• The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight

    What can I say? This couple had my heart on my sleeves.

  • Never Let Me Go

    A beautiful story of the fragility of life viewed through skewered lenses.

  • Night Circus

    The world that Morgenstern crafts is one that reeks of the cigar and smoke of the turn of the century England with its glamorous parties like The Great Gatsby, men with bowler hats in the Victorian Era, all with a splash of magic and romance.

  • Piratica I

    Piratica is a swashbuckling adventure, an over-the-top comedy, and of course, an unforgettable love story.

Monday, December 31, 2012

Top Ten Books I've Read in 2012


It's been a crazy year, but thank God I have my books to keep me afloat in this muddling world! 

My list below will be an eclectic mixture of everything and anything. Some transported me back in time and others into the future; some had me at the edge of my seat all the while and others had me settling comfortably on the corner of my sofa; some made me cry, some made me laugh and some did both. And almost all had a romance that made me sigh happily and dance around (at least in my head).

These are the 10 books that made my year a whole lot better:



I loved Grave Mercy so much that I sent my first fan mail to the author. Forget about good-looking super-natural creatures, bring on the assassin nuns! My best historical fiction pick this year.  | My Review |
This has got to be one of the strangest combinations I've ever seen-- science, zombies, necromancy, some elements of steampunk, a Chinese girl & romance; all set in a Victorian era with corsets and courting and whatnot. The book I finished the fastest in 2012. | My Review |
I cannot express the impact this novel had on me because it changed my life and the way I perceived God. Every page had a quote that I would gladly remember. Plus, it had me chuckling on the very first page. The most inspirational book I've read in 2012.
Reading this was like watching a movie, perhaps that's one reason why it's taking me forever to write out a review that will do it justice. One word: epic. Best fantasy novel of 2012.
It just took me by surprise, how brilliant it was. I loved it. This novel has, without a doubt, the best romance I've read in 2012. | My Review |

This book drew me in the moment I saw that wonderfully long title! The novel is just as original, quirky and promising as the title itself, making me cry at both the sweet and bitter moments. My best contemporary read this year. | My Review |


This is my first venture into Kinsella land and I don't regret taking that step. This had me laughing and crying at the weirdest times, and with finesse and flair, this book wins hands-down my funniest read of 2012. | My Review |
I thought it would be clichéd and it was, but it touched me so deeply with its realism. The romance is perfectly done despite the star-crossed pairing. Hence, the most intense read this year. | My Review |







It was scary, thrilling and a hell of a ride. It had me on the edge of my seat the whole time and there wasn't ever a boring moment. Both my best dystopian & thriller novel of 2012. | My Review |








It was simple, but rich with the magic and beauty of fairy-tales. The novel was a fantasy, a coming-of-age story and a romantic tale all at once, taking on a whole new identity from the original fairy-tale. It made me feel so happy (I like well-executed Happily Ever Afters) :) The best adaptation I've read in 2012. | My Review |








If you happen to adore a book on this list, link up! I'd love to see what books made you grin, cry or scream this year :) 

Look out for my Top Ten Most Anticipated Reads of 2013 post, it will be up soon!


xoxo,
Sel

Saturday, December 29, 2012

Review: Tiger Lily



Tiger Lily

Author: Jodi Lynn Anderson


Summary:



Before Peter Pan belonged to Wendy, he belonged to the girl with the crow feather in her hair...


Fifteen-year-old Tiger Lily doesn't believe in love stories or happy endings. Then she meets the alluring teenage Peter Pan in the forbidden woods of Neverland and immediately falls under his spell.Peter is unlike anyone she's ever known. Impetuous and brave, he both scares and enthralls her. As the leader of the Lost Boys, the most fearsome of Neverland's inhabitants, Peter is an unthinkable match for Tiger Lily. Soon, she is risking everything—her family, her future—to be with him. When she is faced with marriage to a terrible man in her own tribe, she must choose between the life she's always known and running away to an uncertain future with Peter.With enemies threatening to tear them apart, the lovers seem doomed. But it's the arrival of Wendy Darling, an English girl who's everything Tiger Lily is not, that leads Tiger Lily to discover that the most dangerous enemies can live inside even the most loyal and loving heart.From the New York Times bestselling author of Peaches comes a magical and bewitching story of the romance between a fearless heroine and the boy who wouldn't grow up.


