Monday 28 March 2011

Review: ARC The Vampire Relationship Guide Vol. 1 by Evelyn Lafont

My Rating: VG, B, H

Published: April 2011
Publisher: Self Published

Author's Website: keyboardhussy.com

Purchase @ Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com and Smashwords.com - available as of Thursday (31/03/11)

Josie wants what she’s never been able to have—sex with a vampire. When she receives an invitation to a party thrown by one of the world’s richest vamps, she doesn’t stop to question her luck; she just jumps into her favorite stilettos and heads out to the event of a lifetime, secretly hoping that she’ll come home with a party favor in the shape of a sexy coffin dweller. But the great undead, much to Josie’s chagrin, aren’t just pale sexbots with pointy teeth waiting to satisfy her carnal desires—they are dangerous…and sometimes cranky. With a single-minded focus on fulfilling her sole sexual longing, Josie unwittingly entrenches herself in the twisted and sometimes antagonistic world of vampire relationships with no one to guide her, but herself.

The Vampire Relationship Guide Volume 1 is the first book in a series by Evelyn Lafont. This short novel is full of mystery and humour.

Josie works in a bridal shop, the worst place to meet the man of her dreams. The only thing is the man of her dreams isn’t technically a man - he’s a vampire. All of Josie’s dreams come true when she is invited to a vampire party. This could be her chance to meet Mr Right..fangs and all.

Well not only does Josie land up dating one vampire, but she ends up dating another one too. Gregory is the vampire of Josie’s dreams; gorgeous, rich and a gentleman. Walker is the exact opposite of what she is looking for; a smoker and awful and rude to women. Who does she end up with? Well I will let you read that to find out.

My favourite part of the book was the ending where Josie realised who Mr Right for her is. She has been on a rollercoaster of a ride and to be honest, I was a bit confused as to who she should trust. There is one sex scene in this book and I must admit it is rather hot, so if hot and steamy scenes are your thing, you will love this book. Josie constantly has sex with vampires on the brain. She is so quirky and lovable as a character. I also loved the detailed explanations as to how the vampires in Lafont’s novel had to stay away from the sun etc. Brilliantly executed.

Overall, thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and I would definitely recommend it to my friends and fellow bloggers. It’s a nice short read and has all the right elements that is needed in a vampire romance. Can’t wait for the next instalment.

Disclaimer: I was sent this e-book ARC as part of a book blog tour from The Bookish Snob Promotions. I was not paid to review this book and everything I have said is of my own honest opinion.

Thursday 24 March 2011

Review: Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

My Rating: E, P, B

Published: 2010
Publisher: Atom Books

Author's Website: andreacremer.com

Purchase @ Amazon.co.uk Amazon.com

Calla Tor has always known her destiny: graduation, marriage and then a life leading her pack.

But when she defies her masters’ laws to save a human boy, she must choose. Is one boy worth losing everything?


Nightshade is the first book in the ‘Witch War Series’ by Andrea Cremer. Well this is one of those books that you just can’t put down. Every time I did, I have to pick it straight back up again.

Calla Tor is the alpha of the Nightshade pack, well the alpha of the underage wolfs that is. She is betrothed to an alpha of another pack and after their marriage they will form a new pack. This has been highly anticipated and everyone is making sure that it happens as planned. But Calla has other ideas.

I felt so sorry for Calla. She has been told all her life what awaits in her future and she has no choice in it at all. Some of the time it doesn’t bother her, she is kind of giddy about the whole marriage and being leader of a pack thing but at the same time she yearns to do things that other teenagers do, i.e. let her hormones run rampage in her relationship. But alas, Calla can’t have that. She has to be pure for everything ahead. Life gets even harder as she falls for someone that she is forbidden to be with.

I had so many favourite moments from this book, but I think it had to be the moment where everything clicked into place and Calla makes a decision for herself. I thought it was such a great scene. My least favourite parts of the books were the abusive masters and alphas that think they can do anything because they are the leaders. Such a shame on those that have to put up with it as they can’t do anything about it. They have to basically shut up and put up. I totally don’t think I could live the wolf life. I would end up dead for not being obedient enough.

Cremer covers quite a lot in Nightshade from the incorporation of religion to the supernatural creatures, e.g. succubi, incubi etc, it was great! I loved it when one of the character compares the wolf’s and Keeper’s history to religion. In a funny way it sort of makes sense but at the same time, the wolf is adamant that it’s nothing like religion. The amount of supernatural creatures involved are quite spectacular. You never knew what was going to come next which made the anticipation so much more exciting.

Overall, I absolutely and thoroughly enjoyed and book. One of my favourite books this year so far, I loved it that much. I would recommend it to any young adult and adults out there. It’s not too teenager’ish of a read and if your an adult you will still be able to relate to the characters.

Disclaimer: I was sent this book for review by Amazon. I have not been paid to review this book and everything I have said is of my own honest opinion.

