Library Girl Reads & Reviews

Monday, October 1, 2012

Celebrate All Hallow's Read with a Fiction Frolic

Help Raise 1,000 books for charity and enter to win $200, signed books and swag!

We are excited to share about an ambitious blog tour—Fiction Frolic for All Hallow's Read—where ten authors from several genres are working hard to raise 1,000 books in three weeks for Books for America.

From October 1st to 19th, donate a new book (or books!) and earn extra bonus points in a huge giveaway that these authors are hosting.

Two winners will each receive the following PRIZES!

$100 Amazon G.C.
5 signed books from the authors hosting the event
A swag bag
Plus—in honor of All Hallow's read, gift a signed copy of one of our books to a friend!

With a total of $200, 12 signed books (including the gifted books) and major swag, what better way is there to raise books for charity and celebrate All Hallow's Read?

Each author participating is also donating signed copies of their books to Books for America, an awesome charity that is officially sponsoring their event and excited to be involved with All Hallow's Read. In 2011, Books for America donated more than $800,000 worth of books and materials to DC area schools, shelters and dozens of other educational programs and organizations.

The authors are blogging throughout the event at The Fiction Frolic Blog.

• 10/1-5 Read about how books shaped their love for reading and writing.
• 10/8-12 Read their scariest, funniest or craziest Halloween experiences, or learn about their favorite Halloween themed book or movie, or favorite work of "dark" literature.
• 10/15-19 Enjoy some flash fiction, short stories and novel excerpts.

So donate, share, and look for daily ways to enter to win. Donate to charity for bonus points!.

This event is sponsored by:

Eleanor T Beaty, author of the YA paranormal Veiled Mist
Brewin' author of the supernatural horror, The Dark Horde
Andy Gavin, author of the fantasy horror, The Darkening Dream
Laxmi Hariharan, author of the YA fantasy, The Destiny of Shaitan
Kimberly Kinrade, author of the YA paranormal thriller/romances, Forbidden Mind & Forbidden Fire
Richard Long, author of the supernatural thriller/horror, The Book of Paul
M.C. Mars, author of the mind-bending novel, Burner
Melissa McPhail, author of epic fantasy Cephrael's Hand
Sheryl Steines, author of She Wulf & The Day of First Sun
Pavarti K Tyler., author of the Lit Fic Shadow on the Wall and the erotic horror Consumed by Love

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Note: All opinions provided on this blog are my own. If a product was given to me for review, the source of that product is noted in the post. Bookstore links are generally affiliate links and I do earn a small amount for each purchase. Other affiliate links will be noted in the post.

Author Interview with Terri Clark - Hollyweird

photo courtesy of Terri Clark

I am so excited to welcome my friend Terri Clark to the blog today. Terri and I used to work together at the library when I lived in Colorado. She does amazing work with the teenagers there and has lots of fun doing it. Terri tried writing romance novels for a while but finally found a home writing books for young adults. Terri's sense of fun, quick wit, and love of pop culture come through strongly in her books as does her interest in the supernatural. Terri is one busy lady so I'm so glad that she had some time to answer a few interview questions. Be sure to keep reading because Terri has generously offered up two copies of Hollyweird for my readers.

1. I know you are a huge fan of the TV show Supernatural and that it provided some of the inspiration for Hollyweird. What is it about that particular show that draws you in and encourages you to do more than just watch each week?

It's smartly written. I love the paranormal lore, the overall story and character arcs and especially the humor. Plus, the relationship between the brothers is something, as a viewer, I've become very invested in. The writers make you care about these characters. You know their psychic wounds, their greatest strengths, the things that make them act goofy or cause them to be impetuous. Plus I adore the biting wit in their dialogue. I guess the real question is "what's not to love?"

2. You work with teens at the library and write for a young adult audience. What do you like best about working with this age group? How do the teens inspire your writing?

I adore working with teens. They're so bright, enthusiastic, unfiltered, funny, loyal, genius and inspiring. I'm very blessed because not only do their inspire my writing and characters, they inspire me to want to be a better person every day.

3. You are one busy lady with family, work, workshops/conferences, and writing! How do you keep things in balance and find the time to do it all?

