want to have fun. Plus, it produces better books. The books I wrote
with my hands flying over the keyboard, the ones I questioned before I
published them if they were even acceptable for public viewing, are
consistently my bestsellers. My readers want me to push the envelope.
When
Annika and I first discussed co-writing we both knew it would be dark and sexy.
Well, that’s what we both already wrote, but we came up with a new style
working together. There’s something seriously sexy about prison… strong men,
powerful men, cunning men contained by something as primitive as metal bars.
Something sexy about defying the laws of society and getting caught, but
maintaining an air of danger.
Some
days, I don’t even see how this stuff is considered that dark—or dangerous.
After all, there are demons and werewolves in books and no one bats an eye. Is
it that strange to read about a person finding love? Even if that person does
happen to be a prison inmate… Real criminals find love (and hot sex) every day.
But then I remember that that’s what makes these stories scary. They hit close
to home. They make us squirm. And that’s why I love them.
Hunters (Demon Series, #1)
by Aoife Marie Sheridan
Publication date: October 1st 2014
NA, paranormal
Abigail is nineteen. Her job, she hunts demons.
Her life so far has been tough. Having witnessed her family’s death and her mother’s suicide, she’s been taken in by a priest, who believes her when she says that she sees ghosts. Father Peter trains her as a demon hunter with three other members, one being Daniel, who isn’t what he seems.
But when a possession goes wrong, and ghosts start to attack Abigail, the tight rope she has on her emotions soon starts to loosen. Abigail draws the unwanted attention of the Reote, and she finds out a lot more than she was willing to learn.
Knowledge is power, but for Abigail, it’s her undoing, and the only thing keeping her together is Daniel.
Aoife Marie Sheridan has loved reading from a very young age, starting off with mills and boon's books, given to by her grandmother her love for romances grew, by the age of 14 she had read hundreds of them.
Aoife had a passion for writing poetry or in her eyes her journal entries. It was something she did throughout her teens and into her twenties. Aoife won first place for two of her poems and had them published at a young age of just nineteen. Realising she needed to get a real job (What writing isn't) she studied accountancy and qualified working in that field for many years, until her passion for reading returned and she found Maria V Snyder. Poison study one of her favourite books has been read and re-read countless times.
Aoife's first book Eden Forest (Part one of the Saskia Trilogy) came to be after a dream of a man and woman on a black horse jumping through a wall of fire and the idea of Saskia was born. Now with her first novel published and taking first place for Eden Forest with Writers Got Talent 2013, Aoife continues to write tales of fantasy and is currently working on her third book for the Saskia Trilogy amongst other new works.
Question: What have you published recently?
Recently I have published Hunters. Demon Series Part one. It will be released on the 1st of October.
Question: What is a typical day like for you as a writer?
Well I work so I don’t have a lot of time to write. My writing goes something like this. If I have a spare moment – grab a pen, the house is empty – type. Quiet at work – get a notepad, ect. Just any moment I can find to write, I will. J But I never suffer with writer’s block, when I finally get to write I know exactly what I want to say.
Question: What types of writing do you do?
Mostly Paranormal/Fantasy but I would love to do a contemporary romance, maybe one day.
Question: What are your favorite characters that you have created? Tell us about them
I just love Cathy. She is part of Abigail’s group. Her story and background are very sad but it gives her a flair. Cathy can be nasty or overly self-confident but she does all this to hide her insecurities her full story comes to light in Book Two (Hunted). But she was fun to write.
Secondly of course is Abigail. She was a very complex character to write. She’s an alcoholic so I had to do a bit of research on this. Also her trauma of seeing her family die has damaged her. She’s fuelled with anger, guilt and self-doubt constantly. We don’t see Abigail in a happy light until we reach Book two (Hunted). We see a more mellow side to her. Over all it was a challenge to write her, but I enjoyed it.
Question: What music do you listen to, while writing?
I have a playlist for hunters. I listened to all these songs on repeat.
1. Another Love By Tom Odell
2. Seven Nation Army By White Stripes
3. Swedish House Mafia (Club scene)
4.Watchtower Delvin Feat - Ed Sheeran
5. Clown by Emeli Sande
6.Runaway By Linkin Park
7. In the End By Linkin Park
8. Talk By Kodaline
Question: What do you eat while writing?
I am not as bad as I use to be, so I don’t really eat, (THAT IS WHILE WRITING) J normally my downfall is caffeine.
Five for Fun:
What is your favourite non-alcoholic drink? Coffee.
What is your favourite cartoon character? I love the little girl from Despicable me.
What is your favourite movie of all time? War of the Worlds.
What TV shows do you like to watch? Games of Thrones.
