Monday, August 27, 2012

Book Review and Giveaway: Shift by Raine Thomas



Author: Raine Thomas
            Website
            Blog
Series or Stand-alone: 
            Book 2 in the FirstBorn Series 
How I got it:
            For a Book Tour
Pages: 280
Publisher: Iambe Books
Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy
First Published: August 24 2012
Buy it from: Amazon
                  Barnes & Noble
Add to Goodreads
Book Trailer: 


FIRST LINE(S): "Donald, lieutenant of the Waresti, heard the moan first. He wasn't as knowledgeable able emotions as his two commanders and class elder, archigos Uriel, yet even he recognized the suffering conveyed by that sound.."

The GIST (From Goodreads):

Having the ability to shapeshift, Sophia is familiar with change. But even she feels the rising tension in her homeland.

A shadowy male and deadly beast reside in their midst. The births of the newest Kynzesti loom. Hostile Mercesti continue to hunt for the Elder Scroll, and a traumatized female is too afraid to use her abilities to stop them.

Topping off Sophia’s stress is Quincy, the male she’s convinced can’t stand her. She rues the loss of their friendship, but can’t figure out how to move past it. She’ll soon learn, however, that mending that rift bears more significance than she ever imagined.

The search for the Elder Scroll takes on unexpected urgency, and Sophia finds herself in a race across the mainland. To stop the Mercesti led by Eirik, she and her companions must get past their differences and unite against them. If they don’t, Eirik will acquire the immense power he seeks, and two of the beings Sophia loves most will die.

OPINION: 
Warning: Mild Spoilers from Books 1: Defy

Shift continues the Firstborn series with the story of Sophia, a secondary character in Book 1. In Book 1, Sophia came of age and learned to shift forms venturing out in search of her cousin Tate. Now she has to use that ability on an important quest in order to get the Elder Scroll before the dun dun dun bad guy Eririk gets it.

What I liked about this book is getting more involved in the relationship between Quincy and Sophia which was explored a little in Book 1. Sophia was always been different looking than the people around her and never fit in physically. She thinks that that's the reason that Quincy, the guy she likes, can hardly stand to be around her. Little does she know that Quincy is massively in love with her but he has a funny way of dealing with it. I really enjoyed their romance in this novel. I also liked finding out the reason behind Sophia's differing looks and what she has to deal with with that.

One problem I had with the book is that I still didn't understand most of the words used to describe each generation in this world even though I read Book 1. I can't stand to flip back to a definition just to understand what's going on. I wish the different classes were explained better. It didn't effect the story much because I just eventually skipped over the words I didn't understand automatically. Maybe this problem is just me.

OVERALL:

A few explanation issues but still a nail bitingly good read---8.0 out of 10.




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Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Book Review: Onyx by Jennifer Armentrout



Author: Jennifer Armentrout
            Website
            Blog
Series or Stand-alone: 
            Book 2 in the Lux Series 
How I got it:
            Won it in a giveaway
Pages:376
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Genre: Young Adult / Paranormal/ Aliens
First Published: August 14 2012
Buy it from: Amazon
                  Barnes & Noble
Add to Goodreads
Book Trailer: 


FIRST LINE(S): "Ten seconds passed between when Daemon Black took his seat and when he poked me under my shoulder blade with his trusty pen."

The GIST (From Goodreads):

Being connected to Daemon Black sucks…

Thanks to his alien mojo, Daemon’s determined to prove what he feels for me is more than a product of our bizarro connection. So I’ve sworn him off, even though he’s running more hot than cold these days. But we’ve got bigger problems.

Something worse than the Arum has come to town…

The Department of Defense are here. If they ever find out what Daemon can do and that we're linked, I’m a goner. So is he. And there's this new boy in school who’s got a secret of his own. He knows what’s happened to me and he can help, but to do so, I have to lie to Daemon and stay away from him. Like that's possible. Against all common sense, I'm falling for Daemon. Hard.

But then everything changes…

I’ve seen someone who shouldn’t be alive. And I have to tell Daemon, even though I know he’s never going to stop searching until he gets the truth. What happened to his brother? Who betrayed him? And what does the DOD want from them—from me?

