Winter's Shadow on Itunes!

Apple is promoting Winter's Shadow through their iTunes store for a special price of $4.99 for a limited time. This promotion starts Tuesday 30 August, so if you haven't read Winter's Shadow yet, now's your chance :)

Waiting on Wednesday (70)

Waiting on Wednesday was brought to you by Jill over at Breaking The Spine. It's a weekly post for you to share what upcoming books you can't wait for!

This week I've picked The Beginning of After by Jennifer Castle.  This book will be out on the 6th September 2011.

Synopsis (Goodreads)

Anyone who’s had something truly crappy happen to them will tell you: It’s all about Before and After. What I’m talking about here is the ka-pow, shake-you-to-your-core-and-turn-your-bones-to-plastic kind of crappy.

Sixteen-year-old Laurel’s world changes instantly when her parents and brother are killed in a terrible car accident. Behind the wheel is the father of her bad-boy neighbor, David Kaufman, whose mother is also killed. In the aftermath of the tragedy, Laurel navigates a new reality in which she and her best friend grow apart, boys may or may not be approaching her out of pity, overpowering memories lurk everywhere, and Mr. Kaufman is comatose but still very much alive. Through it all there is David, who swoops in and out of Laurel’s life and to whom she finds herself attracted against her better judgment. She will forever be connected to him by their mutual loss—a connection that will change them both in unexpected ways.

Jennifer Castle’s debut novel is a heart-wrenching, surprisingly witty testament to how drastically life can change in the span of a single moment.

What are you waiting on this week?

Birthday Giveaway!!

Hi all,

Since it's my birthday I've decided we NEED another giveaway.  Yep can't get too many of them I reckon.

So up for grabs is one signed copy of Passion by Lauren Kate and One copy of Everlasting by Alyson Noel.

What you need to know:

You don't have to be a follower but it is always appreciated.

Closes 13th September 11:59pm AEST

Feel free to spread the word!

That's it!!

The First winner picked will get a choice out of the two books 

The second winner will get the remaining book.

Redheart by Jackie Gamber

Title:  Redheart

Author:  Jackie Gamber

Genre:  Young Adult/Fantasy  

Publisher:  Seventh Star Press  

Publication Date:  6th April 2011 

ISBN:  9780983108672

Stand alone or series:  1st Book in the Leland Dragon series

Pages:  294 pages 

Book Received from:  Publisher  

First Lines:  Kallon soared.  He thrust his crimson wings to chase the clouds, tethered to the earth by only his massive shadow. 

Synopsis: 

Enter the lands of Leland Province, where dragon and human societies have long dwelled side by side. Superstitions rise sharply, as a severe
drought strips the land of its bounty, providing fertile ground for the darker ambitions of Fordon Blackclaw, Dragon Council Leader, who
seeks to subdue humans or wipe them off the face of the land.
As the shadow of danger creeps across Leland Province, a young dragon named Kallon Redheart, who has turned his back on dragons and
humans alike, comes into an unexpected friendship. Riza Diantus is a young woman whose dreams can no longer be contained by the narrow
confines of her village, and when she finds herself in peril, Kallon is the only one with the power to save her. Yet to do so means he must confront
his past, and embrace a future he stopped believing in.

My Thoughts:
Redheart is the first  in the Leland Dragon series and probably the first book I've come across where you hear from the dragon's point of view as well as the humans.  I must admit it took me a couple of chapters to really get into this story as it's told from multiple point of views which include Kallon, Riza, Jastin and Blackclaw.
The story revolves around Kallon Redheart a talking dragon.  Kallon is the last of the red dragons and has isolated himself off from the rest of his species.  He's bitter, and pessimistic, and spends alot of time on his own in Leland province, his territory.  The only person who visits is an old wizard by the name of Orman.  The rest of the town is frightened of the dragons so Kallon keeps his distance.  When Kallon is out in the sky one day flying over the drought stricken land, he comes a cross a woman who is being tormented by a group of men.  Kallon steps in and scares off the group and takes the unconscious Riza back to his cave until she wakes up.  It's there that Riza and Kallon spark up an unusual friendship.  One that Kallon denies exists in the beginning.

While it took me longer to get into the story, once I did I was absorbed in what was going to happen next. I found myself cheering for the underdog at the best of times and cursing when things weren't going in their benefit.  I think Jackie has done a brilliant job at portraying each character with depth and substance that really brings them to life.

I really enjoyed reading Redheart.  I love how the author has included the map at the beginning to help the reader follow along on the journey and the glossy prints that were included with Redheart were awesome!


Great Book

In My Mailbox (76)

In My Mailbox is a weekly post created by The Story Siren.

For Review:

The Atheist's Daughter by Renee Harrell

The Undertaker by William E. Brown

A Singular Gift by Sue Santore

Thank you for sending these to me. :)

Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

Thank you Penguin for sending this to me

Bought:

Nothing this week

So what did you get in your IMM?

Sticky Beak (64)

Sticky Beak is all about sharing. Sometimes we can't all get around to every single blog and website available so that's where Sticky Beak comes in. By word of mouth (well you get what I mean) we are more likely to get to those blogs that we wouldn't have normally seen without someone pointing them out to us.


The links could be to your own post, a favourite blog post you would love to share, an authors blog/website, book/writing contests, reviews you really enjoyed, tour info or anything you would love to share with others. Just use the comments below to add your link!


