Blog Tour: Take This Regret by A.L. Jackson

Buy the book: Amazon US

Information:

Title: Take This Regret

Author: A.L. Jackson

Publisher: The Writer’s Coffee Shop Publishing House

Target Audience: Adult

Genre: Contemporary romance / chick lit

Length: 242 pages

Story: There are some mistakes we make that we will regret for the rest of our lives.  For Christian, it was the day he betrayed Elizabeth.

Christian Davison has a plan for his life.  He is determined to become an attorney and to one day take his place as partner in his father’s law firm.  Nothing will stand in his way, not even Elizabeth Ayers and their unborn child.

After Christian cuts her from his life, Elizabeth spends the next five years struggling to provide for her daughter and willing to sacrifice anything to give her child a safe, comfortable life. 

For five years, Christian has regretted the day he walked away from his family and will do anything to win them back just as Elizabeth will do anything to protect her daughter from the certain heartache she believes Christian will bring upon them.

When Christian wrestles his way into their lives, Elizabeth is faced with asking herself if it is possible to forgive someone when they’ve committed the unforgivable and if it is possible to find a love after it has been buried in years of hate.  Or are there some wounds that go so deep they can never heal?

They say everyone deserves a second chance.

Thoughts and impressions: The decision to read this book was one of those spur of the moment things. It’s a very different sort of story to what I normally read but of course reading is all about expanding your horizons. I’m not the sort of person who really keeps to a limited reading sphere, so I figured I’d take a chance on the book!

When Elizabeth falls pregnant, Christian gives her an ultimatum: him or their unborn child. She chooses the child and walks out of his life. Six long years later, a chance meeting between Christian and a young girl draws him into the life that he’d turned his back on, the life that includes fatherhood. A small taste of what he had up until that moment never known is enough to make him crave it and he muscles his way into his daughter’s life, despite knowing that Elizabeth is less than comfortable with this change.

The story mostly focuses on the excursions that the three of them make as a family, showing the reader just how Christian is growing as a person in order to embrace the new role that he has taken on. He’s actually a very interesting character and I enjoyed observing his evolution from spoilt rich kid to doting father, even if I did often find the interactions between Christian and Lizzy (his daughter, not to be confused with Elizabeth, the mother). I suppose this reflects on my relationship with my parents. It’s a healthy relationship, but we tend to show our love through actions rather than endless direct proclamations.

Elizabeth was another matter entirely. She started off as a woman willing to make a difficult choice and ready to face the consequences of it. Unfortunately, while Christian evolved, I felt that Elizabeth devolved. Christian hurt her and she never got over the pain of his betrayal. I get it. Considering his actions, her reticence around him was taken too far and just ended up as a lot of repetition about how he’ll just hurt her again so she should keep her distance – but it’s so hard! I lose all respect for her when she held Christian accountable for her actions and made him responsible for them not having sex. When she then takes out all her fears on her daughter while claiming to be protecting her, she became a weak-willed character that was a shadow of the strong woman she’d been; a character I could not stand.

I understand why this is in the story but it just didn’t work for me personally. What’s more, once Elizabeth lost my respect, she failed to regain it before the story ended so I parted ways with her feeling dissatisfied with her character, and because of this ultimately with the story as a whole.

My copy of the book also had some formatting issues and I’d come across sentences like:

“He could wanted, but it would never change what he discarded us and he had no right in our likes. apologize all he did. He had”

Sometimes I could reconstruct these broken sentences but others I had no idea where the fragments were supposed to fit in. I couldn’t say for sure whether I missed anything important because of this.

Style: The style in the story was actually very heavily on the tell side. Both characters would often tell us the low down of their actions rather than show us the events.

The author also had a habit of using some weird syntax with constructions such as:

“He’d just disappeared in the middle of the night from our lives forever.”

Final verdict: As mentioned in the review, I found myself rather on the fence about this one. It was one that I enjoyed but at the end of the day I didn’t enjoy it as much as other readers, with different tastes to me, will do. It had certain shortcomings, Elizabeth’s character in particular, that I couldn’t get over.3.5 stars

Extra notes: Both bad language and sex are present.

