"I am ready to meet my maker. Whether my maker is prepared to meet me is another matter."
-Winston Churchill
Showing posts with label young adult authors. Show all posts
Showing posts with label young adult authors. Show all posts

Friday, June 27, 2014

Book Blast & Giveaway: Wizdom and Pandora by K.M. Woodard



About The Author:

A lifetime resident of the Washington, DC area, K.M. Woodard has always enjoyed the outdoors and loves to 

travel. After working 17 years with the MetLife Insurance Company, she pursued her career as a Federal Law

Enforcement Agent with Homeland Security and has a Masters Degree in Criminology. A true Tolkien fan, her 

passion for medieval and ancient times and her personal travel adventures often inspire ideas for new books.

Her active imagination and fascination with escaping reality to a world of enchantment, mystery and suspense

has resulted in a series of novels sure to delight readers looking for fast-paced adventure at every twist and 

turn, interspersed with a smidgen of humor.

Author Links - 

www.wizdomandpandora.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WizdomandPandora

Twitter: @wizdomandpandor

Goodreads member/blog: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7380415.K_M_Woodard

Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Wizdom-And-Pandora-Quest-Blood/dp/1468538020/ref=sr_1_1?

ie=UTF8&qid=1400258256&sr=8-1&keywords=wizdom+and+pandora



Book Genre: Young Adult/Fiction/Fantasy
Publisher: Authorhouse
Release Date: 10/30/2014


Book Description:

Wizdom didn't know dragons really existed. He's never ridden a white woolly mammoth or flown on a griffin. He's never known a real king or a princess or been friends with a goblin. Wizdom's never seen elves that glow blue all the time. All he's ever known are his adoptive mother and his aunt Kayden. One day he finds himself in a secret world, face to face with dragons and fire monsters. He meets an interesting girl, Pandora, who he learns is no ordinary girl, just as he is no ordinary boy. Wizdom soon finds himself on a magical journey full of secrets, sorcery, danger and evil. He fights many fierce battles and faces certain death as his quest leads him on an adventure like never before as he discovers his true identity . . . or does he?

Excerpt:

Wizdom stared in awe, unconsciously holding his breath, as
he looked up the endless staircase of gleaming black marble
before him. The air around him was damp and musty and tickled his
nostrils. Cobwebs hung overhead, dangling high above him from the
towering ceiling. Perched at the top of the stairs was a large, golden
dragon throne. Sitting on white marble, it was surrounded by statues
of goblins, gargoyles and other strange creatures. They all stared back
disconcertingly at Wizdom, some with tongues out, others with piercing
eyes, bared teeth or pointed ears. The dragon’s head held its mouth
agape, as if ready to devour him, revealing a long golden tongue jutting
out and sharp pointed teeth. The arms of the throne were created by
the front legs of the dragon and the claws made up the feet of the chair.
A huge tail jutted out from the back of the chair and coiled around
to the front like a sitting cat. Three spikes on the tail’s end glistened
in piercing diamond shards. Giant wings stood out from the dragon’s
back, poised for flight, black and shimmering like dark sapphires. Its
eyes were large rubies, and its body was sprinkled in faceted jewels.
Two spiraling horns jutted out from its head, over a foot of solid gold,
with diamonds on the tips. Held within the horns shone an enormous
crimson red stone, casting an eerie glow and dancing shadows over the
stone statues surrounding it.

What was this place? Where was he? He dared to move forward,
ever so slowly, toward this great altar. His pulse racing, palms sweating,
he paused momentarily, staring up at the dragon’s red gleaming eyes.
As he approached the stairs, the dragon’s fiery eyes stared down at him
unnervingly, as if it was alive, watching him.

Wizdom wondered about how he had gotten there. How did he
get here? He glanced around the great hall surrounding him. Flickering
candles, sconces and torches aligned the walls of marbled stone. The
ceiling was several stories high and great pillars supported the wooden
arches above him. Shadows and darkness surrounded him, except for
the faint glow of the iron torches, and the scarlet glow of the jewel
radiating from the dragon’s crown jewel. He could feel some sort of
power emanating from it as he stood there. It made him feel happy and
safe, despite his surroundings.

Suddenly, he saw movement out of the corner of his left eye. He
looked quickly, but saw nothing. Turning to scurrying sounds to his
right, he still saw nothing but black. Was he imagining things? Because
of the obscuring darkness, he could not see very far, only as far as the
torches lining the walls. He was only eleven but he was an adventurer
and never scared and despite his current situation, he normally loved
mysteries and secret places. Unconsciously, his pulse kept racing as

the silence crept eerily around him… 







Monday, April 15, 2013

Book Tour: Interview & #Giveaway with Kaitlyn Davis - Midnight Fire Series



Welcome to Immortality and Beyond. May I offer you a drink?

