Guest Blog with Christine Amsden

 Cassie Scot: Looking Forward

When I talk about Cassie Scot I'm usually not talking about the book, Cassie Scot: ParaNormal Detective. I'm usually talking about the entire series. This is my third book, but my first series, so it has been an interesting adjustment for me. In my mind, Cassie's story is complete, even though for the reader it has barely begun.

In fact, Cassie's story is complete. There are four volumes in the series, all written, all under contract, and all pending release within the next year or so. Each of the volumes is framed by a self-contained mystery, which should give the reader some sense of closure at the end. Personal, romantic, and familial problems remain, however, and these issues are what I think of as Cassie's story. The first book is about Cassie solving a murder/missing person mystery. The series is about Cassie discovering who she is and what she wants. I suppose that part doesn't play as well in a teaser, but I think it's relevant. To some extent, we all strive to figure out who we are and how to accept ourselves. This is never more true than when faced with the disapproval or disappointment of parents – something Cassie knows all-too well. 

 

Cassie isn't the only one going through a period of self-discovery. To a lesser extent Evan Blackwood is trying to figure out who he is and what he wants. Well, he's sure about one thing – and if you've read the epilogue to book one you know what that is. He's confused about much of the rest. In stark contrast to Cassie, Evan has a lot of magical power and he doesn't want to be like his father – using that power for his own wealth/comfort and little else. At the same time, Evan is used to getting his way and he has the power to take most of what he wants. On the surface this may seem like a good thing, but in Secrets and Lies, book two in the Cassie Scot series, he will learn differently. It was a challenge to show him going through this sort of transformation from Cassie's point of view, but I hope the reader sees it. 

 

When I look at the series as a whole, one of the choices I have often found myself questioning is the use of vampires in the first book. This may seem like an odd thing to say. I mean, it's urban fantasy. Of course it has vampires! Well...

 

I didn't plan to write the first book right away. In those early weeks, I thought I would write a long short story or novella as a sort of proof of concept. There were a lot of important details popping around in my mind – Cassie character, her family, the town, the rules of magic, the love interest – somewhere in the middle of all that I decided to test the waters with vampires because it's simple. Everyone knows them. They don't require a lot of thought. I don't know when they became permanent, but somewhere along the line I knew I was writing a whole novel instead of a short story, and by then the plot had stuck. 

 

Vampires are not at all important to the overall story. It's not the last you'll see of them, but they don't have a huge part to play. If you're a vampire fan, sorry, but hopefully you love Cassie enough to stick with her. Those who are sick of vampires in fantasy, bear with me. And know that these vampires are Stoker-esque (and not even a little bit sparkly :) ).

“There is nothing so evil in the world as what humans can do to one another.” – Edward Scot (Cassie's father). This may have almost seemed like a throwaway comment in book one, but it wasn't. It definitely becomes important later on, and it's something I firmly believe. I've never thought fantasy novels needed literal demons to fight. Give a human being power, and let's see what he decides to do with it. History has shown us that it isn't always pretty.

The last time I revised the first book in this series, I had completed the final volume. This means that I had my plan fully formed and implemented. There are a couple of little things in the first book that you probably won't even think about unless you go back and reread it sometime after you finish the series. Then you'll think, “Oh, she did have a plan!”

I love it when authors do that. I hope I've pulled it off to your satisfaction as well.

Book Two Teasers:

1. Cassie is going to learn something very important about her mother that she never knew.

2. Kaitlin and Madison will take on bigger roles, and each will develop a problem of her own.

3. Edward Scot (Cassie's dad) and Victor Blackwood (Evan's dad) will come face to face. Their mutual enmity will not be in doubt.

