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Showing posts with label new author challenge. Show all posts
Showing posts with label new author challenge. Show all posts
I have two reviews for you today--and both are contemporary YA fiction from Janet Gurtler. I also have a guest post from Janet! Now, how to fit it all into one post...
I'm Not Her was released in May, and tells the story of a girl whose sudden rise in popularity unfortunately coincides with her sister's cancer diagnosis.
"For the first time in my life, I didn't feel envy..."
Tess is the exact opposite of her beautiful, athletic sister. And that's okay. Kristina is the sporty one, Tess is the smart one, and they each have their place. Until Kristina is diagnosed with cancer. Suddenly Tess is the center of the popular crowd, everyone eager for updates. There are senior boys flirting with her. But, the smiles of her picture perfect family are cracking and her sister could be dying. Now Tess has to fill a new role: the strong one. Because if she doesn't hold it together, who will?
Janet Gurtler tests the bonds of sisterhood in this moving debut that readers of Jodi Picoult and Sarah Dessen will savor.
Title: I'm Not Her
Author: Janet Gurtler
ISBN-13: 9781402256363
Paperback: 285 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc., 2011
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
Source: Sourcebooks
drey's thoughts:
Janet Gurtler's I'm Not Her is a moving story about a fifteen-year-old dealing with her older sister's cancer. And if dealing with a life-changing (and potentially life-threatening) illness isn't enough, Tess also has to deal with her parents acting like completely delusional dorks about it. (I totally understand that they were having a hard time with the diagnosis; however in my eyes it doesn't excuse their leaving everything in the hands of a fifteen-year-old because they "couldn't handle it"--they're the adults.)
And then there's school. School, where every one of Kristina's friends keep asking Tess where Kristina is and why she isn't in school (delusional parents didn't want anyone to know). School, where Tess has to skip class to accompany her mother to the hospital for Kristina's treatments (again, without being able to tell why). School, where Tess is now noticed (see above); and the other kids are making up stories about her and Kristina because they aren't getting any information. Not easy for a freshman to deal with, that's for sure.
I liked Janet's portrayal of Tess. She's resentful of all the negatives affecting her, and feels guilty for that resentment. She wants her life to stay the way it was, but she knows it's most likely temporary, whereas her sister's life is irrevocably changed. There's nowhere for her to go with this, without feeling like she's selfish. This is YA drama and angst as it should be.
drey's rating: Excellent!
If I Tell explores the ramifications of keeping secrets--your best friend's, your mother's, her boyfriend's--and the mess it can make of your own life...
Jasmine Evans knows one thing for sure... people make mistakes. After all, she is one. Jaz is the result of a onenight stand between a black football player and a blonde princess. Having a young mother who didn't raise her, a father who wants nothing to do with her and living in a small-minded town where she's never fit in hasn't been easy. But she's been surviving. Until she sees her mom's new boyfriend making out with her own best friend. When do you forgive people for being human or give up on them forever?
Title: If I Tell
Author: Janet Gurtler
ISBN-13: 9781402261039
Paperback: 244 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc., 2011
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
Source: Sourcebooks
drey's thoughts:
Jaz is seventeen, and the only biracial kid in her small town. At least, as far as she knows. She doesn't have any friends in school, and is thrown into a whirlpool of emotions when she sees her best friend Lacey making out with her mom's boyfriend. And that whirlpool gets deeper and wider when she finds out her mom's pregnant. What a mess!
Jaz can't confide in anyone--the only two people she's ever felt comfortable talking to have betrayed her. So she keeps things bottled up, only to find out that she has too many emotions fizzing inside her all at the same time. And her anger leaks out in spurts and splashes as she lashes out at her (former) best friend, at Simon, and even at her mom.
The emotional roller-coaster Jaz is on pulls you along as it goes up (new boy) and down (facing Simon or Lacey) and up (new friend at school) and down (her mom's emotional state), so much so that you wonder when she's going to let it all out. Which will happen, of course. The only question is when. And where. And who's going to get hurt in the process... (ok, that's more than one question)
This is an addictive read--you can't put it down until you find out how Jaz fares. Excellent teen read covering topics far and wide, including racism, bullying, depression, self-identity, and trust.
I'd seen mentions and reviews of Kevin Hearne's Hammered all over the blogosphere recently, and decided that I needed to check out his Iron Druid Chronicles books. So I started at the beginning...
drey's thoughts:
I finally picked up Hounded, and it sat on my shelves for a week before I gave in to its call. I know, I know, I should be ashamed of myself... But 'tis the truth, and I promised to be honest.
If it makes Atticus O'Sullivan fans feel better though, I regret that wait. This centuries-old druid has definitely found the fountain of youth--and while his tea helps, I firmly believe his attitude and outlook on life has plenty to do with his longevity. He is a smart-mouthed smart-alecky young man who along with his wolfhound Oberon made me laugh out loud. I loved his "translations" of old-time speak into modern-day vernacular, and his gentle chastising of the other long-lived who haven't quite adjusted their speech patterns (yet).
There are gods, a special sword, and lots of action in Hounded. Thank goodness Atticus isn't just a normal dude--he wouldn't have survived. As it is, he's lucky he's still standing after all the dust settles. And after killing gods, you know that what follows is going to keep him on his toes.
Kevin Hearne's Atticus O'Sullivan is going to go on my list of favorite urban fantasy protagonists, and Kevin's on my author-to-stalk list now... Check this series out if you haven't already!
drey's rating: Outstanding! The characters entertain, the plot is crazy yet works well, and the myriad mythological figures makes this a must-read for those who can't get enough of the old(er) gods... I'm off to find Hexed and Hammered, so I can stalk Atticus' next adventures. Don't forget to check out Kevin's visits this month as our Featured Author!
I thought the premise behind Stealing Mona Lisa was interesting--a tale involving a group of con artists and a crime caper... Where's the movie?
Title: Stealing Mona Lisa
Author: Carson Morton
ISBN-13: 9780312621711
Hardcover: 335 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Press, 2011
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
Source: Wunderkind PR
drey's thoughts:
Carson Morton's retelling of the theft of La Joconde from the Louvre is an entertaining read. His heist crew are an interesting bunch--from the suave gentleman to the street orphan to the pickpocket. His mark is not someone you'll feel bad for. And his storytelling will keep you turning the pages...