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a member of Reading Addiction Blog Tours and a copy of this book was provided to me by the author. Although payment may have been received by Reading Addiction Blog Tours, no payment was received by me in exchange for this review. There was no obligation to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, publisher, publicist, or readers of this review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision’s 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning Use of Endorcements and Testimonials in Advertising*

Get to know the author:

1. Describe your book in ten words or fewer.

What one man would do for a second chance.

2. With such a large number of books out there, what do you feel sets your apart from all others?

Even though I write in the contemporary romance and paranormal romance genres, my books tend to be very emotional. My hope is that a reader will get so into my characters that they feel what the character feels.

3. Tell us a bit about your influences and just how / why these authors and / or their work inspire(s) you.

Even though I write in a very different genre, the author who has inspired me the most is Janet Fitch, author of White Oleander. Her writing style helped me see that I didn’t have to write in a box.

4. How did the seeds of this story come to you?

I had a vague sense of Christian when he first popped in my head. I saw a man who was living a life he didn’t want to be living. I began thinking about him and his situation, and finally the plot of the story clicked into place.

5. Which five books would you want with you if you were stranded on a desert island?

1. Bible. This one was easy.
2. Survival guide. Knowing me, I’d eat something I wasn’t supposed to on the first day. 
3. Shakespeare anthology.  I’ve always wanted to spend more time studying Shakespeare. Guess there’d be no better place than on a deserted island.
4.  Shadowbound by Erin Kellison. Total guilty pleasure, but one of my favorite books.
5.  Twilight. Another guilty pleasure. I could probably read it a thousand times and never get bored.

6. Who was your first book crush? (Or if you’ve never had a book crush then who is your favourite character to read about?)

My first crush had to have been Ashley Wilkes. Gone with the Wind was one of the first romances I read in elementary school. I was hooked.

7. Let’s imagine that your book’s getting turned into a movie / tv series. Woo! Which actors can you envision playing the lead roles?

Ooo…this is an easy one. Christian would be a black-haired Chris Pine and the perfect Elizabeth would be a blonde Scarlett Johansson.

8. What do you like to do in your free time (when you’re not reading or writing)?

Most all of my free time is spent with my family. I spend a ton of time watching my boys (and holding my breath) at the skate park, going to the movies, or going out to dinner.  And of course I LOVE a night out with the girls.

9. If you could visit your destination of choice, which plane would you be on in the morning?

Anywhere on the Mediterranean Sea.

10. What’s your least favourite chore to do around the house?

Ugh, folding laundry!

11. Does bacon make everything taste better?

The only place Bacon belongs is on a BLT.

12. Anything else you’d like to share with us all? Extra points if you make us giggle!

Just want to say thank you to Rea for having me on!

Thank you for taking the time to share this with us. I wish you the best of luck with your future career as a published writer and look forward to seeing the book you churn out next!

The author:

A.L. Jackson first found a love for writing during her days as a young mother and college student.  She filled the journals she carried with short stories and poems used as an emotional outlet for the difficulties and joys she found in day-to-day life.

Years later, she shared a short story she’d been working on with her two closest friends and, with their encouragement, this story became her first full length novel. A.L. now spends her days writing in Southern Arizona where she lives with her husband and three beautiful children. Her favorite pastime is spending time with the ones she loves. 

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Blog Tour & Giveaway: Freefall by Susan Rae

review / interview / giveaway

*giveaway is at the bottom*

So apparently my go-to genre when I’m feeling weighed down by a long week is romance! When I read the synopsis of this one I was immediately intrigued as I have come into a family surrounded by aeroplanes. I even live under one of the landing routes for Schiphol Amsterdam and work between two others – there is no such thing as escape from the planes! What’s more, I’ve actually been on a flight in one of those little planes. Here’s a photo of me & the bf in front of our plane:

Information:

Title: Freefall

Author: Susan Rae

Publisher: Musa Publishing

Target Audience: Adult

Genre: Contemporary romance / chick lit / mystery

Length: Unknown (not too long)

Story: Freak accident, or attempted murder? Kate needs answers to her brother’s plane crash, but can she trust undercover DEA agent “Spike” Larsen to deliver them?

