Review: Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter

Huge thanks to Mira Ink for sending me a copy to review!

Kate Winters has won immortality. But if she wants a life with Henry in the Underworld, she'll have to fight for it. Becoming immortal wasn't supposed to be the easy part. Though Kate is about to be crowned Queen of the Underworld, she's as isolated as ever. And despite her growing love for Henry, ruler of the Underworld, he's becoming ever more distant and secretive. Then, in the midst of Kate's coronation, Henry is abducted by the only being powerful enough to kill him: the King of the Titans. As the other gods prepare for a war that could end them all, it is up to Kate to save Henry from the depths of Tartarus. But in order to navigate the endless caverns of the Underworld, Kate must enlist the help of the one person whom she would really rather not meet. Henry's first wife, Persephone.

I really enjoyed the first book in the series ‘The Goddess Test’ – it was a fresh idea with a brilliant twist on the greek Gods and mythology, and it had a really strong heroine at its heart.
But after reading ‘Goddess Interrupted’ I really want to know what happened to that strong heroine…

In the first book Kate knew who she was – she loved hard and deeply, and she worked to protect those around her. Yes she was flawed, but essentially she was a strong, really great heroine for the story. We come back to her at the start of her next six months with Henry, after spending the summer exploring Greece with James (in a purely platonic way) and right from the word go, she is needy, desperate, completely mood swingy ricocheting between being desperate to be what Henry needs and yelling at him for not loving her enough, and spends half the book crying. I wish I was exaggerating.

It was just so tragic, because the first book had built such a good base, and yes there was a fabulous plot in place in the second book, but it never really got a chance to shine because of the histrionics and whining that was dragging every page down with Kate’s battle against doubt and self worth. I mean yes, ok, I understood why she was having doubts, and I understood why she was desperate to see some sign of affection from Henry, but it was tackled in such a bad way that it made me read a lot of her inner monologue and whining.

And I was so upset, because I loved  Kate in the first book. And I wanted to know where on earth that version of Kate had gone. This new version of Kate didn’t know who she was anymore, she couldn’t seem to exist without Henry’s approval and eternal devotion and all the rational and empathy we saw from her in the first book had vanished. I think I probably wouldn’t have had such a strong reaction to this book if it hadn’t been that Kate was effectively trailing round after Henry wailing that he wasn’t showing her enough love – any heroine who bases her entire worth on a boys opinion of her needs shaking in my eyes, and it was particularly hard to read after she had been such a strong character in the first book.And really, Henry wasn’t much better. But then he’s always been the silent brooding type, so it wasn’t quite so obvious with him.

I loved the ideas behind the plot, but I didn’t really feel that it was executed particularly well. Instead of involving Kate in any of their plans and strategies, she ends up spending most of the time getting in people’s way and curled up in bed crying. I wanted her strong, I wanted her proactive, I wanted her demanding to be helpful and for someone to give her some help with learning about being an immortal.

I felt cheated. Because Kate wasn’t involved in a lot of it, we never got to see any of the big fight scenes, we never saw anything other than her moping and wandering around. Even her one chance to be proactive wasn’t actually as big and momentous as it could have been.  It all felt a little bit flimsy and like the slightest puff of wind would blow the whole thing apart. And I hate feeling like that about a book that I was expecting to love. And to make matters worse, the writing that I loved in book one had all but vanished in book two. Along with Kate's dramatics was a book stuffed with clichés so you couldn't get through a page without tripping over one. Honestly? I wanted to put the book down and howl I was so disappointed.

I really hope that the next book brings it all back together again. I want to see more of the Kate we knew in book one, I want to see a stronger plot and a better use of the characters – all of the standing around muttering about how the world was going to end with very few explanations became repetitive and frustrating by the end, and I really hope that after the build up, the explosion that is building for the third is going to live up to expectations.

In the meantime I’m going to go back and re-read book one and pretend I didn’t just read the second book.

Review: Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

Amy Curry thinks her life sucks. Her mom decides to move from California to Connecticut to start anew--just in time for Amy's senior year. Her dad recently died in a car accident. So Amy embarks on a road trip to escape from it all, driving cross-country from the home she's always known toward her new life. Joining Amy on the road trip is Roger, the son of Amy's mother's old friend. Amy hasn't seen him in years, and she is less than thrilled to be driving across the country with a guy she barely knows. So she's surprised to find that she is developing a crush on him. At the same time, she's coming to terms with her father's death and how to put her own life back together after the accident. Told in traditional narrative as well as scraps from the road--diner napkins, motel receipts, postcards--this is the story of one girl's journey to find herself.

Ever since I read ‘The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight’ I’ve been dying to slip back into a normal romance- no werewolves, vampires or apocalypses allowed. So on a whim I picked up Amy and Roger to see how my next foray into the world minus supernatural fared.

And it was pretty good. It didn’t have the same spark for me that Statistical did, but at the same time it had fresh elements that I absolutely adored.

I wasn’t entirely fussed on Amy to start with. I think it was because it took such a while to get to know her – it was almost as Roger got to grips with her, the reader does to as she opens up more and more. Once I started to get a feel for her character though I loved her. In fact that goes for both of them. They weren’t perfect , they were flawed and broken and needed someone to help put them back together again once all of the walls came down.

