[Author & Character Interview] Bright Fire

Bright Fire

by M.J. Austin

Hello my nerds,
Today I've got something a little different than my normal review or promo blurb. Indie author M.J. Austin just published her first book, Bright Fire, this last month. I'm still in the process of reading, but you can get some more info about the book toward the end of the post. I can't comment on the book yet, but I will say that the cover art is absolutely gorgeous. 
 
Please welcome M.J. Austin and Delfia Stryker to Book Nerd Paradise..

Author interview

What is your favorite part of the story, Bright Fire?
I’d say my favorite part is the growth of the relationships between the characters.
If you were stranded on a desert island which of your characters do you want by your side?
Alec, because he is trained in these types of situations.
If you could be best friends with one of your characters, who would it be?
Cass, she’s definitely becoming a favorite.
What inspired you to write your first book?
Aside from being passionate about writing my whole life, NaNoWriMo2014 did. I finished with about 51,000 words, (Takes a bow).
Who or what inspired you to be a writer?
Amanda Hocking inspired me the most, because she started where I am and became super successful.
What's your favorite book-turned movie?
That’s a tough one. I’m going to say Harry Potter. Yes I am a Potterhead.
What is your typical day like?
CRAZY! I have day jobs. Yes I said jobs as in plural. Then I cook, clean, and finally make it to writing at like 11 p.m.  
How do you overcome writer’s block?
I just start writing random stuff until something makes sense.
Can you share a little of your current work with us?
I am in the process of writing book two of the Bright Fire series, as well as a novella centered around Cass.
What book are you reading now?
Halo by Alexandra Ardonetto
What do you prefer paperback, hardcover, or ebooks?
Paperback, they show how often they are read. Plus paper beats screen anyday.

Character Interview

What is your full name? Do you have a nickname?
My full name is Delfia Stryker, but most of my friends call me Dell.
What is your hair color? Eye color?
I have brown hair and blue eyes.
How old are you?
I am 16
What is in your refrigerator right now?
The fridge is stocked full of health nut foods, Cass is very particular about the food we eat.
Who are the people you are closest to?
Lyla, Cass, Alec
What is your biggest fear?
Failing to fulfill the prophecy.
What is your most treasured possession?
The book my dad left me before he died.
Which living person do you most despise?
Hades.
Which talent would you most like to have?
I would love to be able to make myself invisible. It would make my job so much easier.

About Bright Fire

Summary

Delfia thought she was a normal girl about to turn sixteen until her adoptive parents are murdered by creatures from the underworld. Her life gets thrown into chaos as she teams up with her best friend, a strange guy, and a prophetess. She soon discovers her biological father, Hades, ordered the attack on her and her family because a prophecy names her as the one to take him down. She must first complete a set of tasks to free Persephone, her mother, from the underworld and defeat Hades. Will she be reunited with her mother or will she get sucked into the underworld?

Read a review 

Since I don't have a review yet here's one by Triskele Reviews

About the Author 

 M.J. Austin is the author of the Bright Fire series and NaNoWriMo 2014 winner. She has always found the world of fantasy preferable to the real world. She channels this love of mystical worlds and creatures into her writing. She is an avid reader and proud bookworm. She has a Master's Degree in Project Management, but her true passion is writing.

When she isn't working or writing she is diving into random projects as often as possible. She lives in Tennessee with three children, husband, and three dogs.

Stalk M.J.:

Blog│Facebook│Twitter│Goodreads│Amazon Author Page│Amazon Purchase

[Book Blitz & Giveaway] The Last Order

 

The Last Order

by Angela Marie Caldwell

Release Date: February 3, 2015
Rocket Circus Press

 

Summary from Goodreads:

 

Lana forms a secret order of women knights to fulfill her father’s final request: find the queen who was thought to be dead and return her to the throne.

Lana Crewe is a strong, fiercely driven seventeen year old living in a village ruled by fear. With their king and queen both dead, strife and division have taken hold. Ruthlessly attacked by an Order called Talons, Lana’s father is fatally stabbed. Before he dies, he imparts upon Lana a directive to save the statue of Saint Peter, and tells her that the queen yet lives. Now it is up to Lana to unravel the mystery of Saint Peter and bring an end to all of the war by finding the queen.

A medieval tale of hope and mystery, The Last Order is an action-packed story with one of thestrongest female leads since Disney’s “Brave.” Not your average YA novel; The Last Order takes upper teenage angst and spins it on its head. You’ll be gripping this book as hard as it will be gripping you.