Here's Mine:


Cool Stuff To Check Out:
You Tube: Melbourne Writers Festival 2011 Cinema Ad LOL Not bad at all :)
League of Reluctant Adults:  Sacrificial Magic Exerpt.  The Fourth Book in Stacia Kane's Downside Series
GalleyCat: NaNoWriMo Writer Lands 6-Figure Deal after 30 Rejections.  Cool huh?!


For Writers:
Rachelle Gardner: Author Advances - Is there Such a Thing as Too Much?
The Writer's Coffee Shop: Need inspiration? Check out the challenges .
Bubble Cow: Do I Need an Agent?


That's all from me for now.  Please feel free to add your links below!!  Share the love :)

Spellbound Noticeboard (12)

Welcome to Spellbound Noticeboard. Here is where Authors, Bloggers and others can send in anything that you'd like promoted. Competitions, book releases, blog events etc. This is your spot! So feel free to send me a line if you have anything book related (Including books made into movies) and I'll be sure to post these up! I'll also be including features etc that I come across to help spread the word for other Authors and bloggers! Just email me at melissa@spellboundbybooks.com 

****************************

More about the 'Escape from Furnace' series:

Beneath Heaven is Hell....Beneath Hell is Furnace! Furnace Penitentiary: the world’s most secure prison for young offenders, buried a mile beneath the earth’s surface. Convicted of a murder he didn’t commit, sentenced to life without parole, “new fish” Alex Sawyer knows he has two choices: find a way out, or resign himself to a death behind bars, in the darkness at the bottom of the world.

Escape from Furnace Series by Alexander Gordon Smith

Includes: Lockdown, Solitary, Death Sentence, Fugitives (Available in 2012), and Execution (Available in 2012).

Trailer URL

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PP3dZ10T9Q

Links:

Website: www.alexandergordonsmith.com

Become a Facebook fan: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lockdown/126095974414

Macmillan page for the book and author: http://us.macmillan.com/author/alexandergordonsmith

****************************

**CAREFUL** 
NOT FOR YOUNGSTERS

The new anthology from Mitzi Szereto, author of the controversial and much talked-about novel Pride and Prejudice: Hidden Lusts!

Lie back and relax and listen to the wind howling outside your window as you read these stories in the flickering light of a candle, the absinthe you’re sipping warming your body like the caressing touch of a lover’s fingers…

The supernatural - it has always evoked excited shivers, both fearful and sexual. Red Velvet and Absinthe offers readers a collection of unique and original stories that conjure up the atmospheric and romantic spirit of the Gothic masters and mistresses, but takes things further by adding a generous dosage of eroticism to the brew. Full of paranormal thrills and chills, this is the ultimate erotic romance! Red Velvet and Absinthe features an international cast of writers, including a special foreword from bestselling author Kelley Armstrong.

“Scintillating and suspenseful, this homage to Gothic fiction is a winner! Red Velvet and Absinthe scores with both sexy and scary thrills.” - Caridad Piñeiro, New York Times bestselling author of The Lost

“Scorching hot and deliciously sinful, Mitzi Szereto’s collection of stories of dark and preternatural hungers will have you panting for more.” - Adrian Phoenix, critically acclaimed author of The Maker’s Song series.

Visit the Red Velvet and Absinthe website: http://mitziszereto.com/redvelvetandabsinthe/

Mitzi Szereto is a bestselling author, anthology editor, blogger for “Errant Ramblings: Mitzi Szereto's Weblog” (http://mitziszereto.com/blog), and the creator/presenter for the web channel Mitzi TV (http://mitziszereto.com/tv), which covers "quirky" London. Her other books include the recent release Pride and Prejudice: Hidden Lusts, In Sleeping Beauty’s Bed: Erotic Fairy Tales, The New Black Lace Book of Women’s Sexual Fantasies, Getting Even: Revenge Stories, Dying For It: Tales of Sex & Death, Wicked: Sexy Tales of Legendary Lovers, the Erotic Travel Tales anthology series, The World’s Best Sex Writing 2005, and the popular M. S. Valentine erotic novels. Mitzi has pioneered the erotic writing workshop in the UK and Europe, teaching them from the prestigious Cheltenham Festival of Literature to the Greek islands. Her outspoken views on the erotic literary scene have made her a trendsetter, cult figure, and frequent interviewee, earning her a reputation as the author and editor who has put the “literature” back into erotica. Her anthology Erotic Travel Tales 2 is the first anthology of erotica to feature a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. Originally from the USA, she lives in Greater London.

****************************

Enjoy!

Waiting on Wednesday (69)

Waiting on Wednesday was brought to you by Jill over at Breaking The Spine. It's a weekly post for you to share what upcoming books you can't wait for!

I've seen some really great books lately that are coming out soon and this one definitely looks awesome.  Harbinger by Sarah Wilson Etienne will be out 2nd February 2012.  What do you think of this?

Synopsis
Girl, Interrupted meets Beautiful Creatures in this fast-paced thriller

When sixteen-year-old Faye arrives at Holbrook Academy, she doesn’t expect to find herself exactly where she needs to be. After years of strange waking visions and nightmares, her only comfort the bones of dead animals, Faye is afraid she’s going crazy. Fast.

But her first night at Holbrook, she feels strangely connected to the school and the island it sits on, like she’s come home. She’s even made her first real friends, but odd things keep happening to them. Every morning they wake on the floors of their dorm rooms with their hands stained red.

Faye knows she’s the reason, but what does it all mean? The handsome Kel tries to help her unravel the mystery, but Faye is certain she can’t trust him; in fact, he may be trying to kill her—and the rest of the world too.

What are you waiting on?