We don't start out with the big caper, of course. Instead Morton teases us with a smaller painting, in a smaller location... This is where we meet Mr. Hart and his wife, and while we don't have an active dislike for him yet, we just shrug when he's fleeced. Then the group moves to Paris, and plan for their next (and final?) heist. The big one.
Of course, things don't ever work quite as smoothly as planned.
Stealing Mona Lisa started out a bit slow for me, as we are introduced to the characters. Once they arrive in Paris and start things in motion, however, the story picks up the pace and doesn't slow down until you get to the end. I'd say the back half of the book is definitely worth sticking through the first half if you find the beginning slow going.
drey's rating: Pick it up!
Have you read Stealing Mona Lisa? What did you think?
I was soooooooooooo excited at the opportunity to review Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus, which has been showing up all over the blogosphere!
Title: The Night Circus
Author: Erin Morgenstern
ISBN-13: 9780385534635
Hardcover: 387 pages
Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2011
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
Source: Doubleday
drey's thoughts:
Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus is fun and charming, with a dash of mystery. At its heart are two young people who've been set up as competitors in a game where there are few rules and only one winner. Their playing field is a mysterious circus that appears and disappears on an irregular schedule, filled with spectacular performances to thrill your senses.
The story started in spurts, which along with the short chapters confused me until I started getting the flow of it. Eventually though, everything tied together nicely, and you really appreciate this enchanting masterpiece.
The cast of characters are varied and unique. I loved Celia, and wished for a better childhood for her. I didn't care for her father at all--what kind of (insert not-so-nice word here) would set his own daughter up for something like this? Marco is a bit more mysterious than Celia--we know nothing other than his selection, his learning magic, and his eventual job with the "proprietor" of the circus, Christopher Lefevre. He knows Celia the moment he meets her, though she has no idea that he's her competitor. I'm surprised he didn't take advantage of that knowledge, but that's the kind of guy he is. We can't have Celia falling for a jerk, after all...
I really enjoyed The Night Circus, and will probably re-read it if I can find the time--just to see if I'd missed anything in the original reading...
drey's rating: Excellent! The Night Circus is all it's cracked up to be, even though it took me a little while to get engrossed in it.
Have you read The Night Circus? What did you think? And if you haven't, c'mon and enter to win a copy!
Giveaway!
Thanks to the publisher, I have TWO copies of The Night Circus for you! This one's for US residents only (sorry!), no PO Boxes please. To enter, fill out the form below by October 16th. Good luck!
I was intrigued by the story of an orphan child who is determined to stand on her own two feet, so I said "of course!" when approached with this title...
Title: Queen of Diamonds (House of Cards #3)
Author:
Barbara Metzger
eBook:
Publisher: Untreed Reads, 2011
Purchase at Amazon, Barnes & Noble
Source: Untreed Reads
drey's thoughts:
Queenie Dennis is a woman in hiding--from the truth of her origins, from the Endicotts, and from the authorities. Her mother's lies set Queenie on the path towards redemption, and she hopes that she can make it up to the Endicotts, at least. After Paris, of course.
Returning to London with a quick needle and quicker eye for fashion and designs, Queenie sets up shop. She figures the quicker she can make money, the faster she can repay her mother's stolen money. But before she knows it she's hanging out with Lord Harkness (aye, even in her shop!), and attracting more attention than she'd like...
This third House of Cards book is very different from the first two. Those were about the men, and even rakish Jack was a gentleman who had his brother's name and money to fall back on if needed. Queenie has nothing and nobody, except an air-headed friend who stands by her. So by its very nature, Queen of Diamonds has a darker and grittier background and feel to it.
But I loved the characters. Queenie is strong and determined, even if she doesn't know that she's wrong. And Lord Harkness is a perfect foil for her personality, even if he doesn't mean to be. I loved the scenes where he's helping out in her shop. Him, a fancy lord and all... *grin*
Fans of regency romance will love Queen of Diamonds, and the entire House of Cards trilogy.
drey's rating: Excellent!
Have you read Barbara Metzger's House of Cards trilogy? You don't need to, but start with Ace of Hearts and Jack of Clubs for the story of Queenie's brothers Alex and Jack...
Today's tour is for Katrina Kittle's Reasons to be Happy, a book about the heart-breaking and impossible standards of body image.
About the author:
Katrina Kittle taught middle and high school English for 11 years. She is the author of four other novels and earned an MFA in Creative Writing from Spalding University in Louisville.
I asked Katrina for a guest post on what prompted her to write this particular book. Here's what she says...
Do you remember middle school? Was your experience pretty horrible? Mine was. Such a crazy, miserable time of insecurity. My life had been great leading up to sixth grade…and suddenly it was a trainwreck. Most memories of that time seem all fuzzy with self-doubt, humiliation, unbearable shyness. Ugh. I would no more want to re-live that time that I would want to chop off one of my own hands!
When I became a middle school teacher myself, I kept a photo of my seventh grade self in my desk drawer. This awful photo—of me with a hideous perm (I'd had a friend give it to me so that I could have curls like the popular girls), goofy glasses (how I longed for the contact lenses I would finally get in high school), and wearing outrageous, ridiculous high heels (were they comfortable? no! did I look natural in them? no! did I do much that made sense then? no!)—was my reminder on the days the students were making me to want to go drink vodka in the teacher's bathroom! That photo gave me compassion and patience for my students. That photo reminded me: they can't help it. I mean, I could walk into my classroom and feel the hormones and anxiety in the air.
But then I started thinking: why can't they help it? Remembering my own experience, I grew so disheartened by a particular phenomenon I saw unfold over and over again: bright, bold, curious girls—strong and confident in their abilities—would hit the wall of self-doubt around seventh grade. They'd lose all sense of their own unique identity, stop taking any risks, and retreat into approval-seeking behaviors that made them all seem like watered-down clones of each other. Every single one of my novels has begun with a social issue I'm passionate about, and one day I realized this concern and obsession I had with “keeping girls brave and confident” was my new story. I began to seek the cast of characters who could inhabit this story, and Hannah Anne Carlisle came into existence.
