Thursday, September 15, 2011

Interview with Heather Frost


I recently had the opportunity to interview Heather Frost. Heather is a new author and her first book Seers is coming out October 8th. It was a great read. The characters are some of the most developed of any YA I have read recently. This book does not read like a young inexperienced authors first book. Grab it up for a wonderful weekend read.


Me:  Tell us a little about yourself.
Heather:   I'm the oldest daughter in a family of twelve, and I absolutely love being a big sister. I'm a full-time student, studying English, and I work as a writing tutor. Seers is my first published novel, and becoming an author is a dream come true. If I could have a super power, it would be command over time. (I'm kind of a control freak, what can I say?) I love daisies and rainy days.

Me:  Do you think being home schooled helped your creativity?
Heather:  Absolutely. The curriculum my parents used encouraged lots of reading, so I was exposed to a lot of good literature. I also wrote a few short essays each week, on any topic I wanted, so I ended up flipping through the encyclopedias a lot as a kid. I learned a bunch, and much of that I've been able to use in my writing. My parents also encouraged us to devote an hour of our school day to some learning activity. For my brothers that involved spending time building computers, or working with the family mechanic. For me, it meant writing. Also, with home school I wasn't bogged down with all the extra homework my friends seemed to have. So if nothing else, home school gave me more time to write than I would have otherwise had.

Me:  I was surprised to see that you had grown up in one of the most conservative areas of our country. How has that helped, or hurt, your decision to write fantasy?
Heather:  The conservative atmosphere I grew up in directly led to my being home-schooled, which helped me with my writing, but I don't think it's had any real bearing on my decision to write fantasy. I write what I love, and so I'd be willing to bet that I would have turned to writing fantasy wherever I happened to be raised.

Me:  Having a large family can be hard. Was writing an escape, or was it more that you used your writing to entertain your siblings?
Heather:   A little of both, actually. I told silly stories to my siblings all the time, and even wrote some of them down. (That's what a big sister does, right?) But in the end, writing is an escape for me, and it always has been. When you write you can go anywhere, experience anything; live in any time, meet all sorts of people you would otherwise never meet. As Emily Dickinson wrote, “There is no frigate like a book.” I loved adventure and fantasy books as a child, but I soon found that when you write books, you feel even more a part of the story. How was I supposed to resist such an exhilarating call?

Me:  The characters, especially Kate, are so very real. Did you base them on people you know?
Heather:  Getting my characters to feel real is something I've worked hard at. Observing real people, seeing how they act and talk, has really helped me as a writer. So my characters have some traits that belong to real people, but for the most part my characters are unique. I've found that my minor characters have more of a habit of becoming people I know. For instance, the band teacher in Seers (who you never actually meet) is Mr. Walton. My awesome band teacher in high school was Mr. Walton. I use names of people I know all the time.

Me:  Lee is one of the greatest best friends I have seen in YA in a long time. I absolutely love that she was willing to hurt Kate to help her.  Do you have any plans for Lee in the next book?
Heather:   Lee is a definite favorite of mine. Who wouldn't want someone so outrageous and awesome as their best friend? I'm happy to report that I have some great plans involving her for the sequel. She'll be just as quirky and wonderful as ever, but she'll become an even more important character as the story progresses.

Me:  Do you have any other projects in the works or will you be concentrating on this series for now?
Heather:  I have a few other stories I'm working with, but The Seers Trilogy is my main focus for now. 

For more information on Heather Frost And Seers visit http://seersthebook.com/

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Review: One Salt Sea by Seanan McGuire

When I picked up Home Improvement: Undead Edition I didn't realize I was going to meet a new favorite author. After reading Seanan McGuire's Toby Daye short story, I just had to know more about this series. I was hooked. This lady knows how to write a great Fairy story for grown ups. If you have not read her previous novels, pick them up first. They are integral to understanding this one. Now, on to the book. One Salt Sea follows October Daye as she attempts to repay her debt to the Sea Witch. Her relationship with Conner adds spice, even as she becomes even more intrigued by the King of Cats. Funny, serious, and terribly sad by turns, I was up reading this all night. I had to know what was coming next. I am already impatient for the next book due out next year. Why oh why can't Seanan write these as fast as I can read them?

From Amazon.com: 
October "Toby" Daye is settling into her new role as Countess of Goldengreen. She's actually dating again, and she's taken on Quentin as her squire. So, of course, it's time for things to take a turn for the worse.
Someone has kidnapped the sons of the regent of the Undersea Duchy of Saltmist. To prevent a war between land and sea, Toby must find the missing boys and prove the Queen of the Mists was not behind their abduction. Toby's search will take her from the streets of San Francisco to the lands beneath the waves, and her deadline is firm: she must find the boys in three days' time, or all of the Mists will pay the price. But someone is determined to stop her-and whoever it is isn't playing by Oberon's Laws...