I loved how cathartic some of the stops on the trip were – going to Yosemite because of the trips with her Dad, the college and Hadley’s house for Roger, but particularly and more poignantly for me was the trip to Graceland. I was actually moved to tears by some of the moments in the book – which was definitely something that I wasn’t expecting.

I really loved the extra touches that it made it feel more than just a book, and like I was really there with them on their road trip. There were receipts and signs and postcards and pictures, napkins and notes and tickets – all the little mementos that you collect on a trip and tucked in with the story to add an extra dimension to the tale.

The romance was a gradual thing that came on over the course of the book. There was no insta love, no moment of ‘I must have you now!’ and certainly no ‘well this is it for the rest of our lives.’ Which made me want to cheer! It was an accurate, down to earth portrayal of two people, two complete strangers who come to like each other as friends and over time feel something deeper. Now yes of course it’s sped up because the road trip doesn’t take weeks, but it still has that gradual feeling that makes it feel real. And when it does happen, oooo there were shivers. I loved it!

The road trip scenario was something that made the book even more special for me. I would love to buy a car and just road trip across America, so whilst most of their stops are for a cathartic purpose, some of the extra bits just made me swoon inside. I loved the setting, and it had a very real feel, as though Morgan had done this journey herself to get a feel for it. I loved being given the opportunity to go with them through this. I loved the little annotations and notes about the states that they drove through, I loved the playlists – they really gave a feel for the mood and the setting and it was such a great extra touch that really added something to the book.

I also really loved the banter. A book about two people essentially stuck in a car for several days could get monotonous, but Morgan handles it brilliantly. It’s broken up so we see bits and pieces, not the whole thing, and we see glimpses of games and moments and silly questions between the two of them that had me laughing out loud.

All in all, if you like stories minus the supernatural with some romance and humour, you’ll love this book. Also if you’re looking for something a little bit different with added touches to make it even more of a joy to read, then you definitely should read this book.

I loved it, and it’s restored my faith in books that don’t need something supernatural to still be awesome. Any suggestions for where to go next in my quest for the normal romance?

Author Q & A with Jillian Larkin

One of my favourite new series out in the UK this year is The Flappers by Jillian Larkin. Ooozing sex appeal, fabulous jazz, and girls breaking free from tradition it's Gossip Girl set in the twenties, and absolutely fabulous. The first book in the series 'Vixen' is available now. And to celebrate, Jillian was kind enough to answer some questions about her writing and books.

"Your new book Vixen, the first in your debut trilogy, is out now in the UK, can you tell us a little bit about it?"

Vixen is the story of three girls—Gloria, Clara, and Lorraine—who come of age in the early 1920’s in Chicago. Gloria is engaged to her fiancé, Bastian, only she’s not entirely sure she wants to marry him … especially when a hunky musician named Jerome enters her life. Clara has a torrid past, but comes back to Chicago for a fresh start. But will her secrets be revealed? And Lorraine is a schemer who is in love with Marcus, Gloria's best friend, who doesn’t love her back. To what end will Lorraine go to capture his love?

To me, Vixen is about doing what you love to do (even when others don’t want you to—especially your parents). It’s about the thrill of falling in love, and the sadness of realizing that certain friendships and relationships you have won’t last your entire lifetime. It’s also about going out and partying and having a grand old time with dazzling music, gorgeous dresses, and sexy boys.

"What's been the most exciting part of the writing and publishing process for you?"

I have always loved reading, and having the chance to actually write and publish a novel—let alone three!—has been an incredible honor and joy. I am so excited for readers to meet the girls of The Flappers and fall in love with them as much as I have. It's the oldest cliché in the book when a writers says that the characters on the page seemed to come to life for her, but it's true: Sometimes even I was surprised by what Lorraine or Gloria got up to! I hope readers find them as strong-willed and fun to read about as I have.

 

"And what has been the most challenging?"

The fear of disappointing readers. The first book, Vixen, was so well received here in the States that I worried whether readers would embrace Ingenue with as much love and fervor. I really mixed it up in the second novel—I'd added a new viewpoint character! I'd moved the action to Manhattan! I'd split up a key romance!—but it was a great relief to discover that my readers came with me and responded to the new viewpoint character and the events in the second novel with real glee. Now I've got my fingers crossed that they are as happy with how things wrap up in Diva.

"Was there anything specific that drew you to writing a trilogy set in the 20s?" 

I have always loved the 20’s, ever since watching Thoroughly Modern Millie as a kid. I love the music of this time period, the clothes and hats and style, and mostly I love that the fact that girls were truly starting to become independent and rebel against the image society had projected onto them. When I sat down to write my first book, Vixen, I knew the setting had to be the Jazz Age.

"A huge amount of research must have gone into these novels, was there anything you found most helpful to create the world?"

I went through lots of pictures and watched lots of movies from that era. I read The Great Gatsby and other wonderful novels. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York had an exhibit on clothing from the 20’s that I attended, which was incredibly helpful.

"Does anything in particular stimulate your writing, for example listening to a specific type of music?"