No one is who they seem. And not everyone will survive the lies…

OPINION:
          Warning: Mild Spoilers from Book 1  

Onyx, Book 2 of the Lux series, was like wish fulfillment for all lovers of Obsidian. Think of everything you loved about Book 1 exploded a million times multiplied by infinity. Sounds great, right? But like the old saying goes, be careful what you wish for because you just might get it. If I’m going to use clichéd sayings then, sometimes too much of a good thing isn’t a good thing, works too.

Before I get jumped by all the JLA fans out there, let me explain what I mean. Onyx is a hundred pages more than Obsidian. That’s a hundred more episodes of Daemon and Katy going at each other (throats and body parts), getting in arguments and generally being hot and cold. This was the selling point of Book 1 to me. I loved their on and off relationship but, in Onyx, I felt like it was really overdone. I don’t think there needed to be another hundred pages because it just made everything seem redundant. It was like all the book lovers and bloggers of the world said what they loved about Obsidian so JLA times it by ten in the next book. The problem with that is that it was just the same thing over and over.

Although the secret about Dee and Daemon is out, there is still a mystery in this novel. The Department of Defense is in town and the Luxen need to figure out why they’re there, who betrayed Dawson and got him killed, and who is this new Blake kid? I liked the mysteries and subplots but still felt they could have been better by speeding up the plot overall.

There is also a bit of a love triangle and I loved seeing Daemon jealous. It made the slow parts worth reading. Daemon is definitely the same ol' Daemon but you get to see more of his soft side, which was nice. How much is cared about Katy and his siblings came through loud and clear. There was a few parts towards the end that were really emotional. They were probably the best parts of the book.

I thought that Katy was a little less independent and a little more obtuse in this novel. She makes some obviously stupid choices that forwarded the plot but weren’t really a part of her character. I hope she gets her gazoombs back in the next book.

OVERALL: 

Even with the redundant parts and the need at shaved hundred pages or so, I’m still excited to read the last installment of the Lux Series!--- 7.5 out of 10

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Book Review: Obsidian by Jennifer Armentrout


Author: Jennifer Armentrout
            Website
            Blog
Series or Stand-alone: 
            Book 1 in the Lux Series
How I got it:
            Bought it from Amazon
Pages: 287
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Genre: Young Adult / Paranormal/ Aliens
First Published: November 29 2011
Buy it from: Amazon
                  Barnes & Noble
Add to Goodreads
Book Trailer:




FIRST LINE(S): "I stared at the pile of boxes in my new bedroom, wishing the Internet had been hooked up."

The GIST (From Goodreads):

Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I'd pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring.... until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something...unexpected happens.

The hot alien living next door marks me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon's touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I'm getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.

If I don't kill him first, that is.

OPINION:

If you're looking for a mature Young Adult novel with a hot male love interest, a self-reliant female narrator and plenty of chemistry between the two then "Obsidian" is the book you're looking for. Basically the story starts with Katy, a normal high school girl, after she moved to West Virginia a.k.a. the middle of Nowhere. There is only one stop light in the whole town and virtually no stores so it looks like life is about to get real boring, real quick. Luckily, Katy is a self-sufficient girl with hobbies to take up her time: blogging, reading, gardening, etc. Katy is dealing well with the move until she meets Daemon, her utterly gorgeous and completely rude next door neighbor. Automatically he is standoffish and tries to push Katy away from his sister Dee by being a jerk. However, you don't know why he's acting like such an insufferable ass when it's clear he is a caring guy especially for his sister and then for Katy. Not until later on in the book do you find out the reasons (because with a mean guy there is always reason behind his meanness right….) 

This is the second time I read Obsidian. I found this book before I joined the blogging world so it was interesting to understand all the blogging references that were made while reading it the second time. From Waiting on Wednesday to vlogs, it’s impossible not to see that Armentrout knows her audience. Although I wasn't a book blogger at the time, the blogging references didn't detract from anything and I thought it was great that Katy had her own thing going on and her world didn't revolve around thinking about Daemon.

What I loved most about this book was the relationship between Daemon and Katy. She does not put up with his rude behavior and never lets him get away with treating her unfairly. Although you come to see why Daemon is the way he is to Katy and it endears you to him, Katy doesn't think his reasons are any excuse for his actions and this complicates her feelings for him. The sexual chemistry between the two practically oozes off each page. If they aren't arguing then they are ripping each others clothes off. Daemon never loses his cool factor and Katy never let's him get under her skin. I liked that Katy didn't accept Daemon's cruel behavior like some other MC have in Young Adult novels.