As a writer, I'm fascinated with how story ideas will simmer a long, long time before they take shape. I'll often have several different story “threads” and suddenly one day it will finally become clear which threads I might be able to braid together to make a book. That certainly happened with Reasons to Be Happy. Hannah's “list” was something I did in my own classroom—putting a reason to be happy on the whiteboard every day. I already had the drama of the middle school pecking order playing out in front of me on a daily basis. I knew that body image was still a huge part of the middle school girl identity crisis. I could pull specific knowledge of the particular workings of bulimia and anorexia from my years as a serious ballet student, and, sadly, from some experiences with my own students. (Instead of improving the situation with our awareness and understanding of body image and eating disorders, these issues seem more pervasive than ever before—40 percent of nine-year-olds have already dieted!) Add to this my own secret obsession with celebrity gossip (friends are sometimes horrified to discover this about me. I guess they all think I'm much more lofty-minded than I really am!), which led me to make Hannah's parents into A-list actors. I also have local friends who are twice-Academy-Award-nominated documentary film makers (hence, the creation of Hannah's Aunt Izzy). And I had the amazing privilege of traveling to Ghana once with a group of students, and had long been looking for the right place to use some of my experiences from that life-altering trip. (I actually had a goat under my bed one night in Tafi Atome, just like Hannah does).
What I hope readers take away from the book is that our authentic selves are so much more interesting and beautiful (and less maintenance!) than anything we “manufacture” to please others. It took Hannah being plunked down in a culture where she had no idea what was even considered beautiful, for her to be kind to herself and accept her own body. We all spend so much time comparing ourselves, judging ourselves against that teensy percentage of women who are supermodels (airbrushed supermodels, thank you very much) instead of accepting our imperfections and embracing our own unique beauty. Hannah discovers that what she perceived as an imperfection is actually one of her strengths.
That's the real beauty of the writing life to me: we use everything. Anything I see or experience, no matter how random or trivial, might just become a piece of “the story behind the story.”
About the book:
Title: Reasons to be Happy
Author: Katrina Kittle
ISBN-13: 9781402260209
ARC: 277 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc., 2011
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
Source: Sourcebooks
What Happens When You’re Not So Perfect?
How could so much change so fast?
Let’s see, you could be a plain Jane daughter of two gorgeous famous people; move to a new school; have no real friends; your mom could get sick; and, oh yeah, you could have the most embarrassing secret in the world. Yep, that about does it.
Hannah is an eighth grader trying her hardest to cling to what she knows and loves while her world shatters around her. Her parents are glamorous Hollywood royalty, and sometimes she feels like the ugly duckling in a family of swans. Faced with her mother’s death and her father’s withdrawal into grief, Hannah turns to the one thing she can control: her weight.
Hannah’s self-destructive secret takes over her life, but the new Beverly Hills clique she’s befriended at school only reinforces her desire to be beautiful, and not even the quirky misfit Jasper—the only one who seems to notice or care—can help. It will take a journey unlike any other to remind Hannah of who she really is, and to begin to get that girl back. Reasons to Be Happy is about standing up for all the things you love—including yourself.
drey's thoughts:
Hannah Carlisle should be on top of the world. Her parents are movie stars. She herself is an artist and an athlete. Her life is good…
Then she starts at a new school, and all at once everything changes. Why? Because she can’t seem to get herself—her real self—unstuck from the person she becomes with the group she hangs out with at school… Seems like an easy solution: stop hanging out with that group! But Hannah’s bravery has deserted her, and she can’t. So she finds another way to deal with that stress.
I couldn’t believe that such a lovely and talented girl would fall prey to the clutches of the mean girls at school, right from the get-go. Then again, I was never in that situation, so I’m not in any position to say what could be real or not… I wanted to read this book to see how an author addresses one of the many problems that our young girls and women face as they battle their own body image. And see how a young girl's own self-image could become so skewed.
What happened to Hannah can happen to any other eighth-grader, or any other young girl or woman you know. We are too often bombarded with negativity--we're too fat, too tall, to short, too flat, etc. Even when we do well at school or other pursuits, even to those who love us best, it seems our looks are still our most-used measuring stick--and we never seem to measure up. Why is that?
Who defines beautiful? Is it the media? The entertainment industry? Our families? Friends? Acquaintances we barely know? Whose opinion carries the most weight? Why? And most importantly (to me at least): Why do we give control of our own selves over to those who certainly (usually?) don’t give a rat’s behind what happens to us? And what can we do about it? Ok, so maybe I'm being a little harsh--after all, we expect that our parents and loved ones do give a rat's patootie. And we're all just a bit (hah!) too sensitive...
Hannah's being "outed" by her aunt is one step towards recognition, and possible recovery. And when she has to go to Ghana for four weeks, that's four weeks dedicated to something other--other than thinking and stressing about her self, her weight, her insecurities... Can she keep up the progress once she's back in the USA though? You'll have to read Reasons to be Happy to find out.
drey's rating: Pick it up! We need more books like this to reinforce a healthier self-image for our young girls and women! And not just books and messages; we also need to follow through with action. What we say and do is definitely worth more than what we say to do!
Have you read Reasons to be Happy? What did you think? And if you haven't, here's your chance to win a copy!
Giveaway!
Thanks to the publisher, I have one copy of Reasons to be Happy for you, if you live in the US (no PO Boxes, please). To enter, fill out the form below. Good luck!
Today's tour is for a historical romance laced with mystery and a sweeping backdrop... Say hello to Carrie Lofty and Flawless...
About the author:
Carrie Lofty holds a Masters degree in history, which she puts to good use as a devoted historical romance writer (What a Scoundrel Wants and Scoundrel's Kiss), teacher and lecturer on the craft of writing, and as founder of the blog Unusual Historicals. An active member of the Chicago North and Wisconsin chapters of Romance Writers of America, she lives outside of Chicago with her husband and two daughters.
Sir William Christie, ruthless tycoon and notorious ladies’ man, is dead. Now his four grown children have gathered for the reading of his will. What lies in store for stepsiblings Vivienne, Alexander, and twins Gareth and Gwyneth? Stunning challenges that will test their fortitude across a royal empire . . . and lead them to the marvelously passionate adventures of their lives.
Lady Vivienne Bancroft fled England for New York, hoping to shed the confines of her arranged marriage to unrepentant rogue Miles Durham, Viscount Bancroft—though she never forgot the fiery desire he unleashed with his slightest touch. And when the gambling man arrives on her doorstep for a little sensual revenge for her desertion, he is met with Vivienne’s dilemma: She must earn her father’s inheritance by profitably running a diamond business worth millions in colonial South Africa. Swept together in an exotic undertaking filled with heated passion and hungry temptation, will Vivienne and Miles discover that the marriage vows they once made are the greatest snare—or the most treasured reward?