How about a Moonlight Margarita?



BK: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

I think I've always known! Telling stories is just a part of who I am—it always has been.

BK: Please tell us a little bit about your current release...

Scorch is the fourth and final book in my Midnight Fire Series and I am SO excited to share it with you! The series follows Kira as she discovers exactly who and what she is after powers thought dormant awaken inside of her. And in this final installment, Kira lays it all on the line as time runs out, forcing her to choose between two very different lives and two very epic loves.

BK: What inspired this particular novel/book?

I've always loved vampire lore (what up, Buffy!) and I've always known I wanted to write a book that somehow involved vampires. But I never knew what it would be until I was walking on the beach, lost in a daydream, and it suddenly hit me—the sun! Magical beings who fought vampires by channeling the sun! Once that idea came to fruition, the story just flowed out of me.

BK: How do you keep your writing different from all the others that write in this particular genre?

I wrote the story that I really wanted to write and hoped that people would love it! I created new powers and new societies, but mostly I hoped my characters would be the difference. As long as readers connected to Kira and felt every emotion that she did, I knew I couldn’t go wrong.

BK: What was the hardest thing about writing this story?

Since Scorch is the last book in the Midnight Fire Series, the hardest thing about writing it was fighting the anxiety that I would let my readers down. There's always that self-doubt when writing—what if people hate it?!—but especially with this book. So many fans have reached out expressing their love for my story and my characters, and I wanted to give them an ending that will leave them happily satisfied—not disappointed. And I really think I succeeded!

BK: Which character was your favorite to write for in this story? Why?

Kira! She's a kick-ass heroine who is strong and defiant, but also vulnerable and uncertain. And I loved telling her story.

BK: Will this become a series? If so, what inspired it to be a series? OR If it is a series, what inspired it to become a series?

The story was just too long for one book! And I love a good series :)

BK: Now for a little fun, and into your everyday life, What is a day in your life like?

I wish I could say something glamorous, but my life is BORING! I wake up, go to my awesome day job, come home, and then write—my latest book, a Facebook shout-out, a blog post, a tweet, an interview… Somehow I squeeze dinner and the infrequent workout in too!

BK: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

Read! Or work on my photography! Or… guilty pleasure… watch all of my favorite reality television shows while eating a pint of Häagen Dazs ice cream!

BK: What is one thing your readers would be most surprised to learn about you?

I'm a complete goody two-shoes! I actually get anxiety from breaking the rules. Maybe that's why my main character Kira is so rebellious… I was indulging!

BK: What do you like to read? Who is your favorite author?

Anything! I love paranormal romance, historical fiction, epic fantasy, chick-lit—anything that sucks me in! Some of my favorite authors are J.K. Rowling, Cassandra Clare, Richelle Mead, Tamora Pierce, Robert Jordan, Raymond Feist, Scott Westerfeld, Sophia Kinsella, Lynne Ewing, and so many more.

BK: What is one piece of advice you can give to aspiring writers/authors?

Never give up! The only end of the road is the one you create for yourself.

BK: What are you currently working on?

A new series! I'm still brainstorming, but I'm going to switch gears and write a fantasy.

BK: Where can readers connect with you?

Wherever they want! Here are some links:








BIO:

Kaitlyn Davis graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Johns Hopkins University with a B.A. in Writing Seminars. She's been writing ever since she picked up her first crayon and is overjoyed to finally share her work with the world. She currently lives in New York City and dreams of having a cockapoo puppy of her own.




Ignite

Midnight Fire Series Book One
Kaitlyn Davis

Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Romance

ISBN: 9781465852366
ASIN: B005U8GQT6

Number of pages: about 200-250 pages
Word Count: Roughly 65,000

Series promotional video –


Book Description:

"With one last look, one final search of the lines of his face for some sign, Kira turned and ran away from the sound of the man she loved laughing in the face of her death."

When Kira Dawson moves to South Carolina, she meets Luke, a blond goofball who quickly becomes her best friend, and Tristan, a mysterious bad boy who sends shivers down her spine. Kira knows they're keeping secrets, but when she discovers Tristan's lust for blood and her own dormant mystical powers, Kira is forced to fight for her life and make the heartbreaking decision between the familiar comfort of friendship and the fiery passion of love.

Ignite is the first book in the Midnight Fire Series. It is approximately 65,000 words.




Simmer
Midnight Fire Series Book Two
Kaitlyn Davis

Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Romance

ISBN: 9781476284392
ASIN: B007R82KLK

Number of pages: about 200-250 pages
Word Count: Roughly 65,000


Book Description:

"Slowly, like a whisper almost blown away in the wind, two words streaked across her mind: 'Kiss me.'"

