Tuesday, 15 May 2012

Spotlight: Familiar Ties by Nikki Naya Blog Tour






Book Title: Familiar Ties

Author: Naya Nikki

Genre: Romance

Publisher: InkSpell Publishing

Publication Date: May 21st 2012

 Format: eBook, Kindle, Paperback








Book Synopsis:
Max West is a widower raising Phoebe, his four-year-old daughter. Phoebe has to live with the fact that the day she was born is also the day of her mother’s death. As her fifth year without her mother approaches, Phoebe finds solace in her godmother, Amy Riley, and her daughter, Grace Crawford, another single parent family.

Amy Riley is a successful fashion designer who spends most of her days raising her four-year-old daughter, Grace, while her wayward boyfriend is travelling the world making the next best film. As the fifth year without her best friend looms she finds comfort in her ex-boyfriend, Max, and his daughter, Phoebe.These two “broken” families have a tough week to face as the dreaded day approaches. However through their past, present and debatable future will their choices affect the outcome both parents clearly want and are simply denying? Or will Phoebe and Grace lose the only “whole” family they have ever known?

Excerpt

“Amy,” Max warned, “You’re not going to just take pictures.”
He chuckled as he stood behind Amy, who was trying to figure out the new camera. Grace and Phoebe were posed perfectly on the sofa like little angels, big smiles showing rows of shiny white teeth, with the odd one or two missing. “You see,” he showed her. “There's this new, fancy thing called a timer. This means that all of us can be in the picture, including you.”
She playfully swatted him, as he jumped back, “Oh zip it.” She laughed, “I look a mess. Anyway I want a picture of you three for my desk, not me.”
Grace sat up as she swung her little legs off the edge of the sofa, her feet not even scraping the floor. “Come on, Mommy! Pwease?” She was missing her two front teeth and therefore she couldn’t pronounce her L’s properly. Amy thought it sounded so cute and secretly hoped that they’d never grow back.
How could she possibly say no to her little darling? She watched as Grace began to pout and bat her big, grey eyes at her. It was her infamous look that could make anyone fall for her, including her mother and her Uncle Max.
“No, not the pout,” she joked. “Anything but that, Gracie you know I can’t resist that cute little pout of yours.”
Once Max finished setting the timer, he curled his fingers around Amy's pale bangle covered wrist and pulled her towards the girls and the sofa. As they both sat down, on either side of the girls, he leaned over the girls’ heads to whisper, “I taught her that pout.”
“Yes, I know,” she replied. “Because that’s how you got Anna to fall for you.” She was about to laugh when she realized what she’d said. There was a moment of silence as both contemplated the loss of Anna. “Sorry,” she whispered to him. “I shouldn’t have said that.”
“It’s fine,” he whispered back, before he could say anymore Phoebe crawled onto his lap. He smiled and saw the splitting image of his deceased wife staring back at him. He didn’t mind that Anna was gone, because she’d left him the most precious of gift. Amy smiled as she lifted Grace onto her lap. Both parents shuffled closer together as a unit.
“How long do we have, Daddy?” Phoebe asked, as she snuggled into her father’s chest.
“Thirty seconds,” he answered. “Can you smile big for me?” he asked.
Phoebe nodded as she smiled her massive toothy smile and reached for Grace's hand. “You too, Grace!” Phoebe instructed her friend. “Smile really, really big!”
For a moment, Amy remembered Anna again. They’d both been only eight years old when they’d sat and posed for a different camera. Amy still had that picture on her bedside drawer, next to one of Phoebe and Grace as babies. 'Smile real big,' Anna had said as she’d tilted her head against Amy’s to become one.
The smile on Amy's face wasn’t a sad one anymore. She was fortunate that she could feel Anna’s presence, through her charming daughter.
As she looked at the camera, she hadn’t realized that Max had put his free arm around her waist, pulling them closer. The camera started to blink, indicating to be ready. “Ready?” she asked them. “On the count of three, okay? One…Two…”
“Three,” they all said together, smiling big for the camera, to produce the perfect family photo, to anyone who didn’t know them.


