Interview with co-author of The Ending Series Lindsey Pogue

So a few months back I got the chance to read After The Ending.  Let me just say the book was awesome!! Even more awesome, I was able to read the sequel, Into The Fire, AND I got an interview out of it too!

Tell us a little about yourself. Where are you from? Do you feel where you live influences how or what you write? 

LP: I was born and raised in the Napa Valley and have recently bought a home here. I can’t say that where I live has influenced my writing as much as my traveling around the world has. I’m more aware of other cultures and situations, and as a result I’ve come to really appreciate the opportunities I have living in the US. It’s provided an extra nudge to pursue my dream of being a writer.

What sort of expectations did you have when being published was on the horizon?

LP: Although I had high hopes that people would love the story we had to tell, I tried to have realistic expectations and prepare myself for the “worst”. Either way, I promised myself that I would be proud of myself for actually publishing one of my stories, which again, is a dream I’ve had my entire life.

What is your biggest pet peeve?

LP: Hmmmm. I think common courtesy is my biggest pet peeve. I like to think of myself as courteous—I call if I’m going to be late or apologize when I accidentally run into someone—but a lot of people don’t do that, and it REALLY upsets me.

You co-wrote Into The Fire. How exactly did you work that out? Do you write together or take turns? How do you go about planning how the story will progress? How do you decide which way to take a book if you both have different opinions on which direction the book should go? 

LP: As we’ve moved through the series, the process has changed. When we initially started, we were able to write After The Ending separately because our characters and story lines didn’t integrate much. We would write and edit everything together, essentially. However, now all of that’s changed and we’re working together more closely. While that’s difficult in some ways (prolonging the writing process), it’s also beneficial to keeping the flow and staying true to our characters and story line as we bring them all together.

Is one of you the voice of of Zoe and one the voice of Dani, or do you voice them equally?

LP: I write for Zoe and the characters associated with her story line. When some of my characters are in Dani chapters, LF writes them and I’ll make changes/suggestions if needed. LF does the same with my chapters. I personally really enjoyed writing her character, Ky, in Into The Fire J Maybe it’s because he’s a lot like Harper who didn’t get to be as fun-loving and flirtatious in this book, but I look forward to “working” with Ky in the future J

Are you planning on writing more books together? (Besides any that are part of The Ending series?)

LP: We’ve discussed doing a spin off series in the future, but we’ve made no commitment to it. We’ve definitely thrown around ideas and plan to leave a few things open (nothing major) that would allow us to write another series should we choose to do so.

You're both named Lindsey, does that ever get confusing at book events?

LP: People get confused all the time, but I think it’s also unique and helps us stand out a bit for the rest of the writing world more than “hurt” us, if that makes any sense. It’s actually really funny because we have A LOT in common so the fact that we’re both “Lindsey” is the icing on the cake.     

Is there a genre you prefer to write? What about to read?

LP: I love to read romance (historical and contemporary). Everything I write, no matter which genre, will always have a romantic thread. One day, I would love to be able to write a series like Philippa Gregory’s “The Cousins’ War” series, but I have no plans to take on such a large project, at least not in the near future.

Care to give us a peek at your latest writing projects? Either books written together or separately or both.

LP: I’m currently working on a historical romance/adventure story that takes place in both England and the Bermuda Islands. It’s sort of like Swiss Family Robinson meets a more scandalous Jane Austen novel. It probably won’t be out until late 2014. I don’t have a confirmed title for it yet.

Just because I can. It's Christmas and you've survived the epidemic, what's on your wish list?

LP: For entertainment, I’d like either Man of Steel or Thor on DVD  because, let’s be honest, I’m a sucker for hunks. For writing, I’m in desperate need of an ergonomic, wireless keyboard. I’m hoping Santa has me on the “Nice” list J

Where else you can find them:

Their Website

Their Blog

Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Kobo

Smashwords

After The Ending

By:

Lindsey Fairleigh

Lindsey Pogue

Into the Fire

Book Two in The Ending Series

By: Lindsey Fairleigh & Lindsey Pogue

If you haven't started this series yet, be sure to pick up a copy of After the Ending, which is on sale for a limited time for only .99 cents. Definitely a great Christmas prezzie! Click here to get your copy!