Wednesday 23 March 2011

The Trouble With Spells Blog Tour: Interview with Lacey Weatherford


”Today, as part of the 'The Trouble With Spells' blog tour being hosted by The Bookish Snob Promotions I have Lacey Weatherford, author of said book and the Of Witches and Warlocks series, for an interview. But first..a little bit about Lacey =)



Lacey Weatherford has always had a love of books. She wanted to become a writer after reading her first Nancy Drew novel at the age of eight. She resides in the White Mountains of Arizona , where she lives with her wonderful husband, six beautiful children, one son-in-law, and their energetic schnauzer, Sophie. When she's not out supporting one of her kids at their sporting/music events, she spends her time writing, reading, blogging, and reviewing books.

Win a Kindle Treasure Hunt! We want to reward all the wonderful followers of this blog tour, so what better way to do that than to give away a free Kindle and Of Witches and Warlocks Swag! Being entered to win is easy! All you have to do is follow the tour each day and search for the highlighted words in the post. There may be only one word on some days or two or more on others, so be sure to read the whole post. They could be anywhere…even in this description! Keep collecting the words each day to build a certain phrase. At the end of the tour on April 22nd, bring your completed phrase to The Delusional Diaries and submit it into the form to be entered into the Kindle drawing! Did you miss a day? No worries! Just follow the linky list on The Delusional Diaries to the post for that day and search for it. After you have submitted the special phrase, add up all the times you commented on the different post during the tour and add that number for extra entries! Lots of chances! So come join in the FUN!

Now onto what you have all been waiting for..my interview with Lacey. Enjoy!

1. What/who inspired you to become a writer?

I think reading inspired me the most. I would often day dream of stories I read as a child and think up things I would have done differently. My first attempts at writing were at the age of nine. I tried to write a mystery story that featured me and my cousin. I was a huge Nancy Drew fan at the time. Unbeknownst to me, my mom saved all those writings of mine. I found them in a box of hers when I was going through her things after she passed away. It brought tears to my eyes, and more than a little bit of laughter too when I read them. My mom always encouraged me in my writings, and was very influential in my love of reading.

2. Which of your books was the easiest to write/hardest to write and why?

Book two, The Demon Kiss, was definitely the easiest to write. I wrote it in seven days. I felt like someone was just feeding the material straight into my head and I could hardly type fast enough to keep up with it! I worked on it for probably 20 hours a day, stopping for a few hours to sleep when exhaustion hit. I would wake up out of a dead sleep with ideas and start writing again. I had to start keeping my computer by the bed so I didn’t have to keep running into the other room to type stuff!

Book four, The Dark Rising, was the most difficult. My first version of The Trouble with Spells came out right in the middle of writing it and kind of threw me off my groove. I stopped writing to do marketing stuff and when I tried to pick up again I felt like I had hit a brick wall. I was just stuck. My mother-in-law called me up one day and said she had a suggestion for the book that might help me out. I actually laughed out loud at her idea, it seemed so ludicrous. But it turned out to be the comment that got the imagination rolling again, and her tip ended up turning into a fabulous story line.

3. Any fan of yours who has read your blog or your book will know that Matt Lanter (Liam from 90210) was your model for character Vance. If you could pick your own dreamcast to play your characters in a movie or TV series, who would they be?

Ha! Yes, Matt has been such a sweetheart about all of this. He’s a great guy!

I actually put a lot of thought into this question after Matt’s manager asked for the books. As far as the cast in book one I would like Matt to be Vance, of course. I would absolute love Emma Roberts to be Portia. She’s just so cute. When I wrote the part of Shelly it was actually with the image of Taylor Swift in mind. I had seen her on an episode of CSI and loved her in it. I think Zach Roerig from Vampire Diaries would be the perfect Brad. He’s dreamy! I like Rob Estes for Portia’s dad Sean, Selma Hayek for Portia’s mom, and Diane Keaton for Portia’s grandma, Milly. I think Amy Brenneman would be the perfect choice for Vance’s mom, Krista, and I had the ever-so-deliciously-evil Sean Bean in mind when I wrote Vance’s dad, Damien Cummings.

4. How many more books do you have planned for the Witches & Warlocks series?

There will be five books total. The first three are released right now. Book four, The Dark Rising, is finished and awaiting its release which I believe is slated for June. I’m halfway through writing the final installment, tentatively called Possession of Souls, now. I’m on chapter sixteen I believe. I’ve had to stop writing on it to do the release for this book, so hopefully I will be able to pick it up easily again soon!

5. What is your favorite scene/chapter from all of your books and why?

I don’t think I could pick! I love all the romantic scenes between Vance and Portia, but I also loved getting into the heads of some of the evil characters through the story. If I were to try to narrow it down to something I would have to pick a scene that happens at the end of book three that was extremely difficult for me to write. I don’t want to say what it is for those who haven’t read it yet, but I got sick from crying over it so much that I ended up with pneumonia! I would say I was probably most emotionally invested into that scene, and I still can’t read it without crying.

6. What is your favorite book of all time and why?

I want every book I pick up to read to be my favorite book of all time! I have favorites in all types of genres I have read, but way too many to even consider picking just one. In fact, that would probably be the way people could best torture me, lock me in a room and make me choose one book to be my favorite! I would go crazy! I sweat over picking my top ten for my end of the year blog posts!!

