Indie Author Spotlight - Kendell Shaffer - Interview & Giveaway

Kalifornia Blu

(A YA Contemporary Novel By Kendell Shaffer)

Arrested for skateboarding at three o'clock in the morning at the Venice Beach Skate Park, Kalifornia Blu's life takes an unexpected turn when her rock star absent mom doesn't show up at her sentencing hearing. To avoid a trip to Juvenile Hall, she tracks down her dad–whom she hasn't seen since she was eight. The sentencing judge thinks a bit of discipline will be good for Kalifornia and transfers her to a Police Academy Magnet High School, where the students wear LAPD uniforms, learn police drills and practice forensics. And, she’s forced to live with her ex-skateboarding, ex-guitar playing, ex-dad Zachary, in his run-down Venice loft with a 6 pm to 6 am curfew. It’s not an easy sentence for a girl who has grown up touring with her mom, living in five-star hotels all over the world. Curfew is tough, but Kal is tenacious. When she discovers her cop school partner, Jade, is being threatened by her ganglord cousin, Kal skitches (skateboard hitches) a Range Rover through the Venice canals to save her. She rescues a young girl from a gnarly living situation with Jade's help. It's a rough world she's thrown into, with some dangerous people... and a few new friendships, discovered in the most unlikely places.

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Kendell Shaffer grew up in Baltimore, the daughter of two ballet dancers. She moved to the Big Apple for college where she attended Tisch School of the Arts film school at New York University. After college, she moved on to Los Angeles where she produces and writes for television. Now a resident of Venice Beach, Kendell teaches screenwriting to teens at high schools throughout Los Angeles for the Writer's Guild Foundation. In addition to spending time with her family, she co-founded Garage Band Venice, a musical jam where kids learn to play music together in individual bands. She raises bees on her rooftop and plays the drums in her living room. Please visit Kendell at her WEBSITE. 

Welcome Kendell! Can you tell us your main inspiration behind this novel?
I was wondering what it was like for Frances Bean Cobain to grow up. I mean, even though she had rock star parents, Courtney Love and Kurt Cobain, she was still just a kid and needed to do kid things too, not just travel in limos. I thought about the privileges she had verses the normal life that she didn’t. I wanted to explore a character like that. Then I learned about magnet high schools in Los Angeles where kids who want to be cops can attend a police academy high school dressed in police uniforms and take forensics classes and learn police drills. I learned there was a law magnet too where kids who want to be lawyers can attend a law magnet high school and study pre-law. I thought that was pretty cool and I started to hang out and interview these kids. I soon realized they were all good kids who wanted to stay out of trouble. I thought it would be fun to throw a juvenile delinquent into their world. That’s when I came up with the character, Kalifornia Blu. I made her the daughter of a rock star who gets in trouble with the law and then I threw her into cop school with the cop and law kids. 

Was self-publishing your first choice? What was the most nerve wracking part of the process? 
Yes! I love the fact that I would be in charge if I self-published. I am really into social media so I thought that part of it would be fun. Once the book was printed I looked at it like a product I had to sell. I did all the publishing through Amazon Create Space and Kindle DIrect. Both were so straight forward and super easy. I think the paperback looks great and I am impressed with the quality of printing. I did get initial help from my editor, Winslow Eliot at http://writespa.com/ who offers author services. She was the one who convinced me to self publish and once she did, I never looked back. She’s John Locke’s editor BTW! The most nerve wracking part had to be the day that the book became available on Amazon and I thought I had to do all my social media blasts, take it to local book stores, send review copies out, follow up with everyone in my world... all in the first couple of days. I later learned that I could take my time in this process of spreading the word and that getting a buzz started takes time. I am much more relaxed about it all now. 

As a self-published author, did you choose to edit your novel yourself? What was the biggest change you made to the story and/or characters? 
I had the manuscript edited professionally by Winslow Eliot. After Winslow’s edits I went through and took out all the f-bombs. It wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be to replace them. I also revisited the sex scenes and really thought about how I wanted to handle that. I was inspired by Francesca Lia Block’s Weetzie Bat books and how two of her teen characters spent the night in a tee-pee. Francesca never talked about the two having sex, but you knew that they had. I liked the way I could imply that they had sex without getting into details. I also took out a reference I had about cutting. I didn’t think it was a good idea to casually mention something like that without really exploring cutting and what it means. And I took out a line where one of the character’s says, “that’s so gay.” I didn’t want anyone to think I was implying that “gay” was a bad thing. And then I revisited all the adult issues in the book and thought about them one more time from a teens POV. So the story didn’t change, just some of the ways I chose to tell it.

Do you have any unusual writing habits that aide your process and/or character development?
I am not sure this is unusual, but I love to do research. I spent a good deal of time hanging out with police academy high school students. I have been on drive-a-longs with cops, I spent three hours at the LA County morgue. And I’ve spent lots of time hanging out with skateboarders to learn their language and their style of dress, music, etc. My favorite research lately has been getting to know former punk rockers, most of whom are in their 50’s. I’ve spent some fun nights listening to them reminisce about old days in punk bands while dining on exotic food and drinking wine. 

Is there one passage or scene from your novel that you are most fond of?

Well, I like the first chapter, so here it is!

Chapter One 

The surf is high tonight, the shore break smashing loud, but down in the bowl I can barely hear it. I’m flat on my stomach, catching my breath. Kinda rough fall, but no real damage. It’s dark; no moonlight gets through the low clouds, but they glow from the city lights so there’s just enough light to skate by. This is the raddest skateboard park ever, right on Venice beach, carved into the sand. It’s got rails, ramps, steps, linked shallow bowls and one big, deep bowl just like a real empty swimming pool. It makes no sense you can’t use it at night. Anyway, it’s three o’clock in the morning, what are the chances they’ll catch us? They never have before.

