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August 31, 2010

Blog Tour ~ Author Interview: Elizabeth J. Kolodziej (Vampyre Kisses)

Hello guys! Today is the first time I'm participating on a Blog Tour, and I'm extremely happy. I had the amazing opportunity to be the first one and ask some questions to Elizabeth J. Kolodziej, author of the book Vampyre Kisses. Check them out!
Welcome Liz! Thank you for being here today :). Can you please tell us in a few words about your book Vampyre Kisses?
Vampyre Kisses is a story about a young woman, Faith, who finds out that she, is a witch and that this man, Trent, that she has been spending time with is a 400-year old vampire. Of course the way that she finds out isn’t the best way one could find out someone is a vampire, but what are you going to do? So there are gems that are stolen from the werewolf royalty and vampire master. Due to lots of circumstances Faith must learn how to control her powers in time to help her friends and get the gems back.
What/who was you inspiration for this book?
I actually have had a lot of inspirations for this book. There was no one thing. I have read so many books on vampires, witches, and werewolves and I guess after awhile I wanted to make my own. But the people around me, my friends, family, teachers, other authors, musicians, actors, they have all inspired me in so many different ways. In the end I wrote this book because I wanted to inspire others as much as those people have inspired me.
Who is your favorite character?
That’s a great question that I do not recall many people asking me! It’s funny but for this moment in time Kane is my favorite character. I think a lot of that has to do with how he has me write out his history and speak for him. The way he talks to me and the things I find out are just so much fun and interesting. Along with the fact that he is such a dick at times.
What was the hardest aspect of writing Vampyre Kisses?
The time that it takes was really the hardest aspect. I started writing this when I was around 19 years old. Well, when you are young the last thing you want to do is give up going out with friends to write. I think that is why it took me around 5 years to finish. Now that I am older I am better at working out schedules and such but no matter what you do you still give up a lot of personal time to spending writing a book. You have to really want to finish it.
If Vampyre Kisses was made into a movie, who would you cast?
Truthfully, I would probably cast nobodies. I have a lot of trouble seeing anyone has Faith or Trent, especially when it comes to looks. So it would have to be someone that in unheard of.
What's next for you? Are you planning to write more books?
I am actually working on the second book as we speak. I am really hoping to have the manuscript finished by the end of this year. Hopefully I can find a publishing house to take up the second book so I do not have to self publish again, which is difficult all in it self. But you will see more werewolf history in the second book and the same old characters much more developed!
Where to buy the book: http://amzn.to/9VrndO
My Site: www.vampyrekisses.com
Facebook.com/kweenkitten
Twitter.com/ejkolodziej
Thank you Liz, for stopping by! And thank you for reading this interview. Remember to visit all the other sites participating on this Blog Tour (Sept 1 - Oct 13) and enter the giveaway! You can win a signed copy of Vampyre kisses, a T-shirt and a sticker.

August 30, 2010

Summer "Beach Reads" Challenge Wrap-Up!

The Summer "Beach Reads" Challenge has ended and I almost completed it!

This challenge was hosted by Jessica of A Fanatics Book Blog, Raila of Books Out of the Bookshelves, Linna of 21 Pages, and Heather of A Bibliophile's Paradise.

My goal was to read 4 books:
  1. Heavenly by Jennifer Laurens [REVIEW]
  2. Penitence by Jennifer Laurens (almost finished!)
  3. Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs [REVIEW]
  4. Something Like Fate by Susane Colasanti [REVIEW]
I was very confident that tonight I was going to finish Penitence and review it....but I forgot the book at my boyfriend's car and there is no way for me to get it until tomorrow :( So that means I read 3/4 books.

From Dusk ‘Til Dawn Read-A-Thon: Final Update

From Dusk Till Dawn Read-a-thon is over! I didn't manage to read all I wanted, but still advance a lot on my reading.

My Goals:
- [Read] The Secret of Ka by Christopher Pike 
- [Read] Penitence (Heavenly #2) by Jennifer Laurens 
- [Read] The Intern (Sins07 #1) by Jess C Scott  (review here)
- [Advance] Good Old Dog: Expert Advice for Keeping Your Aging Dog Happy, Healthy, and Comfortable. 

I participate in a few challenges, the last one was from Bewitched Bookworms about your favorite angel....I answered Mathias from the Heavenly series.

So...I read 1 book, almost finished 1 book, didn't read 1 book and advance a few chapters on 1 book. I wasn't that bad!

What I learned from this Read-a-Thon?
- I like to read at nights.
- When I don't like a book, it's almost impossible for me to read it....I feel kind of irresponsible for not finishing a book, but I have so many other that I want to read, that I don't think I can keep  trying to read something that it isn't for me. What do you think about it?

