Sunday, December 30, 2012

UtopYA 2013 Reading Challenge

Since I am attending UtopYA in June, I am taking part in a reading challenge to read as many of the authors who are attending the con. The challenge is for the whole year, and I have chosen to read 20 books, Werewolf level.

Here is the original post from Tara @My Pathway to Books:

Welcome!
I'm sure many of you have heard of the UtopYA Conference and if you haven't you should definitely check it out HERE!!! I went last year and had a blast.  I'm going again this year and before June I wanted to read as many books by the authors that would be there as possible.  
I thought what more fun of a way to read these books than to do it together, so I came up with this reading challenge!  I really hope you do this with me so we can get to know each other and read these books by the wonderful authors!  *note: you do not have to be attending UtopYA con to be a part of the reading challenge*
*this is an unofficial challenge and not affiliated with UtopYA

The challenge is to reach your set goal.  There are 6 different levels to choose from.

Levels
5- Gnome
10- Fairy
15- Mermaid
20- Werewolf
25- Vampire
30- Angel

Challenge Rules
1. The books must be written by an author that is a panelist, exhibitor or attendee of UtopYA Con 2013.
2. The challenge will start on January 1, 2013 and end December 31, 2013 but you may join at anytime.
3. You don't have to have a blog to participate.  Just join in on the fun somehow! P.S. that means authors please participate too! We would love to have you.
4. The books can be in any format (ebooks, paperback, scroll, etc.)
5. To join the challenge
if your a blogger, make a blogpost with the challenge button and tell us what level you've picked and link your post to the linky.
everyone else, tweet/facebook/pin/etc. what level you picked with a link to this post and link the direct link to the linky.

Prizes (prizes are to be determined but they will be awesome)
1. The person that reads the most books by UtopYA authors (books read before the Con will count x2, so if you read 15 books before the Con it will count as a score of 30)
2. Everyone that reaches their goal will be entered to win a prize
3. there will be UtopYA challenges throughout the year so be looking out for those!

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Eternal Hope Book Trailer Reveal!



So what do you think?

ETERNAL HOPE by Frankie Rose
Book two in The Hope Series
October 2012

He loves me, he loves me not, he loves me

When your friends go missing and you don’t know if they’re dead or alive; when you tie your soul to the one you love; when you kill to protect and your family suffers, there’s only one thing you can do:

Move to Montana.

Farley Hope is special. She was prophesied to kill the forebears of her bloodline- a race of cold-blooded Reavers, men who steal the souls of the living to gain power. The Quorum had counted on Farley ending her own life in the process, but when Kayden came to her aid and helped save both her and Daniel, he undid their plans. Now the Quorum are displeased, not only with Kayden, but with Farley and Daniel too. Though her father is now dead, Farley’s troubles with the Reavers are far from over. An ancient Immortal, trapped for a thousand years, wants Farley for himself, and he will stop at nothing to claim her.

With secrets that lead to anger and pain, that turn friendship to dust, the group must overcome the problems within their own circle before they have a hope of fighting off the powers that threaten their lives

Sunday, December 23, 2012

Interview and Giveaway with Airicka Phoenix!


Today I have one of my favourite indie authors the blog. She is a wonderful person and amazing writer, so I hope you get to know her little more and will think about grabbing a copy of her fantastic books! 

Thanks for stopping by Worlds of Wonderment, Airicka!

Hello Jo-Anne! Thank you so much for having me visit you and your readers! It’s wonderful being here.

Can you tell potential readers about your books? 
Absolutely! I write paranormal Young Adult. My two books out right now are part of the Touch Series, but Touching Eternity is a standalone while Touching Smoke is book one. The Touch Series is about the dark side of love, the shadowy parts that most don’t know exist. It’s about Fallon and the fact that unlike most people, she wasn’t born, but created to destroy, created to be destroyed. Her love will kill.

Since Touching Smoke is part of a series, what can we expect from the Touch series as a whole? 
You expect a lot of twists, a lot of action, suspense and romance. The Touch Series will have something for everyone. I think what most will notice as the series progresses that the Touch Series will hit home. Nothing about this series is supernatural. It’s everything that could happen. Its super powers, abilities that people for generations have claimed to possess. What’s to say that it doesn’t exist or that it couldn’t happen? All it would take is someone taking those abilities and twisting them to suit his purposes, to destroy.

Your paranormal world differs quite a lot from most, how would you describe it? 
I think it has a lot of edge with some seriously dark undertones that keep you guessing and wondering if you should sleep with the lights on. Its modern meets dystopian meets monsters.