Published July 3rd 2012.

*



In this strange, sad yet hopeful tale, the real and the mythical; fact and fiction; wilderness and civilisation; first loves and new loves all collide with a resounding boom. The story is stirring and spellbinding simply because it is, at its core, Tiger Lily's story. And her story is one as unique as her name.

Set against the backdrop of Neverland-- where insect-sized fairies who can't speak English, blood-thirsty pirates, tribes and the infamous Lost Boys reside-- Tiger Lily's coming-of-age tale unfolds, starting first in the tribe called Skyeaters. There, she lives under the care of her adoptive father, Tik Tok, the tribe's shaman. 

Slowly, the story blossoms into a love story, albeit a very awkward, sweet and fragile one. Tiger Lily-- whom the tribe finds difficult to accept with her angular frame, sharp eyes and stoic reticence-- finds a home amongst the Lost Boys. From fearing the Lost Boys initially to loving them eventually, Tiger Lily melts their hearts while they too melt hers in return. 


Here's when Peter Pan appears. 


Jodi Lynn Anderson's characterization is outstanding, especially in the case of Peter and Tiger Lily. Peter is the attractive (even the fierce mermaids with shark's teeth are in love with him), proud and gangly teenager, who desperately craves for love and affirmation. And while it seems at first that Tiger Lily and him are a perfect match, there was this steady, throbbing fear in me with every page I flipped.


How their proud natures crashed, how they both tried to be stronger than the other, how Peter wanted Tiger Lily to praise him and to love him openly and passionately... But, it was in Tiger Lily's nature to be brave and strong and quiet in her love, so much that sometimes, I felt like shaking the book just for her to tell Peter that she loved him. 


Perhaps, they might have been able to work it out. But, who knows? Because there was another shadow lurking in the background, a pretty blonde shadow, demure and lovely, weak and full of praises, showering Peter with attention and working on him with her feminine wiles-- Wendy Bird.


She was everything that Tiger Lily was not. And I hated her. 


Because even though I knew of the original tale, even though I started on this book whilst knowing that there was going to be heartache, even though I knew that Peter and Wendy's fate together has been set in stone years ago in J. M. Barrie's timeless classic, this novel worked its magic on me unknowingly when I was reading it.

I was completely whirled up into the new lives of these characters, and in the end, it seemed wrong to even think about Tiger Lily never having to fall in love and experience all this with Peter.


This is a rich story, one that is deeply moving, bittersweet and will leave you wanting to re-watch the Disney movie just to take another look at the Peter, Tink and the girl with the crow feather in her hair.



Source: The library shelves







xoxo,
Sel



Thursday, December 13, 2012

Cover Canary + Giveaway: The Obvious Game




Quoting from the Inkspell Publishing website, The Obvious Game is a "compelling tale of a young woman who is facing her first romance during a time of turmoil in her life as her mum battles cancer". 

“Everyone trusted me back then. Good old, dependable Diana. Which is why most people didn’t notice at first.”

Praise for The Obvious Game:

“I couldn’t put down The Obvious Game. Arens perfectly captures the hunger, pain and uncertainty of adolescence.” -- Ann Napolitano, author of A Good Hard Look and Within Arm's Reach

"THE OBVIOUS GAME is a fearless, honest, and intense look into the psychology of anorexia. The characters—especially Diana--are so natural and emotionally authentic that you’ll find yourself yelling at the page even as you’re compelled to turn it." -- Coert Voorhees, author of Lucky Fools and The Brothers Torres

"Let’s be clear about one thing: there’s nothing obvious about The Obvious Game. Arens has written a moving, sometimes heart-breaking story about one girl’s attempt to control the uncontrollable. You can’t help but relate to Diana and her struggles as you delve into this gem of a novel." -- Risa Green, author of The Secret Society of the Pink Crystal Ball


Book Information:
Publisher: Inkspell Publishing
Release Date: Feb 7th, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-9856562-7-0 (ebook), 978-0-9856562-8-7 (Paperback)
Paperback Price: $13.99
Kindle: $4.99
To be available at all major online outlets: Amazon, B&N, The Book Depository

Pre-order now at Inkspell Publishing Website at a special discount of 30% on both paperback and ebook!