Title: Flawless (Christie Saga #1)
Author: Carrie Lofty
ISBN-13: 9781451616385
Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Pocket Books, 2011
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
Source: Pocket Books
drey's thoughts:
Carrie Lofty's Flawless sets up the story for the series quite nicely, with the Christie children getting together for reading of their father's will. Of course, it's not exactly what they'd expected, which throws them into quite the tizzy. Vivienne doesn't have much of a choice other than to do as she's directed to--you can't live on nothing, after all. So after packing and preparing and waiting for the fighting to be over, she heads to Kimberly and her father's diamond mine.
What she doesn't expect is to see her rogue of a husband there. And she definitely doesn't know what to think of his efforts to get back in her good graces--or into her bed. The fireworks between the two are zingy hot. And the dialog deliciously cutting.
Carrie Lofty's vivid descriptions cover both the lush landscape and the workers' pitiful living conditions. And her characters are moving and beautifully written. I just have one teeny tiny problem. All throughout the book were missed punctuation errors, specifically where it referred to Miles in the possessive form. That would be "Miles'" not "Miles's". Yes, I'm nit-picky like that. Feel free to blame it on my English-teacher mother. And I'll volunteer to proof-read the other books in the series, just in case... *grin*
Cathy Holton is this month's Featured Author, and Summer in the South is her latest novel...
Title: Summer in the South
Author: Cathy Holton
ISBN-13: 9780345506016
Hardcover:
Publisher: Random House, 2011
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
Source: Cathy Holton
drey's thoughts: Summer in the South is a story about a young woman who's trying to figure out her life--who she is and what she wants. She's rallying though the loss of her mother and getting dumped by her lover, when a college friend offers her sanctuary at his family's home in a small town in Tennessee.
Ava hopes the solitude will spark her creative juices and get her started on writing again. She hopes to find out about her roots, and reaches out to the man who might be her father. What she gets is some of that, along with a decades-old mystery that nobody will talk about. Of course, this being a polite Southern town, nobody's actually going to tell her outright to let sleeping dogs lie. They'll just hint at it instead, even while knowing that this Yankee gal isn't going to get it...
I enjoyed Ava's journey, even when I thought that she was a little clueless at times and a little stubborn at others. I also enjoyed reading passages from the novel she's writing, even though I was confused at first--was this history, or her imaginings?
Summer in the South is a lovely piece of Southern fiction that'll immerse you in its hospitality and gentility. Enjoy it with a glass of sweet tea.
I'm thrilled to have author Trevor Shane visiting today! He graciously submitted to a Q&A, and I've got a review of his debut novel, Children of Paranoia...
About the author: Children of Paranoia is Trevor Shane’s first novel. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife and son.
Trevor has very graciously taken the time to do a short Q&A for us. Read on!
drey: Hi Trevor! Welcome to drey's library, and thank you for taking the time to do this short Q&A...
What should we know about Trevor Shane, in (about) 10 sentences?
Trevor: Nothing. I don’t mean to be snide but I really hope that my work stands alone. I’m a big believer in the idea that, once you’ve put your work out there, you don’t own it any more. It belongs to your readers. But, to not come off as a total ass, I live in Brooklyn with my wife and son. I’m from New Jersey originally. I believe that loyalty and decency are the most important traits a person can have. I love books and movies and I’m a big fan of the drink Calimocho which is a mixture of red wine and coke. That should cover it for now.
drey: Who are your literary heroes/heroines? Why?
Trevor: I’ve been trying to figure out if my answer is supposed to consist of authors or characters. I have to go with authors, though, because the list of characters would go on for way too long
(generally, I’m attracted to flawed, romantic characters who can’t help but question the world around them like Rudy from The Book Thief and Daniel from Shadow of the Wind). As far as authors are concerned, I always thought that what Phillip Pullman did with the His Dark Materials trilogy was really brave. The fact that he wrote what is essentially a response to one of the most beloved series of all time (The Chronicles of Narnia) in that way that he did still amazes me. There a section of those books where a twelve-year old girl goes down to meet all the souls of the dead as they wait for the next life and Pullman puts her in the position of convincing those souls that it is better to simply let go and become part of the universe than it is to wait. It’s really an extraordinary passage. I don’t know if I agree with what he’s saying but I really admire his use of popular literature to get across a really complicated idea.
Then there’s Kurt Vonnegut who remains, to me, the greatest truth-teller of all writers. All of his books are hugely entertaining but they all also say something. It’s a trait that I’d like to emulate in my career.
drey: What inspired you to write Children of Paranoia?
Trevor: I wanted to write a really thrilling action/adventure style story that eschewed the standard good guy/bad buy dichotomy. I love thrillers and action/adventure novels (like The Hunger Games and The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo trilogy). What I wanted to do was create a story in that vein but where there wasn’t a snarling figure as a bad guy and where it was even sometimes difficult to tell who is the bad guy and who is the good guy. I think that, throughout history, there have been very few villains who thought of themselves as villains. Most of the time everybody thinks that they’re the righteous ones. So, the novel opens with the protagonist following a woman down a dark street and strangling her in front of her home simply because she’s on the other side of a centuries old, secret war. So, right off the bat, there’s your hero committing this deplorable act and where do you go from there?
drey: Will there be a sequel?
Trevor: Children of Paranoia is the first book in a trilogy. It was envisioned and sold to Dutton as a trilogy. My goal is to have each book stand alone as a unique narrative but also to create a really interesting overarching story with the entire trilogy where each new book actually enhances the ones before it. Each book will be written from a different perspective and will, hopefully, pull in different aspects from different genres.
Right now, my editor and I are in the later stages of finalizing book II which should come out some time next fall with the hopes that book III will come out the fall after that.
drey: How did you celebrate getting published?
Trevor: Dutton and BookCourt (the world’s greatest book store) threw me a really amazing book release party the day that Children of Paranoia came out. I’ve got some
great pictures from the event on my website (here). I had a lot of friends and family come and my son helped me to autograph books after the I did a reading and a Q&A (my son is the more handsome of the two guys in this picture). It turned out to be a much more emotional night for me than I expected. I knew that it would be fun but I was really touched to see so many people that I love essential there to help me celebrate my own dream coming true. Hopefully I’ll get to return the favor for each of them some day. Also, we sold out of books, which was great for BookCourt and hopefully a good sign. Since then, it’s just been really fun to go into bookstores and see Children of Paranoia on the tables and shelves.
