Book Tour - The Soul Thief

The Soul Thief (The Angel of Death Series #1)

by Majanka Verstraete

Publisher: Booktrope

Published: November 11, 2014

Genre: YA, Paranormal

When sixteen-year-old Riley is injured in a car crash and sees a girl stealing a boy’s soul, she’s convinced she’s hallucinating. But when she sees the same girl at the hospital later, she knows she wasn’t dreaming. That’s when Riley learns her secret heritage and who she really is: a halfling Angel of Death.

Riley must come to terms with her new reality and supernatural abilities, but before she can do this, girls her age start dying in mysterious circumstances. It’s up to Riley to figure out why, what the innocent victims have in common, and what she can do to stop them.

Goodreads

Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble

Excerpt

“Let’s vote,” the man who’d touched me proposed. “Who is in favor of executing the Halfling?”

That was the moment when it actually fully hit me. They might execute me. Kill me. My knees gave way and if Diane hadn’t grabbed my arm just then, I would’ve fallen. “Stand up straight,” she hissed at me. “You’re an Angel, not a coward.”

So I did, even though exhaustion swept over me as if I’d worked for seven days in a row without any sleep. Sweat dripped down my forehead and a fever wrapped itself around me.

A lot of Council members raised their hands at the giant’s question. I started hyperventilating. “That’s more than half.” I gripped Diane’s arm with all my strength. If I hurt her, she didn’t let it show. A light blush rose on her cheeks though and she bit her lip as if she felt guilty but wanted to act tough.

“It has been decided,” the leader-guy said. “She shall be executed.” Before I had time to faint, scream, or do something else dramatic, the silver-haired woman rose from her seat. Her hood slipped off, and my breath got stuck in my throat.

She had the kind of face painters would dream to eternalize on canvas. From the color of her hair, I’d anticipated her being old, but she appeared in her twenties. Large, silver eyes stared at me. Her skin was the color of porcelain, without any blemish, as if she was made of wax. “I, Seraphyn,” she said, “call in my veto.” 

About the Author

Majanka Verstraete begged her Mom to teach her how to read while she was still in kindergarten. By the time she finished fifth grade, she had read through the entire children’s section of her hometown library.

She wrote her first story when she was seven years old, and hasn’t stopped writing since. With an imagination that never sleeps, and hundreds of possible book characters screaming for her attention, writing is more than a passion for her.

She writes about all things supernatural for children of all ages. She’s tried to write contemporary novels before, but something paranormal always manages to crawl in.

Majanka is currently studying for her Master of Laws degree, and hopes one day to be able to combine her passions for law and writing. When she’s not writing, reading or studying, she likes watching “The Vampire Diaries” and “Game of Thrones,” spending time with her friends, or playing “World of Warcraft.”

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Top Ten Post!!!

Top 10 Favorite Heroes/Heroines

1. Buffy, the Vampire Slayer (from the books and the TV series)

2. Rose Hathaway (Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead)

3. Sydney (Bloodlines series by Richelle Mead) 

4. Cate Cahill (from the Cahill Witch Chronicles by Jessica Spotswood)

5. Katniss (from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins) 

6. Tessa Gray (from The Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare)

7. Mel (from The Farm series by Emily McKay)

8. Harry Potter (I’m sure you know the series, heh)

9. Meghan Chase (from the Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa)

10. Allison Sekemoto (from the Blood of Eden series by Julie Kagawa)

Tour Schedule

November 12

Write Away Bliss - Schedule / Excerpt

The Musings of a Book Addict - Review

Suzy Turner, Author - Author Interview

The Best Books Ever - Character Bio, Dreamcast, Excerpt

November 13

Country Book Bumpkin - Review, Soundtrack, Excerpt

Reese's Reviews - Review, Character Bio, Dreamcast

Pinky's Favorite Reads - Top Ten, Excerpt

November 14

Indy Book Fairy - Review, Excerpt

Kimber Leigh Writes - Top Ten, Excerpt

Here is What I Read - Author Interview, Dreamcast, Soundtrack, Excerpt

Writing Belle - Character Bios

November 15

A Book Paradise - Author Interview, Soundtrack, Excerpt

Endless Reading - Review, Excerpt

The Literary Melting Pot - Review

November 16

Roxy's Reviews - Review, Character Bios, Top Ten

Real Talk, Book Talk - Dreamcast, Excerpt

Becca Anne's Book Reviews - Review, Character Bio, Dreamcast

Nerd Girl Official - Excerpt

November 17

Deal Sharing Aunt - Author Interview, Top Ten, Excerpt

Star Shadow Blog - Character Bio, Dreamcast, Soundtrack

Dystopia Capitol - Review

November 18

Kristy Centro - Character Bios

Whispered Thoughts - Character Bios, Excerpt, Soundtrack

Little Hyuts Reviews - Dreamcast

November 19

Step Into Fiction - Review, Excerpt

Behind the Pages - Author Interview, Dreamcast, Excerpt

This Redhead Loves Books - Review, Excerpt

The Avid Reader - Soundtrack, Character Bios

November 20

Tracy's Nook - Review, Character Interview

The Pleasure of Reading - Excerpt

Bex n Books - Character Bios

Becky's Barmy Book Blog - Top Ten, Excerpt

November 21

Relaxed Reads - Dreamcast

Renee Entress's Blog - Review

Books and Friendz - Character Bio, Excerpt

Pretty in Fiction - Top Ten, Excerpt

Kat's Book Promotions - Dreamcast

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author Interview - Sidney Blaylock (Fae)