Author Bio:

Born and raised in London, England, Naya Nikki is a student who’s spent most of her life taming her creative streak through writing short stories. She’s signed her first contract with InkSpell Publishing to publish her first book “Familiar Ties.” The story follows the journey of two single parents whose daughters want nothing more than for them to become a happy family.
She is currently earning a degree in English with a minor in Creative Writing that will allow her to build her writing career. When she isn’t at the university, Naya loves nothing more than spending time with her parents and grandparents as well as meeting her friends for gossip sessions over some hot coco.

Links
Twitter: @NikkiNaya

Monday, 14 May 2012

Bittersweet by Brooke Moss and Zed by Stephen Herfst Book Review

Last week was a great week for me. I read two books in one wekk - it takes me about a week to a week and a half to finish a book. I'm a very slow reader. I enjoyed readin Brooke Moss' Bittersweet, a contemporary romance novella about a woman, Anna Kirkpatrick whose eight year old son, Bowen, is autistic. "A heartwarming tale about a tired mom at the end of her rope; a hot, tattooed pastry chef with a chip on his shoulder; and one ASD kid discovering he's a whiz in the kitchen." Her journey and her Happy Ever After. The kind that leaves you feeling mellow and deliciously happy at the then of the story. All proceeds go to Autism NOW. 

The second one, a complete different one and a storyline I've never tried before, Zed by Stephen Herfst. Zed is  like no other  zombie. He has upgraded his shuffle to a stride and is very proud of his achievement. Can count to 13 and he is one bright chap. This book is hilarious. 

Ok, so down to the reviews. 


Bittersweet


Author: Brooke Moss
Publisher. Entangled Publishing
Publishing date: April 29th, 2012
Book Summary
Anna Kirkpatrick isn’t looking for love. Being a single mom to Bowan, her eight-year-old autistic son, takes up all of her time…leaving no room for romance. Willing to do anything to help her son come out of his shell, Anna agrees to take Bowan to cooking classes with a world class chef.

Motorcycle-riding pastry chef Leo Mancini isn’t exactly searching for
“the one”, either. After losing every penny he had, his business, and
his girlfriend, he’s moved to northern Idaho to sulk, restart his
career, and pay his sister back for a loan that no amount of money
could ever really suffice.

When Anna and Leo discover that Bowan’s fondness for the kitchen
extends beyond his peculiar cookbook collection, Leo quickly becomes the one person who can break through his barriers. But will Leo and Anna’s attraction lead to more than just a weekly cooking lesson

My thoughts:

Bittersweet is one of those stories, which with just a few pages (about 95pdf),those pages tell a story about a woman who has gone through alot, and still strong, holding on.

Anna's husband left her as soon as he knew their son Bowan was autistic. After that, the full responsibility fells on Anna's shoulders. She is persistent, strong, given up most of her dreams for her child. Bowan is a sweet child, who finds peace and is animated than usual in the kitchen. And then Anna meets Leo (oh, Leo *sigh*) and Bowan adores him as well, as they continue with their cooking sessions. 

It was really good to see Leo, who seems to have this playboy facade, but is really different on the inside, how the two fall in love. How Leo falls inlove with both Anna and adore Bo. Finally Anna finds love. :) and so does Leo who went through some hard times before meeting Anna. 

A wonderful novella, a fairy tale in nature. I love Brooke's writing style, and really look forward to read The Carny her upcoming contemporary romance. Highly recommended.


Zed


Book Summary:

The story revolves around a teenage girl's promise to save Zed from the human hordes.

Zed is not your typical zombie. He is cursed with the affliction of thought ... although he tries to make the best of a bad situation. The goals for his unrest are simple: to improve his stride, to taste a lightly-seared pork loin once again and avoid Activists at all costs.

