Interview with the AWESOME Cidney Swanson

I am so excited to be apart of The Unfurl Blog Tour.

Synopsis

Against all expectations, Samantha Ruiz has survived attacks by two of Helmann’s deadliest assassins. She’s alive, but she’s far from safe. Helmann is planning a second Holocaust and wants Sam to play a starring role. Will, meanwhile, separated from Sam by an ocean, seeks a way to prevent Helmann’s apocalypse. Along with Sir Walter and Mickie, Will plays a deadly game sneaking into Geneses’ facilities, discovering unsettling clues as to Helmann’s plans. The clock ticks down as Will and Sam discover just how much they must be willing to sacrifice to stop Helmann. UNFURL, the powerful conclusion to The Ripple Series, will leave fans breathless.

 

I have not yet read the book but I am looking forward to reading it. And I promise as soon as I get it read I will leave a review.

I was able to Interview the Awesome Cidney for The Unfurl Blog Tour. YAY 

About The Author

Cidney Swanson is the author of The Ripple Series. She began writing at age seven; her first novel began with “Ouch,” and her characters have been suffering ever since. Cidney lives in Eugene, Oregon with her husband, three kids, two cats, one dog, and entirely too much rain. I make stuff up and type it into whatever device is at hand. Author of the Ripple Series: Invisible, In Love, In Peril. A fresh twist on Paranormal Romance!

Interview

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself.

I’m a mom of three who loves reading way more than is strictly healthy for family life. I also love chocolate, tea with milk, and campfires. I hate the rain. But I live where it rains 10 months out of the year. Go figure.

1. When did you know that you wanted to be a writer?

I’ve known since at least age seven, and maybe earlier. I began writing stories as soon as I could hold a pencil and form words with it.

2. What has been the best and worst comments you have received since being a published author?

The worst comment (meaning the one that I went, “Oh, bummer!” when I read it) has come to me a couple of times as a variation of “Hate the cliffhanger ending!” (Of Rippler.)On the other hand, I’ve had an equal number of people say they love the cliffhanger ending.

The comments that make me happiest are some variation of, “I’ve never read anything like this before,” or “This is a total breath of fresh air!” Or of course anything to do with being in love with Will, my main guy character.

3. Do you see yourself or someone you know in your characters?

Well, you have to keep in mind I’m a lot older than my main characters and some of my minor characters as well. But there’s a lot of me in Sylvia, Sam’s step-mom.

4. How long did it take to get your first book published?

I started writing the story in March of 2009. It was published late May, 2011. In the book world, that is pretty darned fast.

5. What do you do when you are not writing awesome books for us to read?

Answering fan emails, tweeting and FB’ing, writing blog posts, touring, drinking tea, reading, planning my next book, cooking, driving my kids around, and sneaking bites of dark chocolate from my desk drawer (shhhh! It’s our secret, internet, okay?)

6. What advice would you give to aspiring author?

Read, read, read. Read the classics heavily. There’s a reason they’re classics. Read widely in the genre in which you would like to write, and keep up-to-date in this area. (I.e., read what is selling well today.)

AND

Write, write, write. The muse does not make visits with sufficient frequency to keep most of us writing. Write on a schedule whether you feel inspired or not. I find that inspiration follows B-I-C (butt-in-chair) pretty predictably.

Do you have anything you would like to share with your readers?

I’m so very grateful to those of you who are helping my series climb the charts. It is an incredible privilege to be doing what I love full-time, and I don’t take it for granted!

Also, read Laini Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke and Bone if you liked my books. It was my favorite read of the year. Thanks so much for having me here today!

Cidney

Places to find Cidney

Website / Blog

Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads

Where to find THE BOOKS

Amazon

Barnes and Noble (B&N)

Goodreads

Library Thing

Happy Reading !!!!

Review of The Nightmare Garden by Caitlin Kittredge

Goodreads Blurb

Everything Aoife thought she knew about the world was a lie. There is no Necrovirus. And Aoife isn't going to succumb to madness because of a latent strain—she will lose her faculties because she is allergic to iron. Aoife isn't human. She is a changeling—half human and half from the land of Thorn. And time is running out for her.
When Aoife destroyed the Lovecraft engine she released the monsters from the Thorn Lands into the Iron Lands and now she must find a way to seal the gates and reverse the destruction she's ravaged on the world that's about to poison her.

