Vampire musician Michael Glass has attracted the attention of a producer. He now has the chance to play some gigs and make a demo. All this means going out into the human world. It means leaving Morganville.
Micheal won't be travelling alone. Claire, Shane and Eve will be going with him and they are all looking forward to a road trip. A chance to go shopping, go to a cinema, see the outside world and most of all they can't wait to leave the vampire run town of Morganville. Morganville is scary, dangerous and full of vampires and the freedom of leaving it is amazing but what they don't realise is that by the end of the trip they will be wishing they just stayed home.
Kiss of Death is the Eighth book in the Morganville Vampire series and things start to take a whole new shape when the gang get to leave the town for a road trip. I was ready to read about another problem in the town where Claire and her friends have to save the day but the tables were turned and Morganville wasn't the center of attention for once. It made for brilliant reading.
This new installment was just like a chilling horror movie. The book evolved into a scary and surprising new installment which kept me eagerly reading right till the end. I felt greedy reading this so quickly and finishing it in one day but I couldn't help myself. The author has managed to keep this series fresh and new and I can't wait to find out what changes and twists she will come up with next time.
This is a must have series for me and even though it is aimed at young readers it has to be one of my favourites. The Morganville Vampires is one of the few YA series that I keep in my permanent collection and have on pre-order. If you haven't tried this series or Rachel Caine's other books then you are seriously missing out on something great!
April is nearly over and as promised it is time for the April Monthly Giveaway! Celebrate another month of reading and see what book you all want from my April reads!
As always there are five books to choose from and vote for. So make sure you go to the poll and vote for the one you want to win or the one you think deserves to win! Here is a little info about each book on offer. Just click on the book title and author to see my review -
Well in the sidebar <--- there is this poll. You vote for the book you would most like to win. I pick a name from the subscibers list and that person wins the book with the most votes. So you may not even win the book you voted for! To subscribe to Amberkatze's Book Blog all you have to do is use the box in the sidebar <--- or at the bottom of this post. Everyone who is already subscribed will be entered in the contest as well as new subscribers. If you have not confirmed your email address then you will not be added to the draw!!! The poll will stay open for votes until Sunday 9th of April 1pm (all times are in Central European Time). The winner will be announced later than day.
For more chances to win -
Post about this giveaway somewhere on the internet eg. Facebook, Myspace, Twitter etc. Make sure you post the link here so I can confirm your extra entry.
Email your friends about this giveaway. Make sure you add my email address so I also get a copy and can confirm your extra entry. Amberkatzes_Book_Blog@gmx.eu
For more prizes -
I will draw more than one winner if I have enough money in the Amberkatze's Book Blog Amazon account. You can help fill this account by using one of the Amazon links on the site to make your purchases on Amazon.com or Amazon.de
Mystery novelist Sophie Katz is finally getting over her brush with real life murder when another victim comes into her life. This time the murder is a little too close to home. Bob Miller is her brother-in-law and the timing of his death is really bad because her sister, Leah, had just found out he was having an affair. Can anyone say motive?
However things get complicated and it turns out that her sisters marriage isn't what it seemed. While Leah looks more and more innocent with the dirt Sophie digs up, things look worse and worse for her sister in the eyes of the police. So Sophie gets PI Anatoly to help her investigate the mistresses Bob had showered gifts on and who all have strong motives to kill. After all she doesn't want Leah to go to prison because that means she will have to bring up her destructive nephew.
I read the first book in this series about a year ago and have been itching to read this second part ever since. With my main love of Urban Paranormal it isn't often that I manage to take a break from the genre but this book was nearly completely read on my trip back from London to Vienna. It was just too fun to put down.
While the mystery aspect of this book does get a little complicated the outcome wasn't too surprising. However the way Sophie solves the case and other characters involved made this a really enjoyable and funny read. I giggled quite a few times and laughed out loud even more. This certainly was worth reading and I am looking forward to the rest of the series.
So if you are looking for a break from the vampires, wolves and ghosts then you may just want to pick this witty cozy mystery up.
Sorry I am only just posting the winners from last weeks contest now! I was on holiday in London for a few days and didn't have much time or internet access to post them!
Congrats! You get to choose a Maria V. Snyder book as your prize! Make sure you tell me which one when you claim your prize!
If you didn't win this time then don't be put off! There are more contests coming up and there is still the Nicole Peeler Contest to enter!
How to claim your prize
Please contact me via email - Amberkatzes_book_blog at gmx dot eu within the next 7 days to claim your prize. Your claim will go quicker if you send me your address.
If you won a contest where you can choose your prize, then please make sure you state in your email which book you would like. This will help things go alot quicker!
If you email me and don't get a reply within 48 hours please post on the blog letting me know. Some email gets eaten by my spam filter. If a prize isn't claimed after 7 days I will, if the author agrees, pick another winner.
Please also note that I can not be held responsible for prizes that come direct from authors. I will check with them for you if you haven't received your prize but I can not hunt down your mail! Any prizes that come from myself could come from a 3rd party eg. Amazon or Bookdepository. If I am sending a prize myself please be aware that it could take a few weeks to reach you as it is coming from Europe
Eight years ago, Abby Knight babysat for a problem teenager called Elizabeth. Abby hasn't seen the girl in years but now she is back and is using the name Libby and is acting even stranger than she did all those years ago. Nobody else seems to notice what Libby is doing but Abby can't ignore the changes. Why is Libby trying to steal Abby's life?
One thing Abby is sure Libby won't get is her boyfriend Marco. However when Libby needs him to investigate a case for her it is clear that Marco has more time for his client. What others think is a form of flattery turns out to be a bizarre murder plot and Abby intends on proving it before she ends up in prison for a crime she didn't commit.
When I am holiday I also try and take a holiday from the Paranormal. A long weekend in London meant I needed something easy and interesting to read while sitting on the plane and this cozy mystery was the right choice.
Although this wasn't the best in the series so far it also wasn't too bad. I certainly missed Abby's room mate who hardly made an appearance and also her funny cousin who usually has me laughing more often than not. Certainly the plot was good but it definitely wasn't up to the standard of some of the previous books in the series. A little weak and far fetched than normal.
On saying that I am still interested in seeing what happens next to my favourite florist. This series is a cute read and isn't too difficult to keep up with. A relaxing read and a series I enjoy this isn't the last time I will be visiting the Flower Shop Murder Mysteries.
When I saw the cover for Tempest Rising I thought 'wow! Cool cover!'. When I finally got to read the book I knew from the first chapter that I was going to love it. I was right.
Now I am waiting patiently for book number two but thought it would be nice to get to know the author a little better. Nicole Peeler is new to the Urban Fantasy scene but is already hanging out with the big guys at The League of Reluctant Adults. Tempest Rising was her debut book but there are already two more books due in the Jane True series, Tracking the Tempest and Tempest’s Legacy.
