Waiting on Wednesday #29

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's cannot-wait book is:

The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness!

 

The Rest of Us Just Live Here

by Patrick Ness

Published by Walker Books

Expected Publication: August 27th 2015

 

What if you aren’t the Chosen One?

The one who’s supposed to fight the zombies, or the soul-eating ghosts, or whatever the heck this new thing is, with the blue lights and the death?

What if you’re like Mikey? Who just wants to graduate and go to prom and maybe finally work up the courage to ask Henna out before someone goes and blows up the high school. Again.

Because sometimes there are problems bigger than this week’s end of the world, and sometimes you just have to find the extraordinary in your ordinary life.

Even if your best friend is worshiped by mountain lions.

Award-winning writer Patrick Ness’s bold and irreverent novel powerfully reminds us that there are many different types of remarkable.

 

First of all: this is pretty much everything I've ever hoped for. I mean, a book about someone that isn't the Chosen One in YA genre? Yes please, I've wished for that for years. Second of all: I never thought I'd see my name on a character in a book that's written by someone who isn't from Finland. I really really really need this book, immediately.

Book Blitz + Giveaway: Saving London by Taylor Dawn

Saving London

by Taylor Dawn
Published by: Booktrope Publishing
Publication date: June 9th 2015
Adult, urban fantasy
 

The List. That Signified Finality.
The Journey. That Would Span The Globe.
The Sacrifice. That Would Decide The Outcome.
The Choice. That Could Unleash Evil On Earth.
The End Is Only The Beginning…

“You have terminal cancer.”

London Patterson, a seemingly healthy young woman, had her entire life ahead of her. That was until four little words brought everything to a screeching halt. As the shock and grief begin to fade, London decides to map out her last year and embark on an epic journey to complete a bucket list. She wants to do the things she’s been afraid to do in her life, step out of her self-contained box, and see the world. What she didn’t expect was for a mysterious stranger named Adam to breeze into her life like a breath of fresh air.

Adam offers to help London complete her list on one condition…that she sees it through to the end. Agreeing on those terms, the two set out on an adventure of a lifetime. But London soon realizes that Adam isn’t quite…human. Along their journey odd occurrences happen that cause London to question who or what Adam is and why he’s helping her.

Follow London as she checks off her bucket list in this inspiring new Urban Fantasy novel from Taylor Dawn.

 

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Author bio

C.D. Taylor/Taylor Dawn began writing as an item to check off her bucket list. She resides in the southernmost part of Illinois, right on the mighty Mississippi river. She enjoys the quiet country life with her husband, son and the many farm animals that make up the rest of the family. She decided that farm life was just a little too mundane, so she started writing erotica and fantasy to liventhings up, so far so good. C.D./Taylor entered cosmetology school right out of High School and practiced the art of hair styling for 12 years. When she isn't writing, she can usually be found sitting around a table making people laugh. She has always wanted to be a standup comic. She loves pulling practical jokes, dresses up in a costume every Halloween and believes that dancing is the key to a happy life (even if you aren't a good dancer). She believes that life shouldn't be taken too seriously, we will never get out alive anyway. More than anything, she is a kid at heart, she doesn't believe in bedtimes, eating everything on her plate, or having ice cream only for dessert. Her favorite quote is by Dr. Seuss..."Why fit in, when you were born to stand out."

 

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Quest Post:
“What’s On Your List?”
Taylor Dawn

How are you using your time on this earth? 

In the giant picture that we call life, many of us tend to forget what all of this is really about. We are so caught up with trying to find success and happiness, that we miss the things that are right there in front of us. We fail to do the things we’ve always wanted to do because they become daunting tasks that might involve some sort of pain, or even sponge too much of our time. But what if you found out today that you only had a certain amount of time left? What if you were able to look at your life’s clock and see the remaining minutes tick by? Would that make you stop and think about the things you haven’t done? Would it make you kick it into high gear and get to it? I choose not to wait until I hear the tick of the clock hands as they pass by each number. So much so, that this entire premise inspired a book. A book that took on a new life and morphed into so much more than I could’ve ever imagined. So I ask you…what’s on your list?