Kindle Fire HD Raffle for Charity

“I'm very polite by nature, even the voices in my head let each other finish their sentences.” – from Completely Flappable

Don’t you just hate it when you have a thousand little thoughts rattling around your brain, good for nothing but keeping you up at night? Ideas, worries, mental reminders for the next day? My voices can get pretty insistent, and mostly this is a nuisance, but sometimes it’s okay, when there’s a story idea or two among the ramblings. And rarely, very rarely, I get what I think is a really good idea, but one that I don't know what to do with.

For instance, a while ago it occurred to me that it’s probably not governments or big corporations that wield the world’s greatest financial power. I think it’s us. All the little people together. Then I started wondering what could happen if we all decided to set 1 month of our incomes aside towards fixing this place up a bit. How many of the world’s problems could we actually solve permanently? Half of them, maybe? All of them? That's a pretty cool picture.

But I’m a pretty dim light when it comes to implementing even small ideas, never mind the big ones. So I’m not sure how to get that ball rolling (heck, I'm not even sure where we keep the balls). But I can certainly start with myself. That’s easy enough (I’ve been in close contact with myself for years; I didn't have much trouble convincing myself.)

So, this December, all proceeds of all my novels will go to Child Helpline International. The CHI is pretty cool because they support toll-free child helplines worldwide and they help highlight gaps in child protection systems. They do all this on donations (click the image below for more information.)


But what does all this have to do with you? Well, I'm raffling off some prizes and giving out some freebees to boost the donation (expenses out of my own pocket, not the donation :P )

So what's in it for you, besides that warm, fuzzy feeling you'll get knowing the Xmas presents you’re buying include an automatic donation? Well, how about I give you the new edition to the award winning No Hope for Gomez saga completely free?
And how about a Kindle Fire HD raffle ticket with every purchase while we’re at it?
Simply forward your receipt emails to nohopeforgomez@gmail.com to participate.

And now, on to the pitch. This is the bit where I try to convince you, using only my words, that my novels don’t suck (or at least, not too much.) That they won’t only tickle your brain, but they’ll actually make your life better, if only marginally. That they are, in fact, worthy donation material. Here goes (fingers crossed)...

Paper: $6.08 Kindle:$2.99 (uk paper, kindle)

No Hope for Gomez! Winner of the Forewords Book of the Year Awards, featured on Kirkus Best Indie List 2011, IBA and USA Book News Award nominee. It's the age-old tale:   Boy meets girl.   Boy stalks girl.   Girl already has a stalker.   Boy becomes her stalker-stalker. We've seen it all before, many times, but this time it's different. If only slightly.

"Extremely witty writing containing keen insights into human nature." --California Chronicle
"Challenges the way we think about, and interact with, the world around us." --Kirkus Discoveries
"The antics in this book will leave the reader laughing. Graham Parke is a genius."--Reader's Favorite

Unspent Time Warning: reading this novel may make you more attractive and elevate your random luck by about 9.332%* (*These statements have not been evaluated by anyone of consequence) Permeating the cracks between the past and the present is the realm of Unspent Time. Time that was allotted but never spent. In this realm we find the stories that could have been true. Such as the story of the designer of the color scheme used inside your shoe, or the story of Goki Feng Ho: the Chinese art of decoding the secret meaning of car license plates.

Paper: $6.08 Kindle:$2.99 ePub : $2.99 (uk paper, kindle)

“Captivating. Each story fired up my imagination.” – Alan H. Jordan, author.
"Delightfully mad. Graham's vibrant characters shine from the first page." --Tahlia Newland, author.

Free with this event

Completely Flappable “He’s completely flappable!” “Don’t you mean he’s unflappable?” “Not really. He can very easily be flapped.” Gomez has never been on a date. In his 27 years on the planet he’s never been able to quite close the deal. For some reason, circumstances always conspire to make his meet-ups with women less than official dates. But now a blond German girl with freckles has moved into his building and he decides it’s time to get his act together.