August 29, 2010

In My Mailbox # 10

In My Mailbox is a weekly bookish meme hosted @ The Story Siren

Won/Gifts

The Rise of Renegade X by Chelsea M Campbell (thanks to Rebecca @ Elephants On Trapezes)
- The cutest bookmark ever! (thanks to my niece)


E-Books

 

August 28, 2010

Author Interview: Jess C Scott + Giveaway

Hello everyone! Please welcome Jess C Scott, author of the book The Intern, the first one in the Sins07 series. If you haven't read my review, please check it out!
Thank you so much for being here today Jess!. Can you please tell us in a few words about the Sins07 series?
No problem--thanks for the interview! Sins07 is a contemporary YA “seven deadly sins” series, that looks at universal issues from contemporary life. The series will feature lighthearted tales that explore each of the seven sins in order, beginning with lust. There's enough pain, misery, and suffering in the world -- so I thought I'd inject a dose of fun + humor, throughout this series.
How did you came up with the idea of sins?
A friend and I were watching an episode of The History Channel's "Seven Deadly Sins" program. "Hey," she said (during an ad break), "you should write a seven deadly sins series." I don't know why it never hit me, but I said "okay," and started to jot down some ideas right away.
Was it hard to write about lust in a YA book?
I got a lot of things (related to sex/uality) "out of my system" via my first two books (one is a blog novel @ www.eyeleash.wordpress.com), so I was able to write about lust in a non-explicit way this time. I think I had slightly more trouble making sure the pace and plot of the book "kept on going" (instead of getting dreary or hum-drum halfway) -- I did my best to stick to the outline I had for the plot.
Who is your favorite character from The Intern?
Possibly Jo.Zee (the dance instructor/"object of desire"). I drew a lot of inspiration from all over the place, with regards to his passion for dance. It was very fun and enjoyable to research on YouTube (for official music videos, clips of dance competitions/contests, as well as tutorials uploaded by non-professional dance enthusiasts).
What can we expect from the next Sins07 book?
After Lust, the next deadly sin is Greed -- I think I'll be featuring an heiress or a model, as the protagonist. There's likely to be an element of travel and adventure (as with the first book), though everything else is probably going to be quite different (I generally don't do the same thing twice -- I like challenging myself to keep things fresh and interesting).
P.S. The third book may feature a lead male character. I'm usually thinking of "the next two projects," once I've completed one.
Since The Intern is all about music and dancing, can you give us a couple of music recommendations?
It depends on the genre of music one likes, but I'll list some personal favorites -- Kylie Minogue (dance), New Order (electronica), Michael Jackson (pop/funk), Queen and Guns n' Roses (classic rock), Se7en (Korean pop). A vlog post has more info (http://sins07.wordpress.com/2010/08/19/hip-hop-dance-book/).
Anything you’d like to add before we finish?
Thank you for having me here today :) I think I'll end with a line from Jo.Zee (from a magazine article in the book):
"Remember to move everyday. A fit, healthy body—that is the best fashion statement."

GIVEAWAY

Jess is giving away an ebook of The Intern (yay!). For a chance to win, just leave a comment (with you email address) in this post answering her question: "What's your favorite type of music?". International, ends Sept. 15, 2010.

Extra entries:
+1 Comment on my review of The Intern by Jess C Scott.

August 27, 2010

Book Review: The Intern by Jess C Scott

The Intern by Jess C Scott
The Intern
Author: Jess C Scott
Series: Sins07 #1
Release Date: August 17th 2010
Publisher: CreateSpace
Age: Young Adult
A 17-year-old intern must choose between trusting an irresistibly suave dance instructor—or her instincts.
Good girl, bad boy, dancing...and lust.

When I first read about The Intern I was hooked with the hole idea of sins. The Intern is the first book in the new series called Sins07, and it's about Lust.

It has been a while since I couldn't relate to a character, but Suzie made that possible. She is a 17 years old girl, very much like me. The good girl. Intelligent, student of one of the best schools, always does the right thing. But inside, she likes other stuff...like dancing. So when she goes to another city for a internship with her partner, the boring and always safe Chester, she instantly grabs this as an opportunity to have an adventure.

Who haven't wished for an adventure? For good girls...a little adventure could change their life. She finally has the freedom to do what she likes, and that includes taking dancing lessons with the super hot and famous Jo.Zee.

Of course, a good girl in a unknown big city isn't always safe.

Suzie could be any girl. She may be very intelligent, but when she sees a hot guy, she can't think straight. Nothing is more important than having him on her hands. Hormones also join in, and it's a party. And when you're growing up and trying to figure out who you're, it can be a very confusing ride. Specially if your thoughts aren't so innocent but in real life, you have no experience.