His life was predictable, controlled and good until chaos crashed the party. In just one day his world is destroyed and his ability to survive is tested. Would he be able to get through this in one piece? And would he somehow be able to survive the unstoppable force that goes by the name of Chase?

My thoughts:

First of all, Thanks you Stephen and Making Connections for giving me a chance to read this book. I've never read any Zombie books, so when I saw Stephen's book offered for review, and after reading the book summary, I signed up.

Zed. He is a zombie, loves GI boots, loves to read, can count to 13, and has upgraded his shuffle to a stride, mastered it to perfection. That's what he thinks until Chase, a fiery teen girl and also a 'zee' hunter comes along and insults his stride.

Once Chase discovers Zed is not the average zombie, zed's life changes.

Zed's world is full of dangers from hunters who like to take zombies as trophies, activists, and converted zombies called Gumbies. Some work in the malls, food courts.

Chase and Zed's road trip adventure was a hilarious. To see how the relationship between the two grows, how they depend on each other for survival was a real treat.

Love zombie stories? I'd highly recommend Stephen Herfst's book. And I really look forward to reading the next book in the Zed and Chase adventure.

If you get a chance, and would like something hilarious (If you enjoy zombie stories) or romantic with a satisfactory HEA, I'd recommend the these two books. 


Sunday, 13 May 2012

Happy Mother's Day!


Happy Mother’s day to all moms and to you, mom *hi mommy* 
You are loved. 

Cecilia


Friday, 11 May 2012

Friday Fantastic Feature: C.A. Szarek




 It's that time of the week again, and I'm very excited to have C.A.Szarek hanging out with me on my blog. Welcome C.A.!

About C.A. Szarek 





I'm originally from Ohio, but I got to Texas as soon as I could. :) I have a bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice and went to the Police Academy in Ohio intending to be a cop, then I moved to TX and changed my mind a bit. I work with kids at both my jobs (A City Municipal Court and an Emergency Shelter for Teens) and I can't seem to get away from them. I have always been a writer...since I was a teen myself.
When I am not being a work-a-holic, I am writing. 






CeCe:  So glad to have you here. :) So, what project are you currently working on?

C.A: Several, actually. I am working on the sequel for the fantasy/romance book I just sold to Gypsy Shadow publishing, as well as a romantic suspense that another publisher expressed interest in. I also am currently doing a weekly serial on my blog. It’s also fantasy/romance, from the same world of my King’s Riders Series. As I mentioned above, the first one, entitled Sword’s Call will be out in 2013. 



CeCe: What Inspired you to write the first book?

C.A:  I get inspiration from anywhere, I think. I have been writing for so long, since I was about 14. I actually wrote my first book then. (Yes, I still have it. Interesting reading, that one. But I would soooo never show it to anyone).

I have always loved fantasy, and that is my first love as a genre, but I will read anything that looks good and often get inspiration from what I read.

CeCe: What genres do you write?

C.A: Fantasy Romance, Paranormal Romance, Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense, and the occasional YA.

CeCe:  How do you create your characters? How do you mould them to fit what you require for the story?

C.A: I am definitely am more character driven than plot driven, so when I make up a character, I try to get into their head as much as I can and learn them as well as I know myself. I think HOW they fit a story depends on the story, but they usually let me know when I don’t have something right—no, not crazy, don’t hear voices, but if you’re a writer, you know what I mean. ;)

CeCe: What is your writing style like? (more description, dialogue…)

C.A: I would like to think it’s a balance. I can tell you that I most definitely make sure my dialogue flows. Choppy dialogue in a story is a pet peeve. But description is very important as well. When reading, I like when I can be totally absorbed by a story, so I try my best to write like that as well. So you can use your senses to BE with my characters.

CeCe: Have you ever hated a character/ a story you wrote?

C.A.: No. Even with my villains, I have to get into their heads so I know them as a person, and unless they have some self-loathing, I don’t feel that way. Even the scum of the earth has their own motivations. I may not respect a character when I design their choices, but I guess I don’t ever see myself hating them since they are my own creation. Even bad guys can be respected, I suppose.

