Red Series

Monday 31 March 2014

Obvious Child Blog Tour: Interview with Warren Cantrell and Goal Bloghop

Today I got the opportunity to interview Warren Cantrell author of Obvious Child. If you has visited my blog on Friday you would have seen my book review which is also part of The Obvious Child Blog Tour hosted by his publisher The Writers Coffee House. Now read on to see into the mind of the man who decided to create Sam, an unwitting reality star who might become a time traveler and how much the poor man doesn't want to be either.

Author Interview


1.     Your sibling gets a letter offering them free time travel. What do you do?

         Buy them a copy of the 1994 classic, Timecop, starring the incomparable Jean-Claude Van Damme, and tell them to do their homework.

You are a cool sibling. I would be like "Are you nuts?!" It would all go down the circles of hell from there. If I got the letter however I would have them do experiments first. Lots of experiments. Hey, I don't want to get transported back to before women's rights or worse slavery. Hey, I'm just stating the facts here.
2.     Why did you write Sam as a hard working educated adult with vices? Why not clean cut or a slacker?

        Isn’t it more interesting that way? Black and white characters aren’t terribly engaging, at least not to me. If Sam had been an unapologetic slacker with a drinking and drug problem, it might have been intriguing for a hot minute, but would have worn thin quickly. Conversely, if Sam was written as a hard-working adult without any vices at all, it would have been even less interesting.

While I actually like seeing clean cut people get into trouble sometimes I must agree that the slacker character has been over used to death and is not only worn thin but ancient.
3.     Obvious Child is quite a title. Who came up with it?

         It is a reference to the Paul Simon song, ‘The Obvious Child’ from his 1990 album ‘The Rhythm of the Saints.’ Its use in the book is a play on the song title via a few other elements from my book’s story. So to answer your question, I did, with a little inspiration from Paul Simon.

That's very interesting. I posed this question because sometimes titles are created by publishers who might believe the writer's title isn't good enough or needs to be more attention grabbing. So it's nice that you came up with it and also have a story behind the title Warren.
4.     Did the obsession with reality shows today inspire you to write the novel as you did?

         Without a doubt. Reality programming is, to me at least, the lowest form of entertainment: it’s just unredeemable. Networks tend to gravitate towards it because it is cheap to produce, as there aren’t really any actors to pay or sets to build. This is all possible because it is all based on the assumption that what a person is watching is “real,” yet nearly all of it is scripted, and it is cheap drama at that. What a person is left with, then, is a program that is little more than a watered-down soap opera with non-actors, bad production values, and a writing staff that couldn’t cut it on a real show. This is all depressing in and of itself, but when a person considers how popular these programs are, and how pervasive they have become (look at the line-ups for The “History” and “Discovery” Channels, and tell me what kind of programs you see), a writer can’t help but to be inspired.  

Those channels still have better stuff going on than Honey Boo Boo *shudders*. Plus The History and Discovery Channel actually show a lot of informative shows and I love when mythology or real life issues are discussed. Thank you! I can't stand reality shows and I'm glad your book shows both sides to this annoyingly unending phenomenon. I'll keep to my scripted shows. Even Once Upon A Time on ABC is more real than some of the junk these reality shows want to push as 'real life'. My eye.
5.     What are you trying to share about the pros and cons of time travel?

        Surprisingly little. Although the revelation of time travel is a driving force behind the events of ‘Obvious Child,’ the story is really more concerned with the journey of its main character, Sam Grant. He’s a recently graduated student with a Masters in History and a completely burned-out disposition following six gruelling years of higher education. Kind of like Dustin Hoffman’s character in The Graduate, Sam is a young adult trying to figure out what it means to be a man. Unfortunately for Sam, he becomes one of the most famous people in the world right in the middle of this self-discovery, and has to juggle a few other considerations on top of that like a sudden celebrity makeover and everything that comes with it.

I could have gone for more time travel but Sam is a character to read. The man can get himself into all sorts of trouble and then there are the people who want that to happen and the reality show fans...oh...I can never be a reality show fanatic...no.
6.     What would you like to tell potential readers about Obvious Child?

         It reads fast, takes no prisoners, and has a fair amount of whiskey drinking, pot smoking, and mischief. People swear, fight, blast each other with fire extinguishers, and pee on things in various states of inebriation. Oh, Brad Pitt, Al Roker, Conan O’Brien, and President Obama all make cameos as well. It’s a hoot.

Oh the peeing. Another reason why I'll never even be a casual drinker. 1000% sober for life. Start early if you want to be like me folks. Or at least don't get that drunk. Please.
7.     The cover is very eye grabbing. How did such a creative cover come about?

       A graphic artist named LJ Anderson that works with my publisher put that together. A lot of work went into getting an image of the time travel device in the background just right, but I think LJ straight-up nailed it.