 

Nightmare Garden Book Trailer

Review

Caitlin has done it once again. She wrote an outstanding book. I love Caitlin’s writing style it is FANTASTIC. I love Aoife I love the way her character is so realistic. I liked the way she sorta makes the same mistake in this book has she did in The Iron Thorn. Her character did not grow as much as some of the other characters but that is part of why I like her so much. And in this book she is determined to fix the mess she created when she broke the Lovecraft Machine by finding The Nightmare Clock and turning back time but there are a few people who will do anything to stop that from happening. Aoife and her group of friends set out on a journey to right the wrongs that she has created by letting the fae and monsters into the human world when she destroyed the Lovecraft Machine. Things are not going to be easy though so you are in for an epic adventure as Aoife tries to right her wrong doing by listening to Tremaine who does not seem to be finished with her yet. I will let you all know this does leave on a cliffhanger making you wished you had book 3 in The Iron Codex Trilogy : The Mirrored Shard scheduled for release in late 2012 to early 2013 now.

I love the way Caitlin transports me into another time and place with her writing. Her world building is well out of this world awesome.

Places to find Caitlin

Website

Goodreads

Facebook

Twitter

Places to find The Nightmare Garden

Goodreads

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

The Book Depository

Books A Million (BAM)

Happy Reading !!!!

Review of Pyxis by K.C. Neal Blog Tour Stop

Pyxis: The Discovery (Pyxis Series #1) by K.C. Neal

Genre: Paranormal, Young Adult

Publisher: Stonehouse Ink

Release Date: November 4th, 2011.

Goodreads Blurb

Corinne lives an average teenage life working at her dad’s cafe, hanging out with her best friend, and trying to forget a falling-out with her almost-boyfriend Mason. Things take a strange turn when she uses her late grandmother’s food dyes for a bake sale, and her customers suddenly find her irresistibly alluring. Then she discovers she and Mason are haunted by the same dreams of a dark force that consumes everything in its path.
Pursued by shadowy figures and a crazy woman with secrets from the past, Corinne must find out who her grandmother really was. In her quest to unravel her family’s history, she learns she is destined to protect this world--and the dark world of her dreams. She races to find the answers she seeks before her nightmares break free.

Review 

WOW this is a fast paced refreshing story that you will not be able to put down. The characters. K.C. has created you can’t help but to love them. Corinne is a typical high school student at least that is what she thought until she found the Pyxis box that her grandmother had left her when she passed away. Not knowing what it was and thinking the bottles inside it were food coloring she inadvertently used the blue and yellow to make petit fours for a bake sale at school. Corinne soon figures out that something is different with the students that have eaten her petit fours. She tells her BFF ( Angeline ) that things seem strange and together they link it back to the Pyxis box. While examining the box they find a secret compartment that holds a list and they discover their names on it along with Mason a sorta BF to Corinne.  Who at the time was in Africa with his parents but will be returning home soon. Corinne, Mason, and Angeline go on a journey to figure out what the Pyxis box is all about and what roles they play in. To sum things up Pyxis is a fast paced read that has romance, mystery, and some awesome paranormal all in one. When you read this book it will leave you wanting the next book like right then and there. That is how good this book is but don’t just take my word go and buy it and she for yourself. I promise you will not be disappointed.

Places to find K.C.

Blog

Goodreads

Facebook

Twitter

G+

Places to find Pyxis

Goodreads

Amazon Kindle Edition

Amazon Print Edition

Books A Million (BAM) Print Edition

Barnes and Noble Print Edition

The Book Depository Print Edition

 

Happy Reading !!!!