I’ve had a bucket list for quite some time now. On it are items that some would say are completely out of reach for someone like me. What type of person am I? Well, I’m the person whose spine is partially made up of rods and screws. I’m the person who shouldn’t be able to do much, but I refuse to cave to the fact that I am not the same as I was years ago. My body may be broken, but my spirit burns bright. For my character, London, in Saving London, the same holds true. She was diagnosed with terminal cancer. She was handed a death sentence and expected to go home and wait for the end to find her. But London is a lot like myself. She refuses to rot away and compares herself to a banana. Sitting on a counter and rotting away like a banana won’t do. Embarking on an adventure for her last year is the only way she wants to live for the rest of her time. Would you do that? Would you sell off your worldly possessions to fund the adventures on your bucket list? Me? I most likely would. Like I said before, London and I have a lot in common. We also share some of the items on our lists. Funny how that happened. She was supposed to have her own list, but when you write a
character, sometimes they turn out more like you than you expected. And I know the question burning in your mind right now, I can practically see it spinning so fast that smoke is barreling out of your ears. You can slow down that thought process because I’m going to put you out of your misery.

Yes, I will tell you what my bucket list consists of. Not the entire thing, but some of the items. 
The first thing on my list is to fly a plane. London and I have this one in common. Now, I’m not looking to get behind the wheel of an American Airlines Jet, we have enough issues with crazy pilots as it is. For me, a crop duster plane will do. I don’t want to do the whole takeoff and landing part either. I’d just like to hold the controls for a bit while I’m in the air. I want to feel like it’s me keeping the bird in the air. Wouldn’t that be amazing? 

Secondly I wanted to visit what I consider one of the most beautiful places on this earth. A place where I could stand and just take in the environment around me and appreciate it for what it was. I was able to actually check this item off my list in 2010. My family and I visited a tiny island off the coast of Belize called Goff’s Cay. Now, mind you, this miniature island was literally no bigger than a football field. White sand beaches, crystal blue waters and breathtaking scenery below the water. The amount of life bustling beneath the surface was a sight to behold. I can still remember standing on the edge of the sand, letting the clear water lap over my toes, thinking “this is it, this is my most beautiful place on this earth.” When the realization hit me, it was difficult to hold my tears at bay. Checking this item off my list was a spiritual experience that I shall not soon forget. 

Number three on my bucket list could be comical to some and confusing to others. Here goes…I wanted to make and decorate a three tiered cake. Yes, you heard me right, a cake. I still giggle when I think about it. I’m still not sure why I threw that on my list but there it was. Did I get to do it? Yes I did. It took hours of my time but by the end, I had a slightly lop-sided three tiered cake. But to me, it was beautiful. And hey, topsy-turvy cakes seem to be in style lately. Since I completed it several years ago, I consider myself a trendsetter.

London and I also have “climb a mountain” in common on our bucket lists. In Saving London, she gets to complete this one. And I’ve been able to do so as well. Traveling to Colorado I took on a chunk of rock that was a little over 12,000 feet above sea level. Talk about tiring. But I made it to the peak. I stood there looking down at the tiny town below me thinking “I feel so big, but yet so small.” It was an eye opening experience. You stand at the bottom thinking there’s no way you’ll make it to the top but when you get there, you let out a sigh of relief. I learned a valuable lesson when I climbed. It’s not about the view from the top. It’s the view from the bottom because from the bottom, there’s only one way to go. Up. I took a lot away from that experience that I hold with me to this day. And yes, when I found myself on the top of my mountain, I cried tears of joy. How could you not?

I think I’ll round this out by telling you just one more thing on my bucket list. I don’t want to share the entire thing that somehow doesn’t seem right. But the 5th item is to dance with my son at his wedding. He’s only 10 right now, and I truly hope I get to have him lead me around the dance floor on his big day. But as with everything, we will never know what the future holds.