I don't. LOL. It's very hard to balance it all and I struggle on a daily basis, but writing is my real passion and so I have to make that a priority.

4. What is the best advice you can give new writers on finding and working with an agent?

Try to see or meet agents in person at conferences because you get a real sense of who they are, what matters to them, what they're looking for and how they work. It can be very hard to pick an agent from Writer's Market or Queryagent.com because they're just words on paper. If you can't see them personally at least speak to them at length on the phone so you have a real sense of whether or not you click. I've had an agent in mind before and after seeing them speak at a conference decided they weren't for me. This is a professional relationship and you don't want to go into it blindly. Imagine if you only read about a guy on the internet and then married him without ever meeting. You might get lucky, but probably not. Don't find an agent the same way. :)

Terri's Official Bio: Terri Clark feels blessed to demonstrate her passion for young adult fiction as both a teen librarian and author in Colorado. Since she was a little girl she’s been fascinated with the paranormal, so it’s little wonder she's a real life ghost huntress and her stories dabble in the dark and different. Her latest book, Hollyweird, is about two teen girls who realize their favorite TV star is actually the son of Satan. You can also read Terri’s essay, Crime of Fashion, in the Hunger Games related anthology The Girl Who Was On Fire from Pop Smart books. Please visit Terri online at www.TerriClarkBooks.com, www.facebook.com/terriclarkbooks and twitter.com/terriclarkbooks.

About Hollyweird: Aly King is about to fall for the fallen

My best friend, Des, and I totally freaked when we won the contest to meet THE Dakota Danvers in Hollywood. But now we’re finding out he’s SO not the angel everyone believes him to be. In fact, Dakota is the son of Satan, wreaking havoc on Hollywood and creating an evil army hellbent on world domination.

Lucky for us, Dakota’s super-cute personal assistant, Jameson, is a fallen angel trying to get his wings back, and he’s working undercover to squash his demon boss’s plan. If Jameson hadn’t taken me under his wing I’d be in serious trouble, because I’m a total newb when it comes to conquering evil. But, truth be told, that sexy angel’s got me all aflutter and may be one temptation I can’t resist.

Enter to Win a Copy

Terri has offered to send two of my readers a copy of Hollyweird. Please enter using the Rafflecopter form below. If you are reading this post via email or a feed reader, you will need to visit the blog to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Note: All opinions provided on this blog are my own. If a product was given to me for review, the source of that product is noted in the post. Bookstore links are generally affiliate links and I do earn a small amount for each purchase. Other affiliate links will be noted in the post.

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Wards of Faerie by Terry Brooks (Review)

Title: Wards of Faerie
Author: Terry Brooks
Publication Date: August 2012
Publisher: Del Rey
Series: The Dark Legacy of Shannara
Source: Amazon Vine
Available Formats: Hardcover, eBook, Audio CD
Available for PreOrder: Paperback

After taking time away from the pure stories of Shannara to write the stories of how Shannara was created out of the ashes of our own time, Brooks returns to the world of magic. Conflict is again building between the Federation, the Elves, and the dwindling Druid order. Magic and science are at odds and the atmosphere is tense. As Aphenglow Elessedil searches the Eleven histories, she comes upon the diary of a young girl. This diary could change everything about the way the past is viewed and it certainly shapes the future path for Aphenglow and others. A new quest is undertaken to locate the missing Elfstones and shift the balance of power in the Four Lands.

Wards of Faerie is the first book in the latest trilogy from Terry Brooks. While the characters are new, long time readers will recognize the family names as each main character is descended from important characters in past Shannara books. This connection is important because it indicates to the reader exactly how that character may be important to the story. Brooks is able to pass along gifts and characteristics without having to do in depth character building in each book.

The essential quest format of the book is familiar as well. Brooks introduces the main players, gives them a choice about undertaking a journey, and off they go into danger. Although it might seem that knowing the plot outline ahead of time would render each book too similar to the last, Brooks keeps the reader's attention through the personalities of the characters and the details of the world and action.

My only complaint about this book is that it felt incomplete. It seemed as if the quest had truly just begun when I reached the end of the book. I am very glad that this trilogy will be released in rapid fire fashion with the books coming out every six months so I won't have to wait too long for the next portion of the story. This release schedule also means that I don't have to wait almost a year for the paperback version to come out.