If you've read this far, you're already my hero ;)
I hope you like my idea enough to join me in this fun adventure. Let's see how much we can raise this Xmas ;)

Kind regards,

Graham Parke

Manga/Graphic Novel/Video Game Novel Challenge 2013 Review

So this year since I said that I would try to get to Level 3 of the Challenge That means I need to have at least 25 books read before the end of the year. That's at least 2 books a month. (and one extra one in at least one of those 12 months)   As a change from last year I'm gonna be putting the reviews up here as I get them done and then linking them in the monthly round-up at Mother/Gamer/Writer.  I also plan to try to remember my update my Challenge page at the end of the month. Want to see what the other people in the challenge are reading this month? Click here!

Grimm Fairy Tales: Robyn Hood: Wanted

By: Patrick Shand & Larry Watts

Amazon Summery:

As a mysterious villain calling himself "the Sheriff" begins to terrorize Nottingham, the people that Robyn once liberated are again in need of her help. But with the police searching for her on Earth, Robyn has her own problems. Can Robyn rise up and be the hero that Nottingham needs, or will she be forced to face the consequences of her own actions? Find out in the sequel to the fan-favorite series, Robyn Hood: Wanted!

My Review:

Robyn Hood: Wanted picks up a year later from where the previous story left off. (Check out my review here)  Robyn has returned to Earth and the people of Bree have started over in their newly renamed town of Nottingham. But all is not right with either world.  Robyn finds herself wanted for the murders she committed on Earth and the people of Bree find themselves terrorized by the Sheriff of Nottingham. The first chapters bounce between Earth and Bree as the reader catches up with what has been happening in both worlds.

I have to say I’m still really enjoying the story.  More is revealed of the characters and the story is still very dark.   Plus I love the way the traditional Robin Hood story has been rewritten for the part of Robin to be played by a girl.  I also liked the fact that she jokes about her ‘clothing’, or lack thereof, in Nottingham.  As I’ve said before though about the women’s clothing in the Grimm Fairy Tales, I know some view it at sexist, but if I could get away with wearing it, I definitely would.

 I love the illustration as well.  All the artwork that I’ve seen from the Grimm books has been amazing and this one was no exception. You can definitely tell the difference between Earth and Bree/Nottingham.  While both are drawn well, Earth’s coloring lacks a certain luster and richness to it; making Earth seem the less realistic of the two worlds.

The book does end with a cliffie, so I hope that the next installment comes out soon.  Also, as with the other graphics I’ve read from Grimm Fairy Tales, I wouldn’t recommend this for the under 18 crowd. First because of the gore and then there is the whole clothing thing, not so much in this one, but still.  But over all I really enjoyed this edition of the Robyn Hood series and I highly recommend it.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  

Steampunk Hop Giveaway!

First let me start by thanking V over at Vvb32 Reads for hosting this hop! Second unfortunately due to budgetary issues this giveaway is limited to U.S. only. Sorry to all my international readers, but I will be having some that are open internationally in the near future. Now onto the good stuff the prize!!!  One lucky reader will win my print copy of The Lazarus machine by Paul Crilley!

The Lazarus Machine 

By: Paul Crilley

Amazon Summery:

An alternate 1895, A world where Charles Babbage and Ada Lovelace perfected the Difference Engine. Where steam and Tesla-powered computers are everywhere. Where automatons powered by human souls venture out into the sprawling London streets. Where the Ministry, a secretive government agency, seeks to control everything in the name of the Queen. It is in this claustrophobic, paranoid city that seventeen-year old Sebastian Tweed and his conman father struggle to eke out a living. But all is not well. A murderous, masked gang has moved into London, spreading terror through the criminal ranks as they take over the underworld. As the gang carves up more and more of the city, a single name comes to be uttered in fearful whispers.Professor Moriarty.
When Tweed's father is kidnapped by Moriarty, he is forced to team up with information broker, Octavia Nightingale, to track him down. But he soon realizes that his father's disappearance is just a tiny piece of a political conspiracy that could destroy the British Empire and plunge the world into a horrific war.

