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/

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...

Five Stars!

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.

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!

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. . . .

Five stars!

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!

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!

Review: Ghost Story by Jim Butcher

There is one line in this, the newest Dresden Files, that made me do a happy dance. "Crombie," I said, "eat your heart out." If you are a fan of Piers Anthony, you will know what I mean. If you have never read his Zanth novels, get your tail over to Amazon and get started! It is always awesome when you read a favorite author pay homage to another favorite in their works. That being said, on to the review. I had never heard of Jim Butcher until early this year. I picked up the first one and was hooked. Ghost Story picks up where Changes leaves off, with Harry dead and about to be run over by a train. (I know, crazy huh?) How can there possibly be anything left to the series? By being sent back as a ghost to find your killer. I was really unsure how I would like this book. The first chapter or two were okay, but I mostly kept reading to see if the story would get any better. I never even realized when I became enthralled. It slipped up on me on little cat paws. I don't want to give anything away, I will just say that I am eager for the next book already!

From jimbutcher.com:

When we last left the mighty wizard detective Harry Dresden, he wasn’t doing well. In fact, he had been murdered by an unknown assassin.
But being dead doesn’t stop him when his friends are in danger. Except now he has no body, and no magic to help him. And there are also several dark spirits roaming the Chicago shadows who owe Harry some payback of their own.
To save his friends — and his own soul — Harry will have to pull off the ultimate trick without any magic…

Four stars!

Review: The Evil Inside a Krewe of Hunters book by Heather Graham

I love Heather Graham. Not only can she crank out the books, but she does it so well! I enjoy everything I have read by her and The Evil Inside is no exception. Well written, fabulous romance with that twist of the paranormal we have come to enjoy so much. The only thing I really missed from this book was a more present ghost. It may be, of course, because the main character does not have the ability as much as others from the older books, but I miss it none the less. With a publication date of September 30th, it comes just in time to snuggle with on a cool fall evening.

From the eheathergraham.com website:

For as long as it has stood overlooking New England’s jagged coastline, Lexington House has been the witness to madness…and murder. But in recent years the inexplicable malice that once tormented so many has lain as silent as its victims. Until now…

A member of the nation’s foremost paranormal forensic team, Jenna Duffy has made a career out of investigating the inexplicable. Yet nothing could prepare her for the string of slayings once again plaguing Lexington House—or for the chief suspect, a boy barely old enough to drive, much less kill.

With the young man’s life on the line, Jenna must team up with attorney Samuel Hill to pinpoint who—or what—is taking the lives of those who get too close to the past. But everything they learn brings them closer to the forces of evil stalking this tortured ground.

 

Review: The Maker's Song Series (so far) by Adrian Phoenix

Holy moly are these books good. First off, I would like to say gobuythesenow!!! Second, give yourself some nice quiet alone time to devote to these books. Adrian has taken paranormal and urban fantasy to a whole new level of cool. Goth vampires, fallen angels, government conspiracy theories, mental illness, a hot younger man and the sexy older woman he falls for. This has a little bit of something for everyone...including some really sexy sex! Go buy the books, read them, and then get mad as hell when you reach the end of the fourth book, just like I did. (Yes, horribly suspenseful cliffhanger. Made me very antsy!)  I will attempt to console myself in the Hoodoo series, but I am watching you Ms. Phoenix!

Review: Hard Spell by Justin Gustainis

It is fairly rare to find a male protagonist in an urban fantasy book. Hard Spell is a breath of manly air. Markowski brings to mind Harry Dresden, a hard boiled, no nonsense kind of guy. The kind of man you expect eats a lot of pizza and kicks back with a beer when he finally goes home. Gutsainis has given us a world where the good guys are real, and the bad guys are really bad. The good doesn't always win, and the evil...well it is everywhere.

From the Angry Robots site:
“Like the rest of America, Scranton’s got an uneasy ‘live and let unlive’ relationship with the supernatural. But when a vamp puts the bite on an unwilling victim, or some witch casts the wrong kind of spell, that’s when they call me.
“My name’s Markowski. I carry a badge.
“Also, a crucifix, some wooden stakes, a big vial of holy water, and a 9mm Beretta loaded with silver bullets.”

Five stars!!!

Is summer almost over?

The past week has been so hectic. If you have been inside your local Walmart, Target, or office supply store you know why. Back to school time! Really? It is still July. Why should we be worried about back to school? Ah yes, because the school boards have decided school should start at the beginning of August. This means that, for parents, life becomes a whirl of back to school shopping and last minute vacations. I am no exception. I am homeschooling a 6th and 9th grader this year, and though we have a little more leeway, school starts in less than 3 weeks. I will continue to read, and do reviews, but they will be closer to one a week than the 3 a week I had hoped to get up to by now. Enjoy the rest of your summer while it lasts!

