So exited! Roll on 8th July!
XxX
Thursday, 27 June 2013
***Tripped Up Love Tour***
Author: Julie Farley
Release date: May 8th, 2013
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Tour: Irresistible Reads Book Tours
Book Description:
Heather Meadows lost the only love she’s ever known. Her perfect, yet ordinary life was turned upside down the day her 38-year-old husband died. Her happily ever after was gone in the blink of an eye. Heather’s life becomes the subject of scrutiny and pity as she tries to pick up the pieces of her shattered world and raise her three children on her own. In the midst of suburbia and gossipy neighbors, Heather tries to re-build a normal life. Little does she know she’s about to trip into a new adventure. An adventure she could never have imagined. Where will her misstep take her and how will Heather handle the prying eyes of those around her?
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17908200-tripped-up-love?ac=1
About the Author:
Julie Farley was born and raised on Long Island. Even though she now lives in Virginia, a piece of her heart still lives in New York. And there's one in Chicago and South Bend, IN home of her alma mater Notre Dame. When Julie's not writing she's teaching preschool or taking care of her own four children. Julie grew up with her nose in a book and her love of books turned into a love of writing as well. Julie published her first book, Tripped Up Love, in May of 2013. The sequel, The New Ever After, will be released in July of 2013.
Website: www.juliefarley.com
Blog Tour: http://bit.ly/141MNHf
Review
4 Stunning Stars
Let me start by saying I LOVED THIS BOOK! It was so beautifully written and so very touching.
The opening to this novel was, to put it bluntly, very harsh. It was to the point and designed to be a kill strike:
'Heather stood at the altar and read the eulogy. The eulogy for her dead husband.'
This introduction was completely necessary to show us just how hurt Heather was, she was aching for the love her life, the father of her 3 beautiful children and her best friend who was so cruelly taken so early in life.
In the first two pages, we are introduced to our lead female Heather, Hank her dead husband, and Heyes, Gracie and Henry their three children. Heather is vulnerable, broken and struggling to hold it together. The book goes quickly from the funeral to 18 months later and we are introduced to Peter.
PHEW! Hot, sweet, masculine, sexy, caring... HOLYSWEETBOOKBOYFRIEND! He is just perfect.
The book covers Heathers inner turmoil of meeting another man and the 'stigma' of young-widow-meets-new-man. Think Suburbia/Desperate Housewives!
Whilst reading, as I knew I was reviewing this for a blog tour, I was taking notes. It started like this:
Funny comment - see note 6
Funny comment - see notes 6 & 7
Funny comment - see notes 6 & 7 & 8
And so on, and so on until it was just getting ridiculous! (I stopped taking 'funny' highlights at no 22). The one liners and sarcastic comments were hilarious.
This book seems very predictable until chapters 26 & 27. WOW, huge jump!! Such a fantastic twist.
I only have one negative comment - the writing style of flipping from PoV's with no rhyme nor reason took a long time to get used to. I think I was 20% + of the way in before I got it.
I would definitely recommend this book, it is touching, heartfelt and very funny. Will definitely read more Julie Farley works again.
XxX
Wednesday, 26 June 2013
**Release Week Blitz : Fallen Crest Family**
Fallen Crest Family
I started Blogging less than 2 months ago and in that time, I've met some FANTASTIC people - both authors and fellow bloggers.
The lovely ladies at WhiteZinBookends put me in touch with Tamsyn at http://www.thesecretbookbrat.com/ and I'm SO excited to be taking part in my first Release Week Blitz!
My TBR list is over 300 books long (at the moment!!) and Fallen Crest High was sitting around #10. When WhiteZinBookends suggest I take part in the Blitz, it went straight to #1! So in the last week, I've read Fallen Crest High & Fallen Crest Family. My task as part of the Blitz is to review FCF so here goes...
Blurb:
Samantha and Mason are together. Everyone knows it. Not everyone is dealing with it. While Mason’s ready to give them the middle finger, there’s one not going away. Her mother. Threats are issued. Ultimatums are given. Even blackmail is used, but only Samantha can put a stop to Analise. However, when a trauma from her past is triggered, she may not have the courage or strength to do what’s needed. If she doesn’t, Mason’s future could be destroyed.
