30 Nov 2012

Set in the UK (9) and a giveaway

'Set in the UK' is a series of posts me and Donna, my UK appreciation month co-host over at Book passion for life, will be running throughout November to highlight books that are set in the UK for you to discover.


Would you bleed for the one you love?

Angel Harris has always had a thing about vampires, but not so much the killer that is claiming victims in the city where she lives and works. The press are calling him ‘The Vampire’, because the victims are found drained of blood, with bite marks to their necks.

Ash is the lead singer in a local rock band. Angel is drawn into his world when she is asked by her boss at the local newspaper to investigate rumours of blood drinking within Ash’s band.

Ash and Angel bond on a deep level and she finds herself welcomed into this group of supposed blood drinkers.

But the body count continues to rise and Angel will soon find out that ‘The Vampire’ is closer to her than she ever would have believed.

Sex, blood and rock n roll

Sanguinary is set in Cardiff. I haven't read it myself so can't tell you if its good but it sounds awesome! And it has some good ratings on Goodreads :)

Win either a paperback or ebook copy of Sanguinary
-Paperback giveaway is open to UK and IRE residents only but international residents can enter for a chance to win an ebook copy.
-Winner will be notified via email.
-You have one free entry, extra follows are optional

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UK appreciation month: J.A. Belfield - Guest post and giveaway



I’m so proud to be part of UK appreciation month. For my post, I thought I’d share a few of my favourite UK bands/singers I adore listening to, ones that often sweep me into a relaxed enough mode to write, that are in my car especially for long journeys, who sing the songs I connect with.
Here goes—top of my list is …
Mr David Gray. Dude, you take my breath away. From Be Mine to Sail Away, from Everytime to This Year’s Love—I can listen to you singing the entire day long and then some.
Then we have the amazing …
Adele. Soul with a twist of raw beauty. Make You Feel My Love transports me away, Chasing Pavements brings back memories, and Someone Like You is for every person out there who’s never quite gotten over a love that’s moved on. Not to mention Rolling in the Deep. Can I just say Tune!?
Because I just realised I have no bands in here yet …
The Kooks. The Kooks are kooky, and half the time I haven’t a clue what they’re singing, but I seriously don’t care because their tunes always leave me feeling uplifted. Whilst I love all of their popular songs, like Naïve or She Moves in Her Own Way, there is no denying that Seaside is my absolute favourite for sure. :)
And one more for the road …
Ed Sheeran. It would be sacrilege to end this post without mentioning this seriously awesome young dude who wows me with his crazy song writing and chills me with his quiet, yet absorbing, voice. Love, love, love Ed Sheeran. The boldness of A Team. The cuteness of Lego House. And Bump? I struggle not to cry every time I hear it.
I didn’t realise until I began how hard it would be to narrow down my choices to a few, but there you have it: some of my favourite UK musicians. Who are yours?

Jem Stonehouse, a housewife with a neurotic husband bent on keeping her in line, dreams about werewolves in, what she believes, is a bid to escape boredom.

Sean Holloway is a werewolf, living a charade within the human race, whose mind drifts to a bond he shares with a woman he hasn't met--at least, not in this lifetime.

Apart, the two are safe but live unfulfilled lives.

Together, they'll become prey to rival packs just as they have been for hundreds of years.

When their worlds collide, and not for the first time, instinct takes over. Dreams become reality. Futures are uncertain. To keep history from repeating itself, Sean must teach Jem about his heritage, convince her of her role, and win her love.

Can Jem accept her destiny before it's too late, or is her inner wolf buried too deep to save her future with Sean?

Win an ecopy of Darkness & light
-Open internationally.
-You have one free entry, the rest are optional.
-Winner will be contacted via email.

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Author bio
J. A. Belfield lives in Solihull, England, with her husband, two children, three cats and a dog. She writes paranormal romance, with a second love for urban fantasy.

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29 Nov 2012

Reached - Review


Matched book three.
Available 30th Nov 2012
www.penguin.co.uk 

What's it about?