Review: Deeper Than Midnight by Lara Adrian

No upcoming releases to review so I have chosen the latest in the Midnight Breed series for your reading pleasure. I really like this series. It brings to mind the Dark Hunter series and the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. This particular book was one of the best in my opinion. It goes beyond the paranormal to bring in conflicts many women could face. Of course, we wouldn't have a handsome vampire to save us!

From the back cover: At eighteen, Corinne Bishop was a beautiful, spirited young woman living a life of privilege as the adopted daughter of a wealthy family. Her world was changed in an instant when she was stolen away and held prisoner by the malevolent vampire Dragos. After many years of captivity and torment, Corinne is rescued by the Order, a cadre of vampire warriors embroiled in a war against Dragos and his followers. Her innocence taken, Corinne has lost a piece of her heart as well--the one thing that gave her hope during her imprisonment, and the only thing that matters to her now that she is free.
Assigned to safeguard Corinne on her trip home is a formidable golden-eyed Breed male called Hunter. Once Dragos's most deadly assassin, Hunter now works for the Order, and he's hell-bent on making Dragos pay for his manifold sins. Bonded to Corinne by their mutual desire, Hunter will have to decide how far he'll go to end Dragos's reign of evil--even if carrying out his mission means shattering Corinne's tender heart.
This one gets 4 stars!

Review: Midnight Fear by Leslie Tentler

Leslie Tentler has really come through in her second installment of The Chasing Evil trilogy. The romance is believable, the thrills are chilling, and the pages turn almost on their own. First class whodunit! This book comes out July 26th.

When Reid Novak finally caught Joshua Cahill he thought the nightmare was over. The young Senator's son was locked away and everyone could start trying to get their lives back, especially Joshua's sister Caitlyn. For two years she dealt with the nightmares brought on by helping get her serial killer brother brought to justice. Then, in an instant, the terror came back. First a horse was found mutilated on her farm. Soon after women's bodies were once again being found in Washington D.C. with the same distinctive cuts and burns as before. Joshua was still locked away. Who could be the copycat, and why were they so intent on making Caitlyn a victim?

Four stars!

Review: Undead and Undermined by MaryJanice Davidson

Hurray for new Queen Betsy! I absolutely love this series, and I have been waiting on pins and needles after the ending of the last book. MJ does not disappoint her readers with this one. It may be a little confusing, but so it the situation we find Betsy in this time. If you find things seem a little wonky, take a second to reread the last sentence and you will get your head back in order. Even with the twists and turns this book earns a solid 4 1/2 stars!

Vampire Queen Betsy has it rough. She has just returned from the past, future, and hell to find that everything she thought she knew is different. Jessica is pregnant? Nick is a friend? Garratt is still alive? What else could happen? A twisty turny ride through hell (again) only adds more questions.

Playing catch up, and other excuses to read.

So many books, so little time! I have caught up on the books I have waiting in the wings. The reviews for them will be coming up, but I have to respect the publishers wishes and not spoil things by blogging about them too soon. You will see my reviews for another Heather Graham Krewe book, and a wonderful thriller by Leslie Tentler coming in the next month. With a little time on my hands I decided to catch up on a few series that have new books coming out this year. It gives me some background, and gives me a chance to feel like I am being useful. Hurray for new books! I will be back after the holiday to let you guys know what I am reading, and give a sneak peek of the books I hope to review this summer. Have a great Fourth of July!

Review: Sacred Evil by Heather Graham

Heather Graham is a powerhouse. The third installment of her Krewe of Hunters books is already coming out. It is due to by released July 26th, and I got to preview an ARC. The writer is giving us exactly what we want, book after book in a series without the typical year wait in between. The best part is, they are still high quality reads.

In New York City someone is killing women in the style of Jack the Ripper. Lead Detective Jude Crosby is resigned to having the F.B.I. come in on the case, but how can Agent Whitney Tremont help him catch a flesh and blood killer? The "special team" talks to ghosts, and he is sure it will take real police work to find out who is taking out women this way. Whitney was very excited to be first on the ground. Her orders were to play nice with the locals and wait for the rest of the team. How can she deal with this handsome man that mocks her at every turn? Does the answer to the killers identity come from the past, or will they find the answers within their own ranks? A great read that will keep you wondering until the surprising conclusion.

4 1/2 Stars!

Review: Wicked Lies by Lisa Jackson and Nancy Bush

This combination of authors is dynamite! Lisa Jackson is one of my "must read" favorites for thrillers. The suspense was engaging, the romance believable, the plot twisted. All of this made for a great couch session of reading.