About The Author:

Rita Arens is the author of The Obvious Game and the editor of the award-winning parenting anthology Sleep Is for the Weak. She writes the popular blog Surrender, Dorothy (www.surrenderdorothyblog.com) and lives in Kansas City with her husband and daughter. The Obvious Game is her first young adult novel. She is at work on a second.



She’s been quoted by Bloomberg Businessweek, The Associated Press, Forbes Woman, the Wall Street Journal, Businessweek and Businessweek Online and featured in Breathe magazine, Get Your Biz Savvy, The Kansas City Star (archived material available on request), Today Moms (Today Show blog) and Ink KC.




MY TWO CENTS WORTH

I'm not a big fan of the font on the cover, but I think the girl hugging herself against the wall conveys the frustration, loneliness and confusion of adolescence. 


What do you think?


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Blog Tour Review: Light of the Moon (Legend of the Dreamer #1)



Light of the Moon

Author: David James

Summary:

Stars. Fire. Blood. Magic.

One night long ago, a constellation disappeared and fell from the sky in the form of a boy. 

Secrets are being kept in the sleepy town of Lakewood Hollow, Colorado. Nothing but pools of blood and dripping words are left where bodies once were, and no one but Calum Wade seems to be worried. Life unfolds in shades of red for Calum, until a mysterious girl named Kate Black enrolls at his school and everything changes. Suddenly a dangerous world of dream demons, elemental enchanters, and blood witches unfurls before Calum. He learns that the stars have forever held his destiny, and that the constellations above are much more than what they seem. As Kate and Calum sink deep into a paranormal war, they realize that an ancient prophecy might hold the answers they seek. But life is not so easy for Calum, and he can feel his heart beat faster whenever Kate is close. Worse, Kate's blood holds a dark secret even more dangerous than the war between the demons and enchanters. Soon the two find that there are worse things than loving someone you shouldn't. For Calum and Kate, even love and the fiery power of stars may not be enough to break a curse as dark as the blood that binds their destiny.

A romantic story of true love and dark curses, LIGHT OF THE MOON will leave you breathless.




Published November 6th 2012.

*

This story is as raw as it is powerful. Elements of violence and blood and death commingle with the painful unfurling of new love in this poetic, ripping tale of curses and devils and destiny.

David James has this elaborate way of writing with many heavy descriptions on the two protagonists' thoughts and self-reflections. Not opting for easy characterization, David James depicts Calum in a bleak setting, as someone who is definitely not your typical teenager. His life is a hell-hole where he constantly despairs about his own identity and fears about becoming a cruel man like his father. 

His soul-searching couldn't have been at a worse timing. 

Brutal murders have been occurring around the county and amidst all this tension, there is a new girl, Kate, who seems intent on killing Calum. The first part of the story is confusing, if not downright difficult to get past. But, the story picks up as Calum slowly starts to overcome the doubts about himself and it becomes him and Kate against the rest of the world. There are a lot of thematic discussions about blood in this novel-- both in terms of kinship and slaughter-- so much that your heart will be heavy as you flip every page. 

It's ambitious, this novel, but at the same time, it takes too long to build up to a climax. But, along the way, the story manages to cover a lot of ground: lineage and identity, death and life, hatred and revenge and most preciously, true love. 

Because, surprisingly, after all of its detours and digressions, at its core, this story is about love-- how it destroys, but also redeems. 

We were flying.
Calum hugged me close. "So this is how love feels."


Love sets one free. And when Calum and Kate finally come to terms with their love for each other, it's an epic moment. The load on our hearts finally lifts, and everything doesn't seem as desolate as before.

In the end, David James did win me over. Not with his writing-- though poetic, it was a bit draggy after a while-- but with how the strength of love shone through all that pain and darkness and tears. 

Reading this novel is truly an immersive experience, one that is every bit emotional as it is powerful.


Source: From the author for review purposes as part of the blog tour




You can find David James on Goodreads | Facebook | Amazon.


Check out the rest of the tour!

12/10. http://booksojourner.blogspot.com/               


12/11 Literati Literature Lovers.                                 

12/11 http://www.supagurlbooks.blogspot.com.                       

12/12. http://www.avidreadermusings.com.                                     

12/12. http://mystorywithyouandher.blogspot.com.                         

12/13 http://read-a-holicz.blogspot.com.                                 

