An Interview with Steven Luna

An Interview with Steven Luna

Steven Luna
The Reading Cafe is happy to welcome Steven Luna as our guest today.

Steven is here today to discuss he new release, Songs from the Phenomenal Nothing, as well as tell us a bit about himself.

Before we start the interview, let’s learn a little more about Steven Luna, in his own words.

 

About The Author

FOLLOW: Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads

I’m a storyteller with a few novels in the worldJoe Vampire and its sequel, Joe Vampire: The Afterlife. They’re kind of the anti-Twilight. I can’t be sorry for that. Joe Vampire: The New Paranormal is in the works. There’s Starstruck right behind that, about a rock star who finds himself abducted by aliens. Madcap stuff.

Songs from the Phenomenal Nothing is my first novel for a YA audience.

I say some pretty ridiculous things over at DumbWhiteHusband.com.

My story Life Review 2.0 is in Arizona State University’s Canyon Voices. My other story Keepers is in there, too.

My story Last Shift is available in the anthology Nightfalls. Proceeds from this book benefit childrens’ charities in Los Angeles.

My story (geez…what is it with all these stories?) Rise is available in the anthology Orange Karen: Tribute to a Warrior. Proceeds from this one benefit Karen DeLabar and her family. She’s gone through hell. We’re helping her out a bit.

You can reach me at thestevenluna@gmail.com.

My wife is amazing. My kids make me happy. My friends are the coolest.

La la, how the life goes on…


InterviewHi Steven.  Thank you for taking the time to answer some questions today.  We are always looking forward to reading about the author behind the book.

TRC: Will you please tell us about yourself?

Steven:  I’m a husband and father of three with a data analyst day job. I write and edit in my spare time, along with a slew of other creative stuff. I’m a big fan of music and movies. I’ve never been drunk, only had one speeding ticket in my life and favor naps over exercise (though I’ve become something of a fitness junkie recently… those two activities blend better than most people might imagine).

TRC:  Have you always been interested in writing?

Steven:  I’ve always been interested in words and reading, definitely. And I’ve always been a sucker for a well-told story. Writing finally became an interest for me at about age 12, when I realized how much fun it might be on the other side of the mirror. I started with short form —bad poems, bad song lyrics, bad comic book scripts—and slowly worked my way to bad short stories and better poems before working my way to not-ashamed-to-show-the-world novels.

TRC: Is there anything (in general) you find particularly challenging about writing?

Steven:  Keeping my characters natural. Even in the more fantastic works I’ve done, I’ve always taken pains to make sure the characters’ dialogue feels realistic and that their personalities are believable. I think practicing that sort of grounding when I write has made my work much more resonant.

TRC: Can you tell how you came up with the idea of Songs from the Phenomenal Nothing?

Steven:  I was writing a novel for younger readers when I had the idea of a teenager who finds out his mom used to be friends with a rock star. At the time, it was a lighter story, with more humor. When I revisited it last fall, it was suddenly the painful tale of a kid who loses his way after his mother dies. It turned out to be a much more heartfelt, realistic story than I’d planned. I’m glad I waited.

songs from the phenomenal nothingTRC:  Would you please tell us the premise behind Songs from the Phenomenal Nothing?

Steven:  Songs is about Tyler Mills, a 17 year-old guitar prodigy whose mother has died six months earlier from pancreatic cancer. His relationship with his father is severely strained, so he takes comfort in his girlfriend and his music. He’s determined to graduate and head directly into the music business with his band, in spite of his father’s intentions for him to finish school and go to college. Then he finds his mother’s journals, and a family secret inside that changes the direction of his life. He sets out to find the truth.

Links to order Songs From the Phenomenal Nothing:
Amazon / Barnes & Noble / The Book Depository

TRC:  You have written another series, JOE VAMPIRE, which currently has two books released.  Can you give us a brief description of this series? How many books are you planning?

Steven:  Joe Vampire skewers the traditional vampire themes by dropping an average dude into the ridiculous circumstance of being undead. He becomes a vampire after a hilarious yet life-altering misunderstanding on a group date, and blogs (each chapter is a post) to let the world know how unromantic it really is. It’s a fun upheaval of what people have come to expect from vampires - nobody lives in a castle, nobody wears a cape or sparkles in the sun. It turns out to be more of a supernatural disease than any sort of superpower, and Joe is not too shy to share all the nasty details. Each book answers a few of Joe’s questions about being part of the Undead Elite, as he calls it. Book one (Joe Vampire) introduces the character and his cohorts as he tries to get a handle on how being a vampire works. Book two (Joe Vampire: The Afterlife) takes him into the  world at large to find out what life as a vampire is really like, and explores the notion that not everyone responds to being vampire in the same way as he did. Book three (Joe Vampire: The New Paranormal) will round out the series (for now) by showing Joe that no matter how tightly he reins in his vampire parts, he’ll always be dealing with them in some way. Each book starts out as a series of “here’s what’s happening to me” blog posts, but eventually take some suspenseful twists and turns as the real story evolves.

