Thursday, August 09, 2012

Interview with Kira Brady


Kira Brady, author of The Deadglass Trilogy is joining us today to answers question about her recently released debut novel, Heart of Darkness! Heart of Darkness is available now wherever books are sold!

Hi Kira, so happy that you can join us today! Can you give us the “elevator pitch” for Heart of Darkness?

Thanks for having me! Elevator pitch: In a gritty, alternate Seattle, two shape shifter races fight to control the Gate to the Land of the Dead. A human woman must join forces with a mercenary werewolf to stop the Gates from falling and unleashing an apocalypse.

Where did you get the inspiration/idea for Heart of Darkness?

I took a ghost tour of Pike Place Market and was inspired by the ghost stories and dishonest political dealings of our city's founders. Growing up in Seattle, I've always been surrounded by Pacific Coast Native American and Scandinavian mythology. Deadglass Seattle is a dark reflection of the real city, where the myths, legends, and ghost stories are real.

I’ve read some reviews for HoD, and they were comparing your series to Karen M. Moning’s Fever Series. What are your thoughts on that?

I'm honored by the comparison, because I think Moning writes awesome books. However, I don't really think the series is like the Fever series. There are superficial similarities--the heroine's investigation into the mysterious death of her sister, the hero who is part of the secret world and acts as mentor, the breaking down of the separations between supernatural and natural worlds, and the gritty city setting. I guess I'm afraid of people being disappointed if they read it expecting it to be like Fever.

What did you do to celebrate when you found out your trilogy was acquired by Kensington Zebra? 

I took my family and parents out to dinner, and then I started writing book 2. I also had afternoon tea with my critique partner and mom-in-law. I've been surprised at how long the wait is between finishing the book, selling it, and it finally appearing on bookshelves. It's really spread out the celebrating--more tea for me!

What are you currently reading right now or what are some books in your TBR pile?

I loaded about twenty books on my kindle for vacation and then it broke. *sob* When I get it fixed (and I finish writing book 3!), I will be reading Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore, Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson, Mina Wentworth and the Invisible City by Meljean Brook, Gunmetal Magic by Ilona Andrews, Enclave by Ann Aguirre, Darker Still by Leanna Renee Hieber, and Darkest Day by Britt Bury.

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

Write, write, and write some more. Finish the projects you start, even through the dreaded middle, and allow yourself the freedom to write a sucky first draft. The second and third drafts are for prettying it up. Take all writing advice with a grain of salt. The best thing you can do for yourself is practice your craft as much as possible.

Finish this statement: You’ll enjoy Hearts of Darkness if you like…

Marjorie Liu? Jeanine Frost? Kensington says Lara Adrian, Larissa Ione, Nalini Singh, Keri Arthur, Rachel Vincent, Jacquelyn Frank, and J.R. Ward.

**Quick lightning round questions**

Twitter or Facebook? Twitter

Team Peeta or Team Gale (The Hunger games)? Gale

Vampires or Werewolf? WEREWOLF!!!

Coffee or Tea? Tea

E-book or Physical copy? Paper...because it won't break on you :(

**Word association **
Werewolves- alpha
Apocalypse-  now
Black- pepper
Hot- peppers
TV- books

Author's Bio: A native Seattleitte, Kira spent her childhood hiking the rainy forests of the Pacific Northwest and drying out by the fire with a good book and a mug of something hot. She graduated with honors from the University of Pennsylvania, where she met her real life Prince Charming and promptly dragged him back to sunless Seattle. She fell in love with historic, haunted cities in graduate school. Now she writes about the twisted cities of her imagination, where wraiths and shape-shifters stalk the night and love redeems even the darkest heart. When not writing, she can be found drinking inordinately large mugs of Assam tea, knitting wool socks, and raising a wee heroine-in-training. Her website is http://kirabrady.com


Buy the book! Hearts of Darkness can be purchased at:

Monday, August 06, 2012

Review: The Forsaken by Lisa M. Stasse

Title: The Forsaken
Author: Lisa M. Stasse
Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian
Series: The Forsaken #1

Hardcover, 375 pages
Published on July 10, 2012 by Simon & Schuster BFYR

Source: Publisher

Buy the book
||AMAZON||BOOK DEPOSITORY||

Reading level: Ages 12 and up

||SUMMARY||
As an obedient orphan of the U.N.A. (the super-country that was once Mexico, the U.S., and Canada), Alenna learned at an early age to blend in and be quiet—having your parents taken by the police will do that to a girl. But Alenna can’t help but stand out when she fails a test that all sixteen-year-olds have to take: The test says she has a high capacity for brutal violence, and so she is sent to The Wheel, an island where all would-be criminals end up.

The life expectancy of prisoners on The Wheel is just two years, but with dirty, violent, and chaotic conditions, the time seems a lot longer as Alenna is forced to deal with civil wars for land ownership and machines that snatch kids out of their makeshift homes. Desperate, she and the other prisoners concoct a potentially fatal plan to flee the island. Survival may seem impossible, but Alenna is determined to achieve it anyway.


||Review||

Alenna was orphaned at a young age when her parents were taken away by the UNA (new nation formed from USA, Canada, and Mexico) soldiers. Now at the age of sixteen, Alenna and other sixteen-year-olds are required to take a government test. The government personality test determines whether or not kids have a gene that makes them penchant to rebellion. Alenna and another kid name David both failed the test, and they wake up on the island called ‘The Wheel’ where all those who failed get sent. What Alenna and David discover is that the Wheel is divided up into multiple colored sectors, and the most feared leader is a mysterious old man name ‘The Monk’. Alenna is still convinced that there was a mistake, and that there was an error in her being sent to The Wheel. As Alenna fights to stay alive and to find a way off The Wheel, she uncover more dark government conspiracies and what really happened to her parents.