12/13 http://www.danasquare.blogspot.com.                  



xoxo,
Sel

Monday, December 10, 2012

Tour Kick-Off: The Keeper's Curse








I've never been a fan of self-published books, to the extent that if you look into My Chronicle on the top bar, you won't see any of them in the list except one.

Because there are always exceptions. 

For me, I stumbled across The Keeper's Curse when the author, Diana, added me as a friend on Goodreads. And when I scanned through the blurb, I knew that this was a premise that really showed promise. But, what really sold me on it was Diana's own review of the novel. It told me what this book was really a package of:

Apparently, there's going to be some fighting. 

Some action.

Some magic.

An enchanted forest.

Some dancing. 

A love story.

And a happily-ever-after.

You should just take a look at Diana's review here, because she probably says it better than I can. It's short and worth looking at. Another plus is that she even uses a Taylor Swift photo from the Love Story music video! (I'm a total sucker for medieval romances, can't help it.)

So I decided straight-away that this was a book that I'd like to read, and I was sure many would as well. Yet, there were only two reviews on Goodreads. Hence, I did what any self-righteous and overly enthusiastic bookworm/book blogger would have done. 

... (Inserts: montage of busy planning, designing and emailing.)

And, voila! You get a blog tour.

I can't say how much I'd love to thank the thirteen marvellously wonderful book bloggers who joined me on this tour. Just, thank you! Thank you for supporting Diana and her debut novel, thank you for believing in her book, thank you for helping another author take another step closer to her writing dream. This is why I love being a book blogger! It's all because of you guys :)

Enjoy reading all the author interviews, tabloid sessions with the characters and unique guest posts by author Diana Harrison. And do take part in the giveaway as well, you won't regret it ;)

So, without further ado, I kick off the first blog tour on Bookcase to Heaven™. I trust that there will be many more blog tours to come and I will see many familiar names on my next one *grins*. 


a Rafflecopter giveaway


xoxo,
Sel


Saturday, December 8, 2012

Tour Schedule: The Keeper's Curse (The Keeper's Curse, #1)








I'll be hosting THE KEEPER'S CURSE blog tour for the awesome Diana Harrison (YA author) from the 11th to 24th December 2012

You can look at the announcement post and original blog tour invite here. This tour is no longer scheduling.

BLURB


After fifteen-year-old Emmy Rathers unintentionally summons a strange glowing cloud during a break-in, her mother rips her from her home, her father, and her world, forever.


When she lands in the rustic, militant land of Methelwood, she is told she's a crafter - a person who can perform magic by conjuring souls of the dead. But starting life over normally in the midst of grieving for the life she has left behind, while at the same time attempting to fit in in her new war-obsessed school, becomes impossible when she begins to hear a voice in her head. Complicating the matter further is the fact that the voice belongs to a boy at school named Breckin, who just also happens to be the most powerful crafter in the world, and the future ruler of Methelwood.



But that's not the worst part - suddenly Breckin's most hostile adversary is coming out of the shadows and trying to kill her. With no other choice, Emmy must travel deeper into this bizarre, dark world she is so unfamiliar with to find out why this is happening to her, and more importantly, how to stay alive.





TOUR SCHEDULE


11 December
Bookcase to Heaven™ (Tour Kick-off)

12 December

13 December

14 December

15 December

16 December

17 December

18 December

19 December
Steele Reviews (Review + Author Spotlight)

20 December
Viviana, Enchantress of Books (Character Interview)

21 December

22 December

23 December

24 December



GIVEAWAY

5 ebook copies of THE KEEPER'S CURSE. International.


MY TWO CENTS WORTH

I'm really excited for the tour to start! And I will be kicking off the tour on the 11th, so do drop by :)

I will post the links for each tour stop every day, so go and read their views on THE KEEPER'S CURSE and get to know the world of Methelwood and her creator, Diana Harrison.

Have fun reading the guest posts, scanning through the interviews and entering the giveaway!


xoxo,
Sel

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Tour Invite: The Keeper's Curse (The Keeper's Curse, #1)



Hello lovelies! (gives a huge koala bear hug to each and everyone of you)

I'm back from my vacation in China and the vacation was really fun and relaxing! (And the truth is that I've been back for a week and just spent my days sleeping a lot and reading very little, too lazy to even lift a finger to type any substantial reviews ._.)