TRC:  Songs from the Phenomenal Nothing is Young Adult.  Having written adult books, what made you decide to write a YA novel?

Steven:  I began writing novels for middle-grade readers, so a young audience is really much more my background than writing for adults. Back then, it was much easier for me to affect a convincing kid’s fantasy voice than it was an authentic adult voice. I put writing aside for a while, and when I came back to it, my sensibilities were decidedly adult. But an underlying flavor of the younger voice was still present. When I remembered the idea for Songs, it had suddenly grown up…or down, considering how adult the Joe series is. I think it’s a happy compromise between the two modes of writing. I’ll be exploring other stories in a Young Adult voice after the Joe series wraps up.

TRC: Can you tell us what are you currently working on?

Steven:  Joe Vampire: The New Paranormal has been written and will be undergoing revisions in October; I’m hoping for a February 2014 release for him. I have a sequel to Songs in mind that I’ll be taking notes and making outlines for, as well as another Young Adult story about a girl born into a cult. And I’m hoping to finish another adult comedy I’ve begun called Starstruck. It’s about a rock star alien abductee, and it may see the light of day in 2014 as well.

TRC:  Do you have any thoughts of writing in any other genres?

Steven:  I have ideas for several speculative works. I’m waiting for them to tell me whether they should move in a more fantasy, sci-fi or magical realism direction. I like to let the story tell me before I tell the story; at that point in the process, everything is possible. And I’d love to return to middle-grade fiction someday and play around with fantasy for young readers again.

TRC: What is your writing process?  Do you like to write at specific times, in a special place?

Steven:  I write all over the place in my house – in my office, at my kitchen counter, on the couch (which is where I am now). Usually it happens early in the morning or during the evening hours. I tend to tune out mostly everything when I write so anywhere with a comfortable corner works for me. My process is largely based on a one-line synopsis of the idea I want to expand on (for example, Joe Vampire’s was the tag line “Just a dude who’ll never die, trying to figure out how to live.”). This helps me visualize the overarching notion of the story. From there, I list out the main plot points I want to aim for and the cast of characters I’ll need to take me there. I’ll do a brain dump – notes, dialogue, descriptions…whatever comes out goes on a master note-taking Word doc. When that becomes ten pages long or so, I have enough to jump in somewhere and start writing my way to the shore. Sometimes it goes in order from start to finish, like Songs was. Sometimes I go with whatever piece comes to me the most readily; Joe was very much that way. At some point, I decide I have enough to start compiling a manuscript, and I lay it all out in a single document and fill in the gaps until it’s finished.

TRC:  Many authors bounce ideas with family and friends.  With whom do you bounce ideas?

Steven:  I’m fortunate enough to have the coolest crew of friends to brainstorm with. We don’t hold back; we all just say “how about this?” whenever the spirit moves us and we throw out the ideas as one-liners, passing each other feedback and adding to the possibility. And when we write, we share our work along the way to make sure were keeping with the tone of whatever we’re working on. We all trust each other’s judgment and respect one another enough to be honest (but kind) with our input. It’s really the greatest thing to have: people who care about you and understand what you’re trying to do, who support you through the entire process, who celebrate your wins and encourage you beyond your losses. They know exactly what you’re going through, because they’re going through it all themselves.

TRC: You also work as an editor for other authors.  Do you feel being a writer helps you during your editing?

Steven:  Absolutely. I believe my being a writer gives me empathy for what a writer is trying to accomplish, and sympathy for how to guide them to that end. I don’t know that I would feel as qualified to direct them in making their book stronger, cleaner, etc. if I hadn’t been in their position as well.

TRC:  Would you like to add anything else?

Steven:  Thanks much for having me on the blog!


LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food: Burritos

Favorite Dessert: Caramel apple pie

Favorite Literary Character (not your own): Billy Purgatory & Max from “Where the Wild Things Are”

Favorite TV Show: Alias/Lost

Favorite Movie: Stranger than Fiction

Milk or Dark Chocolate: Dark…like, 72% or more. The best.