4. The reader will learn one more of the reasons why Edward hates Victor.

5. The mystery will be the search for two teenage girls who went missing from a summer camp.

6. The life debt Cassie owes Evan will be a big deal.

Thank you Christine for stopping by! I had the pleasure of reviewing Casie Scot: ParaNormal Detective, and I highly recommend it to all UF/PNR fans. Please scroll down the page to check out my review of Casie Scot: ParaNormal Detective! The kindle/eformat is currently available now and the paperback edition will be out MAY 15, 2013!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR  

 Christine Amsden has been writing science fiction and fantasy for as long as she can remember. She loves to write and it is her dream that others will be inspired by this love and by her stories. Speculative fiction is fun, magical, and imaginative but great speculative fiction is about real people defining themselves through extraordinary situations. Christine writes primarily about people and it is in this way that she strives to make science fiction and fantasy meaningful for everyone.

Christine currently lives in the Kansas City area with her husband, Austin, who has been her biggest fan and the key to her success. They have two beautiful children, Drake and Celeste.

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Other books by Christine Amsden 

Review: Cassie Scot: Paranormal Detective

Title: Cassie Scot: Paranormal Detective
Author: Christine Amsden
Genre: New Adult, Urban Fantasy
Series: Cassie Scot #1 (ending leaves opening for possible sequel)

Trade paperback, 250 pages

Publication: (paperback) May 12, 2013 by Twilight Times Books

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Source: Author

Cassie Scot is the ungifted daughter of powerful sorcerers, born between worlds but belonging to neither. At 21, all she wants is to find a place for herself, but earning a living as a private investigator in the shadow of her family’s reputation isn’t easy. When she is pulled into a paranormal investigation, and tempted by a powerful and handsome sorcerer, she will have to decide where she truly belongs.

 

Cassie Scot: Paranormal Detective is the first book in a new series by Christine Amsden, her first foray into the new adult genre. I had the pleasure of reading Mrs. Amsden’s science fiction book The Immortality Virus back in August of last year and when the author offered me an early review copy of Cassie Scot I was happy to accept! Cassie Scot: Paranormal Detective is narrated in first person by our heroine, Cassie Scot who is the eldest daughter of the towns most prestigious and power Scot family. Her parents are both exceptionally powerful sorcerers, and all six of her siblings also have powers of their own…except Cassie. Cassie is 21-years-old and is still figuring out what she wants to do with her life, having a foot each in the real and paranormal world. Cassie is well known amongst the towns’ people because of who her family is but all she wants is to create a name for herself independently from her parents/siblings so she opened up her own detective agency. The agency been opened for 6 months so far and she doesn’t have a single client, so when Lawyer Frank Lloyd asks Cassie about a job offer she jumps on it immediately. All she has to do is serve a subpoena to Belinda Heweitt, a local witch…a simple task that surely takes no more than 10 minutes. Nope. It not only took more than 10 minutes but Cassie found herself deeply involved in a murder /missing person case, a case along the line of paranormal.  It is up to Cassie to figure who the killer is, not just to prove to herself but her family as well that you don’t always need magic to get things done. 

I really enjoyed Cassie Scot: Paranormal Detective, the story and Cassie’s voice drew me in on the first page! There are three main powerful families in Eagle Rock, Cassie’s family among the three. The regular town folks have an idea that something more is going on in town, something paranormal but for the most part they try to ignore it/or pretend it doesn’t exist. Cassie is a likable heroine; she’s independent, smart and has normal problems like everyone else which makes her real/relatable. Cassie may not have any special abilities but she never lets that stop her from finding the killer and solving the problem herself I also love Cassie’s family, you can tell how close everyone is and how much they love one another. The siblings all have different ability or they’d take after either parent, for example you have a healer, pyromancer, seer, and someone who can talk to the dead…all very unique, and I hope we get to see/read more of the Scots family in the next book.