Let me start by saying...MASON IS MY 18YEAR OLD SELF'S DREAM BOOK BOYFRIEND!! He is sweet, strong and so sexy!
The book delves further into the inner workings of Sam, Mason, Logan and Sam's completely-bonkers-raging-lunatic of a mother. It sort of explains to us why they are all f&%ked up in the head!
This is a typical YA novel with lots of late teenage hilarity (High School drama). But what stands out to me, was that each of these teenagers had to deal with things that no fully grown adult should, let alone teenagers who are still trying to find their identity.
Fallen Crest High was a 4 star book, Fallen Crest Family was a 3.75 but only because I wanted more!
Brilliant beach read :)
THANKS to Tamsyn for including me in this!!
Tijan's Works can be found here:
Tijan - Amazon
<3 <3 <3
XxX
Wednesday, 19 June 2013
Tangled
Tangled
Emma Chase
**5 LAUGH OUT LOUD STARS**
Blurb:
Drew Evans is a winner. Handsome and arrogant, he makes multimillion dollar business deals and seduces New York’s most beautiful women with just a smile. He has loyal friends and an indulgent family. So why has he been shuttered in his apartment for seven days, miserable and depressed?
He’ll tell you he has the flu.
But we all know that’s not really true.
Katherine Brooks is brilliant, beautiful and ambitious. She refuses to let anything - or anyone - derail her path to success. When Kate is hired as the new associate at Drew’s father’s investment banking firm, every aspect of the dashing playboy’s life is thrown into a tailspin. The professional competition she brings is unnerving, his attraction to her is distracting, his failure to entice her into his bed is exasperating.
Then, just when Drew is on the cusp of having everything he wants, his overblown confidence threatens to ruin it all. Will he be able untangle his feelings of lust and tenderness, frustration and fulfillment? Will he rise to the most important challenge of his life?
Can Drew Evans win at love?
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"Do you see that Unshowered, unshaven heap on the couch? The guy in the dirty gray T-shirt and ripped sweatpants? That's me, Drew Evans"
This is how we meet Drew - Our Rich, Successful, Sexy, Man-Slut of a lead male. At his lowest point - think rock bottom, dig deeper and wallow in self pity lowest of low.
AND HE WAS STILL HILARIOUS!!
I needed something light to read because the drama of all the heavy-issue books I've been reading (and loving, can I just add) are beginning to take their toll on me!
Enter Tangled!
I laughed from the off until the end. Like gut clutching, shake from head to toe laughing! I earned quite a few funny looks from my colleagues in the lunch room (because Tangled was so addictive I HAD to read it at lunch!).
This book was a cross between a Chick-Lit, Erotica, New Adult and Humor. The Erotica was few and far between but VERY HOT, the chick lit element was evident, it covered the age range of a typical New Adult novel but the overriding element was Hilarity.
I don't want to go into the story too much - it is ever so slightly predictable (very very slightly) so I'll just mention some things I loved.
- Kate - She was young, ambitious, clever, funny and sexy.
- Drew - Where do I start?? He is a man-slut, no quibbles about it. But somehow I STILL managed to fall in love with him and his trying-to-change-man-slut ways!
- Mackenzie - She is so honest, innocent and adoreable.
My Favourite Quotes:
"I mean a grab-my-ass, rub-my-junk, why-don't-you-push-my-wheelchair-into-the-broom-closet-so-we-can-get-nasty kind of thing. It's f$%king disturbing"
"It's official. Brace yourselves. Hell has actually frozen the fcuk over"
“You know on TV when there’s one of those awkward, shocking moments and all you hear are the crickets in the background?
Well chirp fucking chirp...this is one of those moments.”
“For God's sake, don't let her watch Cinderella. What kind of example is that? A mindless twit who can't even remember where she left her damn shoe, so she has to wait for some douchebag in tights to bring it to her? Give me a frigging break!”
“God. I may end up being the first man in history capable of masturbating without touching himself. Look, Mom—no hands.”
“He moved his trunk-like manhood toward the weeping petals of her womanly center.'
Who the f*ck talks like that?!”
Do yourselves a favour - Read this.
Quickly.
Like now.
XxX
Entwined with You
Entwined with You
Sylvia Day
**4.75 Stars**
I LOVE Gideon Cross. Like heart stopping, swooning, gushing, fainting - outright adore him.
