Friday, June 29, 2012

Feature Friday! Author P.G. Shriver

Young Adult and Children's Author P.G. Shriver
Author of Dead Perfect and The Fairytale

P.G. Shriver was born in Buena Park, California. She is the author of several young adult novels so far. P.G. has been writing since the age of seven when her poem won the opportunity of publication in the local newspaper. She discovered that people were affected by her writing; it made them happy, sad, hopeful.

P.G. currently lives in Texas with her husband, daughter and several animals. She works as an instructor at a local college.

P.G. enjoys reading, writing, cooking, walking, horseback riding and spending time with her family and friends.

"Good books make me happy! Stay awhile in one of mine!"


Book 1 in The Gifted Ones Series
THE FAIRYTALE 

Thrown together by the cruelties of a modern day world in which genuine compassion is rare, evil abounds, and goodness is often tainted by the fight to survive, two unusually gifted teenagers discover they are linked by a fairytale told them repeatedly throughout their youth by their late mothers. 

Destiny awaits them, but first they must locate the others, as the fairytale foretells, to defeat the evil monster who waits and change the lonely world in which they live. 
Only then will they find peace... and family.



Dead Perfect:  A Paranormal Love Story

My lifelong dreams never included falling in love. Graduating top of the class, going to college somewhere far away and starting a life in a place where my alcoholic mother could never find me were the first three goals on my list. Then the unexpected auto accident with Mother, after her regular doses of vodka, altered all of that. With her gone, my life and my perspective changed forever.  

Desperate to find Joanie so I could break free, I returned to my old school. The search led me to her, my Aphrodite, a familiar lost look in her soulful eyes. Fantasies of her forced reasoning from my mind...  


If you wish to purchase your own copy of Dead Perfect or The Fairytale
Please visit PG Shriver's Website @ Gean Penny Books
Her novels are also available in Paperback and Kindle Edition @ Amazon.com
Don't forget to visit the author on her Goodreads page ~HERE~
P.G. also has a blog! Follow her @ P.G. Writing

Gean Penny aka. P.G. Shriver, has also written several books for children
Including The Bobby Jay Series for Juvenile Readers!


~ MY REVIEWS ~

Dead Perfect is such a great romance novel! I have gladly given it four stars! 
P.G. has been gifted with such a delightful writing style. She has crafted a well written young adult novel full of heartache, romance and the paranormal! Dead Perfect has such a wonderful balance of all of these things and is definitely one of the most unique stories I have read.
The story is told in such an interesting way, where it switches back and forth from the main characters viewpoints. I really enjoyed this style of writing. It kept things interesting as well as progressing quickly.
I was hooked from the first chapter.
Oh the romance! Mel and Davis are the perfect match and from the moment you find out they both love Rocky Road, you are cheering for them. Their relationship is intense and passionate. 
 P.G. has done such an amazing job creating her characters. Mel is a lovely young girl who has faced so many demons in her short life. You really connect with her character through out the story and your heart goes out for her. 
Davis too has quite the interesting past and more than a few secrets. P.G. does a great job of pacing the story so you keep guessing until the very end. 
This book is about so much more than Davis and Mel's need for each other. It is also about redemption, grief and finding your way.
The ending of this book was my favorite part! The twists and turns in the plot are fantastic. I was left with tears in my eyes after the last page.
It is so wonderful when a book can take you to so many different places and allows you to experience a range of emotion. This book definitely did that for me!
If you are a sucker for romance and a great paranormal slice of life story I highly suggest picking up Dead Perfect!


Four stars for P.G. Shriver's, The Fairytale! This story is so unique and keeps you enthralled the whole way through. It is imaginative, endearing, and down right intriguing.
P.G. creates such strong characters. Ones that have faced such hardship, but have not let it break them. 
I love that her characters are real and from such different walks of life. They make for quite an emotional story. Much like P.G.'s other young adult novel, The Fairytale has you experiencing so many different things through out the story. Sadness, hope, and joy all wrapped up in one. 
Cheater, the main character, has been shuffled through the foster system and swears death follows her. Yet she has learned how to survive on her own and continues to follow her goal of reaching Paradise. I also loved the originality of Cheater's "gift". Her power adds such an enjoyable aspect to the story.
I can't wait to find out what the other ten children's gifts are! 
At first I was unsure of how a childhood fairytale would work as the basis for a novel. But the more I read, the more I loved the idea of it. P.G. is a talented writer and has crafted a fantastical adventure that is only just getting started.
The plot is so enjoyable and keeps you guessing all the way to the end. You are left wanting more and that is the mark of a good book.
This is a great first book to the series and I can not wait to see what happens next in the Gifted Ones series!
I definitely recommend this book to teens and adults alike. Readers who like real life stories with a touch of fantasy will thoroughly enjoy this one! 


Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Review and Author Interview with E. Van Lowe


E Van Lowe was born in the Bronx and as kid always had a lot to say. His mother suggested that instead of speaking freely, he write all his important thoughts down. He enjoyed writing his thoughts down so much he decided that when he grew up he would become a professional writer. 
When E graduated from Lehman College in the Bronx, he moved to Los Angeles. There he enrolled in the Masters In Professional Writing Program at the University of Southern California. It worked! While a student at USC, E sold his first short story to a romance magazine.



E has gone on to write for many award winning TV shows including: 
The Cosby Show, and Even Stevens
He also co-wrote the Academy Award nominated short film, Cadillac Dreams. 
Never Slow Dance With A Zombie was his first teen novel.  
Boyfriend From Hell is the first in the Falling Angels Saga.  
The second novel in the saga, Earth Angel, is now available.  
It seems E still has lots of important, and weird, thoughts to share with readers


Check out the Boyfriend From Hell Trailor! 




Book One in the Falling Angels Saga
BOYFRIEND FROM HELL
Fifteen year-old Megan Barnett and her single mom, Suze, have a special relationship–they are friends, close friends, who do almost everything together.The special bond takes a turn for the worse when Suze decides to start dating again. She hasn’t had a man in her life since Megan’s father left ten years ago.

Enter two mysterious young men. Megan’s new classmate, sinfully attractive bad boy, Guy Matson, and the dangerously handsome art dealer, Armando. Before long Megan and Suze both wind up in steamy relationships. But neither of the handsome pair is quite what he seems. In fact, one of them is Satan, with his sights set on a new bride. Megan has precious little time to figure out how to stop him. If she doessn’t, either Megan or Suze are quite literally going to HELL.


Book Two in the Falling Angels Saga
EARTH ANGEL

Just because Megan Barnett recently defeated Satan, has a fantastic new best friend, and has won the love of deliciously handsome, Guy Matson, doesn’t mean her troubles are over. Far from it. For Megan doesn’t realize it, but in her possession is a powerful weapon, a weapon sought after by both angels and demons and everything in between. They will do ANYTHING to get it.
In E. Van Lowe’s humorous, romantic and thrilling sequel to Boyfriend From Hell, Megan winds up in a gripping life or death battle to save herself, the boy she loves, and all of mankind from unthinkable evil.



If you want to know more about the author and his other works,
Please visit his Blog @ E's Blog
And E's website @ E Van Lowe
To purchase your copy of The Falling Angels Saga go to;
AMAZON for the paperback or Kindle version and
Barnes and Noble for the paperback or Nook version

I would like to thank E for taking the time to do this interview with me! It has been a pleasure getting to read and review Boyfriend from Hell and getting to peak in to the world that is 
E. Van Lowe! 

~Interview with the Author~

Q: Lets talk a bit about you! What is E. all about?
A: I am a full time writer which is awesome fun.  I write novels and sometimes for TV and film.  I used to write TV full time but over the past few years I’ve switched to books.  I am an easy going person who likes to have fun and to help people whenever I can.

Q: What is your favorite show/film you have written for?
A: My favorite show I wrote for and produced for one season is called Roc.  You probably never heard of it.  It came on Sundays on Fox in the mid 90s.  Right now we’re shopping the Never Slow Dance With A Zombie movie musical based on my novel.  If I ever get to write that screenplay it will most definitely be my fave. Fingers crossed  ;-)

Q: Do you prefer writing for TV or writing novels?
A: I prefer writing novels.  I like the time you can spend developing characters and relationships. I like seeing my work on the screen, though.  That’s a real kick.  So both books and TV or film are a happy medium for me.  

Q: What gave you your start as a writer?
A: I wanted to be a writer since I was 10 years old.  I know you hear people say that, but that’s the truth.  My first success came when I wrote a civil rights play back in the 6th grade and my class performed it for the entire school.  I started writing professionally in college.  I had some luck getting short stories and articles published.  The money helped me get through school.