He felt as if he was falling—freefalling through 15,000 feet—without a parachute. It was exciting, thrilling—and deadly. He’d brought Kate up here to protect her, to keep her out of trouble. He’d told himself he owed that much to Keith. Now all he wanted to do was take her down into the cabin and ravage her ‘til dawn…

Kate Reynolds’s quest to unravel the mystery of her brother’s plane crash throws her into the turbulent wake of suave pilot/mechanic Everett Larsen. His gray gaze ignites in her a passion as powerful as a jet stream, but it also sparks a memory…

Drawn to Milwaukee by Keith’s cryptic message, Larsen is unprepared for the torrent of emotion he feels when he sees Kate—after his wife’s death, he is afraid to love again. But when Kate gets too close to the truth, he is even more afraid to lose her.

Thoughts and impressions: The book opens with “the pilot” taking off and soon realising that there’s something not right with his plane. He’s faced with the choice of attempting to right the problem by continuing with his flight – and thus potentially endangering citizens – or returning to the runway in what can only be a crash landing. Following the pilots’ code of ethics, he chooses to put only himself at risk rather than innocent people who just happen to live close by the airport.

We then meet his sister, Kate, who is having to come to terms with the fact that her brother has almost died in an accident involving a flying machine for the second time in his life. The doctors inform her that despite the extent of his injuries he still has brain activity, which is a good sign, but there’s no telling when, or if, he’ll wake up. Kate basically puts her life on hold in order to tend to her brother, but she also wants to help keep his business, an airport, running while he’s unable to keep on top of it himself. As she starts to uncover the events in his life leading up to his accident, though, she also finds herself wondering whether she really knew her brother as well as she thought she did.

At the same time, we’re introduced to Everett Larsen, an army buddy of our beloved coma patient, Keith. Keith had contacted him prior to the accident about something fishy taking place. What’s more, it would appear that Keith’s accident might not have been an accident at all. Everett, now an undercover investigator, is determined to get to the bottom of what happened to his friend, which puts him in Kate’s path. She doesn’t recognise him, though, and he’s happy to present a false persona in order to keep her from learning the truth.

There’s a lot of truth being kept from others in this story, which is usually the way of things in mystery, but Kate and Everett do tend to take it to an extreme. They’re both damaged individuals with previous relationships that ended in emotional turmoil. As such, they’re still working past their demons, but in each other they find a way of coming to terms with what happened – the past is the past and both realise that they need to turn a new page and look to the future instead.

I enjoyed the budding relationship between these two characters as well as the glimpse into life around a small airport. With Schiphol being one of the busiest airports in Europe, my experience is obviously very different, though I have visited some smaller ones in passing (like the “field” in the photo above), which seem much more relaxed and very quaint! In fact, the little views into the life running an airport like this were the highlight of the story.

My only real gripe with the story was that the truth behind what happened to Keith was fairly transparent. As soon as any new information was imparted to the characters, even if it was misleading, it was possible for the reader to put the pieces together much faster than the story was keeping up with. It was just too easy to unravel the mystery and I could see most of the twists and turns coming from the moment they were introduced.

Despite this, I enjoyed the read!

Style: Sometimes the dialogue sounded really corny. It just didn’t sound natural at all.

Final verdict: An enjoyable light and fluffy romance! 4 stars

Extra notes: Both bad language and sex are present.

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a member of Reading Addiction Blog Tours and a copy of this book was provided to me by the author. Although payment may have been received by Reading Addiction Blog Tours, no payment was received by me in exchange for this review. There was no obligation to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, publisher, publicist, or readers of this review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision’s 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning Use of Endorcements and Testimonials in Advertising*

The interview:

Hi there! Welcome to Rea’s Reading and Reviews. Thank you for taking the time to share some info about you and your book with me and my readers. Tell us a bit about yourself!