At first I wasn't sure it was the usual good boy versus bad boy, because Josh Zee wasn't the topical bad guy. But of course then I started to see all of his flaws, and I wanted to kick him!. Chester is always the good one, and he was such a sweet guy, I wanted to hug him. I can understand why Suzie didn't saw him in a romantic way...but his feelings were so obvious. I wished the author would have focus more on him and the past between them to understand him better.

The writing style was good. Maybe at the beginning it was a little bit slow but after reading the first couple of chapters it gets more interesting and fast-paced, and in a playful way the author manages to make you feel the music and the dancing. Even when I'm not a fan of that kind of music (hip hop), I really wished to start dancing right away! Music can be so....liberating.

So...Lust. For some people, Lust may be one of the most dangerous sins....but who doesn't like a little danger in life? For other, it may be a synonymous for fun. But, is it going to last? Is it enough? Are you willing to pay the price? (I'm a little intense over here!) Definitely the author make you understand the way Suzie lusts for this boy, but don't worry, she may not be very naive in her head, but she's very shy. There aren't sex scenes or something like that, but Suzie is definitely dreaming with them, so maybe it isn't your book if you don't feel comfortable with teens thinking about sex.

Overall, The Intern is a great book, and I enjoyed it a lot. It has this chick-lit feeling, and the end wasn't at all what I was expecting! (which is always good, because I like plot twists). Definitely going to be attentive for the next book in this series.


More about this book at www.jesscscott.com, Goodreads, Amazon.

If you liked this review then be sure to come back this week for a chance to win the book and read an interview with the author.

August 26, 2010

From Dusk ‘Til Dawn Read-A-Thon Update #1 + Challenges

UPDATE #1
So.....yesterday I was kind of a failure. I went to bed at 10pm! But I have a good excuse: me head hurted a lot! Still, I manage to read a couple of chapter from 1: The Intern (Sins07) by Jess C Scott and I'm planning to finish it by tomorrow.

Reading Through Life Mini-Challenge
Carina, from Reading Through Life, is asking us to "Write a post describing your ideal comfort food meal to break your hypothetical 15 hour fast one of the nights of this week’s read-a-thon." You can read more about it here.


I have always been impressed with Ramadan, during which practicing Muslims refrain from food and drink from dawn until dusk. I don't think I have that kind of strength, specially involving food. I'm actually on a diet and gosh, I'm a little bit moody! So anyway, my ideal food meal is....PIZZA! Maybe you're thinking...Pizza, really? Well, I have been wanting to eat pizza for about a month, and literally I could kill for one from Domino's.

Young Adult Books Reviews Challenge over here.

August 25, 2010

Waiting on Wednesday # 15 ~ The Twin's Daughter

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

My pick:

Summary from Goodreads.com
Lucy Sexton is stunned when a disheveled woman appears at the door one day…a woman who bears an uncanny resemblance to Lucy's own beautiful mother. It turns out the two women are identical twins, separated at birth, and raised in dramatically different circumstances. Lucy's mother quickly resolves to give her less fortunate sister the kind of life she has never known. And the transformation in Aunt Helen is indeed remarkable. But when Helen begins to imitate her sister in every way, even Lucy isn't sure at times which twin is which. Can Helen really be trusted, or does her sweet face mask a chilling agenda?

Filled with shocking twists and turns, THE TWIN'S DAUGHTER is an engrossing gothic novel of betrayal, jealousy, and treacherous secrets that will keep you guessing to the very end.
Lauren Baratz-Logsted
August 31st 2010 by Bloomsbury USA Children's Books
Hardcover, 400 pages
Amazon

August 24, 2010

From Dusk Till Dawn: A Read-A-Thon

Hello everyone!! It's me again, joining another reading activity (I just love them!). This time is the FROM DUSK TILL DAWN Read-A-Thon!

It's basically 5 nights (from Aug 25th to Aug 29th) of reading, just for fun. You start at 8PM and can stay reading until 8AM. I'm sure a lot of us are staying up until late reading/playing/whatever, specially now since we are on vacations (at least me). So why not use that hours to read, instead of playing facebook games!? xD

There are a lot of blogs participating, and many of them are going to host Challenges that we can join in the daylight! It's going to be HUGE, so go and sign up at Book Crazy!

Anyway, I'm hoping to finish reading The Secret of Ka by Christopher Pike and Penitence (Heavenly #2) by Jennifer Laurens, start and finish 1: The Intern (Sins07 #1) by Jess C Scott and hopefully advance on Good Old Dog: Expert Advice for Keeping Your Aging Dog Happy, Healthy, and Comfortable. Too much, right? But I really have to read all of these if I want to keep up with my other challenges, so wish me luck!

P.S.: You're allowed to sleep!