Review and Interview with Tiffany Allee on her Debut Novel Banshee Charmer

Goodreads Blurb
When she’s sent to a crime scene and finds her second dead woman in as many weeks, half-banshee detective Kiera “Mac” McLoughlin is convinced a serial killer is on the loose. Incubi are extinct, her boss insists. But what else can kill a woman in the throes of pleasure? When her partner is murdered after using witchcraft to locate the killer and Mac is thrown off the case, her frustration turns to desperation.
Certain the killer is an incubus, Mac works behind her department’s back to chase down slim, sometimes perilous leads. While the killer eludes her, she does discover handsome Aidan Byrne, an investigative counterpart from the enigmatic Otherworlder Enforcement Agency. Mac typically runs her investigations fast and hard, but with Aidan at her side, she’s running this one “hot” as well. But Aidan knows more than he’s letting on—something that could shatter their blazing romance and add Mac to the killer’s growing body count…
Review 5/5

In this debut novel by Tiffany Allee we get to meet Kiera “Mac” McLoughlin a tough ass heroine out to keep the streets clean. Mac is a cop who investigates cases involving the supernatural. Along for this ride she gets help from the hot and yummy Aidan.  Mac needs to hunt down and solve the case where dead women keep showing up. This book is almost a none stop action with some hot and steamy scenes to add to the mix. I really enjoyed reading this book. I love it when authors add supernatural elements to everyday life scenarios like the life of cops. I will say one thing Tiffany will leave you wanting more. Mac does solve the case of the dead women showing up everywhere but she still leaves things unfinished with Mac and Aidan. So it is a good thing that this is a first in a series. Mac learns that not all supes are as extinct as she believes them to be. I look forward to reading more from Tiffany in the future (hopefully near future).
Interview
First I would like to thank you for doing this interview I always enjoy having awesome authors to talk to us.
I always start off an interview with this question
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

First of all, thank you so much for having me here. My background is pretty typical—big family with lots of siblings. I have spent most of my adult life working in Corporate America and I guess you could say that I am a CPA who prefers words to numbers. I grew up in a smallish town in Colorado, but have since lived in cities like Denver and Chicago. Chicago always struck me as a great city for drama and danger, which is why I decided to set Banshee Charmer there.

1. Where did the idea of Banshee Charmer come from?

Banshee Charmer came from an amalgam of sources. I love urban fantasy and paranormal romance books, so I'm sure much of my inspiration came from those. But I also love cop dramas on television. Law & Order, CSI, Bones. There's no doubt that all of these swirled together as I was dreaming up Banshee Charmer.

2. Can you tell us about your upcoming book and/or books?

I'd love to, thanks. The sequel for Banshee Charmer will be hitting the virtual bookshelves in April, with the last two in the series coming out in July and October. The next book will follow Mac's coworker and friend, the succubus Marisol, as she works to solve a crime that hits very close to home.

I also have a short romance titled Once Prey,Twice Forsaken coming out soon as well, but I don't have a release date on it yet. It follows the journey of a newly-made vampire as she struggles to survive in a post-apocalyptic type world while she is hunted by the man who used to love her.

3. Do you work with an outline or just write?

I work with an outline, and I actually outline down to the scene-level. But the outline tends to change a bit as I go along, and I try not to be too rigid with it. I find that the small changes I hadn't thought of while plotting tend to make some of the strongest parts of the story.

4. How did you choose the genre you write in?

Paranormal romance and urban fantasy are genres that I love—love—to read. When I started writing, I did what I suspect most writers do: write in the genre they read the most. I was familiar with the genre conventions, and I felt like I could do the stories justice. That's not to say that there aren't other genres that I adore. I love just about any type of romance, and most types of speculative fiction. I may dabble beyond paranormal romance sometime—maybe soon!

5. Is there any particular author and /or book that has influenced you in any way either growing up or as an adult?

Oh I believe that I was influenced heavily by all of the books I read growing up, as well as some I read as an adult. I was a huge bookworm from the moment I could read.

Romance novels in general influenced me to believe that love always conquers all. And the fantasy books I read led me to think that good always conquers evil. You know what? I still believe that love and good prevail. Maybe not always, but most of the time.

6. From beginning to end how long did it take to get Banshee Charmer published?

I wrote the original draft of Banshee Charmer in January and February of 2011. It was almost half the length it is now, and it didn't include many of the side characters that now run through the pages. So from when the original draft was (mostly) done to publication was one year. Not bad, and probably not typical. I lucked out in finding a great new publisher with some slots to fill. Also, it's a novella, so not having to deal with print helped it get to the virtual shelves more quickly.

7. Do you believe that writing changes lives?

Yes, writing and reading both can change lives. Hopefully, it's generally for the better.