“FAE”
EDITED BY RHONDA PARRISH
Alpena, MI (July 22, 2014)– World Weaver Press (Eileen Wiedbrauk, Editor-in-Chief) has announced FAE, a new anthology of fairy stories from classic tales to urban fantasy, edited by Rhonda Parrish, is available in trade paperback and ebook today, Tuesday, July 22, 2014.

Meet Robin Goodfellow as you've never seen him before, watch damsels in distress rescue themselves, get swept away with the selkies and enjoy tales of hobs, green men, pixies and phookas. One thing is for certain, these are not your grandmother’s fairy tales. Fairies have been both mischievous and malignant creatures throughout history. They’ve dwelt in forests, collected teeth or crafted shoes. FAE is full of stories that honor that rich history while exploring new and interesting takes on the fair folk from castles to computer technologies to modern midwifing, the Old World to Indianapolis. FAE bridges traditional and modern styles, from the familiar feeling of a good old- fashioned fairy tale to urban fantasy and horror with a fae twist. This anthology covers a vast swath of the fairy story spectrum, making the old new and exploring lush settings with beautiful prose and complex characters.
With an introduction by Sara Cleto and Brittany Warman, and new stories
from Sidney Blaylock Jr., Amanda Block, Kari Castor, Beth Cato, Liz
Colter, Rhonda Eikamp, Lor Graham, Alexis A. Hunter, L.S. Johnson, Jon Arthur Kitson, Adria Laycraft, Lauren Liebowitz, Christine Morgan, Shannon Phillips, Sara Puls, Laura VanArendonk Baugh, and Kristina Wojtaszek. 

FAE is available in trade paperback and ebook via Amazon.com, Barnesandnoble.com, Kobo.com, and other online retailers, and for wholesale through Ingram. You can also find Fae on Goodreads.
Anthologist Rhonda Parrish is driven by a desire to do All The Things. She has been the publisher and editor-in-chief of Niteblade Magazine for over five years now (which is like 25 years in internet time) and is the editor of the benefit anthology, Metastasis. In addition, Rhonda is a writer whose work has been included or is forthcoming in dozens of publications including Tesseracts 17: Speculating Canada from Coast to Coast and Imaginarium: The Best Canadian Speculative Writing. Her website, updated weekly, is at rhondaparrish.com.
World Weaver Press is a publisher of fantasy, paranormal, and science fiction, dedicated to producing quality works. We believe in great storytelling.

 

Sidney Blaylock author of “Faerie Knyght”

What was the inspiration for your Fae story?

Surprisingly enough, Faerie Knight started with an idea of gaining mystical powers from the names of full moons and using that power for the greater good.  There are names for each of the full moons that vary depending on the source, but there were two constants: Hunter’s Moon and Harvest Moon.  I wanted a character that received his power during the Hunter’s Moon and then lost it once the Hunter’s Moon was over.  Tide played a huge role in the magical system, but I dialed that back in later drafters.

There was always a faerie element to the story—the original antagonist was a Redcap (a malevolent fae who dye their caps in their victim’s blood) along with two trolls.  They had stolen a changeling for the Queen of the Fae.  That story evolved after I rediscovered Spencer’s The Faerie Queene (which I had read excerpts from in a college class).  Using Spencer’s work as inspiration, the story started to fall into place and it morphed into the story that is in Fae the moment I reimagined the Faerie Queen as a force for good in the world.

Was this your first foray into writing fairy stories?

No, I’ve written other things dealing with fairies.  I’ve written another short-story about an elven gunslinger called Knight of the Wylde West (tentatively coming out in November of this year).  I’ve also written the script for the first issue of a (projected) four issue comic book series entitled, Faerie Fire, which I liken to The Lord of the Rings meets Roger Zelanzny’s Amber series featuring warring factions of Elves for the throne of the Faerielands.  I’m hoping to find an artist for this project in the sometime soon, so I safely say that I don’t think the Fae are done with me yet.

I like the element of magic and it is the mystical nature of faeriekind that appeals to me.  I’ve always been interested in the fantastical and this has translated into a love of science fiction and fantasy.  Writing about the faerie allows me to create characters, plots, and settings that are far from ordinary, or like in Faerie Knight, have the mystical and fantastical hidden in our mundane world.  It’s that potential that makes faerie stories (or speculative fiction, for that matter) so appealing for me to write.