While I wrote The Flappers I had a constant stream of Bessie Smith, Scott Joplin, Robert Johnson, Duke Ellington—basically all the artists you can find on the Pennies From Heaven soundtrack and the Cotton Club soundtrack. So … yes, music! 

  

"What are your favourite books and authors to read for pleasure?"

I love reading books about the performing arts. I also love science fiction and fantasy. In the teen world, I love Lauren Kate’s Fallen series, and there are two exciting new books coming out in 2012 that I adore: Theo Lawrence’s MYSTIC CITY and Yelena Black’s THE DANCE DIABOLICAL. Readers, look out for these gems!

"Will you be doing any signings or tours in the UK?"

It’s harder for me to get out and meet fans like I did here in the US, which was fun and helpful to hear about what readers responded to. But I am thrilled that UK readers will get to meet these girls!

"What are you working on at the moment? And do you have any plans for books following this series?"

Even though I don’t think the girls’ stories are done yet, I have been working on something wildly different—set in the future! But like The Flappers, really lives in the heart of teen girls discovering who they are, what they want to be when they grow up … and who they want to date!

If you haven't yet discovered 'The Flappers' book one, Vixen is out in the US and the UK. Book two Ingenue is out in the US already and will be out in the UK later this year.

Review: The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

Huge thanks to Becky at Mira for sending me a copy to review.


It's always been just Kate and her mom—and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won't live past the fall.
Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld—and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.
Kate is sure he's crazy—until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she'll become Henry's future bride, and a goddess. If she fails she’ll never see her mother again…

This is a book that I kept on meaning to read but never managed to get round to, but with the release of the second book in the series ‘Goddess Interrupted’ looming later this month, I thought it was about time to find out what everyone else has been shrieking about with this one.

And I completely agree with all the good comments! I really loved the fresh idea and narrative. It captivated me thoroughly and pulled me right in. Kate was a really great heroine, just the right amount of disbelief but coupled with a strong sense of self and will, and a desire to look after and protect the people she loves. I found it really easy to get be pulled into the story because I liked Kate so much, I sympathised with her situation and I was rooting for her right from the start.

Henry was a bit of a mixed bag for me. On the whole I liked him, but I would like to see more of his character and personality come through in the next book. I felt that he remained a bit aloof and distant – although in a way that was because of the tasks, but at the same time it left me feeling a bit stumped over the romance. It never seemed to really come to fruition, and we don’t see enough of Kate’s feelings over time to grow into it with her – although it didn’t hit the bounds of insta love. However I do want to see more of the relationship develop in the next book – in fact I’m quite excited and really looking forward to it.

There were a few points that weren’t entirely clear. A few instances where I felt that things happened for no real reason – they were out of place and a bit out of character, and I would have liked a little more explanation at the end of just how much had been set up for Kate and how much happened purely by coincidence. I know that Kate does ask at the end but I didn’t feel it was particularly clear.
The other thing that I would have liked a little more of was which people were which Gods. If you feel like cheating then there is a list at the back of the book to keep tabs on, but other than Henry and a couple of others (I won’t spoil here, but if you haven’t read the book yet why on earth not?!) it really isn’t clear who is who. Now maybe I’m just not as brushed up on my Greek myths as I thought I was, but I found it really hard to work out who was who, and some were just downright strange choice. I really hope that we get a little bit more of the other Gods characters come through in the next book, and we get to see a bit more of the actual Gods themselves.

In fact pretty much all of the secondary characters were a little underdeveloped.  I just wanted to see more of them and more of their arcs, instead of the entire focus being on Kate. As I’ve said there were some moments where motivations and actions seemed very confused and I wanted to see more of the development and process where the characters could grow into real people as Kate had done.

On the whole though I really enjoyed the book – yes I had some niggles but they were minor ones comparatively and it’s only because I was enjoying it so much that they seemed to stand out more. If you’re after a fresh take on the myths and legends of the Greeks, or just a fresh burst of supernatural in the werewolf and vampire infested young adult book shelves, then I highly recommend the Goddess Test. Nail biting, heart wrenching, romantic and very well written, it will keep you on your toes right to the end.

Author Q & A with Andrew Prentice & Jonathan Weil

The fabulous 'Black Arts' came out last week, and I am have been busy thrusting it under all my friends noses going 'Here! You Must Read the Fabulous!' And I am lucky enough to have the lovely (and highly entertaining) Andrew Prentice & Jonathan Weil here offering insights into their writing, the ideas and concepts, and what we might see from them next...

"First of all, I think the book is incredible, but how would you tempt people who don't know about it yet to read it?"

We set out to write the kind of story we love to read – a high-speed thrill ride through a dirty and dangerous setting. Black Arts is adventure cooked the old-fashioned way. First we mixed half a pound of revenge with a hefty pinch of diabolical evil, a spoonful of humour, several pints of human blood and a cheeky dollop of resourceful heroism. Then we baked the mixture in our oven of plot for five years.
When we took it out of the oven we glazed it with telling historical detail. It should be served lightly chilled and consumed in one sitting.

"How did the book come about? The concept and the collaboration?"