I can give you my favorite book I read in the last year. That was Forbidden, by Tabitha Suzuma. That book has a very controversial subject matter, dealing with an incestuous relationship, but it was written extremely well and afforded the reader a glimpse into the world of someone who is traumatized by their feelings. I think I still have a knot in my throat from reading that book. It was gripping.


Thanks for having me by Naomi! :D

The pleasure was all mine Lacey's. Thanks for stopping by.

If you want to read my review of The Trouble With Spells (2nd Edition) please click on the link.

To keep following Lacey's blog tour..check out Reader Girls tomorrow.

To check out who is all taking part in the blog tour go to The Bookish Snob Promotions.

Tuesday 22 March 2011

Review: Becoming Human, Episode 8

BBC Three aired the entire series of Becoming Human on Sunday night including the finale.

In the final episode we finally find out who Matt’s (the ghost) killer is. I honestly never saw it coming. I didn’t think it was the person it turned out to be. Christa knocks the killer out and Adam decides he wants to get revenge by drinking his blood. Matt and Christa manage to stop him.

Now that Matt has finally completed his unfinished business, his door appears. He doesn’t know whether to go or not. Christa and Adam are both hesitant about seeing their, now, friend leave them forever. During Matt’s internal dilemma, the murdered comes around and tries to attack the trio once more. But it doesn’t end too well for him.

Sorry this review is short, but I really don’t want to give away too much of the ending for those that haven’t seen it yet. But I can say it was well worth the wait and the killer is who you least suspect, and I mean the killer wouldn’t have been on your radar at all. Well maybe on yours, but he wasn’t on mine.

Review: ARC In The Storm by Karen Metcalf

My Rating: VG, P, B

Published: 2011
Publisher: Vagabond Press

(Book cover and synopsis taken from Vagabondage Books)

Abandoned by the world around her, Carly believes she is fated to a life of torment at the hands of her stepfather and is desperate for an escape. When she can bear the abuse no longer and gives in to a thunderous rage, she suddenly finds herself in an unfamiliar, yet beautiful, storm world. This limbo between dimensions appears to be her private sanctuary, but it may just be her purgatory.
No one escapes fate without sacrifice, but is the price more than Carly is willing to pay?


In The Storm by Karen Metcalf, is a moving novella that delves into the realms of fate, what if’s and anger.

Poor Carly has had a tough upbringing, dealing with an abusive step father and caring for her younger brother, Mitchell. No wonder her anger gets the better of her. Eventually her rage takes over and transports her to this beautiful purple storm world. This is her only escape from reality.

In her storm world, Carly meets a boy, his name is Morgan. He is her guardian, sort of. He tries to explain to her the best he can what the storm world is and how it affects them. Carly is more concerned as to what is happening back in the real world to Mitchell when she is off gallivanting in her storm world. But she doesn’t know how escape from the storm world, this is where she needs to depend on Morgan.

Well I must say that this story was rather touching and moving. I felt so bad for Carly and Mitchell for having to put up with such an awful step father. Carly is burdened even more by trying to protect her Mitchell as best she can but she isn’t always successful. The history behind the tree in Carly’s storm world I thought was rather fascinating as well as the initials that are carved into it. Quite an inventive feature and central to Carly’s story.

What intrigued me the most was Morgan. I wanted to know so much more about him, just like Carly. I had an inkling as to who Morgan was as I read on, but wasn’t too sure so I was happy to find out that I was right in the end. Made the ending so much better for me but at the same time I wanted it to keep going. There is so much more of Carly’s story I want to know. This book is definitely worth the read and it won’t take you long.

Disclaimer: This e-book ARC was sent to me by the author for review. I have not been paid to review this book and everything I have said is of my own honest opinion.

Monday 21 March 2011

Review: ARC of The Demon Trappers: Forsaken by Jana Oliver

My Rating: E, P, B

Published: 2011

Publisher: Macmillan Children’s Books

Author's Website: JanaOliver.com

Purchase @ Amazon.co.uk Amazon.com

Riley has always wanted to be a Demon Trapper, but it’s tough being the only girl in an all-guy world. It doesn’t help that three of those guys are making her life pretty complicated: Simon, the angelic apprentice who has heaven on his side; Beck, the tough trapper who thinks he’s God’s gift, and Ori, the strikingly sexy stranger who keeps turning up to save her life.

One thing’s for sure – if she doesn’t keep her wits about her there’ll be hell to pay...


Forsaken is the first book in The Demon Trappers series by Jana Oliver. This book had me laughing, nearly crying and shouting in my head all the way through. I was instantly hooked and could not put this book down.

Riley Blackthorne is an apprentice trapper to her dad, Paul, the most well known master trapper that there is in Atlanta. She strives to be the best she can be and sorely wants to be like her dad and just wants to make him proud.

Beck used to be Riley’s dad’s apprentice but has currently taken up the occupation of being the biggest thorn in her side. He gets on her every last nerve no matter what he does. There’s a few reasons why Riley detests Beck so much but I will leave that for you to find out by reading the book. The conflict between these two characters makes for an interesting read. I love their quick witted quips back and forth.