I'm blown away by the cover so I have to concur on LJ's amazing work.
8.     Is there any message you would like readers to take from your book?

         Don’t falsify federal documents, smoke pot on the clock, or drink deeply of the bourbon whiskey before you’re scheduled to tape an appearance on Conan. Oh, and remember: no one is allowed to touch you in your bathing suit area.

Great tip. Maybe even keep a buddy. Like a bat for those touchy feely people.
9.     What advice do you have for those hoping to become published authors?

         Three things. (1) Write every day, no matter what the subject or format. (2) Get used to rejection and criticism: they are the unfailing companions of any true writer. (3) Put your writing in the mail, and keep it there. You’ll never get published if you don’t submit.

Excellent advice. Too many would be writers throw in the towel too early. Perseverance is an important ingredient all writers need if they want to come out on the other side of the journey to get published or even finishing a novel.
10.  Is there anything else you would like to say before this interview is over? Now is your time, go.

         I love to travel, and love meeting my fans even more. Thus, any country whose book sales exceed 1000 copies will earn a personal visit from yours truly. Simply put, if a country/territory outside of the continental United States buys a thousand copies or more of ‘Obvious Child,’ and a fan invites me to an organized reading and book signing event, I’ll spend my own money to come out and visit. This offer is good throughout 2014, and only excludes really scary countries with bad diplomatic relations with the U.S. (sorry North Korea and Iran: you’re out).

Well I'm from Jamaica and the only thing that would hold you back to coming here is the book selling all those copies here and also the exorbitant book prices. Seriously paperback Allegiant cost more than a 3D Movie Ticket (and the price rose last December in theatres). Anyway thanks for stopping by Warren and I'm sure readers are informed enough to decide if they'd like to give your book a look. But just in case here's all the details below and even a photo of Warren himself and the cool cover.




Available from TWCS, Amazon, B&N, iTunes and Kobo - April 3rd, 2014


The Summary:

Sam Grant doesn’t want to be famous, but he doesn’t have much of a say in the matter.

On the verge of graduating from college with his master’s in History, Sam and the rest of the world bear witness to the invention of time travel. Revealed via a YouTube broadcast, the brothers responsible for inventing time travel find their remarkable device coopted by the U.S. government. In a magnanimous gesture, the U.S. government holds a worldwide competition to decide who will be the first time traveler in history. This turns Sam’s world upside down after a half-baked joke application he sends in gets him accepted as a contestant for consideration.

Thrust into a political and media blender set to puree, Sam and his fellow contestants vie for the affections of a worldwide audience who will vote on the eventual winner. As the successive rounds of the contest pass by, and Sam tries everything from indifference to wild irreverence to get himself voted out of the competition, he finds that all his actions only serve to make him more popular.

As the contest goes on, Sam and the time travel project become more of a referendum on our society’s fascination with celebrity disasters, and what they will do to make sure the entertainment doesn’t stop anytime soon. Unable to get out of the contest via logical means, Sam learns to embrace the perks sudden celebrity provides, yet also suffers some of its typical consequences.


Stuck between two worlds—one he can’t handle, and another he can’t control—Sam finds himself considering a third option, one that has him confronting a time traveling reality that terrifies him to his very core.



The Author:

Warren Cantrell is a film and music critic based out of Seattle, Washington. One of the few surviving journalists of the Gonzo school, Mr. Cantrell’s work has appeared in such publications as Lost in Reviews and Scene-Stealers.

A classically trained scholar with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in History, Mr. Cantrell has spent the majority of his time since graduation writing novels and paying off his student loans. Working as a critic and an on-the-ground correspondent, Mr. Cantrell has covered the Seattle International and Sundance Film Festivals and has had the pleasure of interviewing people ranging from Sissy Spacek to Joss Whedon.

As an established film and music critic, Mr. Cantrell finds that it is best to keep his political views private, except to say that he feels Greedo definitely did not shoot first and that The Misfits ceased to exist the moment Danzig left the band.

A life-long Arizona Diamondbacks, Cardinals, and Phoenix Suns fan, Mr. Cantrell enjoys fast cars, Italian opera, Norwegian cinema, Kentucky bourbon, and Motörhead concerts.

Connect with the Author








Goal Bloghop




I completely forgot to post on Friday and feel awful. But I have made some progress by launching AYA Forever, my AYA blog where I will post about the genre I'm working on as well as find like minded authors who would like to do interviews. I also plan to share my own work as well as the process to take AYA mainstream. Wish me luck!

P.S.: Tomorrow is the start of the A-Z Challenge. I will be taking a break from IWSG, Celebrate the small things and Express Yourself Meme until May. Can't wait to see what you guys have planned for your first post on Tuesday.