Steven: Thank you very much for having me on the blog!

 

Giveaway

 

Steven has graciously offered to give one lucky member of The Reading Café an e-copy of his book, Songs from the Phenomenal Nothing.

1.  Please register using the Log-In at the top of the page, or by using one of our social log-ins.

2.  If you are using a social log-in e.g. Twitter, please leave your email address along with your comment.

3.  Giveaway is open Internationally.

4.  Contests runs from October 25 to October 29, 2013

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Songs From the Phenomenal Nothing by Steven Luna

Songs From the Phenomenal Nothing by Steven Luna

songs from the phenomenal nothingLinks to order Songs From the Phenomenal Nothing:
Amazon / Barnes & Noble / The Book Depository

Description:
It’s just me and him. Him and me. A man I can’t comprehend, designated by the universe as my father but someone I prefer to call Tom, and a kid he can’t relate to but calls son anyway because he’s determined to try. I really wish he’d just call me Tyler.

He probably wishes I’d call him Dad.

But I’m not comfortable with that at this point.

Our differences and our lack of mutual understanding are the only things we seem to agree on. And even those get heated sometimes.

Seriously, it’s a miracle that we haven’t hurt each other yet.

I’m not sure how much longer we can hold out.
***
Seventeen year-old guitar prodigy Tyler Mills has become lost in the aftermath of his mother’s death. Disconnected more and more from his father, he takes refuge from it all in two things: his music and his girlfriend. But everything changes with the chance discovery of his mother’s journal—and the long-held family secret within that could alter his life forever

 

Review:

Songs From The Phenomenal Nothing is the first work in the YA genre for author Steven Luna.  Seventeen year old Tyler Thomas Mills is struggling.  Struggling with the life he has been dealt.  Tyler lost his mother six months ago to cancer, and the world as he knew it ended.  The one person that he believed completely understood him has been “uncreated”. Leaving him with the man he calls Tom.  He can no longer call him Dad.  Tyler is a tall, lanky, blue-eyed musician who everyone considers “pretty.”  Tom is a hard-working, short, not so handsome auto mechanic.  They couldn’t be more opposite if they tried.   

On punishment for a mistake that he makes, Tyler is stuck cleaning out the garage.  There he finds a box that contains journals belonging to his mother.  Missing her and needing a connection with her he decides to delve into reading them.  He is mesmerized by his mother’s writings, they are beautiful, poetic and magical.  Yet they open doors to secrets of her past.  Secrets that Tyler isn’t quite sure he should be reading.  He becomes obsessed with the journals, while his relationship with Tom becomes more and more strained. 

What a wonderful coming of age story!  This book touched me on several levels.  The struggle of coming of age, becoming the adult you want to be, the conflict that teens often encounter with their parents and the search for their own identity!   At first I found Tyler a tad self-absorbed – yet realistic for a seventeen year old. I believe I connected him with my own twenty year old son and the struggles he is facing becoming his own man!  Searching for his own identity.  Yet Tyler has the added struggle of losing the one person he thought understood him.  This story also examines the legacy that secrets leave behind.  Those that others may find and misunderstand, or not fully understand, and those that forever change lives.   The story had many twists and turns, which at times were emotionally wrenching.  The ending left me in tears – in a wonderfully good way! 

 

Reviewed by Erin

Copy provided by Author

 

 

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Mine To Hold by Cynthia Eden-Blog Tour and Giveaway

Mine to Hold by Cynthia Eden-Blog Tour and Giveaway

MINE TO HOLD Tour Sidebar Button

The “Mine” books are dark and sexy romantic suspense novels that focus on the fine line between love and obsession.

Mine Series
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Mine To Take June 2013MINE TO TAKE
Series: Mine, # 1
Release Date: June 17, 2013
Genre: Romantic Suspense

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Sometimes you want someone so much…
Sometimes you need someone so much…
Lust can become love.
And love can turn into a deadly obsession.

Skye Sullivan knows that someone is watching her. Not just watching—stalking her. Months ago, Skye was involved in a dangerous car accident. The accident ended her dancing career and sent her fleeing back to Chicago. Skye is convinced that her stalker caused the crash, and she fears that he won’t stop pursuing her, not until she’s dead.