I hope you all enjoy getting to know this amazing new author as much as I have! Nicole is giving away one lucky Amberkatze's Book Blog reader a copy of Tempest Rising so make sure you enter the contest after reading the interview!
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Amber - Welcome to Amberkatze's Book Blog! It is great to have you here as a guest! Could you start things off by telling us a little about your debut book 'Tempest Rising'?
Nicole - Hi Amber! Tempest Rising is about a girl coming to terms with her inner seal, and boinking a dude with fangs. But don't call him a vampire!
Amber - How did you come up with the idea for Tempest Rising? Was it a long process or did it just come to you?
Nicole - It just came to me. I had the kernel of Jane's character--the kind of woman I wanted to read about--and it just flowed forth from my brain like creative menstruation. And I apologize for that image. I can't help myself, sometimes.
Amber - Are you anything like the main character in Tempest Rising? Are any of your characters based on people in your life?
Nicole - I have Jane's humor, and a lot of her interests (books, food, sex), but she's way nicer and way more rooted than I am. I am a bit of a gypsy.
Amber - What kind of research do you have to do to write a book? Anything interesting or is research boring?
Nicole - I love research. I'm an academic, so it's what I do. And research is inspiring! I didn't know the Old Sow existed till I started researching Maine, and the book is so much stronger because of the Sow. And I would NEVER have made that up, on my own. A whirlpool named after a female pig? Really?
Amber - How many more books will there be in the series? Are you working on any other projects you would like to tell us about?
Nicole - I've got six books planned for Jane, and a trilogy I'd love to write after I've finished Jane's story.
Amber - Tracking the Tempest is due out in June. How many more books would you like to see the series run for. Is it hard to think up titles with the word Tempest in them?
Nicole - It is, actually. A few titles were really obvious to me, but I've really struggled with others. The third book, Tempest's Legacy, went through a number of permutations before I hit on "Legacy."
Amber - How do you pick the names you use in your books? Do they have any special meanings?
Nicole - I just try to find names that fit the characters personality or, it they're a supernatural creature, their mythic origins. I use a lot of online baby name sites and friends have also contributed quite a few names.
Amber - Have you always wanted to be an author? and why did you pick this genre?
Nicole - Yes and no. I always had vague ambitions, but never pursued it. I'm a professor by day, and that was what I was working towards when I wrote TR rather randomly. And I think the genre picked me, actually. The thing I love about UF is you can make it whatever you want. I wouldn't be happy writing straight romance, fantasy, or mystery, but with urban fantasy I could write all three at once.
Amber - What is the easiest and hardest part about being an author?
Nicole - That hard part is it's just a huge amount of work, much of which has nothing to do with writing. It's blogging, or organizing a signing, or whatever. The best part is hearing from fans that they loved the work and why it effected them. I get really choked up sometimes, knowing that my books have really inspired people or helped them through a difficult situation.
Amber - How do you relax? Do you have any hobbies?
Nicole - I get a weekly massage. With my two, very intense jobs I'm pretty much always working so I really need to that hour on the table to be forced to quiet my mind and take stock. It sounds indulgent, but with the life I lead it's pretty necessary. As for hobbies, I cook, work out a lot, read, and my major hobby is travel.
Amber - A lot of authors have 'soundtracks' for their books. Is there any music influenced your books?
Nicole - I blog about music a lot, and there's a soundtrack for TR you can find on my site. Music is a huge influence on me and my writing.
Amber - What books do you enjoy reading? Do you have any favourite authors/series?
Nicole - I love Philip Roth, Iris Murdoch, Robertson Davies, Jean Rhys, and Muriel Spark, among many, many others.
Amber - If you could be any paranormal creature, what would you be and why?
Nicole - Realistically I'd be something completely ridiculous, like a were-hedgehog. But I'd love to be something sleek and powerful and fast . . . in other words, the opposite of what I am in reality. :-)
Amber - Thank you for visiting Amberkatze's Book Blog! I hope you will come back for another visit in the future!
Nicole - Thanks for having me! It was an absolute pleasure and I'd love to come back soon!
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Contest Time
Nicole is giving away a copy of Tempest Rising!!!
How to Enter
Answer this question! Where are you going on holiday to this Summer? Or where would you like to go? ;)
No Holiday - No Entry!
Earn more entries for each place you link this contest on the net. You can post on Facebook, Twitter & MySpace but make sure you add links here for me to confirm your entries!
You can also earn extra entries by emailing your friends about the contest. Just make sure you send a copy of your email or receipt to me at Amberkatzes_book_blog at gmx dot net.
Make sure you post your links here so I can confirm your entries.
Keep the contests going by using the Amazon links below and around the site!
The contest will stay open until Sunday 2nd of May 2010 4pm CET and the winner will be picked by a randomizer. Entrants should check back to see if they have won. I do not hunt down winners and will pick new winners for any prizes not claimed within 7 days.
Jayné Heller grew up in a religious family that she escaped from when she went to college. The only member of her family that she knew she could trust was an uncle who no one else in the family wanted her to see. When that uncle is murdered Jayné flies off to Denver to settle his estate. What she finds out from the lawyer is only the first unbelievable thing she is going to hear that day.
Uncle Eric's estate is all hers and it is huge. Properties all around the world now belong to her and the amount of money left to her is scary. However that isn't all her uncle has left her. He has also left her a legacy of a different and strange kind. There are wizards, vampires and much much more out there and The Invisible College killed her uncle because of the work he did against them.
Jayné finds some unusual help and a simple plan starts to form. Take down the man that took down her uncle. She has alot to learn and not much time to learn about it. The enemy is stronger and she doesn't understand everything there is to know about the supernatural evil. But Jayné is determined and it seems her uncle has been preparing her for this all her life. Even if she didn't know it.
This book was on my wishlist for a while and then when I got myself a copy it landed on my to be read pile for even longer. So when I finally picked up this book the other day and started reading I felt that kick...the kicking myself kick...the one I do every time I start reading an amazing book and kick myself for not reading it sooner.
I am not sure what it was about her but I instantly liked Jayné. She seemed like a really nice girl and I warmed to her straight away. The other characters in the book were a take or leave for me but they all had their role to play and they played them well. However Jayné was the star and it was interesting to watch her grow into her new life.
The plot was fast paced, dark and furious at the beginning and then in the middle things seemed to slow down for a while before the grand finale. However the story had me so hooked that it was nice to have a little breather come along so I had time to take everything in. The concept and idea were not too hard to follow in this new take on the supernatural world but I think there is still alot left for us to learn.
So now I am eager to get a copy of the next book in The Black Sun's Daughter. Darker Angels is already out and when I manage to get my hands on a copy it won't be sitting around as long as Unclean Spirits was before I got around to reading it. This series has the makings of another great Urban Fantasy reading addiction and I am looking forward to seeing what happens next.