Add to Goodreads

Buy Links:

Amazon 

Read an excerpt

LANA RUBBED HER ARMS, still shivering under layers of clothing. You should have worn your cloak, her father’s voice warned, mixing within her thoughts. After years of his lectures and training, he had become a part of her—one that she assumed would eventually go away, or at least quiet down a bit. 

Under the short skirt layered over her leather pants, Lana retrieved her dagger from its custom pocket. Leaves rustled behind her and she spun around, ready for her opponent.

"One day, I will catch you off guard," Bowen said, twisting his lips.

"You’re late," she teased.

"What’s the wager, Lana?" he asked, holding up his sparring sword, ready to fight.

"You’ll mend my sword without payment."

"And if I win, you’ll run double errands," he answered. She swung her sword and lunged at him. "Deal."

Their swords sliced back and forth, making for an almost equal bout. Bowen stood taller than her by a few inches and weighed double. She glided around him with ease. He turned, whipping his blade around expertly. Sweat already beaded on his face. Lana’s heart pumped and her blood warmed. She jabbed her blade. Bowen swerved unsteadily, almost escaping her weapon, but her final swing landed perfectly along his ribcage. Bowen stumbled sideways and fell to the ground, his playful expression turning bitter.

Lana bowed her head. A smile began to creep along her face as she raised her eyes back up to meet his.

"Next time, I will finish you more quickly," she tried to joke, attempting to ease her conscience.

Bowen held his side and cringed. "You’ll do anything to win," he said.

Lana offered her hand, but he refused. "I’m done," Bowen said as he stood up and walked away from her.

"Done? What?" Lana balked. "Bowen, wait." Lana dashed around in front of him and pushed her hand out against his chest. He stopped, seeming unsettled by her touch. His eyes turned sour and far from amused. "We’ve always been a team," she pressed him.

"I don’t have time to play knight with you anymore," he argued, but didn’t try to push past her.

"Oh, too good are you?" she teased again. Seeing no change, she got serious. "I suppose it’s your mother?"

"Who else is going to mend your sword and everyone else’s? Father’s ill. You know that."

She stared into his eyes, begging. "You’re the only one left who can still keep up. Who will train with me?"

"There’s more to life than fighting, Lana. You need a skill," he said.

"I have a skill." Defending herself was an invaluable skill that few women possessed.

"One that matters, like... I don’t know." Bowen seemed to blush a bit.

She cut him off. "Cooking? Sewing? A skill more fit for a woman, so that your mother would approve of me?" His eyes agreed with her words and the realization sliced at Lana’s heart. She thought Bowen would stand by her, but he had stopped dreaming. She stepped out of his way.

What do you say now, Father? she thought. You won, but not over your anger. She kicked the ground and gritted her teeth. Walking away, she struggled to listen over her footsteps, wishing that Bowen would chase after her and beg her to forgive him for his lapse in judgment. Instead, stillness affirmed her fear. He had deserted her.

About the Author

Angela M Caldwell is an author, photographer, and digital filmmaker. She studied video production and photography at Radford Univeristy then relocated to Los Angeles for an adventure. After seven years of city life, she moved back to Virgina.

Angela loves a good story and she has a broad range of likes when it comes to reading. Give her characters that she can root for and take her on an adventure. Angela’s journey back to the written word is a story of its own with dyslexia keeping her from writing for years.

But, she is a storyteller at heart. Through the years, she enjoyed expressing her stories through a variety of forms: photography, painting, music, film-making, and writing.

She lives with her husband and 4 kids, who are her biggest fans. They have one dog, and two cats. Perhaps one day they will have a farm. And her dream of having a horse will be realized.

Author Links:

Website│Goodreads│Twitter│Facebook│Tumblr

GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway A special thanks to YA Book Bound Tours for organizing this blitz.

[Giveaway] Any ebook you want ($10 or under)

Where, oh where did I go?

Anyone who read my latest review of Ferran's Map by T.L. Shreffler may have noticed that I hadn't posted anything in well over a year. If you noticed, you might have wondered where I went. No, I didn't just disappear off the face of the earth. In short my life just plain got in the way. So here's an update on my last year, and what I hope is in the future for Book Nerd Paradise.

In October of 2012 I move to the Quad Cities, which is located along the Mississippi river, straddling the Iowa/Illinois border. I had moved back to the Midwest, where I was born and raised, from Florida to take a job as a copy editor/designer with a local newspaper. Surprisingly, I found that I missed the Midwest and being close to my family and friends. I went from being about 1,200 miles away from my younger brother to just under an hour's drive. It was never easy being that far away from my only sibling. 

A new year, a new do. 