CeCe:  How did you do the research for the book you are currently writing?

C.A: My current MS (which doesn’t have a title right now) but is Romantic Suspense, stars an FBI hero and a Police Det. heroine and has honestly been a surprising challenge to me. I have a background in Law Enforcement as well as a bachelor’s in Criminal Justice and was shocked that I was struggling with putting the case together in my head and on paper. But, I have utilized my police department (I work in a municipal court) and have talked to many officers and detectives I know. They have graciously helped me a great deal.

As far as the Fantasy/Romance Series, I didn’t do research, I made it all up! J


CeCe: What project are you promoting?

C.A.: My first novel, Sword’s Call (Book 1 of the King’s Riders Series) will be out in April 2013. 

CeCe: What can readers and fans find you (online that is) 


My Blog: http://www.caszarekwriter.blogspot.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/caszarek

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/caszarek 

Giveaway: Accidentally Yours by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff ebook

Mimi Jean Pamfiloff's ACCIDENTALLY MARRIED TO...A VAMPIRE, Book 2 in her popular "Accidentally Yours Series", recently hit #34 on the NYTimes Best Seller List (Fiction eBooks)!! "VAMPIRE" has also earned a well-deserved spot on both the Amazon and USA Today Top/Best Seller lists! To celebrate, Mimi Jean is giving away an eBook copy of not only ACCIDENTALLY MARRIED TO...A VAMPIRE, but ACCIDENTALLY IN LOVE WITH...A GOD, Book 1 in the "Accidentally Yours Series", as well, to 20--yes, you read that right, 20--lucky winners! Accidentally in Love With...a God? (Book 1, Accidentally Yours) Contemporary Paranormal Romance by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff "4.5 out of 5 Stars for Accidentally in Love With...a God? (Amazon)!" Blurb: Twenty-two-year-old Emma Keane has a secret friend. He’s powerful, mysterious, and devastatingly handsome. In her dreams, anyway. In real life, he’s an enigma. Maybe just a teensie jealous. Definitely overbearing. He’s also a voice only she can hear. So who or what is he? He won’t say. But if she wants to be free, to be normal, Emma will have to trek to the jungles once ruled by the Mayans and find the forgotten ruin holding the answers. However, the ruthless deity she’s about to unknowingly unleash on the modern world might not be so easily extracted from her life. Bottom line, he’s got enemies, and now, so does she. Excerpt: With his golden face beaming, the man smiled as he stroked my sopping wet hair and cradled me against his warm, smooth chest. “I love this dream,” I said with a breathy voice, then stretched my arms above my head, gazing happily into the most striking set of luminescent, turquoise green eyes I’d ever seen. To boot, they belonged to a breathtaking, masculine face, a face one would expect to see on the cover of a magazine named something like, I’m Way Too Hot to Be Your Man, or In Your Dreams, Honey. Oh, yeah. Without a doubt, I’d topped myself this time. Sculpted cheekbones, thick dark lashes, chiseled jaw, and lips so full they simply had to be meant for kissing or eating something really juicy. He was way hotter than the specimen of perfection from my last dream, and bonus, he didn’t have that scary vibe. I reached up and ran my fingertip along the ridge of his hard-lined warrior nose. “Emma, what in the name of the gods’ creation are you doing?” he scorned. “We really don’t have time for your immature little fantasies. We’re in the middle of a crisis. Do you not remember?” I blinked and slowly moved my eyes from side to side. Jungle? I was in the jungle. And my clothes were wet. Come to think of it, for a dream, I didn’t feel so hot. My lungs burned, my body felt like it’d been chewed up, and my head was throbbing. So, aside from the perfect man with long, damp, wavy black hair holding me in his arms, none of this felt like a dream. It felt… “Holy Mother!” I pushed myself away and rolled into the dirt, pointing in disbelief. “Wha—you—you—?” “Aaah. So eloquent as always, my sweet. It is astounding; you actually have a college degree, yet cannot find better words.” He pushed himself up off the ground. As he rose, my heart stopped, started, then went into overdrive. His legs and spine straightened into a towering mass of unforgiving muscles. With shoulders like a lumberjack and thick, powerful thighs, I didn’t know if I wanted to run away or climb him like a tree. He was utterly enormous. Jolly Green Giant