We have been collaborating since we were in the sixth form, when we edited our school magazine together. After university we embarked on a ludicrously ambitious, epic project – the re-explaining of all recorded history in comic-book form. We managed to finish fifteen pages of this before reality intervened and we had to get jobs.

Then, five years ago, we were sacked. We had been writing animation scripts for an aquarium tycoon/sushi restaurateur/would-be manga magnate, and for some reason we thought it would be a good idea to strike out on our own writing comic books. One of the scripts we prepared was set in Elizabethan England. It was going to be about the foiling of the Spanish Armada, set in a world of secret intelligence, religious persecution and fraudulent magicians. So certain elements of Black Arts were already there.

No one wanted to make the historical comic, it turned out – but a couple of publishers liked the idea of an Elizabethan spy story; we got a book deal out of it; and over the years, some of the stranger concepts from our first, deranged collaboration began to resurface. Weird magical rituals. Secret, world-spanning conspiracies. Immortal guardians charged with protecting the very fabric of History itself. The story mutated, like a fungus growing inside a nuclear reactor, into Black Arts.

"How did the writing process work?"

We have leaned that it is best to plan everything out very carefully. This takes many long walks, and cups of strong coffee.

We then go our separate ways. We realised long ago that writing in the same house is disastrous. We take alternate chapters (or several chapters at once, depending where the natural breaks are), and go away and write. After each of us has finished, we swap and edit. By the time a chapter is finished it has usually been edited and re-edited seven or eight times.

"Who was the voice of reason in the process?"

Both of us have our moments. The best thing about collaboration is that there is always someone there to talk to. The worst thing about collaboration is that sometimes they are right and you are wrong.

"How were the harder decisions made when writing, was there a nominated person who had the final say?"

Total gridlock doesn’t happen very often. There are battles, and it usually comes down to stubbornness: one person will almost always care more, and end up getting his way. In extreme moments we resort to the ultimate decider: paper-scissors-stone, best of seven.

"Can you tell me a bit about the research that went into the book? For example the lock picking tools, I'm curious, are they real names etc? And did you get to practise so it would be easier to write?"

Our research was almost entirely reading – both history books and original sources like plays, and letters, and demon-hunting manuals (they had them!). Quite a lot of terms we used in the book are accurate, although we’ve found that good research is all about making sure that the stuff you do make up feels right. Once you’ve written a few lines of authentic Elizabethan thieves’ cant, you get into a groove where you can invent the rest and it’ll sound good.

We never practised any lock-picking, but we do try to pick each other’s pockets from time to time. We aren’t very good at it.

"What was the most exciting part of the process for you?"

The most exciting part is seeing how the story evolves when we both are working on it. One of us will have an idea, which will then provide the solution to a problem the other was worrying about, changing along the way into something strange and different that neither of us would have thought up on his own. Chapters start off one way, go through several different phases and emerge a totally different beast at the other end. It’s always exciting to see what the other guy has done.

"And what was the most challenging?"

Accepting that what you thought was amazing needs to be cut. We have got much better at dealing with this over the years.

"Will you be working on anything together in the future? And what can we hope to see from you (either together or individually) next?"

The Books of Pandemonium is planned as a series of four books. We are very excited about where this story is going to go in the future. The second book is well underway, and is going to be better than the first.
After that, who knows? We are always thinking of more stories – and we can’t wait to tell them. 

I want to say a huge thank you to Andrew and Jonathan for taking the time to talk to me about the book - and for providing some of the most entertaining answers to questions I've ever been offered!

I will continue to shamelessly plug 'Black Arts' for the rest of the year (you have been warned) and will be onto the next book as soon as we know more... In the meantime, if you haven't already go and read the book!

Review: Crave by Melissa Darnell

Huge thanks to Mira for sending me a copy to review.

Savannah Colbert has never known why she's so hated by the kids of the Clann. Nor can she deny her instinct to get close to Clann golden boy Tristan Coleman. Especially when she recovers from a strange illness and the attraction becomes nearly irresistible. It's as if he's a magnet, pulling her gaze, her thoughts, even her dreams. Her family has warned her to have nothing to do with him, or any members of the Clann. But when Tristan is suddenly everywhere she goes, Savannah fears she's destined to fail.

For years, Tristan has been forbidden to even speak to Savannah Colbert. Then Savannah disappears from school for a week and comes back…different, and suddenly he can't stay away. Boys seem intoxicated just from looking at her. His own family becomes stricter than ever. And Tristan has to fight his own urge to protect her, to be near her no matter the consequences….

I wasn’t really sure what to expect when I went into this book. On the one hand the premise was intriguing and I did like the sound of it. On the other, I’ve kind of had enough of the whole insta-love with vampire’s thing.

The book started off a little slow and I took about fifty pages to get into it, but after that I was hooked. I’m not quite sure what it was that drew me in, but something about the writing and the story and the fact that it takes its time drew me in until I was riveted and desperate to find out what happened next. It was the sort of book love that creeps up on you when you’re least expecting it.

I loved having the two different view-points. It meant that not we got to see how things played out on both sides, and there was no second guessing over the motives and feelings for the two main characters. I was a bit surprised at some of the differences between how Savannah acts and thinks in her parts, as to how she comes across when Tristan is watching her, they felt a bit too extreme in their differences, but on the whole I really liked getting to know the two characters both inside and out.