My friends have been sending me pictures of Children of Paranoia in stores, a few of which I’ve put on my website (here). It has all be tremendously exciting.
drey: What words of wisdom would you share with aspiring authors?
Trevor: I’d say that the three most important things that anybody needs to make it as a writer are, not necessarily in this order: (1) a great story; (2) luck; and (3) thick skin. There’s not much you can do about the luck part so you have to concentrate on your story first.
To make a great story, you need to have something that’s unique, something that only you could write, but something that is still going so speak to people and that people are going to want to read. I personally don’t make any qualifications between genre fiction and literary fiction or high art and low art (every time people start talking about this stuff, I feel like I’m trapped in a Calvin and Hobbes cartoon). If it’s unique to you and still speaks to people, I think you’re a long way there already.
Even with a great story, however, you need really thick skin in this business. Even the best stories get tons of rejection. No matter how good your work is, people are going to ask you to change it. You are going to get bad reviews. Everybody does. Nobody’s ever written anything that pleased everybody. What helped me was to think of the books that I really love that never found huge success or books that I hate that are gigantic. Once you start thinking of those books, you realize that you can’t judge yourself on your sales or your reviews. You have judge yourself on how proud you are of what you’ve written.
drey: Thank you so much for taking the time, Trevor!
Since the age of eighteen, Joseph has been assassinating people on behalf of a cause that he believes in but doesn’t fully understand. The War is ageless, hidden in the shadows, governed by a rigid set of rules, and fought by two distinct sides — one good, one evil. The only unknown is which side is which. Soldiers in the War hide in plain sight, their deeds disguised as accidents or random acts of violence amidst an unsuspecting population ignorant of the brutality that is always inches away.
Killing people is the only life Joseph has ever known, and he’s one of the best at it. But when a job goes wrong and he’s sent away to complete a punishingly dangerous assignment, Joseph meets a girl named Maria, and for the first time in his life his single-minded, bloody purpose fades away.
Before Maria, Joseph’s only responsibility was dealing death to the anonymous targets fingered by his superiors. Now he must run from the people who have fought by his side to save what he loves most in this world. As Children of Paranoia reaches its heart-in-throat climax, Joseph will learn that only one rule remains immutable: the only thing more dangerous than fighting the war. . .is leaving it.
drey's thoughts:
Trevor Shane's Children of Paranoia could be set in this very world we live in. But I hope it's not, because all those people killing or being killed, would be just depressing. In the first part of the book, we meet Joseph and find out about this world, the war, and the recruiting. We learn the rules of engagement, and the penalties for breaking those rules. A lot of setting-the-background stuff.
Then we follow Joseph as he goes on his assignments, and watch as he gets his cover blown. We witness his escape and recovery, the dressing-down he receives, and are there when he meets Maria. The question is, who else was? Because in this war, you never know where your enemies will show up... Or who's watching you...
As Joseph tries to get his "career" back on track, we notice his doubts surfacing. Not very handy things, those doubts. If Joseph isn't careful, they'll get him killed--and not just by the other side. And if all of this isn't enough, Joseph and Maria unknowingly break another rule--one that puts both of them on notice, and that lets both sides know they're fair game.
Joseph is not a sympathetic character--after all he does kill people for a living. And he doesn't make any excuses for it either. In his world it's them or him, or someone he loves. He's just a Joe doing his job. Until Maria. Until they're on the wrong side of the line. That's when his character really starts showing some balls, for lack of a better word. And that's when the story really started getting good. What do you do when your side decides you're expendable? Will Joseph and Maria outrun the war or succumb to their fates? You'll have to read it to find out.
drey's rating: Pick it up!
Have you read Children of Paranoia? What did you think?
Today's tour is for Heather Lynn Rigaud's Fitzwilliam Darcy, Rock Star... How can any Austen fan turn down a title like that?
About the author:
Debut author Heather Lynn Rigaud is fascinated by the comparisons between life in earlier times and modern times. She spends much of her time thinking about how Regency-era characters would exist now. She is a professional writer with degrees in Music Therapy and Teaching who lives with her husband and two sons in Kingston, NY.
Heather wrote a guest post for us... How lucky are we? *grin* Actually she wrote two. I had a couple suggestions for topics, and she's sooooooooooo cool she did both. So enjoy!
The first is on re-imagining the classics: the good, the bad, and the ugly. How do you decide what to do with which characters? How much do you stay true to the original character and story?
Well, I'm a plotter and I view the plot as the landmarks on where my story should go. My thought process goes something like: I know Elizabeth and Darcy fight here--how will that work? Here's where they meet at Pemberley--what can I do with that? In working those points out early, I can stay close to Austen's work, and I get a feel for what would be 'right' for each character. Would Elizabeth say this, would Charles do that?
Sir Laurence Olivier 1940
Once I have that framework plotted, I'm able to focus on the characters and really develop them. I spend an insane amount of time thinking about how each one will feel, and then act in each situation--what is Elizabeth like when she gets mad? What is Darcy like when he's uneasy? And then, when everything is in place and I know my characters, I just write. (And sometimes they hijack my story anyway--Richard and Charlotte were terrorists when it came to that.)
David Rintoul 1980
I was committed to keeping Darcy and Elizabeth as true to Austen as possible. The other characters I tried to keep their roles in place--Charles is Darcy's friend and he feels protective of him, Jane is Elizabeth's closest sister and confidant. The roles remained the same, but I was somewhat free in playing with their personalities. For example, Charles got a bit of a spine (but not too much). And then there are clear places where I just went my own way, like Caroline Bingley and Richard Fitzwilliam. In those cases, I developed the characters to fit what I needed in the story--Caroline shows how Darcy acts with most women, and so by contrast the reader can see how differently he treats Elizabeth. Richard is everything Darcy won't allow himself to be--he drinks, he sleeps around, he's somewhat lazy. In contrast, we can see how driven Darcy is.
The second guest post thrills the geek in me. I asked her to compare video game heroes (*cough* Alistair) to paperback heroes. Which format works better (& when)? If you play video games, you'd know exactly who Alistair is. *grin*
This is a cool question. It all comes down to what makes a fictional man attractive. Darcy is very sexy in Austen--even at Hunsford where he's insulting Elizabeth to her face (worst marriage proposal ever!) he is still able to make it swoon-worthy. How does that work? Taking this sexy character, and then amp'ing that up by making him a Rock Star? Well, there you go. It's no surprise that this is a very sexual book.