What do you like to do for fun or just to relax? Read, Watch movies or go out for meals.
by Janell Rhiannon Publication date: TBA YA, romance
Fiona Lavender is the new girl at school. She has a chip on her shoulder and a pension for poetry.
Dario Martinez is the star quarterback, and the most unattainable guy on campus. Their stars cross when they are paired to study Romeo and Juliet for a senior English project. Their connection is fragile and undeniable. But, Dario is afraid of what love will do; and Fiona is waiting for love to claim her.
Will they uncross the stars and find the love they both need to heal their pasts?
Janell has been writing since she was in grade school. In high school, her 9th grade English teacher suggested she consider a career in writing. After a decade in college and a Master's degree in history, she settled into teaching.
Writing never stopped. Stories never stopped. READING fiction never stopped. Now, she writes and publishes on-line. Invisible Wings is her first YA novel, a compilation of short stories centered on teenage life triumphs and tragedies. She believes being a teenager is difficult and wrote Invisible Wings to let teens know they aren't alone. That they matter. That even though life is rough, they can still find beauty and love.
Beside the YA stories close to her heart, she adores Mythology and Fairy tales. Anything magical and mystical. And dragons. And gargoyles.
She currently lives in CA.
Visit her at Facebook @Janell Rhiannon Author. If you want to see what projects are in the works or find out more about the her, visit
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week participating bloggers can create lists of topic given by the host, and share them with others!
Within a couple of last years. I'm not being too harsh on that line because there's a lot new-ish (which means first book came out 2011-2014) series that I've wanted to start and even some I own the first book but for one reason or other I've never got around reading before.
In no particular order:
1. Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin: Friend of mine is crazy about this (everyone seems to be crazy about this) and I will read it. Sometime. When I get the first books.
2. Archlight by Josin L. McQuien: I own the first book of trilogy (I think it's a trilogy, or possibly dualogy) but I haven't got around it. I'm still excited about the storyline so I hope to get around it soon-ish.
3. Toxic City by Tim Lebbon: I got the first book, London Eye, for a present last year but I haven't started it yet. I'm hoping to read it on Christmas break because it's not large book, somewhat around two hundred pages. And seriously, London. If there's London in a book, I'm pretty sure I'm going to love it (I have healthy obsession with London).
4. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas: Everyone is probably heard about this saga but I haven't started it yet. I don't own the books, yet!, but I'm planning on getting them. Possibly after Christmas when my book buying ban ends.
5. The Mortality Doctrine by James Dashner: I recently got the first book, Eye of the Minds, and I'm excited to read it. I loved The Maze Runner so I have high hopes with this one, too.
6. The Grisha by Leigh Bardugo: I purchaed Shadow and Bone over a year ago but never got around reading it. I will, though, because I'm truly interested about this series.
7. Birthmarked by Caragh O'Brien: I have had the first book for so long! For some reason, I've always skipped it when picking a book and I don't know. It's dystopia and I liked the synopsis so I'll get into it when I have time.
8. The Syrena Legacy by Anna Banks: This seems to be on all my memes and lists. But what I can do, I really want to get reading Of Poseidon. I've been obsessed by mermaids and mermans for some reason recently and I just need to read this.
9. Dust Lands by Moira Young: I almost bought Blood Red Road when I was in London but then I didn't, and I've regretted it ever since. It's dystopia and sounds so intriguing and it's from British author which is always a huge plus.
10. The Murder Complex by Lindsay Cummings: Everyone's talking about it, synopsis are great and I love the cover. I need this one in my life.
Gabriel's City
by Laylah Hunter
Published by Riptide Publishing
Ebook (received from publisher via NetGalley, thank you!)
NA/Adult, LGBT, fantasy, romance
For spoiled young aristocrat Colin Harwood, the port city of Casmile is a buffet of easy pleasures. But when he steps into a pub brawl to help a dangerously outnumbered young man, he is drawn into the seedy underbelly of the city the young man calls home.
Gabriel is a cutpurse and a knife for hire, practically an urban legend. His vision of Casmile is touched by a strange combination of faith and madness, driven by fairytale logic and a capacity for love that he often must suppress to survive. He’s always worked alone, but when a dashing dragon who calls himself Colin saves him in a bar fight, he pulls Colin into his world.
Gabriel’s city is nothing like the refined, socialite existence that bored Colin senseless. Colin finds adventure and excitement there—and maybe even love. But with his layers of finery stripped away, nothing remains to protect him from poverty or danger—except Gabriel. So he must choose: go back to the civilized young man he once was, or fly free as Gabriel’s dragon.
Publication November 17th.