And the extra bonus was that there wasn’t any insta-love! Such a refreshing change! Tristan and Savannah have known each other since they were children, played together until they were separated and then been forced to ignore the other ever since – with varying degrees of success. Forbidden love is always a good starting point with me, but I loved that we had the foundations of the friendship to start with and the romance was never rushed or forced. They take time to get to know each other, for Savannah to start trusting Tristan when he wants to spend time with her, and like the rest of the book, the romance really takes the time to build up to a fabulous conclusion.

I loved the new twists that Darnell puts on the supernatural – I did feel that we didn’t get to see enough of Savannah’s abilities but I’m very excited to see more of the Clann and to see Savannah come into her own in the next couple of books.

The writing was great, really good characterization and completely engrossing it drew me in and I found myself really desperate to find out what happened next. It was quite a surprise how much it pulled me in – it wasn’t something I was expecting to happen with this book but it’s the mark of really good writing when I don’t want to put a book down and take a break for a while. Once I got into the book I raced through it and didn’t stop until the end.

There were a few things I wasn’t too fussed on. The first being that some of the scenes felt superfluous to the book. There was so much about the book that focused on her being a normal teenager with a regular day to day existence that at times it felt like the supernatural element was being completely ignored. I would have liked to see a bit more of the supernatural being interwoven in the day to day stuff. To start with it is, but after the initial ‘gaze daze’ incident it all turns into high school drama and boyfriends and the supernatural was pushed to one side. I liked both elements of the story I just feel that they could have been expended and interwoven a little better.

The other irritation links in, because it really felt like we learnt next to nothing about Savannah and her abilities. There was so much where it was pushed aside and then brought out at random moments. I wanted to learn more about it and about her, and I wanted to have some more of her abilities introduced because there was so much of her trying to fit in at school as a normal teenager that I wanted to see how she coped with these extra parts of her and fitting in with those.

I also felt that some of the secondary characters were a bit underdeveloped. We had some really great moments with some of savannah’s friends and then barely see them for the majority of the book. I really hope that we get to see more of them in the next book because there were some really great foundations laid for some of the characters and I really hope that they get used.

The final frustration was her sudden complete and utter obsession with dance. At the beginning of the novel she’s completely clumsy and uncoordinated but with her powers come the grace and ability that make her good at dance. Now yes ok, I get that if you suddenly become good at something then you enjoy it more and want to spend more time doing it, but this was suddenly all consuming life or death for her with very little explanation of introduction of the idea to the reader. One minute she wasn’t fussed, the next minute she couldn’t bear to never dance again, and I didn’t feel that that was really explored enough.

However these were relatively minor and on the whole I really loved the book. It drew me in, the writing was good the characters really well constructed and I found both of them interesting and lively enough that I loved seeing everything from both point of views. For a book that I was on the fence about at the start I’ve come out the other side desperate for the second book and to find out what happens to Savannah and Tristan next and where their relationship goes from here. A book that definitely creeps up on you, I highly recommend it for fans of the supernatural who want a bit of a different take on vampires and witches.

Author Q & A with Melissa Darnell

Welcome to day five of the Crave Blog Tour!


Today marks the UK release of the first book 'Crave' in the fantastic new series 'The Clann'. A fantastic blend of the supernatural - vampires, witches and steamy romance, what more could you want?
To celebrate the lovely Melissa has been wonderful enough to answer some questions about her writing, getting published and what we can look forward to in the future...

"What drew you to writing? Was it something you always wanted to do?"

I've been creating stories in my mind ever since I taught myself how to read at the age of 4 (I was too impatient for kindergarden and my family couldn't afford to send me to preschool).  Later I learned how to write, and I've been writing down stories ever since.  There is nothing more thrilling than flying through a rough draft.  Every story I write begins as a movie inside my head.  By the time I finish plotting it all out and am ready to write the rough draft, I can see that movie so clearly, whether my eyes are open or closed, that writing the rough draft is simply an exercise in trying to describe that movie on paper well enough for others to hopefully experience too.

"How did you make that jump from writing for yourself to published author?"

My husband Tim gets all the credit here.  I started off writing stories as a kid just as a hobby, something to do for fun just for myself.  Tim was the one who encouraged me to finally submit one for publication.  I didn't believe my first adult romance novel would even be accepted, but then I received multiple contract offers for it.  That gave me the confidence to write another novel, and then another and another, and eventually to switch over from adult romances to YA romances.

Crave was my first YA novel, and I only submitted it to one publisher (Harlequin Teen).  When the editor turned it down at first with a long explanation of the many revisions it needed, it was my hubby who gave me the courage to make those revisions and resubmit Crave.  The end result was a 3 book deal, and it's all because of him and his unwavering support.  Tristan might be a pretty hot hero, but he'll never be as awesome as the real deal...my husband Tim!

"Do you have any habits or rituals that come with writing? For example music or times of day that are most productive for you?" 

When I write, I like to have a few key things...

