Book Review - Starcrossed

Title: Starcrossed
Author: Josephine Angelini
Series:  Starcrossed
Genre: Paranormal YA Fantasy
Publication date: 31 May 2011
Author’s website: http://www.josephineangelini.com/
Source: ARC received from Kelly at Pan MacMillan South Africa

Goodreads blurb:

How do you defy destiny?

Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is—no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it's getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she's haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood . . . and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they're destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history.

As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together—and trying to tear them apart.

WARNING:  Review contains spoilers about ending of the book!

My thoughts:

After reading the first two chapters I had definite deja vu.  I had Twilight tinglings.   I was hooked!  Twilight is the book that re-awakened my reading love.  And there isn’t a socially-awkward-girl-meets-beautiful-boy and have a romance-against-the-odds book that I haven’t loved.  I had to read more!

Helen lives with her father and best friend on a little isolated island away from prying eyes – and that is what she needs.  Helen has always been different and tries to hide that fact every minute of her life.  When she arouses even a little attention, she experiences physical pain. She just want to blend into the background.  But it is not to be.  Helen’s peaceful existence is shattered by the arrival of the Delos family.
 
The first time Helen sees Lucas, she has the overwhelming urge to kill him.  Before she has even formed the thought, she launches herself at him from across the hall.  And the feeling is mutual . . . Lucas has to fight himself to keep from hurting Helen.

Lucas is handsome and talented but not afraid to show his venerable side.  He loves his family and will do anything to protect them and their secret.  And soon he is Helen’s protector.
      
Helen and Lucas has to be one of the most enjoyable couples I have read about in a long time.  Their killing lust soon turns into a deep love that even the gods cannot prevent.  But true love is never easy and along the way is a lot of misunderstandings that have to be overcome. 

I thought the author had a wonderful flowing writing style that made this book easy to read.  Now and again, I found all the Greek mythology a bit overwhelming but I understand that it is all part of the story and history of the characters.

Look out for the following spoiler if you have not read the book.

The only negative is that I HATED the ending.  I know it is only the first of the series but I always hate when a book ends with a "cliff hanger" - it feels like I gave my time and got nothing in return.  And looking back, none of the questions were resolved in the end.  That is the only reason that this book did not get 5 stars.  I can’t wait to read the next book, Dreamless to see what happens to Helen and Lucas.

Thank you to Kelly and PAN MACMILLAN South Africa!

 

Dystopian Author interview: Clint Stoker

 

I grew up in Magna, Utah with four brothers and one sister. Reading was never something I was interested in. I survived English classes with cliff notes and a sense of humor.
My real passion was music. I started writing music at 15-years-old. Lyrics were my first real attempt at creative writing. I learned how to tell stories, and hide messages into a three-minute song, and I got good at it. But as I grew older, thee minutes didn't seem like enough time to tell a story.
After high school, I flew to Detroit to serve a mission for The Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. During the two years I lived in Michigan, I gained some extraordinary experiences, and met some extraordinary people. It was an adventure in one of the most dangerous cities in America. I witnessed hard times, drive-by shootings, lives ruined by drugs, and amazing people who had the ability to rise above all the challenges Detroit placed before them. Everyone had a story to tell.
It wasn't until I started college that I started reading just for the fun of it. Dystopian literature was, and still is, my favorite. Comic books are another favorite of mine. They are just another medium to tell a story. The books I read really got me thinking. I started to come up with my own ideas, and that's when I decided to start writing.
I've worked a wide variety of jobs. Everything from teaching per-school to working in a where-house, to graphic design. Now, writing, my wife and little boy are my first priorities.

Clint, how long does it usually take you to write a book?
I can write a book in 3 months. It usually takes me six months, or so, to research and outline a novel.

That is really quick!  What inspired you to write this book?
The idea for "The Cause" started when I read the short story by Ursula K LeGuin called "The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas". It's a critique on the philosophy that majority rules. That it's ok for one person to suffer if it means that the masses can live happily. It's really interesting.
I took this idea in another direction. I created a utopian city that provides everything a person could ever want. The problem is that some residents are asked to do awful things in order to keep the city perfect. The city outlaws negative emotion, particularly guilt. I found the idea fascinating. What would it be like to live such a place? I liked the idea of a rebellion and all the problems that would cause. The idea snowballed until it became "The Cause".

What kind of research did you have to do?
The story called for a lot of creative war tactics. I learned how to make Molotov Cocktails, and how to use C4 explosives. A lot of my research lead me back to World War 2 and the methods people used to resist. I went to school for mass communication, so a lot of study on propaganda helped out too.

Really?  You learned about bombs and explosives!