Blurb:
From the moment I first met Gideon Cross, I recognized something in him that I needed. Something I couldn’t resist. I saw the dangerous and damaged soul inside–so much like my own. I was drawn to it. I needed him as surely as I needed my heart to beat.
No one knows how much he risked for me. How much I’d been threatened, or just how dark and desperate the shadow of our pasts would become.
Entwined by our secrets, we tried to defy the odds. We made our own rules and surrendered completely to the exquisite power of possession
Sylvia Day has managed to create a character that is:
- Rich, but not Overtly Flashy
- Gorgeous, but not Too Perfect
- Broken, but not Irrepairable
- Loving - possively so, but SO SWEET with it
Bared to You was a wonderful introduction to Gideon - It told us enough to fall for him, but didn't give too much away.
Reflected in You was a drama filled, stop-you-in-your-tracks, jaw dropping continuation of Gideon and Eva's story.
Entwined with You was a whole other ballgame.
"Its Killing me," he said gruffly. "Being without you. Missing you. I feel like my F$%king sanity depends on you, Eva, and you want me to be happy about that?"
It wasn't filled with drama.
It wasn't filled with mush.
It wasn't filled with secrecy.
But...
I Loved it!!
It WAS filled with HOT sex.
Like Fifty Shades eat-your-heart-out HOT HOT HOT Sex.
“Honestly, Gideon Cross had been designed to fcuk a woman right out of her mind.”
“You like sex, angel,” he purred. “Nothing wrong with that. You’re greedy and insatiable, and I love it. I love knowing that once I get inside you, you’re going to suck me dry. Then you’ll want to do it again.”
This story was sweet, there were still some shocks and it was filled with love.
I subtracted 0.25 stars because I found the first 40% really slow. I actually thought I was going to have to either give up or ask for spoilers to entice me to keep going but I should have known Sylvia wouldnt dissappoint! If you feel like this, please please please keep going with it - it gets there nd I understand why the pace was slowed - it was essential to the story.
Roll on Books 4 & 5!!
XxX
Monday, 17 June 2013
Interview: Caisey Quinn [& GIVEAWAY!]
Author Interview: Caisey Quinn
**REMEMBER TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY AT THE END OF THIS INTERVIEW**
I started reading when I was really young but my utter love for NA/Romance/YA truly began after reading 50 Shades of Grey in May 2012. Since then, I have not stopped reading! Through Amazon discussions, I discovered Goodreads.com which, for a few months at least, satisfied my ever growing need for "review before read". Following on from this, I discovered ARC's and thanks to the Wonderful Caisey - I got my first ARC about 2 months ago!
This book was Girl with Guitar [click to read my review].
Girl with Guitar (GWG for short) is a beautifully, sweet novel filled with humor and love. I've stolen the blurb from the author because I'm rubbish at writing condensed versions of anything!
Blurb:
After Kylie’s dad dies in a freak accident, he leaves her with nothing other than her crazy stepmother, Darla, and the ability to play guitar. When Darla kicks Kylie out and she loses her job all in the same day, she hops a bus to Nashville determined to make her late father’s dreams come true. Waitressing and saving her pennies to record a demo, her big break comes when she’s asked to join a tour going down the tubes with once platinum album-selling country music superstar Trace Corbin. But touring with Trace is hardly a dream come true since he’s pretty much drinking his career down the drain. If Kylie can’t pull Trace out of his rut, he’ll pull her and her dreams down with him.
After reading and reviewing this, I've been lucky enough to develop a friendship with Caisey and, last week, she agreed to do an interview for me! In addition to this, she has also donated a copy of GWG for a giveaway!!
So let me begin by giving you a little info on Our Lovely Caisey:
Caisey Quinn lives in a suburb outside of Birmingham, Alabama with her husband, daughter, and other assorted animals. She wears cowgirl boots most of the time, even to church. Girl with Guitar is her first novel. Currently she is working on Girl on Tour, the second book in the Kylie Ryans series. She can be found online at www.caiseyquinnwrites.com.
Thanks for the interview Caisey - You are amazing!!!