Life doesn’t offer guarantees. Its rules aren’t written in black and white somewhere for us to find. I believe that we must live each day as if we may not wake tomorrow. Smile plenty, love with all your heart and take stock in the little things that life has to offer. Someday you’ll look back and realize those small things were actually the big things. 

Peace, Love and Pages
Taylor Dawn

 

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Review: Remember Me by Nina Croft

Remember Me (Storm Lords, #1)
by Nina Croft
Self-published (originally part of Entangled's charity anthology Love Knows No Bounds)
Ebook (received from the author, thank you!)
Adult, fantasy, romance, novella

Unable to bear the thought of losing his mortal wife, Caden Wolfe steals the Elixir of Life and offers her eternity. But the theft is discovered, his wife is slain, and Caden is stripped of his angel’s wings and cast down into the Abyss.

Having drunk of the Elixir of Life, Phoebe Little’s soul is tied to the earth in a perpetual cycle of death and rebirth. Unaware that she has lived countless lives, Phoebe is haunted by the loss of a love she has no memory of.

Caden has spent a thousand years searching for his wife. Now he has found her, and only Phoebe’s love can redeem them both. But Phoebe fell in love with an angel, and Caden is now a demon of the Abyss. Can she see past what he has become, remember the love they once shared, and have a second chance at forever?

Remember Me was a short and fast paced story about love, eternity and punishment of sorts. It's driven by enigmatic Cade, who's an angel - or at least he was until he stole the Elixir of Life and got banished into Abyss and turned into a demon serving for Lilith alongside his brothers who were with him. All of this for his and his brothers love for mortal women.

 

The premise is intriguing and captivating and Cade's love and yearning can be felt through the pages. However, after the premise the story becomes a little shattered. It's a hundred page book quesed into a forty-five page novella and while Cade and his history keeps the story going, it does lack in some parts. For one, Phoebe/Eleni is potrayed as a strong willed woman but it doesn't show. She's not a captivating character I can identify with and that made the story loose some of its charm. I've read few of Croft's stories and she has a nack writing a strong willed, sturbborn-ish women who just makes you like them by being themselves and nothing else but sadly Phoebe/Eleni wasn't that and I did feel a little disappointed by that.

 

Remember Me is had a lots of potential and with a little more length, it could have been really good as the character development could have kicked really in, especially with Phoebe/Eleni. However, it's well written, steamy and Cade certainly is charismatic and one cannot help but love that certain angel turned demon. If you're up to quick read with steamy, eternal love, then Remember Me is definitely for you.

 

3 of 5 stars.

 

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(A copy of this ebook was provided in return for an honest review.)


Stacking the Shelves (33)

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews, and is all about sharing the book you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

 

Purchased

 

Modern Monsters by Kelley York
Wild by Zoe Perdita
Omega In The Shadows by Zoe Perdita

My pre-order of Modern Monsters paperback finally came and I can't wait to dive into it after I finish my current review copy read! Perdita has a sale on her ebooks so I purchased two of hers since I love to read them when I'm in need of good shifter romance.

Review: Without Chance by Christopher Bailey

Without Chance
by Christopher Bailey
Published by Phase Publishing
Ebook (received from author, thank you!)
YA, LGBT, contemporary

Ryan had lost everything. His mother recently died of cancer, and his father had completely shut down after her death. His father even dragged him away from the city he'd grown up in, forcing him to leave all of his friends to move to a tiny, backwater town called Turnbridge, hundreds of miles from anything remotely interesting. Even the school's social scene seemed to revolve around activities and sermons at the local church. Then he met Chance. Chance was quiet and friendly, and was an extreme social outcast due to his sexual orientation. He was also obsessed with an unsolved murder that had taken place two years previously. Everyone was convinced it was a suicide. Everyone except Chance, who believed the victim had been targeted due to his homosexuality. Ryan didn't believe him until the accidents started, all seeming to focus around Chance. With the local culture so hostile toward the gay population, there were too many suspects and not nearly enough time as they tried to stop a killer who hunted in the name of God.