After leaving Society and desperately searching for the Rising—and each other—Cassia and Ky have found what they were looking for, but at the cost of losing each other yet again: Cassia has been assigned to work for the Rising from within Society, while Ky has been stationed outside its borders. But nothing is as predicted, and all too soon the veil lifts and things shift once again.
Other books in the series
Matched - Book one
Crossed - Book two
My review
Wow what a way to end the series! Reached was a tension mounting, thrilling book and I couldn't put it down. I really enjoyed the first two books in the trilogy, Matched and Crossed, which I read at the end of last year so I've been anxiously awaiting the conclusion.
If you're a fan of the first books, then you'll really enjoy Reached, the tension begins right away and steadily builds as events occur. The book is quite long compared to the other two but there aren't any throwaway chapters, its all good! I really enjoyed seeing how Cassia's story came to a close and who she picked!
But, although it was all closed up nicely, loose ends were tied up and questions were answered - including a big one that had me gasping out loud! - I still feel like there is more story to tell, particularly for Xander, and even though its the end of the series, I have everything crossed for some kind of spin-off or short story because I just don't feel done with this world yet.
Never the less, Ally Condi has written another fantastic novel and ended a brilliant series really well, I loved all the additions of real world poetry and that Cassia starts writing her own in Reached. I also loved how the people are all becoming more creative and expressive, making music and art, I couldn't think of a better rebellion!
It was also great reading the book from the points of view of Cassia, Ky and Xander, I really got an insight into what the boys were thinking and feeling and I was going through the story with all three characters who all had different experiences and were at different points of the events that happen in Reached.

My thoughts on the cover.
I love how this continues the theme and that Cassia is walking out the glass ball, totally representing what she's doing in this book. I love the red colour too.

Favourite quotes
'In Ky's eyes is such complete love and hunger that it goes through me like the sharp, high note of a bird in the canyon, echoing all the way through my body. I am seen and known, if not touched.'


'Into the sky we go. The two of us together. As the wisps of clouds go by, I pretend that they're my mother's paintings, evaporated up from the stone. Drifting even higher on their way to something new.'


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UK appreciation month: David Massey - Guest post and giveaway



One of my favourite places is Covent Garden, London. It’s the vibe. It’s the actor’s church, ST Paul’s, where the church cats are allowed to roam in and out of the services and sit on your lap. It’s the sound of opera that seems to seep out of the drains somewhere. Wander under the portico at the back of St Paul’s and you’ll find a street performers swallowing one of those long modelling balloons and pretending to extract it from where the sun doesn't shine or some clown teetering about on an impossibly tall unicycle whilst playing the ukelele. Seriously – it’s like attending an open air audition for Britain’s Got Talent. Cafes that have open air tables all year round crowd around the shops and next door to them is the market where you can get everything from a scarf to a bit of instant Chinese calligraphy to hang on your wall. If you ever go though, don’t make the same mistake that I did and attempt to take the stairs at Covent Garden tube station – big mistake. Those Victorians were fit. And they probably did it rising on clouds of soot and steam. And guess what, even the tube station has links to the boards and the grease-paint! It’s supposed to be haunted by the ghost of actor William Terriss who was stabbed to death by a fellow thespian.

Covent Garden and St Paul’s is where some quite terrible (and funny) events take place in Ben Aaronovitch’s crazy novel Rivers of London. The book is about a detective who discovers another side to the metropolitan police. Best described as Harry Potter meets The Sweeny, Rivers of London is written by a guy who penned the odd episode or two of Doctor Who. My kind of wacky  The book really has a feel for Covent Garden and I got a kick out of being able to identify with the setting in a way that I rarely do when reading a book. If you get a chance, and you don’t mind crowds then it’s worth a visit. The book is probably more of an acquired taste!

Afghanistan. In the heat and dust, young British army medic Elinor Nielson watches an Afghan girl walk into a hail of bullets. But when she runs to help, Ellie finds her gone. Who is she? And what's happened to her? What Ellie discovers makes her question everything she believes in, even her feelings for the American lieutenant who takes her side.