In the Ichidian Universe it is the League and its ruthless assassins who rule over all. Devyn Kell thought that being in service to the League was a good thing until he realised that they were happier to kill then save. Going against them he is now someone who makes sure planets get the weapons, medicine and supplies they need to get through another day. He doesn't take no for an answer and he gets what he wants.
Alix Garran hasn't had a good life so far and her future isn't looking so good either. Forced to sign on to work for Devyn as a System’s Engineer, she is surprised to find he isn't what she expected. He is someone she can respect, trust and most of all fall in love with. So Alix’s mission to save her family becomes harder and harder to achieve and suddenly Devyn finds himself with some old enemies on his tail. Will they both be able to fight together or will they both die alone.
This third and I believe last book in the League series was just as good as the previous two books. I quickly got used to the League world again and managed to pick up on who was who. This third book revolves around the son of the characters from book one and also has quite a few characters from book two. All in all this is basically a book that ties up all the loose ends but could also stand alone like the other two books.
Anyone who enjoys the Dark-Hunter series, also by Sherrilyn Kenyon, will also appreciate these three books. The concept is very similar in content but the setting is more futuristic and less complicated. I am not really a sci-fi fan when it comes to book reading but this trilogy was very exciting and it impressed me alot. Quite romance based it was fun to see how the author got this pair together. Sherrilyn Kenyon has a knack of basically writing the same plot of guy meets girl and lives happily ever after over and over again. However each time the story is magically unique and even more enjoyable than the last.
It is definitely worth picking up these books. Of course I would never have read them if it wasn't for the author behind them but now I wish there were a few more League books to entertain me. So with this League snack in between Dark-Hunter books now devoured I go back to patiently waiting for the next delight DH delight!
Moving to a small Connecticut town, starting a new high school and having no friends should be enough to for any teenager to deal with but Krystal Betley is hearing voices as well. The voice of a teenage boy and he wants her to help him. The only problem is, he is dead.
Ricky Watson was killed a year ago behind the school. As a ghost he is unable to investigate his own murder so he needs Krystal to help him find out the truth. Then Krystal finds some other 'special' kids at her school and together the three of them start to discover more about their abilities as well as Ricky's murder.
Manifest is the debut book from author Artist Arthur and the first book a new Young Adult series called Mystyx. The blurb really made me curious about this one and I couldn't resist taking a peak at it in more detail. I was a little cautious at first, after all there are enough series flying around that sound just like this one. However it became clear after the first few chapters that this new author has made this story just a little different.
The mix of magic, weather and the paranormal got me really hooked on this one. I found it hard to stop reading because I needed to know what was going to happen next. A mystery plot wrapped up with ghosts and new powers seems like something you will have read before but this story really does have details that set it apart from the other paranormal Young Adult books that have been flying about lately.
Unfortunately for you all this isn't due out until August. However I am sure you can all add it to your wish lists so you don't forget about it. Well written and full of surprises this deep, dark but delicious new series is one I am going to be following.
Author Maria V. Snyder is one of my favourite authors and I am extremely happy to have her here, for the third time, as a guest on Amberkatze's Book Blog!
Get to know Inside Out in the interview and if you are lucky you may even win a copy in the contest!
Just make sure you try at least one of Maria's Books because they are unforgettable and magical. I have got many a friend and family member addicted to them ;)
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Amber - Welcome back to Amberkatze's Book Blog! It is always great to have you here as a guest! You have a new book coming out called Inside Out. Can you start things off by telling my readers about it?
Maria - Thanks so much for having me back! Inside Out is about Trella. She lives in Inside, and she has a very jaded and hard view of her insular metal world. Along with thousands of other “scrubs” who live in the lower levels, she cleans the pipes and ducts that crisscross her world and keep them all alive.
In order to escape the noise and presence of so many scrubs, Trella prefers to be by herself in the ductwork. She has explored almost every region of Inside and has the ability to go to any level without being detected by the Pop Cops (Population Control Police). Because of her expertise, she is recruited by a prophet to seek a gateway to Outside. As she searches for the gateway, she’s pursued by Pop Cops, and upper level workers (those who control the government and mechanical systems), but she’s also aided by a few unlikely sources which make her realize she’s been a little too critical of her world.
Amber - How did you come up with the idea for Inside Out? Was it a long process or did it just come to you?
Maria - A dream! I dreamt the whole story, the world, the characters, the Pop Cops, and even the twists! When I woke up, I wrote it all down before I could forget it. I haven't ever done that before and haven't since - I wish I could remember what I ate for dinner that night ;)
Amber - You have yet again managed to create an interesting new world for us readers to visit. Is there a reason why you write about fictional worlds instead of something based in the real world?
Maria - Yes, I like to set the rules and create new things. If I set a book in the real world, I would be limited. I did write a couple short stories set in the real world, but they both had paranormal elements so that was fun. I live in the real world, but I would rather play in another world :)
Amber - There are alot of cool new ideas and concepts in Inside Out. The one that stood out for me was the days and years working in 10's. How does it work and how did you come up with it?
Maria - I remembered learning about base 10 in math - it was the easiest one to work with :) I also vividly remember my physics teacher lamenting over the fact the US hadn't adopted the metric system and she rattled off, "10 millimeters in a centimeter, 100 centimeters in a meter, 10 meters in a decimeter, 1000 meters in a kilometer. 12 inches in a foot, 5280 feet in a mile. Which one is easier to remember?" The metric system obviously. Later I thought why stick to using days and weeks and years based on Earth's rotation around the sun when there is no sun to mark the passing of time? So I decided to simplify and use base 10. The only problem with that was my readers would be confused when I said Trella was 1,514 weeks old (with one week = 100 hours) - if you use the 52 weeks/year with 168 hours in a week - she would be 29 years old -so I had to add an old measurement comment so my readers knew she was around 17 of our years old.
And I've always been confused as to why we have 7 days in a week and 12 months that are different lengths. Once around the sun is 365 days - so why can't we have a even number of days and months that match, with the last week being shorter or longer than the rest?
I also like to add that because Inside is more complicated than the real world, I posted maps of all four levels of Inside on my website. I was hoping my publisher would print them in the book, but they didn't. But they are excited about the book and have created a website just for it. On the website is a personality quiz to see what type of scrub job you're suited for, and a video book trailer for the book.
Amber - What kind of research did you have to do to write Inside Out? Anything interesting or is research boring?
Maria - I enjoy doing research. I try and do as much hands on as possible, but with Inside Out, I had to do it all by book or the Internet so that wasn't as much fun. But I'm a stickler for accuracy and hate when I make mistakes so I tried to make the world of Inside as realistic as possible. My research looked into hydroponics and waste water treatment systems and air filters so my people could survive Inside.