Just enter using the Rafflecopter below. If you want to find out more about The Lazarus Machine check out my review here at Mother/Gamer/Writer.

Remember you need to have a U.S. mailing address and be 18+ to enter.  Then continue on with the Hop using the linky below! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy Release Day!!

Happy Release Day to:

Into the Fire

Book Two in The Ending Series

By: Lindsey Fairleigh & Lindsey Pogue

Amazon Summery:

The Virus changed them, but that was only the beginning...

...death...mutation...insanity...corruption...terror...

...all that remains is hope.



In the wake of destruction left behind by the Virus, it took Dani and Zoe months to find each other. But their reunion was short-lived. Dani has been taken, and though little distance separates them, they might as well be worlds apart.



From the moment she hears Dani's scream, Zoe's only goal is to save her best friend. She and her companions scramble to come up with a rescue plan, but when a ghost from Jake's past reappears, lines are blurred, decisions become harder, and secrets are revealed...and some secrets are best left buried. To keep heartache and fear from consuming her, Zoe must cling to her determination. She will see Dani again.



Dani awakens inside the final hold-out of civilization: the Colony. Remnants of the former world surround her--electricity, safety, social order--but all is not what it seems. As she faces her most manipulative adversary yet, she loses sight of who she is and who she can trust. Friends become enemies, enemies become allies, and allies will betray her. Dani will have to decide what she's willing to do and whose lives she's willing to risk if she is to have any chance of breaking free. 

So today the sequel to After the Ending comes out!! I am so excited! If you haven't started this series yet, be sure to pick up a copy of After the Ending, which is on sale for a limited time for only .99 cents. Click here to get your copy!

Review of Into the Fire by Lindsey Fairleigh & Lindsey Pogue

Into The Fire

By: Lindsey Fairleigh & Lindsey Pogue

Amazon Summery:

The Virus changed them, but that was only the beginning...

...death...mutation...insanity...corruption...terror...

...all that remains is hope.

In the wake of destruction left behind by the Virus, it took Dani and Zoe months to find each other. But their reunion was short-lived. Dani has been taken, and though little distance separates them, they might as well be worlds apart.

From the moment she hears Dani's scream, Zoe's only goal is to save her best friend. She and her companions scramble to come up with a rescue plan, but when a ghost from Jake's past reappears, lines are blurred, decisions become harder, and secrets are revealed...and some secrets are best left buried. To keep heartache and fear from consuming her, Zoe must cling to her determination. She will see Dani again.

Dani awakens inside the final hold-out of civilization: the Colony. Remnants of the former world surround her--electricity, safety, social order--but all is not what it seems. As she faces her most manipulative adversary yet, she loses sight of who she is and who she can trust. Friends become enemies, enemies become allies, and allies will betray her. Dani will have to decide what she's willing to do and whose lives she's willing to risk if she is to have any chance of breaking free. 

My Review:

So I reviewed After the Ending, the first book in The Endingseries, a few months ago and I enjoyed it immensely.  Fortunately Into the Fire, the second book in the series, did not disappoint.

 I’ve really gotten attached to Dani and Zoe, but in Into the Fire even more characters were introduced that I liked just as much.  I still also like the way that the authors switch back and forth between the characters viewpoints.   Dani, however, is still my favorite.  But I did start to like Zoe even more in this book and, without giving too much away, I can’t wait to see where the authors take her in the next book that comes out next year.

As for the story, in Into the Fire the reader gets to find out even more about how the virus came about.  There is still lots of action and this time there are a lot of plot twists.  Some I saw coming, but a few, on in particular, I really didn’t expect but again, I can’t wait to see where it goes. The first book ended on a definite cliffie, and into the fire does end rather abruptly, but more as a lead in into the next book, not as a shear drop.  I actually really liked this ending, especially when compared to the ending of the first book, and I really thought it was going to end completely differently so again without too much spoilerage I was definitely pleasantly surprised.  Also I love the way that the authors have woven Dani and Zoe’s stories together.  Both in how they came together at the end of the first book to how they came back together again at the end of the second.