Q: Why did you decide to make the jump to being an author?
A: I actually wrote books before I jumped into TV and film, so I was an author first. I wrote a very successful horror novel called Child’s Play when I was in college.  It was great achieving my dream of becoming a horror novelist, but at the time, unless you were Stephen King you needed another gig to go along with writing.  I wanted to write full time.  Someone told me TV paid a lot better.  I checked it out, caught a break, and got in.

Q: Are you partial to any of your novels? Do you feel a special connection to one in particular?
A: I don’t have a favorite.  There are relationships I love and passages I love, but I don’t have a special connection to any one book.  At least, not yet.   

Q: What is your biggest inspiration while writing?
A: I’m not sure what you mean.  If you mean what inspires me to write, I don’t need to be inspired to write.  Writing is my hobby AND my job and I LOVE it.  You don’t need to be inspired to do the things you love—like chocolate.  I love chocolate.  I don’t need to be inspired to eat chocolate or drink beer  :]

Q: What has been the biggest challenge in your writing career?
A: Time.  There just doesn’t seem to be enough time in the day for all the things I’d like to do. I have so many ideas, but I just don’t have the time to write them.

Q: Who has been your biggest career supporter?
A: Before she passed, my Mom was my biggest supporter.  She supported the idea of me writing professionally even when my Dad thought I should get a “real” job.  LOL.  Today my friends and family continue to support me, although most of them never read my work.  Still, I’m grateful for their support.

Q: Do you have any works in progress?
A: Yes, I have two.  My novel The Zombie Always Knocks Twice (the first in my Hollyweird series) is currently in editorial.  It’s due out as soon as the edit is complete.  Late August, I imagine.  And I am midway through the third book in the Falling Angels Saga, Heaven Sent (for a different publisher).  That one is due out in December.

Q: Where did the concept for Boyfriend From Hell come from?
A: I saw an episode of Lucy Daughter of The Devil (animated) online and thought it would be fun to write a funny Satan.  Of course, as it turns out, my Satan isn’t so funny.  He’s really creepy.  Still, that animated short gave me the germ of the idea that turned into Boyfriend From Hell

Q: Have you always had a fondness for the paranormal?
A: Yes.  It started with horror movies when I was a kid.  However, when I started writing TV I moved away from the genre and wrote mostly sitcoms.  Then The X Files came on, and I developed a burning desire to write paranormal again. 


"Thanks for having me.  These were really fun questions.  If your followers would like to know more about me, or would like a free sample of Boyfriend From Hell, please have them visit my website at evanlowe.com!"



~MY REVIEW OF BOYFRIEND FROM HELL~


Boyfriend From Hell warrants a definite fours stars from me!
E. has an excellent writing style that keeps you engaged through out the whole book. He uses an excellent mixture of humor and drama to weave together a riveting tale.
The paranormal aspect of the story starts off light. You get a hint of the other worldly and it slowly builds until the action packed conclusion. This book is a definite page turner, one that I couldn't put down.
E's characters are wonderfully constructed and delightfully realistic. I loved that the main character, Megan, was intelligent and full of whit. 
Megan's relationship with her mother was one of my favorite aspects of the book. Their relationship is so endearing and spot on for that of a single mom and her teenage daughter. 
You feel their bond and the heart ache that comes when that bond wavers even the slightest bit.
The story moved along quickly and there was never a dull moment. From Guy's first appearance to the shocking end events. 
I won't give anything away, but there is a definite "Oh my goodness" moment near the end. E. has crafted the twists in the plot perfectly!
The only thing I have reservations about is Guy's part in Megan's life. As a character he is so great and has so much potential, yet we really did not see too much of him through out the story. I would love to have seen more of the budding romance between him and Megan and more on his background as well. However, I have a feeling he will be prominent in book two. So as far as Guy being used to set the stage for book two, I think it was well played. Certainly left me wanting to know more!
Besides, this book was more about Megan overcoming her obstacles and saving those she loved. You certainly shouldn't be late to fight the devil because you are snogging in the hallway ^^
Which by the way, I was happy to see that E. kept the romance to that befitting a fifteen year old. I am never too fond of books that have heated romance when the characters are supposedly young teens. 
I can not wait to read the sequel and upcoming books in this series!   
I would highly recommend this book to Young Adult readers who love light humor, romance and the paranormal! 



Tuesday, June 26, 2012

COVER REVEAL: Dark Passage

I am so pleased to be revealing the brand new,
 updated cover for 
Dark Passage by M.L. Woolley! 


