Taste by Kate Evangelista : Interview and Review!

~THE AUTHOR BEHIND THE BOOK~

Kate Evangelista

"I live in the world of the written word..."

When Kate Evangelista was told she had a knack for writing stories, she did the next best thing: entered medical school. 

After realizing she wasn't going to be the next Doogie Howser, M.D., Kate wandered into the Literature department of her university and never looked back. Today, she is in possession of a piece of paper that says to the world she owns a Literature degree. To make matters worse, she took Master's courses in creative writing. In the end, she realized to be a writer, none of what she had mattered. What really mattered? Writing. Plain and simple, honest to God, sitting in front of her computer, writing.

BACK OF THE BOOK: TASTE

At Barinkoff Academy, there's only one rule: no students on campus after curfew. Phoenix McKay soon finds out why when she is left behind at sunset. A group calling themselves night students threaten to taste her flesh until she is saved by a mysterious, alluring boy. With his pale skin, dark eyes, and mesmerizing voice, Demitri is both irresistible and impenetrable. He warns her to stay away from his dangerous world of flesh eaters. Unfortunately, the gorgeous and playful Luka has other plans.

When Phoenix is caught between her physical and her emotional attraction, she becomes the keeper of a deadly secret that will rock the foundations of an ancient civilization living beneath Barinkoff Academy. Phoenix doesn’t realize until it is too late that the closer she gets to both Demitri and Luka the more she is plunging them all into a centuries old feud.

~Interview with the Author~

I want to thank Kate for being willing to do this interview with me! I so enjoyed getting to talk with her and be a part of the promotion of this really awesome book! She is an excellent writer!

Q: Tell us an interesting thing or two about you!

A: I wish I could say I have a super secret identity or that I have a really cool super power, but I don't. *laughs* I guess the most interesting thing about me is that there are two things I really love: watching movies and buying shoes. I can never get tired of both and feel like something is missing if I can't have one or the other. 

Q: How did you get your start in writing?

A: I would have to thank my sophomore English teacher for giving me encouragement. If it weren't for her writing assignments and her telling me that I have potential as a writer, I don't think I would be here answering this question.

Q:Why did you choose to write YA?

A: Being a teen is such a magical age. There are so many firsts. Add a little magic or the paranormal to that and you have an adventure. *smiles* 

Q: What influenced the story of Taste the most?

A: The ringing of the bell at the school I used to teach at. If they didn't practice ringing a bell at the end of the day to signal to the students that they had to wait for their parents at the gate, I would never have been inspired to write Taste.

Q:  Is Phoenix's character based off of anyone in particular?

A: Not really. My characters come as they are in my head. They are individuals in of themselves. 

Q: Have you always had an interest in Fantasy/Romance?

A: Yes and yes. Reading fantasy novels was what got me interested in reading in general. And I'm a romantic by heart, so there will always be love and attraction in anything I write. I love the feeling of falling in love.

Q: Does the name Zhamvy have a special meaning we do not know about?

A: Not necessarily. That is the name of their species and their civilization. I'll have to ask Dray about it and get back to you. 

Q:Where did the concept of the Zhamvy race/culture stem from?

A: The concept of the Zhamvy came with Demitri, Luka, and Dray. Between the three of them describing what their culture and society is like, I had a pretty good idea of how they lived their daily lives underground. 

Q: Will there be a followup to Taste?

A: At the moment, Taste is stand alone. I'm not one to predict the future, so who knows. *smiles*

Q: What can you tell us about your other completed works?

A: Right now I'm editing two trilogies. The first is called Til Death which is with Entangled and the second is Reaping Me Softly which is with Omnific Publishing. I look forward to sharing these stories with all of you in the future. 

Q: If you had to name one book/author who has inspired you over the years who/what would it be?

A: When I was in high school, it would have to be Raymond E. Feist. He's an awesome fantasy writer. I devoured his Rift War Saga. When it comes to romance, it would have to be Lisa Kleypas hands down. I see myself fainting upon meeting her. *laughs*

"I would like to take this moment to thank Jill for letting me hang out with all of you today. I had so much fun answering her questions. Please grab your copy of Taste and tell your friends about it. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Happy reading, everyone!"

How to visit the author:

Her Blog

Goodreads

To purchase your own copy of Taste:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Book Depository

~WHAT I THOUGHT, MY REVIEW OF TASTE~

This book has received four shining stars and rightly so! 

Kate is an amazing author with a great imagination and a knack for creating a mesmerizing fantasy world. 

I am so happy at the spin she put on your typical fantasy romance. No vampires or werewolves in this book!

Instead you get a spine tingling, yet gorgeous race of flesh eaters. 

I just loved the originality of this book! (It's cover is down right beautiful too!)