I have always been writing something since I was in 5^th grade.  I wrote a melodrama for the Girl Scout Drama badge in sixth grade, complete with hero, heroine and dastardly villain.  It was lots of fun as I got to play the villain, also.  I’ve done some journalism, short stories, poetry, and even an historical novel—Savage Destiny—during the time of the bodice rippers.  That novel was never published which is probably a good thing!  I may rework it someday though…  Now I guess I have come full circle—romantic suspense is very much like a melodrama. 

1. Describe your book in ten words or fewer.  

Spicy romance and intrigue centered around a mysterious plane crash. 

2. With such a large number of books out there, what do you feel sets your apart from all others? 

The setting, and the intriguing characters.  The story takes place in the Wisconsin’s Kettle Moraine Forest and picturesque Door County; but while the setting is idyllic, the drama is not.  As for the characters, Everett and Keith are former Afghanistan special ops pilots who have vowed to look out for each other; Kate is a tough, modern day heroine, head of her own software company, and has no family left in this world but Keith.  The story is about loyalty and family, and how far one will go to protect a loved one.

3. Tell us a bit about your influences and just how / why these authors and / or their work inspire(s) you.

 I have loved a good mystery since I was very young.  I remember reading all the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys books; then I moved on to Louisa May Alcott, J.R.R. Tolkien, Mary Higgins Clark, Robert Ludlum, Tom Clancy, Stephen King, Nora Roberts—just to name a few.  I think all have influenced me, as well as the classics—I was a literature major in college.  I love an expertly written, well-told story. 

4. How did the seeds of this story come to you?  

I have to credit my husband for that.  He was part-owner in an aircraft repair shop.  I spent many a day watching him work on airplanes at the small airfield, and watching the planes take off and land.  The main plotline gelled, though, after reading a news article.

5. Which five books would you want with you if you were stranded on a desert island? 

Hopefully, I am stranded with my Kindle that I have just loaded with: The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, for fantasy; a hot new thriller, whichever is out at the time; a couple of romantic suspense stories, for heat and adventure; and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare.  Between the five of those, I should have lots of characters to keep me company! 

6. Who was your first book crush? (Or if you’ve never had a book crush then who is your favourite character to read about?) 

Other than Nancy Drew, it has to be Jo in Little Women. I read Little Women in sixth grade, and had the opportunity to play Jo in our eighth grade production.  Jo was a tough young woman who gave me the idea that I could be a writer, too.  

7. Let’s imagine that your book’s getting turned into a movie / TV series. Woo! Which actors can you envision playing the lead roles?  

Okay, this question gave me pause.  I’ve honestly thought about it for twenty-four hours and decided I would just have to do a casting call.  I guess I’ve created rather individual characters and I would need to find just the right person to play them—strength with compassion; stubbornness with humility; softness and beauty with a steel core.  I had originally thought of Tom Cruise for Everett, (of course, who wouldn’t), but I think he’s getting a little too old for my hero now, and given the latest news of the breakup of TomKat, probably not such a good choice!  I tell you what, for those of you who read the book, if you come up with any suggestions, please let me know!

8. What do you like to do in your free time (when you’re not reading or writing)? 

I enjoy swimming, travelling around the country in my RV, and golfing.  I really enjoy getting away from the computer and out into the fresh air.  There’s nothing like smacking a golf ball around the course to get your frustrations out when you’re working out a plot point.

9. If you could visit your destination of choice, which plane would you be on in the morning?  

Italy.  I have a painting of a quaint little seaside town hanging above the fireplace in my family room.  Wouldn’t it be great if I could just wiggle my nose like Samantha in bewitched, or get into the transporter like Kirk in Star Trek and whalah!  I’m there!  The truth is, I’m not crazy about flying for eight hours.  But maybe someday…

10. What’s your least favourite chore to do around the house? 

Vacuuming.

11. Does bacon make everything taste better? 

I try to eat healthy, so I don’t use bacon very often (because I have to leave room for cake!)  However, broccoli salad just doesn’t taste right without the real thing, and an “LT” doesn’t cut it either!