When someone breaks into her apartment in Chicago, Skye turns to the one man she believes can protect her—Trace Weston. Once, Trace was her lover. Two lost souls, they’d come together in a firestorm of need and desire. But then Trace had pushed her away. He’d joined the military, vanishing from her life. She’d put all of her emotion into dancing, and she’d tried to forget him.

Now Trace is one of the most successful men in the United States. Rich, driven, and carrying dark secrets, he agrees to help Skye. He’ll protect her from the danger that lurks in the darkness, but Trace wants more than to just be a guard for Skye.

He wants her. And he’ll take her. The years have changed him, hardened him. He’s not just a poor kid from the streets any longer. Now, he can have anything—or anyone—that he wants. And the one woman he has always wanted has just come back into his life. He won’t let her go again.

But with the threats mounting against Skye, she suspects that her stalker may be intimately close. He’s a man who knows her too well. As his attacks grow ever more dangerous, she realizes that if she trusts the wrong man, she could be making a fatal mistake.

Lust. Love. Obsession.

_________________________________

Mine to KeepMINE TO KEEP
Series: Mine, # 2
Release Date: September 16, 2013
Genre: Romantic Suspense

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Love is the most dangerous obsession…
Skye Sullivan is trying to put the pieces of her life back together. She survived a brutal stalker and escaped his abduction, and now she is looking to the future—a future that includes Skye’s lover, billionaire Trace Weston. Skye thinks the danger is finally over for her.

She’s dead wrong.
When Trace’s past comes back to haunt him, Skye discovers that the man she loves isn’t quite who he seems to be. Trace has been leading a double-life. An ex-special forces agent, his military training turned him into the perfect killing machine. He made more than his share of enemies during his time in the military—and as he built his security empire—and one of those enemies is striking back.

He won’t lose her.
Skye is the one weapon that can be used against Trace—his only vulnerability. But he won’t let her go—he can’t. Trace will do anything necessary to protect Skye. Anything. Yet when she discovers the secrets that he’s tried to keep hidden, Skye’s pain and rage may send her running directly into the cross-hairs of a killer…

______________________________

Mine to HoldMINE TO HOLD
Series: Mine, # 3
Release Date: October 21, 2013
Genre: Romantic Suspense

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She was one man’s obsession…
Nine years ago, Claire Kramer’s lover brutally killed her family, and he tried to kill her. She escaped, but she’s been haunted ever since that attack. Too afraid to trust another man and too worried that her past will catch up with her, Claire never gets too close to anyone. But then she meets Noah York.

He must have her.
Noah York is a man with secrets. The world sees him as a billionaire hotel tycoon, but Noah has a dark and dangerous side. For years, he worked covert military operations before he built his fortune. When it comes to death, Noah is a master. He knows that he should steer clear of Claire, but the white-hot attraction Noah feels for the delicate beauty is instant—and consuming.

He will never let her go.
Someone else is just as consumed by Claire—someone who will kill to possess her. And if Noah can’t stop the hunter in the darkness, he may just lose the one woman that he can’t live without.

Author’s Note: MINE TO HOLD is a dark and sexy romantic suspense novel. It contains a twisted killer, a hot hero, and a heroine who has been pushed to the edge. Adult language and sexy situations are included. Please consider yourself warned.

About the Author Black and Orange

Cynthia EdenUSA Today Best-selling author Cynthia Eden has written over twenty-five novels and novellas. She was named as a 2013 RITA® finalist for her paranormal romance, ANGEL IN CHAINS, and, in 2011, Cynthia Eden was a RITA finalist for her romantic suspense, DEADLY FEAR.

Cynthia is a southern girl who loves horror movies, chocolate, and happy endings.  She has always wanted to write (don’t most authors say that?), and particularly enjoys creating stories about monsters–vampires, werewolves, and even the real-life monsters that populate her romantic suspense stories.

Cynthia’s foreign sales for her books include translations to Japan, Germany, Thailand, Greece, and Brazil.

(Back in the day…) Cynthia graduated summa cum laude from the University of South Alabama where she studied Sociology (because people interest her) and Communication (because she likes to write about said people).  Cynthia has worked as a college admissions counselor, a teacher, and as an editor. But now, Cynthia is thrilled to be spending her days making up stories.

Connect with Cynthia:

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

 

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Cynthia is giving away a $100.00 Amazon gift card at the end of her tour

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Click HERE for a complete list of the participating sites.

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Passionate Addiction by Eden Summers-Cover Reveal and Giveaway

Passionate Addiction by Eden Summers-Cover Reveal and Giveaway

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Passionate Addiction
Reckless Beat II
by Eden Summers
Release Date: November 15, 2013

Passionate Addiction

He’s been her ultimate untouchable desire.