enormous. Except, obviously, not green. More golden brown. He was a gorgeous, towering mass of golden brown perfection. No. Definitely not a cave-dwelling, wart-infested troll. Great. Just great. Now I knew I wasn’t crazy—Guy was definitely real—but now I also knew I was way over my head. He was gorgeous. I stood in awe, my mouth gaping as my eyes attempted to register every rope of muscle, every capacious curve packed with power. Christ, he had to be at least seven feet tall. “Six nine, actually,” he said, guessing my thoughts. “This can’t be possible,” I whispered, my eyes continuing to dart up and down the length of his body, stopping right on dark trail of hair that started just below his navel and continued down, down, down to his enormous beast of a—“Oh! You’re naked.” I turned sharply, but only to stop myself from reaching out to touch it; no man could be that…that…endowed. Wow. “This can’t be happening.” I covered my face. “Emma,” he moved behind me, placing his powerful hands on my shoulders. A jolt shivered its way through my body. I was wrong about the vibe. Way wrong. This man, or whatever he was, radiated hazard. He should come equipped with a set of blinking lights or flares. He was…“Bad. Very, very, bad,” I mumbled, pinching the bridge of my nose. And pathetically, after everything that had happened, all I could think about was this naked, hard-bodied, glorious “man” who’d just permanently seared his image inside the storage compartments of my female DNA. All men from this day forward would have to survive a mental side-by-side comparison against him. They’d all lose. Available for ONLY $0.99 at: Amazon | B&N | Smashwords Accidentally Married to...a Vampire? (Book 2, Accidentally Yours) Contemporary Paranormal Romance by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff "4.5 out of 5 Stars for Accidentally Married to...a Vampire? (Amazon)!" Blurb: “If you love her, set her free. If she comes back, she’s yours. If she doesn’t...Christ! Stubborn woman! Hunt her down, and bring her the hell back; she’s still yours according to vampire law.”--Niccolo DiConti, General of the Vampire Queen’s Army. The Determined Vampire: Niccolo DiConti has faithfully served as leader of Her Majesty’s army for over a millennium, but he’d rather sunbathe in the Sahara than spend another grueling day under his demented queen’s command. However, no one has ever left her side and lived to tell. So when a powerful goddess prophesizes he will meet his salvation—a human woman he must turn into a vampire with her consent—he eagerly rises to the challenge. After all, how hard could it be to seduce a human female into taking the immortal plunge? Harder than he thinks. Because his mate won’t be born for another three centuries, and when he wakes up in the goddess’ tomb, not only is his life a mess, but his destined female isn’t about to settle for a coldhearted vampire. Can he win her over before it’s too late? Not if his enemies have anything to do with it. An Unwilling Bride: On the night Helena Strauss meets the fierce, devastatingly handsome vampire who saves her life in the jungles of Mexico, she knows her world will be forever changed. Because an attraction this mind blowing only comes along once in a lifetime—or existence. And when he claims she is his one true mate, destined to be his for all eternity, it’s a fairytale come true. So what if her knight in shining armor is a vampire? Nobody’s perfect. But discovering the powerful, overbearing immortal doesn’t “do love”? Deal breaker. Helena will flee and set out to accomplish the impossible…sever the otherworldly bond between them. And it turns out, Helena is just the leverage Niccolo’s enemies need to break the mighty warrior and wipe out his people. Excerpt: What the hell is this place? Then Helena’s eyes focused on something else she couldn’t quite grasp. In the middle of the room, lying across a stone altar, was a naked man with dark symbols tattooed down the length of one arm. But he was not just any man. He was a male so perfect that words would catfight each other just for the honor of describing him. He was a god. A bona fide deity. He had to be. Because a normal man wouldn’t give her the urge to fall to her knees and worship at his feet. Or drool. The torchlight licked his sculpted cheekbones, angular jaw, and full, sensual lips. Every capacious curve and ripple of hard muscle looked to be packed with raw power, and his size left no doubt that he’d been built in another time. A time when giant warriors roamed the earth, looking to rescue lame tourists wandering the Mexican