Pages

Friday 10 February 2012

YA Oasis Blog Fest



Preview




Hello Friends!


Hope you are all having a great weekend. I'm participating in YAmore blogfest hosted by   Oasis for YA. Post 250 words of current WIP romantic, swoon-worthy words.


Here is my 250 of my current WIP, Reaper's Novice. 


Kim grabs my hand and pulls me against him. 

“We’re being hunted, and all you think about is kissing me?” I ask, trying to snatch my hand unsuccessfully. 

He cups my face in his hands, lowers his face, and softly brushes his lips against mine. “Yes,” he murmurs, slipping one arm around my waist.

Lowering his head, he buries his face in my hair, and inhales. His warm breathe caresses my skin, his lips trace a burning trail along my jaw. He murmurs words I don’t grasp above the thump,  thump in my ears. Air whooshes out of my lungs. It’s not that I haven’t thought about kissing him. I have. Several times in very inappropriate times and places.  

Unable to stop myself, I weave my fingers and curl them around his silky, fine hair. I tug him closer, and crush my lips to his. He groans, and his arm tightens around my waist. I kiss him with everything that is in me, and he returns the kiss with a passion so strong  that I’m afraid if he wasn’t holding me so strongly, my knees wouldn’t be able to hold my body. His heart beats rapidly against my chest. Or is it mine? I can’t tell. 

I pull back, out of breath, and my head spinning.

He touches his forehead to mine, his breath ragged. “I’ve wanted to kiss you since you first saved my soul.”

I sigh. I’ve wanted to kiss him since I first saved his soul




Any feedback/comments will be highly appreciated. :)

Photobucket

Thursday 9 February 2012

Follow Friday #2









Feature and Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee's View and Alison Can readFeatured today is  Farhana @ Bookchowdown


Q: What would you prefer: reading your favorite book over and over again until you got sick of it OR reading 100s of mediocre books? And why?


Mmmmh This is a difficult one. On one side I enjoy discovering books that I have never read before, but then if the story isn't captivating, I drop it and grab one of my favourites. 
So, yes. I wouldn't mind reading 100s of those. Urgh...it's difficult. :D 

Would love to read your comments. :)  A great Friday to you all! (Thank God It's Friday)




Photobucket

Friday 27 January 2012

Follow Friday #1




Welcome to Hopelessly Book-Fevered!

Feature and Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee's View and Alison Can read


Question for this week is: Which book genre do you avoid at all costs and why?



I can't think of any genre that I particularly avoid. I enjoy reading almost all 'cause I feel that I discover something new in a each genre. What I do avoid though are books which take a long time before they get into the real point of the story. Like read 100 pages that's when the story begins. If the book doesn't snag my attention by the 10th page (and that is because I'm willing to give it time to warm up), then I put it aside.


What about you? Please leave a comment and your FF link. Look forward to read your answers.


Thanks for stopping by. :)

Photobucket

Monday 23 January 2012

My Current Read

Hi! Hope your week started out well, and is progressing well too.


Finally I get to start on my Multicultural Challenge. I was wrapped up in editing my MS, and now that is over and done with, I'm ready to tackle my awesome challenge. My first book is Tiger's Curse. I've been hearing great things about this book, and I look forward to reading it.




Have you read Colleen Houck's Tiger's Curse? Would love to read your views on the book.
Photobucket

Sunday 8 January 2012

Read any Multicultural books lately? No? Join The 2012 Challenge



Heya! Welcome to The 2012 Multicultural Book Challenge hosted by NC @ Trulybookish and KM @ One page at a time highlighting fabulous YA books written by multicultural or ethnic authors OR featuring multicultural/ethnic minorities as main characters.


I featured this on my other blog cece reading and writing safari but wanted to feature this on blog as well.

The goal of this challenge is to read 12 YA books for the year as indicated above. The books can be newly published or been around for a long time.


Every month, either NC or KM will be featuring a book or author that meets the criteria and do a book giveaway to those participating in the challenge. All you have to do is review at least one book per month that meets the criteria, upload that review to the Google Doc that will be on either of their sites and you will be entered to win!


For January, NC will feature and give away Living Violet by Jaime Reed: a YA paranormal novel with an African American main character written by an African American author. Be sure to check.


For the month of February, KM be hosting a Native American-themed interview and giveaway with Sonia Gensler, author of The Revenant. So look forward to that!


This is a chance to win a new book every month! There are so many great books to choose from, but if you need some suggestions, check out this list on Goodreads.


Ready to sign up? Just declare your participation in the challenge by writing a post on your blog and add your post to the Linky @ KM's or NC's blogs. Then snag one of our buttons to post on your site! (Special thanks to Kristin from Kristin Creative for designingthis awesome challenge button!)



So I will just go ahead and copy my list from my other blog. This isn't the final list of books. I might add/change the list.