Colin Firth 1995
I'm a big fan of a video game, Dragon Age, in that your character works very closely with this Knight-type character who is amazingly good at pulling at your heart while also turning you on. And while I was enjoying that, my writer side was wondering how does this work?
So, what makes a guy loveable and hot? And what make him not hot? Universally, Charles Bingley is seen as not hot. (Except to me-because I'm a freak.) Another example is Dr. John Watson from the Sherlock Holmes series. Now, Charles is nice, he's friendly, he's somewhat funny (well, you can laugh at him). He's wealthy and generous--so what doesn't work for him? Watson is brave (war veteran who's the one always carrying the gun, handsome, tough, smart (but not as smart as Holmes, of course) and yet, he's never the hot one.
Matthew Macfadyen 2005
So what is it? The only thing Darcy and Alistair share is a reluctance to admit their feelings at first, and a great intensity when they finally do. So, is that it? Is it the 'still waters run deep' thing? Or is it the way we as a reader/player travel on an emotional journey with them? We start with them in a bad place, and watch them/help them move to a stronger, better place. Darcy goes through, well, a lot--first he falls for Elizabeth and gets flat out rejected (and you know that hurt) then he mends his ways and reconnects with her at Pemberley, only to have that bastard Wickham pull the rug out from under him. Again. (I hate Wickham with the heat of a thousand suns.) So Darcy's a hurtin' boy.
Alistair
Alistair is in a terrible war against the demon-types who are mounting an attack, and in the middle of that, he loses his mentor/father figure through a terrible betrayal, that incites a civil war among the people. On top of that, he's the bastard child of the former King and next in line for the throne, so he's got some issues there that he's in denial about. He's emotionally a wreck, and the player takes charge of the war effort, and slowly draws Alistair out of his grief. (Plus, he was raised by monks, so he's a virgin.)
Both these men are very passionate, but they've had to keep a tight reign on that passion, because it's dangerous when it breaks out. Now, if I can pull on an anthropologist hat for a moment--the idea of 'passion that is dangerous if let run free' is exactly the way many, many cultures view women's sexuality--that it has to be kept bound by strict social mores, otherwise, its as destructive as a wildfire. Now, I'm not saying that either of these characters are women, but it's possible that as women we recognize something familiar about them. They remind us of our sexual side, and we can relate to them in a very deep way. And that's important, because how many times have you looked at a man who's just done something typically male and just "Wha????"
Elliott Cowan2008
So, we have characters who've suffered, (and boy, we loves us some suffering) and who trust us with something very private and important to them. (Letting Elizabeth stand in for us, of course...) They are familiar in that they don't have those annoying man-traits that we don't understand, but at the same time, they're hyper-manly physically and in their actions. And they're leaders of men.
Clearly, I don't have a good answer here and I'm not sure I could explain it if I did. But, it's really interesting. I'd love to hear what makes a man really 'Work' for them. What makes him hot, sexy and loveable? Thanks for having me here today and for those interesting questions.
About the book:
Darcy's as hot as he is talented...
Fast music, powerful beats, and wild reputations-on and off stage-have made virtuoso guitarist Fitzwilliam Darcy's band into rock's newest bad boys. But they've lost their latest opening act, and their red-hot summer tour is on the fast track to disaster. Now Darcy and bandmates Charles Bingley and Richard Fitzwilliam are about to meet their match...
But she's about to rock his world...
Enter Elizabeth Bennet, fiercely independent star of girl-band Long Borne Suffering. Elizabeth, her sister Jane, and friend Charlotte Lucas have talent to spare and jump at the opening band slot. Elizabeth is sure she's seen the worst the music industry has to offer. But as the days and nights heat up, it becomes clear that everyone is in for a summer to remember.
ISBN-13: 9781402257810
ARC: 566 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc., 2011
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
Source: Sourcebooks
drey's thoughts:
Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice is one of my favorite classics, and I jumped at the chance to read a re-imagining of it that doesn't have zombies, vampires, or other other-worldly creatures.
Anyway. Darcy as a rock star. Yum. (Yes, even if I can't really imagine Colin Firth as a rock star... Can you?) He's still arrogant and aloof. He still doesn't know how to talk to Elizabeth without pushing all the wrong buttons. Some things shouldn't ever change...
I enjoyed Fitzwilliam Darcy, Rock Star. It's a bit long at almost 600 pages, and I got a bit annoyed at Richard and Charlotte--way too much angst. Darcy and Elizabeth had the sparks going like crazy, and Jane and Charles were totally mushy. The boy-band meets girl-band plot is almost too convenient, and the creepy Mr. Collins was almost creepier than George Wickham. Ugh.
All in all, this is a pretty fun read for Darcy fans, not least because it's fun imagining the Darcy-rock-star strut... *wink*
drey's rating: Pick it up!
Have you read Fitzwilliam Darcy, Rock Star? What did you think? And if you haven't, here's your opportunity to win a copy...
Giveaway!
Thanks to the publisher, I have one copy of Fitzwilliam Darcy, Rock Star for you! This one's open to US/Canada residents only. To enter, fill out the form before September 30th. Good luck!
Isabel Cooper is a new-to-me author, and I was intrigued by the combination of time-traveling assassin and regency romance...
Title: No Proper Lady
Author: Isabel Cooper
ISBN-13: 9781402259524
ARC: 331 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc., 2011
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
Source: Sourcebooks
drey's thoughts:
Every time I look at this cover, I wonder why the girl has a tattoo--it's so not in keeping with historical romances... Then I realize "duh!" she's not from the times, she's just in the times. Or there wouldn't be a story!
Joan comes from "our" world, but a version of our world that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemies... Or yours. Demonic hordes are systematically wiping out humanity, and the last survivors are flagging and running out of options. Their last-ditch effort? Sending Joan back in time. Her mission: eliminate the magician who set loose the hordes, before he gets strong enough to do so.
And so this warrior from a bleak world drops onto a pretty pastoral England, and winds up saving the life of Simon Grenville. Coincidence or dumb luck? Who knows. And Joan doesn't care, as Simon is a fortuitous ally--he's got a score to settle with Alex Reynell as well.
The two bring to mind scenes from Pygmalion as Simon and his sister attempt to tutor Joan in the manners and behavior expected of a proper Victorian lady--which she'll need if she's to catch Reynell's eye while out in society. Never mind that she's not a lady, never mind that she cusses like a sailor, and never mind that she's there to kill. What she is is focused on her objective, and she deals with the bewildering array of differences between their worlds with humor and sometimes awestruck joy.