So I moved on to my second job within two years of graduating college. It didn't take me long to realize that two cross-country moves right out of college(on top of student loans), on a journalist's salary was difficult. My budget was so tight I decided the best option was to do nothing other than go to work, sit at home watching my five channels of cable and contributing to my blog. It didn't leave a lot of room for my reading habit either. And as I'm sure almost every one of you will agree, giving up the habit is just not an option. 

I decided I didn't want to live like that anymore. I hadn't made any friends and I wasn't involved in any hobbies or clubs. I couldn't even afford to belong to a gym. For a someone with a restless personality like me, it's pretty soul crushing to not be busy all the time. 

The next step was me getting a second job as a server at a local high-end restaurant. I found that I really enjoyed it, even though it was really stressful. That was over a year ago and I made some lasting friends through the experience and managed to dig my way out of about $17,000 in debt. Yea, you read that right. There's money to be made as a server. Sadly, I still have quite a long way to go. But I'm happy and I've learned a lot of life lessons along the way. 

The unfortunate aspect of this second job was that I worked seven days a week between both jobs. My part time job wasn't really that part time. It was more of a 30 hours a week job, on top of the 40 hours at my day job. So, something had to give and it was my blog that took the hit. I decided to let everything go dark and resume when I was in a better place in my life. 

These two keep me company while I read
and write for Book Nerd Paradise

That brings us to today. I've switched to a different restaurant and cut down my hours way down. Hopefully, I'll be able to quit my second job soon and have more time to dedicate to my own writing projects.

But I still debated whether or not it was a good idea to start up the blog. 

The decision was made for me when T.L. Shreffler contacted me, asking if I would like to participate in her latest blog tour. As the sole author who made me truly appreciate indie authors, I absolutely could not say no. 

Now I'm back in the game, working on my blog and trying not to drown myself in coffee. But as I get back into the swing of things, I wanted to connect with blog readers more and find out what people truly want to see on this blog. Previously, I don't think I did that great of a job interacting with other people on my blog, Twitter and Facebook. 

And that's where this giveaway comes in. Think of it as a bribe for answering all my probing questions. I am giving away an ebook copy of any book ($10 or under) to one lucky winner. All you have to do is answer some questions and follow me on some social sites. I appreciate all of your comments and feedback. 

Happy reading my fellow nerds. 


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[Book Blitz & Giveaway] Ever Darkening

Ever Darkening

by Janeal Falor

Release Date: January 28, 2015

Summary from Goodreads:

Perfection. Goodness. Elimination of evil. It's what seventeen-year-old Kaylyn has trained her entire life to achieve. But no one is prepared for the consequences of her actually defeating all evil people on the planet. Finally successful in her mission, Kaylyn faces an unfamiliar world, full of good people doing good things, in which she no longer has purpose.

When the skies grow dark, and a stranger from another village pleads for her help, her instincts roar to life. It turns out their perfect world isn't exactly what it seems. Kaylyn's new quest, harder than any she's been on before, will rip apart her friendships, her life, and her soul more than any evil man ever managed to.

Add to Goodreads

Buy Links:

Amazon | Kobo | Smashwords | Barnes and Noble | CreateSpace

Read an excerpt

"The darkness is filled with a silence so thick and unnatural, I want to draw my sword and slice through it. I don’t want to think what that could mean. But it’s the whole reason we are here. To figure it out, this slimy, oily thing that sticks to my Zophasken like tar. My power burns even as I keep it tightly wrapped inside me. Malryx no longer exist. Except no one told this forest."

** You can check out my review of Janeal Falor's previous work, "You Are Mine."

About the Author

Janeal Falor lives in Utah where she’s finally managed to live in the same house for more than five years without moving. In her spare time she reads books like they’re nuts covered in caramel and chocolate, cooks whatever strikes her fancy, and enjoys the outdoors. Her husband and three children try to keep up with her overactive imagination. Usually they settle for having dinner on the table, even if she’s still going on about the voices in her head.

Author Links:

Website│Goodreads│Twitter│Facebook

GIVEAWAY

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A special thanks to YA Book Bound Tours for organizing this blitz.

[Review] Ferran's Map

Ferran's Map (Cat's Eye #4)

by T.L. Shreffler

I don't think it's any secret that I'm a big fan of the Cat's Eye series and it's author. As you might notice, I haven't post a single thing since my review of the third book in the series, Volcrian's Hunt. In short, my life got in the way of me keeping up my blog. However, when the author contacted me asking if I would like to participate in the blog tour for Ferran's Map, I just couldn't say no. I don't think there's a single book out there that could have brought me back to the blogging world. But enough about that, you're all here to see what I have to say about Ferran's Map.