Nothing says happy birthday like a rock god flying thousands of miles to surprise a woman he’s never met. But that’s exactly what happens to Gabi Smith when she gives her long distance best friend a flippant invitation to her laid back girl’s night out. She never expected to turn on the dance floor and find Blake Kennedy’s gaze holding her body captive.

Gabi means more to Blake than life itself. She’s his strength, his savior, and the only person who helped to vanquish his demons. No one means more to him than his angel. So when things between them start to sizzle, he’s ready to fight for the future he never thought he would deserve.

Skeletons from his past will threaten his only chance at love…

Blake has come a long way—with Gabi’s help—to leave the hell of his youth behind him, but sometimes memories don’t want to stay buried. Determined to stand on his own for once, Blake is willing to stretch the truth to keep his troubles from burdening the woman he adores.

Little white lies can create black holes in any relationship. Only time will tell if an Aussie with a heart of gold will forgive her bad-boy boyfriend or if the deceit will end his passionate addiction.

***Make sure you follow the Eden Summers Facebook page to participate in all the fun leading up to the release of Passionate 

About the Author

Eden SummersEden Summers is a true blue Aussie, living in regional New South Wales with her two energetic young boys and a quick witted husband.

In late 2010, Eden’s romance obsession could no longer be sated by reading alone, so she decided to give voice to the sexy men and sassy women in her mind.
Eden can’t resist alpha dominance, dark features and sarcasm in her fictional heroes and loves a strong heroine who knows when to bite her tongue but also serves retribution with a feminine smile on her face.

Passionate Addiction page on Goodreads/Eden Summers Website/ Eden Summers Facebook Page / Twitter

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Seductive Secrecy (Shadows #2) by Marni Mann-a review

Seductive Secrecy (Shadows #2) by Marni Mann-a review

Seductive Secrecy

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble

Release Date: October 24, 2013

“We were two broken souls who had found each other in a world of shadows. We were held together by a connection of secrets, dark and fearful and reluctant to leave. Their depth was seductive and overwhelming, an endless ocean of black that threatened to cover the brilliance we kept reaching for with each other.”

With her art career flourishing and the mansion predators no longer a threat, Charlie is creating a new life. Her desires have changed, and she has a chance at a healthy, loving relationship with Cameron—if they can bury the memories and doubts that plague them.

Can they overcome the destruction of their clouded pasts, or will the revelation of more painful, shocking secrets pull them back into the shadows?

REVIEW

5 out of 5 for this reader folks!

Seductive Secrecy by Marni Mann is the highly anticipated sequel to Seductive Shadows (I had done a review for this book a few months back) and it was an enjoyable closure to many questions I know I had left unanswered and the beautiful continuation of a couple who captivated me thoroughly. If you remember my review on the first book, I used many oxymoron terms to describe that read. I was left completely gobsmacked and wondering WTF!!!!!!! Well Marni delivered yet again revealing more gobsmacking moments but this time I felt a little more ready for them. LOL Compared to the first book this had more of a subdued feel, meaning I felt settled reading the pages not wondering where this story was going. I knew that I was going to be reacquainted with some seriously messed up characters and I knew one way or another someone has to pay for the horror that was revealed in the first book.

I am trying to be careful with revealing much of the story here as part of what was so amazing about this story line (books 1 and 2) was being thrown a curve ball that wasn’t predictable in the least. The secrets revealed are so awful and fascinating. Just incase I don’t do such a good job with revealing, if you are totally invested in reading the first book, please stop reading this review, go back and buy the first book, read it, then come back and read this review! You’ve been warned. LOL

Okay so, Cameron and Charlie are trying to make this relationship work despite the fact that they are both completely messed up because of their pasts. Both are successful artists, both use sex as a release from their emotional pain (man these two fire up those sheets, and limo and public venue and ….. ya you get the picture ..lol) and both have come to discover the other is their rock and reason to live life to the fullest. When more secrets are revealed (really Marni, you got me again as I didn’t see that coming) they once again have to face one another and decide what they are both willing to live with. Charlie has a past that Cameron is forced to really face, and he ends up going through his own personal hell trying to decide how much is too much to stay with Charlie. Charlie also has people from her past that she needs to face and reunite with to close a frightful door in order to open a happy window.

