Saturday Snatch: The Last Archangel by Michael D. Young

    The Last Archangel is a novel set in the present time, written by Michael D. Young, author of The Canticle Kingdom.

     I have wanted to read this book for a while, and I was pleased to find an excerpt on Michael D. Young's website. Unfortunately, the chapters offered only stoked my curiosity more.
   
Cover Blurb:
Xandir has been exiled to earth until the end of time. But when his cherub trainee disappears, Xandir makes a deal with rogue angels and giants that could restore life to the mortal woman he loves and end his assignment as a destroying angel in exchange for helping them bring about the end of the world and all of mankind.


I hope you like it, and tell me what you think.
~*The Last Archangel: Prologue & Chapter 1*~

Author Interview & Giveaway: Wanita May

    Wanita May grew up in the fruit belt of Ontario - St.Catharines.  Crazy-happy childhood, she always has had a vivid imagination and loads of energy.

   The youngest of six -- four older brothers, and a sister --  taught her at a young age to be competitive in all aspects of life.

   At sixteen, she began competing in athletics (track and field) and before she turned seventeen, she was representing Canada in high jump.  She continued to compete, breaking Canada's JR High Jump record (1.92m - 6' 3 1/2" for those metric-ly challenged).  She attended University of Toronto, and Kansas State University - winning CIAU's and becoming All-American 6x - NCAA Indoors Runner Up + more.

  But you're not interested in her athletic career - unless of course you're curious to know she stands 1.70m (5'7") and has jumped 20cm over her head on more than one occasion. She's represented Canada at the World Championships, World Jrs., won Francophone Games, and loved every minute of every competition.  From the grueling workouts, the crazy weights she lifted on her back, the days she thought her lungs were going to spit out of her mouth for lack of oxygen, the travelling around the world and the opportunity to read - her favourite past time.

   Life continued with her husband (a distance runner from Liverpool, UK, who she met at KSU) and then their first, then second and finally third child.  Their house became full of more imagination and stories.

  After her father passed away in 2008, from a six-year battle with cancer (which she still believes he won the fight against), she began to write again.  A passion she'd loved for years, but realized life was too short to keep putting it off.

   Her first book, Rae of Hope - from the Chronicles of Kerrigan - is published through Mitchell Morris Publishing.

  She is currently represented by Dawn Dowdle of Blue Ridge Literary Agency. Wanita is a writer of Young Adult, Fantasy Fiction and where ever else her little muses take her.

-Favorite reads? 

Usually whatever I am currently reading.  I am a fan of  YA, Fantasy, Paranormal. I don't think I could pick an absolute favourite.  If I had to pick something I've read the most - it would be the Narnia series by CS Lewis :)

-Inspirations for the book? 

My Father - he passed away in 2008 and before he died, we had a conversation that reminded me how much I wanted to write.  So I did... and Rae of Hope is a result of that.

-Did you know you wanted to be an author when you were little?
I did :) But I also wanted to go to the Olympics :)


-Chocolate or Peanut Butter?
Both, preferably.  Or ENGLISH CHOCOLATE ... its SO yummy!


-Is there a soundtrack to the book / Favorite music?  
My editor and I came up with a play list that is at the back of the book. :)


-Do you need anything to write?(ex. snacks, music, slippers) 
 Just the time/ability to concentrate.  I seem to write best during the evenings and do my brainstorming during the day. 


-How long do you write on any average day?
I spend probably a minimum of 2hrs a day with writing - that isn't just straight writing. I consider the editing, website, social feeds, etc... all part of the writing process. 


-Give us the number one reason to read your book.
'Cause it's got a unique storyline with a fantastic twist. 


Author Info:

FB:  Wanita May  (or you can like my Author page: WJ May)

Twitter: @wanitajump

Website: www.wanitamay.yolasite.com

Blog: wanitajump.wordpress.com 

      Wanita May has donated an ebook copy of her fabulous book, Rae of Hope, for a giveaway! See my review here.

   How hard do you have to shake a family tree to find out the truth about the past?

    Fifteen-year-old Rae Kerrigan never questioned her family’s history. That is until she accepted a scholarship to Guilder Boarding School in England. Guilder is an exclusive, gifted school. Rae has no idea what she is getting herself into or that her family’s past is going to come back and taunt her.     She learns she is part of an unparalleled group of individuals who become inked with a unique tattoo (tatu) on their sixteenth birthday. The tatu enables them to have supernatural powers particular to the shape of their ink-art. Both of her parents were inked, though Rae never knew, as they passed away when she was young. Learning about her family's past, her evil father and sacrificial mother, Rae needs to decide if there is a ray of hope in her own life.