Overall I think this series is really good. It started strong and has continued into the second novel without losing steam. I can’t wait ‘til next year when book three, Out of the Ashes is released.  I definitely recommend reading the books in order though, so if you haven’t read After the Ending yet, pick it up and get reading!  

Seriously go pick it up! For a limited time book one in the series, After the Ending is on sale for only .99 cents! Just click here to find it on Amazon! 

Leon's Lair Blog Tour ~ Guest Post & Giveaway

WHY WE SHOULD NOT CALL OUR WIZARD A WARLOCK

A guest post by Lee and Gary Jordan of the author team PHOENIX

When writing our paranormal thriller, Leon's Lair, I did some research on witches because we have a main good guy, Wolfgang Ulrich, who is a what? ... A Wizard? Sorcerer? Magician? Mage? Warlock. Witch?

It seems all of these appellations are fine if your witch has good intentions ... with the exception of the term warlock.

Most people think a warlock is simply the male equivalent of a witch. I was assured in some of my research that witch applied to both male or female. However, it bothered me to call Wolf a witch. It seemed female to me, so I started out calling him a warlock and found that was a big mistake.

The way I found out was when I was posting fun stuff on our Facebook Author Page having to do with facts about vampires, witches and warlocks. I was severely reprimanded by one visitor. It seems calling our male witch a warlock was a big no-no. People in the Wiccan religion object to that term.

So I started looking into it. What I found was there are many people who claim to be witches. I mean, there is even a school on the Internet – Witch School International – for the education and training needed to become an accomplished mage.

I also found that people, who really know their stuff tell you that warlocks, as a Christian legend, were dark or villainous, consorts of the devil and flew on pitchforks rather than on brooms. Some say that in Old English a warlock meant an oath breaker, which was a major offense when someone lived in a time where a man's word might be all you had to judge him. Warlocks in this sense were liars who could not be trusted, and they were often exiled or reviled by those who knew of their deeds.

In modern Wiccan groups, the word warlock is often used to refer to someone who has broken vows, or who is a practitioner of dark magic. It's a very insulting and derogatory term in these circles and shouldn't be used lightly.

Even in modern fiction the idea of a warlock remains dark and mystical. In games like World of Warcraft and Dungeons and Dragons, the warlock tends to be dark if not outright evil and diabolical, with power gained from infernal sources, of or relating to hell.

The difference between a warlock and a wizard varies, depending on who you talk to, and in both cases, the terms refer to a practitioner of magic. Some people use the terms “wizard” and “warlock” interchangeably, along with terms like sorcerer and mage, while others use these terms in very specific ways. In the Wiccan community in particular, the word “warlock” has a very specific and offensive meaning.

“Warlock” is an older word than “wizard,” coming from the Old English waerloga, which means “oath breaker,” while wizard comes from the Middle English word for “wise.” The etymologies of the words illustrate the different ways in which people sometimes view them.

Wizards are generally viewed as good people with strong moral codes who also offer wise advice and assistance, and many fantasy stories feature a kindly wizard who helps the characters achieve their goals – like Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings.

And who does not love Gandalf?

Now Leon in Leon's Lair, on the other hand, is bad to the bone. He is not a warlock but a vampire. If you would like to meet him, and our wizard, Wolfgang Ulrich, a leader with the secret society called The Association for Paranormal Creatures, and find out what he and his associates propose to do about Leon, pick up a copy of Leon's Lair

.

What would you do if your vacation cruise ship was being attacked and you were certain you would to be killed?

Would you fight? Would you hide? Would you try to escape?

This international thriller/contemporary fantasy is a nail-biting ride that is grisly but somewhat tongue-in-cheek, a brutal tale of horror and the occult that doesn't take itself too seriously. It includes romance, continental adventure, action, suspense, and dozens of vivid characters from around the world.