Can you tell us a bit about the specific type of fairy creature in your story?

So, my story is a little different in that my protagonist is essentially a “changeling.”  He was abandoned by his birth parents due to his disability and taken in to the Seelie Court by the Queen.  The antagonist (which I call a Samhain) is not technically a faerie either, but the idea of Halloween.  I’ve made it a faerie and not a very pleasant one at that.  His description (a pumpkin-head and a scythe) recalls the idea of the Halloween which was a harvest festival.  However, I tried very hard to ground my characters in a setting using traditional faerie tropes: the Seelie Court, trolls, a magical system based on Glamour (illusion vs reality), and elements of the good/bad elements of being a “changeling..”

My favorite type of fae would be elves. I was lucky enough to find Dungeons and Dragons early in its life-cycle (when TSR still published the system).  I loved the way that they portrayed elves: lithe, quick, preternaturally gifted and able to master whatever they set their mind to do.  Slight in build, but strong in heart and character, the elves in the D&D universe (which I later discovered was an evolution of Tolkien’s elves from his works) were the model to which I aspired.

Sara Puls author of “Ten Ways to Self-Sabotage, Only Some of Which Relate to Fairies”

What was the inspiration for your Fae story?

My inspiration for writing this story was something pretty mundane--I had a bit of an ant problem at my house. Somehow, that got me thinking about a fairy infestation...

Was this your first foray into writing fairy stories?

I have written one other fairy story of sorts--about a lady that works as a "matchmaker" for the fairy creatures, where fairies are loosely defined as "creatures that exist because we believe in them. Because we talk about them and write about them and dream about them." That story is available here.

Can you tell us a bit about the specific type of fairy creature in your story?

Well, my story actually contains about eleven types of fairies, including pixies! selkies! dryads! and trolls! The most prominently-featured fairy, however, is a “mermaid fairy,” who contributes to a bit of friction between the two main characters.

Shannon Phillips author of “The Fairy Midwife”

What was the inspiration for your Fae story?

Mine is actually a modern spin on a traditional Celtic fairy tale. In its original form, "The Fairy Midwife" centers on a woman who is (at first unwittingly) hired to serve as a midwife to a fairy mother. She gradually realizes that all is not as it seems, and the story can take several turns from there: in some versions she is dutiful and circumspect, and is paid with an apron-full of coal dust that turns to gold when she reaches her home. In other versions, she's more curious and takes a dab of fairy ointment for herself. When the father realizes that she can now see through glamors, he plucks out her eyes as punishment!

Anyway, I was inspired by that old folktale, but I wanted to bring it forward into the modern world. When I started to think about how modern technology would change the fairies and their world, I started to picture the Greenbud birthing center, and Madon, and Tara. The story almost told itself from that point.

Was this your first foray into writing fairy stories? If no,  why do you write fairy stories? What is it about them that appeals to you?

No, it's definitely not my first fairy story. The first story I ever published was a fairy tale, and I've just kept writing them since. My novel, The Millennial Sword, is all about fairies in San Francisco. I love folklore and mythology--I grew up on it, especially Celtic literature. From Lady Wilde, George MacDonald, and Lloyd Alexander all the way back to the Táin Bó Cúailnge and the Mabinogion...I love it all. It's what I read, so it's what I write.

Can you tell us a bit about the specific type of fairy creature in your story? Is that your favourite type of fae?

They're pretty much your basic Sidhe--human-looking, mostly, but immortal and removed from human morality. I do write that kind of fairy pretty often, but I also love kelpies, selkies, brownies, tomte, pookas...even your little flower-skirted faires with butterfly wings. Love 'em all.

Book Promo & Author Interview

Publisher: Great Nation Publishing (25 July 2014)

NORMAL IS OVER The school year ending with Reject High's destruction was enough for Jason Champion. Summer break meant lots of time to split between his girlfriend Sasha and best friend Rhapsody. That is until predictions of a solar storm arrive, one unlike the earth has ever seen. Sasha tells Jason the sun's rays may affect his invulnerability and strength, while a mysterious new enemy is possessed with the belief that whoever absorbs the radiation will become immortal. With no other options and their enemies drawing closer to their goal, Jason and his friends join forces with the "Collective," a group that has guarded the origin of their power for a century. Its members think the storm will cause an explosion killing millions - a price none of them are willing to pay. The second installment in a young adult fantasy series, Sophomore Freak combines engaging characters inside of a page-turning, breathtaking adventure. Equal parts sci-fi, fantasy, and action-adventure, Sophomore Freak is a breathtaking page-turner written from the perspective of Jason Champion, a 16-year old teenager with rage blackouts and a penchant for getting in trouble, Equal parts sci-fi, fantasy, and action-adventure, Reject High is a breathtaking page-turner written from the perspective of Jason Champion, a 15-year old teenager with rage blackouts and a penchant for getting in trouble, Brian Thompson writes science fiction for both young adult and adult audiences. He is a celebrated writer, educator, and former journalist. He is also the author of speculative fiction/science fiction thriller The Anarchists and the third installment of the Reject High series, Forgotten, due in summer, 2015.