1. What inspired you to start writing?
I have written stories for as long as I can remember. Even way back when I was ten and they all ended "And everybody lived happily ever after" or "everybody died."
2. What is your process for writing a book? Do you have rituals, writing times etc? How long does a book ususally take to complete?
I am a crazy person and a firm believer that everyone's process is different. Usually I write down/type up/text into my phone's notes app a synopsis as soon as inspiration hits. Afterwards I make a plot timeline when I have it worked out, though I often don't stick to it. Pretty much I wait until my husband and toddler go to bed and I curl up in my comfy chair with my MacBook and go to town! I am a #nightwriter for sure! The only ritual I have is that I make a chai tea latte before settling in to write. Yum!
One book I wrote took a year and I don't even know that I'll ever publish it. Girl with Guitar took a month to write (it was a NaNoWriMo contest) a first draft and then several months of editing and revising based on critique partners and beta readers suggestions.
3. Do you ever write more than one book at a time?
I do, actually. Sometimes when I get stuck somewhere in one manuscript and need a break from it, I'll work on another one awhile until I feel like I can go back to the original with a fresh perspective.
4. Where did the idea for Girl with Guitar come from?
At a Luke Bryan concert a cousin of a guy in the band that was opening for Luke shared some things that his cousin had told him about opening up for Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert before they were as big as they are now. And before they were an item. Thus my story was born!
5. Do you have a dream cast if Girl with Guitar were ever to be made into a movie?
I do! Click to view: http://t.co/3PKJWSH0X3
6. What support network do you have for writing?
An amazing one!! While my family is pretty far removed from my writing life, I have fantastic critique partners (Emily Tippetts and Diane Alberts), writing buddies (Rachel Harris and Elizabeth Lee) and fabulous beta readers as well! I'm also a member of a fantastic little network of writers including the ones named above called Love Junkies: Authors Addicted to Romance. They are all always there to hold my hand, cheer me on, and cheer me up when I need it! Bless them!
7. Will Girl with Guitar be the final installment in this series?
No, it's the first though it could absolutely be read as a standalone. This was done on purpose for readers who just want a Happily Ever After wouldn't have to read anymore of my books unless they absolutely wanted to. For those interested in the rest of Kylie and Trace's story there are two more books, Girl on Tour and Girl in Love that will complete the series. There is a spin off series call The Second Chance Novels but it contains a completely different set of characters.
8. What are your favourite books/authors?
This is a very long list so I'll give you the short one. ;)
Going too Far (and anything really) by Jennifer Echols
Someone Else's Fairytale by E.M. Tippetts
Leave Me Breathless and Breathe Me in by Cherrie Lynn
Actually all the authors listed in Question 6 are my favorites! I was a fan of each of them before I was fortunate enough to call them friends!
I was a high school English teacher in my former life so my heart will always belong to the classics like the Bronte sisters, Hugo, Austen, and pretty much all of the British Romantics!
9. What do your fans mean to you?
Everything. And I don't say that to be glib. Without readers my books would be nothing, my writing career (which is literally my dream come true) would be nothing, and I would be a sad little soul. ;) I love my fans so much and I tell them so every chance I get. I had no idea how people would respond to Kylie and Trace. They're not perfect, but they're something special to me. When people Tweet/FB msg/GR msg, or email me saying they loved the book, loved the characters, etc. it literally makes my whole day/week/life.
Love my fans! I appreciate everyone who gives my book a chance!
Thank you so much for including me in this interview!
Links to Caisey Quinn:
Purchase Links:
**GIVEAWAY***
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Friday, 14 June 2013
When Summer Ends
*3.5-4 Stars*
When Summer Ends by Isabelle Rae
I had to give this one some serious thought before reviewing it. I still don't know if I've got to the bottom of how I really feel about it but it's been a good few days and if I don't review now, I'll forget the all important details!
Blurb:
Chloe Henderson has never been one to break the rules or push the boundaries… but during her summer break, she and her friends use fake IDs to sneak into a club. It’s there that she meets handsome and alluring bartender, Will Morris. The pair hit it off immediately, growing closer with every passing day. But as with every summer, it has to end sometime.
Chloe’s senior year approaches and there’s a shock in store when she returns to do her final year at school. Will is there too, but he’s not one of her fellow students…
A tale of forbidden love, broken hearts, friendship, and rivalry.