Win a paperback copy of David's book Torn and a copy of Accomplice by Eireann Corrigan.
(See Rachel Ward's guest post for the Numbers giveaway.)
-Giveaway is open to UK and IRE residents only.
-You have one free entry, following for extra entries are optional.
-The winner will be notified via email.

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Author bio

David Massey is the author of TORN (release date: August 2012) by Chicken House Books. When he is not writing his next novel he plays lead and classical guitar and runs an internet business with his wife, Debi. When he’s not doing any of those he’ll be thinking about walking Harvey or wondering where his next coffee is coming from...

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28 Nov 2012

UK vs THE WORLD (47)

UK vs. The world is a weekly meme I made up lol.
It's simlair to UK vs. US except the UK covers are battling it out with their foreign counterparts from all over the world, because who doesn't love judging books by their covers!

UK                          vs                      Russia
Numbers book one.
('Числа. Время бежать' translates to 'Number. Time to run.' - According to Google translate.)

Mist: I think this week is a Russian win for me, I like the UK cover, its interesting how the picture is only seen in the title, but I really like the Russian cover, I love the girls green eye and the numbers all over the cover, it's very cool.

Ninfa: I love the UK cover, very modern and slick and original, I like the numbers cascading through and the "Matrix" vibe in both covers, but for me it's better executed for the UK :) Both nice covers, but UK wins.

Which do you prefer?

Set in the UK (8)

'Set in the UK' is a series of posts me and Donna, my UK appreciation month co-host over at Book passion for life, will be running throughout November to highlight books that are set in the UK for you to discover.


The same questions whirl round and round in my head: What does he want from me? How could I have let this happen? AM I GOING TO DIE? 17-year-old Grace wakes up in a white room, with table, pens and paper - and no clue how she got there. As Grace pours her tangled life onto the page, she is forced to remember everything she's tried to forget. There's falling hopelessly in love with the gorgeous Nat, and the unravelling of her relationship with her best friend Sal. But there's something missing. As hard as she's trying to remember, is there something she just can't see? Grace must face the most important question of all. Why is she here? A story of dangerous secrets, intense friendships and electrifying attraction.

Anyone who knows me, knows I loved Entangled, which is another one set in London. It was a deeply emotional book for me, with maybe not the most original storyline but it still tells a great story and I really connected with the main character Grace. You can check out my review here, if you want to find out more.


27 Nov 2012

UK appreciation month: Karen Mahoney - Interview


Please tell us a little bit about yourself?
-I was born in London and have lived in or near to the city all my life. I love everything about books and writing, am into very geeky things (I still read superhero comics, for example), and have a mild cat obsession. A typical writer, basically!
At what age did you write your first book?
-I don't know if you mean my first serious attempt or not... I wrote my first ever, EVER book when I was about 16. That was a very bad Star Wars rip off. And was only 50 pages long. Not sure it counts! :) My first attempt, much later on, to write a novel with the intention of trying to get it published came when I was about 33.
What was your inspiration for writing your book The Iron Witch?
-So many things! My interest in alchemy was one of them, along with a fascination with everything to do with faeries. But probably the biggest inspiration was a less well known fairytale called The Handless Maiden. It has lots of other names, depending on the country or culture you're looking at (The Girl with Silver Hands, The Armless Maiden, etc.). I wanted to think of a way to use the central image, and some of the themes, in a contemporary fantasy for young adults. That's where Donna's iron tattoos came from.
Are there any parts of the story you feel particularly close to?
-The part that resonates most strongly for me is Donna's journey, throughout the whole trilogy: from a girl who is unsure of herself and trapped in a life she doesn't want, to a much stronger young woman growing into her power. That's something that came through in my latest book, too, Falling to ash. The main character, Moth (an 18-year-old vampire), is forced into this terrifying life of Otherness and has to learn to figure out how to survive - and hopefully, one day, escape.
How can our followers connect with you?
-My website: http:www.kazmahoney.com
 Email: writerkaz@gmail.com
 Twitter (which is my favourite place!): @kazmahoney
UK related Questions:

Where’s your favourite place?
-London!
What’s your favourite thing about living here?
-The NHS. Seriously. Although I'd love to move to Boston (it's one of those dreams you know you'll never really live out in real life), I know too many people in the US who suffer through lack of affordable healthcare. We're very lucky here. Things are far from perfect, but we'd miss the NHS if it went anywhere.
Is there one place you would like to visit, that you haven’t yet?
-Japan. Oh! You mean in the UK. ;) I've never been to Edinburgh, which is shameful. I should go there!
Do you have a favourite British band?
-Florence and the Machine.
Do you have a favourite British movie?
-Casino Royale.
Do you have a favourite British actor/actress?
-It's a tie between Naveen Andrews and David Tennant for favourite actor. Dame Judi Dench for actress.
When you think of Britian, what’s the first thing you think of?
-Diversity.
Which place in Britain would you most like to live other than where they do live?
-Brighton. My second favourite place after London.
When she was seven, a horrific fey attack killed Donna Underwood's father and drove her mother mad. Her own nearly fatal injuries were fixed by alchemy--the iron tattoos branding her hands and arms. Now seventeen, Donna feels like a freak, doomed by the magical heritage that destroyed her parents and any chance she had for a normal life. Only her relationship with her best friend, Navin, is keeping her sane. But when vicious wood elves abduct Navin, Donna is forced to accept her role in the centuries-old war between human alchemists and these darkest outcasts of Faerie. Assisted by Xan, a gorgeous guy with faery blood running through his veins and secrets of his own, Donna races to save Navin--even if it means betraying everything her parents fought to the death to protect.

Author bio
In my varied career I've been a professional Tarot reader, a college counsellor, a dating agency consultant and a bookseller. Ever since I was six years old what I really wanted to be was Wonder Woman, but have instead settled for being a writer which is the best job of all!

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26 Nov 2012

UK appreciation month: Cornelia Funke - Interview


Please tell us a little bit about yourself.
-Mother, Storyteller, dog owner, chocolate and Dr Who addict, resident of Los Angeles and London, 53 years old, born in Germany.
At what age did you write your first book?
-28, quite old
What was your inspiration for writing your book(s)?
-I wrote my very first book because I was a very bored illustrator and longed to illustrate a story with dragons. So of course one became the hero of my very first book. It took me another three books though to realize that I actually love writing even more than illustrating.
As for my most recently published book Ghostknight Salisbury Cathedral was the inspiration and a dead knight who was buried there.
Are there any parts of the story you feel particularly close to?
-It was a very special writing adventure to base this story on real places and historical characters and to imagine my readers to visit them and experience their magic. Ghostknight is also especially close to my heart because I have been obsessed with knights since I read The Once and Future King which is to this day my favourite book in the world.
How can our followers find you?
-On my website corneliafunke.com, and on Facebook, where I regularly post and answer comments on the RECKLESS pages launched by my British and German publishers.
UK related questions

Where’s your favourite place?
-The Cathedral Close in Salisbury and the Scottish Highlands.
What’s your favourite thing about living here?
-I live in London only part of the year, as my daughter Anna studies at UCL, but England means for me the perfect balance to my other life in Los Angeles. I find everything I miss about Europe here, the rich layers of history, that though I was born in Germany, feel like my history and cultural background. I always loved British literature, British history and the way,  you can laugh at yourselves and nevertheless take all the important questions of life and human existence very serious.
Is there one place you would like to visit, that you haven’t yet?
-Oh, there are so many. I have been to Wales only once to do an event at the Hay Festival and would love to see more of it. I would like to visit Skye and the other Western Scottish islands. I haven’t been to Yorkshire yet and and and….there are not many places in the world that tempt me so much to explore :)
Do you have a favourite British band?
-I used to love the Fine Young Cannibals but that’s a looong time ago. I love Adele, but almost everyone does, but otherwise I listen to Henry Purcell, when I listen to British music :)
Do you have a favourite British movie?
-I am completely obsessed with Dr Who.
Do you have a favourite British actor/actress?
-David Tennant.
When you think of Britain, what’s the first thing you think of?
-The landscapes, the feeling that the island is still enchanted :)
Which place in Britain would you most like to live, other than where you do live?
-I am looking for a house near Bath, Shaftesbury or Salisbury at the moment, to live my British country side dream and one day realize a cultural center for children.
What’s your favourite British saying?
-I am the Doctor. Trust me.
Eleven-year-old Jon Whitcroft never expected to enjoy boarding school. But then he never expected to be confronted by a pack of vengeful ghosts, or become a modern-day chapter in an ancient feud either.