This is an awesome start to a new series, and I can’t wait to find out what will happen next with Cassie and the gang. The ending didn’t necessary leave on a cliff-hanger but it left readers with a lot of questions about Cassie, her family bold choice regarding her part in the family’s power of 9, Evan’s intention and lastly is Cassie really ungifted, the black sheep of the family like she thinks she is? I highly recommend checking this book out!  Cassie Scot: Paranormal Detective is a light, fun, paranormal-mystery with a dash of romance that will have you eagerly waiting for the next book once you reach the last page! 

Review: The Last Academy by Anne Applegate

Title: The Last Academy
Author: Anne Applegate
Genre: Young Adult, paranormal/mythology
Series: N/A

Hardcover, 320 pages

Publication: April 30, 2013 by Point (Scholastic)

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Source: Publicist

What is this prep school preparing them for?

Camden Fisher arrives at boarding school haunted by a falling-out with her best friend back home. But the manicured grounds of Lethe Academy are like nothing Cam has ever known. There are gorgeous, preppy boys wielding tennis rackets, and circles of girls with secrets to spare. Only . . . something is not quite right. One of Cam's new friends mysteriously disappears, but the teachers don't seem too concerned. Cam wakes up to strangers in her room, who then melt into the night. She is suddenly plagued by odd memories, and senses there might be something dark and terrible brewing. But what? The answer will leave Cam—and readers—stunned and breathless, in this thrilling debut novel.

I really like the boarding school type YA, so when I heard of The Last Academy…I knew I wanted to read it immediately. I thought the synopsis was pretty vague but not in a bad way. It didn’t give readers clues/or hints to what they can expect from the book beside a student disappearing. I like the mystery factor, and couldn’t wait to find out what was going on at Lethe .

The majority of The Last Academy plays out like a typical boarding school. Our heroine Camden is fourteen-years-old and is in her first year at Lethe Academy. Everything in the book felt like it was happening on fast-forward; Camden made friends, enemies and even found a new crush/love all within the span of an hour being at school. I found that extremely weird and unrealistic, Camden and the other students acted like they known each other for years and not 5 minutes. The majority of the book read like a contemporary novel because nothing was really happening except Camden having school/boy drama. I couldn’t really connect with Camden or any of the other characters either. Everyone may be in high school but they all acted like little immature children. The story didn’t pick up until the last 80 pages…and it wasn’t till I got to page 270 (again, this book only has 320 pages) that I realize this book was a paranormal with Greek mythology elements! Everything started to come together in the end, and I was surprised that I didn’t see it coming at all. The ending totally made up for the first 2/3^rd of the book.

While not the best book I’ve ever read, The Last Academy did a good job in keeping me guessing till the very end. I didn’t really enjoy the first half of the book, but overall it was still a good book. I liked reading about all the characters in the end and how they came to be at Lethe, and how the author infused the Greek mythology into the story/characters. Overall, The Last Academy was a fast and easy read, but I suggest anyone interested in reading it to check out a sample chapter/excerpt before reading/or buying.

Review: Hot Blooded by Amanda Carlson

Title: Hot Blooded
Author: Amanda Carlson
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Jessica McClain #2

Trade Paperback, 336 pages

Publication: April 23, 2013 by Orbit

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Source: Publicist

It hasn't been the best week for Jessica McClain. Her mate has been kidnapped by a Goddess hell-bent on revenge --- but Jessica is playing for keeps. Because she's the only female werewolf in town...it comes with its own set of rules...and powers. Aided by two vamps, two loyal Pack members, and one very reluctant human, Jessica must rescue her man while coming to terms with what being a wolf really means. All in a day's work for a girl.

 

Jessica McClain and the crew return in the highly anticipated sequel Hot Blooded for another action packed adventure filled with magic and mayhem.  Hot Blooded takes place exactly where Full Blooded left off with Jessica on a mission to save her mate Rourke from the clutches of the evil goddess Selene.  On this journey, Jessica is accompanied by her brother Tyler, pack mate Danny, two vampire siblings borrowed for tracking from the vampire queen, and Ray, a human hell-bent on exposing Jessica on what she really is (Ray is only on this trip because if Jessica left him behind he’d die. She’s hoping that on this journey he’d change his mind and become a human liaison for the pack).  