If you care to take a look to the sidebar, I actually have 498 (let me colour this in purple, teehee) GFC followers, and that is truly amazing for me. You couldn't believe how happy I was when I got back from China and opened up my blog page after two weeks of no-Google-policy and saw this. It made me do a series of happy bounces on my bed (bounces). 

Just to clarify, I only had 300 followers before my vacation. The November New Releases Giveaway Hop that I partook in really did do wonders!

Now, onto the main focus of today's post. As you all know, I've taken part in quite some blog tours in the past. Thanks to the awesome Diana Harrison (YA author of The Keeper's Curse), I've finally taken that leapt of faith to organize my first ever blog tour!

Let me reiterate:

I'm organizing my first ever blog tour. 


Signups are open to all YA bloggers :D

*

After fifteen-year-old Emmy Rathers unintentionally summons a strange glowing cloud during a break-in, her mother rips her from her home, her father, and her world, forever.

When she lands in the rustic, militant land of Methelwood, she is told she's a crafter-- a person who can perform magic by conjuring souls of the dead. But starting life over normally in the midst of grieving for the life she has left behind, while at the same time attempting to fit in in her new war-obsessed school, becomes impossible when she begins to hear a voice in her head. Complicating the matter further is the fact that the voice belongs to a boy at school named Breckin, who just also happens to be the most powerful crafter in the world, and the future ruler of Methelwood.

But that's not the worst part-- suddenly Breckin's most hostile adversary is coming out of the shadows and trying to kill her. With no other choice, Emmy must travel deeper into this bizarre, dark world she is so unfamiliar with to find out why this is happening to her, and more importantly, how to stay alive.

This will be an unforgettable tale of enchanted forests, dancing, magic & just the right dose of romance. 

*


There will be an INTERNATIONAL giveaway of 5 ebook copies of the novel held across all tour stops. 

This tour will be from 11 Dec. to 24 Dec. 2012

You can sign-up below:


xoxo,
Sel

Monday, December 3, 2012

Blog Tour: Giveaway + Interview with Amy Lignor (author of The Angel Chronicles)



I'm the December 4th tour stop for the Gilded Wings blog tour :)

As part of the read-along, here's my portion of the excerpt:

Anya shook her head. She never liked it when one person had the power to either improve life or make you suffer. She was from the old school, as her babushka used to say, and believed there was only One who was honest enough to decide her destiny.

“There was a bad one here yesterday. Made my heart sick, it did.” Joe rested his large body against the wall. “A young woman was waiting here. Polish, I believe. Her fiancé was supposed to come get her. He’d sent for her a while back and she was really excited to finally meet him.”

“But...that’s a wonderful thing,” Anya remarked.

“Should’ve been. But the man sauntered in here, took one look at her and changed his mind. He walked out—just like that,” Joe said, snapping his fingers. “Man said he thought she’d be better looking and he didn’t want her. Poor girl was shipped back to Poland today.”

“That’s terrible!” 

“Aye. Maybe the best thing for her, though.” 

“Best?” 

“It might be better to live in a country that’s mean to everyone, instead of living with a man who’ll take it out on her and no one else ‘til she dies.”



*


Amy Lignor began her career at Grey House Publishing in northwest Connecticut where she was the Editor-in-Chief of numerous educational and business directories.

Now she is a published author of several works of fiction. The Billy the Kid historical The Heart of a Legend; the thriller, Mind Made; and the adventure novel, Tallent & Lowery 13.

She is also the owner of The Write Companion, a company that offers help and support to writers through a full range of editorial services from proofreading and copyediting to ghostwriting and research. As the daughter of a research librarian, she is also an active book reviewer.

Currently, she lives with her daughter, mother and a rambunctious German Shepherd named Reuben, in the beautiful state of New Mexico. 

Find her on:


*
Today, we have Amy Lignor here at Bookcase to Heaven™ for an in-depth interview. 

Hi Sel, thank you for having me on your blog; I really appreciate the chance to ‘meet’ your fans!

Glad to hear that, Amy!


YOUR BOOK

Why did you decide to write a series based on angels? Why not vampires, werewolves or fey?


LOL. Well, that’s a two-parter, really. One: The characters of Until Next Time and Gilded Wings have been with me for a long time. I suppose people could call Matthew my ‘imaginary friend’ that I found in my head when I was 13 and going through a rough time of losing my grandfather. The other part is far less emotional, but more of a personal choice. I’ve been known to say that - as a reviewer who reads about forty books per month - the ‘fanged ones’ have worn me out. Twilight certainly opened the door wide for that specific fantasy character, and I am thankful that with that came the acceptance of other ‘creatures’ like angels, but I have a feeling vamps and werewolves will never be in my future.