During this book, while yes feeling subdued, I was beginning to feel a little unsettled as I was flipping the pages. Certainly Marni Mann wouldn’t let the bad people get away with all??? People who had committed serious crimes in the first book had somehow escaped punishment and that didn’t sit well with me. I should of known this author would not just take care of business but would do so in a seriously creative manner.

I am having trouble with this review as I really feel like I haven’t left you with much. Sorry if this review seems to be repetitive, not giving any meat to the story and truthfully it is meant to read that way. Again, what I love about this story was the suspense and the unsettled feel of “what is going on here?”. There is no way I am ruining any moment for anyone indulging in this series. 😉

Hats off Marni Mann, amazing conclusion. I am going to dive into your other books as I just adore your writing style. 🙂

HAPPY READING!

Reading Order
1. Seductive Shadows July 2013
2. Seductive Secrecy

Review by Rachel

Copy supplied by the author

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Third Lie’s The Charm by Lisa and Laura Roecker-Promotion and Giveaway

Third Lie’s The Charm by Lisa and Laura Roecker: Pre Order Promotion and Giveaway

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Third Lie’s the Charm by Lisa and Laura Roecker, the hotly anticipated 3rd book in their The Liar Society Trilogy.  The Liar Society trilogy will be in stores in December-just about one month away! SOURCEBOOKS put together a fun campaign to thank readers for pre-ordering and for their continued support of the series.

Plus a BONUS GIVEAWAY exclusive to The Reading Cafe-see below

Third Lies The Charm

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New friend into old, the bond of the Sisterhood will never grow cold.

Life at Pemberly Brown is a whirlwind for Kate Lowry. Determined to finally destroy the secret society responsible for her best friend Grace’s death, Kate joins the Sisterhood hoping to go all Trojan Horse on their asses. But the night of her initiation another student at Pemberly Brown dies in what looks like tragic accident.

Kate knows better.

Kate and her faithful ginger, Seth Allen, immediately uncover a connection to the boy’s death and the secret societies that rule Pemberly Brown. But it’s not until Kate begins receiving pages from Grace’s old journal that she begins to piece together what really happened the night she died and how it connects to Pemberly Brown’s most recent tragedy.

Meanwhile, Kate’s ex-boyfriend Liam is following her around like an angry guard dog and she’s falling hard for the mysterious Bradley Farrow. Both boys are tied up in the mystery that surrounds Pemberly Brown, but only one of them can truly be trusted.

In this chilling conclusion to The Liar Society series Kate will fight to save her school from the evil that lurks beneath its hallowed halls. But will her quest destroy her or finally lead her to true love? She can only hope her third lie’s the charm.

The Liar Society series

A Gift for You, for Pre-Ordering Third Lie’s the Charm by YA rock stars Lisa and Laura Roecker.

For US and Canadian Liar Society Lovers!

Sourcebooks™ have a special offer going on for the release of Third Lie’s the Charm by YA rock stars Lisa and Laura Roecker-in stores in a little over one month!

If you pre-order the book:

1. ALL pre-orders will receive an original bookmark signed by the Roeckers themselves

2. FIVE lucky winners will win the first TWO books in the series!

This is a great way to discover this series-one that Publishers Weekly and Booklist have called “chilling, suspenseful and smart” and “smartly plotted, full of twists, clues and sleuthing.”

• ONE lucky winner will receive the GRAND PRIZE:  an EXCLUSIVE, TOP SECRET afterword of the Liar Society series for YOU to post and share.

• You have until December 2 or until quantities run out. Here’s how to get your bookmark and a chance to win the first two books in the Liar Society series, or the exclusive afterword:

1. Pre-order the book (print or eBook) through any retailer (Barnes & Noble, Amazon, your local independent bookseller/Indiebound, Books-A-Million, Hastings, etc.)

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble / KOBO / The Book Depository

2. Email your proof of purchase (receipt or picture of the receipt) to

<mailto:sbpublicity@sourcebooks.com> sbpublicity@sourcebooks.com.

Don’t forget to include your home address (US & Canada only please) so we can send you the bookmark (and possibility the books!) If you’ve already pre-ordered this book-not a problem! Send us your receipt!