12. Anything else you’d like to share with us all? Extra points if you make us giggle!

As for influence for characters, my husband’s co-workers swear he was my main influence for Drake, the intense, hot Irish/Italian hero in my previous novel, heartbeats.  My husband’s response?  He just smiles.  Mine?  I swear it isn’t so, (at least not entirely ); but I mustn’t protest too much, because I think he actually enjoys the comparison!

Thank you for taking the time to share this with us. I wish you the best of luck with your future career as a published writer and look forward to seeing the book you churn out next!

The author:

I write, basically, because I just can’t help myself. I can't resist the challenge of taking the intriguing characters and storylines that pop into my head and fleshing them out into compelling manuscripts. Romantic suspense is a natural to me, because it allows me to combine my love of a good mystery with a passionate love story. It also lets me express my appreciation for the outdoors in the settings which I recreate on the page.


My first novel, heartbeats, is a story of romance and danger set against the background of busy Chicago and the quiet, rural cornfields of northern Illinois. heartbeats has garnered numerous awards, including RWA Golden Heart Finalist for Best Romantic Suspense Novel and Best First Book by First Coast Romance Writers.


In freefall, my second novel, danger and suspense are juxtaposed against the tranquil valley of Sylvan Lake (fictitious) in the Kettle Moraine Forest and the sun-dappled waters of Door County, Wisconsin.


When I’m not sketching characters or working out plot problems, you might find me on the golf course working on my handicap. I also enjoy traveling around the country seeking out new settings for my novels with my husband and my empty nest puppies, Ginger and Nikute.


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The giveaway:

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Blog Tour: Coexist by Julia Crane - guest post / interview / sneak peek

This post is part of a tour hosted by Reading Is My Addiction. Click here for more information, such as other stops, on this tour.


Author Julia Crane is stopping by my blog today with a post in three parts:
- a guest post on the importance of covers.
- an interview
- a sneak peek with an excerpt from her novel, Coexist.


Welcome Julia Crane!


The guest post:

Why Book Covers are So Important

We’ve all heard the saying, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.”   This is especially true with books. There are so many to choose from that, at times, it can be overwhelming for a reader to pick what to read next.

When I walk through a bookstore, my eyes eagerly roam the shelves, looking for something to jump out at me. I literally get excited when I see a book cover that draws my attention. My next step is to read the blurb—sometimes I’ll purchase if the blurb is gripping and makes me want to read more, but sometimes I’ll decide to just admire the beautiful cover, because the book is not for me.

It’s just not humanly possible to look through thousands of books by content and decide what you want to read. I’m sure I’ve missed out on countless amazing books, simply because the cover did not draw me in.

In today’s digital world, covers are more important than ever. The readers don’t get a chance to hold and flip through the books. Most of the time, it’s just a quick swipe of the screen and on to the next. So, as an author, your cover must stand out.

Individual people are drawn to different things. What one person may see as beauty, another could think is plain or boring. With book covers, you have to try to reach as many people as possible in basically the blink of an eye. Certainly not an easy task for the artists. But, there are cover artists out there with a talent for creating works of art.  A perusal of the best selling books on Amazon will show a lack of bad cover art, because people are very aesthetic.

It’s easy enough to remind yourself not to judge a person on sight, or to judge a restaurant the minute you walk in.  You’re actually in that moment, and your senses are not overwhelmed by choices. Not so in a digital bookstore, where a bad cover can send your book into obscurity.

Don’t just a book by its cover. It’s great advice for life, but not very realistic. At least, not when it comes to books. 

The interview:

Hi there! Welcome to Rea’s Reading and Reviews. Thank you for taking the time to share some info about you and your book with me and my readers. Tell us a bit about yourself!

Thanks for having me!

1. Describe your book in ten words or fewer.

Coexist: Elfin love, destiny, life & death in modern times.

2. With such a large number of books out there, what do you feel sets your apart from all others?

Honestly, I’m not sure if it is set apart from other novels. There are so many amazing authors out there. I definitely tried to come up with an idea that the market was not saturated with. I do believe covers are extremely important when trying to capture an audience.