Then, what sets your novel apart from the other YA books about angels?

When it comes to Matthew and Emily, the most unique part about them is the fact that they aren’t the ‘fallen,’ or the ones kicked out of Heaven or struggling to get back in, etc. They are very much a team that loves their home - their home loves them - and their struggles come from real life, when they are assigned as heroes. I love to put them in history - real locations, historical places, with real people, etc. - to see how they would do in any certain age or time period. But the love they have for what and who they are is never questioned.

Well, that's true. Too many angel-themed YA novels are about fallen angels. I guess it's refreshing to see angels with hope and love, rather than angsty aggressive ones (cue: Patch)!

What is the one thing you want your readers to take away after reading Gilded Wings

I want them to literally be taken back in time and see the way the Gilded Age was - from the very cool things that happened to the very disturbing treatment that occurred. I have a feeling they will note that not much has changed in the long run. I want them to see how Matthew and Emily handle that - the good and the bad - and how they deal with the love and sacrifice of it all, but also really enjoy the adventure at the same time.

That is interesting! Most of the angel-themed YA fiction are set in the present. Glad to hear that THE ANGEL CHRONICLES is tackling angels from a whole new world and perspective. 

As readers, we often picture characters in our heads. This time, I'd like for you to illustrate to us how the characters actually looked in your mind. If this series is adapted into a film, what is your dream cast? 

This is going to sound a lot like Rowling, but the supporting cast are the big ‘celebrity’ guns in my mind. Gabe and Mike have always been Kiefer Sutherland and Colin Firth - those voices are unforgettable. Mark would have to be Johnny Depp or Robert Downey, Jr. because they own that seriousness, but also that wink and a smile, enjoying life. When it comes to Emily and Matt, to me, that would have to be a worldwide search for the ‘unknown.’ I would like them not to be Hollywood celebrities because that innocence and those wide eyes at being part of a ‘dream’ is necessary for the angel/warrior team to bring to the table.



YOU

I’m really curious, why is your Goodreads profile picture that of a lion?


The New York Public Library has always - and always will be - my muse. That building and those lions - Patience and Fortitude - are what make my mind run. I would actually be extremely pleased to work there or even live in their basement, because that place is such an inspiration. I also use that lion in a very prominent way in my action/adventure series (Tallent & Lowery) which will appear on December 1st. Not to mention, using my own picture would scare readers away. Did you ever see the three witches at the beginning of Macbeth? I’m the one in the middle. LOL.

Teehee, that witch?! It's okay, witches charm me ;) So, if you had the chance to be anybody in this world, even fictional characters and historical personalities, who would you choose?

There are so many. I am a huge fan of wanting to discover how the human mind works - especially the minds of writers. Being Jane Austen and seeing what she saw (and finally knowing who Mr. Darcy really was) would be cool; as well as someone like Poe. Up there in that head of his were nightmares and tales the likes of which no one has ever seen since, so it would be very interesting to be him and know how he thought of all that - what he saw, the people he knew. Writers fascinate me.

You fascinate me too *winks* Do you prefer tragedies or happily-ever-afters?

I don’t like tragedies. Some are extremely well-written, but unless based in history, I’m not really a fan. Most likely, because if I want a tragedy all I have to do is turn on the news. Happily-ever-afters? They’re certainly more fun and entertaining, but I really like the mysteries that cause people to think - the puzzles that can be a true thrill ride!


YOUR WRITING

You cited Jane Austen as one of your influences amongst many others, how has she influenced your writing? Also, have you gotten to meet any of the authors who influenced your writing since you've been published? (excluding Jane Austen, of course ;)


Jane Austen is an inspiration because she was a writer during a time period where women were not accepted as such. I mean, her father was used to get her beginning stories published because she could not. She was an observer of life and she questioned everything from male versus female to wealth versus poverty to society standing, etc., and I like that. She was a tough chick when tough chicks weren't welcomed. The greatest thing in real life is that I was sent a response from Dean Koontz, who is one of my favourites  I had never sent a ‘fan’ letter before, yet I did for Odd Thomas and he sent a response in the mail about how my humor made him fall off the couch. That was extremely cool and is now framed! As far as meeting in person, I swear I haven’t been out of the house it what seems like years because the writing took over. But moving back to NYC in February, I hope to run into a great deal of friends that I’ve met with over Skype. Thank goodness for technology!