How does a typical day in your life look?
I wake-up around 7:30. I write best in the morning, even though I'm not a morning person. I get as much done as I can until my five-month-old son wakes-up. I feed him, then we play for a while. When it's nap time for him, the work really starts. I usually write for 2-3 hours a day. I use to write for longer blocks of time, but I've noticed my quality of writing dives if I write too long. In the afternoon, I work on marketing or writing short stories to keep my chops up.

What is the hardest thing about being an author?
As a new author, I have to have a lot of faith in my stories. I spend months on a project, and I always worry nobody will like it. I've never gotten paid an advance for any of my work, so it can be scary. Besides the fear factor, I love everything about writing and publishing my work.

Do you hear from your readers much?  What do they say?
I've gotten a lot of positive feedback from readers. Though, I haven't been around for very long in the world of fiction, I have a small following from my short stories. Most people like to speculate about my stories. "I bet this will happen next..." that type of thing.

Who are some of the authors that inspire you?
Richard Matheson really got me into loving fiction. And Cormac McCarthy's writing is so beautiful. It's amazing how he can write some of the most violent things I've ever read with all the prose of a poet. More recently, Amanda Hocking and John Locke inspired me to just go for it.

What is in your own TBR pile?
I just picked-up two new books -- "The Children Of Men" and "Fahrenheit 451". My list keeps getting longer -- "Brave New World", "The Sheep Look Up", "World War Z", "Silence of the Lambs" "Wicker Man", etc...

Clint, I just love this trailer!

 

Goodreads Blurb:

The only way to fix the system is to break it.
Long after the government falls, one city is founded in it’s place. Residents of the city are granted bodies that never age or grow tired. During the day, residents work to reach new potentials and, since sleep isn’t needed, celebrate all night. But living in Utopia does have a catch.
Guilt is a crime punishable by death.
Air Dressler’s new job description lands him on the city’s firing squad. He finds it impossible to enforce the law without breaking it himself. Through long-forgotten memories and a group of reluctant rebels, Air learns how to break the city. But if he is really going to carry it out, he will have to choose between friends and ideals all the while fighting his own guilt.

 

Thank you so much for your time, Clint!  It was great getting to know the guy behind the book cover. :)

Adding to my Wish List (3)

I love all kinds of books but I especially love dystopian books.  Maybe this cannot be classified strictly as dystopian but when the whole world as we know it ends . . . it always draws my attention :)

Goodreads blurb:

They took the job to escape the world.
They didn't expect the world to end.

Kasker Rampart: a derelict refinery platform moored in the Arctic Ocean. A skeleton crew of fifteen fight boredom and despair as they wait for a relief ship to take them home. But the world beyond their frozen wasteland has gone to hell. Cities lie ravaged by a global pandemic. One by one TV channels die, replaced by silent wavebands. The Rampart crew are marooned. They must survive the long Arctic winter, then make their way home alone. They battle starvation and hypothermia, unaware that the deadly contagion that has devastated the world is heading their way...

Author interview: Mike Mauthor

 

Mike, the author of Housetrap has agreed to give us a little insight into his life.  But before we get to all that stuff, here is the blurb of Housetrap on Goodreads:

Rachel Evans is a sixteen year old overachiever who would take nothing less than to achieve her goal of getting into Dartmouth College. But Rachel’s life would never be the same once she stepped into the house of Alicia Hausefalle, the most popular girl in Wedds High School. Rachel was there to tutor her. She never expected to meet two strangers who were ready to end her life.

Mike, tell us, when did you start writing?

Around the fourth grade, I remember reading a fairy tale (don’t remember what it was called) and it got me to write my own book but mine was based on reality. I don’t remember the details but all I know is that it was about a couple with their newborn baby and how they were starting their life. However, I remember feeling excited when I completed it. So that’s what got me to start writing.

How long does it usually take you to write a book?

It depends.  With a short novel it usually takes two months if I’m really working on a daily basis.  Novels usually take a year or so.  House Trap took a while longer because I put it aside to concentrate on school duties.

What inspired you to write this book? 

What inspired me to write House Trap was that I wanted to write a good thriller.  I just thought of an idea on what would happen if a teenager was trapped in a house with a stranger or two without any escape. What would she go through, how could she escape from them? What would these strangers do if they got her? Why would these strangers want to get her in the first place? More questions erupted from that little idea and the story took form and took me to places that I never imagined.

How does a typical day in your life go?

Sleeping, waking up, going to work, watching television, hang out with love ones and doing the cycle  all over again. My life isn’t really interesting. It’s quite mundane.

LoL – that’s what we do too!  Sometimes mundane is what we need!
What is the hardest thing about being an author?