At the end of Volcrian's Hunt, the demise of the evil bloodmage Volcrian was brought about when Sora was able to briefly connect with a secondary cat's eye to take him down. With the bad guy finally defeated, this could have been the end of the series. But as we found out through Ferran and Lorie's point of view, there is still a long way to go in this journey. So the crew heads off to the City of Crowns in search for the Book of the Named. 

Ferran's Map starts off not long after where it's predecessor had finished. It opens with the crew aboard Sila's ship, bound for the City of Crowns. Soon, Sora spots a dying woman on the shore. The woman points them to her village where Sora, Crash and Ferran find the entire village has been wiped out by the sickness. They also find a little more than they bargained for. 

It only makes them realize that things are getting worse and they must stop the Shade as they try to raise their dark god. 

What I found interesting about the progression of this series is that T.L. Shreffler has seamlessly added in more character point of views. Sora's Quest was told almost solely from Sora's view. In Viper's Creed, we see things from the point of view of the assassin (you can read my review of the first two here). Then Volcrian's Hunt slowly adds in the voice of Volcrian (do the see a pattern here?) as well as Lorie and members of the Shade. 

In Ferran's Map we learn more and Ferran and Lorie's past, and I grew to have a new respect for these characters. In the previous books I felt they were background characters who held little interest for me. I had a hard time relating to Lorie's character and Ferran just seemed like a frat boy who never settled down. 

The fourth book brings the added element of a much deeper story. It's not just Sora, Crash and Burn trying to bring down Volcrian and the havoc he created. Instead we have a lesson on the history of Lorie and Ferran and why they are the people they are today. We also learn more about Crash and his personal journey.

But don't worry, there's is plenty of Sora's and Crash to go around. One of the things I love most about this series is the subtle beauty that is Sora and Crash's relationship. I love the way their relationship has oh so slowly started to blossom. There's is no head over heels, I love you on sight moment in this series. Their relationship has been built on the need to trust each other in dire situations. 

I like to think of it like a slowly blooming flower. It's not yet full developed, the petals are still trying to find their way. But at any moment, something could come along to destroy that beautiful flower. 

That something is named Cerastes. Will he succeed in crushing that flower, and the entire world along with it? You'll have to read to find out. 

Rating: This author and this book will probably always get 5 stars from me.

Make sure to click on the links below for more information and also enter the awesome GIVEAWAY!

*I was provided an ARC copy for an honest review

Book summary

Release date: January 20th, 2015 

Title: Ferran's Map (The Cat's Eye Chronicles, Book 4) 

Author: T. L. Shreffler 

Website: www.catseyechronicles.com 

 

Synopsis  

The bloodmage Volcrian is dead, but a new enemy lurks in the shadows. The Shade, a fanatical cult of demonic assassins, is trying to resurrect the Dark God and unleash His power back into the world. In their wake, a deadly plague is spreading across the land.  

Only Sora and her companions know the plague’s true source. As the disease spreads, she must journey to the City of Crowns to retrieve The Book of the Named, her only hope of stopping the Shade. She and her companions arrive just in time for the winter solstice festival, a notorious two weeks of fine wines, grand parties and legendary debauchery. She must don the guise of a noblewoman and infiltrate the First Tier nobility to stop the Shade before it’s too late.  

Meanwhile, the assassin Crash is confronted by a ghost from his past. As he uncovers more of the Shade’s plot, he finds himself face-to-face with his old Grandmaster. Can Crash lay to rest his past, or will he succumb to his inner demon and rejoin the man who once made him a killer? 

About the author

T. L. Shreffler lives in Los Angeles, CA. She loves diversity, fantasy, romance, iced tea, long walks, philosophy, and thrift store shopping. She recently graduated with a BA in Badass (Creative Writing) and her poetry has been published consecutively in Eclipse: A Literary Journal and The Northridge Review. She is author of The Cat's Eye Chronicles (YA/Epic Fantasy) and The Wolves of Black River (PN Romance.) 

Follow this author: 

  

Facebook: www.facebook.com/tlshreffler 

Twitter: @catseyeauthor 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5138153.T_L_Shreffler 

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/catseyeauthor/ 

Instagram: http://instagram.com/catseyeauthor/ 

Series website: www.catseyechronicles.com 

Writing Blog: www.tlshreffler.com 

Giveaway

This giveaway is International...

1 winner ~ Paperback copy of Ferran's Map

1 winner ~ Cat's Eye necklace

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[Review] Volcrian's Hunt

Volcrian's Hunt (Cat's Eye #3)

by T.L. Shreffler

I started following Sora, Crash and Burn's journey last year when I stumbled upon the first book in the series, Sora's Quest. (Side note: if you haven't read my review of the first two books, you can do that here.)