jungle at night. In my dreams. Wait...this is a dream! It has to be. “Move closer my sweet, delicious woman.” The deep voice radiated from every direction, filling the room. Helena’s blood pressure crashed to the floor. She gasped as the weight of her body slammed back against the cold chamber wall to keep from falling. “Hel-hello? Can you hear me?” Fists clenched, Helena waited for a response, her eyes continuing to soak him in. Every inch of him. Was he real? No, he must be a statue. Too perfect. His full lips were built to nuzzle a woman’s neck. Specifically, her neck. And that hair—thick, long waves of black satin—was the kind a woman could grab fistfuls of while being driven insane by those lips. Then there were the diamond-cut grooves of his abs, his perfectly shaped navel, the fine dark hair adorning his lower belly that trailed down to his awe-inspiring man-gear. The size and thickness, even in its slumbering state, was something women dreamed of and scores of artists throughout history attempted to immortalize in marble. He was every woman’s fantasy, she thought. And by every woman, she meant hers…’Cause I’m not gonna share. “Kiss me, Helena,” the seductive voice rumbled. Had the man said her name? No. Clearly, his lips hadn’t moved. The margarita amoebas were attacking her brain and she was losing her mind. “Kiss me, woman. I command you,” the voice echoed, this time compelling her to obey. Helena’s survival instincts gave her a hard kick, jarring her back into the horrific reality of the situation. But as she tried to regain control of her body, her tongue slipped from her mouth and wet her lips. Traitorous tongue. Backstabbing lips. What the hell are you doing? Her body inched closer. “Sì, that is it, my love. I can smell your blood.” Blood? What the...? Every nerve in her body fired on all cylinders, but she couldn’t run even if her hair had been on fire. It seemed the harder she fought, the stronger the force controlling her became. “Brush it against my lips, my love. I want to taste you when you kiss me.” Without realizing it, her hand stretched down to coat her fingertips with the thick, nearly dried blood from her knee. Trembling, she smeared it over his lips. “Now, kiss me, my love. Awaken me, my bride.” “No! No! Let me go!” Helena struggled, but her body’s betrayal persisted. Her head dipped, and her lips rested on his sensuous mouth. In that instant, the compelling force dissipated and her entire body lit up into one glorious pyre of life. Had she been asleep the last twenty-four years? Because she could swear she’d just taken her first breath. Ever. Holy hell, what was that? The torches flickered, and the wind kicked up around her. The altar was empty. She crumbled to the cold, dusty floor. A pair of strong hands gripped her shoulders from behind. “Oh, Christ. You...you’re behind me, aren’t you?” she whispered. The deep dark voice replied, “Sì, my love. Stand, and let me see my mate.” Helena slowly rose to face the naked god behind her. Available for ONLY $0.99 at: Amazon | B&N | Smashwords One hundred percent (100%) of all proceeds derived from the sale of Accidentally Married to a...Vampire from Amazon and B&N on Sunday, May 6, will be donated to The Breast Cancer Foundation. COMING IN SEPT 2012! Sun God Seeks... Surrogate? (Book 3, Accidentally Yours) Contemporary Paranormal Romance by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff Blurb: Twenty-four-year-old Penelope finds herself in all sorts of hot water, vaporous and otherwise, after agreeing to become a surrogate mother for an eccentric, wealthy, and devastatingly handsome man who isn’t exactly a man. About the Author: Before taking up a permanent residence in the San Francisco Bay Area, Mimi spent time living near NYC (became a shopaholic), in Mexico City (developed a taste for very spicy food), and Arizona (now hates jumping chollas, but pines for sherbet sunsets). Her love of pre-Hispanic culture, big cities, and romance inspires her to write when she’s not busy with kids, work, and life…or getting sucked into a juicy novel. She hopes that someday, leather pants for men will make a big comeback and that her writing might make you laugh when you need it most. Website: http://www.mimijean.net iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/mimi-jean-pamfiloff/id498303364?mt=11 Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/MimiJeanRomance Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mimi-Jean/218935048190356 Email: mimi@mimijean.net a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday, 10 May 2012