Interview

1)    When you write, do you plan the storyline or just go with the flow and see where it takes you? Plotter or Panster?

Both, actually. I started off a pantser, but in writing sci-fi and world building, that didn’t really work out. So, I became a plotter and I use sticky notes for my major plot points. If I feel the character(s) take me down a different road, I go with it. I’m writing the third book in the series now and I have to rewrite the climax and ending I’ve plotted because of that very reason. 

2) Where do you do most of your writing? Do you have a special spot?

I have a space in my office where I write. I also have a laptop that I tote around so that I can get writing time in where I can. The past few unconventional places I’ve written are a moving car and a train. We have two young children, ages 6 and 2, so you have to adapt in order to get things done.

3) Are any of your characters based on people you know?

My main character’s stepmom, Debra, is named after my stepmother. She’s one of two people I know on the planet who would willingly adopt a boy with rage blackouts and ADHD. Hers is the only case where a character is based off of someone I know. I do name characters after other people (with permission, of course) but generally, their characteristics are different.

4) Who was your favorite author as a child? Who is it now?

I don’t know that I had one. I loved the Sword of Shannara series by Terry Brooks and The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. Those are the authors that stick out in my mind. I’m more of a classic guy, so you could pick anyone from Shakespeare to Philip K. Dick and I’m happy.

5) Did you always want to be an author? If not what was your ambition?

Growing up, I wanted to be a doctor. Then a lawyer and a computer science major. None of those really worked out for me. My creative writing class in my senior year of undergrad at Morehouse College really sparked that ambition for me.

6) A lot of authors have playlists for their books. Do you like to listen to music whilst you write and if so can you give us any recommendations?

It depends – I’ve listened to The Roots, Lorde, contemporary Christian, R&B, Rush, Pink Floyd. It really depends on what kind of scenes I’m writing.

7) Can you tell us a bit more about your book and how it came about?

Sophomore Freak is the sequel to Reject High and the second part of a four book series. The first book, Reject High, centers on Jason Champion, a 15-year-old boy kicked out of his school for fighting and sent to the Regional Educational Guidance Collective Training Facility – an alternative school nicknamed “Reject High.” There, he meets his best friend, Rhapsody. She shows him an emerald crystal that gives them mysterious powers. They later find out there are six different colors of the crystals and each give them different abilities. Along with Sasha, the prettiest girl in school, and Selby, her ex-boyfriend, Jason and Rhapsody discover they are being watched by a group hoping to possess the emerald. 

Sophomore Freak picks up three months later. Jason is being targeted by David King, a scientist who thinks the six crystals will explode during an upcoming solar storm. He also believes the radiation from the explosion will make him immortal. King threatens the lives of Jason’s loved ones until he collects all of the crystals for him.

The Reject High series came about from reading Rick Riordan’s Olympian books and I thought about how I would write a YA series with superpowers. I did some research on solar flares, which is a major plot point for the books, and it kind of went from there.  

8) What made you want to write for the YA market?

My editing partner Jackie read the opening pages to The Lightning Thief and it sparked something in me. I have experience in secondary education and I believe it’s because I have a voice that appeals to those ages.

9) Do you ever get writers block and if you do, how do you beat it?

Sometimes. I do a few things. I either walk away to do something else or I go back to the last pages I finished and rewrite them or add to them. That usually gets me back in the flow of things.

Author Interview - Ryan T Petty

 How do you move on in your life after a horrible tragedy? That's what Hope Kilpatrick must ask after losing her family in a horrible car accident right before Christmas. Unable to deal with the pain, she leaves the haunting memories of her New York home behind and escapes to Texas with an estranged aunt that is her only family. Still reeling from her loss and the culture shock of her new home, she must also deal with a school bully that has set her sights upon her. Hope's only solace is the quiet girl at the vacant lunch table, an eccentric history teacher, and the introverted handsome young man she meets at a Texas parade. Finding Hope in Texas deals with the tragedy of loss, the sardonic struggles of teenage life, and the sanguinity in finding a special someone that will help her discover the strength to live again.

1)    When you write, do you plan the storyline or just go with the flow and see where it takes you? Plotter or Panster?

I have to plan, it's just my nature.  Still, getting to the next page, chapter, or twist is part of the fun.

2) Where do you do most of your writing? Do you have a special spot?

I do most of my writing on the couch with my laptop.  I usually have the TV on in the background.  It works for me.

       

 

3) Are any of your characters based on people you know?

In my first book, The Life He Never Knew, I took the personalities of a lot of my Civil War reenacting friends and created actual Civil War soldiers out of them, which was fun for me, and fun for them trying to figure out who was who.  In my second book, Finding Hope in Texas, I can only say that the history teacher is based off of me.  He's kind of a jerk, but has a good heart.

4) Who was your favourite author as a child? Who is it now?