This was actually one of the first self-published author I had read and after reading Sora's Quest, I had a new outlook on indie and self-published authors. Now, it's to the point where that's about all I read. 

So when the chance came for me to get my hands on an ARC of book three, Volcrian's Hunt, I jumped at the chance. Then I proceeded to count down the days until it arrived in my inbox. And when it finally did, I read  it straight through, only stopping for food and bathroom breaks. 

When we left off at the end of Viper's Creed, Sora, Crash and Burn have just commandeered a ship with the help of their Draconian friend in the search of the Lost Isles. Volcrian, the Wolfy mage, is hot on their trail and desperate to find them. 

Volcrian's Hunt picks up almost immediate after that point. Soon the crew finds themselves in the middle of the worst storm they can imagine and they end up beached on a seemingly abandoned island. 

Meanwhile, we also read from the point of view of Sora's mother, Lori, and she and her old friend Ferran search out answer to aid Sora's on her quest to destroy the Dark God's artifacts and preventing the world's destruction. In this third book we have a lot more narrators than we do in the first two. I like this because I feel it gives the story more depth and we get to see a number of different personalities and ways of thinking. 

Also at the same time, Volcrian - who has basically gone bat shit cray cray at this point - has followed the crew on the the open waters and starts to close in on them.

Will Sora get to the lost isles before Volcrian catches up to them? Will Lori find the answers need to save her daughter? Will Sora finally learn the secret Crash has been keeping? 

You're going to have to read it to find out. The release date is set for Sept. 30 so make sure to grab a copy. 

My favorite part about this book is the progression of Sora and Crash's relationship. What I love about this series and how it's written is that the relationship is so subtly done, sometimes you question whether there is a relationship at all. I hesitate to even call it a romance because it's not the typical, in-your-face, romance.

You get to see these small moments where Crash sheds his gruff, assassin ways and he's gentle and almost sweet - in his own way. It's these small moments that I live for. There's only a handful in each of the books but that's what makes their relationship so enjoyable to read. 

For the most part, Crash sticks to his lethal assassin ways without apology. He is what he is. I That's one of the part I love about Crash's character. So many times you see an assassin as a lead character but they almost never actually do any killing or assissin-like things. Not Crash, he makes you remember that he is a killing machine - always was and probably always will be. 

Now, it's come down to rating time. I hesitate to give out 5 stars for any books, because I feel that giving it 5 stars is saying that it is absolutely perfect and there are no improvements to be made. I'm a person that strongly feels there is always room for improvement. But on the other hand even 4.5 stars feels too low and would be cheating to book. 

So I have to go with 5 stars. But if you want to see for yourself, you can always download Sora's Quest for free!

And for anyone who is wondering, I do believe there are at least two more upcoming books to be added to the series, so the story doesn't end here. 

*I was provided an ARC copy for an honest review

Book summary

Release date: September 30th, 2013

Find out more at www.catseyechronicles.com


A plague is spreading across the land. Crops are rotting. People are dying in the streets. Sora, with the help of her magical Cat's Eye necklace, is the only one who can stop it.
She must travel overseas to the Lost Isles, a place of legend and mystery. Only there can she destroy the bloodmage, Volcrian, putting an end to the curse. She is accompanied by Crash, a lethal assassin who once threatened—and saved—her life. But Sora is beginning to question her dark companion. He seems to be carrying a secret; a hidden past that could endanger them all.


Meanwhile, they are hunted by an underground society known as the Shade. For centuries, the Shade has waited for the perfect opportunity to step into the light. Now they are perilously close to resurrecting a Dark God and unleashing a wave of unimaginable destruction. They only need to collect the three sacred weapons, and Sora has already found two....

About the author

T. L. Shreffler lives in Los Angeles, CA. She loves diversity, fantasy, romance, iced tea, long walks, philosophy, and thrift store shopping. She recently graduated with a BA in Badass (Creative Writing) and her poetry has been published consecutively in Eclipse: A Literary Journal and The Northridge Review. She works as the assistant editor for the funky and fantastic Tinsel Tokyo Magazine.

Author and Artwork Links:

Facebook Author: https://www.facebook.com/tlshreffler

Facebook Artwork: https://www.facebook.com/runawaybooks

Website Artwork: http://www.runawaypen.com/

Website Author: http://www.tlshreffler.com/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5138153.T_L_Shreffler

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/T.-L.-Shreffler/e/B00AGIYQR4/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1376859920&sr=1-1

Giveaway

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