3.  Tell us a bit about your influences and just how / why these authors and / or their work inspire(s) you.

I don’t think I could pick just one author, or even several that have influenced me. I believe reading in general has been the main factor. I’ve always loved to read since I was very young. I thought it was so exciting to be pulled into the worlds that authors created. It’s nice to find an escape sometimes and to go places you’ve only dreamed of through books.

4. How did the seeds of this story come to you?

Coexist was years in the making inside my mind. I just hadn’t realized it. I know this sounds crazy, and it probably is. Back when I first met my husband he told me that he had a strange dream about elves in a battle. Which was very odd to him because he never recalled his dreams.

Several months later I was at one of my favorite new age stores, and they were giving readings. I learned to read tarot cards at a young age and my mother made astrology charts so this was nothing out of the norm for me. I decided to get a reading done for fun. The woman said something to the effect of I know this sounds insane, but I see a huge battle of elves. Until that time, I had completely forgotten about the dream. I was like huh, that is really strange. But, I took that to mean that maybe I should get a little more serious with that guy, then hey, maybe I should write a book.

Fast forward several years later. I was in the middle of the process of writing Coexist. I was out for my normal walk and suddenly I recalled the dream and the psychic. I thought wow, maybe I really was supposed to write this book all along.

5.   Which five books would you want with you if you were stranded on a desert island?

Another hard question. I read fast so they would have to be large books. Fountain Head and Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. Brothers Karamazov by  Fyodor Dostoyevsky. The last two really wouldn’t matter as long as they were fun, easy reads.

6.   Who was your first book crush? (Or if you’ve never had a book crush then who is your favourite character to read about?)

Great question. I’ve had so many book crushes over the years that I’m racking my brain to try to think of the first. It was probably Ned from the Nancy Drew series. I tease my husband about my crush on Sam Fisher from the Splinter Cell books. As you can see, my taste in books are all over the place.

7. Let’s imagine that your book’s getting turned into a movie / tv series. Woo! Which actors can you envision playing the lead roles?

I’m going to attach a link to a post I did on Wattpad on my dream cast.  Picking a dream cast is a lot of fun.

8. What do you like to do in your free time (when you’re not reading or writing)?

I really enjoy being outside so I take a lot of long walks. As a family we try to travel as often as possible. I’m always searching out places that serve American food, and we also take a lot of long bike rides to explore Dubai. I wish I had something more exciting to say, but I’m really kind of boring.

9. If you could visit your destination of choice, which plane would you be on in the morning?

I would go to Ireland. I’ve been lucky enough to visit many countries, but haven’t made it to Ireland—yet.

10.    What’s your least favourite chore to do around the house?

I really don’t like cleaning. I wish I had a cleaning pixie to take care of the chores. But I do have to say when I’m cleaning it’s one of the few times the kids don’t bug me. I get many of my ideas doing chores around the house.

11. Does bacon make everything taste better?

I would have to say YES! I love bacon.

12. Anything else you’d like to share with us all? Extra points if you make us giggle!

Ack! You put me on the spot. I’m trying to think of something interesting that has happened recently.  They other day we were walking down the JBR to grab something to eat. Suddenly, I noticed this huge group of men walking all serious and as they got closer they spread out. One of them banged into me and I thought what in the world and looked closer. It was Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa strolling down the side walk with his security. I thought that was pretty cool. How many countries would you see the leader just walking around?

Thank you for taking the time to share this with us. I wish you the best of luck with your future career as a published writer and look forward to seeing the book you churn out next!

The interview was a lot of fun. Thank you, for taking your time to participate in the blog tour. I greatly appreciate it. 

The book:

Buy the book: Amazon US ; Smashwords ; Barnes & Noble

Sixteen-year-old Keegan is struggling to keep her huge secret from her friends—she's an elf, descended from a long line of elves that live in secrecy alongside humans.  

 

In elfin society, mates are predetermined but not allowed to meet until they are eighteen.  Against tradition, Keegan's brother Thaddeus told her Rourk's name because his visions warned him she'd need Rourk's protection, especially since Keegan will play a key role in the coming war between the dark and light elves.