How do Isaiah and Amalie (Touching Eternity) differ from Isaiah and Fallon (Touching Smoke)?
Isaiah (Touching Eternity) is very confused. He’s very torn. His loyalties are tested, his boundaries, his self-worth and his courage. While Isaiah from Touching Smoke knows what needs to be done. He has no reservations. He has but one mission, one thought, one desire -- keeping Fallon safe.
Amalie is the polar opposite of Fallon. She’s soft and weak and scared. She’s broken. Fallon is strong and determined. She’s witty and refuses to be taken down without a fight.  

Touching Eternity has some very confronting themes, were they hard to write? 
I can’t speak for other authors, but for me, my characters are like my children. Seeing them hurt, seeing them suffering is pure anguish. There wasn’t a moment in Touching Eternity where I didn’t want to pull Amalie into my arms and protect her. Writing Touching Eternity was emotionally and mentally challenging. It took a great deal out of me.

Do you a have a preferred writing space or time? 
I can write anywhere, but my best ideas usually come to me between 12am-4am. That’s when I do most of my writing.

Was there a specific reason you chose the self-publishing route? 
I tried the traditional path. I sent Touching Smoke to several publishers and always got very polite responses back that it wasn’t a fit or that they didn’t have the space for such a book at the time, etc. So I shelved my desire to publish, thinking I would try again at a later time. Then a friend suggested I go at it myself, which was just terrifying at first. But I did my homework, asked about a million questions and finally decided why not.

What was the last book you read that blew you away? 
I am a huge Rick Riordan fan. I just finished his entire Percy Jackson Series, Heroes of Olympus Series and am now on the Kane Chronicles. I think he’s an utter genius and he always keeps me reeling even after I set the book down.

What are some of your favourite hobbies or interests? 
Reading. I am such a book hoarder. It’s a frightening obsession really. I love gardening, baking and craft making. I also do graphic designs for myself and others. But if I had to pick a single thing that I would pick to do for the rest of my life and that would be the adventures I have with my children. They keep me young and keep my muse hopping.  

Is there anything you are working on that you would like to share? 
I’m actually working on my first ever Contemporary. I’m quite proud of myself, because I don’t normally read or write it and it’s something that just came to me one day. It’s very fun and light which is such a huge jump from Touching Eternity. The book temporarily has no title, but it will be released Feb 14th, just in time for Valentine’s Day. It’s an action, suspense romance that takes us into the lives of Sophie and Spencer as they embark on a journey filled with broken hearts, new beginnings and a dark evil lurking in the shadows waiting to finish what it had started.

Thank you again so much for inviting me to visit with you. It has been incredible and such a fun journey! All the best to you and your readers!! <3

Airicka Phoenix is the author of TOUCHING SMOKE (Touch Book #1), TOUCHING ETERNITY (Touch 1.5), TORRID, a short story as part of the Whispered Beginnings: A Clever Fiction Anthology and WANTING & INTENTIONS, two stories as part of the Midnight Surrender Anthology. When she's not hammering away at the keyboard, she can be found banishing pirates or crawling through the attic looking for lost treasure with her kids. She loves baking, gardening and reading. She also likes to travel and take pictures of everything she comes across. When asked, Airicka describes herself as a sarcastic basket case that has an unhealthy addiction to chocolate, old movies and really bad jokes. She loves to laugh, make friends and write. If she could have one wish granted, it would be to spend one day as a fly-on-the-wall inside Stephen King's mind. If she could have two wishes granted, she would ask for a castle dedicated entirely to her overwhelming collection of books.

WIN AN EBOOK OF TOUCHING ETERNITY AND TOUCHING SMOKE! LEAVE A COMMENT WITH YOUR EMAIL AND FAVOURITE TYPE OF CHOCOLATE. (You must be 18+ to win both copies, but if you're under 18 you will only receive an ebook of Touching Smoke.)
GIVEAWAY ENDS JANUARY 5TH 2013.

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Interview and Giveaway with Julie Kagawa!


I have been a bit MIA lately, but I'm hoping to change that next year. But I have a fantastic interview to help keep me in your good graces. I am beyond excited to have an interview with Julie Kagawa on my blog!! I am quite beside myself. :) Read on for a chance to win one of four copies of The Lost Prince (sorry Aus entrants only)

Thank you for stopping by Worlds of Wonderment Julie!
Thanks so much for having me.

For those people who have been living under rocks and haven’t heard of The Lost Prince, could you give us a quick overview?
The Lost Prince takes place several years after the events of The Iron Fey series, and stars Ethan Chase, Meghan's younger brother.  Now seventeen, Ethan has grown up resenting the fey who took his sister from him, and has vowed never to get involved with their world.  But when a classmate disappears and a strange new type of fey begins harassing him and his friends, Ethan cannot sit by and do nothing.  And so he begins his own adventure in the Nevernever.