The plot is plausible, the characters endearing, and there's a happy ending (it is a romance novel after all). A nice twist on historical romance with a touch of magic.
I'd won an e-copy of Anthony Francis' Frost Moon from Literary Escapism last summer, and finally picked it up so I could read Blood Rock and know what was going on...
Title:
Frost Moon (Skindancer #1)
Author: Anthony Francis
ISBN-13: 9780984325689 (paperback)
eBook: 264 pages
Publisher: Bell Bridge Books, 2010
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
Source: Anthony Francis
drey's thoughts:
I should've read Frost Moon back when I got it. But then I wouldn't be able to pick up Blood Rock when I finished it!
Dakota Frost is a tattoo artist, but not just any tattoo artist--she inks magical tattoos. She's tall, brash, and full of spit and vinegar. Yes, I like her. *grin*
In this first Skindancer book, Dakota is dragged into were business, vamp business, and plain ol' homicide investigation. With a heaping side of the feds. Whew! But she has no choice--someone's been skinning the magical tats off people, and they think the perpetrator is heading to Atlanta. Of course Dakota has to help... Doesn't hurt that the fed is quite yummilicious!
There are multiple plot lines in this story, and all of them seem random until the end. But Dakota isn't all work and no play, and there's no shortage of friends willing to help her out. Unfortunately for her, some of them don't quite survive the experience.
I like tattoos, I like urban fantasy, and I like Anthony Francis' melding of the two. Give Frost Moon a whirl if you haven't already. I'm going to pick up Blood Rock as soon as I can.
I'm thrilled to be part of the blog tour for Alma Katsu's The Taker!
About the author:
Alma Katsu is a writer living in the Washington, DC area with her husband, musician Bruce Katsu. She was born in Fairbanks, Alaska but spent most of her childhood in Massachusetts, in the middle of the area where colonial history was made. She started writing as a stringer for local newspapers while still in high school and continued as a freelance writer through her college years at Brandeis University, mainly in music journalism. She moved to Washington, DC to take a job with the federal government and stopped writing fiction for about twelve years to concentrate on her career. She returned to writing fiction at age forty and was accepted into the writing program at Johns Hopkins. The Taker is her first novel and is published by Gallery Books/Simon and Schuster. She's not much for writing short stories but has had a few published, most recently in Enhanced Gravity, an anthology of work by Washington DC women writers, published by Paycock Press.
Alma was gracious enough to take the time to do a Q&A, so here you go!
drey: Hello Alma! Thank you for taking the time to visit drey's library and do this Q&A.
When did you know you wanted to write?
Alma: When I was very young, I was an artist. I actually sold my first work commercially when I was 10 years old. Everyone expected me to be an artist when I grew up, but I discovered that I enjoyed writing more. It was more of a challenge. I figured whatever career I chose, it would have something to do with writing, although not necessarily fiction. I never expected to be able to make a living as a novelist.
drey: What was the first story you wrote, and what happened to it?
Alma: The first story I remember writing was in the fifth grade. It was about a Victorian-era detective who lived with his sister and had to wear gloves all the time because he’d ruined his hands with acid while conducting an experiment. An obvious Sherlock Holmes rip-off. My teacher liked it, though, and encouraged me to continue writing.
drey: How did you celebrate the UK release of The Taker? Any plans for the US release?
Alma: I held my breath when The Taker was released in the UK, not knowing what to expect. It came out right after the London Book Fair. The Taker got a few nice mentions in the press, from Cosmo UK and Marie Claire, and good support from bloggers. But since I was a debut author and no one knew me, there were no plans to tour and it was hard to get much attention from the press.
I’m very lucky in that the US publisher is very supportive of the novel. They’ve already had a day of events for The Taker during BEA this past May, and sent me to Comic-con in San Diego, and we have appearances lined up for two months following the release. We’re having the launch party in Arlington VA at a friend’s independent bookstore, One More Page Books, with a special wine (Marietta Cellars Angeli Cuvee, in case you want to drink along at home) picked out specially for The Taker, and my husband’s band is going to play. It should be a great party and anyone in the DC area is welcome to join us.
drey: I'm wishing I lived in DC, I'd love to join you guys!
I loved Adair--he's so villainous, and yet can be so charming. Where did you find the inspiration for his character?
Alma: Adair is getting quite the fan club—I was just on a panel on crafting the villain at The Writing Show, the monthly meeting for the James River Writers in Richmond, VA and the moderator confessed that she loved Adair. He has a huge personality and he believes his own PR, if you know what I mean.
I drew partly on what I learned from analyzing genocides and mass atrocities on the job. (I used to be an intelligence analyst.) You see really horrible people involved in what usually amounts to people killing their neighbors. You have a charismatic leader and followers (whose buttons the leader knows how to push), all of these people feel justified in doing something that they must know, on some level, is wrong. Most people can rationalize just about anything to themselves, if not to others. So that’s part of why Adair is such a convincing villain—he believes he has the right to do what he does.
The other inspiration for Adair is Bill Sykes, from Oliver Twist. Sykes had such simmering menace.
drey: In your opinion, what's his most redeeming quality?
Alma: I don’t know if it’s redeeming or not, but the thing about Adair that doesn’t make me completely throw up my hands is that he believes he considers all sides to a situation before he makes his decision. That is, he thinks he’s open-minded. You actually might be able to talk him out of doing something, but you’d have to make a really strong argument. He is so lacking in self-awareness that it’s almost endearing.
drey: Lanore's love for Jonathan spanned centuries, even if (in my opinion) he wasn't deserving of such devotion. Were Jonathan's flaws a conscious decision, or just how he ended up getting written?
Alma: One thing I noticed about some of the handsome men I’ve known is that they can be very passive. They know when a woman is drawn to them. If that woman wants to act on her attraction, they won’t stop something from happening, but they’re not going to make any commitments, either.
I agree that Jonathan didn’t deserve Lanny, but you know how it is: you can’t tell your best friend that she’s involved with the wrong fella. And everyone has flaws. The characters in The Taker are like most people, in that they act in their own self-interest most of the time. The question is what line won’t they cross? At what point do they realize they’re lying to themselves in order to justify doing something they know is wrong?
drey: How true. And I loved how Lanny's character did not seem to want to think that she could be wrong in loving Jonathan...
What, in your opinion, is Jonathan's worst trait?