*Giveaway*(International)

Ends 1/12

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Author Interview/Giveaway: Dan O'Brien

    Dan O'Brien is a writer and screenwriter. He currently attends a California university and is pursuing a graduate degree in Psychology. He has written over 10 novels, several screenplays and is working on a graphic novel. A philosopher and martial artist, his days are filled with writing and training.

Favorite reads?

  That is a pretty long list. I have been reading Geroge R. R. Martin's fantasy series A Song of Fire and Ice lately. My all-time favorite novel is Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. Douglas Adams and Issac Asimov wrote some books that would definitely be included in a favorite read list. The Thief of Always by Clive Bark is great too. The Dark Tower series is pretty incredible. Lonesome Dove ranks high on that list as well. There are really too many to count, across too many genres. 

Inspirations for the book?

  Inspirations for writing generally come from crazy, random happenstance of life. I will often have strange dreams that become novels, and sometimes it is as mundane as having an idea in line at the grocery store. The novels that are out now were all the product of interesting dreams I had intersecting with the randomness of life. 

Did you know you wanted to be an author when you were little?

  I did know I wanted to be writer, or more accurately, that I wanted to be a storyteller. I was fond of creating intricate plays, rife with story and little characters mounted on Popsicle sticks. 

We're about to be catapulted into a rush from one holiday to the next. Which is your favorite?

   I would say New Years, simply because I don't particularly like the rush and traffic of Christmas or the food coma of Thanksgiving. I like the idea of friends and family getting together with the hope and promise of better times. 

Is there a soundtrack to the book/Favorite music?

   I listen to a lot of James Newton Howard and Hans Zimmer when I write. Recently, Mumford and Sons have found a place on my playlist. I saw them in Mountain View at the Bridge Benefit Concert and they were incredible. 

Do you need anything to write? 

   My plaid sleepy pants. They get me in the right frame of mind to write. 

How long do you write on any average day?

   I try to think about specific writing goals, as opposed to time and duration metrics. I will finish a chapter or an outline; ideas and foals like those are how I normally measure my writing. If pressed, I would say I write at least an hour or two a day on average. 

Give us the number one reason to read your book.

  My books have believable characters who you will want to journey with until the end.

Author Info:

Twitter: @AuthorDanOBrien

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Dan-OBrien-httpwwwthedanobrienprojectcom/130177267017847

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4814321.Dan_O_Brien

Website: www.thedanobrienproject.com

Blog: http://thedanobrienproject.blogspot.com/

   Dan O'Brien is graciously giving away one ebook  copy of his exciting book, Cerulean Dreams!

   Orion, the last city of men. Deep within the desert, a secret lay waiting. Young women found dead in the street. A corporation that controls the sleep of a populace that never sees the light of day. Alexander Marlowe seeks to unravel the mysteries of Orion as he helps a young girl, Dana, flee the city. The closer they come to the truth, the greater the danger that hunts them. Follow them as they search beyond the boundaries of everything they have ever known for answers.

*Giveaway*(International)

Ends  1/10

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Saturday Snatch: Ice by Sarah Beth Durst

Merry Christmas Eve!
       As of yet we still have no snow, and the forecast shows none for weeks. So I thought it appropriate that today's Saturday Snatch was Ice by Sarah Beth Durst.

     I'm a sucker fairy tale remakes, and this particular fairy tale, East of the Sun and West of the Moon, is one of my favorites. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

~*Ice: Prologue-Chapter 2*~

Tell me what you think :)

Book Review: Rae of Hope by W.J. May

       Rae of Hope is the debut novel of author W. J. May.
Cover Blurb:
How hard do you have to shake a family tree to find out the truth about the past?
    Fifteen-year-old Rae Kerrigan never questioned her family’s history. That is until she accepted a scholarship to Guilder Boarding School in England. Guilder is an exclusive, gifted school. Rae has no idea what she is getting herself into or that her family’s past is going to come back and taunt her.     She learns she is part of an unparalleled group of individuals who become inked with a unique tattoo (tatu) on their sixteenth birthday. The tatu enables them to have supernatural powers particular to the shape of their ink-art. Both of her parents were inked, though Rae never knew, as they passed away when she was young. Learning about her family's past, her evil father and sacrificial mother, Rae needs to decide if there is a ray of hope in her own life.