Simon is a fellow apprentice of Riley’s but he works for another master, Harper. He looks out for Riley and likes her. His support and friendship means a lot to Riley as she doesn’t have much friends.

I have so many favourite moments from this book and it was one of those books that I couldn’t put down. Some of my favourite moments are between Beck and Riley and Peter and Riley. These are the most funny interactions I have come across in a book in a while.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series. It’s definitely a must read if you like dystopian type stories that are based around the supernatural. There are a few curse words so I would think this book would be best aimed towards teens and adults.

Disclaimer: I was sent this book by Amazon for review. I have not been paid to review this book and everything I have said is of my own honest opinion.

Sunday 20 March 2011

Review: The Trouble With Spells (2nd Edition) by Lacey Weatherford

My Rating: E, R, B
Published: 2011
Publisher: Global Authors Publications

Author's Website: OfWitchesAndWarlocks.com and The Delusional Diaries

Purchase @ E-Book Amazon.co.uk E-Book Amazon.com

Portia Mullins had always lived the life of a normal teenager, up until her sixteenth birthday. She is then informed by her Grandma that she is actually a witch who is a descendant from a long line of witches and warlocks. After overcoming her disbelief she finds that being a member of the coven comes with one great perk in the form of the school's handsome bad boy, Vance Mangum. Vance and Portia have an immediate connection as a budding romance begins, only to be threatened by turbulent skies on the horizon as Vance's checkered past rears its ugly head to haunt them. Portia is forced to use her untried powers in defense of everything she loves in a desperate attempt to hold on to the one thing that really matters in her life.

The Trouble With Spells is the first book in the Of Witches and Warlocks series written by Lacey Weatherford. This book will have you addicted from the first page. Vance and Portia’s story is one that I couldn’t put down. Packed with action and love, this book will have you sitting on the edge of your seat wondering what will happen next.

Portia Mullins is your typical teenage girl. She loves hanging out with her best friend Shelly and spending time with her family. But now that her sixteenth birthday approaches it means she can start dating and boy does she pick the good ones. Not only that but she uncovers that she is also a witch.

Vance Mangum is the local bad boy. He rides a motorcycle and is drop dead gorgeous and not only that but the boy is seriously gifted. I don’t mean he is an underachiever, I mean he has some seriously awesome talent because he is a…warlock. Vance is over excited that it’s Portia’s sixteenth birthday because it means he can finally get to know her instead of admiring her from a distance.

Well, what can I say? This is my second time reading this book and I still love it. All the added extra scenes was definitely worth the re-print. My favourite part of the book was the prologue, this is a new section that was added to the book. I loved it because it was all from Vance’s perspective which was awesome. I think the first time I read the book I didn’t fully comprehend Vance’s feelings from Portia but this opening chapter explains it all and it made me realize how much he had to go through staying away from her for all that time and then eventually being able to let out all that pent up love.

I don’t think there were any parts of the book that I disliked. There was one moment, but I wouldn’t say I disliked it. It’s essential to the book plot and set up for the next book but it doesn’t make it pleasant. Tugged at my heart strings it did. Lacey sure knows how to build up the drama. Although I was giggling at certain parts.
Overall, brilliant book and I would highly recommend to anyone that is interested in reading about witches.

Disclaimer: I was sent this book for review as part of a blog tour via The Bookish Snob Promotions. This is the second edition of the book and you can find my review of the first edition here. I have not been paid to review this book.

Special Notice: You can get a free download of The Trouble With Spells E-Book from Smashwords.com by entering the following code.

In My Mailbox...(18)

In My Mailbox is a meme that is hosted by The Story Siren every Sunday.

It's been a while since I took part in 'In My Mailbox'. But I have a nice load this week so I thought I would share it with you all =)

Won

Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead

I won this over at
Ladvy Violet's Blog when I took part in her Blogaversary Giveaway.

For Review


ARC of The Demon Trappers: Forsaken by Jana Oliver
Nightshade by Andrea Cremer
(received from Amazon for review)


The Cursed Ones by Nancy Holder and Debbie Vigue
(received from
UK Book Tours)

E-Books for Review


Dreamwalk by Sarah MacManus (sent to be by the author)


In The Storm by Karen Metcalf (sent to me by the author)


The Dragon's Gift by Jacqueline Young (sent to me by Young Rebel Publications)


The Trouble With Spells by Lacey Weatherford (sent to me from The Bookish Snob Promotions as part of a blog tour)

What did you guys get?

Friday 18 March 2011

Blog Hop...(19)

Blog Hop is a meme that is hosted by Crazy For Books each Friday until Monday.


Book Blogger Hop

It has been a while since I participated in a hop..but I'm baaaaack =)

 
Question: Do you read only one book at a time, or do you have several going at once?
Answer: I generally only have one book being read at any given time although I have sometimes in past read two at once.

I think if I try to read more than one book at once then things can get confusing, i.e. information from the two different stories overlap. I don't want my confusion to come across in a review, as that would look rather unprofessional and stupid of me.

How about you?