I love the idea behind The Iron Fey, how did it come about?
Faeries, the old, ancient fey, not the glittery winged sprites, have always fascinated me. But I wanted to write a book that was different than other faery books. So I began thinking: what are the fey afraid of? The answer, in most ancient mythos, is iron. Faeries can't stand the touch of iron and steel. So, what if there was a new type of fey that had evolved with progress over the years? What if they weren't only immune to iron, their existence was slowly poisoning and corrupting the lands of the traditional fey? And I realized we already have "monsters" in machines: gremlins, bugs, viruses, ect. And from that thought, the Iron fey were born.

Can you tell us a little about Ethan and Kenzie’s relationship?
Ethan was not an easy person to get to know at the start of the book.  He grew up watching the fey hurt the people who got close to him, and has decided that the only way to prevent that from happening again is not to get close to anyone.  So he pushes people away by being rude, unfriendly, and dangerous.  And it works...until he meets Kenzie, the girl who won't take no for an answer, who is determined to see through his facade and find the real Ethan.  Kenzie is nosy, stubborn, and cheerfully relentless, but she has to be to have any hope of getting through Ethan's really high walls.  Still, it will take a lot of chipping away to get Ethan to lower his defences and finally let someone in.

Does the faery world you have created differ from others?
There are some similarities regarding the Summer and Winter courts, and of course the famous faery rulers--Oberon, Mab, Titania--appear in almost every fey-centric story, but I did try to make the faery realm, the Nevernever, unique in the fact that it is beautiful but also very dangerous.  But the biggest difference, the thing that sets it apart from all other faery books, are the Iron fey themselves. 

Are there any books/authors that have influenced your style of writing?
Terry Brooks' The Sword of Shannara series made a huge impact on me when I was younger.  I remember finishing one of his books in tears and thinking I wanted to write stories that could make people cry.  So when I tell my readers: "Your tears feed my Muse," you can thank Mr. Brooks for that.  ;-)

What has been your favourite experience since becoming an author?
Meeting and connecting with fans is still the greatest thing ever.  It's still kind of surreal, to know that there are people out there who have read and loved your books.  Whenever I talk to readers, I'm thrilled and ecstatic and humbled all at the same time, and I never get tired of it. 

What is your all-time favourite book?
I don't have an absolute favourite but a few come very close.  Poison Study, Jayne Eyre, Daughter of Smoke and Bone, 13 Reasons Why, and of course Harry Potter.

If you could choose, which court would you prefer?
Well, I'd love to say Winter because I hate the heat and love the cold, but I can't live without my tech, so I'll have to go with Iron.

Julie Kagawa, the New York Times Bestselling author of The Iron Fey and Blood of Eden series, was born in Sacramento, California. But nothing exciting really happened to her there. So, at the age of nine she and her family moved to Hawaii, which she soon discovered was inhabited by large carnivorous insects, colonies of house geckos, and frequent hurricanes. She spent much of her time in the ocean, when she wasn't getting chased out of it by reef sharks, jellyfish, and the odd eel.
When not swimming for her life, Julie immersed herself in books, often to the chagrin of her schoolteachers, who would find she hid novels behind her Math textbooks during class. Her love of reading led her to pen some very dark and gruesome stories, complete with colored illustrations, to shock her hapless teachers. The gory tales faded with time, but the passion for writing remained, long after she graduated and was supposed to get a real job.
To pay the rent, Julie worked in different bookstores over the years, but discovered the managers frowned upon her reading the books she was supposed to be shelving. So she turned to her other passion: training animals. She worked as a professional dogtrainer for several years, dodging Chihuahua bites and overly enthusiastic Labradors, until her first book sold and she stopped training to write full-time.
Julie now lives in Louisville, Kentucky, where the frequency of shark attacks are at an all time low. She lives with her husband, two obnoxious cats, one Australian Shepherd who is too smart for his own good, and the latest addition, a hyper-active Papillon puppy.


TO WIN ONE OF FOUR COPIES OF THE LOST PRINCE, LEAVE A COMMENT WITH YOUR EMAIL, TELLING ME WHO YOUR FAVOURITE CHARACTER IS FROM ANY OF JULIE'S BOOKS! GIVEAWAY ENDS 31ST DECEMBER 2012. (sorry Australian entrants only)


Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Eternal Hope Scavenger Hunt! Interview with Frankie Rose.


Today is my stop on the Eternal Hope blog tour and scavenger hunt. I'm hosting an interview with Frankie and I am so glad she's finally been able to stop by. Don't forget to look for the mystery word. All the prizes are listed on the first and last blogs.


Welcome to Worlds of Wonderment Frankie!
Hi Jo-Anne thanks for having me! It’s awesome that I get to come ‘hang out’!