Legend by Marie Lu Book Trailer

Thanks to Penguin I have this book sitting in my TBR pile, so I thought I would share the trailer with you all

In My Mailbox (75)

In My Mailbox is a weekly post created by The Story Siren.

For Review:

All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin

Thank you to Pan Macmillan for this.

The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore

Thank you to Penguin Aus for this

Beautifully Broken by Sherry Soule

Thank you to Sherry for sending this.

Mathias Bootmaker and The Keepers of the Sandbox by Edward Medina

Thank you Edward for sending this to me.

Bought:

Survivor by James Phelan 

(Book 2 in the Alone series)

Classic Australian Folklore by A.K. Macdougall

So that is my awesome IMM this week.  What did you get?

The Watchman of Ephraim by Gerard de Marigny and Giveaway

Title:  The Watchman of Ephraim

Author:  Gerard de Marigny

Genre:  Political Thriller

Publisher:  JaRyJorNo Publishing  

Publication Date:  1st January 2011 

ISBN:  9781456575403

Stand alone or series:  Series 

Pages: 273

Book Received from:  Author (Gerard de Marigny)

First Lines:  The shopkeeper smiled at the handsome well tailored customer as she finished tying ribbon around the long-stemmed roses he picked out. 

Synopsis:
Cris De Niro worked his way up to the top of the hedge fund world. Yet all of his money couldn't protect him from losing his wife on 9/11. 10 years have passed since the tragedy. Turning to his faith, De Niro now lives for a higher purpose. He acquires a lackluster counter-terrorism agency, in order to transform it into The Watchman for the United States, but there's not a moment to lose.

He and his new agency unknowingly become targets when they stumble upon a connection between a rich Iranian businessman and a Mexican drug cartel. First, their agent sent to investigate goes missing and then strange events start to unfold at the border. Making matters worse, they suspect that there’s a leak among them. It’s up to De Niro and his new team to protect America from a possible terrorist attack more catastrophic than 9/11 …and it appears he and his children are targeted too! 

My Thoughts:

I don't usually read anything that falls into the genre of Politcal thriller but when I read this synopsis I knew this story would interest me.  

The story begins with Cris De Nero a hedge fun planner planning to surprise his wife at the Twin Towers with a bunch of flowers on September 11.  The one thing that stood out for me the most as I began reading this were that the chapters had the location, date and time as well as little notes in brackets when needed.  It was really handy to keep the timeline of the story.

Right from the first two chapters I really felt for Cris.  Cris is a billionaire and very intelligent but didn't come across as egotistical and money hungry at all but more down to earth and very family orientated.  Keith Tompkins, the Fireman who saves Cris' life as the Twin Towers fall ten years ago, comes to him seeking help regarding the possible construction of a Mosque just two blocks over from Twin Towers.  With De Niro's newly acquired Watchman Agency, an anti terrorism/information intel agency he uses this to look into what seems like an innocent funded project on the outside. 

Gerard does a brilliant job of roping the reader in with facts as well as fiction throughout his story and basing the story on an actual event made it feel so much more real.  The story was well written especially with such a delicate subject that had affected so many people.

The Watchman of Ephraim is an intricately written novel that delivers true patriotism through De Niro and his fellow team.  This is an entertaining and captivating story rich in detail and will keep you reading all the way to the end.


Great Read!

Now for the Giveaway!!

Up for grabs is one copy of The Watchman of Ephraim.

Open International

Giveaway closes 20th September 2011 11:59pm AEST

Enter Here

The Making of The Watchman of Ephraim

The Making of _The Watchman of Ephraim_

At the end of 2010, when I wrote my debut novel _The Watchman of Ephraim_ I had no intention of self-publishing it. As with the manuscript I wrote before _TWOE_, as soon as I completed writing and editing it, I sent queries out to agents, this time 54 agents (with the first manuscript I queried 34 agents) and sat and waited. As opposed to the relative lack of interest in my first manuscript (because of the genre – Christian Spec Fiction - not an easy genre to sell into), this time I didn't have to wait too long to hear back from a half-dozen agents, all requesting the full manuscript for _TWOE_.

"Great," I thought – so I immediately sent out the half-dozen manuscripts and waited … and waited.

I hate to wait! I'm not built to wait, nor to sit back and accept the idea that the fate of my dream to write for a living is in the hands of complete strangers. So as I waited, I looked for options.

Late one night, I was reading an article about self-publishing written by - can you believe … an agent. Guess what the agent's conclusion was about the notion of self-publishing? You got it … she said things like "… it's a bad idea" and the more to-the-point "… you can ruin your career if you self-publish."

Even before reading that article back in late-December 2010, my impressions of self-publishing were that it was a low-quality, non-respected way for losers to publish – and those losers only turn to it when they get rejected by agents and legacy publishers. So, after reading that article, I was about to give up on the idea of self-publishing altogether.

That's when I saw a comment left at the end of the article written by a self-published author named Laura Resnick. Out of kindness I won't give the agent's name because I'm not trying to single her out. In fact, she was merely voicing the opinions of many (but not all) agents.

Laura wrote a scathing rebuttal to all of the opinions put forth by the agent, in the article. Line-item, she refuted every single conclusion that the agent attempted to make about self-publishing. I was blown away … enough for me to contact Laura. She was so kind and helpful – which is exactly how, I soon discovered, the entire self-publishing community is.

Laura pointed me to the website of long-time author and publisher, Dean Wesley Smith. Dean had published three different blog streams – Killing The Sacred Cows of Publishing, New World of Publishing, and Think Like a Publisher. Over the next 24 hours, I read every word of all three … and my life changed forever!