Friday 28 March 2014

Book Review: Obvious Child and Celebrate Divergent Movie

Obvious Child by Warren Cantrell

Source: Netgalley and Publisher

Genre: Adult Fiction, Sci-Fi

Purchase: Amazon,


Summary: Sam Grant doesn’t want to be famous, but he doesn’t have much of a say in the matter.
On the verge of graduating from college with his master’s in History, Sam and the rest of the world bear witness to the invention of time travel. Revealed via a YouTube broadcast, the brothers responsible for inventing time travel find their remarkable device coopted by the U.S. government. In a magnanimous gesture, the U.S. government holds a worldwide competition to decide who will be the first time traveler in history. This turns Sam’s world upside down after a half-baked joke application he sends in gets him accepted as a contestant for consideration.
Thrust into a political and media blender set to puree, Sam and his fellow contestants vie for the affections of a worldwide audience who will vote on the eventual winner. As the successive rounds of the contest pass by, and Sam tries everything from indifference to wild irreverence to get himself voted out of the competition, he finds that all his actions only serve to make him more popular.
As the contest goes on, Sam and the time travel project become more of a referendum on our society’s fascination with celebrity disasters, and what they will do to make sure the entertainment doesn’t stop anytime soon. Unable to get out of the contest via logical means, Sam learns to embrace the perks sudden celebrity provides, yet also suffers some of its typical consequences.
Stuck between two worlds—one he can’t handle, and another he can’t control—Sam finds himself considering a third option, one that has him confronting a time traveling reality that terrifies him to his very core.

Review

The Good: You have a novel where a character gets bungled up in a situation through missteps of his own making. Sam is a good guy who gets an education only to be thrust into the limelight after filling out an application while he isn't sober. All kinds of insanity ensues as he tries to get out of being picked to be the first time traveller but his antics only ups his chances in the competition. If you're looking for a fun coming of age story with a character who hurts himself more than helps while just trying to be normal along with a dose of time travel this is for you. Also the cover rocks hard.

The Bad: When I got this I expected more sci-fi and took the chance though I'm more a young adult fan than adult fiction. While this is a good book the fact that it was more contemporary than scif-fi was a turn off for me. Also I was reminded why I hate reality television. It is a good book but those aspects turned me off and they are kind of a big part of the book. I liked Sam though and even if I thought some of his ideas of getting out were dumb on it's face, you have to get that this poor man is in way over his head.

My Verdict: If you are a fan of adult fiction I recommend this in a heartbeat. The story at the end of the day is really good though I'm not a huge fan of the genre it mainly entails. Despite this I would read more from this author because while he is outside my fave genres: YA, Fantasy, and Paranormal, he wrote a really good book. Also it shows the awful side of that dam reality television craze. Get a sample chapter and if you like it, I recommend you dive right in despite your preferred genres. Recommend you take a look. Plus I have an interview with the author on Monday (got an offer from representative after I requested a copy from Netgalley) and Warren is one cool guy to interview.

Rating: 3 Stars

Celebrate the small things


I saw the Divergent movie yesterday. It was really good but not the greatness that movies like The Hunger Games and Catching Fire have exhibited. I would recommend you go see it but if you're expecting the next Hunger Games, it's not. Really good movie though and they did make some cool changes that meshed well with the dystopic world. The actors who played Tris's parents knocked their roles out the park when things got crazy and Kate Winslet nailed it. The actress playing Beatrice (Tris) also did a really good job though my issue with the movie really was at the beginning when I thought it was pushed way too hard that she didn't 'belong' where she was. Telling at it's worst. It felt like Hooked on Phonics for really stupid people for the first seven or so minutes or so. Got better after that but still was annoying. Not even those who didn't read the book needed to be told that badly. Still glad I saw it though. Enjoy your weekend everybody.

Please Note: Before I go there are three things I need to say.

1. Apologies for my online absence yesterday. I had really planned my day to get to the library before I went to the movies. Unfortunately I was sidetracked by my mother who wanted me to do some things in the house before I left (she was staying home yesterday to take a break from work). But she waited until I was practically about to finish up a few things then shower to leave. Really mom? Then nearly two hours later I finally proceeded to get ready just to be delayed again by issues with the cable company technician being late and I had to contact the company and rearrange everything because dear mom has no idea of the number or how to explain well...yeah. So I had to wait yet again until after 2pm (I was supposed to leave for the library before 1pm and also take a special bus by 2:30pm to get to the movies in one trip and at a lower rate. Our route only gets one of these buses and it doesn't wait long). Then as I'm about to leave my mother says she doesn't want to be left alone with the cable guy. Sigh, needless to say the library dream died. But at least my mother felt bad enough to offer to take me to the movies. So at least I saved bus fare. And time because by then I would have had to take two buses and pay an extra $40. So....at least I saved some money while almost losing my mind.