For potential readers, can you give us an overview of your books?
I’d love to! At the moment I have two books out, Sovereign Hope and Eternal Hope. The story follows a young eighteen-year-old girl called Farley whose life is turned upside down by a number of events, the first of which being the mysterious disappearance of her mother. On her mission to find her mother, Farley runs into Daniel, a snarky guy with a major attitude problem, and she finally learns a few home truths. Her father, the man she thought dead her whole life, is actually alive and he is on a mission of his own: to kill Farley before she can play her part in a prophecy she has been predestined to fulfill.
She is part of a bloodline of Reavers, men who steal the souls of others to gain power. Alongside Daniel and a cast of awesome friends and unlikely allies, Farley learns to fight and protect those she loves. There are a huge road blocks in her way, preventing her from finally being able to enjoy her relationship with Daniel, and we catch insights into each of the characters as we follow them through the events of the books. We watch them grow as people, as well as witnessing how their relationships with one another change dramatically along the way.

The Hope Series is a trilogy, what can readers expect from the books?
I really wanted to cover a bit of everything, you know? I wanted there to be heaps of romance, but I wanted there to be lots of action and drama, plus a pinch of horror thrown into the mix as well. I hope I accomplished that. I have to say, though, I am loving the romantic developments between my characters as the series progresses. It’s almost cruel torturing them sometimes, but then you get to give them the most perfect moments on the other hand as well.

What do you like most about Farley and Daniel’s characters?
 I like that they’re both real, in some ways. You’re probably questioning my sanity right now, but I don’t mean that I think they really exist. I just mean that they’re both incredibly flawed and have major baggage. They make mistakes and their relationship isn’t perfect.  In the past, I’ve been really frustrated and found it hard to connect with a story or empathise with its characters, because the male protagonist has been superhuman, beautiful and absolutely perfect in every way possible.  In the same vein, the female lead has been a simpering idiot who has no backbone. I wanted Farley and Daniel to empower each other with their strengths, but I also wanted them to admit when they were wrong and get mad at each other every once in a while.

Who is your favourite character to write?
I have to say Daniel. He’s so broken in some respects. I have a lot of love for him, because he was kind of a lost cause for a very long time, and so many bad things have happened to him. His mother’s treatment of him and his brother; Jacob and the other Reavers as he was ‘growing up’; the things that went down between him and Kayden, as well as his relationship with Aldan. It’s almost as though falling in love with Farley has given his character reasons to be hopeful again, and that’s definitely a big part of what Eternal Hope is about, especially at the end.

What sets your paranormal world apart from others?
I wanted it to be completely unique, and I wrote it with the intention that it would be completely different to anything else I’d read. I loved reading vampire/werewolf novels, but I got so sick of it after a while. I wanted to read something new and interesting, but then I thought…why not write something new and interesting instead? The world building in Sovereign and Eternal Hope was something I took time over. It developed over a period of time for me, and I made a conscious decision back when I started writing the first book that I wouldn’t dump the whole thing all at once on the reader. I didn’t want to info-dump, and there was a danger that would happen if I went all out and laid every single card on the table right from the start. I wanted glimpses of the Reaver’s world, as well as Daniel and his friends’ lifestyles, to be revealed in pieces over time.
The third book in the series, Lost Hope, will show a whole new aspect of the supernatural side of things, as well as Daniel and Kayden’s worlds. Knowing that Daniel was born in the UK, and that some serious stuff went down for Kayden there, it seemed like a natural progression for their story to end up there.

How did the idea for the Hope Series eventuate?
Well, again, I wanted to do something different. I spent a long time thinking about whom the bad guys were and what the initial conflict of the story was before things started to really build and take shape. I think, though, even before I got to that stage, I’d already planned out who Daniel and Farley were- what made them tick and how they would interact; who they would be for one another.
After that I got to thinking about logic behind a supernatural story, if ever there could be logic for something like that. I realised that realistically if there was an all-powerful being and they wanted to steal someone else’s power, they wouldn’t be going after blood. It would the soul they went after. The body is just a vessel, after all, and the soul is where our power truly lies.  I hadn’t read anything about soul reavers before, so I pondered on the subject and it all began to fall into place.

Why do you think YA is such a popular genre?
To me, it’s so popular because it gives us back our adolescence. First love, first opportunity to be independent, first chance to be who we really want to be. Nearly everyone I know loves reading YA, because it takes you on a journey where it’s okay to still believe in improbable and impossible things. It’s okay to immerse yourself in a fictional story where ghosts, vampires, fairies, and even soul reavers exist when you’re a teenager, and people don’t necessarily want to give that up just because they graduated from high school, or even college. Heck, why should we have to give that up at all, regardless of how old we are?