Have a great weekend =)

Tuesday 15 March 2011

Review: Becoming Human, Episode 7

This week webisode follows Christa acting as bloodhound to try and find Matt’s dead body. After speaking with George, Adam helps Christa set up an area where she will go to change. He does this with the trusty old chicken on a string. Gotta love the chicken on a string.

Christa uses her heightened sense of smell due to the full moon to try and find Matt’s body. Unfortunately for Adam and Matt they get stuck in the same room as her whilst she changes into a werewolf. This wouldn’t really do anything to Matt but it could mean Adam’s final death. The vampires quick thinking gets Christa into a cupboard away from him and this is where Christa remains for the duration of the night.

The morning after the full moon is when they discover Matt’s body after joking that Christa had probably eaten it when she was in wolf form as they eat anything. Good thing she never ate him, I don’t think she would be able to stop throwing up knowing she has ate the only evidence they had to proving Matt was murdered and that it still leaves Matt with unfinished business. Oh and the fact that she ate a human being. Would it be cannibalism if Christa ate Matt’s body whilst she is a werewolf? Hmm..may have to ponder that one.

My favourite part of the whole episode was watching Christa’s transformation. It was so different from George, Nina, McNair and Tom. I did feel really bad for her because she has to go through all this alone, she hasn’t had anyone to help her with the werewolf stuff. I think she should go meet George and Nina. Fingers crossed we have a merging of the series’ in the Becoming Human finale. I think meeting Nina and George would do Christa a lot of good. It may help her embrace the wolf as part of her or just not let it bother her the other twenty odd days of the month.

Review: Being Human UK, Series 3, Episode - The Wolf Shaped Bullet

Synopsis
Comedy-drama series about three twenty-something housemates trying to live normal lives, despite struggling with unusual afflictions – one is a werewolf, one is a vampire and the other is a ghost.

In the powerful climax to the series, Nina’s fate hangs in the balance, whilst Annie battles with Lia for her soul. Herrick pits George against Mitchell.


What I Thought

SPOILER ALERT
Well after that episode I just wanted to have a good old cry. It was absolutely amazing and absolutely heart wrenching at the same time. I can’t even review this episode without giving spoilers away, well I could, but I don’t want to. I want to tell you what happened. So here goes...

George tries to get into the police station to see Mitchell and get him out of there but with no luck he is turned around by the policemen and has to find another way in. At this point Herrick is sitting outside the police station is his stolen uniform biding his time to break Mitchell out. Annie on the other hand is all for making Mitchell stay locked up, no matter the repercussions.

Tom makes his way back to Honolulu Heights after his night in the woods to find McNair dead along with about a half dozen police officers and a dying Nina at the bottom of the stairs after her attempt to get to a phone to call for an ambulance. Tom must have called the ambulance because next thing we know, Nina is in the hospital fighting for her life. After Annie finds out what Herrick has done, she rushes to Nina’s side, only to be coerced by a rhyme, into returning to purgatory by Lia, which is funnily being spouted out the mouth of a dead policeman.

Lia waits for Annie and basically reveals her plan. There was no prophecy, she was just wanted revenge on Mitchell for her death and the hurt it has caused her family. Lia isn’t fully aware of the collateral damage her revenge campaign has caused, but Annie is quick to let her know. Mitchell has made Lia’s prophecy into a self-fulfilling one.

Meanwhile, Herrick has done a mighty fine job of pitting George against Mitchell.  As the two friends fight, Tom enters wanting to pay back from Herrick for his fathers death. In the end Herrick meets his final death once more, but not at Tom’s hand. Mitchell realises that the only way he can stop hurting the people he loves and others is for him to meet his true death. But who does he pick to carry out the horrible, horrible deed? Poor old, kind, gentle George. Of all the people he want to do it, it has to be George.

Well..the last scene of this episode was literally the most saddest thing I have ever watched. I didn’t think George could do it – but he did. And now Mitchell is no more. But George and the gang have another enemy on their hands, the ‘Old Ones’. The also discover that George and Nina’s pregnancy is a one of a kind, it has never happened before and the ‘Old Ones’ reckon Annie is stronger than they all know. I wonder how this will all pan out now that Mitchell isn’t there to keep them updated on the weird and wonderful world of vampires.

I am happy to report that Being Human has been commissioned for a fourth season which I am sure will detail the gang’s journey and their fight against the ‘Old Ones’ but I think it may be lacking what with Mitchell out of the picture. Hopefully his departing doesn’t affect the Being Human fan base as it could have a detrimental effect on the series and it’s airing future. I personally will continue to watch the show - hoping against hope that Mitchell returns in one form or another. I have a great idea on how to resurrect Mitchell but not in the creepy way that Herrick did it. It would be better if they brought Mitchell as a ghost. I think my idea would be great (not being biased at all LOL) and it would mean Mitchell could be with Annie. Being Human hasn’t really gone into whether vampires can become ghosts or not (if they have, someone please tell me because I have obviously missed it). What do you guys think is in store for season four?

The Trouble With Spells - Free E-Coupon

Lacey Weatherford, author of the Of Witches & Warlocks series, has generously decided to let us all get a copy of the e-book of her first book, The Trouble With Spells.