Amber - How many more books will there be in the series? Are you working on any other projects you would like to tell us about? Will there be more Study/Glass world books?
Maria - Right now there will be two. I'm working on Outside In right now. It's coming out next January. When I finished Outside In, I'll have a better idea if I could write another one. After writing three books, I'm usually tapped out for new ideas and am tired of the story and characters. But I would like to continue both the Study and Glass series in the future. I just need a spark for an idea to get me excited about the characters and world again. I'm really enjoying writing the Study short stories and can see a collection of them in the future :)
Amber - How do you pick the names you use in your books? Do they have any special meanings?
Amber - What is the easiest and hardest part about being an author?
Maria - Hardest part is getting my butt in the chair and writing that first draft! Easiest is signing books and talking to my readers :)
Amber - How do you relax? Do you have any hobbies?
Maria - Reading is relaxing and watching movies with my kids. I also play volleyball and have become addicted to Dance Dance Revolution on the Wii - it's a fun way to workout! My hobbies are photography and scrapbooking - unfortunately I have little time for scrapbooking and am so far behind it's ridiculous!
Amber - Alot of authors have 'soundtracks' for their books. Is there any music influenced Inside Out?
Maria - No. Before my dog passed away this summer, I never listened to music when I wrote - it was too distracting. But after she died, the house was so quiet (she snored!). Inside Out was already written before I started listening to music, and I began with classical otherwise I would listen to the song and not get any writing done.
Amber - What books have you read lately? Any must reads?
Maria - The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins, Wicket Lovely, by Melissa Marr, and Glass Houses, by Rachel Caine (The first book in a series and I love this series!).
Amber - If you could be any paranormal creature, what would you be and why?
Maria - A vampire. I'm already a night owl - I write from 10 pm to 4 am. I like the idea of being relatively immortal, super strong and fast.
Amber - Thank you for visiting Amberkatze's Book Blog again! I hope you will come back for another visit in the future!
Maria - You're welcome! I'd love to come back again. It's always a pleasure hanging out with you and your followers :)
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Contest Time
One lucky winner will get to win their choice of Maria V. Snyder book. So you can choose the new book Inside Out or complete your collection of the Study series.
How to Enter
Except reading...what other hobbies do you have?
No Hobbies - No Entry!
Earn more entries for each place you link this contest on the net. You can post on Facebook, Twitter & MySpace but make sure you add links here for me to confirm your entries!
You can also earn extra entries by emailing your friends about the contest. Just make sure you send a copy of your email or receipt to me at Amberkatzes_book_blog at gmx dot net.
Make sure you post your links here so I can confirm your entries.
Keep the contests going by using the Amazon links below and around the site!
The contest will stay open until Sunday 25th of April 2010 4pm CET and the winner will be picked by a randomizer. Entrants should check back to see if they have won. I do not hunt down winners and will pick new winners for any prizes not claimed within 7 days.
I just finished Sherri's debut novel, Jane Slayre, this morning and I have to say I quite enjoyed it!
So it is now time for my copy to go to another home! One of the lucky commentors will win my copy of Jane Slayre. It was interesting to see what classics you thought could do with a paranormal twist and I think I would enjoy all of them!
So who won?
Congratulations to -
Rosie!!!
If you didn't win this time then don't forget to enter the current contest with author Helen Scott Taylor. She is giving away a copy of her book, The Phoenix Charm!
Also sometime this week the monthly give away will go up for the vote! So make sure you check in and see what books are on offer this month.
How to claim your prize
Please contact me via email - Amberkatzes_book_blog at gmx dot eu within the next 7 days to claim your prize. Your claim will go quicker if you send me your address.
If you won a contest where you can choose your prize, then please make sure you state in your email which book you would like. This will help things go alot quicker!
If you email me and don't get a reply within 48 hours please post on the blog letting me know. Some email gets eaten by my spam filter. If a prize isn't claimed after 7 days I will, if the author agrees, pick another winner.
Please also note that I can not be held responsible for prizes that come direct from authors. I will check with them for you if you haven't received your prize but I can not hunt down your mail! Any prizes that come from myself could come from a 3rd party eg. Amazon or Bookdepository. If I am sending a prize myself please be aware that it could take a few weeks to reach you as it is coming from Europe
This literally classic with a blood-sucking twist is based on the well known book Jane Eyre. Mrs Reed and her children are vampires and Lowood school is run by a voodoo headmaster who is turning students in the walking dead. You can also expect to see a werewolf or two and Jane is of course as her name suggests, a slayer.
This is not the first classic that has been mashed up with a bit of the paranormal and I am sure it won't be the last. While I am not a fan of the classics and will admit openly that I haven't read Jane Eyre, I did find this book intriguing enough to give it a try. While I can not compare it to the original I can say that it wasn't a bad read. Sure I am not one for the historical genre but this tale did keep me reading till the very end.
Some may say that taking a classic and moving pieces around and changing bits and bobs is not writing. However I think it must be a very clever writer who can actually rewrite a story, give it a new meaning and still keep it in a good enough condition to read. This is where Jane Slayre is a success because I couldn't find a thing wrong with it.
If anything this book has now made me very curious about the original classic. I am not about to rush off and read it but I am definitely going to try and take the time to read it one day which is more than I would have done before reading Jane Slayre. If this had been around when I was in school I think I would have read both versions. Maybe this is a nice way to get the youngsters enjoying the classics?
All in all if you are a lover of the original and also a paranormal reader then you will enjoy this. How can you not? If you haven't read the classic and want to try something different then this is certainly worth taking the time to try. Now I am left waiting to see what move the author takes next. It will be interesting to see what the one living author of this book will write in the future.
Chloe Saunders is fifteen and would love to be a normal teenager. However she is far from normal thanks to her being a genetically engineered necromancer. She can raise the dead without even really trying and ghosts are drawn to her like bees to honey. So now she is running from the evil corporation who created her and her friends.
Her friends are as equally cursed as she is and Chloe, Tori, Derek and Simon have been on the run for what seems like weeks. They think they are safe right now but as things start to unfold the four teenagers realise that all isn't what it seems. They know that the only solution is to run again but there is nowhere to go and nobody who can help them. Is this the end of the line for the four?
The Reckoning is the last book in the Darkest Powers trilogy featuring Chloe Saunders and is as brilliant as the previous two books. Spooky, action packed and full of mystery this series is aimed for Young Adults but any lover of Kelley's Otherworld series will definitely want to check these three books out.
While things get a little dangerous in this book the story also gets tied up. Things end with no loose ends and while the ending is no huge surprise the path that leads to it is full of suspense. Just like any other Armstrong read The Reckoning keeps you holding your breathe in anticipation right till the end.