Dean not only did away with all the myths surrounding traditional publishing and self-publishing, but he walks the reader, step-by-step through the entire process of becoming a self-publisher!

I was convinced, I was hooked, I was converted, and I was devoted from that moment on to what I like to call "The Tao of Dean Wesley Smith!"

The very next day, I began following every step that Dean suggested in his – published for free - blogs. The man changed my life, gave me the opportunity to pursue my dream … and he didn't even require a penny's payment! I sent him a donation check anyway. Hey, Dean provided me with a master's course in self-publishing, saving me untold amounts of money and time in the plethora of mistakes I would have inevitably made. I think that's worth paying the man!

Exactly 30-days later, I not only had 'opened' my own publishing house, JarRyJorNo Publishing, but I had PUBLISHED my first novel!

All Praise to Him … and Sensei Dean!

There are lots of steps that an author must take in order to professionally self-publish. The first is to act like a publisher – not just the author, but the publisher. That not only means opening a DBA and checking account, it means learning how to perform the many duties and obligations of a publisher.

Michael Gerber wrote a great set of books called _E-Myth_ and _E-Myth Revisited_ where, among other things, he talks about the need for entrepreneurs who open their own businesses to create an organizational chart that lists all of the organization's positions with job descriptions attached. The next step Gerber says to take is for the entrepreneur to fill his/her own name into each box. Gerber correctly points out that even when you have a business where you are the only employee, you must define the various job duties and then apply yourself to each one! In this way, you take ownership for each duty – and from the entire process, you get a deeper and clearer understanding of what it takes to run a successful business, where you are the only employee.

I found Gerber's books to be invaluable when it came to setting up my own Self-Publishing house. In order to publish _The Watchman of Ephraim_ I had to wear both hats – author and publisher, which meant I had to perform/accomplish the following tasks:

+ Open a DBA (Doing Business As) company

+ Create an Author's website and my Publisher's website

+ Open a checking account for my publishing house

+ Make my manuscript ready for eBook distribution with Smashwords, Amazon & B&N

+ Make my manuscript ready for print distribution with CreateSpace and Lightning Source/INGRAM

Those are the macro steps. Within each macro step are sub-steps like:

+ How you will create your websites

+ Settling on an application to make-ready your print version (I invested in Adobe's InDesign® program

+ Following the various formatting steps of each eBook distributor (they vary slightly)

+ Creating a cover design (something I did myself)

+ ISBN purchase and assignments

+ Library of Congress application

+ Logo design for my Publisher

There are some sub-steps to the sub-steps but the bottom line is …

It is now possible to self-publish your written works in a professional way and turn out a quality product that can rival the very best that a legacy publisher can offer!

That's incredibly exciting to me and LIBERATING! No more waiting for anyone to get back to me only to reject me because my work wasn't low hanging fruit to them (easy to sell to their favorite legacy publishing houses).

By the way, you may have noticed that I left out things like actually knowing how to write fiction works, researching them, and editing. That's because those things have to be done whether you self-publish or not. If you don't know how to do those things … you shouldn't be trying to publish your works of fiction in the first place!

I implore anyone who is contemplating self-publishing to read the three blogs I mentioned above by Dean Wesley Smith. You can also find other valuable self-publishing sites along with my own SelfPubbers Pub blog here.

Self-Publishing has allowed me to pursue my dream. If self-publishing is your dream too, then I hope this article has helped you on your way! If you have any questions, you can always reach out to me at: mailto:Gerard@JarRyJorNoPublishing.com. Now get to it!

Author Bio

Gerard de Marigny is the author of the geopolitical thriller, _The Watchman of Ephraim_, Book 1 of THE WATCHMAN OF EPHRAIM series. The sequel, _Signs of War_ is scheduled for release in September 2011.

Gerard de Marigny resides in the beautiful foothills of Las Vegas, NV with his wife Lisa and his four sons. When not bending an arm with friends at the local pub, he's putting to paper the stories and characters that are alive in his mind.

Author/Publisher Sites

Author's Website: www.GerarddeMarigny.com

Author's Blog: SelfPubber's Pub

Social Networking Sites

Facebook Page: www.Facebook.com/GerarddeM

Twitter: www.twitter.com/GerarddeMarigny

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/gerard_demarigny

LinkedIn: www.LinkedIn.com/in/GerarddeMarigny

MySpace: www.MySpace.com/GerarddeMarigny

Buy Links

Amazon: Gerard de Marigny Books

Barnes & Noble: Gerard de Marigny Books

Smashwords (all eBook formats): _The Watchman of Ephraim_

Personalized, signed copies are available at the author's website: www.GerarddeMarigny.com (all transactions secure via PayPal)

Waiting on Wednesday (68)

Waiting on Wednesday was brought to you by Jill over at Breaking The Spine. It's a weekly post for you to share what upcoming books you can't wait for!

This week I've picked Hollow by Richard Denney which will be released in May 2012.  Have a read and see what you think!

Synopsis (Goodreads)

Welcome to the house of Hollow.
In a dystopian future, sixteen year old Leah Munro has been sold to a rich woman in a crippling mansion. Soon Leah discovers that there is something mysterious going on around the home, and with the help of three other girls, she attempts to uncover what is truly happening... what lies beyond all of the plexiglass windows and the hideous screams in the middle of the night? Leah will soon find out

Interview with Alison Stewart

Today I'm pleased to welcome Alison Stewart, author of the newly published book, Day's Like This.

Days Like This is a Dystopian Young adult novel set in Sydney where the Committee has walled in the privileged, leaving the rest of the people outside to suffer the effects the "warming" has caused.  But Lily finds being inside the walled area is more like a prison than a privilege  and longs to be free of the ruthless Committee and the Blacktroopers.