The adventure starts with The Jakarta, an elegant cruise ship sailing the exotic seas in Indonesia with a passenger list of ninety, unsuspecting people. Jane and her best friend, Remy, are just getting know the rest of the small group of young twenty-something’s when the ship is attacked by pirates. However, Leon and his band are not your usual pirates - they want something else.

Jane and two male companions escape the horror, fleeing in a lifeboat. In their flight to escape Leon and his men, they become lost at sea for weeks, are out of water, and have nearly lost hope of ever finding rescue when they finally catch sight of land, a dangerous rain-forested island that seems deserted. However, their fight for survival has only just begun.

They are not alone.

Fate is cruel.

They thought they had escaped, only to find they are caught in Leon's Lair.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now for the giveaway! Up for grabs:

                                                         PRIZES:

One $50 Amazon Gift Certificate

One Healing Spa Bath And Body Products Therapy Gift Basket by Furniture Creations 

Open this wicker treasure chest to discover a wealth of spa delights! Spoil yourself with soothing skin-care enriched with the goodness of olive oil, avocado and lemon.

One California Delicious Starbucks Sampler Coffee Gift Basket

by California Delicious Slow down for a cup of soul-soothing Starbucks coffee: breakfast blend, house blend, caffe Verona or Sumatra, complimented with a sweet bite of biscotti.

One T-Shirt with "Vampires Need Love, Too," your choice of size and color

Five copies of Leon's Lair 6 x 9 paperback - autographed specially to you.

Four Leon's Lair Coffee Cup with the book cover on it and it says "Vampires Need Love, Too."

Twenty Two Leon's Lair Special Bookmarks

Enter using the Rafflecopter below:

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LEON'S LAIR is available in Kindle and paperback versions on Amazon

US

UK

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Tell Me When I'm Dead Review & Giveaway! (Ends Oct. 31st)

Tell Me When I'm Dead

By: Steven Ramirez

Amazon Summery:

Lucky to have made it to his early twenties, Dave Pulaski wandered through life lost and drunk with his best friend Jim.

Then came Holly. She made it her mission to clean him up. And he finally did it. Two years sober, Dave has plans for a family, a steady job and college.

One night Jim disappears, leaving a grisly trail of animal carcasses and murdered bodies. Now Missy, the woman Dave cheated with, threatens to destroy not only his marriage but his sobriety. Between Missy’s jealous demands for attention and the police investigation focused on Jim’s disappearance, Dave’s neatly ordered world quickly spirals out of control.

Amid the wreckage of Dave’s personal life, a contagion brings chaos to his hometown of Tres Marias. The condition, known as “the jimmies,” infects hundreds and kills quickly. But the dead find no rest. They rise as ravenous flesh-eaters.

Dave soon learns that “not all draggers want to eat your flesh, some want revenge.” And Jim and Missy, both infected, each want something from Dave.

The quarantine of Tres Marias creates hell on Earth. Badly outnumbered security forces are no match for the growing hordes of undead.

Follow Dave, Holly and a small band of heavily armed soldiers and civilians as they fight to survive looters, paramilitary nut jobs and the zombie apocalypse.

If the zombies don’t kill them, the wackos surely will. Nowhere is safe.

My Review:

Tell Me When I’m Dead is a good start to what looks to be an interesting series.  There were a few things I didn’t like, but the positive definitely outweighed the negative.

First let’s talk about what I did like. 

The story is told through the main character, Dave’s, eyes.  I don’t know if I can really say I liked Dave, ‘cause honestly there was a lot of stuff about him that I didn’t like, at least at the beginning. He cheats on his wife, he lies, and he just seems to get really whiney…  But maybe it was his imperfections that made him more interesting? Gave him more of a chance to grow? By the end of the book he is a better person all around.  But it was interesting to see the zombie apocalypse through the eyes of someone who isn’t the perfect hero, has no clue what he’s really doing, and who sometimes you wish he would get eaten.