8. What has been the best advice anyone has ever given you?

I have received so much good writing advice along the way, but the best piece of advice that I have received is that you'll never get far as a writer unless you put in the work. Treat it like what it is: a job. A creative job yes, but still a job that requires you put in a lot of work and time to get anywhere.

Just for fun

White, Milk, or Dark Chocolate?
Milk—I'm old school like that.

Beach or Mountains?
Mountains

Tea or Coffee?
Both, please.

Night Owl or Early Bird?
Early Bird.

Bed or Kitchen Table? (LOL) :)
Same answer as the coffee and tea question. ;-)

Pet Peeves?
Hrm tough one. Lately my biggest pet peeve is my cat's need to be between my laptop and me at all times. Oh you meant…never mind. haha

now to end
Do you have anything to say to your readers?

Just thank you so much for reading, and I really hope you enjoy Banshee Charmer!
Places to Find Tiffany Allee
Tiffany's Website
Tiffany on G+
Tiffany On Twitter
Tiffany on Facebook
Tiffany on Goodreads
Places to find Banshee Charmer
Goodreads
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
 

Happy Reading !!!!

Cover Reveal Of LUCID by P.T. Michelle

 

This is an early reveal of book 2 in The Brightest Kind of Darkness Series by P.T. Michelle. There is currently no blurb available but as soon as there is one I will update this post. But for now just look at how pretty this cover is. This Series has awesome covers.

Lucid is coming spring of 2012.

Interview with the Awesome Lee Taylor author of Bound

Today on the blog I would like to welcome the Awesome Lee Taylor author of Bound his debut novel which was such a FANTASTIC read please be sure to check out my review and giveaway of Bound here. Lee is joining us to answer some questions that I asked him. I hope everyone enjoys this interview as much as I did.

First to get things started could you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Hi, my name is Lee, I am the author of the Unleashed series, Bound! I love to read, and watch “stuff” whenever I am not writing, and by stuff I mean: Television, movies, clouds… you know, the usual.

1. Where did the idea for Bound come from when was it born so to speak?

Bound was born from an idle thought after a heated  discussion with my wonderful wife about the endings of various books and movies… I was griping, saying how for a climax such and such was a let –down I even compared some endings to be like a nightmare date… I say that meaning this: Imagine you meet someone who appears to be your ideal date, after getting to know them a little you ask them out, they agree, and you are filled with nerves of anticipation. Then, when you turn up for said date, the person you are supposed to meet is nowhere to be seen, and in their stead is a troglodyte who bludgeons you, then makes off with your wallet, leaving you feeling out of pocket and disappointed at being led on, not to mention a killer headache.

2. Do you have any writing rituals or quirks?

My ritual is pretty simple. I tuck my kids into bed, after reading them a story, or watching a movie with them, then put my writing hat on! I find it a lot easier to put all my energy into writing when I know that my kids are wrapped up, safe and warm. It gives me piece of mind, not to mention peace and quiet!

3. Do you have a favorite place or time to write?

A large majority of the time, it is in front of my heater, in the lounge, in the dead of night… It would be a lovely scene if not for the constant attention seeking of my affectionate, and rather attention seeking dog or cat!

4. Do you have a playlist for Bound?

Yes, I do. Although I tend to chop and change it quite a bit, I find music can really influence my mood, and so too much of the same music, and I might find myself being bored of the entire genre! So I try my best to mix things up, have some classical music, a dash of country western, a dollop of R&B a few splashes of indie, a hearty slab of classic rock, a pinch of punk, and a cupful of dance music, and I am normally set!

5. Can you tell us about your upcoming book and/or books?

Certainly! My second book in the Unleashed series: Hellbound, should be out this October! Ursine is finding himself in a rather demanding situation… I have books three and four also in the works. I should be having a short story of mine out soon, as part of a zombie anthology, as I am quite the zombie nut! Or as I like to say, I am a Zombeek (zombie-geek) There are also two more books that aren’t that far from their initial editing phases, one of them being in the YA genre, whilst the other, I believe is aimed more for the mature audience, of course I say that and mean my protagonist in that is not at school.      ( I am looking forward to Hellbound and all of your other works. )

 

6. What was your favorite chapter or part of Bound to write and why?

I think it had to be chapter sixteen, the way I wrote a particular part I was very proud of, and that doesn’t happen to me often, a lot of the time I am too critical of my own work, so I always aim to do better, and to never give up.