Ok, so this is a teacher-student romance novel & as I loved Slammed <click to read review>, I thought I would love this also.
Now don't get me wrong, I liked this book but I didn't love it.
Will Morris is a good BookBoyfriend, he is strong, handsome, sexy, loving and clever - all qualities one needs to fall in love with a fictional character. Chloe Henderson on the other hand...She was pretty, fun and sweet. But overall, to me, she was very immature and it showed quite heavily through the latter stages of this novel.
This is definately a YA novel, where Slammed is more NA. You cannot help but compare these books as they both cover the same topics and issues.
I am not going to go into too much detail about this book as I would never ruin a book for another reader. So I'll mention a few things I liked about this book:
- Amy. She was Hilarious!! Like, laugh out loud funny.
- Will. He was like sugar on a stick. A very very sexy stick.
- The Epilogue. Happily Ever After gone wild. SO INCREDIBLY CUTE!
XxX
Thursday, 13 June 2013
BONUS Scene - Hopeless #1.5
Hopeless #1.5
Who Loves Hopeless by Colleen Hoover??
Is that a collective "ME" I can hear being shouted through the computer?! Thought So!!
Well Colleen is publishing Losing Hope on the 9th July 2013...
Which is not that far away (but still AGES AWAY for us Holder Fanatics!haha) So to keep us all going, she has written Hopeless #1.5 which is That First Kiss in Holder's point of view.
This has been published for a good few months (Since December 2012) but I few people I've spoken to have still not read it (or are aware of its existence). So just to cheer you all up on this Almost-But-Not-Quite-The-Weekend Thursday - here is the link.
http://colleenhoover.com/2012/12/26/the-best-first-kiss-from-holders-point-of-view-merry-christmas/
So find somewhere quiet, shut off from the world for ten minutes and ENJOY some Holder.
**Note - This features Hopeless spoilers so if you have not read Hopeless yet - give this one a miss! Or just read Hopeless...It's great!!)**
*Hopeless Review*
GIVEAWAY!
**GIVEAWAY**
So Thanks to Devon Herrera, I'm able to host my FIRST EVER GIVEAWAY!
This Giveaway is a Copy of Devon's Debut Novel - Sapphire Universe . I read this book in one sitting it was SO BRILLIANT! My review for this can be found here.
Devon is an amazingly talented author - her writing is touching, beautiful and so hearfelt. Her one liners are also epic!!
So THANK YOU Devon - You Rock!!
Blurb:
Rule #1 Do NOT ignore the signs.
Rule #2 Pay attention.
Rule #3 The less they know about you, the harder it is for them to hurt you.
Rule #4 Comfort is dangerous. It can be taken away.
Rule #5 Need is a handicap. It can cripple you.
Rule #6 He isn’t what he seems. Don’t trust him.
Simple rules made for a simple purpose. Nina Ryan learned early on in life that if you want to avoid being hurt, you need to be proactive. If you pay attention, the Universe will always steer you in the right direction. It will help keep you safe. So, she follows the rules, and she is safe. Until Connor Wright barges his way through all her carefully laid defenses and threatens to destroy the comfortable life she has created. Faithfully following her #1 rule, Nina tries to accept that the Universe has pushed Connor and her lives together for a purpose. Determined to make Nina his, Connor chips away at the walls Nina has placed around her heart and her secrets. Is Nina following the signs that will lead her down the right path, or does Connor hold secrets of his own that will ruin Nina for good? Only the Universe knows.
Be sure to come back for your daily entry!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Wednesday, 12 June 2013
New Release & Price Drop - Killing Sarai
Killing Sarai
J A Redmerski
Jessica wrote The Edge of Never (my review can be found here) and I loved it.
So to say I'm rather pleased there is a new JA Redmerski book coming out is an understatement!
And, just because the new book is so good, the price is being dropped on release day!
From JA's Blog "On release day June 20th, KILLING SARAI will be ON SALE for $1.99 for Amazon Kindle and at Barnes & Noble for Nook! One day only, folks! So snag your copy on the 20th before it goes up to regular price on the 21st!"
Enjoy Folks and Roll on the 20th June!!