One Salt Sea: An October Daye Novel


Five Stars!



Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Review: Envy by J.R.Ward

What a week for books! Envy is the third in the Fallen Angels series. As you might expect, Ms Ward has given us yet another great read. This book tends to focus more on the lovers than the Angels. Lots of hot scenes in this one! Even more questions as to the true identity of Dog! I can't wait till we find out who or what he really is. This is a nice light read. Not too taxing, just enough fun and excitement to keep you turning the pages without leaving any lingering emotions. I give this one 4 starts.

From Amazon.com:
As the son of a serial killer, homicide detective Thomas "Veck" DelVecchio, Jr., grew up in the shadow of evil. Now, on the knife-edge between civic duty and blind retribution, he atones for the sins of his father- while fighting his inner demons. Assigned to monitor Veck is Internal Affairs officer Sophia Reilly, whose interest in him is both professional and arousingly personal. And Veck and Sophia have another link: Jim Heron, a mysterious stranger with too many answers... to questions that are deadly. When Veck and Sophia are drawn into the ultimate battle between good and evil, their fallen angel savior is the only thing that stands between them and eternal damnation.
Envy: A Novel of the Fallen Angels

Monday, August 29, 2011

Wow what a beginning!

School started two weeks ago for us. So many things have changed, and it is really taking some getting used to. The kids and I are starting to get the hang of things now, so I can get back to reviewing soon. I have some exciting books coming up! September is packed with some great new books from Heather Frost, Seanan McGuire and J.R. Ward, just to name a few. Enjoy the last rays of summer sun, it will soon be time to curl up with a good book and a blanket!

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Review: The Shadowing: Hunted by Adam Slater

Adam Slater has managed to take folk lore into a very scary direction. His demons are not pretty boys in need of rescuing. There is no teen angst, no love story, no "mush" to get in the way of the real story. I loved it! It is very well written, although many of our American readers may be distracted by the use of British slang. For me it added flavor, just that little bit of spice, and I am glad they chose to leave it instead of Americanizing it. This book series, unlike many other YA novels that have come out recently, is perfect for any gender. That in itself makes this worthy of a read.

From Amazon:
Once every century, the barrier between the human world and the demon realm begins to break down. Creatures gather, anxiously waiting to cross the divide, to bring death and destruction from their world to ours. This time is called The Shadowing.

Callum Scott has always known that there is a supernatural world out there—he’s seen ghosts for as long as he can remember. Lately, he’s had visions of children being brutally murdered by a terrifying creature. Then the visions start coming true, and Callum realizes that he’s being hunted, too.

Driven by a dark destiny, he must stand against the demons that threaten our world.

And The Shadowing is almost here. . . .
The Shadowing: Hunted

Five stars!

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

WTB cooler weather!

In my head I realize it is August. In my head I know this is Georgia and we have at least two more months of summer. I don't care! I want cool breezes and chilly evenings. I want to snuggle under a blanket on my porch. I want red and gold leaves to gently fall outside my window. We go back to school next Monday. It just feels like it is time to get out from under 90f+ days. A lovely rainy day that doesn't get above 70f would make me so happy! A hoodie and slippers kind of day. As you may have noticed, I changed my background to display the kind of day I want to see. After all, it is My Escape!

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Review: Retribution by Sherrilyn Kenyon

When a series has as many books as the Dark Hunter has, they can get stale and repetitive. Luckily for us Sherrilyn Kenyon keeps her books fresh. This book incorporates the legends and stories of the American Indians, bringing in new gods and allowing Jess his story. I really enjoyed falling back into this world. The new characters brought a breath of fresh air. Kudos to Kenyon for giving us one more reason to fall in love with myths and legends.

From sherrilynkenyon.com:

Harm no human…
A hired gunslinger, William Jessup Brady lived his life with one foot in the grave. He believed that every life had a price. Until the day when he finally found a reason to live. In one single act of brutal betrayal, he lost everything, including his life. Brought back by a Greek goddess to be one of her Dark-Hunters, he gave his immortal soul for vengeance and swore he’d spend eternity protecting the humans he’d once considered prey.
Orphaned as a toddler, Abigail Yager was taken in by a family of vampires and raised on one belief- Dark-Hunters are the evil who prey on both their people and mankind, and they must all be destroyed. While protecting her adoptive race, she has spent her life eliminating the Dark-Hunters...
Four stars!Retribution (Dark-Hunter Novels)