Let me praise the writing up to the sky. Hunter's writing was magical and it really took me from my reading place and introduced me the city of Casmile where everything seemed so much more exciting. There was no finery or socialite as Gabriel introduced Colin - or as he said, his Drake - to darker side of Casmile: the dark, gloomy streets. It was magical as Hunter's writing descriped everything yet so detailed but not boring at all. Also, she really knew her characters and I felt so lucky to witness how they both grew as a person and how much they taught to each other.
Technically Gabriel's City was a street thug romance. However, Hunter's writing, the plot and characters itself (mainly Colin and Gabriel) made the story seem so much more. It wasn't simply street thug romance as Colin learned that the priviledged life he had wasn't everything there was and while Gabriel learned some compassion and kindness from Colin. They made each other better in their own ways and it wasn't forced at all. Many times in romance genre it feels forced - there's a man and woman or man and man and they fall in love and things happen. Hunter did it differently. She told a story about two young men - whose life couldn't be more different, whose personalities were different. Practically everything in them was different from each other. During the story the romance aspect seemed to be more like a backround as it was there but it didn't consume the story and it's characters itself.
And Gabriel. Oh my, he's a character that stole my heart practically right away. Some could say he's a nutcase. I'd say he's edgy, interesting, spontanius, unpredictable, marvellous, nothing like I've ever had pleasure to meet. Gabriel's not good, per say, no - he's a street thug: he steals, lies and he's even killed. He's not even sorry for it. He might not sound good or anything like that and even while he's not, you just have to love him. If not because who he is, then because how he treats Colin. Gabriel's gentle and kind towards Colin and they keep each other safe and sound, well, as sade as you can be on Casmile's streets. He's not good but he's not heartless basteads either. Flawed human being, that's what Gabriel is.
Exceptional story with a magical writing and heart stealing characters. They won't give your heart back and eventually, you don't even want it back. Gabriel's City is a stunning story, don't miss it! I highly recommend it.
Feature and Follow Friday is hosted by two different hosts, Parajunkee and Alison Can Read! This meme is here for bloggers to gain new blogger friends and followers.
This weeks topic:
Share the song you can't stop listening to.
Oh boy. This changes a lot depending on my mood and million other things. Also, there's always more than one song. So I'll answer this with multiple songs I've been listening really frequently lately.
Keira Knightley - Tell Me If You Wanna Go Home
Maroon 5 - Animals
Charli XCX - Boom Clap
Mourning Rituals - Bad Moon Rising
Naughty Boy ft. Bastille - No One's Here To Sleep Tonight
by Kate Avery Ellison Publication date: March 28th 2012 YA, dystopia
In the icy, monster-plagued world of the Frost, one wrong move and a person could end up dead—and Lia Weaver knows this better than anyone.
After monsters kill her parents, Lia must keep the family farm running despite the freezing cold and threat of monster attacks or risk losing her siblings to reassignment by the village Elders. With dangers on all sides and failure just one wrong step away, she can’t afford to let her emotions lead her astray. So when her sister finds a fugitive bleeding to death in the forest—a young stranger named Gabe—Lia surprises herself and does the unthinkable.
She saves his life.
Giving shelter to the fugitive could get her in trouble. The Elders have always described the advanced society of people beyond the Frost, the “Farthers,” as ruthless and cruel. But Lia is startled to find that Gabe is empathetic and intelligent…and handsome. She might even be falling in love with him.
But time is running out. The monsters from the forest circle the farm at night. The village leader is starting to ask questions. Farther soldiers are searching for Gabe. Lia must locate a secret organization called the Thorns to help Gabe escape to safety, but every move she makes puts her in more danger.
I live in Georgia with my wonderful husband and two spoiled cats. When I'm not writing, I'm usually catching up on my extensive Netflix queue, reading a book, giggling at something funny online, or trying to convince my husband to give me just ONE bite of whatever he's eating.
A fierce girl learns falls in love with the enemy while struggling to protect her siblings in her icy, monster-filled world.
How did you get the idea for The Frost Chronicles?
Frost was originally supposed to be a short story set in the world of another book series that I have yet to write. In that version, Gabe’s character had magic abilities, and Lia started out as an orphan living alone (eventually I added a brother, Jonn, but he was much younger). In the first version, the Frost wasn’t very frosty either. It was an evergreen, mountainous region, not the frozen wasteland from the final version. Basically, the whole thing was unrecognizable except for the core story of a girl who helps a boy fugitive despite her misgivings about it and her social conditioning to fear him.
There are 5 books in the series. How many books did you plan to write?
Frost started out as a short story, but it kept growing and growing until I had enough content for a book, then several books. I thought I would write a trilogy, but by the time I’d finished Thorns, I knew there would be more story. I planned to have only four books in the series up until I was half
way through Bluewing, and I realized there was no way I’d get it all wrapped up in that book. So, I never planned to write five books, but I’m glad I did.