Kira may have survived the eclipse, but her troubles are far from over. She's headed to Sonnyville with one goal in mind: to learn more about her parents. But with Luke and Tristan competing for her heart and Diana gunning for her head, time is running out on the search for her mother. And the closer Kira gets to answers, the more terrified she becomes. The conduits fear her, the vampires fear her, and Kira is starting to wonder if maybe they're right...

Simmer is the second book in the thrilling Midnight Fire Series. It is approximately 65,000 words.


Blaze

Midnight Fire Series Book Three
Kaitlyn Davis

Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Romance

ISBN: 9781301583027
ASIN: B009H0U7FC

Number of pages: about 200-250 pages
Word Count: Roughly 65,000


Book Description:

Kira gulped, unable to stop the growing sense that everything in her world was about to change.”

With Aldrich’s note burning a hole in her pocket, Kira is off to England to finally reunite with her birth mother. But what begins as a dream quickly turns to a nightmare and Kira is left questioning everything she has ever known. Can she be the conduit Luke wants her to be? Can she be the rebel Tristan needs her to be? Or is she something else? Something no one, not even Aldrich, ever saw coming…

Blaze is the third book in the thrilling Midnight Fire Series. It is approximately 65,000 words.


Scorch
Midnight Fire Series Book Four
Kaitlyn Davis

Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Romance

ISBN:
ASIN:

Number of pages: 200-250 pages
Word Count: Roughly 65,000

Scorch Blurb:

All it did was remind Kira that time was running out. That she needed to choose. Or a lot more than a forest would burn. The whole world would crumble."

Aldrich escaped…again. Tristan forgot…everything. And Luke, well, Luke was getting more than a little impatient. But those were the least of Kira’s concerns, because something else happened in England—something she was trying desperately to forget. A wedge of evil had lodged itself in her heart, a little black hole had nestled into her flames, and it wasn’t going away—not anytime soon…and maybe not ever.

Scorch is the fourth and final book in the thrilling Midnight Fire Series. It is approximately 65,000 words.




Saturday, January 5, 2013

Book Review & Interview with Laura Bickle - The Hallowed Ones



Welcome to Immortality and Beyond. May I offer you a drink?

LB: Thanks so much for hosting me! I’d love some Witches’ Brew!



BK: Awesome choice! When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

LB: I’ve always been scribbling, since I was old enough to hold a crayon. I didn’t believe, until recently, that other people would want to read what I wrote. Fortunately, I’m no longer using crayons…at least, not to write with!

BK: Please tell us a little bit about your current release...

LB: My newest release is THE HALLOWED ONES, a YA thriller. Katie is on the verge of her Rumspringa, the time in Amish life when teenagers can get a taste of the outside world. But the outside world comes to her when a helicopter falls out of the sky near her house. Katie must confront not only a massive disaster unfolding in the world outside her community, but also the threat of darkness in her own increasingly fragile society.

BK: What inspired this particular novel/book?

LB: I live not too far from a large Amish settlement. When I was a child, my parents would take me to visit, and I was fascinated by a world very different than the one I lived in. I’d see Amish girls my age over the fence and wonder what their lives were like.

Some of that curiosity lingered, and I always wanted to revisit it in a story. It popped back into my head when I was writing about a catastrophic contagion. Considering all the incredible self-sufficiency they apply in their everyday lives, it seemed to me that the Amish would be uniquely well-equipped to survive a large-scale disaster.

BK: How do you keep your writing different from all the others that write in this particular genre?

LB: I try to ask “what if” questions that I haven’t seen addressed before. It’s like daydreaming on paper.

BK: What was the hardest thing about writing this story?

LB: The hardest part for me in starting any story is the beginning. The blank page intimidates me like nothing else! For this book, I think I wrote the first line and stared at it for three days.

BK: Which character was your favorite to write for in this story? Why?

LB: Katie is my favorite. Katie was an interesting character to write because she's very strong in a quiet, enduring kind of way. She struggles to develop her own moral compass, independent of her parents and community. That requires a great deal of fortitude, just as much fortitude as dealing with the evil creatures in her world.

BK: Tell us about the one scene you had the most fun writing…

LB: The easiest and most fun comes for me at the end. There’s more at stake at the end of the story, more action, more emotion. All the plot threads are beginning to weave together, and I feel like I’m running downhill. I forget that I’m writing and get the pleasure of watching the story unfold on its own.

So the resolution of THE HALLOWED ONES was my favorite thing to write. I wanted to both tie up the story and leave the possibility open for a sequel.