Is there anything you are currently working on that you could share with us?
Yes! I’m currently working on a new novel that is close to ready for its first round of editing. This book is a first for me on a couple of different fronts.  It’s my first foray into dystopia, as well as a new writing style. I’ve always written in third person, but this time I’ve elected to go with first person, which I have loved. I definitely don’t think I will ever go back to third now.
I’m keeping pretty hush hush about this book at the moment. I’d like to keep polishing it until it’s shining in its full glory before I share it with the world, but I will let you know that it’s a story about knife fighting. I’ve had SO much fun writing the romance for this new book, and the main characters are as close to my heart as Daniel and Farley are for sure. The female protagonist, Kit, is seriously kickass, as is Ryka, the male protag. There’s a whole lot of snark in the beginning of their relationship as they actually try to ascertain who out of the two of them is the most badass. That was really fun to write.

 Was there a specific reason as to why you chose to self-publish your books?
I had the opportunity to be published through a small press agency, but when I looked over their contracts I realised I wasn’t gaining anything through signing with them.  I knew that the amount of work ahead of me wasn’t going to change just because I paid out a huge wedge of my royalties to a company, and I couldn’t justify doing it. This way, I have complete artistic license with my stories, characters, cover art, release dates etc. I’ve had a great journey publishing the Hope Series. I’ve learned so much along the way. That obviously doesn’t mean that if I ever had the opportunity to sign with one of the big six, I wouldn’t grab onto it with both hands, though. With self-publishing comes a lot of hard work that leaves very little time for actual writing. It would be fantastic to have a team of people supporting you so you could focus on your art instead of marketing etc.

What is the last song you sang at the top of your lungs?
Oh, I’m so ashamed! It was The Voice by John Farnham. Please don’t judge me. I just can’t help it. I was trapped in the car and it was on the radio. It’s almost a compulsion, my need to belt out that song whenever I hear it.

Do you have a favourite book boyfriend? Why him?
SO HARD. Seriously. Gah… right now, I’m going to say my favourite book boyfriend is Cassel Sharpe of Holly Black’s Curse Workers Series. It’s an amazing series, and Cassel is just plain awesome. He’s all messed up but he’s incredibly smart, and there’s a certain something about con men and grifters that catches my attention. Maybe because they’re smoother than smooth and dangerous. Cassel’s definitely more than a little dangerous with those hands of his!



Book Information
Title: Eternal Hope
Series: The Hope Series, Book Two
Author: Frankie Rose
Published: October 10, 2012
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

Synopsis:
He loves me, he loves me not, he loves me

When your friends go missing and you don’t know if they’re dead or alive; when you tie your soul to the one you love; when you kill to protect and your family suffers, there’s only one thing you can do:

Move to Montana.

Farley Hope is special. She was prophesied to kill the forebears of her bloodline- a race of cold-blooded Reavers, men who steal the souls of the living to gain power. The Quorum had counted on Farley ending her own life in the process, but when Kayden came to her aid and helped save both her and Daniel, he undid their plans. Now the Quorum are displeased, not only with Kayden, but with Farley and Daniel too. Though her father is now dead, Farley’s troubles with the Reavers are far from over. An ancient Immortal, trapped for a thousand years, wants Farley for himself, and he will stop at nothing to claim her.

With secrets that lead to anger and pain, that turn friendship to dust, the group must overcome the problems within their own circle before they have a hope of fighting off the powers that threaten their lives.


About the Author:
As a child, I was always accused of being bookish because I wore glasses- big, horrible, ugly ones with too-thick lenses. Those kids, the super smart ones who always know which tender insecurities to poke at in order to provoke life-long complexes, used to accuse me of reading too many books and that my eyes were going to rot out of my head (their words, not mine!)

The truth of the matter was a little more embarrassing: I used to sit too close to the T.V. That was the reason why I had to wear glasses, but kids don’t really care about small, insignificant details like the truth, and so I was labelled a nerd. The label kinda stuck, and after some sage advice from my awesome nana (nana, you rock!) I decided that if I was going to be abused for my supposed literary obsession, I might as well develop one.

I guess that’s how I got into books and reading at an early age. Since then, I’ve been ripping through books like they’re going out of fashion, which, thankfully, they’re not. Good thing, too, because I’m a writer now, and books are my business!

Thank you to everyone who has supported and encouraged me on my journey- look for your names in the acknowledgements! And a big thank you to you, the reader. I hope you’ve fallen in love with Farley and Daniel just like I have, and that you’ll join them in the next book, Eternal Hope!