I listen to Levi drop in, swoop around me and grind to a stop. Then his lanky body is leaning over me and sucking on my neck.

“Quit it.” I push him away.

I get up, grab my board, and clamber up the side. The ocean’s loud up here. I position my board on the lip, ready to drop. It’s perfect. Everything is perfect; the pitch-black ocean roaring like monsters, the lights of the city off beyond the boardwalk. Nobody around. Warm breeze. Levi gets himself out of the bowl and sets up next to me. 

“Blazing,” he says.

What? The bowl? Me? He takes off his shirt and tucks it inside his jeans. Oh, him. He’s lean and strong and his pale skin catches the light. He drops in first, down the side and up the other end on his PNX board. I’m right behind him squatting down low on my old-school Alva Tri Deck and loving the ride. We get into a groove, circling, whirling, swooping round and round. Insane.

“Whoooop.”

Levi jumps off his board. “Leg it, Kal. PoPo,” he yells.

It sounds again: “Whoooop.”

We both power up the side, landing on the rim. Sure enough, a police SUV is rolling at us over the sand, its brights bouncing in our faces. Levi takes off running, heading south, towards the graffiti walls. I head north. There’s two cops and they both choose me to chase. But I’m going over the skate park wall, down to the bike path; The SUV can’t move around here too easily, especially with all the palm trees. One of the cops jumps out of the SUV and starts chasing me on foot. The SUV blasts sand from under its wheels as it circles round, cuts me off, a female cop leaping out, grabbing my blonde dreadlocks. Oh shit. I squirm away and keep running. I am not letting her take me down. I am not getting arrested. 

Never look back. I learned that on the swim team: it slows you down. 

But I can’t hear her behind me anymore. I look back; she’s not chasing me. She’s on the ground holding her leg. She must have slipped on the sandy concrete. I’m going to get away. So why is she looking at me so smug? 

What an idiot I am ’cause I run right into her partner's arms.

~ GIVEAWAY ~

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Indie Author Spotlight - Gail Gauthier - Interview & Giveaway

Explore what can happen when a typical, self-absorbed teenage boy is influenced by radical, environmentally-concerned senior citizens in her fifth novel. The possibilities for humor are endless in Gail Gauthier's

Saving the Planet & Stuff

Michael Racine is spending a miserable summer alone at home when he stumbles upon a temporary job and housing with his grandparents’ friends, Walt Marcello and Nora Blake. Walt and Nora made names for themselves in the environmental movement with their magazine, "The Earth’s Wife," and Michael believes he’s headed for an internship with them that could rival the summer activities of his far more industrious and accomplished friends. Lack of air conditioning and biking to work get old very fast for him, though, and he has trouble taking seriously Nora’s concerns about the environmental impact of golf courses and Walt’s interest in composting toilets. He gets to leave his hosts’ solar home each weekday only to be faced with turmoil and revolt among "The Earth’s Wife"’s staff. How can Michael¬-or Walt and Nora-¬decide on the right course of action?

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Gail Gauthier is the author of eight children's books, including The Hero of Ticonderoga, an ALA Notable Book, and the two volumes of the Hannah and Brandon Stories series, A Girl, a Boy, and a Monster Cat, and A Girl, a Boy, and Three Robbers, which were both selected as Junior Library Guild offerings. Her books have been nominated for readers' choice awards in six states, and published in foreign editions in Italy, Germany, France, and Japan. She maintains the weblog Original Content, where she writes about children's literature, writing, self-publishing.

Welcome Gail! Can you tell us your main inspiration behind this novel?

I had a teenage son who enjoyed reading YA humor. However, he found at that time that most humorous books for teenagers involved female main characters. So I wanted to write a funny teen boy book. That son also had a part in inspiring the basic situation that Michael, Saving the Planet & Stuff’s main character, finds himself in--a young person thrown together with much older people he barely knows. Some elderly friends of my son’s grandparents suggested he come with them to their cottage in Maine to help them set up a computer. It wasn’t a serious offer, in large part because Will was only 11 or 12 at the time. But I kept thinking how awkward it would be for a young person to have to be far from home, stuck with people who he doesn’t know and who are much different from himself simply because they are two generations older.

Was self-publishing your first choice? What was the most nerve wracking part of the process?

Saving the Planet & Stuff was originally published in 2003 by G. P. Putnam’s Sons.  At that time, there really wasn’t a lot of talk about self-publishing. Writers didn’t think of it as an option. Now it’s not unusual for traditionally published authors to self-publish their older out-of-print books, especially digitally so we don’t have to deal with distribution to bookstores, storing copies, etc., as I did with Saving the Planet.  This is an option writers didn’t have in the past.

The most nerve wracking part of self-publishing was the technical work involved with converting the text to HTML. And I had a publishing partner doing that part of the job for me. We did the conversion ourselves, in part because we didn’t realize we could hire companies to do it for us. However, Saving the Planet & Stuff was particularly difficult to convert because there are a lot of font changes. Having someone else do it for us might have been expensive. When I read about other writers’ trying to convert copy to HTML, they either say it’s easy or a mystery.

As a self-published author, did you choose to edit your novel yourself? What was the biggest change you made to the story and/or characters?

Because Saving the Planet & Stuff had originally been published by a traditional publisher, it had already been both developmentally and copy edited. With this new edition, I didn’t do any developmental (content) editing. The original edition had been reviewed in several professional journals, and I wanted to be able to use those reviews in my marketing. I was concerned that changing the content would make the book a different book, in which case it would be inaccurate to use those reviews.