2. My post yesterday got two responses. One (a regular reader) thought my parody of Moonless called Boneless was mean. While I took the opinion in stride I will say this. On this blog I post my honest thoughts. Moonless got a positive review from me but even then I admitted not always liking the main character and a few issues I had. Boneless takes those issues mixed with my weirdness to create a funny story. It is intended to be funny, anyone who is offended....well you're just offended. The other response/reader enjoyed my weirdness and she comes off as a fun gal I'd love to see comment more often.

3. On Monday I will be posting an interview with Warren Cantrell, yes same author of Obvious Child that I just reviewed. He gave some very good answers and I think you will be both informed and entertained. Stay tuned and thanks for stopping by.

Thursday 27 March 2014

Getting Personal: Boneless Parody, Cassie's Cover and Express Yourself Meme

Whoo March has been quite a month. Next week Tuesday will start the A-Z Challenge and I haven't finished all my posts yet. But I will survive and I know readers will enjoy what I have to offer.

Now unto a little surprise. I dropped a hint to the author in a comment but now I'm ready to share with you all. I have decided to do my first parody! Yay! Of a book by an author I know online/blog. What? You say, I can imagine authors who chat with me or blog back and forth looking at each other or pointing at themselves. The lucky winner is....read the summary and guess.

From the truly weird mind of Sheena-kay Graham.

Seriously this lady is super weird in her head. Don't let that smiling face fool you.

Printer Rose is a typical teenager who wishes to become popular. Her family line were all popular in pre-school straight through University but she has fallen short and no one is more disappointed than her mother and older twin brothers. One day she comes across a potion in the basement of her father's mistress house. She has no idea why she is there or how she got the address but decides to feed it to the lady's cat. The cat turns into a sexy female and runs off. Angry about her missing cat the mistress curses Printer to become boneless and leaves with no explanation of how she is a witch in the first place. Or how she knew Printer was even there. Magic perhaps, or total lack of logic. Anyway, Printer starts noticing changes in her body that eventually leads to an embarrassing incident that gets caught on camera and uploaded to Youtube. But instead of becoming a social pariah she gains instant fame. 

Yet things don't go as expected when it turns out those who become popular do so at a dastardly price and Printer becoming popular without paying the fee will bring out an ancient evil so frightening that Don King's hair looks like a perfect candidate to model a conditioner for well....models. Can Printer figure out a way to save herself and stop this evil? Where did the creepy guy who has a crush on her but looks like Nosferatu come from? Does this crazy story have a point? Why does something else keep popping up? Secrets are one thing, LSD laced story lines are another. Printer will have to navigate through it all and also find the mistress's cat now turned sexy female pin up model with African American security who rap at her so hard she can't grab the transformed cat back without getting better rhymes. Plus her curse is getting worse and milk won't hold off the final result forever. Will Printer ever go back to how things used to be? Uh no, this is a parody not a romance novel. Sorry romance but you kinda.... So....Printer has to fix things by destroying an ancient evil, getting back a witch's cat who's now a woman, deal with jealousy and rants from her family, an ugly stalker boyfriend never gonna be and anything else that pops up in this insane story that no asylum can contain. Seriously, it got pushed out the door by the doctors. Freedom! Ahem, I mean stay tuned.

Boneless, a parody that will make you very aware that you are indeed part Skeletor. I mean skeleton!

So what did you guys think. Oh right, this is a parody of Moonless by Crystal Collier. And yes a lot of stuff popped up in that book too. And Alexia could be an annoying nosy busy body at times. But hey she got to be sexy and chased by evil....and meet a guy who has a psycho girl who wants him, bad. Of course it's also set in the past. Mine is modern day...bet you didn't get that when Youtube was mentioned. No idea when I'll actually complete this but I got the idea of parodying her novel because of all the crazy nonsense that sometimes took place. I gave it a great review and it is a really good book but seriously....it could be six different novels. Loads of plot....story...plenty of plot. Okay I'll stop now.

Cassie Mae's Latest Cover

Now to reveal Cassie Mae's Cover for The Real Thing. Better late than....just enjoy the sexy cover and congrats Cas. Seriously I mean Castiel from Supernatural has done well fighting evil and evading capture this season. Oh right and Cassie for her latest cover reveal. Awkward.


Pre-Order: AmazonBarnes and Noble

Visit Cassie: Blog, Goodreads
Eric Matua has one friend—his best friend and childhood sweetheart, who needs a place to stay for the summer. Mia Johnson has thousands of friends—who live in her computer. Along with her email chats and Facebook notifications, Mia also devours romance novels, spending countless hours with fictional characters, dreaming of her own Romeo to sweep her off her feet. When she starts receiving supersweet messages from a stranger who thinks she’s someone else, Mia begins to believe that real love is possible outside her virtual world.
When the two friends become roommates, Mia finds herself falling harder than she ever thought she could. But Eric keeps his desires locked away, unsure of himself and his ability to give his best friend what she deserves in a boyfriend. As her advances are continually spurned, Mia splits her time between Eric and her computer. But she soon realizes she’s about to lose the only real thing she’s ever had.