Thanks for taking the time out to answer my questions Alison.

So here goes...


1. Where did the idea for Days Like This come from?

Some years ago I was seeing a lot of media reports about Gen Y’s fury at baby boomers – how the boomers had it so lucky, how they were hogging the good jobs, how their greed was wrecking the world. I thought what if we lived in a world where that anger turned to violence. What would happen then - maybe repression of younger people, removal of benefits and education, restriction of movement? Days Like This started with the idea that the social issues of today might develop into the dystopian world of tomorrow: an environmentally devastated world, where resources are scarce, where power is in the hands of a few people who exploit their own children and who become so arrogant they seek immortality.

2. What was the easiest and hardest part of writing Days Like This?

The easiest part was thinking about the idea and reading up on issues that related to my themes – stories about social unrest, environmental chaos, global warming. The hardest part was having people pick holes in it once it was finished; changing it from an adult to a YA book. And then having to edit and edit until I wanted to screech! And did, occasionally.

3. Was becoming a published author how you expected it to be? Any surprises?

I thought once I had a book published, I’d be content forever and die happy. Unfortunately, human nature means that you are constantly looking to the future, wondering why your book hasn’t become a world-beating bestseller, wondering if anyone wants it for a film, wondering what you’re going to write next, wondering if anyone’s going to like what you next write because this is such a subjective area. I once thought that I couldn’t bear it if I never got my writing published. Now I have a couple of unpublished manuscripts sitting in the bottom drawer and it doesn’t seem like the end of the world.

4. Where do you do most of your writing?

I used to write longhand sitting on the sofa or on my bed before putting it in to the computer to begin the editing process. Now I tend to write directly onto the computer in a tiny room that used to be my baby son’s bedroom. It still has the Beatrix Potter prints on the wall, the kid curtains and the luminous star mobiles! And the cow candle he once gave me with its weird, lazy eye. I’m embarrassed to include a photo – oh what the heck, here it is in all its scruffy glory. Who says writers can’t be slobs?

5. What routines/quirky habits do you have for when and how you write?

I have absolutely no routine at all; it’s fantastic! I got used to writing in chaos when I worked as a full-time journalist. The newsroom was always in turmoil and people always wanted to have a chat! So I tend to work when I feel like it – that could be late at night or first thing – but only after my cappuccino!

6. What keeps you writing?

I love writing. It’s a way of trying to make sense of things. I like to think about “what if?” That’s why I like dystopian fiction. It lets you address fairly confronting issues like why people behave the way their do, what motivates them – greed, anger, money, jealousy, fear. It’s a way of trying to work out what we value about ourselves and the world.

7. Finish this sentence. ‘When I’m not writing or editing I’m…”

Thinking about food. No, seriously, probably reading, planning travel, spending time with my friends, my husband Rob and my adult “children”, Angus and Georgia and her boyfriend Lachlan, though only Angus, who’s at uni, lives with us now.

8. Any Future projects you would like to share with us?

I’m working on a “childhood memoir” called Cold Stone Soup which is almost finished. It’s about growing up under apartheid in South Africa. Like most other privileged white children of the times, I was completely unaware of what was going on, but gradually I, like many others, woke up to the immorality of the system. I’d also love to write a loose “sequel” to Days Like This but the story would be about the next generation - Lily and Kieran’s children and their contemporaries – and the world they’ve inherited. Because, sadly, people never seem to learn from their mistakes!

9. Is there a question you have always wanted to be asked but haven’t? What would your answer be?

Your question 11, except with food - which seven foods would I take to a desert island? Avocados, sourdough bread, feta cheese, garlic, lemons (to go with the fish I’d catch and also because I’d like to keep my teeth), broccoli (yes, I know, weird), and dark chocolate.

10. Are there any tips and advice you would like to share with aspiring writers?

Don’t be afraid to write and keep writing, but also don’t be afraid to edit. Don’t be put off by rejection – easier said than done! But remember, some idiot rejected J.K. Rowling, among many other good writers. It goes without saying that you should read widely and when you come across something you love, take note of how the author has achieved this. And put your writing out there – in blogs, writing groups, writing competitions. There’s a lot of luck and you have to be in it to win it, as they say!

11. And last, you’re stuck on a deserted island. Which character from your book would you have with you and why?

Hmm, certainly not Max. Probably Daniel because he’s smart, a bit feisty, interested in the world around him, so maybe up for a good conversation. Also, he likes feta cheese and avocados.

To Find out more about Alison Stewart see below:

Alison Stewarts Blog

Twitter

Goodreads 

Between The Lines

In My Mailbox (74)

In My Mailbox is a weekly post created by The Story Siren.

For Review:

Schrodingers Cat by Eileen Schuh

Dael and the Painted People by Allan Richard Shickman

Book 3 in the Zan-Gah series.

That's all from me this week.

What did you get in your IMM?

Sticky Beak (63)

Sticky Beak is all about sharing. Sometimes we can't all get around to every single blog and website available so that's where Sticky Beak comes in. By word of mouth (well you get what I mean) we are more likely to get to those blogs that we wouldn't have normally seen without someone pointing them out to us.