Writer’s block. Sometimes I have absolutely nothing to write about. It’s really frustrating when you want to finish writing the book in a specific date and you don’t have anything to write.  House Trap, for instance, I had no idea how the climax would end when the antagonist confronted Rachel who was in really bad shape. I literally didn’t know how it would end as I pondered and pondered for days till I decided to write from the heart.  The character wrote themselves as I decided not to do an outline.  The character wrote themselves (not literally of course) but they somehow told me on how the showdown should end. Overall I thought it was really good. Some people might not like what occurred but this is how the story wrote itself.

I have heard that a lot that characters just seem to demand a certain path even if it is not the one we want.  :)
Do you hear from your readers much? What do they say? 

Yes I’ve heard from them and they usually ask what my next book would be that why I created a special section in my blog (novelpro.weebly.com) called “Projects” this gives my fans a sneak peek of my upcoming books. 

Who are some of the authors that inspire you?

I’ve to say that the first author to have me reading like crazy is R.L. Stine.  His fear street series got me hooked as well as his Goosebumps series although his fear street series were slightly better.  Scott Smith the author of The Ruins and A Simple Plan. Michael Crichton, his plots would get anyone hook on his stories. Jerry Spinelli knows how to write the life of an adolescent child. Lois Lowry with “The Giver” which should be read by any and every one. And of course J.K. Rowling for creating wonderful characters. I think her characters are the reason the books are so successful.

What is in your own TBR pile?

The pursuit of happiness by Christopher  Gardner
Never Let go by Kazuo Ishiguo
Tick Tock by Dean Knootz
On the Line by Serena Williams
Her fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger

Thank you, Mike – we loved hearing more about the man behind the book!

Movie Review - - Fair Game

 

Title: Fair Game
Starring: Naomi Watts and Sean Penn
South African Release date: 04 February 2011

When we started watching Fair Game, I had no idea what it was really all about.  It was just another CIA movie about the war in Iraq. 

But this movie (which is based on a true story) is all about Valerie Plame and her husband, Joe Wilson’s, plight against the US government.  The simplified version (from an outsider’s point of view) is that the US government tried to cover themselves by finding a scapegoat when it came out that they went to war based on evidence that did not exist.  When you really think about it, it is scary what a big and powerful government can get away with.  I did not follow the story in the press at the time, so I am not sure how close it stays to the real events but it made for a gripping two hours.

(Valerie and actress Naomi Watts)

Here is the official trailer.

Fair Game is a deep drama with strong actors that shows the darker side of what life can become when you give your life to your job.  I found the story gripping and it clung to me long after the last credits rolled.

Author interview and Giveaway – Megan Duncan

Everyone meet Megan Duncan, standing here in White Sands New Mexico, a location that was included in her first book Released. She has been writing all her life and after tons of rejections and being scammed by certain companies, she has decided to self-publish.  She lives in Las Vegas, Nevada with her husband and her cat Jack, who thinks he is a dog.

Megan, when did you start writing?I started writing in about 3rd grade and continued on from there, writing casually and really only for myself.  It wasn't until a year ago that I took the big leap and chose to self-publish.

How long does it usually take you to write a book? It typically takes me 2-3 months to write a book.

Wow, that is really fast! 
What inspired you to write this book? I was inspired to write Released based on my love of apocalyptic movies and books.  I don't know why but stories about the end of the world are interesting to me. I guess that makes me a weirdo.

Well, if that was so, I think a lot of us would be called weirdo’s – lol.  We LOVE dystopian books!
Give us an insider’s look – how does a typical day in your life look?
A typical day in my life starts at 4:30 am, I get ready and go to work until I get home at 6pm.  Then I usually have dinner, write as much as I can and go to bed, so I can do it all over again. :o) Sounds fun huh?  I look forward to the weekends very much!

4:30am??  Oh no – I could never do that! 
What is the hardest thing about being an author?
I think the hardest thing about being an author, so far, is trying not too worry to much about what other people think and how they may compare you to other authors.  Being rejected isn't to great either, but I know that is a frequent bump in the road for many authors.

Do you hear from your readers much? What do they say? I actually don't hear from very many readers, but I can say that I have heard from many reviewers and fellow authors and I can't say enough good things about them.  They are all so very friendly and supportive that it only further inspires me to write, write, write.

Who are some of the authors that inspire you? Two authors that inspire me are Anne McCaffrey and Terry Goodkind.  The worlds they create in their stories are so incredibly fantastical and I would love to live in them.

What is in your own TBR pile? I have tons of books on my TBR list, but a few are; Descended by Blood, by Angelinea Kace, Demon Day by Penelope Fletcher and Oubliette by Megg Jensen.