About Cassie Mae :)

Cassie Mae is a nerd to the core from Utah, who likes to write about other nerds who find love. She’s the author of the Amazon Bestsellers REASONS I FELL FOR THE FUNNY FAT FRIEND and HOW TO DATE A NERD, and is the debut author for the Random House FLIRT line with her New Adult novels FRIDAY NIGHT ALIBI and SWITCHED. She spends time with her angel children and perfect husband who fan her and feed her grapes while she clacks away on the keyboard. Then she wakes up from that dream world and manages to get a few words on the computer while the house explodes around her. When she’s not writing, she’s spending time with the youth in her community as a volleyball and basketball coach, or searching the house desperately for chocolate.




Wow that cover is hot. Congrats Cassie!

Express Yourself Meme

Poor thing, at the bottom of so much action but no one forgot about you. Well, I didn't and Friday is a book review and only the Celebrate Meme gets to share in the spotlight. Sorry dear memie. But you get to shine now! Don't give me the finger! Ugh, moving on.

Question: Name one favourite character you have read or written.

Read: Carlisle from The Twilight Series. In the final movie when something sort of happened but didn't, my feelings were written on Esme's face. I mean Carlisle is a wonderful soul who brought together a family of loving vampires and if it weren't for him in truth....there would be no Twilight. Think about that...Edward and ahem Bella Swan Cullen. Just saying.

Written: Circa from Circa. I still hope to shop this novel to agents in 2015/2016. I am just taken by the honest attempt of a girl turned program then becomes human again through a freak accident.

P.S.: Hold up, how come in the Boneless parody summary the father has a mistress but no further mention of him is made? Weird.

Wednesday 26 March 2014

AYA Forever Blog is Live!

I am so sorry for my lack of blogging and comments. Sadly I have been somewhat indisposed of late and chose not to publish any posts because I couldn't blog back. Today I'm not allowing any comments because I'm not sure of my blogging status until tomorrow where it is full steam ahead. But in the meantime I have decided to reveal something exciting.

Remember all my talk about creating a new genre AYA? I launched the website a few months back. Well I've taken the next step by launching my AYA blog. Please take a look at my launch post and if you can, leave a comment. Thank you for all your support.

Adults for Young Adults Website

AYA Forever Blog


Friday 21 March 2014

A-Z Theme Reveal and Celebrate the small things


My decision to take part in the A-Z Theme Reveal was pretty last minute. Around Tuesday or Wednesday of this week. Before I just didn't see the point since I already signed up for the A-Z Challenge and I'm also being careful to ensure that I post when I can comment back on blogs. But in the end I decided to take part and I think it's a good blogfest to join.

My theme for this year is Memorable Characters in Books and Film. I will do  A-Z posts on characters I think have left a memorable imprint for me as well as others who may have read or seen these works. See you in April.


March is almost over and I just want to say I'm happy to finally have an at home job that allows me to save for my laptop, buy books and use my family members who love buying clothes from abroad as walking banks in exchanging Paypal cash for cash in hand. Yes I'm terrible. But efficient. Thank God for life and you guys for joy and see you Monday. Also look out next week for a book review and interview for the author of Obvious Child. More next week. Bye.

Wednesday 19 March 2014

Cover Love: Blood Kissed Sky and Express Yourself Meme

Today I'm sharing the cover for Blood-Kissed Sky by J.A. London. Book Two in The Darkness Before Dawn Trilogy. This is how you do a cover using a model's profile and a captivating background. As much as I know what she sees must be foreboding, I'm captivating by the beauty of the cover enough that I want to see it as well. Which I believe is an excellent quality in a superb cover.




Summary: There's nowhere left to hide.
Ithought vampires were our enemies—they controlled our lives, isolated our cities, and demanded our blood—until I met Victor. With Victor taking over as the new Lord Valentine, things were supposed to get better. Instead, they're worse than ever.
Day Walkers, a new breed of vampires who can walk in the sun, are terrorizing the city. Blood supplies are low, and if Victor's vampires don't get enough, they will become infected with the Thirst—a disease that will turn them into mindless killers.
To stop it, I must journey across the desolate wasteland to the very place where the sickness began. I can only hope that the answers that await me are enough to save us all . . . before it's too late.
Links: Goodreads, Author Website

Express Yourself Meme: Writing Advice

Two of them are:

1) Write what you know

2)Write what you love

I think they should be combined into:

Write what you would love to know.

Why?

Because writing what you know is important but you need to go beyond yourself and writing what you love is great but some aspects of your book you might hate but know it goes with your story/character. So I decided to combine them because I want to see and create what happens next whether I know it or not, or love it or not. Story matters most and that I'm satisfied I stayed true to the material and the characters I created.
See you guys on Friday and thanks for all your support for Kelly Abell and her latest book on Monday.

Monday 17 March 2014

Bought a Book in Record Time!