The links could be to your own post, a favourite blog post you would love to share, an authors blog/website, book/writing contests, reviews you really enjoyed, tour info or anything you would love to share with others. Just use the comments below to add your link!
Here's Mine:

Cool Stuff to Check Out: 
Friend Or Follow: Find out who doesn't follow you back on Twitter!
Cafepress - Larissa's Bookish Life: Check out Larissa's cool store!
EW Shelf Life: Bloodlines original first chapter.
Dear Photograph:  Awesome website, check it out

For Bloggers:
Parajunkee Design: Check out the free rater and icons for Book Bloggers

For Writers:
How Publishing Really Works: First Publication Rights 
The Passive Voice: Are you Responsible For Your Own Career
Writer's Knowledge Base: Search engine for writers.  Could be helpful

The Domino Effect by Andrew Cotto Book Trailer

Waiting on Wednesday (67)

Waiting on Wednesday was brought to you by Jill over at Breaking The Spine. It's a weekly post for you to share what upcoming books you can't wait for!

I really can't wait for Slide by Jill Hathaway to come out.  This ones out 27th March 2012 so keep an eye out for it.  The cover is beautiful and the synopsis sounds awesome!

Synopsis (Goodreads)
Vee Bell is certain of one irrefutable truth—her sister’s friend Sophie didn’t kill herself. She was murdered.

Vee knows this because she was there. Everyone believes Vee is narcoleptic, but she doesn’t actually fall asleep during these episodes: When she passes out, she slides into somebody else’s mind and experiences the world through that person’s eyes. She’s slid into her sister as she cheated on a math test, into a teacher sneaking a drink before class. She learned the worst about a supposed “friend” when she slid into her during a school dance. But nothing could have prepared Vee for what happens one October night when she slides into the mind of someone holding a bloody knife, standing over Sophie’s slashed body.

Vee desperately wishes she could share her secret, but who would believe her? It sounds so crazy that she can’t bring herself to tell her best friend, Rollins, let alone the police. Even if she could confide in Rollins, he has been acting off lately, more distant, especially now that she’s been spending more time with Zane.

Enmeshed in a terrifying web of secrets, lies, and danger and with no one to turn to, Vee must find a way to unmask the killer before he or she strikes again.

My other pick for this week is Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi.  This one is out on the 7th February 2012.

Synopsis (Goodreads)
EXILED from her home, the enclosed city of Reverie, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland—known as the Death Shop—are slim. If the cannibals don’t get her, the violent energy storms will. She’s been taught that the very air she breathes can kill her. Then Aria meets an outsider named Perry. He’s wild—a savage— and her only hope of staying alive.

Because they must, they will struggle together to survive.

Aria and Perry forge an unlikely alliance—one that will determine the fate of all who live under the never sky.

What are you waiting on?

The Starkin Crown by Kate Forsyth

Title:  The Starkin Crown

Author:  Kate Forsyth

Genre:  Middle Grade/Childrens

Publisher:  Pan Macmillan  

Publication Date:  1st May 2011 

ISBN:  9780330404044

Stand alone or series: Series (But can be read separately)

Pages:  384 pages

Book Received from:  Publisher (Pan Macmillan)

First Lines:  Being a prince was no fun at all, Peregrine thought moodily, staring out through the arrow slit at the pine trees shivering in the snowy dusk.  Especially when you're the son of a king without a kingdom. 

Synopsis: 
Last, the smallest and the greatest...
Though he must be lost before he can find,
Though, before he sees, he must be blind,
If he can find and if he can see,
The true king of all he shall be.


Prince Peregrine, rightful heir to the starkin and wildkin crowns, longs for adventure. But Vernisha the Vile, who seized the starkin throne, seeks to destroy Peregrine, his family, and all the wildkin of Ziva.


With Stormlinn Castle under attack, Peregrine flees with his best friend, Jack, and Lady Grizelda – a starkin girl. Together they seek the Spear of the Storm King – the long-lost weapon which, it is prophesied, will destroy the starkin throne.


But a hunter is on their tail and someone close doesn't want them to succeed...

My Thoughts:
I was surprised when this turned up on my doorstep because when I opened the box, I didn't have just one copy of The Starkin Crown, I had SIX!!  So I sent off a couple to fellow Aussie bloggers and giving away three copies on here.


I have the Starthorn Tree (the first book) sitting in my TBR pile for a while now and meant to have read this before I'd read anything else but I was told I could read this one out of order and being from the Publishers I wanted to get it read and reviewed as soon as I could.


The beginning of The Starkin Crown is filled with a few family trees, a map and list of characters and who they were in the story.  I really enjoy stories that have these types of things in them.  I found it draws the reader in that little bit more and would be fantastic for the age group it's aimed at.  


Because I hadn't read the first two books I was thankful to have this to look back on when I needed to.  That being said, I didn't have to look back often as alot of the way through it is quite clear who is who and what they are in terms to Peregrine and Jack.


As far as characters go, I really fell in love with Peregrine!  He's a great and generous character to be reading the story from and while this is told from various viewpoints throughout the story, I was always glad to come back to his POV.  I didn't particularly enjoy reading about Grizelda though.  She was every bit the spoiled princess she's portrayed in the story and I found myself at times wishing Peregrine wasn't so nice to her.  I loved the little Omen-imp.  Such a funny little fella he was.  Molly was another I grew quite fond of too.


The Starkin Crown was an entertaining read.  It was so easy to imagine the world that Kate's set the story in and I enjoyed it all the way through!
  

Interview with Amelia from Her Guardian Angel and Giveaway

Interview with Amelia from Her Guardian Angel

Thank you Melissa for inviting me here today as part of my Paranormal Pandemonium 2011 Blog Tour, and in particular the Her Angel series section of it that celebrates the series and the release of the fourth book / first novel, Her Guardian Angel. It’s great to be back at Spellbound by Books!