Without Chance is a story about fourteen-year-old Ryan who just moved with his dad in a small town where he doesn't quite feel he fits after living in a big city. I don't usually read about characters this young but I have to say that I was positively surprised since Bailey managed to capture the voice of fourteen-year-old boy without him being whiny or uninteresting. In fact, despite his age Ryan was intelligent and he questioned the things most adult didn't even think about.

 

Bailey certainly broke the unsaid rule of young adult books - or at least that is almost in every other YA stories - since Ryan had a good relationship with his father and they actually spoke about things. Ryan told what happened in his life and what he though about things and his father listened to him and didn't dismiss him as being a teenager. I liked that aspect on the story, especially since Ryan's father was truly present in Ryan's life and involved a lot. It felt realistic and refreshing. Besides that relationship, Bailey succeeded with his characters. Ryan was easy to identify as he experienced a lot of new things after moving in a new town, and he was generally really nice person who stood up for the things he believed in. Chance was also a big part of the story and I totally fell in love with him; Chance was adorable, lovable and I just wanted to hug him and tell everything's going to be okay. Besides Ryan, Chance and Ryan's father there was lots of intriguing supporting characters and especially Katie is worth to mention. She was witty and funny and I loved the dynamic between her and Ryan. I do hope there would have been more moments between them.

 

Without Chance was full of mysteries and it had a plot twist I couldn't even imagine and it was truly heart breaking, in fact, I could almost hear my heart shattering into tiny pieces when I reached the end. It was truly painful but at the same time it made so much sense and I can't help but love this book even though it broke my heart and made me sob. Without Chance is truly exceptional story with heartfelt characters, interesting plot and life lessons that everyone should learn. I highly recommend this one to everyone. It's an experience you just have to have!

 

5 of 5 stars.

 

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Thank you, Christopher Bailey, for giving me a chance to read and review Without Chance!

(A copy of this ebook was provided in return for an honest review.)

Cover Reveal: Off the Ice by Julie Cross

Off the Ice

by Julie Cross
Published by: Simon & Schuster
Publication date: Spring 2016
YA, contemporary

 

Junior Tate Tanley hasn’t made it off the bench since joining the hockey team as a freshman. But after the Otters’ star goalie leaves during a huge game, Tate’s got the attention of the entire town. Including Claire O’Connor, who’s mysteriously back in Juniper Falls and who he hasn’t seen in a year. But Tate hasn’t stopped thinking about Claire or what happened the night before she left.

Claire O’Connor should be enjoying college life in the big city. Instead, she’s serving drinks to handsy fishermen and taking care of her sick father back in Juniper Falls. And when she spots her best friend’s little brother, Tate, playing in a big varsity game, she’s thrown for a loop. Tate has grown up a lot: more muscles, more hotness, more…everything. But Claire’s responsibility is to her family, and she doesn’t have time for boys—especially not hockey players.

As games, parties, and town drama throw Tate and Claire together, they can’t ignore what happened last fall—and they can’t ignore what’s brewing between them now. It’s finally time for them to unravel the secrets of their past and face the future together.

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And now the gorgeous cover!

Author bio

Julie Cross is the International Bestselling author of the Tempest series, a young adult science fiction trilogy which includes Tempest, Vortex, and the final installment, Timestorm (St. Martin's Press). She's also the author of Letters to Nowhere (8/13), a mature young adult romance set in the world of elite gymnastics, as well as several forthcoming young adult and new adult novels with publishers like Entangled, Sourcebooks, HarperCollins, and St. Martin's Press/Thomas Dunne Books.

Julie lives in Central Illinois with her husband and three children. She's a former gymnast, longtime gymnastics fan, coach, and former Gymnastics Program Director with the YMCA. She's a lover of books, devouring several novels a week, especially in the young adult and new adult genres. Outside of her reading and writing credibility's, Julie Cross is a committed--but not talented--long distance runner, creator of imaginary beach vacations, Midwest bipolar weather survivor, expired CPR certification card holder, as well as a ponytail and gym shoe addict. You can find her online via twitter, her personal website, email, facebook, Goodreads, or co-moderating the YAwriters section of reddit.