I am excited to introduce a new series to you. Saturday night I was online when I came across a request from an author to friend them on Goodreads. I decided to go ahead and also to check out her website. I  noticed the Works In Progress tab and decided to give it a look. So glad I did. I was introduced to the Saving Shennanigans Series and fell in love most with book 3. A series revolving around a woman determined to keep her family's pub out of the mob's hands and calls on her two sisters who have stories of their own was just too great to pass up.

But book one's cover also caught my attention because it had an attention grabbing character and shows writers how to create a really good cover without crazy over the top images. After reading the summaries I knew I had to get this series. Since only Mabe's Burden (book one) was out I immediately purchased a copy. The author Kelly Abell sells the books and I was relieved to see she didn't charge any crazy high shipping fees like some authors do when shipping overseas. This was in less than ten minutes! A record. Who finds an author whose work they don't know and buys it in less than ten minutes of looking at their site? Me? Plus Kelly Abell definitely has some amazing writing and story grabbing skills. Now enough of my crazy gushing. Here's the cover and summary for Book One as well as the author's info. Do check out her website to see if you'll be a fan as well. If not, no loss, we writers support each other no matter what.


Summary: 


Mabe’s Burden

Hot tempered, Mabe O'Banyon will do whatever it takes to keep the family's Irish pub, Shenanigans, out of the mob's dirty hands. She quickly learns, though, their attorney and the bank will offer no help. So, she calls in the reinforcements--Mara and Meg. She hasn't seen her two sisters for years, but her desperate message brings them running.

Commercial real estate developer, Aaron Shaw has a secret. He arrives in Monticello, FL, expecting to purchase a quaint Irish pub and move on to his next conquest. But the transaction doesn't take place as planned--in fact, it doesn't take place at all. The hardheaded owner--a stunning redhead with curves that don't quit--isn't selling. 

With time running out and the mob on their heels, Aaron wants nothing more than to save the woman he's fallen for from impending danger. Mabe is torn between a man she loves but can't trust and the need to hold on to her family's pub. Their choices lead them down a path neither could have guessed.



You can see the rest of the series here.

Author:


Kelly Abell

Kelly started writing in High School in Roanoke Virginia and was first published in her school magazine called Sketches. She is a Sales Consultant for a major insurance company and has a Master's Degree in Adult Education. 

She began writing novels in 2000 when she kept waking up in the middle of the night with the characters in her mind just wouldn't be silenced. Like most authors she's had her share of rejections and is excited about her debut novel Sealed in Lies now available from Hearts On Fire Books.

When not writing Kelly enjoys spending time with her husband of 30 years and her two teenagers. The family dog Snickers is a constant companion during marathon writing sessions and is the perfect family member. No back talk! She lives in Florida and enjoys all that living in the sunshine state brings, boating, fishing, beaches, theme parks, and more. Her favorite pass time is reading (what a surprise!) She likes thrillers, romantic suspense, and romantic comedy

Links:





Whoo! I'm so happy when I get the chance to share a new author with my fellow readers. Do check her out, thanks for stopping by and see you Wednesday.

Friday 14 March 2014

Express Yourself Meme and Celebrating Life and Blogging and Reading and You

Today I'll be covering two week's worth of Express Yourself Meme since I took a break last week.



March 3-7 asked about autographs and I have quite a few.

Thank goodness for giveaways and cool blogger/author friends because all mine are from overseas and sadly I don't have a passport. But that hasn't stopped me from getting these awesome autographs.

Insurgent (Collector's Edition, Hardback) by Veronica Roth - Any time I see the V. Roth signature I want to squeal. Thank you so much Amber Argyle for the giveaway that won me this. I'm such a big fan of her work.

Pop Travel by Tara Tyler - Knew her as a blogger first and was excited to buy her novel for my kindle. When I got the chance to get a paperback copy how could I pass it up? Now I have her book on my dresser and her cool signature and cool words of thanks.

Past Due by Elizabeth Seckman - This lady is my blogger sister and after her first book Past Due came out I was excited to win the chance to get a paperback copy with her signature and lovely words.

Darkness Before Dawn and Blood Kissed Sky by J. A. London - I entered and won this by accident but hey two more autographed books is never a bad thing.

Thieftaker and Thieves' Quarry by D.B. Jackson - I'm especially happy since the latter is an awesome hardback.

I also have a few bookmarks that are autographed and that's great as well.

March 10 - 14: What saying or catchphrase do you say all the time?

I don't really have a catchphrase but there are a few things I say a lot.

"Hello/Good Morning" - What I'm polite?

"Please"

"Thank You"

"Have a Good Day"

"What? I'm Reading." - Or some variation

"Awesome" - Mostly while blogging or in comments. I've come to accept that I'll never stop and that I actually like it.