I absolutely love this cover! 
The girl embodies both light and dark,
much like the themes presented in the book.

This cover was commissioned by Phatpuppy Art

For my review and interview with the author please go ~HERE~
Also, visit Michelle Woolley online @ Paranormal Romance Author
and on her Goodreads page @ goodreads.com

Sunday, June 24, 2012

My first BLOG AWARD!


My Blog has been awarded the Liebster Blog Award!
WOW! 9 times through out the week! *SMILES*
This award is given to up and coming bloggers who have less than 200 followers.
Liebster is a German word meaning sweetest, cute, kind, valued 
and several other words of adoration. How lovely!

Here are the rules for this award:

1. Each person must post 11 facts about themselves!

2. Answer the 11 questions the tagger has given you. 

3. Choose 11 people and link them in your post.

4. Tell them you've tagged them and please, no tag backs!

6. Write 11 questions for the people you've tagged.

*************

11 FACTS ABOUT ME! 
~ I have 2 middle names and 2 last names
~ I am adopted, and half Japanese
~ I DO NOT like Twilight or any books closely related
~ I hope to one day write and illustrate 2 children's books
~ My dog has 6 names and counting!
~ If I served on the Enterprise my rank would be LT. Commander
~ My favorite thing to bake is any kind of self saucing pudding
~ I drink hot tea at least 3 times a day
~ I LOVE almost every sy fy series, especially Eureka and Warehouse 13
~ I WISH I could be better at crocheting
~ When I was little I liked to sleep in the bathtub

Here are the answers to my questions!

FROM ANDREA:
1.  How long have you been blogging? Since April of this year! Only three months!

2.  What genre do you blog about? Young adult books written by indie and self published authors :]

3.  Where are you from? I am from sunny San Diego, California. All though I am originally from Japan.

4.  Do you have any ARC's right now, if so what? I have several. One of the ones I am most excited about I received from Random House on monday. It is titled Love and Other Perishable Items. Due out this December!

5.  What are you currently reading? I am currently reading The Brightest Kind of Dark by P.T. Michelle

6.  Who is your favorite author of all time? That's a hard one! I would have to say 

7.  Do you usually read mainstream or indie authors? I prefer indie authors immensely!  

9.  Do you give your read books away, run contests with them, or keep them? I have to admit, I am a little selfish with my book collection. I have four book cases full of books and boxes of them in storage.

10.  How many books are in your TBR pile? Too many! I am booked for reviews and interview through the end of July. Which I am very excited about!

11.  What is your favorite food? I absolutely love frozen grapes. Also, Oyako-don which is chicken, onions and fried egg on top of sweet rice. mmmm ^^

FROM CIERRA: (I have omitted repeat questions)
4. Where would you go, if you could go anywhere in the world? I would first visit Egypt then drop everything in my life (except my fiance) and move to Japan!

5. What made you want to blog about books? Mostly I started my blog thinking I was going to do a baking blog. I ended up becoming Goodreads obsessed and started reviewing books instead. I think it worked out nicely.

6. What's your favorite book quote? "I think I'll just go have some pudding..." - Luna Lovegood

7. What's your favorite color? I am always stuck between purple and black.

8. If you could talk to anybody (no matter if they're dead or alive), who would it be and why? I would choose to talk with Patrick Stewart. He is an amazing actor. Meeting him once was not enough!

10. What's your favorite book? Among several, I would have to say The Voyages of Dr. Dolittle by Hugh Lofting, second would be Hailstones and Halibut Bones which is a children's poetry book

11. How many books are you currently reading and what are they? I am reading two at the moment. Fairytale by PG Shriver, who is an author I am currently working with, and Brightest Kind of Dark by PT Michelle, who is doing an author interview with me!

FROM CYNTHIA
1. If you could interview any author, living or dead, who would it be? H.G. Wells

2. If you could live in any era in time, which would you choose? Late 1800's
3. What is the website you could not live without? Piratebay and Goodreads!
4. What book can you read over and over again? Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
5. What do you consider to be the worst book you've ever read? Breaking Dawn ... 
6. Do you have a guilty pleasure (other than reading)? Sci Fi coventions...
7. Do you have a phobia, if so what? SPIDERS
8. If you had a million dollars to do whatever you want, how would you spend it? Traveling and books

FROM DANI
 1. If you were stuck on an island and could only bring one thing, what would it be? My fiance <3
 2. Describe yourself in one word. Compassionate
 3. Choose: clothes, books or gadgets? Books. I do like sweatpants though..
 4. What book have you read and you wish that you wrote it? I wish I could take credit for Little House on the Prairie 
 5. What's your favorite past time? Making sheet tents and pillow forts
 6. If you could un-read any book that you read in the past, what would it be? TWILIGHT
 7. How old were you when you read your first chapter book? I was reading college level in 3rd grade so...
 8. Would you rather stay home or go out? Stay home for sure. I love my couch spot. 