I was one of those kids that fought reading as a child and really didn't get into books until high school.  I still don't have a favorite author, but I like authors from different genres.  I teach history, so a lot of what I read is historical.  I have enjoyed Eric Larson and his historical books though.

5) Did you always want to be an author? If not what was your ambition?

Well, like I said, I'm a history teacher.  History was my calling and what got me into reading finally.  I enjoy what I do.  My only greater ambition would to be teach at a junior college or something like that.

 

6) A lot of authors have playlists for their books. Do you like to listen to music whilst you write and if so can you give us any recommendations?

 

No, it's the background noise of television that helps me.  I think I would get confused between my writing and my singing outload if I played music.

 

 

7) Can you tell us a bit more about your book and how it came about?

 

Hope has gone through a horrible tragedy at home.  Her family was killed in a car accident and she wants to get away from their memories.  She moves to Texas to start over, with an aunt she hardly knows, only to find that a school bully is trying to make her life worse.  She makes a new friend though, is encouraged by a teacher, and meets a handsome young man at a Texas parade.  Finding Hope in Texas is a story about survival from tragedy, bullying, and culture shock.  It really came from me wanting to write something that I think many teenagers nowadays could relate to.  Many have difficulties in their lives and I wanted to make a character that even though she is struggling, she continues to have the strength to keep going, to do the best she can, and is a better person because of it.

8) What made you want to write for the YA market?

It's probably a little bit of the teacher in me.  Like I said, I wanted a character and a story line that teenagers could relate to.  I wanted them to see that even though they may go through tough times, it's their will and determination that will make them better people in the end.

9) Do you ever get writers block and if you do, how do you beat it?

 

I do.  And for me, I just have to get away from writing for a bit.  Sometimes I can knock out many pages in just one sitting and sometimes I will go days or weeks without looking at my laptop.  I have to do other things so that I have time to think, reflect, and evaluate what I need to do next.   I'm not on a time limit, so I write when I know I can only give it 100%, which, with two little guys in my house, is usually between 9 and 11pm.

10) If you could take only 3 things with you onto a desert island what would they be and why?

 

Food, clothing, shelter, because I want to survive. 

Author Q&A -Julie Milillo

One Girl.Two Worlds.
Three Questions.

What lies beneath the hidden secret?
Can love rise above the inevitable?
And most importantly, where will her fate lead her?
Amanda Chaste had lived what she considered an average life in New Jersey, looked after and cared for by her grandmother. But when she accidentally meets an enigmatic stranger from out of town, her world is drastically thrown upside down. A hidden secret has been buried in the past and not even Amanda can save herself from her own fate.
Conflicted and tormented within her own flesh, discovering her true identity will prove to be something that will change her life forever.

How far would you fall for answers?

Amanda has accepted her new life and the darkness has become more appealing than ever before because of Mitch.
But when her world is thrown into a drastic downward spiral, she is left questioning everything.
Amanda embarks on a nightmarish adventure and her faith is put to the ultimate test as she journeys onward to discover the true meaning behind family, love and her destiny between good and evil.  




 Author Q&A

1. What made you want to start writing?
I had always been involved in creative writing since I was young. I loved writing poems, lyrics and short stories in my free time or for school.
After a while, I also developed a passion for reading and after having a personal confrontation with one of my favorite authors, it really inspired me to take move forward with an idea I had and thus became The Immortal Sin Trilogy.

2. What are you currently working on?
I am currently working on the third and final installment to The Immortal Sin Trilogy.

3. Who are some of your inspirations?
I have quite of few who I admire and who’s work I love. Some of my inspirations are Elizabeth Chandler, Becca Fitzpatrick, Alexandra Adornetto, Stephanie Evanovich, Nicholas Sparks and the list could go on and on.

4. How did you get the idea for your latest book?
Well, my latest book is connected to the trilogy I have/am writing. The idea for The Immortal Sin Trilogy stems from my love for paranormal and specifically Angels and Demons. After reading so many books about this topic, I wondered what it would be like if an Angel and Demon came together and created something that has never really been considered before. Then my imagination just took off with it while incorporating experiences and emotions that I have experienced firsthand. So, this trilogy is very personal to me.

5. If your latest book was a movie, which actors would you see playing your main characters?
I am a huge movie person so there are many actors I would consider for the parts in my book.  Here are some actors I have considered:
Grey Damon, Taylor Lautner, or Jensen Ackles would be a potential Mitch/Malicious.
Evan Rachel Wood or Lauren Cohan as Amanda Chaste
Amanda Seyfried as Alexia Bellamy
Blythe Danner as Nan (Glory)
Chris Evans as Gregg
Meghan Ory as Ravish
Liam Hemsworth as Luca

6. What is the process of writing a book like?
It requires a lot of time and patience; a lot of analyzing and detailing. It’s best to commit as much as you can to it in order to complete a story that you are trying so delicately to assemble. It’s fun despite the hard work and long hours spent on putting the pieces together because you can let your imagination run wild.