Yeah not exactly the adventurous type in speaking but hey I do have something to say. *Waves*


Oh yes I didn't forget about this little meme. Now on with Celebrating the small things.


1. Went to the library yesterday and actually left some daytime comments on blogs that had posted new posts.

2. Finally bought Allegiant. Was waiting for it out here and wasn't buying the hardback for over $2000 JM. Please. So yeah bought it this week...from The Book Depository. But before you roll your eyes (since I waited forever just to buy it online anyway) I'm buying my first Divergent series Hardback. Yay! Also though I finally (last place I went to in time for it to sold out, I mean seriously) found a place in Kingston with a copy this month I realized it would sink my movie budget since the book cost as much as a 3D movie ticket and that's before paying bus fare to get to the store and back (also I now have Pay pal money, unlike my pittance last year). Oh well, I should have my beautiful Hardback in April.

3. On Wednesday I got my first book from TBD that I ordered this year. Elegy by Amanda Hocking. I'm loving it so far and the cover is AMAZING. The final book in the Watersong Series is just as great (if not greater) than the first book Wake. Which says a lot since Lullaby the sequel was a disappointment and Tidal was a bit above okay. So glad Amanda got it right in the end.



4. I'm back to blogging! Did I say already I missed you guys last week during my mini-blogcation?

5. Love and Blogging. Yup I'm celebrating those things. See you guys on Monday.


Thursday 13 March 2014

Getting Personal: Movie Time!

This month I'm excited about all the movies I plan to see. So far I have seen two movies at the theatre this year. American Hustle in January and The Lego Movie in March (Everything is *indeed* Awesome). February was full of all kinds of little disasters that made me miss Robocop (though I don't think that was a big loss), Ride Along, a return of that Julia Roberts movie and yes even Frozen that is now out of Theatres (it should come back in April hopefully. Hey Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs came back last month, it's possible).


Source: Greyerbaby

Now here's what I also plan to see this month. Thanks my ghostwriting gig I actually have spare cash to see more than one movie per month. Just work extra hard and pump out that word count to be paid faster. Hey a girl has to have priorities and I want to order my laptop month end so I can get it in April.

1.Mr. Peabody and Sherman - seeing this on Saturday



2. Son of God - My mother claims she'll come with me next Tuesday. Yeah same thing with Catching Fire. I'll make back up plans just in case. Cause I'm going.



3. Divergent - As soon as it comes out!



4. Muppets Most Wanted - See it before it leaves Jamaica. So maybe April if I can risk it. But I LOVE Miss Piggy.


Tuesday 11 March 2014

Book Review: A Journey Begins and Back from Blogging Break

In February I posted about teen author Cambria Harrington. Well I went and got myself a copy of her novel A Journey Begins and I'm happy to say I'll now share my review for this book. Also I was sent a gift copy of the book but since it was after I purchased my own copy, I sent it to another blogger with a promise of a review when she finished reading it. Thanks for the gift Harrington.

A Journey Begins by Cambria Harrington
Genre: Fantasy, YA
Source: Purchased on Amazon
Purchase: Kindle




Summary: For centuries the Kingdom ruled by King Jonathan and Queen Natalia had been peaceful. But now the Kingdom and the rest of the world is being threatened by one known only as “The Dark King” who desires to have the entire world under his control. Natalia and Jonathan are powerless to defeat him and sacrifice everything they have to make sure their children grow up to be powerful magicians; strong enough together to defeat the Dark King once and for all. 

At the age of fifteen, Brean, Jake, Eliza, and Kimberly are determined to always stick together, save everyone, and defeat the Dark King. But will they be strong enough to journey through the Ice and Fire Kingdoms of the Elves? With the help of an uncommon dragon and unique bird, "A Journey Begins".

Review

I was excited to read this book. A Journey Begins takes us a world filled with magic, beauty and an upcoming war to save the world. From the start I knew this book was special. Cambria introduces us to a King and Queen who sacrifice everything so their children will inherit powers to defeat The Dark King when he returns. It is a touching emotional scene with the introduction of a spirit who is softened by Natalia right before both make the sacrifice needed to save the world. Over a decade later their children the quadruplets are almost sixteen and their happy life with Alice who is the closest thing to a mother they know. Informed of their true destiny and what all their training was for they have natural feelings of fear but are determined to not let the world fall to ruin or that their parents sacrifice be in vain. When a storm proves to be the harbinger of way worse Brean, Jake, Eliza and Kimberly go out to try and stop The Dark King's return. Their decision takes them on an adventure none of them saw coming. And neither will you. But if you are like me you will enjoy the ride and feel the highs and the lows as children fight to protect their kingdom, the world and those they love.