And then he meets Ella, a quirky new friend with a taste for adventure...

Together, Jon and Ella must work to uncover the secrets of a centuries-old murder, while being haunted by ghosts intent on revenge.

So when Jon summons the ghost of the late knight Longspee for his protection, there's just one question - can Longspee really be trusted?

Author bio
Cornelia Funke is the New York Times bestselling author of the Inkheart trilogy (Chicken House), Reckless and a whole host of popular children's novels and picture books. She has sold over 10 million books worldwide, with over 7 million of those books in the English language. Born in 1958 in the German town of Dorsten, Cornelia initially worked as an illustrator but soon began writing her own stories. Cornelia lives with her family in LA in a house full of books.

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Book Passion for Life
Be sure to check out Book passion for life today for a guest post and giveaway from Stephanie Burgis, author of Kat, incorrigible.

25 Nov 2012

Showcase Sunday (26)

'Showcase Sunday' is hosted by Vicky at Books, biscuits and tea.

 19th Nov - 25th Nov

Books mentioned
Bought
For review

What did you get?

Set in the UK (7)

'Set in the UK' is a series of posts me and Donna, my UK appreciation month co-host over at Book passion for life, will be running throughout November to highlight books that are set in the UK for you to discover.

Weirdsville book one.

Everything has a rational explanation . . . unless it doesn't. The creepy first book in a ghostly new series: Welcome to Weirdsville. "I've seen a ghost," said Emily. "Well, not seen one exactly. Heard one. At least, I think I have . . . "  Woodsville is not like other towns. Night falls a little earlier there, the shadows are darker and denser, and everyone knows it's a place where strange things happen., even if they won't admit it. Bethan would prefer to be anywhere but here. Jay has his theories, but isn't ready to share. Hashim sees more than he'll say, while Kelly's demons are all too flesh and blood. But Emily's freak-out brings them out of denial and face to face with the supernatural. Anywhere else, Friday night would be date night. But not in Weirdsville.

Nearly departed is set on a council estate in London and is a really funny, light, book that I enjoyed a lot. Though its horror, its not scary horror, so its great for people looking for books that aren't really scary.


24 Nov 2012

The lost files: The fallen legacies - Quickie review


Lorian legacies; the lost files book three.
Available now.
www.penguin.co.uk 

What's it about?

Before Number Four, there were One, Two, and Three. Until now we've only known that the Mogadorians caught Number One in Malaysia. Number Two in England. And Number Three in Kenya. But all of that is about to change. . . .
In I Am Number Four: The Lost Files: The Fallen Legacies, you'll learn the true story behind these ill-fated members of the Garde. Before they were murdered by the Mogadorians, before Number Four was next, they were all just kids on an alien planet called Earth—discovering their powers, trying to stay hidden, and running for their lives.
My review
The latest offering in The lost files series is actually told from the point of view of a Mogadorian! As soon as I heard that, I knew I had to read it as soon as I could get my greedy hands on it.
And The fallen legacies didn't disappoint me at all, it was great getting that insight into a Mogadorians mind, and a teenage one at that, it didn't even occur to me before that there were younger Mogs, but duh, of course there are lol.
The short story was really interesting and I actually got to like Adam, despite him being the 'enemy,' I had a feeling his story would go the way it did and I can't wait to see if he pops up in the main novels now.
It was really interesting seeing what it is Mogadorians believe about what they're doing and how they redeem it to themselves.
This one is another must for the series along with the other two short stories.

My thoughts on the cover
Well, of course it matches the others, so yay, I'm also in love with the colour!