The culture and city of the Zhamvy is detailed and through various characters becomes complete all on its own. Kate certainly did not skip a beat in the writing of this book. 

They may be flesh eaters but they are cultured and similar to humans in so many ways. This makes them relatable and it is easy to see why Phoenix, the main character, loves them. 

She has crafted an intriguing world full of excitement and of course some romance.

Demitri's character is dashing and dark. Definitely a keeper! Phoenix is a strong, intelligent girl whose actions stem from a good heart. I just love strong female characters. 

The romance between Demitri and Phoenix was sweet and passionate. I just ate up those parts of the book!

At times I was frustrated with both of them but well written characters will do that to you. Send you on that roller coaster ride as you journey with them. It is just great!

Overall Taste was impeccably written. It flowed so nicely. All though I am sure readers would love a sequel to this book due to it's captivating qualities and wonderful characters, it is not necessary.

Kate really wraps everything up at the end and even throws in a twist. It is a wonderful stand alone novel.

You are left smiling and content. I would gladly recommend Taste to any fan of YA fantasy. I am sure they will love this book! I look forward to reading more of Kate's writing in the near future! 

Blog Tour Stop: The Orphan The Soulcatcher and the Black Blizzard

THE ORPHAN THE SOULCATCHER and the BLACK BLIZZARD
by Kimberlee Ann Bastian

Most of his life, Charlie Reese has been surrounded by a loving family and all the comforts of home. But when a house fire claims them, he and his cousin, Jimmy are sent to an orphanage in the heart of ‘Depression Era’ Chicago. A year later, Charlie’s life is shaken by yet another tragedy and with it comes the mysterious introduction of a secretive runaway, named Bartholomew. 


As Charlie begins to discover more about his new companion, he unknowingly becomes a participant in a two-hundred year old secret. Come the morning of the Black Blizzard, Charlie finds he must make a choice - flee the destiny laden at his feet or take on his responsibility and follow a path full of supernatural wonders.

About the Author!

Kimberlee Ann Bastian is a devoted swim coach and an enthusiastic writer who has a love affair with American nostalgia, pop culture, mythology, folklore, and endless possibilities. This melting pot of elements prompted the creation of her young adult contemporary fantasy "The Orphan, the Soulcatcher, and the Black Blizzard". It is her debut novel and the first in her epic ELEMENT ODYSSEYS.

When she is not on the pool deck cheering on her swimmers or typing on her computer in the late night hours, she enjoys cooking, hiking, and watching an incredible amount of television.

~Interview with the Author~

Q: Tell me a bit about yourself? 

I am a native Minnesotan and live in small river town along the gorgeous Mississippi. For my day job, I work at the YMCA. My primary job is coaching the swim team as assistant head coach. I love working with my kids and getting to know their families, which makes it more than just a job. With all the character voices in my head, it’s a nice break to be able to talk out loud with someone, haha. I am an avid bike rider, which now that its summer my bike acts as my car. I am a huge pop culture geek, though I have never been to Comic Con. (Side bar: One of these days, I’ll get there, preferably when my book is turned into a movie, haha.) I love watching television, it is my kryptonite (White Collar, Suits, Breaking Bad, and True Blood are just a few on my summer must watch list).

Q: Did you always want to become a writer? 

Actually, I wanted to be an Olympic Figure Skater like Kristi Yamaguchi, she was my idol. My skating career, however, was very short lived and I realized I needed a different dream, because no amount of wishing was going to get me to the medal stand. I knew I wanted to write when I was in middle school, though at the time I had aspirations of going to Hollywood and writing screenplays. The author bug really hit me after I read Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

Q: Who have you chosen as your target audience and why? 

The main audience for the book is young adult. I have always found stories in this genre speak to me the most, also, there is something to be said about the angst and suffering of teens. We’ve all been there, or at least will be for those who haven’t and I find the rollercoaster of those years fascinating. The book, however, is not just for teens, it bridges the age gap and I wrote it with that in mind.

Q:What made you choose Chicago and the depression era as the setting for your book? 

I have always felt that the Midwest is not represented enough in movies and literature and being a native of the Midwest I wanted my story to have elements of home. Plus, it is what I know best. As for the Depression Era, I have always been a lover of history and the 1930s has always been one of my favorite decades, second only to the Civil War Era. When I started my research, I discovered the Black Blizzards (the Dust Bowl storms) blew up to Chicago and rained ash for two days in May 1934. This piece of information sealed the setting right away for me and I had no doubts about it.

Q: Are there Chicago landmarks in your book that have importance to you? 

Not really, though I do feel I know the Bridgeport neighborhood quite well. It would definitely be a place in time I would take my DeLorean.

Q: Do any of your characters take after people close to you? 