I did copy edit Saving the Planet several times. We had the original copy scanned to create a digital text for formatting. The conversion process created enormous numbers of copy errors. I edited that so my technical partner would know what to fix. He would go through the book correcting and creating formatting, then I’d copy edit again. We went through that process three or four times.

Do you have any unusual writing habits that aide your process and/or character development?

I have found that any kind of research or reading on a topic related to what I’m writing about is very helpful in terms of character, setting, and even plot. With Saving the Planet & Stuff,  I read a couple of books on the business side of operating a magazine because Walt and Nora, the environmentalists Michael works for, run a magazine. I also had to do research on 1970’s era solar homes, which is what Walt and Nora live in. Fortunately, at the time I was doing my research, the only books on the subject the two little local libraries I use had were from the 1970s. 

Is there one passage or scene from your novel that you are most fond of? 

I like the restaurant scene. Michael believes he’s caught Walt cheating on his wife, Nora, an incredibly noble, dedicated, and strong soul. Walt is a tougher personality, very combative. This scene is funny because of the misunderstanding, but it also provides Walt’s back story, showing him as a sort of environmental knight in shining armor, a romantic figure, of sorts. It also gives Michael an opportunity to stand up to him successfully. This excerpt is going to end abruptly to avoid giving away too much about the misunderstanding.

“…The tall, broad-shouldered figure that had caught his attention had his back toward the street, but there was no mistaking the gray ponytail dangling down his back. A stocky woman in tight black shorts and stockings was facing him. She laughed and gave one of his arms a playful punch. It was a familiar, chummy gesture that Michael didn’t like the looks of at all. He pulled the restaurant door open just enough so he could squeak through. He quietly walked across the thin, shabby rug toward Walt, who was slipping into a booth. Michael was standing next to the table for a few seconds before Walt realized he was there. Michael hadn’t meant to sneak up on him. He hadn’t meant to do anything. He was too dazed to mean to do anything. This can’t be happening, he told himself. I’ve never known people who cheated on their wives or husbands. Though there was a story about a woman at church…and a guy at Mom’s office whose wife caught him…and that guy at the post office…and the President of the United States…But, still, Walt? Walt, who lives a special, better life with Nora? I can’t believe this is happening, he repeated. Walt jumped when he finally saw Michael looking down at him. “Damn it! I should have seen this coming,” was all he said. Michael said nothing. “How did you find me?” Walt asked. His jaw was tight, his voice harsh. Michael couldn’t speak. “We don’t know a soul who has even stepped foot in this place. It only takes you a week to find it.: Michael silently looked to his left and then his right. Walt was probably right. It was not the grilled-unpopular-vegetables-and-polenta (whatever that was)-over-a-wood-fire-type place he would have figured them for. From the smell of things, he’d guess that most of this establishment’s offerings were deep-fried in animal fat. And there seemed to be a dress code. He and Walt were the only two men there without feed-store caps. Michael took a long, shaky breath. “Nora—“ “Would be very upset with me if she knew about this,” Walt broke in. It sounded like a warning. “‘Upset’?” Michael repeated. “‘Upset’? I think she’d be more than ‘upset.’” Walt considered. “Nah. She knows how I am.” Michael’s mouth dropped. “I’m sure she does know how you are,” he said. He was finally getting angry. “But she puts up with you anyway, even though she’s good, and good to everybody, and does…you know…good stuff. I don’t see how the fact that she knows you aren’t good will make her feel any better when she finds out about this.” “Oh, okay. I’m being a hypocrite. But it only happens every couple of months. I’m able to manage the rest of the time. And what about you? What are you doing pointing a finger at me when you eat the way you do? You don’t think you’re being a hypocrite, too?” The phrase “when you eat the way you do” was quickly processed by Michael’s mind. Now he was really shocked.” 

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Stealing Promises Cover Reveal

Stealing Promises

By Brina Courtney

New Adult Contemporary Romance

Coming September 26, 2013

What if love was like gasoline? Light a match and become engulfed in it's flame. Chase Harper is a little bit of a bad boy, but he's good for Hannah and she knows it. Their childhood crush quickly ignites into attraction and takes over their entire lives. But when disaster strikes, what can Hannah do to keep her world from falling into the darkness? Her life could fall apart at any moment, just one match and everything goes up in the blaze. Don't get too close to the flame, or you're bound to get burned.      

~ About Brina Courtney ~

Brina Courtney is a young adult author obsessed with chocolate, crime shows, and fantasy movies. She's spent the last few years as an elementary teacher and a high school cheering coach. She lives in a small town in Pennsylvania with her husband and two very loud, small dogs. 

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Indie Author Spotlight - Thea Berg - Interview & Giveaway

The Magical World of Sebella – The Magic Castle

By Thea Berg

Children’s Fiction (age 7 - 10)

Sebella, a witch, lives in a house once owned by an infamous magician, where strange things often happen. 

While playing the game of Spooks, Sebella’s bratty cousin Prudence accidently knocks over a gargoyle statue, and it magically comes to life! 

The gargoyle’s red eyes torpedo into the fireplace revealing a secret opening. Out of the statue’s mouth flow these words… 

The All-Powerful Magician needs your HELP! He requests your services to SAVE the Castle! Succeed and win the Grand Prize. 

To save the Castle, so children can visit again, Sebella, Prudence, her friend Kendall, along with Sebella’s little brother Drac must first: Capture the Shadows, tame the unruly dragons, and vanquish the Villainous Mentalist. 

Can they save the Magic Castle? Will they win the Grand Prize? And who is the All-Powerful Magician requesting their help? 