Favourite quote
I am Adamus Sutekh, son of the great general Andrakkus Sutekh. I am a Mogadorian. I am what they should be afraid of.

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23 Nov 2012

UK appreciation month: Alexander Gordon Smith - Guest post


I love to travel, I love to see the world. For me it’s an essential part of writing, because those experiences widen your mind and bring so much depth to your work. But with a whole planet out there it’s easy to overlook the place you call home, so this is a cool opportunity to appreciate everything that’s great about the world outside my own window!

There’s so much I love about the UK, and about my home county of Norfolk. I wasn’t sure whether to write about the history, the literary heritage, the people, the landscapes, the spirit of adventure, the fact that Norwich has just been made England’s first ever UNESCO City of Literature. In the end I decided to try to fit it all in! And I thought I’d start with one of my favourite book series of all time, Arthur Ransome’s Swallows and Amazons.

I honestly can’t remember whether I read these books before I visited the Norfolk Broads and the Lake District, or whether I read them because we used to holiday in both those locations when I was a kid. All I know is that in my head the fiction and the reality are one and the same. I must have been eight or nine, and it was the first time I really understood that the adventures people had in books could actually be found in my own life.

Some of my most vivid memories are of going out on a boat on the Broads and exploring, just like the Callums. Or hacking my way through the woods and leaping the streams of the Lake District like the crews of the Swallow and the Amazon. Of course there were no real dangers, but in my head anything was possible. The world was full of pirates and thieves, buried treasure and abandoned caves, mysteries and murder. Every second I spent outside with my sister and our friends we felt as if we were inside a story of our own making, a story where anything could happen. It was fiction, and it was reality, and it was fantastic.

I’d started writing a few years earlier – it’s the only thing I’ve ever wanted to be – but up till now I had penned crazy tales of space travel and monsters. By letting my imagination roam free across the Lakes and Broads I realised that adventures didn’t need to take place in far off lands or distant planets. They could happen right under your nose. The stories I wrote after I’d read these books were often based in similar locations. They weren’t inspired by childish flights of fancy, they were inspired by my own experiences. Obviously they weren’t actual experiences, but to me those adventures felt as real as if everything in my imagination had been completely genuine. The breathless excitement, the wonder, the occasional moments of fear, the sense that absolutely anything was possible, it all fed into my writing, bringing those stories to life in a way that they never had been before.

I think I learned one of my most valuable lessons as a writer back then, that it’s always best to experience the world of your story as vividly as possible when you’re writing. The lives of your characters and the places they visit. It’s something I’ve done ever since. When I was eleven, and I decided I wanted to write horror, I tried to spend the night in a haunted house (and lasted seven minutes before running out screaming and puking). Now, if I can, I’ll always try to spend time in a place that I’m writing about, or at least visit it. It really does help bring the story to life. It’s still an excuse to make my own life an adventure too. Because wherever I am – in far-flung lands or down the road – I can let my imagination wander. Just like when I was a kid, anything becomes possible.

There’s also the incredible history of the UK – the real history, and the myths and legends that are tied in with it. There are thousands of years of stories in every city, every town, every stretch of countryside. You can barely walk ten paces without spotting castles and barrows and ruins. Spending time in these places, walking in the footsteps of your ancestors, you can’t help but come up with stories of your own. Your head is full of them, like the dead are shouting at you. It’s actually where I had the inspiration for the terrifying secrets behind the prison in my series Escape From Furnace. I don’t want to give anything away, but it’s the idea of something lying dormant in the ground, something ancient and evil that has seeped up through the cracks in the world, something part history and part legend. Even this most unthinkable of horror stories was inspired by the real world where I live.

I don’t visit the Lakes so much any more, although I’d love to go back there one day. I’m on the Broads all the time, though – in fact we’re shooting a horror movie there next year – and every time I visit I think back to when I was a kid, those first real adventures I had and the stories that they inspired. I think it’s where the writer in me was born. And I’ll always be grateful to the UK. We may be a small country compared to some, but I honestly think that what we lack in width we make up for in depth! It’s a land of stories, through and through.