There are a few, though most of them are not in The Orphan, the Soulcatcher and the Black Blizzard. Charlie Reese’s physical appearance resembles my younger sister’s high school boy friend, but their personalities are quite different. Father Van Lewen’s personality is very much like a priest I knew when I was in grade school, but his features are more like Clancy Brown. There are several names in the book of people close to me, whether they are family or friends. The most significant of these is Gert Reese, Charlie’s late uncle, who is named after my mother’s late father. There is also the last name of Ziemba, which is my BFF’s, mother’s maiden name. Her family is from Chicago, more specifically the Back of the Yards neighborhood, which was on the eastern border of the Union Stockyards. She told me that her father remembered the day the Black Blizzard came to the Windy City and I thought that was the coolest coincidence.

Q:What were your major influences while writing your book? 

History, history, and more history, haha. Everything from language, to clothing, to buildings, and plot, a great deal of that came out of the research I did. But that is not to say I did not gain influence from elsewhere. The whole Billiard sequence and the cat came from one of my favorite childhood movies, Disney’s The Cat From Outer Space. Also, the Coen Brothers movie, O Brother Where Art Thou was very helpful, not so much on this book, but its sequel. My two biggest inspirations, however, come from two very different places: HBO’s Carnivale and Irene Hunt’s middle grade novel No Promises in the Wind.

Q: What was your biggest challenge while writing? 

Sitting! In the beginning when I was flowing with ideas it was easy, but now that I am in editing mode and I really have to think about what needs to be in the scene, I get antsy fast. Half the time I may end up staring at the screen with no help from any of my characters. When that happens I get up and move around, maybe go for a bike ride or hike to clear my mind, but sometimes even that doesn’t work and I have to leave the writing for another day. I find nice summer days to be the worst sitting days.

Q: What works do you have in store for your readers? 

Eight sequels, and yes you read that right, eight. I got the notion in my head early on that I wanted to have a three-trilogy part series. Think of it like Star Wars if seven, eight & nine were made. Each book is set to have its own uniqueness, setting, and level of mythological elements. In the OSBB, Chicago is the main setting and is light on the supernatural, whereas in Book Two, my characters will journey from Chicago to Milwaukee to Minneapolis and will introduce more supernatural elements. Book Three is an enigma all its own and that is all the teaser I will give on that for now. Four through Six will for sure skip a few years to WWII in the Pacific Theater as well as a journey on the US main land from the Dakotas to Portland, Oregon. There will be a lot more historical elements involved as well mixed in with the advancing mythology. I have the whole thing mapped out. I even know the ending.

Q: What is your favorite spot to write in? 

Anywhere in the house, it is sunny. :)

Q:What was your most enjoyable part about the writing process? 

My last edit—it was the moment the story truly came together.

Q: If you had to name a favorite book/author, what/who would it be?

Book – Fantastic Mr. Fox

Author – Mark Twain

The first author to inspire me – Stephen King

WHAT I THOUGHT: 

The Orphan The Soulcatcher and the Black Blizzard is a thrilling tale. Fit for young readers as well as old.
The story opens with action and mystery, instantly drawing you in. My mind buzzed with questions that kept me reading to find out more.
Kimberlee Bastian has created an excellent cast of characters that have great, quirky personalities. You are drawn to Charlie and Buck and connect with them so well.
Their tale is one of friendship, strength and destiny. Readers are sure to be happy followers on their journey.
The author has such a wonderful way of implementing the imagery in her story. The sites, smells and feelings of the places and people are vivid, something I thoroughly enjoyed while reading.
This book is set in "depression era" Chicago. It's historical time frame is something I found quite refreshing and kind of like stepping briefly back in time. You get to experience Chicago during a trying and difficult time period of life.
This book is also full of popular mythology and folklore as well as some that are not as well known. This is an aspect of the story that I really liked. Bastian has a unique perspective of these mythical beings and was able to build them a well fit place in her story. Hades character was definitely one that sparked my interest.
"...Buck can think of only two mortals in the history of Eden capable of resisting the full extent of Hades' magic- The Trickster being one and Charlie being the other."(Chapter, The Scarlet Phoenix)
There are two worlds portrayed in this story, Charlie's Chicago and Buck's ancient, mythological world. Both worlds are equally interesting and exciting. The author is able to gradually bring the two together until they become perfectly interwoven and you start to see them more as one world instead of two.
As you read, you are continually pulled along by the plot. There are no gaps and no confusions. The author does a great job of revealing just enough at the right times to her readers.
Her ending leaves you fulfilled yet hungry for the sequel!