Even though Thea Berg was born to “human” parents, she always knew she was part of the magical world.  Having grown up in a small town without much to do, her imagination ran wild, and tales of bewitching adventures filling her head. Thea currently lives in the enchanted land of Los Angeles, CA. The Magical World of Sebella is her first children’s book. 

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Welcome Thea! Can you tell us your main inspiration behind this novel?

When I was young I liked the book, The Worst Witch and never missed an episode of the TV show Bewitched. I always wanted to write a children’s story/series about a witch and her magical adventures. My goal is to open kids imagination and get them excited about reading.

Was self-publishing your first choice? 

Yes. I’m a little bit of a rebel. I have a marketing and sales background in the music business, which I feel is similar to the book world. I knew I could do a lot of this myself, which I hear you have to do these days even if you get a publishing deal. 

What was the most nerve wracking part of the process? 

I was never nervous about writing, marketing or selling but it was nerve wracking hiring editors, an illustrator and web designer.  Even though I have done these tasks for musical artists at my previous jobs doing this for my own project was a bit overwhelming and scary. 

As a self-published author, did you choose to edit your novel yourself? 

What was the biggest change you made to the story and/or characters? I hired a development editor who really helped me develop the story and characters. I could have never published my book without their help. Having dyslexia I then hired a copy editor, which is a must.

Do you have any unusual writing habits that aide your process and/or character development? 

I don’t have any unusual writing habits. I just sit in front of my computer and put my fingers on the keys until words start to form. Sometimes it only takes a few minutes and others times it takes days. I do keep notepads on tables, in purse, in car, etc. If I hear a great story, a cute name, a funny line or an unusual word, I write it down. No one is safe around me anything you say or do may end up in a story.

Is there one passage or scene from your novel that you are most fond of? 

I ‘m fond of my chapter about the magic show. I like the fact that Gaynor the Great messes up all his tricks up. I love magic and was thrilled when the world famous Magic Castle in Hollywood, CA picked up my book and is featuring it as one of their main children’s books in their gift store.

~ Giveaway ~

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Indie Author Spotlight - Michael Mullin - Interview & Review

Talespins By Michael Mullin

A trilogy of alternative fairytales & retellings for YA readers. 

8: The Previously Untold Story of the Previously Unknown 8th Dwarf: Meet Creepy, who is banished to the cottage basement for being different. From there, he affects the plot of the original fairy tale when Snow White (an intruder Creepy refers to as "The Maid") happens upon their dwelling. 

The Plight and Plot of Princess Penny: A teen princess hires a witch to get revenge on a Mean Girl at school. A troll she meets along the way thinks it's a very bad idea.

Jack'd: One fateful night, a giant (in his particular professional field) encounters a boy thief in this modern retelling (with beans!)

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~ All About Our Author ~

I grew up in New England, where all my sports allegiances remain. I’m co-author of the successful Larry Gets Lost picture book series, and was recognized by the WGA’s Written By magazine for an animation screenplay. I spent several years at Disney, writing in their merchandise division and still freelance for them on occasion. Before writing as a career, I taught preschool and college, two positions I found disconcertingly similar. I live in Pasadena with my wife and our 12-year-old twins who pretty much run my life – despite my best efforts to appear as if I am running theirs.

You can connect with Michael on:

WEBSITE / FACEBOOK / TWITTER / KICKSTARTER

Hello and welcome to the Spotlight Michael! Can you tell us your main inspiration behind this novel?

While at Disney I wrote two sequel stories to Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas. I got Burton’s approval on both, but Disney never published them. That failed project was my inspiration, in that TaleSpins was meant to be my original follow-up work for that same Nightmare audience.

Was self-publishing your first choice? What was the most nerve wracking part of the process? 

Had those Nightmare books been published, I’m sure I would have had a way in to traditional publishing. When it didn’t happen, I just went the self-publishing route. I published the first 2 stories as eBooks on their own (about a year apart), then wrote the third and only published that one in the collection of three. The most nerve-wracking part was probably filming a video of myself for my Kickstarter campaign. (Hate that.)

As a self-published author, did you choose to edit your novel yourself? What was the biggest change you made to the story and/or characters?

I’m fortunate to have a good friend who is a smart, voracious reader. She acted as editor on TaleSpins and helped quite a bit along the way. Princess Penny was a bit too passive in early drafts, and I think the Doctor in Jack’d evolved dramatically in his development, from a smug stereotype to a more inquisitive, sensitive guy as the plot took shape.

Do you have any unusual writing habits that aide your process and/or character development? 

I still write first drafts longhand on paper, and I use a red pencil, which many find odd. I use journals of various sizes. Actual writing goes on the right-hand pages while notes to myself, questions and half-baked ideas get jotted down on the left.

Is there one passage or scene from your novel that you are most fond of? 

I think the intro to the third story: Jack’d, because it kinda pokes fun at what I did in the other two stories while introducing a narrative voice I plan to continue with in a mysterious future capacity!

It’s become quite a trend to take a known story and tell it a different way.

That’s all well and good for we can assume every author has something to say.

A changed point of view or a whole new character, created to “set things right.”

I know nothing of that, but the story that follows did happen to me one night.

If you must know I’ll tell you that I am a doctor. Little else will be revealed.

I’m too modest to say, but others have called me a giant in my field.

A certain luxurious way of life has been gained from my success.

The entire top floor of a high-rise serves as my permanent mailing address.

Over the years I’ve collected some treasures from travels all over the earth.

Paintings and artifacts added to the fortune I received as a right of my birth.

I’m not one to brag, so please understand, my wealth is a relevant fact.

For someone broke into my home that night, and I got (as kids say today) “jacked.”