While these three books are set in the same 'Otherworld' as Kelley's famous Women of the Otherworld series there are only a few references made in the trilogy to the other characters in that series. However I think it would be nice to have Chloe and her friends pop up in one of the future 'Otherworld' books. Also I have to say that it is a shame that this was only a trilogy. Kelley could have kept this going for a few more books and I am slightly disappointed that it is over.
Any Kelley Armstrong fans would be silly not to read these three books. The style and attitude mirrors that of her famous Elena and the plot is just as wonderfully detailed and full of depth as her previous works. Also anyone looking for a nice Young Adult series for those teenagers you know can not go wrong with this trilogy. The sexual content is practically zilch and the violence isn't too hard.
A big thumbs up for this book and the previous two. I just wish it wasn't the end.
It is another interview packed weekend on Amberkatze's Book Blog. My first first guest this weekend is author Helen Scott Taylor . Her award winning debut book THE MAGIC KNOT was the first book in her Magic Knot Fairies series. Book #2 THE PHOENIX CHARM is already out and I had the pleasure of reading it.
If you would like to read a sample of Helen's work then you can read her free story called Jack's Garden. To try and win a copy of the PHOENIX CHARM then read till the end of the interview.
Enjoy getting to know Helen!
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Amber - Welcome to Amberkatze's Book Blog! It is great to have you here as a guest! Could you start things off by telling us a little about your Magic Knot Fairies series?
Helen - As I live in the UK, I naturally explored the local Celtic myths when I conceived my fantasy world for The Magic Knot fairies. The myths and legends about fairies are so rich and varied that they provide a wonderful starting point to create fantasy worlds. I have used all kinds of fairies in my stories, Cornish piskies, a vampiric nightstalker with wings, shape shifters, beautiful immortals, the list goes on. I love the idea of another secret world where these beautiful people with magical powers exist alongside our mundane world.
Amber - How did you come up with the idea for The Magic Knot Fairies series? Was it a long process or did it just come to you?
Helen - The first book in the series, The Magic Knot, started life in my head as a short contemporary story about identical twin Irish brothers who ran a pub in Cornwall. This is because when I started writing I attempted short contemporary romance before I tried paranormal. When Harlequin rejected my first story because my characters were too unconventional, my Irish brothers morphed into fairies and my Magic Knot world was born. When I wrote the first book, I intended it as a standalone, but my subconscious must have wanted to make it a series as I wrote in a number of secondary characters who begged for their own stories.
Amber - The second book in the series, THE PHOENIX CHARM, was not long ago released. What is THE PHOENIX CHARM all about? Do you need to read THE MAGIC KNOT first?
Helen – The Phoenix Charm is the sequel to The Magic Knot, set in my Celtic contemporary fantasy world. (The book works as a standalone story as well.) The hero of The Phoenix Charm, Michael, is left in charge of his small nephews. Michael is a storyteller with an eye for the ladies, a taste for Irish whisky, and heaps of fairy glamour. In short, he’s a bit of a rascal. When one of his nephews is trapped in the Underworld, he has to shape up fast. With the help of the Cornish pisky wise woman, Cordelia, and Nightshade, a vampiric winged fairy, he travels to the Underworld to rescue the child.
Amber -What inspired you to use Cornwall and Wales in The Phoenix Charm? Have you ever visited the UK?
Helen - I live in Devon, in the English West country, just over the border from Cornwall. As I know the area well it seemed to be the logical place to set my stories. I have had many wonderful vacations in Wales, and the idea that in Welsh Celtic mythology The Welsh Fairy King is also King of the Underworld caught my imagination.
Amber - Are you like any of your characters? Do you base any of the characters of your books on people you know?
Helen – My characters come straight from my imagination. The only character I’ve based on a real person is the heroine’s cat familiar in The Phoenix Charm. I based Tamsy on my own cat. I would love to be bonded to my cat and be able to feel her thoughts and see through her eyes.
Amber - What kind of research do you have to do to write a book? Anything interesting or is research boring?
Helen – Research, especially creating my fantasy world, is my favorite part of writing. I set my Magic Knot Fairies series in places near where I live so I could visit them. I’ve had the pleasure of visiting Dublin and the Wicklow Mountains in Ireland where part of The Magic Knot is set, and Wales where part of The Phoenix Charm is set. This summer I spent two weeks visiting castles and other historic sites in Scotland to do research for my third book, The Ruby Kiss, which will be out at the end of 2010.I love reading up about fairies and folk law. I have a shelf full of research books jammed with sticky tabs marking all my favorite parts. Amber - How many more books will there be in the series? Are you working on any other projects you would like to tell us about?
Helen - I plan five books and two novellas in this world. The first three books are contracted—two out and the third, The Ruby Kiss, scheduled for release on December 28 2010. I have a novella allied to the Magic Knot fairies in The Mammoth Book of Irish Romance out now and another novella due out in October 2010 in an anthology called A Midwinter Fantasy.
Amber - How do you pick the names you use in your books? Do they have any special meanings?
Helen –I love picking names. I spend a while getting them right and they have to suit the character. I usually use Internet sites that list names as reference.
Amber - Have you always wanted to be an author? and why did you pick this genre?
Helen - I have always loved reading, and when I was young, I enjoyed making up stories. For many years, I concentrated on my career, then building my business and my family. It was only when I turned forty and I started looking for something I felt was missing from my life that I rediscovered my love of storytelling. My favorite genres to read are romance and fantasy so writing paranormal or fantasy romance made sense.
Amber - What is the easiest and hardest part about being an author?
Helen –For me, the easiest part is the research. I’m researching the Victorians at the moment for a new series and loving it. The hardest part for me is promotion because I’d always rather be writing.
Amber - How do you relax? Do you have any hobbies?
Helen –I like to walk and watch movies sometimes. My leisure time is often spent reading.
Amber – A lot of authors have 'soundtracks' for their books. Is there any music influenced your books?
Helen – I made up a soundtrack with Irish Celtic songs before I started writing The Magic Knot. I tend to have tracks that evoke certain characters. I listen to Evanescence a lot as that always makes me think of my character Troy.
Amber - What books do you enjoy reading? Do you have any favourite authors/series?
Helen – I have eclectic tastes and read a variety of genres. My favorite reads are romance, fantasy, and mystery. I’ll read any type of romance or women’s fiction.
Amber - If you could be any paranormal creature, what would you be and why?
Helen – A cat shape shifter because I love cats. I would love to have a cat familiar like my heroine in The Phoenix Charm.
Amber - Thank you for visiting Amberkatze's Book Blog! I hope you will come back for another visit in the future!
Helen- Thank you so much for having me as a guest. It’s been a pleasure.
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Contest Time
Helen has kindly said that she will give away a signed copy of The Phoenix Charm to one lucky commenter.