The majority of the book takes place on the road as the group tries to pinpoint Selene lair. The group encounters various types of mythological creatures summoned/controlled by Selene, and in order to defeat them they had to work together. This was a mission in itself because vampires, werewolves, and all the other supernatural sects never interact/or help one another. With each obstacle they encounter, Readers along with the heroine Jessica discovers what she’s really capable of, that her powers are vaster than anyone can imagine. It was great seeing Jessica discover her abilities, every time she beat one of Selene’s obstacle she discover something new about what she can do…the abilities were endless! Jessica is the ultimate supernatural, and like the prophecy stated…she is to be feared among the sects.  I was sad that I didn’t get more page time with Rourke, but we got to see a lot more of Tyler, Danny and vampire Naomi.  Tyler and Danny are always a joy to read. Tyler, Jessica’s brother is the ever-loving protective brother and Danny is the goof-ball of the pack. We met Naomi briefly at the end of book one, but we get to see more of her and her brother in this book. I really like Naomi’s character because in the first book, vampires were described as passive, terrifying, and cold heart but Naomi shattered that image. The biggest surprise character (after Jessica of course) is Ray. I think everyone (characters and readers) loathed him since book one but over the course of book two he started to grow on me. Ray was still very much stubborn and a thorn in everyone’s butt but he helped the group when it counted the most.

While Hot Blooded was action-packed, the pacing felt a little slower than Full Blooded. It took me awhile to get engaged in the story, but once the action started rolling in it didn’t let up.  A lot happens in Hot Blooded with new enemies and alliances made that will not only affect Jessica but also the other supernatural sects. I am intrigued to see what Carlson has in store for all the characters in the next book, Cold Blooded. The werewolves are in turmoil with a rouge problem; Jessica still needs to fulfill her oath to the vampire queen and with the cliffhanger ending…it look like the witches are going to play a big part in the following book. Bottom line Hot Blooded was an excellent follow-up to the Jessica McClain series, an awesome UF world and characters you can’t get enough of! I’m totally looking forward to reading Cold Blooded when it comes out this October! 

Cover Reveal & Excerpt: The Year of the Great Seventh by Teresa Orts

JULY 6, 2013

Sophie has always felt out of step—an outsider, even amongst friends in her high school with all the hype about celebrity culture. Her life in L.A. seems to have been already written for her, but when her junior year starts, it all takes a drastic turn. When she crosses paths with the school's heartthrob, Nate Werner, they fall for each other in a way neither can understand. What they don’t know is that by giving in to their desires, they are unlocking an ancient Egyptian prophecy that threatens to return Earth to the dark ages.

To undo the curse, Nate and Sophie embark on an adventure that takes them across the country. But their quest is not only to save the world as they know it. It is also a fight for their very survival. Behind the scenes, there are those that are counting on them to fail.

|excerpt|

Admitting I wasn’t going to fall asleep, I emerged from under the bed covers, went over to the windows, and sat on the floor. They say if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. Well, if the city lights were going to keep me awake, I might as well enjoy the view.

Crossing my legs in the lotus position, I admired the city skyline. The other glass tower across from us seemed to be private apartments. Most of the floors had their lights on. The energy of this city was captivating. Life continued on through the night in the city that never slept.

It was starting to snow. The frosty flakes resembled white cotton candy. They seemed to be defying the laws of gravity as they were suspended on the air and then swirled up into the sky. It was probably due to the air current caused by the tall buildings. But as things stood in my life at the moment, anything seemed possible.

The traffic was as dense as rush hour in downtown L.A. Cars jammed around Columbus Circle, and no one thought twice about leaning on the horn, even though it was past midnight.