Excerpt – Written specifically for the Scavenger Hunt and cannot be found anywhere but participating blogs:

Farley felt her face redden, which was _________ inappropriate. Daniel and Kayden were _______ she was watching, and for once their sparring lacked the flashy showmanship they usually employed to _______ her. For the two of them, nothing _______ beyond the dimly lit parameters of the hangar. Beyond the lunge, beyond the parry, beyond the block.
This was how it would really go down, if they ever meant to do serious harm to one _______. Movements fluid and graceful, there was _________ primal about their circling. Quick _______ of calculating eyes, green and blue, preempting the other’s next move. Kayden’s hair was darkened with sweat, but both their chests rose and fell with __________ regularity. In and out. Slow and steady. The stern, focused expressions on their faces said ____ were in total control.
Farley let the darkness wash over her and kept her presence hidden. The confrontation was too ___________ to interrupt. Bare chests, muscled and tanned; silver flashes of metal as their blades sang through the air. Even Cliff would have been impressed. Farley bit her ______ lip as Kayden darted _______ in a sure leap, thrusting out with deadly precision towards Daniel’s throat.
The ______ would have been a killing blow. Would have been, if it had even ______. Daniel sprang back and duck-rolled over the dusty floor, crouching into a defensive pose. With his knife ________, his eyes lifted to fix on Kayden, but they _____ quite made it.
Farley’s heart leapt to her throat. Those eyes, piercing and sharp, fixed on her _______. She swallowed and braced against the wall behind her, trying to camouflage with the _______. Kayden shifted forward, ready to take _________ of Daniel’s distracted position, but the dark-haired boy simply lifted his hand. A wordless gesture:
____.
Kayden stopped.
Robotically, Daniel rose, his _____ suddenly vanished, and dropped the knife into the dirt. Kayden’s apparent confusion only lasted a second; the moment he ________ it - that she was there - was _______. One second he was ________ Daniel’s creased brow, the next he had spun around impossibly quickly and was staring, too. Blue and Green. Farley felt her throat closing up. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out.
Daniel brushed a hand back through his slightly curling hair, his face trained into a nothing __________. There was ______ he could do to hide the war in his eyes, ______. “So you’re back.”
Silence flooded the hangar. Farley took a moment to _______, pretending not to ______ Kayden’s fist clenching repeatedly ______ the handle of his knife.
“Yes,” she whispered, her voice _______. “I guess I am.”


Don't forget to check out the other blogs that also have tour stops today or you'll miss out on words!
November 28th –  Carmen @ Book Me! - http://www.bookmereviews.com
November 28th – Taneesha @ A Diary of A Book Addict - http://adiaryofabookaddict.blogspot.com.au

Monday, November 26, 2012

Review: Eternal Hope by Frankie Rose


Title: Eternal Hope
Series: The Hope Series, Book Two
Author: Frankie Rose
Published: October 10, 2012
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

He loves me, he loves me not, he loves me

When your friends go missing and you don’t know if they’re dead or alive; when you tie your soul to the one you love; when you kill to protect and your family suffers, there’s only one thing you can do:

Move to Montana.

Farley Hope is special. She was prophesied to kill the forebears of her bloodline- a race of cold-blooded Reavers, men who steal the souls of the living to gain power. The Quorum had counted on Farley ending her own life in the process, but when Kayden came to her aid and helped save both her and Daniel, he undid their plans. Now the Quorum are displeased, not only with Kayden, but with Farley and Daniel too. Though her father is now dead, Farley’s troubles with the Reavers are far from over. An ancient Immortal, trapped for a thousand years, wants Farley for himself, and he will stop at nothing to claim her.

With secrets that lead to anger and pain, that turn friendship to dust, the group must overcome the problems within their own circle before they have a hope of fighting off the powers that threaten their lives.



From the very first chapter Eternal Hope grabs you by the throat and doesn't let you go. I think I enjoyed this book more than the first, Sovereign Hope. The story picks up a few weeks after Sovereign Hope, with the group looking for their friends who have been missing for some time which leads them to Montana. If you thought Farley has faced some scary people before, you will be shocked at the latest threat; an ominous entity that will stop at nothing to get a hold of Farley. I was surprised with the twist Frankie throws in. I felt sympathy for this evil, which I don’t think I have for any other villain. This threw me a little, but once you read Eternal Hope you will understand what I’m talking about.

I loved the addition of Kaydens character; he brings an extra element to the story. He’s almost the comic relief, with snappy one liners and a cheeky demeanour. We find out more about his and Daniels past, which is quite heartbreaking. I love Daniel, but Kayden now his own spot in my heart.

Farley grows a lot during Eternal Hope. She’s already a down-to-earth, grounded eighteen year old who has dealt with more than most people could ever imagine. She has a backbone and works through her fear to face her problems and enemies. Daniel and Farley’s relationship is explored a whole lot more. They’re flawed people who carry a lot of baggage, but it gives them a feeling of realness, like they were a random couple you might meet on the street. Daniel is broken is many ways, he’s been treated awfully during his life, some of it incredibly cruel and you wonder how he’s not a complete lunatic. You’ll love him even more.

We get to learn more about Oliver and Tess, plus some new characters. I loved reading about all their relationships and how they interact with one another. The conflict between some of them is interesting and it’s great reading through their little, and big, problems with one another. Frankie blends all these characters and their personalities into the story seamlessly.