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Waiting on Wednesday #28

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's cannot-wait book is:

This Monstrous Thing by Mackenzi Lee!

 

This Monstrous Thing

by Mackenzi Lee

Published by Katherine Tegen Books

Expected publication: September 22nd 2015

YA, historical fiction, retelling

 

In 1818 Geneva, men built with clockwork parts live hidden away from society, cared for only by illegal mechanics called Shadow Boys. Two years ago, Shadow Boy Alasdair Finch’s life shattered to bits.

His brother, Oliver—dead.

His sweetheart, Mary—gone.

His chance to break free of Geneva—lost.

Heart-broken and desperate, Alasdair does the unthinkable: He brings Oliver back from the dead.

But putting back together a broken life is more difficult than mending bones and adding clockwork pieces. Oliver returns more monster than man, and Alasdair’s horror further damages the already troubled relationship.

Then comes the publication of Frankenstein and the city intensifies its search for Shadow Boys, aiming to discover the real life doctor and his monster. Alasdair finds refuge with his idol, the brilliant Dr. Geisler, who may offer him a way to escape the dangerous present and his guilt-ridden past, but at a horrible price only Oliver can pay…

It's retelling. It sounds amazing. There's no need for anything else, I'm sold!

 

Book Blitz + Giveaway: Modern Monsters by Kelley York

Modern Monsters

by Kelley York

Release Date: 06/02/15

Entangled Teen

Summary from Goodreads:

Vic Howard never wanted to go to the party. He’s the Invisible Guy at school, a special kind of hell for quiet, nice guys. But because his best friend is as popular as Vic is ignored, he went…

And wished he hadn’t.

Because something happened to a girl that night. Something terrible, unimaginable, and Callie Wheeler’s life will never be the same. Plus, now Callie has told the police that Vic did it. Suddenly, Invisible Vic is painfully visible, on trial both literally, with the police, and figuratively, with the angry and judgmental kids at school. As the whispers and violence escalate, he becomes determined to clear his name, even if it means an uneasy alliance with Callie’s best friend, the beautiful but aloof Autumn Dixon.

But as Autumn and Vic slowly peel back the layers of what happened that night, they realize that while the truth can set him free, it can also shatter everything he thought he knew about his life…

Buy Links:

Amazon│Barnes & Noble│Kobo Books│iBooks

 

EXCERPT

She rounds a corner. Instead of going into a classroom, she walks out the double doors leading to the quad, maybe heading for the library or the gym. I jog to catch up, reaching out to touch her shoulder. “Hey—”

The next thing I know, the sky is above me and I’m hitting the ground as my legs are knocked out from under me. I see stars. In broad daylight. Concussion: minor brain injury that may occur when one’s head strikes an object. Ow.

The girl’s face comes into view as I’m blinking the white from my vision. “You following me, jackass?” she snarls. “I know who you are. You’ve got some fucking nerve.”

I push myself up to sit, scooting back on the concrete to avoid getting struck again in the event she lashes out. “N-no—I mean, y-yes. I j-just wanted—”

“Wanted to what? I’ve got nothing to say to you.”

“I…I saw you at Callie’s l-locker…”

“If I had my way, they would have thrown your sorry ass in jail already. You realize they’re getting a restraining order against you.”

“I—”

“Better not let me see you in the parking lot, ’cause you’d better believe I’ll mow you down.”

“I didn’t touch her!”

The heat of my voice startles me. I’m not a yeller. I keep quiet, under the radar. But those words felt like they were going to burst out of my ribs if I didn’t say them. Callie’s friend is watching me with a smoldering glare.

“Right. She just made it up, then.”

“N-no. I didn’t say…say that.” Once I’m sure she isn’t going to use some weird karate move to put me on the ground again, I pick myself up. “I’m just saying it w-wasn’t m-me.”

She squints, looking me over. Studying me. I’d feel less exposed lying naked on a silver tray in biology being sliced open in the name of science. “Why were you following me?”