-- I prefer to be in a closed room somewhere (part of the inspiration for Savannah's "supersonic" hearing ability is because I've always had extra sensitive ears and even the pressure changes in the air from room to room can distract me!).  I also need to be alone; otherwise I'm tempted to ask anyone who's there to give me feedback on what I've just written!

-- As a former dancer, I've always been nuts about music and really rely on it to help me mentally stay in the right mood for each scene in the story.  So before I begin to write any story's rough draft, I always start by creating a soundtrack specifically for that story.  This is why you'll always find a playlist on my websites for every story of mine that's published.

-- Since I have two young boys and a hubby who all love to be noisy, I listen to that soundtrack (set to loop for hours if necessary) on headphones to further help me focus.

-- While revisions are always done on a laptop, I prefer to write rough drafts longhand using pens and composition notebooks.  I worked for years as an editor, so when I'm on a computer it's hard for me to turn off my internal editor.  Writing longhand subconsciously tells that internal editor to "zip it for awhile already!" so my creative side can come out to play instead.

-- When both writing and revising, I've also been known to call upon the powers of Nacho Cheese Doritos, Crunch N Munch, and my new love of Snapple Peach Tea when flying through a rough draft.  I swear they're superfuel for the brain!

"What have you found to be the most exciting and the most challenging parts of the process?"

The most challenging used to be the revision stage, but now I'm growing to love this process as well.  Now the most challenging part of the process is waiting for each book's publication.  And of course the most exciting is walking into a store and discovering print copies of my books there on the shelves!

"And finally, what are you working on at the moment?"

I'll be working on the Clann Series through at least 2013, but in addition I'm also currently revising a YA magical realism/sci-fi romance called The Source as well as plotting several contemporary YA romances (all of which can be read about at www.melissadarnell.com andwww.TheClannSeries.com as they are completed and contracted).

Thank you for having me here on your blog!  Please feel free to visit my websites at www.TheClannSeries.com and www.melissadarnell.com for updates on the release of each Clann Series book, as well as to listen to each Clann Series book's playlist online, learn more about the Clann and Savannah's race of vampires, as well as to contact me anytime!


A huge thank you to Melissa for sharing with us. And check back later for my review of 'Crave'!

Review: Black Arts by Andrew Prentice & Jonathan Weil

Happy Release Day! This book is available from today, so go out and snag your copy!

A huge thank you to Harriet at Random House for sending me a copy and coaxing me past my cover aversion.

Elizabethan London: a teeming city of traders and thieves, courtiers and preachers, riff-raff and quality, cut-throats - and demons. When scrunty Jack the 'Judicious Nipper' picks the wrong pocket at the Globe Theatre, he finds himself mixed up in an altogether more dangerous London than he could have imagined - a city in which magic is real and deadly.

An outbreak of devil-worship has led to a wave of anti-witch fervor whipped up by the Elect, a mysterious group of Puritans recognizable from their red-stained right hands, led by the charismatic Nicholas Webb, a growing power at Court. Rumour has it that he wants to purge the city entirely and build a New Jerusalem. Jack has his own reason for hating him: he saw him kill his mother.

Helped by Beth Sharkwell the Thief Princess of Lambeth, Kit Morely the Intelligencer and Dr Dee the Queen's Wizard, Jack pits himself against Webb's Puritans. But this is no straightforward struggle. Things are not as they seem. In fact, ever since his encounter with Webb, there has been something wrong with Jack's vision. He keeps seeing things. Demons.

The phrase ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ should be used liberally around me. I’m terrible at it – it’s not the be all and end all on whether I’ll read the book, but it does usually form a fairly strong impression and guide me on whether I look further. Which is exactly what I did with this one. Sorry but I really, really dislike this cover. I took one look and decided I couldn’t possibly be interested. But then the lovely people at Random house started talking about the book, about the plot and the characters and the world and I grudgingly started to accept that actually yeah ok, it sounded like quite a good book. I would be a good girl, I would put my cover doubts aside and give it a shot.

And you know what? Best decision ever.

I absolutely loved this book. The prologue was a bit weird and mildly off putting (unless you’re into ritual sacrifices in which case you’ll love it…) but I carried on – three chapters then bust, that’s my motto. But I never really noticed where the three chapter mark came because I was so completely engrossed in the story.

Jack is a clever, amusing, highly intelligent pick-pocket, thief, lock picker – you name it, he could probably give it a go and rob you blind. His voice was clear and distinct and I immediately felt a connection with him. I wanted to find out what his test/interview was about. I wanted to know about this world he lived in. It was fascinating and engrossing and utterly brilliant.

Prentice and Weil are a dream team – rivalled only, in my eyes, by Sarah Rees Brennan and Justine Larbalestier who are utterly brilliant, but more on them in a later review… The writing is seamless, brilliant and so incredibly realistic for the time. There were bits I didn’t understand, language that was completely alien to me, but it was right for the time period, and where it was harder to interpret they manage to weave in a subtle hint to give modern readers a poke in the right direction. It made me feel like I was really there in London, with the muck and the smell and the poverty and the riches. Everything was so well researched, so well described, it put me down straight in the middle of Jack’s world and left me there for the next five hundred pages.