1. Tiger's Curse, by Colleen Houck
2. Silver Phoenix, by Cindy Pon
3. Fury of the Phoenix, by Cindy Pon
4. The Book of Wonders by Jasmine Richards
5. Shadow of the Moon, by Zoe Marriott
6. Night Sky, by Jolene B. Perry 

7. Magic Under Glass, by Jaclyn Dolamore
8. Legend, by Marie Lu (Asian)
9. Spirit's Princess, by Esther M. Friesner
10. The Broken Lake, by Shelena Shorts

11. Shadow Walker by LA Banks (Thanks LM Preston.)
12. Princess Kandake by Stephanie Jefferson (Thanks C.Lee
13, Living Violet by Jamie Reed


Photobucket

Thursday 5 January 2012

Indian Fire Blog Tour with Neisa Hutson




It is a pleasure to be hosting Tourz De Codex "Indian Fire"  blog tour. 
Without further ado, I present...

 Indian Fire



Book Title:     Indian Fire
Published:      10th December 2011
Genre:              YA dystopian
Ratings:           Review to be posted as well as the rating


Buy links: 
Smashwords






Christine:

 Everyday you look over your shoulder. Every night you lock the door and lay the gun next to your head. Every touch, every breath, and every scar could mean death. Every day you live in the fear of the Blayz...This is my world as I hide inside the walls, but even here the disease rages on killing us off one by one. The world outside seems so cruel now compared to the one I live in, but good things don't last forever. I hide in fear of the disease, the Black Fire. The burning causes your mind to go insane, then your skin turns black as ashes decaying by the second, and third you turn into a Flaym hoping wishing that someone would kill you, end the pain. I am locked away from this world, until I met the green skinned boy who promised safety within 'Alamo', a place deep within the West Virginia hills. Traveling is dangerous, and the state is far, my chances of making it there are little to none. I can only hope that I will find my place across the ocean. If only I could escape this world where the skin crawls, humans are scarce, and the Blayz fill the streets.

Alan:


A flash of movement and a screaming end to the Blayz that line the Florida shores. My days of killing are over as the government releases me from my duties. Along with my friend Broc, I travel North to a place once known as New York. I go there not only to flee from the disease, but I go there in hopes of finding my lost love. After years of pain, watching my own brother kill his daughter, and leaving my fiancée behind, I am ready to return to the sane. But even there within the walls there is not much comfort. A dead lover and no home. I find comfort in knowing a young man who loved a young girl, who had been long gone from the city. We find peace in an island off the east coast, and it is there that I learn that the Blayz aren't the only things we need to fear. Together we travel to a place called the Alamo. A deadly journey begins to a place known as Indiana where the disease began. This is a place where mutants roam and disease spreads consuming everything dead or alive in it's path.



About the author:


Neisa Hutson currently lives in Farmington, West Virginia. When she’s not reading, she is writing. When she isnot writing, she is spending time with her fiancé, her family, and of course her dog Tia. In the past she has worked with the local newspaper, but is undecided on which direction to take with her writing career.
She graduated from North Marion High, and even though she is not in college, she is enjoying her time working,reading, and growing as a writer. For the time being she spends her time writing stories, working on her other love, painting and sketching, and blogging about her favorite books. Her first novel, Indiana Fire, was written for friends, writers, and fans of zombies alike. Her love of Dystopia led her to writing her own novel in hopes of making it unique and original.

To visit Neisa online, please check out the following links:




Goodreads


GIVEAWAYS:

I am pleased to inform you that the author is giving away 2 eCopies, as well as bookmarks and necklaces. Yay! The winners will be notified at the end of the blog tour (9th January). Be sure to leave a comment with your email address as well as follow this blog for a chance to win these beautiful items. 




Bookmarks and necklaces. 


Beautiful, aren't they?



Tuesday 3 January 2012

Six Weeks to Yehidah Blog Tour


Move over, C.S. Lewis; Melissa Studdard is here! Annalise of the Verdant Hills is one of the most delightful protagonists to skip through the pages of literature since Dorothy landed in Oz. Join Annalise and her two walking, talking wondersheep as they travel to ever more outlandish places and meet outrageous and enlightening folk on their journey to discover interconnectedness in a seemingly disconnected world. Discover with them how just one person can be the start of the change we all strive for. A book for all ages, for all time: wonderful, wacky, and bursting with truth!


Bursting at the seams with joy and truth, My Yehidah leads you through one of the most important adventures you can take--the journey to the center of your very own self. 

Filled with writing and drawing prompts and beautiful illustrations to color, this book is the perfect jump start for meaningful, creative exploration for people of all ages.

 My Yehidah can be done alone or along the novel Six Weeks to Yehidah.


About Melissa Studdard

Melissa Studdard is the author of the bestselling novel Six Weeks to Yehidah, which also won the 2011 Forward National Literature Award for Middle Grade Chapter Books. She is also a professor, a book reviewer at-large for The National Poetry Review, a contributing editor for both Tiferet Journal and The Criterion, and the host of the radio interview program Tiferet Talk. As well, she is a member of many literary organizations, including the National Book Critics Circle and the Society of Childrens Book Writers and Illustrators. 