Blog Tour: Night Sky by Jolene Perry





Book Title: Night Sky
Author: Jolene Perry
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
Pages: 247
ISBN: 9780983741862
ISBN: 9781466052338
Release: March 1, 2012
Source. Tribute Books
Rating: 5/5 Stars


iBookstore buy link
Coming soon

   

Night Sky Summary 

After losing Sarah, the friend he’s loved, to some other guy, Jameson meets Sky. Her Native American roots, fluid movements, and need for brutal honesty become addictive fast. This is good. Jameson needs distraction – his dad leaves for another woman, his mom’s walking around like a zombie, and Sarah’s new boyfriend can’t keep his hands off of her.

As he spends time with Sky and learns about her village, her totems, and her friends with drums - she's way more than distraction. Jameson's falling for her fast.

But Sky’s need for honesty somehow doesn’t extend to her life story – and Jameson just may need more than his new girl to keep him distracted from the disaster of his senior year.

Jolene Perry's Bio:


Jolene grew up in Wasilla, Alaska. She graduated from Southern Utah University with a degree in political science and French, which she used to teach math to middle schoolers.

After living in Washington, Utah and Las Vegas, she now resides in Alaska with her husband, and two children. Aside from writing, Jolene sews, plays the guitar, sings when forced, and spends as much time outside as possible.

She is also the author of The Next Door Boys and the upcoming Knee Deep.


My Review:

Night Sky's in my list of books to read for the Multicultural Challenge hosted by KM @ www.one-page-reviews.blogspot.com . I really enjoyed reading Night Sky. It was a wonderful story, written in first POV, Jameson's, typical teen hormones and all. Jolene did an excellent job writing in a boy's POV.

Jameson (Jay) has been in love with his best friend, Sarah for a while now. Problem is, he's never had the courage to tell her how he feels. Then during the school dance, Sarah hooks up with Eric. Later on Jay meets Sky, a freshman at a local college. who moved from Alaska to live with her grandparents. Although he is still inlove with Sarah, he realises Sky and Sarah are completely different. As the story progresses, Jay deals with his feelings between the two girls, but that is not the only thing he is dealing with. Things are happening at home as well. Sky has secrets up her sleeve as well. Jay handled himself well in the course of what was happening around him. It's a rollercoaster of emotions for ths teen. And very real. 

If you are looking for a well-written Young Adult book from a guy's POV (and hilarious too), I'd highly recommend Night Sky. I'm really looking forward to read Jolene Perry's other books.

Night Sky web site:
http://www.night-sky-book.com

Night Sky Twitter hashtag:
#NightSky

Night Sky GoodReads page:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12588673-night-sky


Jolene Perry's Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002038196677

Jolene Perry's Twitter:
https://twitter.com/#!/JoleneBPerry

Jolene Perry's Website:
http://www.jolenebperry.com/

Jolene Perry's Blog:
http://www.jolenesbeenwriting.blogspot.com/

Jolene Perry's GoodReads:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4944599.Jolene_B_Perry

Tribute Books website:
http://www.tribute-books.com

Tribute Books Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Archbald-PA/Tribute-Books/171628704176

Tribute Books Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/TributeBooks

Tribute Books Blog Tours Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tribute-Books-Blog-Tours/242431245775186


Friday, 4 May 2012

My Friday Fantastic today: Author Aubrie Dionne





It's Friday! Other than it being the most awesome day of the week, I'm really excited to have Aubrie Dionne, hanging out with me here. She's also Inkspeller and a talented author. So, here we go!