How to Enter
If you were writing a book, what location would you use??
No Location - No Entry!
Earn more entries for each place you link this contest on the net. You can post on Facebook, Twitter & MySpace but make sure you add links here for me to confirm your entries!
You can also earn extra entries by emailing your friends about the contest. Just make sure you send a copy of your email or receipt to me at Amberkatzes_book_blog at gmx dot net.
Make sure you post your links here so I can confirm your entries.
Keep the contests going by using the Amazon links below and around the site!
The contest will stay open until Sunday 25th of April 2010 4pm CET and the winner will be picked by a randomizer. Entrants should check back to see if they have won. I do not hunt down winners and will pick new winners for any prizes not claimed within 7 days.
Just a quick mid-week reminder that this weeks contest closes on Sunday!
This week author Sherri Browning Erwin is around checking out what cool answers you guys are coming up with for the contest question!
Check out the interview and enter the contest for your chance to win a copy of Sherri's debut book 'Jane Slayre'. I am in the middle of the book myself and I am finding it quite interesting!
The April Monthly Giveaway will be coming soon so keep an eye out for that! Oh and this coming weekend my guests are Helen Scott Taylor and Maria V. Snyder! So make sure you stop by!
Some people will do anything to avoid it. Even trade their immortal souls for endless existence.
Wraiths
Secretly, inexorably, they are infiltrating our world, sucking the essence out of unsuspecting victims with their hideous parody of a kiss.
Segue
Adam Thorne founded the Institute to study and destroy his monster of a brother, but the key to its success is held in the pale, slender hand of a woman on the run. There is something hauntingly different about Talia O’Brien, her unknowing sensuality, her uncanny way of slipping into Shadow.
Twilight
This is the place between life and what comes after - a dark forest of fantasy, filled with beauty, peril, mystery. And Talia is about to open the door.
Review -
To start things off I have to say the cover of this book confused me a little. When I first saw this book my first thought was 'Oooo a new Young Adult paranormal'. However after the prologue and the first few chapters I realised this wasn't for the younger reader but was aimed at your normal everyday adult fantasy lover. This left me a little disappointed but as the story got more and more interesting I couldn't stop reading.
Now I am not a huge fan of faery but the concept of the 'shadow' and 'wraiths' that dominated this book really kept me reading. This is not your normal faery tale and even though this does get very dark it wasn't too over the top . The plot was a little confusing at times but I managed to keep up with things as the story unfolded.
As for the characters, well, I didn't feel like I got to know them as much as I would have liked to. Things were fast and furious and although the two main characters, Talia and Adam, were ever present their background stories seemed to be a blur between all the action. However on saying that I do get the impression that this could develop into a series. So as a reader I believe I will get the chance to get to know them better sometime in the future.
All in all this wasn't a bad debut. The author has obviously put alot of thought into coming up with something different and new. I can't think of any other author I can compare this to because it has a unique feel to it. All I can tell you is that if you like a little faery and aren't scared of the shadows then you may just want to give this a try.
Author Sherri Browning Erwin was unknown to me until another author emailed me to give me a heads up. I went to Sherri's site and and saw the cover of her upcoming book and instantly knew I wanted her to be a guest on Amberkatze's Book Blog.
Jane Slayre is a new take on the classic Jane Ayre and while I am not one for the classics I am currently reading this interesting twist of a book.
So get to know Jane Slayre and one of the authors Sherri Browning Erwin then make sure you enter the contest and maybe even win a copy for yourself!
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Amber - Welcome to Amberkatze's Book Blog! It is great to have you here as a guest! Could you start things off by telling us a little about your debut book 'Jayne Slayre'?
Sherri - Hi Amber. Thank you for having me. Jane Slayre is a retelling of Jane Eyre, with Jane as a courageous orphan who leaves the detestable vampyre family she is being raised with to go off and fulfill her destiny as a vampyre slayer.
Amber - How did this book come about? Are you a big Jane Eyre fan?
Sherri - I've always loved Jane Eyre. Imagine my surprise when my 16 year old daughter was not excited to be reading it this year for school! I thought "well, maybe if it had a few vampires..." My friend, author Kathleen Givens, encouraged me that it was a great idea, worth pursuing, and it went from there. Sadly, Kathleen passed away most unexpectedly in January and she won't get to read the final version.
Amber - What kind of research did you have to do to write this book? Anything interesting?
Sherri - I got to know Jane Eyre and Charlotte Bronte quite well. I immersed myself in reading and rereading Jane Eyre because I wanted anything I added to blend seamlessly as if Charlotte and I had written it together in one room. I also looked for anything I could find on vampire lore, on zombies, on voodoo, and on werewolves. Charlotte actually mentions vampyres in Jane Eyre, in a description of Bertha Mason, so I believe she would have enjoyed the added twists.
Amber - Are you working on any other projects you would like to tell us
about?
Sherri - I'm working on an alternative history set in Victorian England. And I'm considering a sequel for St. John Rivers from Jane Eyre. That might turn out to be for my eyes only. I really see a lot of possibilities for his character as he goes off to slay vampires in India.
Amber - Have you always wanted to be an author? and why did you pick this genre?
Sherri - I have almost always wanted to write books. A major case of sibling rivalry drove me to read early. My older sister won a yellow ribbon reading award in Kindergarten, and I was determined to get one of my own. One of the first books I read made me laugh, cry, and completely moved me (Margaret Wise Brown's Golden Egg Book). I wanted to write stories like that. By second grade, I was on my way, turning my spelling test words into short stories. I started sneaking and reading my mother's historical romances when I was twelve. All those pretty covers! Who could resist? But I didn't publish my first book, a historical romance (The Scoundrel's Vow, Dell Books 1999), until I turned 30.
Amber - What is the easiest and hardest part about being an author?
Sherri - The easiest is being allowed to indulge my imagination to my heart's content, all while staying at home and comfortable in my work uniform of sweatpants and tees. The hardest is making a plot take shape in a way that makes sense and will engage the reader-- actually getting the words on the page.
Amber - How do you relax? Do you have any hobbies?
Sherri - I like food and wine, travel. I enjoy watching the Travel Channel and the Food Network. I blog. It's writing, but in a much more relaxed way.
Amber - Alot of authors have 'soundtracks' for their books. Is there any music influenced your books?
Sherri - I've been influenced by the Phantom of the Opera lately because my daughter is a violinist performing a medley of Phantom songs with her school orchestra. She practices all the time, and the music fills the house and my head.
Amber - What books do you enjoy reading? Do you have any favourite authors/series?
Sherri - I love Charlotte Bronte, Jane Austen, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Dean Koontz (especially his Odd Thomas books), Julia London, and Kathleen Givens.
Amber - Jane Slayre promises vampyres, zombies, and werewolves but what I want to know is which side are you on? Team Edward or Team Jacob?