7. What has been the toughest criticism given to you has an author? What has been the best compliments?

I created Bound, it is my baby. I love it, like I do one of my children, so anytime I hear someone couldn’t get into it, I am disappointed, sure, but I understand, not everyone has the same taste, heck there are people out there in the world that have a fetish with being taunted by the cookie monster. So as long as a few people can find Bound entertaining, then I know I am on the right tracks!

8. Have you ever written a character or characters who resembles your personality or the personality of someone close to you?

Apparently my protagonist of Bound Ursine is a lot like me… I hadn’t even realized at the time either, but I guess, that is because a lot of time, when I was researching, or writing potential plots I put myself in the situation, to understand what actions were taken.

9. Do you work with an outline or just write and have you ever had writers block?

I have an outline I try to stick to, but quite often I will find myself, writing, two or three choices in a scenario, then writing a completely different one, what took the best elements from the previous.

10. If you could ask yourself any interview questions what would it be and how would you answer it?

Yes! I would ask: “Have you enjoyed this interview… and the answer is. Below! Marked with the “**”

Just for Fun

Beach or Mountains?

Both, for me, the mountains are fantastic, like the Rocky’s are absolutely incredible… but having kids, I know they would much rather go to the beach for the day, and burry me up to the neck in the sand…

Favorite Candy?

I am not really a big fan of candy… I am a Potato chip kind-of guy!

Tea or Coffee?

Coffee! Coffee! Coffee!

White, Milk, or Dark Chocolate?

Ha! I am not fussy when it comes to chocolate, like I said, I am not a huge candy fan… of course that also means I don’t mind what flavour, as they are all awesome xD

Night Owl or Early Bird?

Unfortunately both! It’s the middle of the day when I turn into a bit of a zombie… This is because at night time, I will write, and in the mornings I am doing housework and sorting the kids out for school!

Favorite Social Media Facebook, Twitter, etc? 

Facebook! I do use Twitter but, unfortunately as I have a tendency to ramble on, the word capping to me is a lot like being “shhhhh’ed!” in the middle of a sentence!

**Thank you for taking the time to read this, it has been an honour and a privilege answering these questions! xxx

Happy Reading!!! PLZ Share Some Love for the Awesome Lee Taylor and his debut novel Bound.

Bound by Lee Taylor Review and Giveaway

Goodreads Blurb
Ursine Edwards was a normal well-adjusted teenager prior to Summer vacation. Now he has unintentionally married a Demon, fallen into line with a wolf pack and is being hunted by witches as well as the government, who are all in turn trying to use Ursine for their own devices.
Can Ursine battle the darkness that is trying to consume him as well as keeping his humanity?
Will his life ever be the same again? Only time will tell.

 

My Review QQQQQ 5/5
WOW this book is like a rollercoaster ride and I love rollercoaster rides it is fast paced action packed and will have you sitting on the edge of your seat. I always say a book that can make you show some type of emotion is a sign that it is a good book. Well this book will do it I LMAO almost throughout the whole book I loved Ursine the main protagonists humor. Not many books have a male protagonist any more and this one did which I liked a lot. This book is Fresh and Most Definitely Original. I Highly Recommend it.
We start this story with Si (Ursine) sitting in the last class of the last day of school before summer vacation, but that is all about to change and fast. We go from a normal at least he thought he was a normal teenage boy to a teenage boy that is anything but normal. He quickly learns that he is a were of sorts even though he hopes it is just a dream. Si manages to have just about all types of supes after him even the human government. He even manages to inadvertently marry a Demon all at the age of 17. That is what I mean by a rollercoaster ride.
Lee’s characters and world building are superb. His description is awesome. So well done that he actually transport you to that time and place. In the book Lee leaves you begging for the next installment. I know I am patiently (well I do not have good patients) so I am impatiently waiting for the next installment.
Places Bound can be Found
Amazon Kindle Edition
Amazon Print Edition
Smashwords
Books A Million BAM
Barnes and Noble
Places Lee can be Found
Facebook Author Page
Goodreads
Twitter

Giveaway Time: 

Lee is giving away a signed copy of Bound to one lucky winner. So Please be sure to use the Rafflecopter below to enter to win a copy.