The mystery behind Daemon and Dee was something I haven’t read before in other books; I don’t think I’ve ever read a young adult novel with aliens as the supernatural element. I went into this book without reading any reviews and I didn't read the blurb so I was surprised at Dee's and Daemon's secret. The supernatural twist was creative and not overused.

OVERALL:

There's nothing I can think of that I didn't like about this book! It had some of the most palpable chemistry between characters that I've ever read. You have to read it (if you haven't already)---10 out of 10.

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Book Review: Secrets by Dawn Kirby

Author: Dawn Kirby
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            Goodreads
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Series or Stand-alone: 
            Book 1 in the Serenity Series
How I got it:
            Ebook from Illuminated Tours- Book Tour
Pages: 319
Publisher: Dark Dragon Publishing Company
Genre: New Adult /Paranormal/
First Published: July 29 2012
Buy it from: Amazon
                  Smashwords
                  Publisher

Add to Goodreads

FIRST LINE(S): "Mom, why do you try so hard? I asked."

The GIST (From Goodreads):

It is said that the truth will set you free, but for Leah it kills.

Leah always knew she was different. From her extreme light sensitivity, to her ability to read people by their auric scent, she kept these differences secret.

Not even Mia, Leah's mother, knew the fullness of her daughter's differences, but she held even greater secrets to Leah's past - the truth about her father and Leah's conception.

With the escape of an old foe, Mia is too late to reveal to her daughter
the truth before Judith can exact her revenge in a wash of blood and death.

Thrown into a world unheard of, Leah discovers that she is not alone in keeping her secrets. That there are people from her parent's past who would die to protect her. If she only knew why.

Raine, placed as her protector, hides deadly secrets of his own. Drawn to each other, Leah and Raine must uncover the truth before one or both are killed.

OPINION:

Secrets is about a girl named Leah who has a boat load of weird abilities from sonar hearing to seeing auras but,in the beginning, she has no idea what they mean. When Leah’s mom starts acting overly protective and being secretive about the reasons why, Leah starts to get curious about the huge secrets surrounding her powers and the identity of her father. The story leads into Leah discovering the unusual truths about her abilities and her birth; what Leah learns changes the course of her life forever.

It is no joke that this book is called Secrets! The readers, along with the main character Leah, learn the truth about Leah’s special abilities and family half way into the book. Half way! Although I really liked all the characters being introduced and learning about Leah’s abilities, the plot was overdrawn and slow moving in the beginning. What kept me interested were the diverse range of characters; each with a clearly distinguished personality. I think the author did a great job of making all the characters one-of-a-kind and if I read a line of a quote I would be able to say who that character is without a name attached (which is saying a lot). However, some of the names were confusing with Donovan, David, Declan, etc. etc.

There are a lot of gory parts in this book and the blood shed is not skimmed. Leah gets ripped to shreds about a million times in order to protect someone else. She is one of those self-sacrificing characters who was just a little too perfect for me. The other characters were gritty and well-rounded but Leah felt a bit flat. The redundancy of the amount of times Leah got injured was a little much too but I think the point was to show how Leah would sacrifice herself for the people she loves (even if she just met those people two days before…).

Although the book tries to say that Leah and her love interest need to fall in love quickly because of some of the circumstances, the insta-love could make your head spin with how quick it was. Two days in they were doing it, a month in they were engaged. To make up for that, Kirby made Leah’s love interest smokin’ hot and completely swoon worthy. There are sex scenes in this novel and they were pretty erotic just so ya know. I enjoyed them :-). The cover really does not do either character or the book justice.

OVERALL: 

Secrets had a few issues but overall it was a fun and sexy read. Great example of the New Adult genre.---8.0 out of 10

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Creating Characters and Giveaway: Phantom by Laura DeLuca

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Author: Laura DeLuca
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Pages: 262
Publisher: Pagan Writers Press
Genre: Young Adult / Thriller
First Published:  March 30 2012

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I would like to introduce Laura DeLuca, author of Phantom. She wrote a post about how she came up with the characters in Phantom. Check out the giveaway at the bottom too. Enjoy!