Alma: He’s selfish, but not actively selfish. He’s not only handsome but he’s used to people doing things for him because of his family. It’s easy to see where he might come to believe that it’s not his fault if people want to please him. He’s not encouraging it—but he’s not refusing their favors, either.
drey: Where are Luke and Lanore headed next?
Alma: You’ll find out about that in the next book, The Reckoning. At the end of The Taker, we see that they’re living together in Paris, thinking they’re going to start this life together but you know we can’t make it as easy as that for them.
drey: Lanore is so introspective at the end of the book. What is her greatest regret?
Alma: I think she regrets having put her life on hold for Jonathan, wandering aimlessly while hoping for his return. But if you knew everything that happened to her during those years—and you’ll hear a little about them in The Reckoning and in the last book, The Descent—you’ll see that she had a wonderful full life and many adventures, and she finds someone who loves her as completely and fully as she deserves.
drey: That's good to hear! I can't wait to read the next books! *grin*
The Taker hits the big screen--Who do you see in the roles of Lanore, Luke, Jonathan, and Adair?
Alma: I’m really bad at this question because I don’t watch movies very often and so I don’t know many young actors and actresses. (drey: that's ok, I don't either!) Several people have said Jonathan Rhys Meyers for Adair but lately I’m thinking Jason Momoa wouldn’t be a bad choice. He’s a bit muscly but he’s got that hot & sweaty thing going. All my choices for Jonathan are dated, I’m afraid. A few people have mentioned Mia Wasikowska for Lanny.
drey: What's next? Is there a sequel (or two)?
Alma: There are more books, as mentioned. I’m wrapping up The Reckoning now. You’ll see lots of the characters return and get to see what they’ve been doing for two hundred years. One comes back that you might not expect (hint, hint.) All three books are a bit different from each other. Lots of adventures, more surprises, but at the end Lanny gets what she wants after learning a lot about herself and the true meaning of love.
drey: Thank you so very much for doing thsi Q&A! I can't wait for The Reckoning!
About the book:
True love can last an eternity . . . but immortality comes at a price. . . .
On the midnight shift at a hospital in rural Maine, Dr. Luke Findley is expecting another quiet evening of frostbite and the occasional domestic dispute. But the minute Lanore McIlvrae—Lanny—walks into his ER, she changes his life forever. A mysterious woman with a past and plenty of dark secrets, Lanny is unlike anyone Luke has ever met. He is inexplicably drawn to her . . . despite the fact that she is a murder suspect with a police escort. And as she begins to tell her story, a story of enduring love and consummate betrayal that transcends time and mortality, Luke finds himself utterly captivated.
Her impassioned account begins at the turn of the nineteenth century in the same small town of St. Andrew, Maine, back when it was a Puritan settlement. Consumed as a child by her love for the son of the town’s founder, Lanny will do anything to be with him forever. But the price she pays is steep—an immortal bond that chains her to a terrible fate for all eternity. And now, two centuries later, the key to her healing and her salvation lies with Dr. Luke Findley.
Part historical novel, part supernatural page-turner, The Taker is an unforgettable tale about the power of unrequited love not only to elevate and sustain, but also to blind and ultimately destroy, and how each of us is responsible for finding our own path to redemption.
Title: The Taker
Author: Alma Katsu
ISBN-13: 9781439197059
Hardcover: 436 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2011
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
Source: Pocket Books
drey's thoughts:
Alma Katsu's The Taker is a surprisingly mesmerizing tale of childhood fancies and grown-up realities. We start with a childhood infatuation that grows into so much more. Love? Well, Lanore is certain it is. Who knows what Jonathan thinks... Especially when he's got all the girls vying for his attention already.
But Lanore is convinced that she's the one for him, that they're meant to be together, and it's all going to work out. Until the day she's sent to Boston in shame, heartbroken because he's betrothed to another.
Lanore meets up with Adair and his group in Boston, and winds up staying with them. Smart? Maybe not. But it's not like she had much choice. Destitute women rarely do. As she tries to make the most of her opportunities though, she finds that her new friends have a darker side. And is drawn irrevocably into their web when she tries to run away... Now they want Jonathan too. Can she give him up, even after he broke her heart?
The Taker is a dark story, set in a time when women don't have options other than do as you're told, or take to the streets. And Alma Katsu makes it even darker with Jonathan's callousness, and Adair's motives and inclinations. Luke is a refreshing change from the other characters, but he seems to pale in comparison to the rest--maybe because he isn't just like them? In any case, there's something for everybody here, whether you like mysteries or the paranormal or just plain fiction.
drey's rating: Excellent!
Have you read The Taker? What did you think? And if you haven't, here's your chance...
Giveaway!
Thanks to the publisher, I have two (yes, TWO) copies of Alma Katsu's The Taker for you, if you live in the US (no PO Boxes, please). To enter, just fill out the form below. Remember you can come back and tweet this daily! Good luck!
I'd wanted to pick this up since I saw the cover, and it's been waiting patiently on my shelf since it came from the library... I'm glad I got to it before it had to go back.
drey's thoughts:
I really enjoyed the combination of mythology, paranormal, and post-apocalyptic New Orleans in Kelly Keaton's (aka Kelly Gay) first YA urban fantasy. The heroine, Ari, is a seventeen-year-old orphan looking for answers--who's her birth mother? Why did she give Ari up? And what exactly is it that makes her so weird?
What she finds takes her to "New 2", the now privately-owned former city of vampires and magic where misfits gather and an ancient Goddess lurks. And Ari discovers there's a curse on her line that is passed from mother to daughter, from forever and a day ago. Determined to be the one who beats the curse, Ari makes a stand. Only, is she strong enough to win? Especially when she doesn't know what she is, and her opponent is a very very strong Goddess?
If you're a fan of the genre, you'll love Darkness Becomes Her. Ari is stubborn and headstrong, and refuses to budge on her principles. The band of misfits she finds in New 2 are basically background, except for Sebastian (the boy--there's always a boy) and Violet, a little girl with fangs and a pet alligator. Or was it a crocodile? I forget. But I love Violet.
The action starts at the beginning, and doesn't stop till the end, when Ari once again stands up for herself--and makes enough sense to sway the adults to her way of looking at things. Along the way she learns a bit about trust, and a bit about love. I will definitely pick up the sequel--A Beautiful Evil comes out in February 2012.
drey's rating: Excellent! But what else would you expect from the author of the Charlie Madigan series? *wink*
Have you read Darkness Becomes Her? What did you think?