Eternal Hope is a fantastic second instalment to the Hope Series, full of action and drama. It’s a unique paranormal world and Frankie should be commended at how well it works. The wait for book three is going to drive me nuts. I need more of these characters!
5/5

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Interview & Giveaway with Aidan Lucid

Welcome to Worlds of Wonderment Aidan!
Thank you, Jo-Anne, for having me. It’s an honour to be here.

For those haven’t read your book, can you tell us a bit about it?
My novel, Return of the Son of Hamorin, which is book one of The Zargothian Tales trilogy, is about a young American high school kid named Henry Simmons who finds a gold coin. He later learns that the coin has magical qualities and it takes him to a wondrous land named Zargothia where he must free the humans from a savage alien race known as The Sadarkians. He’s not alone in his quest, however, and has the help from a witty talking cat named Jasper and two Airforce pilots from 1945. Will Henry succeed in his quest and free King Argoth and the humans?

Is the Zargothian Tales part of a series? If so, what can we expect from this series?
Yes, The Zargothian Tales is part of a trilogy and you can expect lots of action with shocking twists and turns (especially in book two) with a healthy dollop of humour thrown in as well.

Can you tell us about your main characters?
Sure. The main character is Henry – a happy-go-lucky 15 year-old American high school kid who loves reading Superman comics and has his eye on a blonde cheerleader. His life is turned upside down when he finds the golden coin and Henry learns a valuable lesson in having a lot of magical powers at his disposal and the responsibilities that come with this power.
King Argoth - king of the humans in Zargothia - is a king fighting for freedom but he cannot do much until Henry’s arrival and he hopes to free the humans from the Sadarkians’ cruel reign.
King Zakarius - king of the Sadarkians and Henry’s nemesis - is a ruthless king and will stop at nothing to be rid of humans forever. Zakarius hates the humans for a past betrayal but little does he know that all is not what it seems.

How did you get the idea for the Zargothian Tales?
I don’t know really. I guess it all stemmed from a question, “What if a World War II plane was attacked by dragons” and I took it from there. I love all things military and I thought it would be cool to have a WWII era plane attacked by a flying dragons but I didn't know how to incorporate the dragons into the opening scene in the book. One day I was watching a documentary on a tragic incident that occurred in December 1945 called ‘The Flight 19 incident’ and that was basically about four planes mysteriously disappearing over The Bermuda Triangle back in 1945 and they've never been found since. I thought that it would be cool to use the Bermuda Triangle as a means of bringing the dragons into my story.
King Argoth and the Zargothian inhabitants were originally from a humorous short story I wrote but it was going nowhere so I used those characters and brought them into this book and it worked perfectly. I love history, especially medieval warfare, and it was this love of that time period that inspired some of the battles in Return of the Son of Hamorin.  While I was researching medieval warfare, certain facts about how soldiers fought in siege warfare gave me some cool ideas to use in my book and the end result proved pretty effective. I just hope the readers feel the same way. J

Where do you draw your inspiration from?
Even though authors such as Tolkien and David Gemmel have been a bit of an influence, I’m very much my own man and have developed my own style and honed it over the last decade.

What is your favourite genre to read?
I don’t have a favourite genre as such. I love reading everything from fantasy, to sci-fi to non-fiction books on the paranormal and historical figures such as Julius Caesar and Irish patriots. 

If you could co-author a book with anyone alive or dead, who would you choose and why?
Hmm…that’s a pretty tough question to answer. Gosh, there are so many talented authors out there that I couldn't possibly choose one. If I did have to choose, I guess I’d love to do something with Geoff Johns on Superman. I know he’s not an author of books but he wrote some damn fine comic book stories and let’s face it, who wouldn't want to work on Superman?

If you were a superhero, what would your name be?
Considering I’m from Ireland, I think it would be Shamrockman! Ha, ha. Just kidding! I don’t know really. I guess my super powers of choice would be flight, teleportation and invulnerability to bullets, knives etc. But as for a name, gee, that’s a tough one.  The Green Avenger would be one name I’d like. 


When Air Force Pilots Edward Johnson and Conor MacCall flew a routine patrol over the Atlantic, the last thing they expected to encounter was bogeys. Even more unexpected was the nature of the bogeys – large flying reptiles belching streams of flame. In their efforts to evade, the two find themselves in a strange new world, a world at war, and in urgent need of a leader. Could the long awaited leader be found in a quiet high school boy?

Aidan Lucid hails from a small town called, Ballyheigue in County Kerry, Ireland. He has been writing since 2002 and in 2004, he first began to send out his material to magazines, newspapers etc. and was published seven times that year. Since then he has been published widely in many ezines and poetry anthologies. In 2005, while recovering from a car accident, Aidan wrote his debut fantasy novel, The Zargothian Tales: Return of the Son of Hamorin, (www.thezargothiantales.com), which was published by WordTechs Press in ebook format in December 2010 and in paperback in 2011. Despite being born with a very rare syndrome known as, Moebius Syndrome, Lucid has never let his disability hold him back and he has received diplomas of distinction in freelance journalism and creative writing from online courses and was a film reviewer for his local newspaper, The Kerryman, for nine months in 2007.