Why was I? What, exactly, did I want to ask? What did I want to say? I rub the back of my neck, ducking my head. “I wanted to s-see if you could deliver a m-message.”

“Uh-huh. What kind of message?”

“T-tell her…I d-didn’t do it. I swear on my life. And…” The guilt. It comes out of nowhere and slides its slivers into my lungs, making my chest tight. “Tell her I’m sorry.”

She folds her arms, gaze steely. “Sorry for what?”

“For not keeping her safe.” That’s what it comes down to. No, I didn’t rape Callie Wheeler, but I feel like it was my fault it happened. The number of things I could have—should have—done to prevent it seems staggering. The weight of my guilt makes it hard to breathe.

About the Author
"I like unicorns and cats and games...and stuff..." - quality author quote by Kelley

Kelley York was born in central California, where she still resides with her lovely wife, step-daughter, and way too many cats, while fantasizing about moving to England or Ireland. (Or, really, anyplace secluded.) She has a fascination with bells and animals and Disney. Her life goal is to find a real unicorn. Or to at least write about them. She occupies her spare time with video games,designing covers, playing on Tumblr, and watching anime.

Kelley is a sucker for dark fiction. She loves writing twisted characters, tragic happenings, and bittersweet endings that leave you wondering and crying. She strives to make character development take center stage in her books because the bounds of a person's character and the workings of their mind are limitless.

Author Links:

   

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Book Blitz Organized by:

Interview: J.B. Kantt, Author of Roses Are Red

Welcome to Howling for Books, J.B. Kantt, author of Roses Are Red!

J.B. Kantt is a debut author whose novel Roses Are Red was released recently. Take a look at her book before there's an interview with her!

Roses Are Red (The Blood, Sweat and Tears series, #1)
by J.B. Kantt
Published May 10th 2015 by Silver Rose Publishing

After her foster mother’s unexplained death six months ago, fourteen-year-old Isla Timearth just wants things to go back to normal for her and her twin brother, Monty. But “normal” can only go so far for a closed-off girl with abandonment issues and an anxious boy that gets frequent nosebleeds. Still, the troubled redheads give it a shot by returning to the summer camp they’ve been going to for years.

Aside from her crush showing up unexpectedly, the summer starts out as Isla expected: she participates in multiple activities with her friends, while her brother shies away from doing anything with anyone. But camp traditions get rained on when their biological mother shows up unannounced and, as far as Isla’s concerned, unwelcome.

Knowing that Mother Nature is the mother of all mood swings, Isla isn’t all that surprised to find out that her temperamental biological mother is the terrestrial goddess. What does surprise her is that Monty, the favorite twin, already knew but never told her. Despite being annoyed that such a huge secret was kept from her, Isla has always questioned the loyalty of her own flesh and blood. But once more family secrets start to unravel around her fellow campers, Isla finds out whether blood really is thicker than water.

Add Roses Are Red on Goodreads.

 

Purchase!

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About J.B.

The first story J.B. Kantt ever wrote was for a creative writing class application during her college days. Little did she know that a step towards fulfilling her undergraduate language arts requirement would also be a step towards fulfilling a passion for writing she never knew she had. Now, despite her dreams of becoming a developmental pediatrician, not a day goes by that J.B. doesn’t think about becoming an author as well. When she’s not hitting the books, she’s working on her next book (in between volunteering and practicing taekwondo).

Her debut novel, Roses Are Red, is the first of the Blood, Sweat, and Tears Series. J.B. hopes that her journey to publication helps other writers realize that through hard work and dedication, anything is possible, no matter how old you are or how long you’ve been writing.

 

Now, here's an interview with lovely J.B.!

Can you tell us about your debut novel, J.B.?

I can tell you that it’s a young adult paranormal. In terms of any other details, I think the back blurb of Roses Are Red explains it well:

After her foster mother’s unexplained death six months ago, fourteen-year-old Isla Timearth just wants things to go back to normal for her and her twin brother, Monty. But “normal” can only go so far for a closed-off girl with abandonment issues and an anxious boy that gets frequent nosebleeds. Still, the troubled redheads give it a shot by returning to the summer camp they’ve been going to for years.