 

Rourk finds himself drawn to Keegan's side every time she thinks his name. He wants to talk to her but remains in the shadows, silently guarding her every time she mentally beckons him. A twist of fate thrusts the two of them together when Rourk is forced to step up his protection and make his presence known.

 

An ancient prophecy deeply entwines Keegan's family and the future of their society. Somehow they must find a way to thwart fate and win the battle...without losing Keegan. With war brewing, and dark forces aligning, will Keegan and Rourk ever have the life together that they both desire?

The sneak peek:

Keegan was terrified.

Her eyes glanced frantically around trying to think a way out of this situation. How could this be happening, even with all my training? She was sure she could not defend herself against four guys. A drop of sweat fell from her face, and her heart was racing.

The biggest one pushed her up against the wall. She could smell the alcohol on his breath.

“Well, aren’t you a fine piece of meat?”

Glaring at him, she said, “Get your hands off me.”

“A feisty one, eh?” he laughed.

Without thinking, she drove her knee into his groin. He groaned and doubled over. The others advanced, and the big one yelled, “She’s mine.”

She felt like she was going to throw up when his hands groped her chest. Please don’t do this, she thought. I belong to Rourk.

When she thought his name, it pierced through Rourk’s heart. Nothing mattered to him except keeping her safe. How dare anyone else lay their hands on her? He would make them pay.

Out of nowhere, Keegan felt her attacker pulled off of her. She looked up just as a flash of light went off, and what she saw made her heart drop; she felt as if she were in a free fall as she stared into the most beautiful face she’d ever seen. His grey eyes met hers and he tipped his head, giving her a slight nod.

Keegan whispered, Rourk? It was only a matter of seconds, but it felt like a lifetime.

He yelled over the crowd, “Go to the exit and text your friends to meet you.” His voice sounded like music to her ears; it was deep, but not too deep, and filled with authority.

As much as she hated to leave, she didn’t dare ignore him. She ran away.


The author:

Julia Crane is the author of the young adult paranormal fiction novels: Keegan's Chronicles, Mesmerized and Eternal Youth. Julia was greatly encouraged by her mother to read and use her imagination, and she’s believed in magical creatures since the day her grandmother first told her an Irish tale. Julia has traveled far and wide to all the places her grandmother told her about and more, gaining inspiration from her journeys to places like Nepal, Cyprus, Sri Lanka, Italy, France and many more. And who knows? Maybe the magical creatures she writes about are people she met along the way.

Julia Crane has a bachelors degree in criminal justice. Although she's spent most of her life on the US east coast, she currently lives in Dubai with her husband and three children.

Website


A big thanks to Julia Crane and the Reading Addiction tour!

Interview with S.J. Bell

Hi there! Welcome to Rea’s Reading and Reviews. Thank you for taking the time to share some info about you and your book with me and my readers. Tell us a bit about yourself!

My name is S.J. Bell.  I'm a new writer with a love of fantastic stories and a particular interest in werewolves.  After a year spent trying and failing to get the attention of an agent for my debut novel, I decided to publish it independently instead.  I'm hoping to make a big splash with it.

1. Describe your book in ten words or fewer.

If I could sum it up in ten words, I wouldn't have needed 90,000.  But I'll try: "Five werewolves fight their wolves.  One werewolf makes them better."

2. With such a large number of books out there, what do you feel sets your apart from all others?

There are a lot of werewolf stories out there, many of them very good.  But a lot of them don't do the concept justice.  Most rely on stock portrayals:  the noble savage, the Dionysian hedonist, the tortured outsider, the vicious monster.  What tends to get lost in the shuffle is the werewolf's most important aspect: his humanity.  The bestial impulses and desires in him are not foreign, they are simply basic, instinctual human desires writ large.  I wanted to write a story not about werewolves, but about people.  And that's what my werewolves are: people, struggling to resolve their humanity and their nature as living beings.