~ My Review ~

Talespins is a short collection of imaginative, fairytale re-tellings. I have always been a fan of re-tellings, but usually go for the Grimmesque type. So, this was my first time taking on a more comedic approach to fairy tales.  Mullin has a fresh and quirky presentation. His rhythmic writing is spot on. I really enjoyed stepping out of my norm to take a chance of Talespins. 8 (The Untold Story of the 8th Dwarf) was my favorite out of the three contained in this compilation. Creepy had me laughing out loud at his antics. Talespins, although targeted at a YA audience, will definitely be adored by adults as well. The author definitely has found his niche with this book! 

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Shudder Blog Tour Stop - Review & Excerpt

Hello all! I am so pleased to be part of Samantha Durante's tour for Book 2 in the Stitch Trilogy, Shudder! If you haven't got a chance to read Book 1, I highly suggest you do. You can read my thoughts on it, HERE. And check it out on Amazon and Goodreads.  Just $0.99!

It’s only been three days, and already everything is different.

Paragon is behind her, but somehow Alessa’s life may actually have gotten worse. In a wrenching twist of fate, she traded the safety and companionship of her sister for that of her true love, losing a vital partner she’d counted on for the ordeal ahead. Her comfortable university life is but a distant memory, as she faces the prospect of surviving a bleak winter on the meager remains of a ravaged world. And if she’d thought she’d tasted fear upon seeing a ghost, she was wrong; now she’s discovering new depths of terror while being hunted by a deadly virus and a terrifying pack of superhuman creatures thirsting for blood.

And then there are the visions.

The memory-altering “stitch” unlocked something in Alessa’s mind, and now she can’t shake the constant flood of alien feelings ransacking her emotions. Haunting memories of an old flame are driving a deep and painful rift into her once-secure relationship. And a series of staggering revelations about the treacherous Engineers – and the bone-chilling deceit shrouding her world’s sorry history – will soon leave Alessa reeling…

The second installment in the electrifying Stitch Trilogy, Shudder follows Samantha Durante’s shocking and innovative debut with a heart-pounding, paranormal-dusted dystopian adventure sure to keep the pages turning.

Both Stitch and Shudder can be purchased on:

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Smashwords

Samantha has been awesome enough to provide us with a special excerpt.

So, here it is and we hope you enjoy it!

~ EXCERPT ~

“So…” Isaac began tentatively, “You almost ready to head out?”

She didn’t even look up.  “Yeah,” she grunted.  “Just.  Let me.  Get.  The rest of these.  In here.”

“Babe.”  Isaac knelt next to her chair and reached for her hand.  “I think you have enough granola bars.”

Alessa sat back.  “I guess so,” she sighed, her face defeated.

Isaac eyed her warily.  He didn’t understand.  They’d accomplished exactly what they set out to do – found a perfect base, re-equipped themselves for the journey ahead, managed to survive.  And they were about to make a triumphant return.  What could be bugging her?

“Hey.  Less.  What’s up?  Talk to me,” he urged.

Alessa shook her head.  “I don’t know, Isaac.  I’m just… I’m not ready for this, I guess.”

“Ready for what?” he prompted.

She looked up at him and shrugged.  “For all of it.  For what comes next.  To go out there –” she motioned towards the walls, “– to deal with those things following us, to lose control of my feelings again, to face Paragon, to fight.  I just,” she shook her head.  “I want a break.  I don’t want to be constantly on guard, constantly afraid, constantly looking over my shoulder.  I just want to feel safe for once – like we did here.”

He gazed at her face earnestly.  “But that’s the point, right?” he encouraged.  “We found this place so we can be safe, so everyone can be safe.  We’re going to get Janie and Josephine and all the rebels, and we’re going to come back here and be safe together – from Paragon, from the virus, from everything.”

Alessa sighed.  “But we’re not, Isaac.  Don’t you see?  We’re going to come back here, and we’re going to plan, and then we’re going to war.  Regina asked for a base, not a sanctuary.  She wants to attack.  She wants to free all the people trapped in Paragon and get revenge for what they’ve done to us.”

“But don’t you want that too?” he questioned.

“Yes.  No.  I don’t know anymore,” she stammered.  “I thought I did.  But do you really think we’re going to make it through this?”

~ MY REVIEW ~

I absolutely adored the first book in this series, Stitch, so I was eager to read Shudder. Despite how popular dystopian YA has become, Samantha Durante was able to bring something fresh to the genre. This series is in no way cookie cutter dystopian. Shudder jumps right back into the story, taking place only days after book one ended. This is something I really liked. There is no gap in time, which I find to be common when dealing with book twos. Alessa and Isaac continue on their journey and are faced not only with the unknown, but fearsome creatures as well.  The author has a great writing style that delivers something for everyone, whether you are a romance, science fiction or paranormal fan. Samantha really works all these aspects together wonderfully. Shudder was just as good as the first in the series and I expect the final installment to be equally as epic. Fast paced with not a single dull moment, this book will have you turning pages until the end. And believe me you are going to be upset Stuck isn't here yet. I highly recommend this series!

~ ABOUT OUR AUTHOR ~

Samantha Durante lives in Westchester County, New York with her husband, Sudeep, and her cat, Gio. Formerly an engineer at Microsoft, Samantha left the world of software in 2010 to pursue her entrepreneurial dreams and a lifelong love of writing. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s Jerome Fisher Program in Management & Technology, Samantha is currently working full time for her company Medley Media Associates as a freelance business writer and communications consultant. The Stitch Trilogy is her debut series. Learn more about Samantha at HER WEBSITE.