FROM JENNA
1. What is your real name? Jill Marilyn-Marie Swanson
2. What "paranormal"-being would you choose to be and why? I would choose to be a shape shifter.
3. Who are your favorite indie authors (max: 3)? Michele Woolley, David Dawson, PT Michelle 
4. Book you were surprised to have loved? Dandelion Wine
5. Top three favorite singular books: Abundance of Katherines, House of Leaves, After Dark
6. Top three series : Harry P, Divergent, Truth series by Dawn Cook
7. What is your worst habit (book or otherwise)? I am a neat freak in my kitchen!
8. 5 most "swoon-worthy" characters? Daemon from VD, Four from Divergent, Kalona&Stark from HON, Shota Kazehaya from Kimi ni Todoke
9. Future release you're drooling over? Lucid by PT Michelle
10. What blog post are you the most proud of? (please leave a link): 
Favorite Post 
11. What last made you smile? Hamburger Helper was on sale today for 99 cents!

FROM ALIAA
1- What's your most embarrassing moment? I gave the graduation speech at my 5th grade graduation and at the end of my speech, I told 100's of people that we were losers instead of leaders... My mom recorded it...
2-What have you never done but think you should? I should really take herbology classes :]
3- Which book heroine would you like to switch places with? Zooey from HON
4- What's your favorite midnight snack? Mac n' Cheese with hotdog pieces
5- Girl's night out or girl's night in? Night in for sure!
6- Which book can you never stop reading? Harry Potter ^^ 
7- When did you start blogging? Three months ago... seems so much longer than that.
8- When did your addiction to books start? When I good hold a book!
9- Family or best friends? Best friends, always.
10- If you could live anywhere in the worlds (existing and fictional) where would you live? JMejii era Japan
11- Can you live without blogging? I suppose I could but I would be bored!

FROM KIMBERLEE

1. Pluto, a planet or a moon? It will always be a planet to me and my favorite Sailor Scout ^^
2. If you could be a cartoon character, which would you be? I would be Sakura Kinomoto from Card Captor Sakura. It's a Japanese Anime.
3. Disney or Nickelodeon? Nick! but only when the good shows were on Nick at Night and Space Cases
4. What is your secret talent? I have a knack for calming angry  people down and getting people to open up to me.
5. Do you believe in ghosts? I most certainly do! I have witnessed some great spirit photography over the years as well as first hand accounts. 
6. Favorite flavor of ice cream? Definitely Kauai Pie from Lappert's Ice Cream.
7. Would you rather swim in a pool or lake? Lake! I love lakefront property and hope to own a house on one someday. So peaceful!
8. Are you involved in the arts in anyway? I have been in art since I was 8. Figure drawing, portraiture, charcoal mostly. I love photography and my photos have won awards at our local fair. I also have played the piano for 11 years. :]
9. Have you participated in a triathlon before? Nope... I am not one for much physical activity ^^
10. How many licks does it take to finish a jumbo jawbreaker? I always buy these at the candy store but I've never counted... next time!
11. If you could be apart of any movie gang (i.e. The Sandlot, Stand By Me, Goonies, Super 8, etc) which one would it be and what would be your role? I have no idea... I'll have to think on that...


THE LOVELY BOGGERS I HAVE TAGGED <3


Yes, I am aware that I only tagged 5 bloggers :] You guys are just that awesome! 

Questions from me to YOU:
1. What made you start blogging?
2. What is your blog mainly about?
3. What are you currently reading?
4. What is your favorite release from 2012 so far?
5. If you wrote a book, what genre would you write?
6. Where are you from?
7. How many books are in your TBR pile?
8. What is the most recent ARC you have received?
9. When you aren't reading or blogging, what is your favorite thing to do?
10. What book are you most anticipating?
11. What do you snack on while reading?


~THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO PARTICIPATES~