She loves anything related to writing and reading, whether it's sitting alone with a book and a cup of hot tea, or attending a large poetry reading or literary festival. She also loves travelling, meditating, going for walks, bicycling, practicing yoga, and spending time with family. 

She currently resides in Texas with her wonderful daughter and their four sweet but mischievous cats.



Interview with Melissa Studdard, the author of the delightful, imaginative "Six Weeks To Yehidah", as well as "My Yehidah"

Welcome, Melissa, and congratulations on publication of your book. 

Tell me about your book. How did you come up with the story idea?



Six Weeks to Yehidah is the tale of a spunky young girl on a metaphysical journey. As she travels from one adventure to another through magical, mystical lands, she learns ancient wisdom traditions and gains deeper and deeper insight into herself and her world. Eventually she must make the most important decision she's ever faced-- whether or not to return to the self she has always known. The companion book, My Yehidah, is a journal designed to take readers on similar, but more personal, journey of self-discovery through writing
and drawing prompts and mandala and illustration coloring.

The idea came to me because I was in a wonderful critique and writing group in which we took turns assigning prompts each month. One woman asked us to read The Oxford Book of Modern Fairy Tales and write our own short tale. It turned out that I was so compelled by the voice and characters I’d created that I kept writing and writing until I realized I was no longer working on a short story. I was writing a
novel.

You also mentioned your daughter wrote the poem the Main Character, Annalise, recites in the first chapter. How was it working together?

This is a great story. Thank you for asking! Near my home, there’s a restaurant where children draw on paper table cloths with crayons. One night, when my daughter, Rosalind, was about 8 or 9, we’d just
ordered dessert, and I looked down to see that instead of drawing during dinner, she’d written a poem. I loved it so much that I took the table cloth home, knowing that I would use the poem somehow, someday. When I created Annalise a few years later, I just knew Annalise had to recite Rosalind’s poem! Now Rosalind is 14, and she’s a brilliant writer. We love working together and editing each other’s stories, and she’s actually working on her own novel now. She’s always had a tendency towards writing though. Even in pre-school, when she had show-and-tell, she would write a book, photocopy it for the class, and give the original to the teacher.

Do you have a set writing routine?

Yes and no. It’s very cyclical. When I’m working on a book, I get into the routine of writing daily, but, when I’m not, I sometimes take weeks or even months off at a time. I love writing more than almost anything else, but life experience enhances writing , so I have to force myself to live too! Haha. When I’m deep into a project, I’m a bit obsessive. Often, my daughter will come in to find me typing away in the dark because I’m so deeply into my writing that I don’t notice the sun going down. When this happens, she just turns on the lamp, shakes her head at me, and commits to cooking dinner that night. Likewise, when her writing is flowing well, I do whatever I can to support her and make sure she doesn’t have to stop until she’s ready.

 What are you working on at the moment?

I’m usually working on multiple projects simultaneously. At the forefront right now is a book based on the radio interview program, Tiferet Talk, which I host for the literary journal Tiferet. Thepublisher, Donna Baier Stein, just started a press associated with the journal, and the first book will be a compilation of the first year of Tiferet Talk interviews. It’s filled with insight and wisdom about spirituality and writing. I was fortunate enough to interview such luminaries as Julia Cameron, Robert Pinsky, Marc Allen, and Jeffrey Davis. I can’t wait to see it all collected together as one book! I am also considering a sequel to Six Weeks to Yehidah because I’ve had a lot of requests. And I am working on a poetry collection and two short story collections—one is eclectic, and the other is a series of interlinked stories set in the zany, mythical town of Halfway, Texas.

What would you advise aspiring authors?

First of all, you should always remember that you’re the only person who can speak your truths, and you are worthy of being heard. Secondly, be patient and keep after it and write without ridiculous expectations. Sometimes your writing won’t be good, but you have to write through that to get to the good stuff. Quitting writing won’t fix anything. Don’t be wary of writing the bad stuff. Just laugh at it, think of it as practice, don’t show it to anyone if you don’t feel like it, and keep writing until the good stuff starts flowing again.Just do not stop writing. The most important thing is to keep doing it against all the odds, obstacles, doubts, and insecurities. Those who keep after it are the ones who succeed. I’ve seen it over and over again with my writer friends.


Thank you, Melissa for stopping by. It is an honour and a delight to have you here.





My Review:

Six weeks to Yehidah is a quick, easy and a fun read with some good messages in there, like acceptance of others and patience among others, the young generation would greatly benefit from this story, and learn some things along the way. It is a story of told through the eyes of Annalise, who enters a magical land with her two sheep and they meet different cast of characters from very annoying, to charming. I enjoyed Melissa Studdard’ delightful writing style and a her great imagination in writng this book. Six Weeks to Yehidah is a must read for any young person, and can be enjoyed by adults as well, and is a treasure to keep.

My Yedidah a journey into the story, is the accompanying book to Six Weeks to Yehidah, a delightful treat. It is full of colouring pages and questions with spaces provided. 

To visit Melissa online, please click on the following links:


Six Weeks to Yehidah:


My Yehidah