Blurb:
Sarai was only fourteen when her mother uprooted her to live in Mexico with a notorious drug lord. Over time she forgot what it was like to live a normal life, but she never let go of her hope to escape the compound where she has been held for the past nine years.
Victor is a cold-blooded assassin who, like Sarai, has known only death and violence since he was a young boy. When Victor arrives at the compound to collect details and payment for a hit, Sarai sees him as her only opportunity for escape. But things don’t go as planned and instead of finding transport back to Tucson, she finds herself free from one dangerous man and caught in the clutches of another.
While on the run, Victor strays from his primal nature as he succumbs to his conscience and resolves to help Sarai. As they grow closer, he finds himself willing to risk everything to keep her alive; even his relationship with his devoted brother and liaison, Niklas, who now like everyone else wants Sarai dead.
As Victor and Sarai slowly build a trust, the differences between them seem to lessen, and an unlikely attraction intensifies. But Victor’s brutal skills and experience may not be enough in the end to save her, as the power she unknowingly holds over him may ultimately be what gets her killed.
This is their story…
http://jessicaredmerski.com/2013/06/11/new-release-killing-sarai-june-20-2013/
Tuesday, 11 June 2013
Bloglovin
After some advice from my goodreads friend Alyssa (theeaterofbooks), I've created a Bloglovin... Click to follow me & I'll follow back
XxX
Follow my blog with Bloglovin
XxX
Follow my blog with Bloglovin
Interview: Jasinda Wilder
Jasinda Wilder
Jasinda is a very accomplished, New York Times Bestselling Author who just happens to have written one of my Favourite Books Ever - Falling Into You. She has also written Big Girls Do It Better Series, Rock Stars do it Harder, The Biker Billionaire Series, Delilah's Diary Series and a Stand Alone Novel - Wounded.
Falling Into You is heart breaking, beautiful and truly outstanding. I can't start talking about it again because I may never stop so my review can be found here.
I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity to ask Jasinda some questions - and I can FINALLY get it published today!
1. What inspired you to start writing?
I thought I'd give it a try when I read a book I'd downloaded for free, and went, "huh, I bet I could write a better book than this."
2. What is your process for writing a book? Do you have rituals, writing times etc? How long does a book ususally take to complete?
I come up with an idea and talk it through with my husband, but then I let it sit for awhile. Good book idea are kind of like tea, they need to steep in the back of my head for a while. Then, when I finish one project, I take a few days off of writing and decide what book I'm doing next, and the one after that. I usually have things planned out three or four books out. Like right now, I'm in the process of finishing and publishing Falling Into Us, and I have the next book I'm going to write plotted out, I have the cover, and I have a few main scenes blocked out in my head. After that, I just start writing. There's no ritual or anything. I write in the morning, from about 9 or so till 3 or 4 usually. A book takes about a month to a month a half to write, edit, polish and publish.
3. Do you ever write more than one book at a time?
Not usually. I may work on a scene from the book I'm writing next as a teaser or excerpt, but I typically write one book at a time, especially since I work on a pretty fast time frame.
4. Where did the idea for Falling into You come from?
I knew someone, one of my student's boyfriend, who died much the same way that Kyle did. The idea for the book grew from there, from my own wondering how someone would deal with such an awful, traumatic event.
5. Do you have a dream cast if Falling into You were ever to be made into a movie?
I've always liked Kellan Lutz as Colton and Amanda Seyfried as Nell. I can see Liam Hemsworth as Kyle.
6. Do you ever feel hesitant tackling a subject that to some may seem controversial?
Yes, because you want to do it right. Especially with things like cutting or self-mutilation or domestic abuse, those are such serious and difficult subjects, you really have to be careful how you treat them, but they are a part of life and people deal with them everyday, so they then will eventually make their way into books, as background and motivation and conflict.
7. Will Falling into Us be the final installment in this series?
As of now, yes. Like i said with Falling Into You, I don't want to put the characters through anything else. After this book, those characters' stories has been told. If there is another in that same world/series, it would be like Falling Into Us, as a parallel or connected story of side characters. But, to be clear, I have no plans, nothing planned or plotted, or even any ideas. I have books planned until next year, so I just don't see anything else from this series happening.