3. You will get an email back confirming when the items have been sent out.

4. Enjoy Third Lie’s the Charm when it arrives in December-just in time for some chilly holiday reading!

Optional: Make like the Roeckers and KATE and take a pic of you with your hair dyed-(or you can cheat and use Photoshop J) and share with us on Twitter and Facebook! Find the Roeckers on Twitter at LandLRoecker and Sourcebooks at Sourcebooks Twitter / Sourcebooks Fire Twitter / Sourcebooks Facebook

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Sourcebooks is offering a bonus GIVEAWAY exclusive to The Reading Cafe. TWO winners will win their choice of a paper copy of SIX MONTHS LATER by Natalie Richards (October 2013) or  BROKEN by C.J. Lyons (November 2013)

Six Months Later Broken

1. Please register using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

2. Please tell us which book you would prefer – SIX MONTHS LATER or BROKEN

3. Giveaway is open to US and CANADA only.

4. Giveaway runs from October 24 to November 2, 2013

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Evanescent by Andria Buchanan – a Review

Evanescent by Andria Buchanan – a Review

 

Evanescent
Links to order Evanescent: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / The Book Depository

Description:
Trapped in the deadly land of Nerissette, Allie has all but given up on any return to the mortal realm. Unless she can find the two elusive artifacts that have the power to get her and her friends back home. But she’s got even bigger problems as the newly crowned queen of Nerissette: she must unite her people in the midst of a civil war and capture the Fate Maker—the evil puppet master responsible for the conflict—before he can find another army willing to return him to power. On top of it all, Allie is just a normal teenager. Her feelings are growing for the guy she’s certain is her true love, and balancing her personal life while being the queen isn’t as easy as it sounds. Allie must learn the true meaning of bravery, love, and kinship, regardless of the world—and danger—around her.

 

Review:

EVANESCENT is Book Two in the Chronicles of Nerissette by Andria Buchanan.  Some books can stand alone for your reading enjoyment, but, I would encourage you readers to start at the beginning.  Did I follow my own advice? Alas no!  I read out of order and I feel that I needed a stronger connection to these teenagers for EVANESCENT to flow. 

This 2nd installment starts a few months after EVERLAST ends.  Queen Allie and her gang of friends have crossed from the World that Is (the Mortal Realm) to the World of Dreams and some of the teens still want to return home!  Her swoon-worthy Consort is the boy from across the street who is really a Black Dragon.  Best friend Mercedes can talk to trees and control nature.  Things have certainly changed!  

They are on the brink of another Civil War with the Fate Maker and Queen Allie must reunite her kingdom and defeat this evil for good.  Allie is surrounded with fun and loyal characters:  her Chief of Staff is a goblin.  The Mermaid Queen is an ally and then, there are the Dragons!  Lots and lots of Dragons, including her new friend, Kitsuna who cannot change forms, but she can fight like a true Dragon. Allie and her group of friends must decide if they are going to stay in this magical world, or if they can return to the World That Is.   Also, they must find the elusive Dragon Tear, a relic they need to defeat evil. 

The book has battles, betrayals, secrets that are revealed and ends with another cliffhanger!  The conclusion to this series is sure to be exciting!!  

Reviewed by Jules

Copy provided by Publisher

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The Dream Walker (Six Saviors #7) by Carly Fall-Review and Guest Post

THE DREAM WALKER (Six Saviors #7) by Carly Fall-Review and Guest Post

The Dream Walkerjpg

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Amazon links will not be available until release day.

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 31, 2013

As the newest member of the Six Saviors, Nico has a distinct and rare gift. He can visit others in the most private and secret place: their dreams.

Shunned early in life and blamed for the ruination of his family, Nico doesn’t use his ability often, and appreciates the Six Saviors and their mates trust him not to walk in their dreams, a trust he couldn’t achieve with his own parents.

Alaina, abandoned at birth, grew up in foster homes. At age seventeen, she was on her own. Dark thoughts of killing others have plagued her since childhood, and she doesn’t understand where they come from or why she has them.

An explosive event brings Nico, the rest of the Saviors and Alaina together, and Alaina finds out the origins of who she is and her dark thoughts. As a Colonist targets Alaina and the murder rate rises in Phoenix, Nico must use his ability to not only evaluate Alaina’s psyche, but also find out who is ultimately responsible for the deaths plaguing the city.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••

REVIEW: THE DREAM WALKER is the seventh instalment in Carly Fall’s Six Savior series.

SOME BACKGROUND: There were 6 original Savior warriors from planet SR44. The warriors were sent to earth over 212 years ago to stop and eradicate the 12 murderers who escaped from one of the moon colonies of planet SR44. The Colonists, as they were soon called, made their way to Earth, took the human body form, mated with the females and populated the earth with Colonist DNA. The earthly descendants will either manifest good or bad qualities. The savior warriors are part of the elite military from planet SR44, commissioned to remove the Colonists from Earth including the descendants with bad DNA. The beings on planet SR44 are incorporeal bodies of mist and smoke, each bearing a different color, but in their corporeal bodies on Earth, their eyes will glow their familiar- planet SR44 color each evening. THE DREAM WALKER is Nico’s story and his eyes are silver.