I roger that! If not this interview wouldn't have happened :) 

Can you remember the time when you first knew you had to become an author? Tell us about it.

My writing labs in grade school were the only thing I liked about school. We would be given our assignments due for the year and by Christmas I was done and wanted more. But it was when my freshman high school history teacher told me that my report was the absolute best and sent it into a contest where it won, that I knew writing was what I HAD to do. Our class had been assigned ‘Nicholas and Alexandra’ to read and watch videos about. That’s one of the reasons the opening scene of Gilded Wings is set in Russia during their time period. The girls in class picked Alexandra and the boys picked Nicholas, and I picked Rasputin. I thought he was the most intriguing and powerful character. After that, I couldn’t keep my mind on anything but the stories I wanted to tell (which did not make my Math, Science teachers - or parents - very happy!)

But, I bet that you had your humanities teachers tickled!

Last question: anything you have to say to the aspiring writers out there.

I’ve heard so many stories being an editor and helping out debut authors and such, that the advice is always the same (and sounds so ‘advertising slogan’). But I really say not to give up! Receiving ‘no’ form letters after sending out a query is beyond hard and disappointing, but taste is relative. And what one agent or publisher doesn’t like, another may absolutely love. So never take the ‘first words’ you get back as gospel - because they’re not. Also, make sure you find an editor. All writers need one - even the best have them, because after writing and reading your book over and over again, you will never be able to correct everything. So make sure the book is a ‘team’ effort.

Thank you so much for having me here today!

Thank you for giving my questions so much thought, Amy!

*

Until Next Time: The Angel Chronicles, Book 1 Summary


How does a girl choose between the one who steals her heart and the one who owns her soul?

Matt and Emily were created for a specific job. Raised and trained as the ultimate angel/warrior team, they are sent down to save, defend, judge and forgive, depending on the 'life' they've been assigned. What they don't realize is that the power of human emotions, such as love, anger, passion and fear can take over even the best of souls, causing them to make mistakes and follow paths that lead to confusion and heartache.

When the reason for their training is finally revealed, the angel/warrior team find themselves thrust into a world they know nothing about. Matt takes over the life of Daniel, a young man with a great deal of baggage. Emily becomes Liz, a girl living in a remote village who relies on nothing more than her own strength to survive. A violent storm erupts one night, and framed in the window of Liz's establishment is a frightening face. Let in by the soul of a Good Samaritan, the two visitors bring with them a past full of secrets that could literally change an angel's path and a warrior's plans.


From murder to redemption, this angel/warrior team must find a way to keep the faith they have in each other in a world that's ripping them apart.



Gilded Wings: The Angel Chronicles, Book 2  Summary


The Beloved Angel-Warrior Team from Until Next Time Returns!

When Matt and Emily are sent on their second mission they have no idea how truly dark human nature can become...

Emily never wanted to face humans again. With the heartache that went on down below, she’s still trying to figure out how to save souls that don’t deserve saving. The only one she wants to see again is Jason - the young man she fell in love with who became the soulmate she simply can’t forget...


Matt was trained to protect and defend the souls down below. Longing to feel the heartfelt emotions that come from being human, Matt wants nothing more than to have just one life - one chance - to live and love the girl of his dreams...

The powerful team find themselves in a brand new century, living in the Gilded Age of New York City. Emily takes over the body of Anya, a young Russian girl who arrives on Ellis Island after a hideous tragedy. There she meets up with a strangely familiar young man by the name of Drew Parrish, who helps Anya survive in an unknown world of luxury, snobbery and…obsession.

What Anya’s inner angel doesn’t know is that the soul she loves is also back. This time around Jason goes by the name of Max Carrow. Once a quiet and kind boy, he’s now part of the ‘Four Hundred Club,’ and wants nothing more than to be among the most admired as he climbs the shaky ladder of society’s elite.

As two worlds merge, Emily and Matt struggle under the weight of their “Gilded Wings.” Not only will they have to figure out who they should fight to save, but they must also face a romantic choice that could destroy them both. 

Published November 1, 2012.


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