Imagine if one day, without warning, the entire human race turns against you.Every single person you meet becomes a bloodthirsty, mindless savage, hell-bent on killing you – and only you.
Friends, family, even your mum and dad, will turn on you. They will murder you.
And when they have, they will go back to their lives as if nothing has happened.
The world has the Fury.
It will not rest until you are dead.

Cal, Brick and Daisy are three ordinary teenagers whose lives suddenly take a terrifying turn for the worst. They begin to trigger a reaction in everybody they meet, one that makes friends and strangers alike turn rabid whenever they are close. One that makes people want to tear them to pieces

Cal and the other victims of the Fury – the ones that survive – manage to locate each other. But just when they think they have found a safe place to hide from the world, some of them begin to change...

They must fight to uncover the truth about the Fury before it's too late. But it is a truth that will destroy everything they know about life and death.
l
Author bio
Alexander Gordon Smith is the author of the Escape from Furnace series of young adult novels, including Lockdown and Solitary. Born in 1979 in Norwich, England, he always wanted to be a writer. After experimenting in the service and retail trades for a few years, Smith decided to go to University. He studied English and American Literature at the University of East Anglia, and it was here that he first explored his love of publishing. Along with poet Luke Wright, he founded Egg Box Publishing, a groundbreaking magazine and press that promotes talented new authors. He also started writing literally hundreds of articles, short stories and books ranging from Scooby Doo comic strips to world atlases, Midsomer Murders to X-Files. The endless research for these projects led to countless book ideas germinating in his head. His first book, The Inventors, written with his nine-year-old brother Jamie, was published in the U.K. in 2007. He lives in England.

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22 Nov 2012

The game changer - Review


Available now. 

What's it about?

Melody Cartwright has never had a problem with change, but for the first time in her life the changes are beyond her control—she suddenly has a niece she never knew, but has to prove herself to; her best friend is making huge life changes of her own; and she has to deal with her ex and his crazy new girlfriend who has stalker tendencies. 
When Melody meets confident, sexy Julian, she’s not interested in a relationship. He tells her it’s possible for a man and a woman to just be friends, and despite his ultra-charming ways there’s something about him that makes Melody believe he could be right. 
During a time of change and turmoil, it doesn’t take long for Julian to become everything Melody never knew she needed in her life. But is it possible for them to remain ‘just friends’ or will Melody be a game changer for Julian the playboy?


My review
Unfortunately I have to start by saying that I didn't enjoy The game changer as much as I enjoyed the authors debut novel Blue sky days. Everyone was just too nice for me and I guess I was just hoping for some more grit or passion, while I do enjoy some contemporary my personal tastes stretch to things with a darker side or sarcastic humour.
I did like the idea of The game changer though, the thought that there's someone out there who could change everything for you, whether you want them to or not, it was an interesting premise and a nice setting for a love story.
The story all comes together neatly and I liked watching Melody and Julian's relationship develop even though it drove me crazy when they kept talking about being friends and saying 'You're such a good friend,' who were they trying to kid? lol
I think my favourite character would actually have to be Melody's frazzled best friend Olivia, she had a great personality and I liked how she could be talking about something and then suddenly flit to something else entirely.
Julian was also a nice character but I didn't feel that spark for him that I do for some male leads, like I say, everyone just felt too nice to me and it eventually got a bit too sugary for my tastes.
But I still liked it and it hasn't put me off Marie's writing in the future.

My thoughts on the cover
I really like this cover, it's really simple and does actually match the cover of Blue sky days, which is pretty cool, the red dress really stands out against the other neutral colours.

Favourite quotes
'All those thoughts fled from her mind the moment Julian emerged at the top of the stairs and flashed her a smile. Now the questions running through her mind were completely different. Had he always been this beautiful? Had the sight of him always made her heart speed up and her stomach flutter with nerves? Did he want to kiss her as badly as she wanted to kiss him?'