Samantha can also be found on:

Facebook: Stitch Trilogy | Author Samantha Durante

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Indie Author Spotlight - Nikki Rae - Interview & Giveaway

Nikki Rae is a student and writer who lives in New Jersey. She is an independent author and has appeared numerously on Amazon Best Seller lists. She is the author of The Sunshine Series and concentrates on making her imaginary characters as real as possible. She writes mainly dark, scary, romantic tales, but she’ll try anything once. When she is not writing, reading, or thinking, you can find her spending time with animals, drawing in a quiet corner, or studying people. Closely.

Connect with Nikki on:

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Sunshine (Sunshine Series #1)

A YA Paranormal Romance

18 year old Sophie Jean is pretty good at acting normal. Sure, she’s not exactly happy, but happiness is nothing compared to being like everyone else. She can pretend she’s not allergic to the sun. She can hide what her ex-boyfriend did to her. She can cover up the scars she’s made for herself. Ignore anything. Forget anything. Then Myles enters her life, and he has more than a few secrets of his own. When accident after accident keeps happening to Sophie, she can’t help noticing that he’s everywhere. That he knows too much. That she’s remembering too much.

It’s one thing covering up her own dark past, but does she really need to worry about people finding out just how much Myles likes her? Or that despite how much she doesn’t want to repeat past mistakes, she kind of likes him back? Not to mention the fact that she now has to conceal that Myles drinks blood-that he says he’s about four hundred years old. She almost forgot about that part.

But Sophie has no plans to ruin the normal life she has created for herself. She can deal with this little glitch, no problem. Even if word has gotten around to the wrong vampire about Sophie and Myles, even if she’s putting the few people she loves at risk. Suddenly, those who were monsters before are just people, and the monsters? They’re real. Now being a normal human being is the least of her problems. Now she has to stay alive.

Sun Poisoned (Sunshine Series #2)

A YA Paranormal Romance

Sophie’s life has changed. She’s moved to New York, she’s playing music for new people, and she’s making new friends. Then there’s Myles, and the fact that he is now her boyfriend—and everyone knows it. There are a lot of new things to take in, but Sophie has no problem adjusting. 

She’s not exactly normal, living in a half-human, half-vampire world, but she’s finally, truly happy. But some parts of Sophie and Myles’ old life still hide in the dark, waiting for the right opportunity to strike. Sophie’s having nightmares again, but they aren’t about her; Myles is hiding something that she’s not sure she wants to know. And one lie will change everything. No matter how hard she tries to cover up the marks her monsters have left behind, they never truly go away, and Myles’ monsters are no different.

Once again, Sophie’s caught between life and death, but this time, only she can save herself.

~ Author Interview ~

Welcome to the Spotlight Nikki! Can you tell us your main inspiration behind this novel?

The initial seed that sparked The Sunshine Series came about when my family went on a vacation to Aruba when I was 13/14 years old. I got sun poisoning the first day, and sat in the hotel room the rest of the trip. It got me thinking, “what would it be like if this happened every time someone went out in the sun?” and that was it. Sunshine started forming.

Was self-publishing your first choice? What was the most nerve wracking part of the process?

I tried traditionally publishing first. I don’t believe that one is completely better than the other, it’s just a  matter of what is better for you and your project. For The Sunshine Series, I eventually decided that self-publishing was better. The most nerve wracking thing is honestly the technical side. I’m not especially technology savvy, so learning about how to format books for kindle, how to upload them, etc, was challenging. I’m still learning something new every day.

As a self-published author, did you choose to edit your novel yourself? What was the biggest change you made to the story and/or characters?

Of course I go through the novel myself a million times first. The very first time I released Sunshine, I didn’t have anyone else look at it. Which was pretty dumb. Now I have Beta readers and editor friends, and it’s made my life a hell of a lot easier. : )

Do you have any unusual writing habits that aide your process and/or character development?

Not really. I tend to watch people more closely when I’m trying to figure out a new character.  I like to drink a lot of tea while writing. For The Sunshine Series, I need music on, but for anything else it has to be quiet. My quirks change from story to story.

Is there one passage or scene from your novel that you are most fond of?

The scenes I like the best are when I see characters growing. In Sunshine, the main character, Sophie is so closed off, so it was nice to see her open up more in Sun Poisoned.

Here’s a little example:

~ EXCERPT ~

Myles’ lips are on mine again, and somehow, this time, it’s different. 
Deeper, hungrier. He seems to notice the shift as well, pulling away so he can ask, “Okay?” His breath is on my lips, around my nose.

I nod. “I’m fine.” The last part gets muffled between my pulse, him, and me.

I run a hand through the hair at the back of his head, my other arm bracing my weight behind me. I lean back as Myles leans forward. All the while, our eyes are on each other when we’re far apart, closed when our faces are together again.

Suddenly, his arms are on either side of mine and his thighs are pressed against the outside of my knees, caging me in. Myles’ chest is almost against mine. 
I tell myself that this is okay, but I realize that I don’t have to. 
This is what I want. Him. Me. Closer.

~ GIVEAWAY ~

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Indie Author Spotlight - Tori Ridgewood - Interview & Giveaway

Tori L. Ridgewood’s new book Wind and Shadow: Book One of the Talbot Trilogy, published by Melange Books, was released on June 20, 2013.

After a series of misadventures including being accused of attempted murder in high school, Rayvin Woods, a photographer and natural witch, left her hometown of Talbot in Northeastern Ontario, hoping to start her life over and never return. Ten years later, circumstances force her back to face her past and her former crush Grant Michaels. 

Malcolm de Sade, a cunning vampire, escapes from an underground prison looking for vengeance. His accidental release unleashes his hunger and ambition on a small, sleepy town. Rayvin’s power is all that stands between de Sade and his domination of Talbot, and beyond.