I’ve already introduced the series and a little about the book at other blog stops on my tour, and I’ve interviewed the hero of Her Guardian Angel, Marcus, so now it’s time to sit down with the heroine, Amelia, and get her perspective on their story. But before I do that, I need to introduce myself to everyone who isn’t familiar with me.

My name is Felicity Heaton and I write paranormal romances and science fiction romances under than name, and also as F E Heaton. You might have seen me around this blog as I haunt it regularly. I’ve been writing since 2005, and turned indie in 2006. I mostly write vampires and werewolves, but have the odd shape-shifter, demon or witch in the mix, and of course, I write angels.

If you’re new to Her Guardian Angel, I’ll try to describe Amelia. She’s sitting across from me today on a very comfortable looking purple velvet armchair and she’s sporting a sleek black bob that I presume is a wig because that isn’t her normal hair colour. A pair of dark sunglasses hide her grey eyes from view and she’s head to toe in tight black clothing, which definitely isn’t like her. It’s more like Taylor, the heroine from Her Warrior Angel, and I have to wonder whether this is an attempt to remain incognito. She does have some powerful foes after her. Her smile is a little hesitant. She’s a woman who can handle herself but it seems she’s concerned about being away from Marcus, even though he’s only in the other room.

Since she looks nervous, I’ll get on with the interview.

FH: I have Amelia here with me today to talk about her book, Her Guardian Angel. Firstly, can you tell us a little about yourself?

AMELIA: I certainly can. Telling readers about myself will probably be the easiest of the questions you’re going to make me answer. I can’t give away any juicy details about my story, can I? (shakes head) Shame. Okay, so a little about myself. I’m British, and was raised in a small countryside town, but I moved to London as soon as I could and started moving around jobs there. I had terrible luck with men before Marcus came along. Oh, I guess I probably still have terrible luck with men, since Marcus isn’t exactly a man. He’s an angel, literally. It was strange trying to compute that, but made a hell of a lot easier by the method I discovered that little fact about him. I’m in my early thirties and figured that I was probably going to coast through life and maybe find a good man and a good job and everything would get better for me. Well, it did, but I went through Hell to get there, and my job and my good man are nothing like I anticipated.

FH: Can you tell us about what happened in your story?

AMELIA: Without giving away too much, it will be difficult. I never suspected that Marcus was an angel, or that he had been watching over me my whole life, or that said life was going to get horribly like a nightmare. I’ve never believed in supernatural stuff, or gods and evil things like the Devil. It was a real eye opener when Marcus saved me from some demonic angels and I knew right then that my life would never be the same, but I could never have guessed just how much it was going to change. I don’t think I would be here today if it wasn’t for Marcus and his friends. I know that we had some rocky times, but the course of true love never did run smooth, right?

FH: Definitely right. How did you meet Marcus and how did you feel about him initially?

AMELIA: One day the guy next door was gone and Marcus was there. I thought my poor choice in men had driven him away with their late night visits to bang down my door and cuss at me. I passed the usual polite greetings with Marcus whenever we met in the hallway but he seemed so cold and detached. He didn’t speak to anyone in the building and broadcasted an air of “leave me alone” so I did just that. I didn’t really take much notice of him until the night that he punched Mike, my ex, who was doing his usual bang-the-door-down-at-3am routine. I couldn’t fail to notice Marcus then. The man is a god. Scratch angel. He’s a god. My sister would love him because he’s smart and sexy, two qualities she loves in a man. Once I really took Marcus in... I mean, he was only wearing jogging bottoms and looked incredibly sexy with his sleep-mussed unruly black hair... what sort of woman would I be if I didn’t ogle him? Where was I? Oh, yeah, once I took a moment to see Marcus properly for the first time, I was smitten. It was just a shame that he was still so distant. I tried my hardest to get him to open up, and eventually it worked. He’s a different person now. It almost feels as though I had imagined him as he was back then. He even laughs with his angel friends these days... well, when he isn’t training me until I’m close to passing out and giving me that sexy serious warrior look of his.

FH: Sounds as though Marcus has really done a 180! You should be proud of your achievement. It must have been difficult for you at first though. It’s not every day an angel walks into your life and saves you, and then reveals that you’re still in danger.

AMELIA: I think I was in shock at first, but it was hard to deny what I saw. Marcus in armour, albeit without wings, wielding two blades, and fighting against two black skinned immense demons to protect me. Once you’ve witnessed something like that, it’s sort of difficult to pretend you saw nothing and that none of it was real, just a figment of your imagination. When Marcus took me to see Einar, his angel friend, and Taylor, Einar’s half-demon woman, and I finally saw Marcus’s wings for the first time, I knew right then that as difficult as it was for me, I had to accept the reality that angels existed. I think I found it hardest to accept that it meant that God and the Devil were real too... although it didn’t take very long for me to believe that they were, and they weren’t as I had been led to believe. Marcus was so intent on protecting me, is still intent on it, that I couldn’t doubt him or anything he said, and realising that he’s an angel led me to an epiphany about him with the help of Einar. Once I knew more about Marcus, I knew that I wanted to be with him, regardless of the fact that he was an angel. I wanted to love him, and wanted to open his eyes to his feelings for me.

FH: How has life been since the events that happened and brought you together?