'"All those weeks ago when I suggested we should be friends, I had no idea I'd end up feeling this way for you. I had no idea that every time you looked at me, my heart would do this weird palpitation thing, or that every time you smiled or laughed, my gut would twist into knots. I had no idea that I'd want to be with you all the time, and know what you were doing every moment we were apart. I had no idea that you'd end up being my best friend, or that I'd end up wanting something more."'


Find the author:

UK appreciation month: Catherine fisher - Interview



Please tell us a little bit about yourself?

-I like woods and walking and reading and drawing and that's about it really.
At what age did you write your first book?
-At about 19 0r 20, I was still in college. But that was never published- it was a pretty poor effort.
What was your inspiration for writing your book(s)?
-Other writers I admired such as Alan Garner, Tolkien, Stevenson etc. I wanted to produce work like theirs.
Are there any parts of the story you feel particularly close to?
-Which story? I feel both close and distant to stories. Close when I am writing them but then they become rather like someone else's work when they are finished.
How can our followers connect with you?
-By using the q and a page on my website if they want to ask questions.
UK related Questions:

Where’s your favourite place?
-Wales, particularly Gwent where I live. It has coast and mountains and valleys and forests all very close to each other.
What’s your favourite thing about living here?
-The sea is very close to everywhere in Britain. And I love the sea.
Is there one place you would like to visit, that you haven’t yet?
-In the UK, probably Cambridge. In Europe, certainly Venice.
Do you have a favourite British band?
-Of all time, Led Zeppelin.
Do you have a favourite British movie?
-I'm not that good on films, sorry.
Do you have a favourite British actor/actress?
-Lots but top would be Ian McKellan who I have seen many times in the theatre and who is always excellent.
When you think of Britain, what’s the first thing you think of?
-I don't think of it, really. Again, probably the sea.
Which place in Britain would you most like to live other than where they do live?
-On the Marlborough Downs, somewhere near Avebury.
What's your favourite British saying? 
-In Wales when it's really wet we say Mae hi'n bwrw hen wragedd a ffyn.....it's raining old women with sticks... I like that image.
Jake's father disappears while working on mysterious experiments with the obsessive, reclusive Oberon Venn. Jake is convinced Venn has murdered him. But the truth he finds at the snow-bound Wintercombe Abbey is far stranger ... The experiments concerned a black mirror, which is a portal to both the past and the future. Venn is not alone in wanting to use its powers. Strangers begin gathering in and around Venn's estate: Sarah - a runaway, who appears out of nowhere and is clearly not what she says, Maskelyne - who claims the mirror was stolen from him in some past century. There are others, a product of the mirror's power to twist time. And a tribe of elemental beings surround this isolated estate, fey, cold, untrustworthy, and filled with hate for humans. But of them all, Jake is hell-bent on using the mirror to get to the truth. Whatever the cost, he must learn what really happened to his father.


Author bio

Catherine Fisher was born in Newport, Wales. She graduated from the University of Wales with a degree in English and a fascination for myth and history. She has worked in education and archaeology and as a lecturer in creative writing at the University of Glamorgan. She is a Fellow of the Welsh Academy.

Catherine is an acclaimed poet and novelist, regularly lecturing and giving readings to groups of all ages. She leads sessions for teachers and librarians and is an experienced broadcaster and adjudicator. She lives in Newport, Gwent.

21 Nov 2012

UK vs THE WORLD (46)

UK vs. The world is a weekly meme I made up lol.
It's simlair to UK vs. US except the UK covers are battling it out with their foreign counterparts from all over the world, because who doesn't love judging books by their covers!

UK                        vs                       France
The killables book one.
('Sentiment 26' translates to 'Feeling 26.' - According to Google translate.)

Mist: To be honest, I don't really like the UK cover at all, it doesn't really have much going on for it and the colours are dull. I don't love the French cover but in comparison, its my favourite of the two. I like the futuristic feel it has to it and the way the girl seems to be in a beam of light, its way more interesting.

Ninfa: I'm not sure I like either of these covers to be honest. They look like painting in a way, but a little old in feeling. If I have to choose I think the French cover would be my choice. It has more of a Dystopian feeling, a little more modern and more interesting. So France wins this time.

Which do you prefer?
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