This is the second edition of The Trouble With Spells which has had the cover re-vamped, all errors removed and some brilliant new scenes added.


Use the following coupon code to claim your free e-book of The Trouble With Spells from Smashwords.


Happy reading everyone!!

Wednesday 9 March 2011

Interview & Giveaway with... Hal Goodman

Today I have Hal Goodman, author of Logic of Demons, on the blog with a mini-interview and giveaway with not just one, but two books to give away.


Whas was the inspiration behind your book?

I realized last year that my imagination was slowly dying. The times I used to spend as a kid reading comic books and drawing seemed light years away and I wanted to relive a very important part of my childhood. I also happened to be betrayed by some close friends. This betrayal (along with some other issues) caused me to enter into a deep depression for several months. Writing Logic of Demons was a catharsis because it helped me vent a number of painful emotions into the characters and story. However, the novel doesn’t only consist of negative feelings. A great deal of my cherished interests, from fantasy and science fiction to international relations and politics are represented in the novel as well.

In addition, my experience as a high school history teacher at Hamilton High in Los Angeles inspired a great portion of the book. I had the privilege of teaching extremely talented and creative young people. To give you an example of the type of students I had, it wasn’t out of the ordinary to see these teenagers draw amazing anime stories or a picture of Spiderman flying through the sky. And it was easy for them, whereas it would take me a year to draw the same picture. These students reminded me what it was like to be young and some of them showed tremendous courage overcoming adversity (a lot more strength and courage than I ever had at that age). My teaching experience definitely served to open up my imagination a great deal and helped me with the novel.

As for the other aspect of my inspiration, one of the close friends who hurt me had recently turned into a deeply “religious” individual. I remember one evening he explained to me and my girlfriend that angels and demons flew around human beings, luring them into different moral directions like an ethereal compass. I even remember that in the last conversation we ever had over the phone, he quoted a bible verse in an attempt at giving me advice. I realized soon after that it was his actions, my actions, and a person’s behavior that influences the moral outcome of events, not the external embodiments or personifications of good or evil. Logic of Demons is a way for people to see a certain view of morality, which is essentially based on the choices we make that affect others, not the beliefs we have in our mind. This philosophy and my teaching experience, as well as my desire to create something, inspired me to write the novel.

How did you came to write about the supernatural genre?

Fantasy, science fiction, and the supernatural genre share one thing in common. There are really no limitations in terms of what one can create or write about. Often times in a person’s life, waking up and doing the same thing over and over again can seem mundane and even, in some cases, sap the wonder and joy out of life. But with the supernatural genre, suddenly human beings are interacting with ghosts, demons, vampires, and other creatures. Life becomes a lot more interesting when having a conversation with a zombie (or a unicorn). In addition, this type of genre gives a writer the ability to invoke a moral or even a political statement. You can comment about life through this type of genre in a way that a person standing on a podium speaking to thousands can’t.

What was your experience like with self-publishing and can you give any advice to other budding authors out there?

Well, I self published my novel because I didn’t want to wait a million years for an agent or someone to deem my work worthy of publishing. I am very pleased that the feedback from reviewers thus far (and readers) has been positive, but I wrote this novel primarily for myself. Of course, I want to have some type of success with Logic of Demons and eventually write more novels, but this endeavor was cathartic and healing experience.

As for self publishing, I would say make sure that you edit your novel appropriately since the self publisher will print anything (or almost anything) you give them. This perhaps is some of the reason that certain people state they don’t read self published novels, although I’ve been fortunate to have a great number of reviewers currently reading Logic of Demons.

Are any of your characters or their traits based on people you know?

Absolutely. One of the best things about writing a novel is that you can create characters based on people you know. This can be a tremendously healing experience, especially if there are people in your life (who you care about) who have hurt you in some way. Or, it can be a tribute to people who have helped you. Both kinds of individuals are represented in Logic of Demons. Even loved ones are sprinkled in the story and within various characters at once. I can say one thing; I would never have been able to write this novel without the support of my family. Also, I could never have thought of the plot without having been hurt by some friends.

Have you always wanted to write or did you have other aspirations growing up?

I never thought I would write a novel. I’m glad I did because now my imagination has very few limitations. Whereas before I thought that a cherished potion of my childhood was lost forever, I can now create entire worlds in my mind. One of the perks of writing a novel, in a way, is that you never truly have to “grow up” and you can still be as free and imaginative as a young person. That’s what I like most about writing.
 
Thank you for stopping by Hal.
 
Now..onto the giveaway.
 
We will be giving away two copies of Logic Of Demons to give away, one international and one UK. The contest will run until the 7pm UK time on the 1st of April. All you have to do is leave a comment with your e-mail address below to be entered and state whether you are UK or International. Winners will be drawn on the 2nd of April.
 
Rules:
 
- Must be a follower of my blog (I will be checking)
- Must leave a comment below stating e-mail address and whether international or UK


Monday 7 March 2011

Review: Becoming Human, Episode 6

This weeks’ webisode is slowly bringing us full circle in the ‘who killed Matt’ mystery. This week the gang have been investigating the possible escape route of Matt’s killer as they follow the map that marks all the CCTV cameras in the school.