Grant Michaels, a police officer, thought Rayvin was a murderer. He will do whatever it takes to protect the community he loves from danger... but will he learn to trust his heart, and the word of a witch, before it's too late?

Rayvin didn't count on rekindling a lost love or battling a malevolent vampire and his coven for her life when she came home to Talbot. Facing the past can be a nightmare… It’s worse when a vampire is stalking you.

You can snag your own copy and connect with the author on:

AMAZON / WEBSITE / GOODREADS

Is there one character in your novel that you feel the most passionate about?

That’s a difficult question! It honestly depends on the mood I’m in, I think. I’m a person of varied interests, with never a “set” favourite of anything. 

I’m passionate about my main protagonist, the witch Rayvin Woods, because she is in many ways the opposite of me: she’s short, curvy, has gorgeous naturally red hair, and while she’s tougher than most people realize, she also has a very vulnerable side. Rayvin’s been through a lot in her youth, losing her mother to cancer, never knowing her father, but she was given much love and attention from her foster family. Her life took a dark turn after she was accused of attempted murder, but she took it and made it a challenge to overcome. I admire her guts, and her ability to protect herself and those she loves. But she has a hard time letting go of her pride and trusting others, maybe with good reason, and this characteristic is part of what gets her into trouble. 

I’m also very into my hero, Grant Michaels. He’s in a difficult position, having lived all of his life in one place and as a police officer, he’s become the person on whom everyone in the community depends. People look up to him. So when he’s forced to face this guilty secret of having had a crush on the one woman everyone in town remembers and hates, his loyalty is torn. He’s a good man, he wants to do the right thing, but he’s not necessarily a sensitive person and he’s capable of being selfish. He’s a good listener, athletic, with dark good looks, and he’s excellent in a crisis. I love him, but he drives me crazy sometimes!

And then there’s the vampire Malcolm de Sade, my primary antagonist. He’s a megalomaniac, completely selfish and manipulative, devastatingly sexy when he wants to be, ruthless and cunning in his planning, but only when it comes to himself. He’s not perfect, for all that he’s immortal. Malcolm is better off on his own, he always has been something of a loner, so when he attempts to build a coven, he’s going to make mistakes and won’t be aware of them until the consequences happen. I find him fascinating. He’s arrogant, ambitious, unscrupulous, but he’s not a leader and he desperately wants to be one. I think he wants his long existence to have some better meaning than satisfying the cravings of his flesh and psychological need for dominance over others.

What aspect about this character was the most difficult to envision? The easiest?

With Rayvin, it’s hardest to me to consider the world from the perspective of an individual who has lost everything, and at such a young age. It’s difficult to imagine what that would be like, and how that would inform your view on life. I think one would have to become tougher in order to survive. The easiest thing to envision about her is her hair -- one of my cousins was fortunate to receive the genetic gift of luxuriously thick, long red hair, and I always wished I could have had it too!

It’s most difficult to envision Grant as a physical person. For some reason, I see better through his eyes than when I’m seeing him, if you get my meaning. The closest actor I have come across that resembles him is Victor Webster, which made searching for photos for promo materials very challenging! But the easiest to imagine with him is what he will say and do, because he’s very much inspired by my husband. I often find myself wondering what my hubby would say in a certain situation, and that will become the basis for Grant’s dialogue and action.

Finally, with Malcolm, I have a hard time with him being a poor leader! I want him to be good at this, to achieve some success in forming his coven, because he’s really been so lonely for such a long time, but he’s blind to certain things he needs to know about being in charge. His ignorance, created by his arrogance to some extent, will likely be his Achilles’ heel.

During the birth of your novel, was there any point where this character took an unexpected turn? 

Indeed. There is a point near the climax where Rayvin requests something highly unusual from Grant. In Wicca, there is such a thing as sex magick, which is essentially a ritual in which two consenting individuals work toward achieving something positive by building up positive energy and releasing it during intercourse. This concept didn’t appear while I was developing my original outline, and then, after it was in place, Malcolm’s actions caused something to happen that I couldn’t have predicted at all! It was like the characters had taken over the story completely at that point. But what they came up with was so much more exciting and compelling than my first -- and second -- plans, that it pushed me right to the end of the manuscript and fired me up for the second book in the series, Blood and Fire. (Book Two is still in revisions at this time.)

If this character suddenly sprang from the pages, what questions would you have for him/her?

With Rayvin, I’d want to know where she stayed when she first left home, and some of what she endured as a young person in the big city for the first time. How did she survive and keep going after having grown up in a small town where everyone knows each other, and moving to a metropolis with just what she could carry on her back? 

I would ask Grant why he doesn’t have any pets of his own. And why he gathers and dries herbs in the summertime -- it seems to be an unusual hobby for a man or a police officer, or maybe that’s just my own biases showing. Why hasn’t he ever gone to see the world?

Lastly, I’d like to know whether Malcolm remembers his life before being a vampire, and what it has been like to see the world change over time. How did he come to North America from Europe, and how close has he ever come to being destroyed by a vampire hunter?

Is there a particular passage or scene from your novel that you feel embodies this character the best? 

Absolutely! Please enjoy this excerpt from Wind and Shadow, in which Rayvin and Grant will come face to face with Malcolm de Sade for the first time... 

~ Chapter Ten ~

Grant pulled the sheet from the sofa in the living room and folded it neatly, while Rayvin hunted in her kitchen for mugs and tea. She hadn’t even unpacked yet, he noticed; boxes were scattered where she’d obviously searched for something earlier, and others were stacked untidily. But they were labeled, at least. He pulled his pen knife out and went to work.