Aside from her crush showing up unexpectedly, the summer starts out as Isla expected: she participates in multiple activities with her friends, while her brother shies away from doing anything with anyone. But camp traditions get rained on when their biological mother shows up unannounced and, as far as Isla’s concerned, unwelcome.

Knowing that Mother Nature is the mother of all mood swings, Isla isn’t all that surprised to find out that her temperamental biological mother is the terrestrial goddess. What does surprise her is that Monty, the favorite twin, already knew but never told her. Despite being annoyed that such a huge secret was kept from her, Isla has always questioned the loyalty of her own flesh and blood. But once more family secrets start to unravel around her fellow campers, Isla finds out whether blood really is thicker than water.

What inspired you to write about Isla, Monty and terrestrial gods?

I was actually inspired by an anime called Black Butler. It was one specific scene towards the end of the series that sparked the idea for Roses Are Red. I won’t give away what that scene was because I don’t want to spoil it for those who plan on reading Roses Are Red and/or plan on watching Black Butler.

What would be the best compliment given to you by a fan of this book?

The best compliment would probably be that my book somehow made a difference in their life. To know that my work can have an effect on a reader would be amazing.

Do you prefer writing standalones or series? Why’s that?

I don’t really prefer one to the other; some books are meant to be standalones, while others are meant to be series. It really depends on how many ideas I have and/or how complex those ideas are.

How important are your peer’s opinions of your work?

I appreciate everyone that reads my book, whether they’re my peers or readers. I know that everyone has different opinions, some that are in favor of my work and some that are not, and that’s okay. At the end of the day, I like writing stories that I’d enjoy reading, and that’s what’s most important to me.

What books have most influenced your life?

I’d say my favorite books have influenced my life, just simply because I still think about them even though I read them years ago. My top two favorite books are To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, and You Don’t Know Me by David Klass.

Are you busily working on the sequel / next book?

While I’ve created an (disorganized) outline for the sequel to Roses Are Red, I’m thinking about writing the first book in a completely different series before I write the sequel.

 

Thank you, J.B., for visiting Howling for Books and answering some questions!

Wrapping the Month: May Edition

What's greater way to start new month than taking a look at previous one?

I'm starting to think my reading and blogging is cursed. Or then I'm just lazy. Or possibly my life has things that keeps me either busy or tired - or both. In May I didn't have stress. After my London trip I actually read a few books fairly fast pace for me but I was lazy on the blogging part since those reviews still wait to be written. After that I was quite busy as I did some babysitting for my relatives and then I landed a summer job. Now I'm a paperboy and it's a night job so I sleep long every morning (or day) and it's probably going to slow me down as I'm often quite tired, especially since I started new hobby. But fear not, I've some blitzes scheduled for June and I do intend to read as much as I can and I'm still trying to be better at actually writing the reviews and posting them more frequently. Hopefully I can do that because my review copies pile is growing faster than I'm reading. Joys of being a blogger (and it is a great joy, I just stress too much about getting RC's read and reviewed).

No physical books purchased during May since I'm trying to save up for autumn and Scotland because there I can get my hands on books that it's hard to get from Finland. So I'm trying to be good girl and not to buy lots of books.

 

May's reviews:

Silent Woods (5 stars)

Shy Kinda Love (4 stars)

The Boy Who Sneaks In My Bedroom Window (2 stars)

 

May started really good: within a couple of days I read Boys Don't Cry (by Malorie Blackman) and Two Boys Kissing (by David Levithan). After that I had a little break but I continued with Shy Kinda Love (by Deanna Eshler) and Silent Woods (by Ofelia Gränd) which was really good since both of them were review copies. I also finally read The Boy Who Sneaks In My Bedroom Window (by Kirsty Moseley) which has been on my TBR for a year. I have a few books started but finishing them won't happen until June.

 

Hugs,

Henna