Also I really liked the story itself.  It starts off before the zombie apocalypse actually begins.  Plus while it does happen quickly, it doesn’t happen as suddenly as in some other zombie books.  Infected are actually wandering the streets alongside non-infected.  There is even a scene where there are some kids tormenting a zombie before they turn completely.  You really get to see how something can take hold because people aren’t paying that much attention.

What I didn’t like. 

There were two main things that bothered me.

The lesser of the two was the ending. It’s one of those ‘to be continued’ endings.  I mean it does set it up perfectly for the next book, but still it’s a cliffie.

The second is my bigger issue.  The majority of the book is well detailed, then near the end there is a section that just seems to get really vague then it snaps back for the final chapters.  It just seemed completely different than the rest of the novel. 

Overall I really liked the book. Yeah there were a few things that bothered me a bit, but it was a solid read.  As I said I think it is a good start to what looks to be promising series.  Want a chance to see what you think of Tell Me When I’m Dead? Enter using the Rafflecopter below. Winner will get an e-copy of Tell Me When I’m Dead.  Contest is open internationally and in celebration of Halloween will run to the end of the month! Must be 18 or over to enter.

Can't wait that long? Click the link under the cover pic above and pick up your own copy sooner!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Manga/Graphic Novel/Video Game Novel 2013 Review

So this year since I said that I would try to get to Level 3 of the Challenge That means I need to have at least 25 books read before the end of the year. That's at least 2 books a month. (and one extra one in at least one of those 12 months)   As a change from last year I'm gonna be putting the reviews up here as I get them done and then linking them in the monthly round-up at Mother/Gamer/Writer.  I also plan to try to remember my update my Challenge page at the end of the month. Want to see what the other people in the challenge are reading this month? Click here!

Bakuman

By:  Takeshi Ohba & Takeshi Obata

Amazon Summery:

Average student Moritaka Mashiro enjoys drawing for fun. When his classmate and aspiring writer Akito Takagi discovers his talent, he begs Moritaka to team up with him as a manga-creating duo. But what exactly does it take to make it in the manga-publishing world?

My Review:

I usually don’t read manga that doesn’t have some sort of supernatural or magical twist to it, so Bakuman was definitely a change of pace for me.  It is done by the creators of Death Note so I figured I would give it a try. It was actually kinda neat.

Let’s start with the art work.  I really liked all the different characters. They were really well drawn. Also the backgrounds were very well detailed.  I also enjoyed the little storyboards that separated the chapters.  After reading about how the boys plan on setting up their book, seeing the actual storyboards for the book was neat.

The story itself was actually really interesting.  Both in how it gave a look into how a manga is created and into Japanese culture.  I didn’t know if I would enjoy it at first, but there were a lot of cute and funny parts.  I’m not sure if some of the parts I found funny were supposed to be or not, because of the cultural differences, but I didn’t get bored with the book so that is good. 

If you haven’t read a non-paranormal manga may I suggest Bakuman?  It’s well drawn and fun to read.  It has fun characters and I didn’t even miss that there wasn’t a magical fairy or fireball in sight.

Empath Blog Tour Stop

The Origin of the Flawed Series

Welcome to the Empath Blog Tour! During the tour, Empath (The Flawed Series Book One) is on sale for a discounted price of $0.99. Read on to find out more about the idea of the Flawed series came about and why I enjoy writing about people with superhuman weaknesses.

A New Twist on an Old Concept

Four and a half years ago, I decided to try a creative experiment. With no prior writing experience, I wondered if I had it in me to write a book – a full-length novel – from start to finish. The question nagged at my mind like a dare while the very idea of such a massive undertaking thrilled me to the core. So I decided to take the leap.

Before I put pen to paper (or more accurately, fingers to keyboard) I needed to have an idea. Not just a generic plot, but that perfect, riveting idea that would keep me going long after the honeymoon of inspiration had worn off. To do that, it had to be unique.

I began by considering the type of stories I like to consume via books, movies, and television. I’m a geek at heart and there’s always been something intriguing about comic-book-type stories in which people have superhuman powers.