AMELIA: It’s been really busy, although Marcus tries to find time for quiet moments together as well as perpetual training. I know how important it is to him that we’re ready to face whatever comes after us, and that an extra hour of training might mean the difference between survival and death for us both, so I don’t complain about it unless he’s worked me to the bone, and then I just snap! When he goes too far, he makes it up to me in the sweetest ways, and he’s been very good about making sure that the locations we move to are beautiful and peaceful, and places where I can snatch a few hours of bliss with him every so often. I like to think of it as a reward for my hard work. I’m sure if I started slacking off, the next place we moved to would be somewhere like Antarctica rather than small tropical islands. I know he chooses them because we’re harder to locate in such remote places, but sometimes I think he’s growing to like all that white sand and warm water regardless of what he says about it. It’s our little slice of paradise.

FH: Sounds like it, although it would be more like paradise without the hard training. Your story, Her Guardian Angel, is a book in the Her Angel series. Can you tell us a little about the series and can we expect see more of you in other stories in this series?

AMELIA: I think you can definitely expect to see more from me and Marcus in future stories in the series, as well as more of the other angels and their women too. I feel as though I should read the novellas you wrote about Apollyon and Serenity, Lukas and Annelie, and Einar and Taylor so I can learn more about them, and maybe get some dirt on them too. They have so much on me and Marcus that they’re merciless once they start teasing. It would be nice to have something in my arsenal to use on them. We’ve become very close since the events that happened in my story, almost like family, but they can’t replace my real family, and it’s my sister and dad that I’m worried about now.

FH: Describe yourself in one word?

AMELIA: Strong. Marcus tells me it all the time. He says he’s never met someone as strong as I am, and I guess I have to be in order to face everything that I have.

FH: Thank you for meeting with me today and chatting. Is there anything else that you’d like to add?

AMELIA: Only that I think everyone should rush out and get their hands on a copy of my story, Her Guardian Angel, so they can fall for Marcus in the way that I did... although, I have to say now ladies, he is mine, and I’ll be keeping him forever if I can.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this interview with Amelia and that it has intrigued you enough that you want to find out more about the series and the books, and that you’ll follow me on my Paranormal Pandemonium 2011 Blog Tour so you can learn more about the characters, the series and the books, and participate in the giveaways. You can find out my tour dates at my website: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/paranormal-pandemonium-blog-tour.php

Here’s a little more about the latest book in the series. Don’t worry if you haven’t read the others. This story can be read out of order with them without any problem at all.

Her Guardian Angel is currently available in e-book direct from my website, Amazon Kindle Stores, and Smashwords. It will soon be available from Barnes & Noble, Sony, Kobo, Apple iBookstore, and also as a paperback from Amazon sites.

Other stories in the Her Angel series are: Her Dark Angel, Her Fallen Angel and Her Warrior Angel. Details of them and where they are available in e-book and paperback can be found at my website: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/ebookseries.php?series=Her%20Angel

Her Guardian Angel

A simple mission becomes a fight for survival in this fantastic instalment in the Her Angel series.

A guardian angel dedicated to his duty, Marcus will do whatever Heaven asks of him, but even his loyalty has its limits. When his superior orders him to gain Amelia’s trust through seduction, Marcus starts to question his mission and his feelings for the beautiful woman he has watched over since her birth.

Amelia has gone from one bad relationship to another, so when a gorgeous guy moves in next door looking like Mr Right, she hopes he doesn’t turn out to be another black knight in disguise. But there’s more to Marcus than meets the eye, and when he rescues her from three demonic men, Amelia is thrust into his nightmarish world—a world where God and the Devil exist, and only one angel can save her from death—Marcus, the angel she’s falling in love with.

On the run from demonic angels and the Devil himself, aided by Marcus’s angel friends and their amazing women, fighting for survival against the odds, Marcus and Amelia discover a love that will last forever.

A love so strong it will shake Heaven and Hell.

Read an excerpt: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/ebooks.php?title=Her%20Guardian%20Angel

Find out more about the Her Angel series at my website: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/ebookseries.php?series=Her%20Angel

Available in e-book for $3.99 from:
Author's website: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/ebooks.php?title=Her%20Guardian%20Angel
Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005EUJIG8/
Amazon Kindle Germany: http://www.amazon.de/dp/B005EUJIG8/
Amazon Kindle UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005EUJIG8/
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/77776

Biography:

Felicity Heaton is a romance author writing as both Felicity Heaton and F E Heaton. She is passionate about penning paranormal tales full of vampires, witches, werewolves, angels and shape-shifters, and has been interested in all things preternatural and fantastical since she was just a child. Her other passion is science-fiction and she likes nothing more than to immerse herself in a whole new universe and the amazing species therein. She used to while away days at school and college dreaming of vampires, werewolves and witches, or being lost in space, and used to while away evenings watching movies about them or reading gothic horror stories, science-fiction and romances.

Having tried her hand at various romance genres, it was only natural for her to turn her focus back to the paranormal, fantasy and science-fiction worlds she enjoys so much. She loves to write seductive, sexy and strong vampires, werewolves, witches, angels and alien species. The worlds she often dreams up for them are vicious, dark and dangerous, reflecting aspects of the heroines and heroes, but her characters also love deeply, laugh, cry and feel every emotion as keenly as anyone does. She makes no excuses for the darkness surrounding them, especially the paranormal creatures, and says that this is their world. She’s just honoured to write down their adventures.


If you want to know more about me, or want to get in touch, you can find me at the following places:

My website: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk
My blog: http://www.indieparanormalromancebooks.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/feheaton
Twitter: http://twitter.com/felicityheaton
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/felicityheaton

Giveaway Time: 

Up For Grabs is

One Prize pack

Her Fallen Angel e-book

plus signed book swag that includes postcards, bookmarks, magnet, keyring and coaster

Giveaway International

Ends 31st August 2011 at 11:59pm AEST

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