By the time she came in, carrying a tray loaded with steaming mugs, a bowl of trail mix, and a plate of muffins, Grant was in the process of examining her collection of movies. He had located her small flatscreen TV, her DVD player, some soft quilts that he’d draped over the couch, and a number of tall ivory pillar candles. These he had stood in the fireplace, in a cluster, and their light lent the nearly-empty room an aesthetic that he could tell she appreciated. Her face glowed as she took it all in.

Rayvin paused, chuckling. “Trust a guy to go hunting for the TV, right away.”

“Hey, sexist, I’m just trying to be helpful.” He laid one of the quilts on the floor, gesturing as he lowered himself to the floor. “Do you seriously catalogue your DVDs alphabetically?”

“Doesn’t everyone?” He watched as she gracefully sank to her knees, setting the tray in the centre of the impromptu rug.

During their second brief ride, she had not hesitated to put her arms around him, even resting her head against his shoulder until they pulled into her driveway. She was probably exhausted, her defenses down. Grant had let her take the lead—it was her house, after all—but he wanted to talk while she was relaxed. In the last twenty-four hours, he had dealt with Rayvin as a woman who distrusted all, other than her oldest and best friend. He had seen glimpses of her vulnerability, witnessed her strength and self-control, been on the sharp end of her fury, and observed her compassionate and nurturing side. Grant knew that he was treading a fine line, sitting with her in this companionable silence, risking his own lifelong friendship to get to know this complicated woman just a little more. But he couldn’t help himself. It was more than an official interest in her possible involvement with the missing animals, the caved-in road. She had fascinated him as a youth, and apparently, that feeling had only intensified with the passing of time.

In fact, in watching her, Grant discovered that he didn’t even care about the past anymore.

“What?” Rayvin looked at him sideways, a handful of raisins, peanuts, and dried fruit pieces halfway to her mouth. “Do I have something on my face?”

“No, sorry, I was just lost in thought.” He averted his gaze, idly rummaging through the box of movies again. “This is nice, actually. I was just thinking, it’s nice not fighting with you.”

Rayvin choked on her mouthful, thumping her chest. Concerned, Grant leaned forward and did the same on her back until she waved him away. Her face was red as she sipped her tea. Amused, Grant met her eyes over the rim of the mug. “Geez, I was just making an observation. It’s just that . . . since you came back, you’ve been so prickly. And I know I’ve been a jerk.”

“It’s okay,” she said quietly, lowering the mug to her lap. Why wouldn’t she meet his eyes? “It’s perfectly understandable—”

“No, it was stupid and childish of me,” he interrupted. “I want us to start over. I haven’t been fair to you, and I should know better. My mother would kill me if she knew how I’ve been acting. Andrea just about took my head off after you left.”

“I knew that coming back here wasn’t going to be easy.” Rayvin leaned back against the couch. “You had every right to react the way you did. As far as you know, I tried to kill your buddy—”

“No, Ray. That doesn’t matter. Whether you did or didn’t, it’s done.” Grant saw hope rise in her eyes, and pressed further. “I don’t care either way. All that matters, all that should matter, is right now.”

“You weren’t alone in not letting go of the past.” Rayvin’s eyes glistened. Her hand twitched, moving closer to his. “But how can I trust you? Nobody in this town has ever forgotten what happened. They tried and convicted me, before I even had a chance to explain. To defend myself. And you were one of them. I saw it written all over your face.”

“I was a kid then, and I’m a man now. I made a mistake and I want to make it up to you.”

The pain in her eyes was tearing him apart. “You want to make amends?” She laughed, and looked away.

“You could put it that way . . . Rayvin. Look at me. We connected once, remember? When we were kids? I’ve missed that in my life. I didn’t realize, before you were gone, how much I needed you in my world.” He leaned forward and reached for her. “How can I make you believe me?”

“Why?” She jumped up, staring down at him. “What’s changed since yesterday that could possibly have reversed an opinion you’ve had of me for years? I don’t understand! You’re not making any sense.”

Grant’s face burned. “You don’t know what I think of you. You’re not a mind-reader, Rayvin.”

“I don’t have to be. I’ve seen how you look at me. Yesterday, you wanted to run me out of town, and now look around you.” She gestured wildly. “Candles, blankets. You don’t want to ‘start fresh’, you just want to get laid.”

Grant got to his feet. “Really? Is that what you think?”

“What else have men ever wanted from me?” she responded, wearily. “You know what, it was a noble gesture for you to drive me home, and help me with Andrea. But now I’d really like you to leave.”

“No. We need to talk; we have to figure this out.” Grant moved closer to her. Rayvin’s teeth were bared, but she held her ground as he approached. She infuriated him, she insulted him, but she didn’t back down, and by God he admired her for it. “I know you’ve been hurt, but I’m not him. Not all men are like that. I’m not like that.”

“I’ve felt your desire, Michaels. I know that you want me. Maybe we should just get it out of the way, so we can move on with our lives.” Her eyes glittering, she closed the distance between them and ran one finger down his chest. Behind her, in the fireplace, the flames on the candles flared and elongated. Grant’s body responded immediately to her touch; his breath quickened as his manhood swelled. Her laugh sounded like a sob. “But I have better things, more important things to do with my time. I’d rather not fulfill your adolescent fantasies tonight. I’m telling you again to please leave.”

Looking into her eyes, a breath apart, dozens of possibilities flashed through his mind, most of them involving the shedding of clothing and the quilt on the floor. Maybe they should fulfill their physical needs, and move on. But that wouldn’t leave him satisfied. Grant needed more from her, and he strongly suspected that she needed him, no matter how much she denied it. He saw the plea in her gaze, the sorrow and the anger. Taking a deep breath, he raised his chin and stepped back.

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