Laura Adderly has enough to worry about. She is pregnant...with her ex-husbands child. When her brother escapes from the hospital for the criminally insane, she knows he is coming after her. Justice Turnbull can sense her whereabouts, and her pregnancy. The last thing she needs is to be hounded by a disgraced reporter bent on finding redemption in her families story. No one would believe the telepathic link she shares with Justice, until Harrison Frost witnesses first hand the danger she puts herself in taunting him. Now he must protect her from a madman whose only focus is killing Laura and her sisters. Riveting and powerful, this story will definitely keep you reading long into the night.
5 stars!

Review: Blood Reaction A Vampire Novel by DL Atha

First I would like to say that for a first novel, this was really pretty good. It starts a bit slow, and there were several places in the beginning I really wanted an editors red pen. I blame that on my OCD literary heart. Now for the good news! The story became much more captivating as I continued to read. Also good was that the holes in the story became less and less. I will definitely be looking forward to reading more from this author, and can't wait to see how she matures as a writer.

We see through Annalice's eyes as she goes through the terrifying experience of being held hostage by a soulless vampire. Held by threat to her daughters life, Annalice must must come to terms with her rage at being helpless, protect the vampire to keep her daughter safe, and deal with her feelings toward her captor. Being a Doctor she has her own ideas about his condition and what she must do to stop him from hurting anyone else.

My experiences with Nook vs Kindle.

Yesterday I went looking for an ereader. Trying to read galleys in .pdf form on my 4 inch screen made my eyes bleed. (Adobe Digital Editions won't let you adjust font size AT ALL!) I wanted the Nook Simple Touch, until I got to B&N to try one out. It was too light and small. I felt like the first stiff wind would blow it out of my hands or break if my cat sat on it. Plus I was scared my toddler would figure out how to buy books. He is wicked smart on my Android so it is not a baseless fear. It seemed very simple to use. I just wanted something sturdier. I purchased the Nook 1st Edition thinking it would fit my lifestyle. Though it was not bad it was really not for me. I didn't like how difficult it was to push the page turn buttons, and trying to type on the tiny touch screen was not fun. Luckily for me B&N has an awesome return policy, so this morning I was off again to take it back and pick up a Kindle. Now I will be honest and tell you I bought the less expensive Kindle WiFi with Special Offers. Basically, I paid $25 less and in return I get to have ads as my screen saver and on a tiny sliver of my home page. The bargain hunter in me could not turn this down. It has absolutely no affect while you are reading. It is way lighter than the Nook 1st Ed. but it has the size. That was a big plus. The physical keyboard is nice, and the page turn buttons are so easy! No more "geez I will break my thumb" from this girl. I believe I will be keeping this one. The one thing I think I will miss are the Free Fridays from B&N. For now it will have to be My Kindle for My Escape!

A very quick review of a YA novel I read for fun.

I was looking for something quick and easy to try out the Nook and the Kindle. After reading a review by fellow bloggers Christy and Danielle I decided to try Amy Plum's Die For Me. It was very Twilightesque, but with...Zombies! It was very well written for fluff romance. It was just intriguing enough to keep a grown woman interested. I felt that having the scene set in Paris was wonderful, and there was enough detail to tell the author was not using Google to get ideas about the city. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone 10+.

If you are wondering, I will also give you my ideas on the readers I was trying in my next blog.

Review: Heart of Evil, a Krewe of Hunters book by Heather Graham.

Heather Graham does not disappoint in her newest Krewe novel. Jack Mallory (from Phantom Evil) has newly been inducted into the FBI as part of a special unit started by Adam Harrison. While waiting for the big move to Quantico he begins dreaming of his ex girlfriend Ashley Donegal. Ashley lives with her grandfather at Donegal Plantation, a bed and breakfast and site for a yearly Civil War reenactment, just outside New Orleans. When the man playing her ancestor disappears, Ashley knows there is something bigger happening than it seems. With several more familiar faces, and a few helpful ghosts, Ashley and Jake must find out who is behind the evil shadowing Donegal Plantation. I really enjoyed Heart of Evil. It was a fairly quick read for me, as I was kept wondering “whodunnit”. I give this one 4 ½ stars!

edit for clarity- Release date for this book June 28th, 2011

Review: Hit List by Laurell K. Hamilton

This is my first book review, I hope you enjoy it. Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake series has evolved through the years. She has come back full circle with Hit List. Her writing style, as well as the story line, feels more like the earlier books. More thriller than erotica, this book is sure to please her legion of fans and bring the wayward back into the fold.
Now that Anita has learned to manage the arduer, she can get back to fighting crime with the kick ass style we first fell in love with. Along with Edward, Bernardo, and a host of weres at her side (and watching her back) she must face some of the best trained and most dangerous killers in the world. The Harlequin and their animals to call are out to capture Anita alive at any cost. Marmee Noir needs to possess her body. Olaf just wants her to be his girlfriend, or his torture victim. Will he get to her first? Or will The Mother of All Darkness finally find a way in to the Necromancer and be that much closer to taking over Vampire kind once again? This thriller is sure to keep you turning the pages until you find out.