It's a Blog Hop

What is the working title of your book? Narysian Treasure

Where did the idea come from for the book? Umm, my grandma was a florist, and so I started with my protagonist being a florist. The rest just unfolded as I went.

What genre does your book fall under? Sci-fi romance

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition? Zac Efron for my hunky hero and Mia Wasikowska (say that five times fast) for my beautiful heroine.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book? A bounty-hunting alien encounters an unexpected treasure in his hunt for the Fertility Guardian from his home planet.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency? Self-pubbed (I just self-pubbed my first book, The Archer's Hollow--a fantasy romance--on Smashwords in October of this year).

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript? I'm still working on it, but I've discovered I'm a better pantser than I am an outliner. I hope to finish a first draft early next year.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre? Maybe A Wrinkle in Time but with romance. 

Who or What inspired you to write this book? My grandma and my husband.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest? That there just may be life out there other places in the universe and maybe they're like us in more ways than not.

ANWA Writers Conference Contest

Spread-the-Word Contest!

It's that time of year when we gear up for the annual ANWA Time Out for Writers Conference held February 21-23. The fun and learning will happen at the Hilton Hotel in Mesa, Arizona (be sure to let them know you're with ANWA when you reserve your room).

We have some great things happening this year. Some returning stars: pitch opportunities with agents/editors, the Beginning of Book (BOB) contest, wonderful workshops, the All-Star Breakfast, the bookstore and the fabulous James Owen as our keynote speaker. New stars to the line-up: the Protagonist Ball (come dressed as your favorite protagonist and have a great time mingling with attendees and presenters).

We want to let as many people know about the Time Out for Writers Conference as we can so we're hosting a week-long contest to Spread The Word. The winner will be randomly picked. You can earn multiple entries using the Rafflecopter below. The prize: a $25 Amazon gift card!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
inspired by Siobhan Dowd

Back of Book: At seven minutes past midnight, thirteen-year-old Conor wakes to find a monster outside his bedroom window. But it isn't the monster Conor's been expecting-- he's been expecting the one from his nightmare, the nightmare he's had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments. The monster in his backyard is different. It's ancient. And wild. And it wants something from Conor. Something terrible and dangerous. It wants the truth. From the final idea of award-winning author Siobhan Dowd-- whose premature death from cancer prevented her from writing it herself-- Patrick Ness has spun a haunting and darkly funny novel of mischief, loss, and monsters both real and imagined.

YA

Don't let the cover scare you off. I have to admit, though, that I love the cover. I have blinds on all my windows due to horror films/TV from my youth, so you would think that I would avoid reading something with a monster heading for a house and a 13 y.o. boy. But no, I picked this up and started reading it. 

It's a quick read (took me about two and a half hours), but so worth the time. It's a heart-wrenching tale that made me cry a couple of times (but, I'm like that, so no surprise there). I just typically don't read criers. But I digress. This would be great for book clubs and I want my kids to read it, too. In an environment where things worth reading can be hard to find, this shines! Get it. [Amazon.com] Read it.

Disclaimer: I checked this out from the library and received no compensation for this review.

Earthbound by Theresa Sneed

Earthbound by Theresa Sneed

Back of the Book: Heaven used to be such a perfect place . . .

As the time draws near for the first spirits to leave their home in heaven, a group of rebellious dissenters begins to appear at every blue-planet planning meeting, demanding that all mortals are ruled by compulsory choice, instead of having the freedom to choose for themselves. Daniel is a courageous Freedom Fighter who vehemently opposes the No Choice movement. Sophie is impressed by his strong desire to do what's right . . . and by his intense blue eyes. But she also has a strange attraction to the handsome and ostentatious Coe, a leader of the No Choice movement, who has his sights on her and will stop at nothing to claim her as his own.

LDS Romantic Fiction.

Normally I'm not a huge fan of LDS fiction, but I loved this book! I like fantasy/sci-fi and there were parts of this that fit right into that. This was also a book that made me look inside. It was a good reminder that every choice matters. And to have read it right before LDS General Conference didn't hurt either. I highly recommend it--even if you're not LDS (and if you're not LDS and have questions, stop the missionaries, they'd love to answer your questions or visit LDS.org). I'm looking forward to checking out Theresa Sneed's other book, No Angel.

Theresa's books can be found at Amazon or Deseret Book. Get it and enjoy an engaging and thought-provoking story.

Disclaimer: I bought this book and received no compensation for this review.

The Healing Balm of Good-bye Letters

Last Good-bye Letters is a Facebook page dedicated to exactly that, Last Goodbye Letters. My friend, Susan Geer, had an amazing and healing experience that she shares and hopes you will be able to learn from it and even contribute to her larger project of compiling these letters into a book.

She also has a website by the same name: Last Goodbye Letters. It's a beautiful website and I encourage you to take a look and, of course, contribute if you can.

A Lady By Any Other Name

A Lady by Any Other Name

A novel by Jennifer Kitchens available at Amazon. I'm excited to check out this new book and have it on my list of books 'to read'.

Jennifer also has a great blog that is really fun to follow. You can find her at Clean Romance Reviews.

Laiden's Daughter by Suzan Tisdale

Back of the book: Betrayed by lies before her birth, Aishlinn believes kind and honorable men do not exist. Raised in near seclusion by a cruel stepfather, she is traded to work at Castle Firth in Penrith England for the price of two sheep. When the despised Earl of Penrith attacks her late one night and attempts to rape her, Aishlinn stabs him in self-defense and flees England for the safety of the Scottish highlands. Surviving the horrific beating at the hands of the Earl, Aishlinn is rescued by a fierce band of highland warriors who swear their allegiance to her for killing the hated Earl--the same man who had destroyed their village and killed their families when they were boys. 

Duncan McEwan, future chief of the Clan MacDougall, has survived countless battles and bed innumerable women. He has scaled mountains, survived a horrific storm at sea and even hand-to-claw battle with a ferocious cat-o’mountain. But none of that could have prepared him for how his life is forever changed one fateful spring day when he rescues a very battered young woman from an icy stream. Together with his men, they risk everything to take her to the safety of their clan.

She soon learns that kind and honorable men do exist and one in particular changes her heart forever. She discovers an inner strength and it will be tested to the limits when she is forced to make a heart wrenching decision--allow the English to kill those she loves or surrender for the crime she committed. 

With an intense code of honor Duncan must now battle the feelings for the beautiful Aishlinn. He will do anything to keep her as his own and he’ll do anything to keep her out of the hands of the English.

My Take: I really liked this story. I loved the big Scottish Highlanders and their value of family and women (especially Wee William and how much he loved the bairns). I love accents and found meself reading in a wee brogue as I went along. There is some sensual heat in a few places and the point of view alternates between many characters, seemingly in an omniscient sort of way. It never took me out of the story, but could have been better. There are also several places where some editing was needed, but I typically overlook that if I'm into the story (which I'll admit, I was happy to go sit at the swim meet for hours because I had this book to read). 

To buy the book: Laiden's Daughter by Suzan Tisdale at Amazon or Laiden's Daughter at BN.

Disclaimer: I bought this book and received no compensation for this review.