I didn’t want to start with an overused concept as the diving board into this writing adventure. So I tried to think about how to put a twist on the typical stories in the genre. What could I do to really be different? I asked myself one question that was key: what’s the opposite? Using that, I discovered a fresh way of using an old trope for my own purpose. I explored the idea of people with superhuman weaknesses. The concept instantly struck a chord inside me, and I knew it was something I could write about. I had no idea it would turn into a series.

An Empathic Sense - A Handicap?

When I tell people I write books about people with superhuman flaws, I usually get a blank stare. That's probably because it sounds like an oxymoron and doesn't make sense to most people until they hear specific details.

Jade Edwards, the main character of Empath, has supernatural empathy as a character flaw instead of a superpower – in other words, this young woman is inhabited and controlled by the emotions of the people around her. Not only is she powerless to influence them, she can't even experience her own feelings when around others. Jade was sheltered from stray emotions by her parents since she was a young child. Here's a little peek inside her head as, now entering society, she wrestles with her first day of college.

Excerpt:

 "When she heard the teacher enter and begin talking, Jade’s eyes flicked back open. She sat up and gripped her pen with a shaking hand.

A wave of irritation hit her like a slap in the face, jerking her away from the professor’s words. Her shoulders hunched and she dug her toes into the floor as she fought the compulsion to kick someone. The pen in her tightly clenched fist gouged into the table’s surface. She dropped it and clamped her hands together in her lap, scanning the classroom. Where was the source of this anger pounding through her skull and flooding her veins? There—a guy on the end of the third row scowled, shaking his head at the professor.

Without warning, excitement replaced the agitation. Jade straightened in her chair and fought the urge to bounce in her seat, though she couldn’t keep the dumb smile off her face. Farther down her row, one girl whispered something about a vacation to the Bahamas and another girl nodded enthusiastically.

She was gulping quick and irregular breaths, telling herself to regain control, when a surge of intense attraction hit her, knocking the wind from her lungs. Her heart beat faster and a hot blush crept over her face. She was acutely aware of every male in the room. Forcing herself to stop ogling the guy in front of her with the armpit stains, she distracted herself by searching for the culprit. Her gaze froze on a girl who was gazing at a guy two rows up. Oblivious, he seemed to be one of the few faithfully taking notes on the current topic: modern rationalism and the theories of Descartes.

Jade dropped her head into her hands and pressed on her temples, wishing for the hundredth time that she could turn off her empathic sense. She squeezed her eyes shut again and tried to focus on only her breathing. She had to escape."

Grab Empath at a Discounted Price

Empath is on sale during the blog tour for a bargain price of $0.99 (normally $2.99)! Grab your copy today:

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Kobo

Or purchase it on paperback.

Book Blurb:

Supernatural empathy isn’t a gift, it’s a curse. Anywhere she goes, Jade’s emotions are replaced by those of the people around her.

Jade grew up in a suburb of Colorado Springs, protected from other people by her parents. Now she faces college—and the world—with nothing to shield her from unwanted feelings.

When Cam, a classmate with a major crush on her, unintentionally hijacks her emotions, Jade struggles to keep from being carried away in feelings of attraction. When Ethan, a psychopath with a thirst for fear, fixates on her, the emotional impact could be lethal.

Caught in a deadly trap, Jade must untangle the emotions and find a way to use her empathic curse to overcome this killer or be overcome by him.

More About Becca J. Campbell:

Becca J. Campbell is the author of the New Adult Romantic Science Fiction novels Foreign Identity and Gateway to Reality, New Adult Romantic Paranormal Thriller Empath (The Flawed Series #1), and  Sub-Normal, a series of Science Fiction short stories.

An avid lover of stories that tiptoe the line between fantasy and reality (even when they plunge off one side or the other), Becca looks for new angles on bridging the gap between the two. She holds a special place in her heart for any story that involves superpowers or time travel. Her passion is defying the limits of her own creativity. You can find her on her Author Blog, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Pinterest, and Amazon.