      I read the summary and was hooked, what an interesting idea! This book in no way was a disappointment.
        Rae(main character) felt very realistic, and I loved the fact that, even though she was a very strong lead, she still had several insecurities and "personal demons" that she needed to deal with. In many books the main character is usually somewhat tempted by evil, however Rae always considered the greater good and was willing to give up her life for the world. Her roommate, Molly, made a fun quirky friend, and Devon (romantic interest) was exactly what a knight in shining armor should be, while not being stuck-up about it.
Characters: 4.5 Stars
        As far as car chases and big battle scenes go, this book was rather quiet. But the plot kept my interest quite easily with Rae's self-development and the powers all students of her school receive on their sixteenth birthdays. Towards the later end of the book the story really picked up with a big twist that I had not idea was coming! For a while it was hard to tell who to trust! But I was very satisfied with the ending. It tied up nicely while still leaving openings for a sequel.
Plot: 4.3 Stars
    W. J. May's words flowed and kept the story from becoming dry. It didn't feel like scenes were thrown into the book just for the heck of it. Everything had a purpose in furthering the plot, and though this was a debut novel it didn't read like one at all.
Style: 4.7 Stars

Rating: 4.5 Stars
Source: From Author for Review
Genre: Fantasy / Paranormal
YA Fiction

Author Info-
Twitter: @wanitajump
Website: Wanita May

Author Interview: S.R. Johannes

   A big welcome to author S.R. Johannes, whose new wilderness YA Thriller, Untraceable, was released Nov. 29 of this year.

    S.R. Johannes lives in Atlanta Georgia with her dog, British-accented husband, and the huge imaginations of their little prince and princess, which she hopes- someday- will change the world. After earning an MBA and working in corporate America, S.R. Johannes traded in her expensive suits, high heels, and corporate lingo for a family, flip-flops, and her love of writing. You can find her hanging out online and visit her at srjohannes.com

-What are some of your favorite reads?

The Pledge by Kimberly Derting, Fracture by Megan Miranda, and Carrie Ryan
series

-Any inspirations for the book?
My hubby came back from camping once and told me he had hiked so far in that
someone could live out there and never know.

-Did you know you wanted to be an author when you were little?
No. But I always wrote poems and short stories. I even won a State essay on
Nutrition. I got free baseball tickets. At the time, I thought I won the lottery.

-We're about to be catapulted into a rush from one holiday to the next.
Which is your favorite?
Christmas. I have 2 kids so they bring all that magic back into Christmas. Seeing
their face on Christmas morning is priceless. I also love when the weather
outside is frightful and the fire is so delightful. Oh wait – that’s’ a song.

-Is there a soundtrack to the book/Favorite music?
I love Adele and Jack Johnson. I love Cake and Pete Yorn. I love all music in
general – except country and hard rap.

-Do you need anything to write? (ex. chocolate, music, slippers) :)
Uggs, coffee and peace and quiet Which you can imagine is hard with 2 kids.

-How long do you write on any average day?
Not long enough It varies, depending on my kid’s schedule.

-Give us the number one reason to read Untraceable.
It is a definite page-turner with a mystery, a kickbutt heroine and of course – 2
hot boys

Online Info:
twitter.com/srjohannes
faeriality.blogspot.com
facebook.com/srjohannes


   Be sure to check out S.R. Johannes' book, Untraceable!

     16 year old Grace has lived in the Smokies all her life, patrolling with her forest ranger father who taught her about wildlife, tracking, and wilderness survival. 
      When her dad goes missing on a routine patrol, Grace refuses to believe he’s dead and fights the town authorities, tribal officials, and nature to find him. 
      One day, while out tracking clues, Grace is rescued from danger by Mo, a hot guy with an intoxicating accent and a secret. As her feelings between him and her ex-boyfriend get muddled, Grace travels deep into the wilderness to escape and find her father. 
      Along the way, Grace learns terrible secrets that sever relationships and lives. Soon she’s enmeshed in a web of conspiracy, deception, and murder. And it’s going to take a lot more than a compass and a motorcycle (named Lucifer) for this kick-butting heroine to save everything she loves.

Must Read Monday

            Must Read Monday is a fabulous meme started over at Fans of Fiction, and it is so much fun!
"The goal of the Must Read Monday is to find share your love of great books with others in the hopes that they'll add a new title to their To Be Read list. 

Your job is to create intrigue for other hoppers. What makes your book so swoon-worthy? What do you absolutely have to mention so they'll read it?

On your post, you'll make an acrostic puzzle (think of it as an overview/book blurb type of thing).

For specific ways to build your puzzle, click here, but pretty much any style of acrostic is welcome.

When you leave comments on other posts, be sure to mention whether you're adding that book to your TBR pile, and what part convinced you to do so.

It's all about powers of persuasion, people:) You might have to think a little, but channel that inner-creative goddess (or god)."

      Check out Fans of Fiction for more info.

     I'm running a bit behind today, but, let's face it, when am I not? Consequently, today's book title will be short. :)
Best Rainy Day Read  (Fitting Right?)
    The greatest thief to ever live
    He can steal anything
    Eugenides is his name


    To steal something that can't be stolen
    Hamiathes's gift must be retrieved
       Intrigue rules their small band
    Every myth has some meaning
    For what is true?
By Megan Whalen Turner
I love this book! See my review here.