Megan’s first book is called Released and just look at this beautiful cover!


Blurb from Goodreads:After a demon apocalypse kills their parents and everyone they know, 17-year old Abby Phillips, her brother, Carter, and friend, Max flee their home to travel through what has become the wastelands of America. When radio transmissions of a resistance offering shelter and safety cease, Abby is tempted to give up. Struggling to overcome life-threatening obstacles in their dangerous journey, Abby and her companions quickly discover there are much worse things lurking in the dark than they could have ever imagined.

Megan has generously agreed to give away an eBook copy of Released to a lucky commenter.  So leave your details and I will draw a lucky reader on 09 September 2011.

Thank you so much, Megan!!

Guest author post (and giveaway) with Sondra Allan Carr

Thanks, Chrizette, for this opportunity to share a little bit about myself and my new book on your blog. My name is Sondra Allan Carr. I'm a writer from Lexington, Kentucky, an area that's famous for its horse farms, bourbon, and--I might as well say it, because a lot of people out there are thinking it--fried chicken.
This is an exciting time to be a writer, because the publishing industry is changing with breathtaking speed. More and more authors are turning down contracts from the big traditional publishing houses in order to publish online through venues such as Amazon.com and Smashwords.com. This gives writers more control over their work and, just as important, it gives readers more choice, because thousands of good writers have been rejected by the big publishers. Too often they're told it's because their work didn't "fit the mould."
Well, I'm willing to bet there are plenty of readers out there who don't fit the mould either. This is where the book bloggers come in. I like to think of them as online dating sites for books, people who have found their match and want to help their readers do the same. "Do you like fantasy? Science fiction? Teen vampires? Historical romances?" they ask. "There's someone I want you to meet..."

Speaking of historical romances, let me introduce you to my new book, A Bed of Thorns and Roses.

The story takes place during America's Gilded Age, in 1895 to be precise, and is my take on the classic tale of Beauty and the Beast. I chose that particular era because it was a time when women who fell outside the boundaries of the rigid morality of the day were ostracized by society. It didn't matter whether they jumped or were pushed past the limits, these women were often blamed for the crimes committed against them as if they had chosen to be victims. That was the case with my heroine, Isabelle, and explains the extreme shame she felt for what happened to her.

The following is a brief summary of A Bed of Thorns and Roses:

Heir to a wealthy robber baron, Jonathan Nashe had every advantage money could buy until a tragic fire left him horribly disfigured. Now he lives secluded in his isolated country mansion, finding what solace he can in his scientific research. Declining health eventually threatens to rob him of even this small comfort. Forced to choose between his work and his privacy, Jonathan reluctantly hires a secretary.
Victim of a brutal rape as well as her alcoholic father's emotional and physical abuse, Isabelle Tate long ago abandoned any hope of personal happiness. Instead, she focuses all her dreams for the future on her younger sister Jenny. When a handsome doctor unexpectedly offers her a position as secretary to his reclusive and wealthy patient, Isabelle sees the opportunity to make a better life for Jenny. She signs a contract binding her to employment for one year and, after a tearful farewell, leaves Jenny for her new home at Jonathan Nashe's country estate.
When he sees Isabelle alight from the carriage, Jonathan curses his friend Dr. Garrick. It had never occurred to him the doctor would hire a woman for the position. What would she do when she saw his mask? Probably run from the room screaming. At the very least, he will have to endure her revulsion.
Their first meeting is disastrous, to put it mildly. Even worse, Jonathan soon realizes that sacrificing his privacy is the least of his concerns; he never expected to sacrifice his heart as well.
Afraid of losing Isabelle, Jonathan proposes marriage, phrasing his offer as a business transaction, asking nothing more than her companionship. But Isabelle refuses. She guards the secrets of her past as vigilantly as Jonathan hides the scars beneath his mask. Will they confess their growing love for one another knowing that to bare their deepest feelings, they must also bare their deepest shame?

You can find Jonathan and Isabelle's story at Amazon.com and Smashwords.com. 

You can connect with me online at http://www.facebook.com/sondraallancarr or http://twitter.com/SondraCarr. 
I would love to hear from you.
Let me leave you with a parting question. Do you have a favorite book based on Beauty and the Beast?

Guys, Sondra has generously offered us a free coupon for her book on Smashwords -http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/63137 – just type in YX49B. 
All we ask is that you leave a comment here saying that you will be reading A Bed of Thorns and Roses and then consider leaving a review on Smashwords and off course everywhere else too!  :)

Thank you so much Sondra!  I can’t wait to read A Bed of Thorns and Roses!  Beauty and the Beast type stories are a secret addiction with me!  I just love the romance of it!