____________________________________________________________________________

People often ask writers how they come up with their characters. Are they based off real people or are they entirely fictional? For me, it’s normally a mix of both. I might give a character the first name of one friend or the last name of another. The bad guy might have the same name as the nasty customer I had to deal with at work that day. And sometimes characters completely create themselves. But I have to admit, that the characters in Phantom were inspired by the people around me more than any other book I have written. I thought it would be fun to introduce some of the people who helped make Phantom one of my favorite novels so far.

Rebecca Hope-Rebecca is the main character, and she gets the lead role of Christine in the play. She isn't really based on anyone in particular, but I did give her a few of my own characteristics. In the first chapter, I mention that she was normally hiding in the orchestra with her violin instead of trying out for a role. That was totally me in high school.  I was always too shy to try out for the musicals, even though I really wanted to. But unlike Becca, I was actually a much better violinist than a singer anyway, so I was better off where I was.  She also shares my nervous energy, and of course, we are both obsessed with the Phantom of the Opera in all its incarnations.  

Jay Kopp

Jay Kopp - In my book, Jay Kopp is the class clown. The one making jokes at all the wrong times, and who thinks he is a whole lot cooler than he really is. The real Jay Kopp is not much different. Instead of the class clown, he is the office clown.  Here is a man who is in his forties, but still makes faces behind the executive president's back while he's handing out awards. A man who every single solitary day, walks out the door at closing time and yells, "Stick a fork in me, I'm done."  A man who has somehow wound up with the nickname of "Muffin" among his female coworkers.  Some of his other shenanigans include tapping a picture of my husband (than new boyfriend) all over the office, including the toilet seat, and dressing up as Flavor Flav, and no, it wasn't Halloween. As you can tell, our little group had a tendency to stray away from corporate etiquette and we loved every minute of it.   All that being said, Jay is actually a really sweet guy, a hard worker, and a wonderful husband and father.  I think I stayed pretty close to Jay's real personality in my book. I just made him thirty years younger.

Mr. Russ - Mr Russ is the school janitor. He's a little on the dirty side and he’s definitely not all there. Again, he is based on a real person, but I can't say his name because I don't want to get sued. When I was working, there was an old man who worked in one of the buildings on the same street. I would run into him at Wawa all the time, and he decided he had a crush on me. Finally, he came in the office one day with a pack of tickets for the Lion King on Ice, and wanted to take me and my children. Ummmm...creepy!  Of course I told him as nicely as possible that I couldn't do that, and explained I was in a relationship for the hundredth time.  He got a little angry, I got a little freaked out, and thus I had to turn him into the creepy school janitor in my book. His name is different, but his physical description is right on. If you read this book, you'll understand why he made me nervous.


Carmen Webber -  Carmen is one of Rebecca's best friends. When I created Carmen, I was really thinking about one of my best friends, Viv.  I gave her a lot of Viv's personality traits, but when it comes to her looks, I was thinking more about her daughter Sarah. Sarah is closer to Carmen's age.  So she sort of wound up being a combination of them both, but she definitely has a little more attitude than either of them.  On a side note, their last name is Zarfati, which is also the name of one of the characters in my Destiny series.

Debbie O'Neill  & Wendy Wright - Both of these girls got their first names from people I worked with.  Wendy is the class snob, and there was a girl at one of our offices in North Jersey that always had an attitude when she called. Plus she sounded like a valley girl. I was trying to decide on a name for Wendy and she happened to call that day in a particularly miserable mood, and so she became my b***h.  With Debbie, it was more a physical thing.  Someone was leading a meeting and she looked exactly the way I envisioned Debbie, so she took her name.
Darlene & Matt

Darlene & Matt:  Darlene is a good friend and was my former High Priestess before she moved out of state. She opened her arms to me when I was new to the Craft and completely on my own, and I learned a lot from her. When she didn't get "a part" in Destiny, I promised to put her name in Phantom. She took it a step further and asked me to add in her best friend Matt as well.  So I made them someone's parents. What's funny is, I never really intended to include any parents in the book, but adding Darlene became a big part of one of my favorite scenes. Meeting Darlene & Matt is a fun part of the book, so I can't say too much more. But if you met the real Darlene, you would definitely find that she and her namesake have the same remarkable ability to speak in complete paragraphs without taking a single breath.