3. Tell us a bit about your influences and just how / why these authors and / or their work inspire(s) you.

I have a lot of influences, but two come to mind in particular.  The first is Babylon 5.  I was a huge fan back in the 90's, and my writing has inherited a lot of Straczynski's style, particularly the modular storytelling style (big stories made out of small ones) and penchant for monologues.  The other is Carrie Vaughn's Kitty Norville books, because for all their supernatural trappings, Vaughn only ever writes about human beings.  Her werewolves and vampires and so forth aren't defined purely by their superhuman attributes.  Instead, they're people, with the same motives and frailties and emotions and obsessions as anyone else.

4. How did the seeds of this story come to you?

Basically, I was writing another book that was not coming along very well at all, and I needed to clear my head.  I decided to write a short story using the werewolf as a vehicle to explore the shadow archetype.  The short story turned out to be a better idea than I had realized, and eventually it expanded until it was Bonds of Fenris.  The other novel I shelved, though I may get back to it some day.

5. Which five books would you want with you if you were stranded on a desert island?

Books on primitive shipbuilding and navigation.  Why accept a bad situation when you can put yourself in a better one?

6. Who was your first book crush? (Or if you’ve never had a book crush then who is your favourite character to read about?)

That's, uh, kind of personal, isn't it?  No specifics here, but I will say that I love reading about trickster heroes, succeeding with guile and cleverness instead of brawn.

7. Let’s imagine that your book’s getting turned into a movie / tv series. Woo! Which actors can you envision playing the lead roles?

Truthfully, I'd probably want them played by skilled unknowns who haven't made their names yet.  First, the characters are young, which means anyone who's established a reputation in Hollywood is probably too old.  Second, in my experience as a viewer, the movie is better if you cast roles based on who plays them right, rather than looks or reputation.  For example, if you were young and geeky in the 90's, you may have seen a film called Hackers.  There's nobody in the cast that you would have recognized in 1994.  (At least two have since gone on to bigger and better things.)  But they did first-rate work and made a very enjoyable movie.  Plus the money that would have been spent on big-name stars was instead spent on amazing (if cheesy) sets, costumes, and effects.

I admit, however, that in my mind's eye Talia strongly resembles Grace Park.

8. What do you like to do in your free time (when you’re not reading or writing)?

I watch a lot of movies, largely because my girlfriend is a huge movie buff.  I'm an avid board gamer, and indeed have posted reviews of both movies and games on my blog.  I also play Asheron's Call, an old, old MMORPG that has been forgotten by a world that should remember it.  I also like nature hikes, because with all that you've got to get out of the house once in a while.

9. If you could visit your destination of choice, which plane would you be on in the morning?

Planes are too much hassle.  Road trip!

10. What’s your least favourite chore to do around the house?

All of them, I'm a lazy S.O.B..  But especially the dishes, because they never seem to get clean.  And then when you finally do clean them, they're dirty again the next day!

11. Does bacon make everything taste better?

Of course not.  Food is functional first, and form follows function, therefore you must look at the practical purpose of the meal to which you are adding bacon.  Bacon on dessert is stupid because dessert should be sweet, not savoury.  Put sprinkles on your ice cream instead.  Bacon bits on salad is equally stupid because the point of a salad is to be healthy and low-fat, so you're defying the soul of the meal.  If you want bacon and vegetables together, a B.L.T. is acceptable, and often very tasty, but note that this is bacon to which vegetables are added, not the other way around.  Leftover bacon from breakfast is acceptable as a mid-morning snack, but not more than one strip.  With meals that don't normally contain bacon, one must consider carefully the implications of adding it.  If there is already an obvious meat in the meal, the addition of bacon is intolerable decadence UNLESS the bacon is being used for grease rather than taste.  A relative of mine cooks Thanksgiving Turkey with strips of bacon on top.  It adds no flavour, but keeps the turkey moist.

12. Anything else you’d like to share with us all? Extra points if you make us giggle!

Local Public Libraries Rock. \m/ ^_^ \m/

Thank you for taking the time to share this with us. I wish you the best of luck with your future career as a published writer and look forward to seeing the book you churn out next!