It’s a long novel, and at times I looked at it and wondered what on earth could be going to happen that it needed that much more book to get there. But it is a mark of just how good the writing is that I didn’t actually mind the length at all. Usually there’s a down period somewhere in the middle of long books where the reader’s interest isn’t held quite so attentively – not so for this book. It takes its time. It builds the world and the characters so that you really care about them when it all comes to a head. It sets everything up, slowly weaving a web and taking its time. And I loved that. I like a book that has the confidence to take its time and really sell the world and the plot to me.

And the plot… A seamless blend of realism and fantasy, of London in the Elizabethan era and a hell hole of demons and wizards. I loved the mystery of it as Jack tries to work out what on earth is going on. I love watching different character’s attitudes to the weird goings on – the hysteria that grips the city and whips it into a frenzy for the finale.

But most of all I loved Jack and Beth. Beth because she was strong, she was hard and determined and utterly fabulous. She could be anything she wanted, do anything she wanted and she was just such a fantastic character I would have read a whole book of just Beth.

And Jack because he was the heart and soul of the whole thing. A book of this length has to have a protagonist who can hold the reader, and Jack does it superbly. I loved his disbelief, his fear, his determination and pride and his selflessness when it came down to saving himself or saving others. I loved seeing how he grew from a young scared boy into a man and how the events and people shaped and changed him.

I would highly recommend this – a writing duo to watch out for as I believe this is the first book in a series… Both boys and girls will love it – it has a brilliant hero at its heart and a girl you can root for. Magic, demons, sorcery and thieves , one of the best books I’ve had the pleasure of reading this year.

Books I'm Squeeing about in April

Somehow April has managed to sneak up on me without my noticing. March was quiet. Well it wasn't. I lie, it was so busy I barely had time to read anything, so I'm planning on making up for that this month with an insane number of awesome books that I cannot wait to get onto my to read pile.
So without further ado, look at the awesomeness!

3rd - Black Heart by Holly Black
Cassel Sharpe knows he’s been used as an assassin, but he’s trying to put all that behind him. He’s trying to be good, even though he grew up in a family of con artists and cheating comes as easily as breathing to him. He’s trying to do the right thing, even though the girl he loves is inextricably connected with crime. And he’s trying to convince himself that working for the Feds is smart, even though he’s been raised to believe the government is the enemy. 

But with a mother on the lam, the girl he loves about to take her place in the Mob, and new secrets coming to light, the line between what’s right and what’s wrong becomes increasingly blurred. When the Feds ask Cassel to do the one thing he said he would never do again, he needs to sort out what’s a con and what’s truth. In a dangerous game and with his life on the line, Cassel may have to make his biggest gamble yet—this time on love.


I could wax lyrical about how freaking awesome this series is for ever. Fantastic premise, fantastic writing, fantastic characters - the list goes on. So on the one hand I literally cannot wait to get my hands on this book, but on the other I'm really sad to see it finished. But the excitement is outweighing everything right now...
Also, look at the pretty new covers! I swooned all over again and will have to buy all new copies so I can look at the pretties all the time...

5th - Black Arts by Andrew Prentice and Jonathan Weil

Elizabethan London: a teeming city of traders and thieves, courtiers and preachers, riff-raff and quality, cut-throats - and demons. When scrunty Jack the 'Judicious Nipper' picks the wrong pocket at the Globe Theatre, he finds himself mixed up in an altogether more dangerous London than he could have imagined - a city in which magic is real and deadly.

An outbreak of devil-worship has led to a wave of anti-witch fervor whipped up by the Elect, a mysterious group of Puritans recognizable from their red-stained right hands, led by the charismatic Nicholas Webb, a growing power at Court. Rumour has it that he wants to purge the city entirely and build a New Jerusalem. Jack has his own reason for hating him: he saw him kill his mother.

Helped by Beth Sharkwell the Thief Princess of Lambeth, Kit Morely the Intelligencer and Dr Dee the Queen's Wizard, Jack pits himself against Webb's Puritans. But this is no straightforward struggle. Things are not as they seem. In fact, ever since his encounter with Webb, there has been something wrong with Jack's vision. He keeps seeing things. Demons.

Not gonna lie, very un-fussed on the cover - BUT DO NOT LET THAT PUT YOU OFF!!! Because I almost did, and then I heard all the fab things people had to say about it, so I gave it a shot and it is phenomenal. Seriously, it's an enthralling tale that wraps you up completely. Fast paced, action packed, but at the same time a book that takes its time and builds into this fantastic completely vivid and nail biting novel. It's amazing, I love it, words cannot describe my love, but I shall do my best in my review later this month!

6th - Crave by Melissa Darnell

Savannah Colbert has never known why she's so hated by the kids of the Clann. Nor can she deny her instinct to get close to Clann golden boy Tristan Coleman. Especially when she recovers from a strange illness and the attraction becomes nearly irresistible. It's as if he's a magnet, pulling her gaze, her thoughts, even her dreams. Her family has warned her to have nothing to do with him, or any members of the Clann. But when Tristan is suddenly everywhere she goes, Savannah fears she's destined to fail.