Sherri - That's a tough one. Edward seems a little like a stalker, but Jacob looks so young that he brings out my maternal side. If forced, I'll say Team Edward, but I'm probably more of a Carlisle fan. I like mature, calm, thoughtful men.
Amber - If you could be any paranormal creature, what would you be and why?
Sherri - Can I say a witch or is that too tame? One of my critique partners used to call me The Devil's Handmaiden. That always sounded like fun to me. I'm not sure what it entails, but I like to imagine it would grant me a fair amount of power.
Amber - Thank you for visiting Amberkatze's Book Blog! Good luck with the new book!
Sherri - Thank you! It has been fun.
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Contest Time!
This week you could win a copy of Jane Slayre! As soon as I am finished reading my copy it will go out to the winner! All you have to do is answer a question...
What classic would you like to see turn paranormal? Feel free to share your ideas and titles ;)
No Classic - No Entry!
Earn more entries for each place you link this contest on the net. You can post on Facebook, Twitter & MySpace but make sure you add links here for me to confirm your entries!
You can also earn extra entries by emailing your friends about the contest. Just make sure you send a copy of your email or receipt to me at Amberkatzes_book_blog at gmx dot net.
Make sure you post your links here so I can confirm your entries.
Keep the contests going by using the Amazon links below and around the site!
The contest will stay open until Sunday 18th of April 2010 4pm CET and the winner will be picked by a randomizer. Entrants should check back to see if they have won. I do not hunt down winners and will pick new winners for any prizes not claimed within 7 days.
I have a few winners to announce this lazy April Sunday! So I hope you can all keep up ;)
First up is the winner of the Jeri Smith-Ready contest. Jeri needed a little help in finding a good topic for her upcoming guest blog here on Amberkatze's Book Blog. There were a couple of very good suggestions but Jeri managed to pick just one. The winner will get an autographed cover flat for BRING ON THE NIGHT and the joy of reading Jeri's guest blog on the 2nd of May.
This is what Jeri said -
I've decided to do one of Carrie's suggestions, on how I pick the music for my books. Should be fun!
So congrats to -
Carrie!!!
Keep reading to find out how to claim your prize! If you didn't win then make sure you stop by on the 2nd of May to read Jeri's guest post and maybe even win a copy of her amazing young adult debut 'Shade'.
Last week one of my author guests was Leanna Renee Hieber. Leanna was giving away a copy of "The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker" and a copy of her Prism Award winning novella, "Dark Nest". All you had to do to enter was tell us what you found 'Strangely Beautiful'.
There were some amazing and unusual answers but there can only be one winner! Congratulations to -
Dor!!!
Instructions on how to claim your prize are at the end of this post. If you didn't win this time then make sure you keep checking in for more author contests!
I asked you all to tell me what you are listening to! What is rocking your iPod? Now I know not everyone has an iPod but I think you understand what I meant :) It was interesting to see what a wide range of music you all listen to! There are even a few I am going to have to look up...
However there is only one winner and they get to pick out one of DD Barants two books. So congrats to -
vvb32 reads!!!
Contact me using the info below to claim your prize!
Now only two of the three copies were claimed so one is still up for grabs! So with Diana's permission I am drawing a new winner. Congrats to -
Angel28140!!!
How to claim your prize details are below.
Thanks to everyone who entered the contests and gave such great answers. Also a huge thank you to all the authors who offered up prizes and were guests on the blog.
Keep coming back each week for more author interviews, guest blogs and contests!
How to claim your prize!
Please contact me via email - Amberkatzes_book_blog at gmx dot eu within the next 7 days to claim your prize. Your claim will go quicker if you send me your address.
If you won a contest where you can choose your prize, then please make sure you state in your email which book you would like. This will help things go alot quicker!
If you email me and don't get a reply within 48 hours please post on the blog letting me know. Some email gets eaten by my spam filter. If a prize isn't claimed after 7 days I will, if the author agrees, pick another winner.
Please also note that I can not be held responsible for prizes that come direct from authors. I will check with them for you if you haven't received your prize but I can not hunt down your mail! Any prizes that come from myself could come from a 3rd party eg. Amazon or Bookdepository. If I am sending a prize myself please be aware that it could take a few weeks to reach you as it is coming from Europe
Family problems is something Sabine Kane knows alot about. Her grandmother, the leader of the vampire race, is trying to kill her and alot of people conveniently forgot to tell her she has a twin sister. So getting away from the vampire side of her family, Sabine goes to New York to meet her mage relatives and get to know the sister she had no idea existed until a week ago. However this is no normal family reunion and it is clear to Sabine that she needs the mages just as much as they need her.
With the threat of war hanging over her head Sabine just wants to drink some blood and rest up. If only she knew the rules and didn't manage to get herself into more trouble than she was in already. Mage politics and dealings in the Black Light District fill Sabine's days but there is someone stirring up things to make Sabine look worse than she already does and it might get her killed.
I have been waiting for over a year to read part two in the Sabine Kane series and it was worth it. Red-Headed Stepchild was my favourite read last year and I knew this series was going to be special. What I didn't realise was that this next installment, The Mage in Black, would be better than the first part.
The story this time around just carried on where it took off. Adam is still gorgeous and the demon Giguhl is still the best side-kick ever. There is so much about the concept of this series that I love. The Lilith and apple aspect is something that makes this series unique where as the mixture of the paranormal races give the book edge and depth.
The addition of some new characters made this even more special. I was a little concerned about meeting Sabine's sister. Would it throw everything off balance? Is there room for both of them in one book? However everything worked out perfectly and the blast from the past for Sabine and the love for Giguhl just reinforced the strength of the story from start to finish.
There is nothing to hate about Sabine and I would love to have her life. Yeah this heroine may have some problems, stress and violence in her life but she really does speak to me in a way that most other characters don't. Sabine Kane kicks butt and doesn't whine around. She is strong, clever and fun. I am very much in love with her.
I will admit that I thought Red-Headed Stepchild must be a one off wonder that couldn't be beat. Today I was happily proved wrong. Jaye Wells is on my must buy list, must read list and my permanent collection list. To have this honour after only two books just shows how super amazingly good these books are. The only down side of this series is the wait for book three. March is way too far away and I don't want to be away from Sabine that long.
If you want to experience the best of the urban paranormal fantasy genre then you may go to Kelley Armstrong, Kim Harrison or J. R. Ward. However Jaye Wells is giving them all a run for their money and this is just book number two. If I gave ratings this would get A+, 10 out of 10 and a bunch of gold stars. Buy this book. No. Do what I did and buy two. You will need the second copy to lend to friends because you won't want to let yours go anywhere.
Mercy Thompson is an extremely busy mechanic. Unfortunately it isn't just her car repairing business that keeps her occupied. She also deals with vampires, Fae and werewolves but seeing as she can shape shift into a coyote she is kind of used to being around the paranormal.
She is now also the mate to the Alpha of the local werewolf pack and is happily dating him. Then something goes wrong and Mercy finds herself pushing Adam away and keeping another wolf close to her. In the meantime a friend has gone missing and Mercy has an item of his that alot of Fae seem to be interested in getting their hands on. The Fae can be very dangerous and before Mercy realises what has happened she finds herself too deep to get herself back out alone.
Is this really only book five in the series? I feel like Mercy has been around forever! However I also feel like it has been a long time since I met up with her last. Silver Borne is the newest installment in the Mercy Thompson series and yet again Patricia Briggs has written an amazing story and kept me captivated for the whole read.
It didn't take long to reacquaint myself with my favourite coyote. So it was no surprise when once again Mercy found herself in deep trouble. Mercy seems to have changed a little now that she is part of the local werewolf pack and dating Adam but she is still the strong, stubborn and kick-ass coyote I have come to know and love. The story flows, the suspense grows and I found myself not being able to put the book down for long. Now I wait patiently for the next book which I am sure will take forever to come out.
If you haven't tried this series then you are missing out on one of the best urban paranormal series out there. Different and surprising this series is a must buy for me and one that I highly recommend to anyone looking for something new. Just start at the beginning to get the full effect.
Last week there were two author interviews and this week there are also two! Oh and next week as well....
However this weekend Amberkatze's Book Blog is happy to have author Lana Dusk here answering some questions about her book DUSK.
I hope you enjoy the interview and more importantly make sure to check out the book!
Come back tomorrow to meet author Sherri Edwin!
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Amber - Welcome to Amberkatze's Book Blog! Thank you for being a guest and for taking the time to answer some questions! Maybe you can start things off by telling us a little about your book DUSK?
Lana - Thanks for inviting me here, Amber. Ah yes, DUSK - a vampire romance novel featuring an ancient voodoo priestress, the Venus de Milos, a creepy old vamp in addition to the main hunk vamp, and a gargoyle. I tossed in a mystery and stoked the heat to an R rating here and there. Mainly, I just had a good time writing what I hope is a fun story.
I suppose that I should add the links in case someone wants to read DUSK:
Amber - How did you come up with the idea for DUSK? Was it a long process or did it just come to you?
Lana - I was lucky with DUSK. When asked to write a vampire novel, I decided to mix it up with the other characters I just mentioned as well as the mystery sub-plot. I wrote the novel with a cliffhanger ending so I could pick up the story later with a sequel.
Amber - Are you anything like any of your characters in DUSK? Or are any of your characters based on people in your life?
Lana - I wouldn't want to be like the creepy old vamp or spectre, that's for sure. Maybe I'd go for the Venus under certain conditions -- not the conditions I put her in, though! In all of my novels and stories, the characters are fictional creations. I suspect there's a bit of Lana in each character, but I'd be hard pressed to identify the bits.
Amber - What kind of research did you have to do to write DUSK? Anything interesting or is research boring?
Lana - I always enjoy research, and it's a huge reason why I became a writer. I love to learn new things and let my mind wander. I've been to New Orleans and Greece, so I could draw on those experiences while writing DUSK. I've written about voodoo in other books, so I could draw on that info. The rest? I made it up!
Amber - Why did you become an author? Is it something you always wanted to do?
Lana - I fell into it by accident, or possibly, fate. From the time I was 6 years old, teachers told me that my destiny was to become a writer. Hahahaha. I wanted to be a scientist. Hahahaha. I wrote my first book at 16 and wrote stories while sitting through college classes. Basically, I don't think that I had a choice in the matter.
Amber - Why Vampires? Why the Paranormal? Did you even think about writing any other genre?
Lana - My earliest stories were supernatural and weird -- about 3 dozen published stories focus on the paranormal. I've always been attracted to the merging of science (hey, I wanted to be a scientist) and the strange. Most of my books are speculative: What's possible and why? What don't we know about reality? I read The Turn of the Screw when I was 6 or 7 years old, and maybe that had something to do with my lifelong attraction to Odd Things.
Amber - How do you pick character names? Do they have any special meaning for you?
Lana - The names pop into mind along with the characters. For me, characters write the tales, and as author, I carve and edit their stories.
Amber - What is next? Are you working on any other projects you would like to tell us about?
Lana - As Lana Griffin, I've signed to write another vampire novel -- quite different from DUSK -- for Ravenous Romance (2010 release). I've also signed for another paranormal novel for 2010 Ravenous release. As my "real name" (Lana is my romance novel pseudonym), I'm under contract for a dark vampire novel, a dark supernatural novel, and a short story collection.
Amber - What is the easiest and hardest part about being an author?
Lana - The easiest part of being an author is the wardrobe: I get to work in my pajamas! The hardest part is the blend of long hours and low pay. I'll also add that as authors, we want to please our readers, we want to give readers something fun and different; so within the tight constraints of our deadlines, we hope that we're able to pull that off. Writing is actually a lot of hard work. I honestly want to entertain my readers, simple as that.
Amber - How do you relax? Do you have any hobbies?
Lana - Bubble baths, swimming, beaches, reading, walks.
Amber - Alot of authors have 'soundtracks' for their books. Is there any music that has influenced your writing so far?
Lana - I can't write while listening to music. That said, I have listened to music before writing certain scenes. For example, before writing a sword and sorcery story, I might listen to the Conan the Barbarian soundtrack. I was glued to James Bond theme songs for a few months. But I don't think that I can pin a soundtrack to any of my books.
Amber - What books do you enjoy reading? Do you have any favourite authors/series?
Lana - I like thrillers, suspense, paranormal romance, dark DARK vampires, ghosts, ghouls, dark fantasy, anything highly creative and unusual. Solid craft, good plots.
Amber - If you could be any paranormal creature, what would you be and why?
Lana - Probably a spectre. Not an evil ghost who haunts people until they go insane, nothing like that! But I think it might be cool to flit around in a ghostlike way, viewing our world from a different angle.
Amber - Thank you for visiting Amberkatze's Book Blog! Good luck with DUSK!
Lana - Thank you for having me, Amber! I'm always around to chat with readers, so please visit me at http://lanagriffin.blogspot.com.
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LANA GRIFFIN is the alter ego of a New York Times Best-Selling author. Her work has been published in approximately twenty languages. Publishers Weekly listed one of her books as a 2009 Best Seller. She's particularly fond of anything involving vampires, werewolves, shapeshifters, wraiths, and other paranormal entities.
Vampire musician Michael Glass has attracted the attention of a producer. He now has the chance to play some gigs and make a demo. All this means going out into the human world. It means leaving Morganville.