Tom Rittenhouse:  This is the guy who gets the role of Raoul, the hero. Tom is very much like my first real boyfriend, even though I don't think I realized it myself until I read back through the book when it was done. He was a surfer. He was the star of the high school musicals. He even had hopes of being an actor someday. He did get a few small parts in TV and Broadway in college, but as far as I know, he gave up on Hollywood and is back home now.  Darron from Destiny has some of his characteristics as well. I think since he was my high school sweet heart, and my first love, he comes back to haunt my high school characters...

Tempest

Tempest: Tempest is a Gothic Belly Dancer. I consider myself truly blessed to have not only met Tempest, but to have shared Sacred Space with her on a few occasions. About three years ago,  I was introduced to Tempest through my best friend and coven sister, Donna. She was taking her belly dance class at a local gym, and convinced me to come along.  The class was fun, but was nothing compared to watching Tempest perform live. When she begins to move, it’s like she is magically transformed into the Goddess herself. Her movements are fluid and graceful. Her costumes (which she often designs herself) are enchanting. She has created her own version of Gothic Belly Dance that is elegant and breathtaking. It literally brought tears to my eyes. Even as a writer, I find it hard to express just how amazing it is to watch her perform.  Tempest is one of the most beautiful women I have had the privilege to meet. It is a beauty that emanates from her soul and is transferred to the fluid movements of her body. All the wisdom of the ages is expressed in the poetic motions of her dance. She is a true artist.

Justyn

Justyn Patko (AKA-Lord Justyn) - When I tell people that Lord Justyn was based on a real person, most of them look at me like I'm crazy. They think he's my imaginary friend.  But, nope, he’s is real. Like my character, the real Lord Justyn is a Gothic Pagan who also happens to be a musician and an actor.  I have never spoken to Justyn outside of cyber space. We met on MySpace before I met my husband. I don't even remember how. But I do remember how all his notes would have a little old world charm in them. We would talk about books and movies, and, of course, magic and the Craft. He even read Destiny way before it was published. I would be lying if I said I didn't have a little crush on him. But in the real world, when we lived in different states and I was a single mom, there was no way it could have worked. Not to mention the fact that I am several years older, and not really the cougar type. Maybe in another time or another life it could have happened. But in this life, I could only make him into one of the most amazing characters I have ever created. It all started because I was writing him an email while Andrew Lloyds's Weber's musical was playing the background. I started to think how great he would be in the role of the Phantom...one thought led to another, and Phantom was born.

Finally, Justyn’s last name came from my friend Jared Patko. He was handsome. He was fun. He was hilarious.  He was an amazing artist. He also suffered from severe Bipolar Disorder. In 2009, Jared took his own life. I had just started writing Phantom when this happened, and I wanted to immortalize him in some small way. I had promised him I'd use his name in a book eventually, and he had hoped to draw the cover art. Phantom is also dedicated to Jared as well as the real Lord Justyn.

Well, that pretty much sums it up. It’s amazing how even the smallest things that people do and say can touch our lives and bring about inspiration. Whether that's a good thing or a bad thing for these folks will probably depend on who lives, who dies, and who the killer really is. But you'll have to read Phantom to find all that out. I have to wrap up this post with one of my favorite quotes. "Be careful, or I'll put you in my novel!"

Thanks Laura! I always love to know the inspiration behind characters.




Author Bio




Laura “Luna” DeLuca lives at the beautiful Jersey shore with her husband and four children. She loves writing in the young adult genre because it keeps her young at heart.  In addition to writing fiction, Laura is also the sole author of a popular review blog called New Age Mama. She is an active member of her local pagan community, and has been studying Wicca for close to eight years.









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Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Interview, Excerpt, and Giveaway: Determinant by A.M. Hargrove




Author: A.M. Hargrove
             Website
             Blog
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             Goodreads Author Page
Series or Stand-alone: 
            Book 3 in the The Guardians of Vesturon  but can be read as a Stand-alone
Genre: Young Adult / Paranormal/ Science Fiction/ Romance
First Published: June 30, 2012
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I would like to introduce A.M. Hargrove to the blog! I got an opportunity to ask her a few questions about writing (this is actually my first author interview ever!) and her book Determinant and some random other things like vampires biting zombies. Hope you enjoy the interview. Look for an Excerpt and Giveaway at the bottom of the post.  

Hi Anne!! Thanks for letting me ask you a few questions!