7. Is your latest book going to be part of a series? Or are you looking at something completely new for your next book?
Yes, the latest book I’m working on is the last in my trilogy. I have plenty of new ideas I have been considering for a completely new series. However, I’m definitely sticking to paranormal, without a doubt. Stay tuned!

8. Do you listen to music while you write? If so, what kinds of music? Or do you need quiet?
I find it best to write in silence. It makes it easier for me to concentrate and fully submerse myself into this world I am creating on paper. I use music to give me some inspiration behind the things I write.

9. What is your favorite genre to read/write?
Paranormal/Romance/Mystery/

Inspirational
All of the above to read and write.

10. Can we follow you on social media? Do you have a Facebook page and/or Twitter and website?
Anyone can contact me or find more information on the following sites:

Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Julie-Milillo/191954764274292
My blog:
http://juliemilillo.blogspot.com/
My Website:
http://www.juliemilillo.com/

Book Promo & Author Interview - A Maiden's Legacy

A Maiden’s Legacy: Destiny comes calling…again.

“Bad memories haunt you and good memories taunt you.”—The Scarlet Omen, 2012

The second book in The Scarlet Omen trilogy, A Maiden’s Legacy charts Anjeli Xavier’s return home after saving the Valley of the Hornbills from three centuries of torture under the vampire reign. In this young adult fantasy novel by newcomer Cinthia Koeksal, the seventeen year-old Anjeli tries to live a normal teenage life but fails miserably as all she can think about are her glory days back in that parallel world of dragons and fairies.

Just as she thinks she is about to go mad from restlessness, she discovers an ancient journal that will shed new light on the prophecy that she was supposed to have already fulfilled in the valley. Anjeli sets out on yet another adventure to Eagle Bay, a place on the other side of Hornbill Mountain. She is entrusted with uniting the Guardians of the Seven Maidens, artifacts that promise to close the gateways between the worlds forever.

What she does not know is that Wan Terakhir, the son of the dead vampire queen, will do whatever it takes to stop her. With the help of his assembled army of pirates, demons, djinns and fallen angels, the sorcerer crosses the gateway to Eagle Bay…and waits for his chance at revenge.

Will Anjeli be able to fulfill her destiny or is black magic something no one can stand up against? Parker Publishing presents A Maiden’s Legacy by Cinthia Koeksal: to be released in April 2014.

About the author
Cinthia Koeksal was born and raised in Malaysia. She now lives in Germany as a Business English Trainer. She has a degree in Business Commerce with majors in Marketing and Management from Monash University but much prefers spending her time "making up almost preposterous stories and sharing them with the world". This is her second novel.

Website: www.TheScarletOmen.com

Youtube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIL1fRgWetI

Praise for The Scarlet Omen

“This book has every element of fantasy and surprise you could ever ask for or want. Each character just comes to life while reading this book.”—Tammy Hall, Book Blogger

"The Scarlet Omen transports readers on a fantastic journey to Malaysia and beyond. Cinthia Koeksal cleverly weaves ancient myth into a thoroughly modern teen's life to create an engrossing supernatural saga.”—Peggy Tibbets, Author

“Her style is vividly descriptive, bringing the characters to life, it made me want to visit Malaysia, and Lembah Kenyalang and see the beauty for myself.”-- Gwen Bourgeois, Paranormal Romance Guild

Interview

1) When you write, do you plan the storyline or just go with the flow and see where it takes you? Plotter or Panster?

I have my beginning and my ending in mind before I write a book. I usually have the moral conflicts all mapped out that my protagonist will be facing and his/her opponents. However, the rest is just going with the flow. Sometimes a character will turn around and say, “I’m not doing that!” so I’ll have to figure out how I get to an end which will satisfy all of us J

2) Where do you do most of your writing? Do you have a special spot?

I like writing at airports when I travel! Other than that I make sure I write in as many different parts of the house as I can because I get bored really fast and no one wants to see me bored.

3) Are any of your characters based on people you know?

My characters are a fusion of many people I know, have met and have just passed by. If I see an interesting characteristic in someone I get my Character Notebook out and jot everything down.

4) Who was your favourite author as a child? Who is it now?

I read everything from Enid Blyton when I was a kid. Now I can’t really say who my favourite writer is because there are so many of them. I haven’t come across a writer whose complete set of books has caught my attention so no one shall be put up on a pedestal quite just yet

5) Did you always want to be an author? If not what was your ambition?

Author, astronaut, drummer, singer, engineer, fashion designer, Robert Pattinson’s wife...I had many ambitions. I ended being a Business English Trainer who also writes for fun J

6) A lot of authors have playlists for their books. Do you like to listen to music whilst you write and if so can you give us any recommendations?

That is an awesome question. Yes, I listen to Babel by Mumford & Sons, American Idiot by Greenday, Invaders Must Die by The Prodigy and, yes I’m a geek, Enya for those extreme otherworldly scenes.

7) Can you tell us a bit more about your book and how it came about?