They find themselves in the gym and having to hide from Mr Roe, the P.E. teacher, inside the gym equipment. Mr Roe finds them hiding out but is none the wiser as they are too engrossed in one another for Roe to think they were spying on him.

Christa finally admits that there is something supernatural about her. Her nose has been picking up scents that neither Adam or Matt can pick up. Matt not picking them up the scent is obvious as he is a ghost but I would have thought Adam would have smelt something seeing as he is a vampire and would have a keen sense of smell. Then again Mitchell doesn’t seem to have as such a good nose as George does in Being Human. Christa is still in denial at being a werewolf and she isn’t ready to admit it to anyone out loud. She will admit there is something weird about her and it has to do with the full moon, but nothing more. Poor Christa, I feel sorry for her. Having to go through all this without anyone else. Reminds me of George before he had Nina in Being Human.

Overall an insightful episode. We find a possible location for Matt’s body and this would indicate that the gang are onto the killer. Next week’s episode looks promising with a full moon on the way.

Review: Being Human UK, Series 3, Episode 7 - Though The Heavens Fall

Synopsis

With the full moon looming and a house full of werewolves, pressure mounts on Mitchell.

What I Thought

Well what an episode! So much happened and it was just shock after shock after shock (you get the picture). Just when you think it can’t get any worse, it does. It had me sitting on the edge of my seat all the way through and I was tempted to shout at the television a few times, but I don’t think the neighbours would appreciate it.

Annie is still on her crusade to bring the Box Tunnel murderer to justice but boy, does she get a shock when she finds out the truth. Is this the end for her and Mitchell? All I will say is that it doesn’t end so well for Mitchell and basically the supernatural world is on the verge of being discovered.

McNair and Tom make a reappearance in this episode which means there’s more of a chance that Mitchell will meet his grisly end by werewolf as the full moon approaches. However, McNair has someone else in his line of fire first before he even considers exacting his revenge on Mitchell.  

Nina and George have a bit of a bonding experience with Tom as they get ready for their night in the woods. George tries to convince Tom into leaving McNair and have him live with them in a more family kind of unit. On their return from their monthly trip, they go for a quick check to make sure the baby is alright and make a startling discovery but nothing quite as shocking as when George finds out about Mitchell’s situation on their return to Honolulu Heights.

Herrick..now where do I start with him? This is a pivotal episode for Herrick as this is where we see him discover his old self and all the memories that go with it. This time round though Herrick seems to have a bit of a moral dilemma on his hands when it comes to how to deal with the housemates.

I really don’t want to give away too much and to be truthfully honest I am still digesting it all and getting over the shock. But if I had to pick one moment that was my absolute favourite, I think it would have to be Annie trying to rationalise the whole Box Tunnel and Mitchell situation. Absolutely hilarious! I’m not sure if I will be able to handle the finale if it’s anything like this episode but I this has definitely been the most dramatic episode in the series so far.

Please vote..BEST YA Romance of 2010 (Of Witches & Warlocks; Blood of the White Witch)

Now I don't want to seem like I am ramming this down your throat or anything but I am just so pleased that I have to spread the word and let others know that they can vote if they want to..but, seriously, why would you not want to vote?

Lacey Weatherford, awesome author of the Of Witches and Warlocks series, has had one of her books, 'Blood of the White Witch', nominated for 'Best Young Adult Romance Novel of 2010' over at 'The Romance Reviews'.
If you have stumbled across my blog and never heard of Lacey or her book series then take a wander of to Of Witches and Warlocks website or to Lacey's own personal blog The Delusional Diaries for a looksie! Oh and you can follow her Twitter @LMWeatherford.
Also here's a wee teaser for you all..an awesome book trailer that stars Kamery Kae and Jake Solomon (Lacey's gorgeous daughter and son-in-law). Enjoy!


Wednesday 2 March 2011

Review: Becoming Human, Episode 5

This week’s episode opens with a dictated letter written by Matt to Christa confessing his undying love for her. Matt reads this whilst we are shown a flashback to the day that Matt died in the toilets. In the flashback we get to see where else Christa is scarred and she has definitely been attacked, whether it’s werewolf or animal, we don’t know for certain as Christa is clearly in denial about her being supernatural. To me that screams that she is a werewolf but doesn’t know it yet and possibly hasn’t gone through the change yet or has but has blanked it out. I am sure we will find out soon.


Adam declares that he and Christa must have a public break up. He seems to think that everyone was convinced by his hand snog and that he and Christa are a couple. But he hints slightly that he wants to keep it going, which shows, somewhere deep down he wants Christa or he is just an old pervy vampire. I am going to go with the latter hehe!


An argument between a teacher and another person gives the trio another possible lead as to who killed Matt. This prompts them back go back and take a closer look at the toiler where Matt died. This is where they bump into their new suspect and it makes Adam and Christa think that they are on the right track. Not only are the gang bad detectives as none of their suspects have been correct so far but it seems that they are all blind also. Footage of the killer may be lurking somewhere but they need to find it.