BK: Will this become a series? If so, what inspired it to be a series? OR If it is a series, what inspired it to become a series?

LB: I was totally open to having a sequel. When I finished with THE HALLOWED ONES, I didn’t feel as if I’d completely told Katie’s story…she’s going to evolve a lot more, and that needs another book!


BK: Now for a little fun, and into your everyday life, What is a day in your life like?

LB: I have a day job at a library, so I get the pleasure of being surrounded by all kinds of research materials and inspiration. When I get home, I do my best to keep a writing calendar and to commit to writing a certain number of words a day.

BK: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

LB: I collect Tarot cards and I’m owned by a herd of cats…those usually keep me pretty busy. My husband and I are also amateur astronomers.

BK: What is one thing your readers would be most surprised to learn about you?

LB: I took bellydancing classes a couple of years ago. It was a lot of fun, and I still have some jingly coin belts hanging about the house that have survived being dragged around by the cats.

BK: What do you like to read? Who is your favorite author?

LB: I love all flavors of fantasy. Robin McKinley’s HERO AND THE CROWN started my love of fantasy. I read it when I was a pre-teen, and fell in love with fantasy ever after. It was the first book I’d read that had a female protagonist who slew her own dragons. I was hooked.

BK: What is one piece of advice you can give to aspiring writers/authors?

LB: The best piece of advice I’ve ever received is to set up a word count calendar and use it. It’s too easy to let the days and weeks slip by without anything productive happening. To that end, I really suggest that writers try National Novel Writing Month at least once. It got my excuses and blocks out of the way, and helped me learn that what I thought were my limits were not really limits. They were just walls I’d set up in my head.

BK: What are you currently working on?

LB: I’m working on the sequel to THE HALLOWED ONES, which will be called THE OUTSIDE. It’ll be released in September 2013.

BK: I'm so excited to know there will be more to come! Where can readers connect with you?

LB: My website is http://www.laurabickle.com. I’m also on Facebook and Twitter, usually exclaiming over cute cat pictures.



BIO: Laura Bickle has worked in criminal justice and library science. When she's not patrolling the stacks, she's dreaming up stories about monsters under the stairs. She’s authored four fantasy novels for adults, and THE HALLOWED ONES is her first teen novel.

Synopsis:

If your home was the last safe place on earth, would you let a stranger in?

Katie is on the verge of her Rumspringa, the time in Amish life when teenagers are free to experience non-Amish culture before officially joining the church. But before Rumspringa arrives, Katie’s safe world starts to crumble. It begins with a fiery helicopter crash in the cornfields, followed by rumors of massive unrest and the disappearance of huge numbers of people all over the world. Something is out there…and it is making a killing.

Unsure why they haven’t yet been attacked, the Amish Elders make a decree: no one goes outside their community, and no one is allowed in. But when Katie finds a gravely injured young man lying just outside the boundary of their land, she can’t leave him to die. She refuses to submit to the Elders’ rule and secretly brings the stranger into her community—but what else is she bringing in with him?


Excerpt: A free excerpt of THE HALLOWED ONES is available here: http://www.laurabickle.com/the-hallowed-ones/?action=excerpt

My Review:

Living in Pennsylvania, I am surrounded by Amish all the time. My husband also lived with them for a few years, but lucky for me he was never baptized into the Church. Needless to say, their community has always fancied me, and I love reading stories about their religious beliefs and how they live. I'm always asking "what-if" questions to my husband, but really never imagined an Amish story in the paranormal genre.

When The Hallowed Ones came across my desk, I didn't hesitate to jump on reviewing it. What can I say? I will give you four words...

I WAS BLOWN AWAY!

Not only has Ms. Bickle done her research, she has crafted a story that will leave you wanting more and more. I was so glad to know that this wouldn't be the last. The Hallowed Ones will grab you from the first page, and keep you guessing the entire length of the story. I was constantly thinking outcomes, and let me be the first to admit that I was continually wrong! It was amazing, and a wonderful, original read!

Yes, we often think of these things happening in our world, but have you ever thought, "What if that were to happen in an Amish community?" I know I never thought about that and I write PNR! What made it all the better, is that my husband knows the Amish community, and probably got sick and tired of me asking questions, but Ms. Bickle made it so true to life, you will almost take it for real while you're reading it!

Kudos Laura Bickle! A job well done and one to be very proud of! I can't wait for the next book. I'm definitely a new fan :)


You guys are lucky! Laura is giving you a chance to win a copy of The Hallowed Ones! I know! AWESOME! She will send a copy to one winner as long as it can be shipped by The Book Depository.

You know the routine, leave a comment with your email address and answer this question...
Have you ever thought of Paranormal things happening in an Amish Community?

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