I read the story of how you started writing, quitting your job and all. Very brave by the way. Can you recap that for the readers?

Certainly.  A couple of years ago, the company I had been with for over 20 years was taken over by another larger firm and my entire division was basically annihilated.  As a result, my job was eliminated, so I found myself in search of a new career.  I had made the decision that I did not want to return to the corporate world, so I sort of hunted around for something to do.  Writing had always been an interest of mine and I had talked about it for years, but never seemed to have to time to dedicate to it.  I had studied journalism in college and worked at the university paper and I also worked at an advertising agency before I entered the world of pharmaceuticals.  When I found myself with the time on my hands, I decided to try my hand at writing fiction. And that’s how it all began.

What made you start writing for the Young Adult audience? Do you think there would be a difference in terms of writing for a YA vs. an adult novel?

I chose the YA genre because at the time, my daughter was nineteen and that was the age of Maddie, my character in Survival and Resurrection.  She’s older YA (college) but the books are suitable for anyone age thirteen and older as the language is clean and there is no sex, other than kissing and sexual tension.  I do think there is a difference between writing in YA and the adult genre and I’m actually getting ready to find out because I have just begun my next project, which is an adult trilogy.  I think adult romance lovers expect more sex and explicit situations.

What are you reading right now? Anything you’re excited about reading?

I’m about to finish Gabriel’s Rapture by Sylvain Reynard which is the sequel to Gabriel’s Inferno.  It’s a wonderful story that intertwines Dante’s Divine Comedy, concentrating mainly on part one, the Inferno with the love story between a professor who is a Dante expert and his student.  I have thoroughly enjoyed Ms. Reynard’s ability to weave her knowledge of Dante into this beautifully written novel.  I liked it so much that I have downloaded The Divine Comedy and plan to reread it.  I haven’t read it since I was in college so it will be like reading it for the first time!

What do you think would happen if a vampire bit a zombie or visa versa? I’ve been arguing with a lot of people about this. What’s your public stance. No going back!

Oh, that’s easy.  The vampire would bite the zombie, tear it’s head off, rip it to shreds, destroying it in the process and walk away into the darkness only to repeat the process, if and whenever necessary ;)  Gotta love those vampires.

Back to reality. How do you get yourself over writing slumps? I writing a draft right now and sometimes I feel really down about my writing. Do you have any advice for aspiring authors like myself?

Don’t laugh.  Seriously.  I put on my music and go for a run.  For my current project, which I see as a trilogy right now, I was having difficulty in getting the first part worked out in my mind.  I’m a panser. I’ve tried the outline thing and it doesn’t work for me.  I can’t stick to them.  So Monday I went for my run and then Tuesday and yesterday, everything sort of fell into place.  When I’m writing, the same thing happens.  When I get stumped on something, I put that iPod on and hit the trail.  In less than an hour, I have it all figured out.

So on to the book! This is book three of the Guardians of Vesturon. What links the other two books to Determinant? Are there any continuing characters or settings?

Yes!  There are continuing characters, places and all sorts of things.  For instance the main female character was first introduced in Survival as was the main male character.

Maddie in Book One and January in Book Three are both college age. Is there a reason you choose to make them in their older teens? Do you think would it have affected the story much to make them younger teens or adults?

The story wouldn’t have worked had they been younger.  They both have similar stories in they are tragic yet they are diverse so their characters are entirely different.  They also are faced with decisions that a younger person may not have been able to make.  Keep in mind, however that January is sixteen when Determinant begins, but she is a very mature sixteen.

Do you have to read the first two books, Survival or Resurrection, to read Determinant?

No, Determinant is a stand alone novel.  Obviously, the reader would derive a greater in-depth knowledge of Vesturon, Maddie and the Yarristers if they read Survival and Resurrection first, but it is not necessary.   I wrote Determinant intentionally that way so if someone who wasn’t into series was interested in reading it, they wouldn’t have a problem delving into the book and figuring everything out.

Where did the idea for this type of supernatural beings like Rykerian Yarrister, the love interest, come from?

I get asked this a lot and believe it or not, I somehow managed to have a daughter that hates all things paranormal, including vampires and werewolves.  I don’t understand it myself.  I can’t seem to get enough of those creatures!  So when I was creating the world of Vesturon, I wanted to create a being that had supernatural powers similar to what a vampire or a werewolf would have, but also would be something my daughter would be interested in reading about.  And then came the hotness factor.  I knew the guys had to be some kind of awesome so enter... The Guardians of Vesturon!