I think I had too high of an expectation of the book, I mean look at that crazy-cool cover! The concept is really intriguing but the execution of the story not so much. I had a hard time connecting with the characters, they were just MEH- and I didn’t really care for them.  Alenna was an okay character; but I just didn’t see anything special about her. The only thing that was mentioned about her is that she’s prettier than the other girls on the wheel but other than that she was pretty bland. I didn’t really get pulled into the story till the last 70 pages when things about The Wheel, The Mysterious Monk, and Alenna’s Parents were revealed. The technology in the book was kind of weird/different, and I wish I was more fascinated with it but I wasn’t. There are “Feelers” that come out of nowhere, Machines with multiple tentacles that snatch kids randomly.  It turns out it’s not so random, each kids has a certain code, so that the feelers know exactly who their targeted victims are. Readers eventually find out the purpose of the feelers and where the kids are taken.  

Many readers compared this new series as The Hunger Games meets The Lord of the Flies. In my opinion I suggest you go read either series, it’s much more interesting.  Although this book wasn’t my cup of tea, the last 70 pages suggest that there might be some potential for the next book.  If you had this book on your radar, I recommend you either borrow it from the library or a friend. Overall an okay read, I’ll probably read the next book in the series but won’t rush to read it. 




**Thank you Simon & Schuster for sending me a copy of this book for review** 






FTC disclaimer: Simon & Schuster provided me with a copy of The Forsaken, in return I provide an honest review. 

Sunday, August 05, 2012

1 Year Blogiversary Celebration: Day 5



Welcome to Day 5 of my blogiversary celebration. Today I am giving away a pre-order of any of the following books, to one Short &  Sweet Reviews reader!

Theses are just some of the books I'm looking forward to, there's a lot of more books coming out in the coming months ;)


Ashes of Honor by Seanan McGuire
Widow's Web by Jennifer Estep
The Shattered Dark by Sandy Williams
Soul Screamers Vol. 2 by Rachel Vincent
Full Blooded by Amanda Carlson
The Trouble with Fate by Leigh Evans
Boyfriend from Hell by Jamie Quaid
Death and the Girl next Door by Darynda Jones
Gravity by Melissa West
 Undeadly by Michele Vail
Blood Winter by Diana P. Francis
Sealed with a Curse by Cecy Robson

Giveaway rule:
Giveaways are for Short & Sweet Reviews readers only.
This giveaway is INTERNATIONAL. 
All giveaway end on August 7th (PST)
Please fill out the Rafflecopter. 


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Saturday, August 04, 2012

1 Year Blogiversary Celebration: Day 4



Welcome to day 4 of my blogiversary celebration! Today I will be giving away either a $10 (USD) Amazon GC or any book from the Book Depository priced up to $10 (USD).

or




Giveaway rule:
Giveaways are for Short & Sweet Reviews readers only.
This giveaway is INTERNATIONAL. 
All giveaway end on August 7th (PST)
Please fill out the Rafflecopter. 


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Friday, August 03, 2012

1 Year Blogiversary Celebration: Day 3




Welcome to day 3 of my Blogiversary celebration. Today I am giving away 6 books, which includes
Innocent Darkness by Suzanne Lazear (Signed) ARC
Angel's Ink by Jocelynn Drake ARC
League of Strays by L.B. Schulman ARC
Entice by Jessica Shirvington ARC
The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda HB
The Peculiars Mauren McQuerry HB



Giveaway rule:
Giveaways are for Short & Sweet Reviews readers only.
US only, sorry international folks, will have another giveaway for you in the next couple of days. :)
Please fill out the Rafflecopter. 
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Thursday, August 02, 2012

1 Year Blogiversary Celebration: Day 2


Welcome to day 2 of my Blogiversary celebration. Today I am giving away a mystery book box! The box will have 9 books with various genres. Books are in new to gently used condition.

Giveaway rule:
Giveaways are for Short & Sweet Reviews readers only.
US only, sorry international folks, will have another giveaway for you in the next couple of days. :)
Please fill out the Rafflecopter. (changing the points available)



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Wednesday, August 01, 2012

1 Year Blogiversary Celebration: Day 1


The day has finally arrived! Today is exactly one year ago when I started this blog. How quickly time flies, it feels like just yesterday I started blogging. 

I would have never imagined that my blog would grow as much as it did, and turn out like this...it still amazes me everyday. I would like to say THANK YOU to everyone who has supported this blog over the year;
Amazing readers & friends
Fantastic Bloggers
Authors
Publicists 

To celebrate my blog turning one today and to thank everyone, I will be doing a giveaway every day starting today August 1 till August 5. All giveaways will conclude on August 6, 2012 at midnight (PST) which gives you an extra day to enter the last giveaway.

Some giveaways will be US only, while others will be US/INT.

Blogiversary giveaway #1

Yesterday July 31th, two of my favorite author's book just came out! Kelly Gay's Shadows Before the Sun and Ilona Andrew's Gunmetal Magic! I will be giving a way a choice of either book to (1) one Short & Sweet Reviews follower! 
**If you haven't read either series, and would like the first in the series instead, that is fine :)**



This giveaway is INTERNATIONAL (anywhere the Book Depository ships).
PLEASE FILL OUT THE FORM BELOW




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