As a longtime fan of Shannara, I am glad to see Brooks adding more stories to the most current timeline again. The jump from the Shannara pre-history (Word & Void series, Genesis of Shannara series, and Legends of Shannara series) was a bit jarring and I had to take some time to reorient myself in the timeline. Overall though I think Wards of Faerie will be a hit with Shannara fans.

Note: All opinions provided on this blog are my own. If a product was given to me for review, the source of that product is noted in the post. Bookstore links are generally affiliate links and I do earn a small amount for each purchase. Other affiliate links will be noted in the post.

Saturday, September 22, 2012

Your Vote Counts! by Harvey Simon (Guest Post)

Presidential election year... A time when everything seems to get a bit crazy. Everyone is asking for your vote. Telling you what they will do for you if elected. Making promises while knocking down the other guy. The media barrage is so constant and the tone so negative that some wonder why vote at all. Today Harvey Simon is here to remind us why each and every vote does count as well as to tell us a bit about his book The Madman Theory.

Think your vote this November in the presidential election doesn’t matter? Then read my novel, The Madman Theory.

The Madman Theory tells a story of what might have happened if just a tiny number of voters had changed their minds about which candidate to support in 1960.

The contest that year was between a young Senator and an almost equally young vice president. The Senator was the Democrat, John F. Kennedy. The Republican was Richard Nixon.

Of course, Kennedy won the election. And you may owe your very existence to that simple fact.

That’s because two years after the election, the Kennedy administration discovered that our nuclear-armed enemy, the Soviet Union, was secretly building a missile base in Cuba. These missiles, just 90 miles from Florida, had the capability to obliterate New York, Washington and other major U.S. cities.

This was the Cuban Missile Crisis, and at its height the secretary of defense thought he might not live another week. Ultimately, Kennedy saved the day – literally saved the world – and ended the conflict peacefully.

We were lucky to have Kennedy as president. That’s what it was – dumb luck. During the presidential campaign Nixon bumped his knee on a car door. His knee became infected and he was hospitalized. He lost a lot of weight and looked terrible – just in time for his presidential debate with Kennedy on television.

Some people think Nixon lost the election because he looked so awful during those debates. In other words, the world was saved because Nixon bumped his knee.

Maybe – that depends on what Nixon would have done during the Cuban Missile Crisis, had he been president.

Read The Madman Theory and find out.

-- Harvey Simon

About the Book: It is 1962 and there are children at play in the White House for the first time since the presidency of William Howard Taft. Richard Nixon, the vigorous 49-year-old president, has been in office less than two years, having won election by a razor-thin margin over Senator John Kennedy. In Moscow, the wildly unpredictable Nikita Khrushchev is looking forward to visiting his cherished revolutionary leader, Fidel Castro. Just 90 miles from American shores, Khrushchev will announce an audacious and dangerous nuclear stunt to abruptly shift the balance of power: a secretly-built network of missiles across Cuba that put American cities in the atomic crosshairs. But President Nixon has his own announcement planned. A U.S. spy plane has discovered the missiles being set up in Cuba and Nixon will soon address the nation to announce his response. Meanwhile, First Lady Pat Nixon is in California to look at a San Clemente house the first couple may purchase. Seeing shoppers crowd around a store-window television, Pat gets her first inkling of trouble. Dick has always insisted she not listen to the news and she is happy, for now, to return to her correspondence. In the coming days, the confrontation between the U.S. and its nuclear foe will escalate. The president will weigh his determination to overthrow Castro against the risk of all-out war as Pat struggles to reconcile her proper role as a wife with her estrangement from the man who thrust her into a public life she despises.

About the Author: Harvey Simon is a Washington, D.C., based writer whose articles have appeared in The Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe Sunday Magazine and elsewhere. Before moving to Washington he was a national security analyst at Harvard University, where he also wrote about other public policy issues. He received his undergraduate degree from Cornell University and an M.A. in philosophy from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Note: All opinions provided on this blog are my own. If a product was given to me for review, the source of that product is noted in the post. Bookstore links are generally affiliate links and I do earn a small amount for each purchase. Other affiliate links will be noted in the post.