In one of the apartments opposite, a man was sitting by the window, typing on a laptop. The room was dark, but the reflection of the computer screen lit up his face. I could see him clearly. It was as though we were sitting across from each other. I was sure he could see me, too. We were so close, but at the same time, so far. This must be the big city syndrome where you can feel so alone amongst so many people. And knowing that Nate was just across the wall only enhanced the feeling.

I had to start blocking any thoughts of Nate. I had to give myself a break or I was going to start losing my mind. Unfortunately, I was aware that ignoring a problem wasn’t likely to make it go away. I couldn’t believe Nate had planned to hide the stain on his back from me. How long did he think he could pretend everything was going to be fine?

Dad taught me to only believe what could be proved by science, but this lulled me into a state of denial. Nate was vanishing with the tick of the clock, and I had to help him. I wasn’t sure how yet, but I couldn’t fail him. I wanted to slap myself to throw myself into action. How could I be so passive when I was losing the only thing I wanted?

The man in the apartment across from me was drinking from a cup and flicking through the pages of a book that he had next to the laptop. After scanning a few more pages, he continued to type. I wondered what he was doing. I wanted to think he was writing a detective novel based in 1950s Manhattan.

The man stopped typing and stared openly at me, as if he also needed to share his secrets with a stranger. It was snowing hard, and thousands of snowflakes playfully spiraled up into the sky, proving reality had many dimensions. The simple stare from a distant stranger was appeasing that loneliness that was taking hold of me.

 I couldn’t stop staring back. Here, sitting on the floor of this grandiose room, in the epicenter of the madness of this city, I just felt so small. How was I, this tiny, fragile girl, going to make the world change its course?

The man with the computer—as if he could hear my thoughts—smiled at me and nodded. Without uttering a word, and with the power of our surroundings, this stranger confirmed that, yes, I could do whatever I gave myself to. It was probably a coincidence, but there were moments like this when the universe conspired to prove that life was full of magic moments. You just needed to learn to see past what was in front of you.

The man went back to typing on his computer, unconscious that with just one stare he’d provided me with the courage I lacked. I was beginning to fall in love, but in this case, with New York City. There was something about the anonymity of this city that brought us closer as humans.

A little about the Author...

 

Unlike most authors, I didn’t start writing books when I was five years old. In fact, I’d never been too interested in reading or writing. Hanging out with friends in the small Spanish town where I grew up always seemed more appealing than anything a book could offer. It took about twenty-seven years and a global financial meltdown for me to discover the magic world of writing. 

At the time, I was living in New York City, and one morning I discovered I was no longer expected at my sixty-hour-a-week investment banking job. Most of my friends had very demanding jobs, so I spent my days wandering around on my own. 

Like other unemployed people, I started living through the nights and sleeping through the days. New York is known as the city that never sleeps for a good reason! One night, tired of surfing the web and watching TV, I opened a Word document and started typing a short story, which I saved in my computer with little interest. That was the day Nate and Sophie were born.

Days later, since the financial industry seemed to be going into a downward spiral, I decided to spend three months traveling through Southeast Asia and New Zealand. I thought, naïve me, that by the time I returned, the financial crisis would have come to an end.

Something really strange happened to me during that trip. No matter where I went, I couldn’t stop thinking about the story. Nate and Sophie followed me everywhere. No matter how hard I tried to forget about them, they just wouldn’t go away. At the beginning, I thought I was losing my mind, but soon after, I realized I had to continue writing the story.

When I came back to New York, I went right back into it, and that’s how The Year of the Great Seventh was created. Unfortunately, halfway through the novel, I received a letter from the immigration department informing me that, with no job, I was no longer welcome in the United States. Without much of a choice, my boyfriend and I decided to pack our lives, along with my half-drafted manuscript, and begin another exciting adventure in London, where we now live. 

Teresa Orts studied economics and went on to work in the financial industry. She lives in London with her husband and son and this is her first novel. If you want to know more about her, please visit her website www.teresaorts.com