What’s your favorite thing about the main character, Lia?
She is kind of ruthless, and I like it. She’s strong and determined to do what needs to be done. I admire that. She lives a hard life and she’s a survivor, but at the same time, she’s able to change and become a better person because of her experiences. She isn’t brittle or inflexible.
Are you anything like Lia, personality-wise?
Not really, other than the fact that we’re both logical in our thinking, and I think we share a fierce desire to protect the people we love. I’m a lot more like Ivy. I love taking care of animals, reading books, and daydreaming. Growing up, I was always that kid wandering around with her head in the clouds. Not very Lia-like.
The series is finished. Are you writing anything else for the Frost world?
I’m actually planning to work on one more novella set in the Frost, told from the perspective of Anne, Lia’s friend. Her story evolved into something very interesting over the course of the series, most of it behind the scenes, and I think it’s something that would be fun to explore further.
by Cassandra Page
Publication date: October 9th 2014
YA, urban fantasy
Isla was content to let her father keep his secrets, but now she can’t stand the touch of iron and her dreams are developing a life of their own. She must discover the truth — before it’s too late.
Isla doesn’t want to upset her father by prying into the family history he never discusses. When the mysterious and unearthly Jack offers to help her discover the truth, Isla must master her new abilities to protect her loved ones from enemies she never knew existed.
Cassandra Page is a mother, author, editor and geek. She lives in Canberra, Australia’s bush capital, with her son and two Cairn Terriers. She has a serious coffee addiction and a tattoo of a cat — which is ironic, as she’s allergic to cats. When she’s not reading or writing, she engages in geekery, from Doctor Who to AD&D. Because who said you need to grow up?
Of course, that’s when things start to get interesting. ;)
Isla’s Inheritance is the first book in a trilogy. The other two books are coming out in the first third of 2015, which is both exciting and utterly terrifying! Getting everything ready is going to be a bit of a mad rush, but the flipside is that readers won’t have to wait years between instalments. GRRM, I’m looking at you!
I notice you write using Australian English spellings. Is the book written that way too?
Yes, it is. Even though Turquoise Morning Press is based out of the USA, the team decided that since the story is set in Australia, it would be more authentic to use Australian spelling and terms where possible. However, I did try and choose words that had common meanings, to minimise the chaos and confusion for readers. As an example, a thong in Australia is a type of shoe that I’m told is called a flip flop in the US. We’d never say flip flop here but, on the other hand, given what a thong is in other parts of the world, I didn’t really want people to get mixed up! There have been a few different decisions like that.
What is your favourite part of the writing process?
Writing the last few chapters of a book, definitely. I’ve drafted four now, and that’s always been the best part of the experience. It’s such a heady rush, seeing all the plot threads come together and the plot accelerate. Also, usually by that point I’m doing mean things to my characters, which is always fun!
The other thing is that it takes me a long time to write a first draft—somewhere between six and nine months—so it’s always satisfying to reach the end of that process. I’m a single mother and work full time, so I have to squeeze in my writing where I can: after my son’s in bed, on lunch breaks, that sort of thing. I also do a lot of plotting (and scheming) in the car.
Given the reference to iron in the blurb, it’s not a surprise to learn the “fantasy” part of your urban fantasy relates to the fae, which are part of European mythology. How did your fae come to be in Australia?
I decided very early on in the drafting process that I didn’t want cute Disney elves. Not that I have a problem with Disney—I’m a mum and therefore know the Frozen soundtrack verbatim—but I felt something darker than Tinker Bell suited young adult readers better. My ruling class of fae are renowned for their vanity, and their cruelty to those in their service. As a result, the fae in Australia are almost all refugees of one kind or another: “lesser” fae who want to live free of oppression.
Where in Australia are the books set?
They set in Canberra, Australia’s capital, which is, in some ways, an overgrown country town. What that means is we have a lot more green spaces than either Sydney or Melbourne do: reserves running through suburbs; low mountains covered in walking trails and with lookouts perched on top; parks for the kids to play.
It’s a great place to set a story when your supernatural population likes green spaces. Werewolves and fairies in particular would love it here—there are places with hardly any iron or steel, and green corridors a wolf could sneak through. I wondered at first whether setting a supernatural tale here would somehow lack credibility. But then I thought, if Sookie Stackhouse can run into vampires in a tiny town like Bon Temps, why can’t Canberra have its own supernatural stories, that element of magic?
When I see the sunlight sparkling off the surface of Lake Burley Griffin on a crisp autumn afternoon, or the glittering lights of the city from Mount Ainslie at dusk, I think that magic is already there. All I’m doing is telling people about it.