My quibbling are few. There is almost too much action/intensity in the book. I know this is it's greatest strength being able to move from one intense scene to another without a single boring scene. But it also cuts down getting to know some other characters and things better. Thunder the dragon and Crystal the ice bird are great secondary characters but with so much intensity you learn little about them. It's not so bad with Thunder who you learn more about through his conversation with Brean. But it's devastating for Crystal. Besides flying and willing to help all you know is that it's strong willed since it decided it's own name. Not much. Plus you don't learn a lot about the kingdom which I found sad because there seems to be so much there in the little that was shared. So I would suggest some improvement on world building in that area. But when they left to stop The Dark King, the world building had a complete turn around and was perfect. Also a few grammatical and structure errors but nothing that takes away from the story and they are rare. While perfectly fine for a new teen author, I'm still reviewing this book as I would any other author.

In the end I'm in love. I can't wait for the sequel and tell you readers that if you read this book, neither will you. Sign up for her newsletter to keep abreast of the sequel and other news from this amazing young author. Congrats Cambria. Even if you were an adult, this book will still be a wonderful read.

Rating: 4 Stars

Personal Opinion: 5 Stars! Sequel, now!


More about Cambria Harrington

Website

Newsletter

Online Interview

I'm Back!

Yes my blogging hiatus is over. I didn't write much last week beyond my Wednesday post and my writing gig. Now I'm back and ready to roar. Plus, I missed being here with you guys. *Hugs* Happy to be back and we have a full schedule this week. I'm Back Baby! Also I had Charlie's Scribes do a post last Friday. I feared that they might say now with barely a week's notice but no they got it done and Road to Enlightenment was amazing. Thanks guys.


Photo Credit: Electrony @ Morgefile

Friday 7 March 2014

Charlie's Scribes Road to Enlightenment and a little Celebrating

Please Note: I will be back on Tuesday with a book review and what I did over the blogging break.

 Sheena-kay is taking a much needed holiday, but she didn't want to leave her blog peeps bored. So, she called in Charlie's Scribes!! 

On
Fridays, Sheena-kay shares the wisdom of gratitude...the Scribes may
need to seek enlightenment to hit the Queen's level of awareness.

Wisdom Sought and Found


Waiting in the grocery line, I did my usual perusal of the
day’s top headlines. Squeezed between news of Kim Kardashian’s growing butt and
Myley Cyrus’s decaying morals was the revelation that a bald man in a coconut
bra and grass skirt set up camp at the peak of Mauna Loa volcano. A neon sign
outside his hut proclaimed, “Koop’a: Know All, See All”. 

In my excitement, I abandoned my shopping cart and ran to
Tammy’s…whew was I tired…what a long run!
Pounding on her door, I yelled, “Tammy get out here, we’ve
got to meet the Koop’a!”

“I know! I was just on my way to get you. I got a text from
Mark this morning. It said, Bring your
stilettos to Hawaii. The Koop’a will tell you what to do. 

“OMG!” Tammy and I said, like in total unison…we’d have done
the jinx and bought each other a Coke, but there was no time. We had to fly to
Hawaii! 

At the base of Mauna Loa, Tammy strapped on the stilettos. I
was like, “Are you insane?”

She was like, “The Bald man said to wear them. And the Bald
man is always right.”

“Who says the Bald man is always right?” 

Tammy gave me an eye roll. “Duh! Didn’t Mark ever tell you
bald heads are solar panels for deep thought?”

I had to admit that statement was vaguely familiar. 

So, we climbed. Tammy kept getting her heel caught in the
craggy rocks and my chubby body screamed in elevation agony, but we made it. 

Nearly blinded by the neon sign’s reflection off the Koop’a’s
head, we covered our eyes as we asked, “Wise Koop’a, how can we become
successful?”

The Koop’a stood, slowly he began to Hula, his grass skirt
swishing, his coconut bra clacking. Spreading his arms wide he said, “The world
is vast and yours for the taking. Just as you climbed this mountain one step at
a time, the world will be yours one step at a time. Small steps can take you
great distances.”

Wow. His bald head really does concentrate brain energy! As
I contemplated the profundity of his words, Tammy attacked. Shaking a stiletto
in his face, she yelled, “What the heck was the point of these?”

Koop’a shrugged. “I needed shoes. You stole my flip flops
while visiting Michelle in Africa, or were you so drunk you forgot?”



 Thanks for having us over Sheena-kay! Here's your prize ;)


 
 a FREE service featuring the angelic smiles of:








Just a quick pop in the celebrate this amazing post by Charlie's Scribes. Thanks guys, you are amazing and hilarious. Also the fact that my ghost writing gig has allowed me to purchase over $30 (US) in books. All paperback from TBD except for Angela Brown's alter ego Rayven whose book two in Confessions of a Sex Fiend book I purchased off Smashwords. Now back to saving for that laptop. Enjoy your weekend folks and I'm enlightened enough to not go near a volcano. Especially in heels, hell to the NO

Waiting on Wednesday: Reconnected

Please Note: The final WOW on this blog as I take my final bow this month. I want to thank all readers of this post and all my blogging. I r...