The premise follows Nico (the newest member of the Saviors) and the other Saviors from planet SR44 as they investigate a series of animal killings and missing persons in Phoenix Arizona. As the killings escalate, the Saviors are contacted by the most recent group of SR44 refugees-The Platoon-who have offered their support with the search for the killers. The Platoon is a group comprising of the few remaining warriors from SR44 and have made it their mission to destroy the Saviors for their inability to find the 12 original Colonists and their descendants.

Nico is a Dream Walker and his power has not always been welcomed. With his ability to slip into the sleeping dreams of others, his actions are considered an invasion and voyeuristic so Nico tends to stay by himself. But the Saviors have a plan and it is Nico’s special ability that will determine the truth about the killings and who is involved. And Nico will also discover that dream walking can be pleasurable as well as informational.

Alaina is a young woman whose family history is unknown. Abandoned as a child, she eventually found her way into the world of exotic dancing and stripping. But Alaina will soon discover that she has a special ability and it is that ability that will place Alaina and the Saviors in danger.

The relationship between Alaina and Nico is slow to develop as a good portion of the storyline they have yet to meet or they are separated. Nico believes Alaina is his mate, as his internal SR44 self is drawn to Alaina. But there is something about Alaina that doesn’t sit well and it is this discovery that will force Nico and the other Saviors into a life and death struggle to save one of their own.

THE DREAM WALKER is also a story about friendships and relationships. Carly includes the Saviors and their mates from previous storylines in each subsequent novel ensuring a familiar and friendly flow throughout the series. Life is not always easy for the members of the original Saviors but life for their mates is even harder. We watch as one relationship struggles and another relationship takes the next step to permanency.

Carly Fall has written and continues to write an amazing and fantastic series about the lives and loves of the Saviors from SR44. There is heartbreak and sorrow for the loss of friends and family: but there is also the knowledge that their lives on Earth have not been without some happiness and continued friendship with the warriors they have grown to love and respect. As each warrior finds his mate, there is always the one that is left behind. But we know, that each will find their one true mate and even those that were once considered enemies will begin to show that not everyone is who he or she appears to be.

If you like a story with strong, alpha warriors whose love for that one special woman completes his life, then Carly Fall’s Six Savior series is the perfect read. There is action and drama; sorrow and loss; humor and love. And there is always a warrior waiting to find that special someone to complete his life.

Reading Order
The Light Within Me
Finding My Faith
Reborn
Beverly’s Rebirth
Destiny’s Shift
Tangled Fates
The Dream Walker

Copy supplied by the author.

Reviewed by Sandy

Guest Post

Killing Characters

When a writer kills off a character, it is never an easy decision, especially if the authors’ audience has an emotional investment in the character through other books.

Before the release of The Dream Walker, the seventh book in the Six Saviors Series, I wrote Tangled Fates (the 6th). In that book I needed to make a decision on whether or not to kill off one of the main characters. I wrote the book with the intention of keeping him in, but then in the editing process, my editor suggested I kill a character.

At first, it wasn’t an option for me. However, the more I thought about it, I realized the book would be better if I did so.

I pondered the decision for weeks. Finally, I sat down and re-wrote parts of the book to reflect the characters death. As I did so, I had tears in my eyes. When the character took his last breath, my tears flowed freely, and I felt as though I had just found out a dear friend of mine had died. A light cloud of depression hung over me for a few days.

My editor was right—the book was much stronger with the death. The death brought up questions of morality and sacrifice. The character loved another so fiercely he was unable to let go.

However, many of my readers weren’t very happy, and they let me know it. (Ahem….Sandy)

And for me as a writer, that signified I had made the right decision. I want my readers guessing what is going to come next, and I think for a lot of them, the death was something that they probably never expected throughout the book.

But like death in real life, the character will live on through the memories of his friends and family in the books to come.

Carly

About The author

Follow: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

Carly Fall 2I am a wife, a mother and a slave to Nicky the dog.

I think chocolate and wine should be considered their own food group, and I wish Christmas happened twice a year.

I love the hot summer nights here in Arizona when my family and I play in our pool until late at night, and I hate 99.8% of politicians.

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