My first novel The Scarlet Omen came about after I realised that there were not many books out there about my home country, Malaysia. We have a very diverse range of myth and legend about our country and I wanted to share it with the world. There were also some issues which I was dealing with at the time and I decided to wrap them all up in a YA Fantasy novel. It is basically about a Malaysian teenager who tries to be a good daughter but daily temptation keeps getting in the way. She constantly fights with her very strict Indian mother and just wants her freedom. Finally, a tragedy befalls her family and Anjeli goes off on a trip with her boyfriend to Borneo to try and clear her mind. She ends up slamming head on into her destiny...a destiny that was carefully placed 300 hundred years ago in the form of a very dubious prophecy.

 My second novel A Maiden’s Legacy is the continuation of Anjeli Xavier’s adventures where she starts to question her “saviour” status. My prologue for it is up on my website (www.thescarletomen.com) under A Maiden’s Legacy Prologue if your readers would like to take a look.

8) What made you want to write for the YA market?

I love YA myself and writing about how Malaysian teenagers go through the same issues as everyone else and how they handle them seemed like a good idea at the time J

9) Do you ever get writers block and if you do, how do you beat it?

Oh, dislike button alert!! Having writer’s block is like taking a walk in a beautiful world on another planet, enjoying the miracle of creation and suddenly being taken captive by sadistic aliens who keep forcing you to walk into a brick wall the whole day. Luckily you kind of learn to escape your alien cell (and climb over that horrible wall) with many years of writing. I take 2 weeks off writing, read something totally unrelated to my genre and then start writing again, even if what comes out is pure gibberish. After a few tries, I’m back in my element and then my friends have to start looking for me again because my fingers have glued themselves to the keyboard.

10) If you could take only 3 things with you onto a desert island what would they be and why?

That depends on how long I’m going to be there. But off the top of my head I’d say a book, a pen and paper. I know, I’d starve to death but I’d rather starve than not have anything to read or write with ;)

Michelle Madow Mini Interview & Promo

 

 Savannah. Courtney. Peyton.

The three sisters grew up not knowing their father and not quite catching a break. But it looks like their luck is about to change when they find out the secret identity of their long-lost dad—a billionaire Las Vegas hotel owner who wants them to come live in a gorgeous penthouse hotel suite. Suddenly the Strip's most exclusive clubs are all-access, and with an unlimited credit card each, it should be easier than ever to fit right in. But in a town full of secrets and illusion, fitting in is nothing compared to finding out the truth about their past.


Add on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17160608-the-secret-diamond-sisters

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0373211090/ref=as_li_ss_tl? ie=UTF8&camp=211189&creative=373489&creativeASIN=0373211090&link_code=as3&tag=yabore0f-20

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-secret-diamond-sisters-michelle- madow/1116411550?ean=9780373211098&itm=1&usri=9780373211098

Book Depository: http://www.bookdepository.com/Secret-Diamond-Sisters-Be-Announced/9780373211098

iBookstore: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-secret-diamond-sisters/id771362355?mt=11


Praise:

"Sexy and often electrifying ... Gossip Girl meets The Princess Diaries in a city that never sleeps." --Booklist

"This quick and entertaining read is filled with glitz and glamour ... get ready for one crazy and fabulous ride." --RT Book Reviews


“Highly addictive! Hold on tight, because The Secret Diamond Sisters throws you head first into the Vegas fast lane. Three every day teens navigate the slippery slope of wealth, popularity, and too much freedom, along with family drama, cat fights, and more gorgeous guys than should be legal. A fun ride not to be missed!"– Rachel Harris, author of My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century

 

 

Michelle Madow has visited Las Vegas every year since she was fifteen years old, and was inspired to write The Secret Diamond Sisters while walking through the beautiful Wynn Hotel. She grew up in the suburbs of Baltimore, then went to Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida. She wrote her first novel, Remembrance, in her junior year of college, and later went on to self-publish it as book one in the Transcend Time Saga. She wrote The Secret Diamond Sisters in the year following graduation, and is so happy to finally share it with the world!

Michelle lives in Boca Raton, Florida, where she is writing more novels for young adults. She loves reading, spending time with family and friends, traveling, shopping, sunshine, Disney fairy tales, and Broadway musicals. She loves connecting with readers online, so be sure to follow her on Facebook (facebook.com/MichelleMadow), Twitter (@MichelleMadow), and Instagram (@MichelleMadow).

Website: www.michellemadow.com

Interview!!!

 

1) What was it like to start an entirely new project? Scary, Exciting, Difficult?

I first came up with the idea for The Secret Diamond Sisters in September 2010, and finished the first draft in early 2011, so it’s been nearly four years since I started it! But it was exciting to create all new characters in a completely new setting. The story switches between the points of view of four very different characters—Savannah, Courtney, Peyton, and Madison. Savannah is optimistic and innocent, Courtney is kind and practical, Peyton is rebellious and outspoken, and Madison is a queen-bee who might not be as confident as she appears. It was fun getting into their heads, and it was great working with a setting as glamorous and glitzy as Las Vegas!