Please visit the author and her book on her Goodreads page ~HERE~

Her book is available on Amazon for the Kindle ~HERE~

For more information on Kimberlee and the Element Odysseys series

Please follow her on TWITTER and FACEBOOK

Star Trek Cake ^^

In honor of two of my favorite things, my fiance and Star Trek, I made this really cool Star Trek cake for Bobby's birthday! 

The inside is red velvet cake with a strawberry cream filling. It was covered in a cream cheese frosting before all the fondant was applied. The entire thing, including the USS Enterprise on the top is made of cake and completely edible!

Hope you guys think this is as cool as I did :]

USS ENTERPRISE! Top view

From the top it has the USS Enterprise from an aerial view. It is supposed to look like it is in the sky. I hope it does! I wanted to have time to make the stars out of fondant instead of frosting, but in all the cake took me 9 hours! I just didn't have the time to put in all the details I wanted to. 

The ship is labeled with NCC-1701C, which is the model of the Enterprise from The Next Generation series. TNG is Bobby's favorite one ^^

From the side the cake it is made to look like the Star Trek uniform. Red and black with the rank insignia for Captain (for those who don't know, that is the four gold dots) and the Communicator Pin.  

On the adjacent side it has yellow lettering that spells "Captain Sharp" Sharp is my fiance's last name. 

I had so much fun getting to do this cake! The coloring of the fondant was the hardest part! It takes so long to get a real black color. My arms were sore >.< 

Oh, and it tastes good too! 

If anyone is wondering how I make my fondant, I have the recipe for both the fondant and the frosting I usually use posted all ready. You can see them ~HERE~

The strawberry creme filling recipe is located ~HERE~

Thanks for stopping by!

Blog Tour Stop! Dreaming Dangerously

DREAMING DANGEROUSLY by Kathleen Harsch

Book #1 in the Children of the Psi Series

What if you could HEAR thoughts?

Thanks to her ability to mind-drop, Cassie can hear the thoughts of everyone around her. But sometimes her telepathy is more of a curse than a psychic gift, especially when it comes to Will Rossi. 

Reason #1: He pushes his thoughts at her, whether she wants to hear them or not. 
Reason #2: His sexy, vindictive ex-girlfriend. 
Reason #3: His dimples are absolutely, 100% distracting. 

To her surprise, Cassie feels drawn to Will's electromagnetic vibes. Yet, as she falls for him, she discovers their relationship has some serious side effects. She begins to have dreams about the future - dreams that come true in horrifying ways. Cassie needs to learn to trust Will, or she won't be able to prevent the tragedy she sees coming.

Please visit the author Kathleen Harsch on her Goodreads page, (HERE)

Also, don't forget to check out and follow her blog, Kathleen Suzette Harsch!

And while your at it take a look at the Dreaming Dangerously trailor!

My Review of Dreaming Dangerously:

I have given this book a well deserved four stars!

There are many young adult novels based on psychic ability however, none that seemed to fit so well into that theme as Dreaming Dangerously does. It is a difficult topic to write on and is often a hit or miss kind of thing. This book was a definite hit!

The author does a wonderful job of incorporating her characters abilities into the story. They flow and grow along with the characters making for a realistic portrayal of what life would be like for a Psi child. 

Kathleen Harsch has a unique perception of this particular psychic ability and does a great job explaining it's inner workings. Not only do you know her characters can use psychic powers but you get to understand how they can expand on them and the different ways they use them.

The reader gets an excellent look into teenage life as well. The frustrations and trust issues that face the main character Cassie, are spot on. 

You get to experience the joys of falling in love and being a teenager and the pain that goes right along with it. I would enjoy reading about Cassie's day to day life in school and home even if she wasn't gifted with her psychic ability.

The characters in this book are easily relatable, which is something that I loved about it. It is so much easier to take a journey through a book when you can connect with the characters you are following. 

Both Will and Cassie have known loss and have had to overcome obstacles while growing up. Their background stories really add to their personalities and the reader's understanding of them. 

Cassie is a strong girl who is not afraid to do what is right. She makes for a good role model! 

I am so glad that her relationship is not the typical dependent one often portrayed in young adult books. Will is there to support her not be her knight in shining armor. 

The world of dreams is something that has always intrigued me as well. It is unique subject matter for a book and originally what drew my attention towards this novel. I think the author does a good job of implementing the use of dreams into the plot. Each dream is like a bit of foreshadowing except you don't know which part of it will come true.

This was the perfect book to get comfy on the couch with and I read it in one sitting. I am looking forward to reading the upcoming installments in this series! The ending definitely leaves you wanting the sequel!

I would gladly recommend Dreaming Dangerously  for anyone looking for a sci-fi read that is light and fun and full of surprises!

Dreaming Dangerously is available for purchase through Amazon in Kindle format

~HERE~
It is also available from Barnes&Noble
~HERE~

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