Aidan is now working on book two of The Zargothian Tales series and has his own film review blog – The Lucid Review where he reviews all the latest cinema and DVD/Blu-ray releases. Mr Lucid is also branching out into writing screenplays. For more information about this author, go to: www.aidanlucidauthor.com    

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Thursday, November 1, 2012

Covered - Wicked Fate by Tabatha Vargo

Sick of looking at cover after cover that all seem the same? Well check out this cover reveal for Tabatha Vargo's Wicked Fate! How awesome is it? It grabs you attention and forces you to read the wicked blurb. Read on to find out more about Wicked Fate and Tabatha.


What if you lived in fear of yourself?


For Mage McPherson being afraid of herself is just the norm. Thanks to that fear, being a loner in a small town never bothered the mysterious Mage. Once she received her secret abilities, she figured being alone was the safest way to be. That all changes during her sophomore year at Summerville High when Adam, her equally mysterious secret crush, starts to notice her.



Afraid that she might harm Adam, Mage must learn to either control or deny herself. With Adam by her side she's more powerful than she’s ever been, but is she powerful enough to defeat her worst nightmare? She learns a hard lesson about love and magic when her destiny comes to collect.

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Tabatha has been writing since she could pick up a pencil. Her first publication was a little poem in her elementary school paper, from that point on she was hooked. When she was a teenager, she traded in her girly magazines for personalized writing notebooks.

At nineteen, she met her own personal prince charming and writing took a back burner for a while. She is now married to that prince and the mother of a beautiful Six year old princess/rock star. Once her daughter was born, writing came back into her life, and she finished her very first novel in May of 2009. 

She is pursuing a Bachelors in English and hopes to one day teach while continuing to write. 

As a stay-at-home mom and full-time student, Tabatha enjoys the freedom of spending a good bit of her days doing what she loves the most…writing.


Goodreads Book Giveaway

Wicked Fate by Tabatha Vargo

Wicked Fate

by Tabatha Vargo

Giveaway ends November 30, 2012.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.
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Friday, October 26, 2012

Guest post & Giveaway with Melissa Andrea

Today I am lucky enough to have Melissa Andrea stopping by on her blog tour for Flutter. She's going to tell us about her favourite paranormal/mythological creature. 
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Hmmm…favorite mythological creature…can I say my own?? Because if I can, it would have to be Sara’s kind. I can’t say what she is, you’ll have to read Flutter to find out, but she would have to be it. Why is her kind my favorite? I wanted to do something different and unique with Sara and I’m hoping I accomplished that! At first it was hard coming up with the idea for them, but once I had it I took off with it. They were a lot of fun to create and I’m really hoping everyone thinks they’re just as cool as I do. If anything I hope I get some cool points for originality haha. If that answer doesn't suffice, I have a tie between dragons and mermaids. Dragons because their fierce and bad ass and mermaids because their beautiful and sparkly and I love sparkly things!!
Melissa Andrea
I find it hard to sum up my life in a paragraph, but I’ll try.
                Reading has always been a passion for me, and writing as instinctive as breathing. Every inhale is an idea; every exhale a creation. Flutter will be my debut release, and I couldn't be more excited about it! The only thing I do better than writing you ask? Making beautiful girls. My daughter’s will always be my greatest accomplishment.
I was born in Denver, Colorado –but I will always think of sunny Arizona as my home. I don’t have a big family, but I’m close with my sister, brother & my mom. My mom is my hero, my inspiration, and I couldn't have asked for a more amazing person to be raised by.
4 things you should know about me: I’m very girly, but I can get down and dirty with the best of them. I adore the color pink, I love things that sparkle (including vampires) and I like even numbers (hence 4 things about me, not 5)
As Sara and Adan struggle to overcome their own separate battles - 
There is a far more determined evil that is stalking the shadows and waiting to annihilate them both. 
Sara will figure out that not everything is what it seems and knowing what she can and can not trust will be the key to finding out the truth to what happened to her, the reason why she had been buried alive and who she really is…

Sara and Adan will discover the hidden meaning to why she was the reason he existed and why he would be the reason she survived & together they will fight to change the rules and rewrite their fate.

Discover the Meaning, 
Discover the Secret,
Discover 
Flutter
October 30, 2012


Okay guys! To make the giveaway fair for everyone, we will be checking the entries to make sure
everyone is entering correctly. If we do find someone who hasn't followed through with the entry, we will pull you from the giveaway.
So please, please make sure you've done each entry! 
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