2) Where did the inspiration for this book come from?

I visit Las Vegas every year because of a family event, and I was walking through my favorite hotel — The Wynn — when I thought, “What would it be like to live here?” From there, the idea for The Secret Diamond Sisters formed! I love how the city bursts with magic and excitement. Vegas does everything as big as possible, so being there is like entering a fantasyland. My favorite part is definitely all the different hotels. Each one is a different theme, and they all have such distinct personalities. A few of my favorite hotels are mentioned in The Secret Diamond Sisters (Paris, the Venetian, and many implications to the Wynn), so hopefully readers are transported into these magical hotels while they’re reading the book!

3) Any plans for another book tour?

Yes! Starting on March 1st, I will be appearing at events throughout the country. My tour schedule is listed here on my website: http://blog.michellemadow.com/2013/03/appearances.html. I look forward to meeting fans and signing books!

 

Katie McGarry Character Interview!!!

If you have followed my blog for a while you may have figured out that I am a major Katie McGarry Fan. I read 'Pushing the Limits' and fell in love with her writing, then I received 'Dare You To' and got swept away all over again. Then I got 'Crash Into You' and I swear my heart skipped a beat!!!

Then I got an email asking if I would like to be part of a tour and I jumped at the chance, so today I have a real treat for you. I have been lucky enough to interview Echo and Noah, the two main characters from 'Pushing the Limits' and who feature throughout the other books too.

Hold onto your hats Mcgarry fans, this is going to be good!!!

Character interview with Noah & Echo:

Thanks for agreeing to talk to me today. It’s an honour to meet you Echo, and you too Noah.  I’m just going to dive straight in with the questions, is that OK?

Echo: Sounds great!

Noah: Just so we’re clear, I’m doing this for Echo.

1)     Echo, what was your first impression of Noah, be honest please?

Echo: Oh, I definitely thought he was a jerk.

Noah: Thanks.

Echo: You made fun of my name.

Noah: Consider it flirting.

2)     And Noah, what do you think of that answer? Anything you want to say back?

Noah: Echo likes to rewrite history and seems to forget the important stuff like how she handed my crap right back.

Echo: Did not.

Noah chuckles: As I said, history rewrite. She even forgets that she broke into school to get a file and I had to save her from getting busted.

Echo’s eyes widen: You broke in and I had to help you out.

Noah just laughs.

3)     So it wasn’t love at first sight then? When do you think you realised that you liked each other?

Echo: For me, it was when Noah used the phone in the main office to let me listen in on my father’s conversation with my therapist. The stuff they were discussing was heavy and Noah was just really strong and just there for me.

Noah: I knew I was completely a goner when I would have listened to Echo talk about math in the hallway of our school for hours. Being with her—it was the first time since my parents died that I had any sense of peace.

4)     Now Noah, you seem to be a rather intelligent person, I know you’ve had your own share of issues, but why misbehave at school so much; surely education is a way to better things?

Noah: I know that now, but at the time, I was doing what I had to do to survive and that meant living one day at a time, one minute at a time, one second at a time.

It’s not the best way to live. It’s possibly the worst, but, at the time, I didn’t know how to move forward.

5)     Echo, I know this is a tough subject and I don’t want to bring back bad memories, but what was it like for you when you first came back to school? And how did your ‘friends’ react?

Going back to school after the incident with my mom was awful. People would flat out stare as I walked by. They whispered and the worst was when people would laugh.

Lila was great and Grace would be great in private, but that made everything hurt more. All I wanted was to blend into paint, but I always felt like a flashing neon sign when I walked down the hallway.

6)     Did you ever consider running away, or moving to another school for a fresh start? I admire your courage through it all and for sticking it out.

No. At least I had Lila at my old school and if I entered a new school, I’d have no one. I figured people would probably react the same to my scars no matter where I went.

7)     It sounds like you’ve both had a hard time of it, do you think you can have a future together and put all that baggage behind you?

Noah: Hell yes.

Echo: Definitely.

8)     Do you think it’s important to have complete honesty in a relationship?

They both nod. Echo: We both are aware that we have trust issues and the only way we can function is to know that we’re telling each other the truth.

9)     Is there anything you would change about your lives? If you could go back and change anything? Considering your tough starts, I can see the appeal, but bear in mind you might not have met each other if your past had been different.

Echo: We talk about this a lot. Both of us have lost so much and it’s hard not to think about what we’d do differently to change the past. I still hurt over it and I know Noah does too, but thinking about would’ve or could’ve situations only drives us crazy. The past happened. We can’t change it, but regardless, I’m happy now.

Noah: Me too.

I wish you the best of luck and thank you once again for meeting me today.

Oh my goodness I love those two!!!

If you haven't read the books I highly recommend it. Out of the 170 books I read last year, these were definitely one of the best. Right at the top of the list!

Out now: