I am back from visiting my family in Wales and apologise for the lack of posts over the last week. There will be a special Monthly Giveaway starting sometime over the next week and I will be picking my favourite reads from 2010. Also there will be some book reviews as I hope to catch up with my reading seeing as I don't have to go back to work for another week.
A reminder to anyone who hasn't been around! Author Nancy Holzner is my author guest this week and she is giving away a copy of her new release, Hellforged. I started reading the book today in the plane and so far I am loving it! I hope to curl up in bed most of tomorrow and read the rest in one gulp. So make sure you head over aand read the Guest Blog and enter the contest!
Anyway, without any further delay! Here are the winners of the Lori Pescatore Contest! Congrats to -
Tlynnetolles!!!
You get a Kindle version of Human Blend from me!
Lingeorge!!!
You get a print copy of Human Blend from Lori!
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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.
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Escaping from them had been difficult enough, now Laney needs to keep hidden. All she wanted was to be on her own. Laney is not like other girls... she has very special abilities that set her apart from others. How or why she came about these abilities is a mystery she has yet to unfold. Haunted by memories and flashbacks of the suffering she endured at the hands of her captors, she changes her appearance and hides out in a small town. Ignoring her own warnings, she begins a relationship with a local boy. The relationship turns dangerous when the boy begins developing similar abilities.
This development does not fall under the radar of the men who are trying to recapture her. A young doctor's interest is piqued when he witnesses her mysteriously curing a young child's illness. He befriends her due to his growing fascination with uncovering the true nature of her abilities, but not without harboring secrets of his own. Laney's new life falls apart when she meets a young intern that seems to have all the answers to her questions. The information sends her into a tail spin. Thoughts of going on the run once again are thwarted as those whom she was running from find her.
My Review -
This was a thrilling debut novel and there was lots of excitement and suspense. This wasn't your usual supernatural story and the plot had quite a lot of depth to it. As the story unfolded I found myself being surprised with every twist and turn. Nothing seemed to be as I thought it would be and by the time the end came along and everything was out in the open, well then I finally felt like I could stop holding my breath!
There were some really interesting characters in this book but mostly it was their abilities that made them worth reading about. I liked Julie right from the start and couldn't wait to find out more about her and her powers. I grew to like Austin and the Doctor but mostly it was the relationship they built up with Julie that had me reading faster and faster.
As with any debut there were of curse a few minor flaws. But to point out any in Human Blend would just be nit-picking. This was a self-published book and one I hope many will take the time to read because it really is worth checking out. I also hope that this will not be the last we here from Julie. There are still some unanswered questions and I really would like to see what happens next.
This week I have another new author as my guest. Lori Pescatore is a preschool teacher by day and a wife & mom by night and now she can also add published author to the list. Her self-published novel Human Blend is still waiting on my Kindle to be read but the reviews I have seen around the internet are very positive and I am hoping that I will find time to read it over Christmas.
Read the interview and find out more about the author and her debut book! Enter the contest for your chance to win a copy of Human Blend! There are two copies up for grabs!
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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, Human Blend?
Lori - First, thanks for having me! Human Blend is about a young girl who has very unique abilities. Abilities that she is unaware of how they came to be. She was taken a child by people who wanted to exploit her gifts. Escaping from them as a teenager, she changed her identity and hid out in a small town. She falls in love with a local boy and is befriended by a doctor at the hospital where she volunteers. The doctor is fascinated with her healing abilities and wants to help her but not without harboring secrets of his own. Things turn dangerous when the men she has ran from find her.
Amber - How did you come up with the idea for the Human Blend? Was it a long process or did it just come to you?
Lori - I've been writing a long time, although Human Blend is my first published work. I usually start at the beginning and then the story takes on a life of its own. Once the characters are fleshed out my mind sometimes jumps ahead to certain scenes that I know need to take place to make the story flow smoothly.
Amber - Did you always wanted to be an author? How did it finally become reality?
Lori - I'm not sure I realized that my love of writing could ever be something to aim for. I've always loved it but now with the industry in turmoil, it is actually easier to become a published author
Amber - What are the good times and bad times of being an author?
Lori - Good times are easy, holding your book in your hand in print has got to be the best experience of it all. Bad times I guess was not being able to make headway in securing an agent, no one is buying new unproven authors at this time. But it is a learning experience and I am taking the good with the bad, so in a way, its all good.
Amber - What is next? Are you working on any other projects you would like to tell us about?
Lori - I'm working on the 2nd in the Human Blend series. My goal was to have a Valentines day release, but because of time constraints that may get moved back.
Amber - What is like being a new author on the writing scene? Wild parties with other authors or sitting at home writing more books as fast as possible?
Lori - The wild party will be at my first Book Signing on December 14th of 2010. I have at least 50 people confirmed coming not including walk-ins so I am very excited about that. I will celebrate with my husband afterwords for sure.
Amber - What are you listening and watching lately? Is there any music or other media that influences your writing?
Lori - Watching, well I've been a follower of the TV series Supernatural and have added Vampire Diaries and Dexter to my list of faves. Music is a huge part of my life. I listen to everything from country to pop and rock and everything in between.
Amber - What books do you enjoy reading? Do you have any favourite authors/series?
Lori - I was a big fan of the Twilight series and I enjoyed Maria Snyder's Poison Study series. I even got to meet her at a local signing. I mostly read what I write. Young adult, romance, fantasy novels
Amber - How do you relax? Do you have any hobbies?
Lori - reading on my newly gifted Kindle is a big hobby of mine. I love how inexpensive the books are.
Amber - If you could be any paranormal creature, what would you be and why?
Lori - A mind control creature. LOL More like controlling my mind and objects, not other peoples. I would only use my abilities for good... unless I was written another way. :)
Amber - Thanks for visiting Amberkatze's Book Blog!
If you would like to read Human Blend then please use the Amazon link above! The Kindle version is practically free :)
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Contest Time
Lori has kindly said she will send a print copy of Human Blend to one lucky winner this week!
Also I am giving away a copy of Human Blend to one lucky reader! However it will be the Kindle version. So if you don't have a Kindle you will have to read the book on your computer or some other device that can use Kindle.
How to Enter
Christmas is just around the corner. Where are you spending the holidays?
No Answer = No Entry
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The contest will stay open until Sunday 26th of December 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 am back from visiting my family in Wales and apologise for the lack of posts over the last week. There will be a special Monthly Giveaway starting sometime over the next week and I will be picking my favourite reads from 2010. Also there will be some book reviews as I hope to catch up with my reading seeing as I don't have to go back to work for another week. 
Lingeorge!!! 