For years, Tristan has been forbidden to even speak to Savannah Colbert. Then Savannah disappears from school for a week and comes back…different, and suddenly he can't stay away. Boys seem intoxicated just from looking at her. His own family becomes stricter than ever. And Tristan has to fight his own urge to protect her, to be near her no matter the consequences….

I was really pleasantly surprised by this book. I was expecting your average paranormal vampire book, but actually Crave completely sucked me in (pun intended.) As soon as the story really gets going I was completely hooked and I'm now desperate to get my hands on the second book. Pop back on the 6th for my review and a Q&A with the lovely Melissa!

17th - The Springsweet by Saundra Mitchell

Heartbroken over the tragic death of her fiancé, seventeen-year-old Zora Stewart leaves Baltimore for the frontier town of West Glory, Oklahoma, to help her young widowed aunt keep her homestead going. There she discovers that she possesses the astonishing ability to sense water under the parched earth. When her aunt hires her out as a “springsweet” to advise other settlers where to dig their wells, Zora feels the burden of holding the key to something so essential to survival in this unforgiving land. Even more, she finds herself longing for love the way the prairie thirsts for water.
Maybe, in the wildness of the territories, Zora can finally move beyond simply surviving and start living.

The Vespertine was one of my favourite books from last year. I absolutely adored it. Saundra has an incredibly lyrically beautiful way of writing that completely drew me in and I couldn't get enough of her first book. Now with the release of the second in the series, I'm even more excited - so prepare for some major Springsweet love in the next few weeks!

23rd - Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter

Kate Winters has won immortality. But if she wants a life with Henry in the Underworld, she'll have to fight for it.Becoming immortal wasn't supposed to be the easy part. Though Kate is about to be crowned Queen of the Underworld, she's as isolated as ever. And despite her growing love for Henry, ruler of the Underworld, he's becoming ever more distant and secretive. Then, in the midst of Kate's coronation, Henry is abducted by the only being powerful enough to kill him: the King of the Titans.As the other gods prepare for a war that could end them all, it is up to Kate to save Henry from the depths of Tartarus. But in order to navigate the endless caverns of the Underworld, Kate must enlist the help of the one person who is the greatest threat to her future.Henry's first wife, Persephone.


I'm in the middle of 'The Goddess Test' at the moment and absolutely loving it, so I can't wait to see what happens to Kate next... But shush, no spoilers yet, I need to finish the first book!

Review: Low Red Moon by Ivy Devlin

The only thing Avery Hood can remember about the night her parents died is that she saw silver—deadly silver, moving inhumanly fast. As much as she wants to remember who killed them, she can’t, and there’s nothing left to do but try to piece her life back together. Then Avery meets the new boy in school—Ben, mysterious and beautiful, with whom she feels a connection like nothing she’s ever experienced. When Ben reveals he’s a werewolf, Avery still trusts him—at first. Then she sees that sometimes his eyes flash inhuman silver. And she learns that she’s not the only one who can’t remember the night her parents died.Part murder mystery, part grief narrative, and part heart-stopping, headlong romance, Low Red Moon is a must-read for teen paranormal fans. As breathless as Twilight and as spooky as Shiver, this is a book to be devoured in one sitting—by an acclaimed YA author making her paranormal debut under the pseudonym Ivy Devlin.

I am a terrible magpie. I love shiny things, I love pretty things, and a good cover is always going to draw me to a book. So when I saw the cover for ‘Low Red Moon’ I was quite taken with it – it practically glows, it's much shinier than the picture gives away. And the premise looked interesting, an actual murder mystery thrown in with werewolves and romance?

But sadly, the old saying proved true. Don’t judge a book by its cover. Well, at least not this time.

I was really disappointed with this one. It was flat, I never connected with the heroine. All her talk about being grief stricken but it was never shown, they were just words constantly repeated. The love interest takes insta-love to a whole new level. I like build up, I like spark, hell I like friendships before we start leaping into all this ‘oh he is the love of my life, I shall perish without him!’ stuff. I like to actually feel something for the guy, but the biggest problem was that the characters had no development. They remained as they arrived and unfortunately there wasn’t enough space in the novel to truly explore and develop them.

I was expecting a murder mystery and what I actually got were some half memories of silver, oh and some blood. That was it. There was no trail to track down and discover the murder, it just kind of happened. There was no suspense, again no development and it ended up being a let-down.

There was none of the beauty and lyrical prose I had been led to believe I might find in this book. No characters that I sympathised or even truly liked. There was no development, no real arc and most definitely no murder mystery. It’s all very well picking someone who committed the crime that you’d never expect, but there have to be clues, there has to be build up, you have to sweep the reader up on a thrilling and involving journey as they piece together the mystery – otherwise the reader remains emotionally detached and un-invested.

But the thing that aggravated me the most? The idea that every time the word ‘moon’ was printed, it should be in red. Now the idea of using colour in text in books intrigues me, it’s not something I’ve seen much of. But in a book like this where moon is used far too frequently, and to take it so far that the word ‘moonlight’ only the first half is in red is downright irritating. It ended up distracting me and providing an itch I really couldn’t get rid of every time it cropped up.

So all in all, not the best book I’ve come across this year. The book, the writing, the execution none of it came together to provide a satisfying read, and has put me off werewolves for a little while too…