Aubrie Dionne is an author and flutist in New England. Her writings have appeared in Mindflights, Niteblade, Silver Blade, Emerald Tales, Hazard Cat, Moon Drenched Fables, A Fly in Amber, and Aurora Wolf. Her books are published by Entangled Publishing, Lyrical Press, and Gypsy Shadow Publishing. She recently signed her YA sci fi novel with Inkspell Publishing titled: Colonization: Paradise 21, which will release in October 2012. When she's not writing, Aubrie teaches flute and plays in orchestras. She's a big Star Trek TNG fan, as well as Star Wars and Serenity. Her dogs are appropriately named Jedi and Princess Leia. 




CeCe: Welcome, Aubrie. Please tell us your name.

Aubrie Dionne.

CeCe: What project are you currently working on? 

Aubrie: I just finished edits on Haven 6, the final conclusion to the New Dawn Trilogy! It’s so exciting. This book follows the descendants of Aries and Striker on Refuge, and answers a lot of ongoing questions about the mysterious benevolent aliens, the golden orb, and much more!


CeCe: What Inspired you to write the first book?

Aubrie: Definitely Star Wars, and Star Trek the Next Generation. Like the first three Star Wars movies, my books take place on a desert planet, then an ice world, then a jungle.


Cece: What genres do you write? 

Aubrie: I started writing fantasy, then branched off into science fiction. All of my science fiction novels sell better than my fantasy ones! But, I definitely want to go back to fantasy at some point. I also dabble in horror (not to graphic, though), and urban fantasy. (I have a set of short stories about carnival performers called The Series of Illusions series).

Cece: How do you create your characters) How do you mould them to fit what you require for the story?

Aubrie: My characters have a life of their own. I give them free reign, and they develop as the story goes on. Each character has a piece of me in them, and it’s funny, and also scary at times to see myself in them.

Cece: What is your writing style like? (more description, dialogue…)

Aubrie: I used to be overly descriptive and very floral, almost to the point of what they call purple prose. Now, I’ve cut back on that and am more character driven with internal thoughts. 

Cece: Oh, I do enjoy character's internal thoughts. One gets to know really what they are thinking:)  Have you ever hated a character/ a story you wrote?

Aubrie: Not yet! Thank goodness! 

Cece: How did you do the research for the book you are currently writing?
Aubrie: I’m working on a young adult tie in series to the New Dawn series. The first book has the benevolent aliens, but the second book has scary arachnid aliens. For this, I looked up a lot of information on spiders (which gave me the creeps!).

Cece: What can readers and fans find you (online that is)

Twitter: @authoraurbie

Blog: http://authoraubrie.blogspot.com

Website: www.authoraubrie.com

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2964057.Aubrie_Dionne


CeCe: What project are you promoting?

Aubrie: All of them! LOL

LOL... And each as fascinating as the next. I'll need to read the previous book on the series to catch up. Thanks, Aubrie!

Here is Aubrie's book, A hero Rising. I will be hosting her on her book blog tour on 16th May, and hope you drop by. I'll be putting up the review on 16th. I'm a sci-fi fan (when done right) and she has done it right. :)



After watching his love leave on a colony ship, James Wilfred must save those left behind from a planetary apocalypse. Their salvation lies in an unfinished ship tucked away in a secret government base, and only James can break in and pilot him and his people to freedom on a nearby space station.

Skye O’Connor’s boyfriend never returns after his gang attempts an assassination of the Governor, and the State Building is destroyed. Worse, crazed moonshiners addicted to the chemical Morpheus have stormed the city, and she must find a safe place for her and her boyfriend’s daughter. When a heroic man saves her, Skye asks to accompany him on his quest to find the last colony ship left on Earth.

As the city falls around them, James and Skye must work together to build a new future, all the while rediscovering their ability to love, before the apocalypse claims them both.