8. What are your favourite books/authors?
My favorite authors are my friends, the 9 wonderful ladies I'm in The Indie Voice with, Hugh Howey, Bella Andre…people I admire and whose work inspires me.
9. Which of your books are you most proud of?
I'm proud of all my books. I'm really excited for Falling Into Us.
XxX
Interview: Devon Herrera
Devon Herrera
Devon Herrera is the been in love with reading since she first discovered the Harry Potter series in 4th grade.
She decided to start writing her own novel after reading hundreds of novels by others and self published "Sapphire Universe". This book is absolutely outstanding - my review can be found here.
I have been lucky enough to develop a friendship with Devon through Goodreads & Twitter (thank goodness for the Internet eh?!). Devon is an adorable woman with a heart of gold who is very down to earth but, me being me, I still get star-struck when taking to her!!
Devon has agreed to answer some questions for me and has been my first ever Author Interviewee!
So Ladies and Gents...Enjoy!
1. What inspired you to start writing?
I’ve always been a huge literature junkie. I am a VORACIOUS reader, around 300 or so books a year on average, so my love for books definitely played into it. As for why I started writing, I know it’s cliche, but the truth is; it was an impulse. I got the idea for a character (Nina) and started playing around with her story in my head for a while. One day, I just sat down and started writing. She kind of took over the story and next thing I knew I had written a pretty decent sized novel. It was so natural and wonderful that there was no going back for me. I knew then and there I would always be writing.
2. What is your process for writing a book? Do you have rituals, writing times etc? How long does a book usually take to complete?
When I get inspired by something, I literally run to my computer and write until I run out of steam. I currently have two other unrelated books in the works besides Dark Universe because of this. One came from a dream I had and I woke up at 4am and wrote three chapters before going back to sleep, and the other was inspired by my husband who is in the military. Other than letting inspiration take over, music is really the only other constant. I have to have music when I write.
3. Where did the idea for Sapphire Universe come from?
It all started with Nina. I had read so many books about people who were damaged, which makes sense because if all the characters were normal and had no issues they wouldn’t be interesting to read about, but I was getting tired of the characters who let whatever happened to them completely ruin their lives. I wanted someone who was damaged but strong, afraid but brave. More than anything I wanted them to grow and become better and stronger. Everything else just fell into place.
4. Do you have a dream cast if Sapphire Universe were ever to be made into a movie?
YES!!!! For Nina- Nina Dobrev (the name is a total coincidence) Connor- Chris Hemsworth. Lola- Emma Stone (Blonde) Drake- Henry Cavill. Nick- Cam Gigandet. Toni- Amanda Seyfried
5. Will Dark Universe be the final instalment in this series?
No! Nick and Toni’s story will be the last book. It is yet to be titled, but I know it will be told from Nick’s POV.
6. What are your favourite books/ Who are your favourite authors?
There are SOOO many. For Paranormal Romance, Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark Hunters series. For Historical, anything by Lisa Kleypas. For Contemporary I don’t have a favorite but I love Colleen Hoover, J. Lynn, Tina Reber, and Jessica Park.
7. What support network do you have for writing?
I have my family and friends and I have met some amazing authors and bloggers who help me in so many ways every single day, and I seriously wouldn’t be anywhere without them.
8. What does the support from your fans mean to you?
Oh man, how do I even begin to describe this. I always say that writing is like stripping off all of your clothes while standing in a shopping mall and asking people to rate you. Scary stuff that. So when, someone likes my book, or loves my book, enough to tell me and to tell other people it’s the most amazing feeling in the world. I know how I feel when I read a great book, and the knowledge that I’m giving that feeling to my readers is the reason I keep writing. My fans are the Who, the Why, and the How of my writing.
n.b. When Dark Universe is released both Sapphire Universe and Dark Universe will be 99 cents for that first week on Amazon. Also, after Dark Universe is released I will be finishing a stand alone novel about a soldier who comes home from a deployment with ptsd. It will be a New Adult Romance novel, and I am working on a plan to give 50 percent of all the proceeds to the Wounded Warrier Foundation. That book will be out in the fall of 2013 and The Universe Series Book 3- Toni and Nick's Story- will be out in the winter.
I'd just like to say a HUGE THANK YOU to Devon for all her support recently - She is Incredible and I BookLove her Loads!!!
XxX
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