Overall, the episode this week was pretty good.  I hope we get the Christa mystery dealt with soon and get to see her change. Adam might just want to keep his distance during that time or else he will be were-meat. I can’t wait!

Review: Being Human UK, Series 3, Episode 6 - Daddy Ghoul

Synopsis
George is shocked to discover that his father has died. But not as shocked as when he meets the ghost of George Senior. Meanwhile, the Box Tunnel investigation closes in on Mitchell.

 
What I Thought
Mitchell is still feeling the guilt of the Box Tunnel massacre and is trying to keep it all hush hush and away from his friends eyes. Unfortunately Annie is too nosey for her own good sometimes and whilst stealing the paper away from Mitchell, finds out that George’s dad is dead. This prompts George to visit his old home town to attend his father’s funeral from a distance. Upon arriving he spots a familiar face, his dad, George Senior, hiding behind a tree watching his own funeral. George realises that his dad is a ghost and must have some unfinished business so he makes it his duty to help his dad fulfil his bucket list so he can pass on to the other side.

Meanwhile, Annie discovers what happened in Bristol before they left when a police lady comes to investigate Mitchell about the atrocious event that was the Box Tunnel slaughter. Annie can’t believe that Mitchell is being targeted and makes it her mission to help the detective to find the real killer. By doing this, Annie ends up pointing the finger at another supernatural. Will this person tell all?


Elsewhere, Herrick is feeling the effects of blood withdrawal. Mitchell is determined to get him back to his old self so that he can find out the way to survive a werewolf attack. Our much loved vampire is still worrying about his fate in the shape of a wolf. Does Herrick hold the answers that he so greatly wants; only one way to find out.


This is another episode I think that left me with mixed feelings. I think this is because the tone of the series is getting much darker as the finale approaches. There were one or two moments where I giggled and again that was at George’s expense but it was well needed. I am getting anxious as the end of the series nears because we know that Mitchell is going to be attacked sometime soon but we don’t know who by or when and then there is the re-birth of Herrick. Waiting for him to turn back to his old self won’t take long I don’t think. I can see Herrick being back on form by the end of the next episode. I think all it will take is drinking blood from a living person...but who will the unfortunate soul be?

Review: Becoming Human, Episode 4

The gang introduce us to Brandy Mulligan or should that be Brandy Crompton? She comes from a feared family that are known for beating up and bullying people. But she goes one step too far and it could now be her life on the line if Adam’s vampire side has anything to do with it. Luckily he has Christa trying to keep him on the straight and narrow.

Christa tries to coerce Brandy into admitting that she murdered Matt after catching him spying on her in the changing room. But she soon finds out that Matt has been pointing Christa and Adam in the wrong direction once again and we find out why.

My favourite part of this episode was the awkward moment between Adam and Christa in front of Brandy when they try to make it look like they are a couple. Christa looks like she wants to positively puke whereas Adam, I think looked awkward due to his lack of interaction and experience with girls.

Review: Being Human UK, Series 3, Episode 5 - The Longest Day

Synopsis


Herrick is back, but is he megalomaniac vampire or defenceless victim? His life hangs in the balance whilst the housemates try to decide.

What I Thought
 
The Longest Day was one of those episodes where I felt and I didn’t really know how I felt about it at the end of it. Well that’s how it was for me anyway.


George discovers Herrick at the hospital where he and Nina work and he is absolutely gob smacked. He doesn’t know how Herrick got there but he knows that he can’t let him be discovered by the media or else it will mean all supernaturals will be in danger and that’s not good when you have a hairy were-baby on the way. Quick thinking Nina claims he is her uncle and takes Herrick home to Honolulu Heights to live with them.


A flustered social worker stops by to make sure everything is as it should be and basically to tick all the boxes for her paperwork. But the poor woman is harassed and overworked and gets herself in a bother. Nina takes advantage of this to prevent the social worker searching for Herrick’s records and coming up blank. That would raise one too many questions. Another disaster averted.


Meanwhile, Mitchell, if he was alive would be having a heart attack, but he’s not so being the vampire that he is he wants to eliminate any threat to him or his friends and that includes Herrick. He doesn’t believe that he is the defenceless victim that Nina makes him out to be and just wants him gone, but George gives him an ultimatum; stake Herrick and they are no longer friends.


Annie, is torn to pieces in this programme, both relationship wise and friend wise. She is hurt and confused but she still wants to do what is best by her friends and that means get rid of Herrick. She wants to stake him for everyone’s sake but Mitchell convinces her not to.

The episode ends with one member of the gang finding out about Mitchell’s horrible secret, the Box Tunnel massacre and Mitchell thinks he knows who will be the ‘wolf shaped bullet’ that is after him.

Overall, I wasn’t entirely sure what to make of this episode. So much happened in a short space of time and the tone was quite dark. Herrick had me convinced for a while that he was some defenceless sod that doesn’t know who he is or what he is but then there are moments where you see the real Herrick shining through and it makes you question what he’s up to. I think deep down Herrick knows what and who he is and he is playing a game to get closer to Mitchell but only time will tell. What did you guys think?