Anything you want the readers to know about you or Determinant?

In Determinant I introduce an interesting new character who sort of steals the show so be on the lookout for him.   He’s going to be the subject of my new trilogy.  As for me, I’m totally shy and and an introvert.  Just kidding.  I talk incessantly so if you ever meet me in person, you’ll only get a word in when I pause to take a breath.  Thanks for the opportunity to drop in on you.  It’s been lots of fun!

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Author Bio

One day, on her way home from work as a sales manager, A. M. Hargrove, realized her life was on fast forward and if she didn't do something soon, it would quickly be too late to write that work of fiction she had been dreaming of her whole life.  So, she rolled down the passenger window of her fabulous (not) company car and tossed out her leather briefcase.  Luckily, the pedestrian in the direct line of fire was a dodgeball pro and had über quick reflexes enabling him to avoid getting bashed in the head.  Feeling a tad guilty about the near miss, A. M. made a speedy turn down a deserted side street before tossing her crummy, outdated piece-of-you-know-what lap top out the window.   She breathed a liberating sigh of relief, picked up her cell phone and hit #4 on her speed dial.

 Boss:  Hello
 A.M.:  Boss, is that you?
 Boss:  Why yes, A. M., who else would be answering my phone?
 A.M.:  Er... right.  Well, I'm calling to let you know you can pick up my luxury Ford Focus at Starbucks near the interstate.
 Boss:  Why ever would I want to do that?
 A.M.:  Because I quit!
 A.M. hit the end button and speed dialed her husband.
 A.M.:  Hi hubs, can you pick me up at Starbucks?
 Hubs:  Sure... Having some car trouble?
 A.M.:  Not at all.  I don't have a car to have trouble with because I just quit my job.
 Hubs:  WHAT?!
 A.M.:  It's time for a new career and I am going to be a very famous novelist.

So began A. M. Hargrove's career as a young adult paranormal romance author of self-published ebooks.  Her series, The Guardians of Vesturon, centers around a family of six siblings and is a mix of humor, mystery, suspense and of course, love.  Survival and Resurrection are her first and second full length novels in the series and Beginnings is the prequel novella.  Her third installment, Determinant, will be released on June 30, 2012.  (It didn’t happen exactly like that, but you get the idea!)


Excerpt
 
I was lost in the events of the day and the amount of work I had and I was still nursing my wounded ego as I headed out of the lab.  As I made my way down the corridor, I noticed six men advancing toward me. 

It wasn’t their actions I noticed so much or even the way they walked.  And though it was an oddity for them to even be here at all, it was their attire that captured my attention.  They were dressed identically, in an extreme fashion, much like members of a gang or secret society.  Large and muscular, they wore black vests and their bare arms were almost completely tattooed with tribal symbols of a sort.  Metal bands criss-crossed their chests and their legs were tightly encased in leather.  Knee high boots and black gloves finished off their ensembles. 

As I neared them I felt my flesh tingle and the hairs on the back of my neck come to attention.  Gooseflesh erupted and alarms started clanging in my head.  I sucked in my breath and as I did, my eyes connected with the apparent leader.  I say this because he was in the front of the formation as they plodded along.

Time stood still as our eyes connected.  His were an uncanny shade, lavender with hints of indigo and specks of silver.  It was a hue I was unfamiliar with but they were intriguing and fascinating.  The alarms were still ringing in my ears and the air felt electrically charged around us. 

“Halt!”

 I turned into stone.  I couldn’t move a muscle.  He cocked his head as his eyes bore into mine.

“Breathe!”

I distinctly heard his command in my mind and I was helpless to disobey him.  I felt myself take a deep cleansing breath.  I questioned him with my eyes.  He flicked his head toward his men and they stepped back several feet.

“Who are you? Why are you here?”

I was confused by the demanding questions swirling in my brain but felt compelled to answer him.  I had never used mind reading to communicate, but I was sure he would hear my answer.

“I’m January St. Davis.  I’m here working on an internship for college credit.”

“You are human?” he asked with incredulity.

I wasn’t sure what he meant by that.  Why would he want to know if I was human?  What a ridiculous question!

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