REVIEW & GUEST POST: Sprite by Leigh Michael

Title: Sprite
Author:  Leigh Michael
Series:  Annabelle's Story (Part One)
Pages:  161
 

Series summary:

Annabelle Walsh thought she had it all. She was the star of her swim team, had a loving family, a great boyfriend, and to top it off, she’d be starting at UCLA in the fall. One day, she’d be referred to as Dr. Annabelle Walsh.

She was living every girl’s dream – until her life was turned upside down. All starting with finding out that she's not just a human, but also a water spirit. Half-human, half-sprite to be exact. Although not just any sprite, Annabelle is prophesied to be the only one who can save both the sprites and mankind.

With a mix of current events, anecdotes from Greek mythology, tidbits of folklore, and Leigh’s own imagination, we join Annabelle in her journey to restore order beneath the sea. Each step of the way her mind, body, and soul are pushed to the limit begging the question, how much can one half-human, half-sprite take?

Sprite was such a unique story!  As a mythology lover I really enjoyed Leigh Michael's take on Hades, Zeus and Poseidon.  When Annabelle is kidnapped by a strange man and dragged into the sea she has no idea that she's about to be introduced to a whole new world.  Not only does she realize she can breathe under water, but she's also a descendant of Triton.  How cool is that?!  I really liked Annabelle's character.  While she was a bit irritating in the beginning, when she realizes she has a job to do she puts on her big girl panties and gets to work.  I also like the twists and turns of the story.  No one really is as they seem.  While at times a bit predictable, the action and adventure kept the pages turning.  Sprite was an enjoyable read, and I hope Kin (Part Two) keeps me just as intrigued. 

Sprite (Annabelle’s Story Part One) can be purchased at:

Amazon
Barnes& Noble

Smashwords

Kin (Annabelle’s Story Part Two)can be purchased at:

Amazon
Barnes & Noble

Smashwords

 

Leigh’s Indie ABCs

(Part one of a guest post by Leigh Michael)

When I released Sprite (Annabelle’s Story Part One) in April, I knew very little about the writing industry. Over the past 6 months, I’ve acted as a sponge for information. It’s been an amazing, gut-checking, rewarding, and humbling experience. Along the way, I’ve picked up a few tricks of the trade that I’d love to share with you all. Below is part one in what I’ve learned thus far in self-publishing my first series, Annabelle’s Story. Part two will be posted on Little Library Muse on October 17. Part three will be posted on Girls on YA Books on October 26.

Author website — Having one of these is important. It allows readers an easy way to learn about an author, their books, and where to buy ‘em. Check out my site at www.LeighMichaelBooks.com.

Beta readers — When I released the first part of Annabelle’s Story, I was too afraid to let others read my work. I just wanted to bite the bullet and publish. Not the best idea. Since then I’ve come to rely on beta readers to help me polish my work.

Carissa Katz — This young lady is an amazing designer. Actually, I already knew that. I just wanted to emphasize it. Carissa put together my covers for Annabelle’s Story and I couldn’t be happier. Check out her other work here.

Digital, not print — In “Self-publishing a book: 25 things you need to know” it says that print should be a secondary focus to ebooks. I’d have to agree. My digital versions sell a lot more than print editions. Still, I think having a paperback version for giveaways is important.

Editing — I’d like to go on the record to say that it’s so frustrating and difficult to remove every single typo/error from a manuscript. For both Sprite & Kin, I hired a professional proofreader to complete two rounds of reviews. Afterwards, I found additional errors. However, I think it’s crucial to take this step and hire another set of eyes.

Facebook fan pages — Seems like a no-brainer to create an author page on Facebook. In my initial research on how to market myself, this was one of the first things I’ve learned. Alas, I’ve created Facebook.com/LeighMichaelBooks. Like me!

Goodreads — I must admit that I’d never heard of Goodreads before writing Annabelle’s Story but it’s great. It’s where I find my next book to read. Check out my page on Goodreads to see what I’ve been reading.

Hashtags — There are so many of these on Twitter (and more are introduced every day). To start, I found 44 essential twitter hashtags that every author should know. I also love reading Sara Megibow’s #10queriesIn10tweets every Thursday.

Thank you for reading part one of my A through Z of industry learnings. Be sure to check out part two on Little Library Muse on October 17 and part three on Girls on YA Books on October 26.

So what’s next for me? I’ve thrown myself into a new series. This one is a historical fiction that I’m pretty thrilled about. I haven’t decided yet if I’ll pursue the traditional route or follow the same indie path. Who knows, there could be a “Leigh’s Bestseller ABCs” post one day. One can only hope!

Also, don’t forget to stop by Leigh Michael Books on October 31^st for a special Trick or Treat surprise!

 

 

Author Bio:
Leigh Michael is an author of YA fiction. She's worked within the advertising world for nearly a decade before writing her debut series, Annabelle's Story. Leigh lives in Washington, DC with her husband and goldendoodle. Please learn more about Leigh and her works atwww.LeighMichaelBooks.com.

Contact info:

 

Website

Twitter
Facebook
Email
Amazon
Smashwords
Goodreads

 

 

ARC REVIEW & AUTHOR Q&A: Wake by Amanda Hocking

Title: Wake
Author:  Amanda Hocking
Series:  Watersong (#1)
Pages:  320
Publisher:  St. Martin's Press
Date Published:  August 7, 2012
Format:  Paperback ARC
Source:  Received from author for review
Buy It:  Amazon or B&N

Gemma seems to have it all—she’s carefree, pretty, and falling in love with Alex, the boy next door. He’s always been just a friend, but this summer they’ve taken their relationship to the next level, and now there’s no going back. Then one night, Gemma’s ordinary life changes forever. She’s taking a late night swim under the stars when she finds Penn, Lexi and Thea partying on the cove. They invite her to join them, and the next morning she wakes up on the beach feeling groggy and sick, knowing something is different.

Suddenly Gemma is stronger, faster, and more beautiful than ever. But her new powers come with a terrifying price. And as she uncovers the truth, she’s is forced to choose between staying with those she loves—or entering a new world brimming with dark hungers and unimaginable secrets.

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"Lexi put her arm around her, and something about the touch made the hair on the back of Gemma's neck stand up.  Instinctively Gemma pulled away from her, but then Lexi began singing again, and Gemma melted in her arm."
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This is the first siren story I've read, and I enjoyed it so much!  It has a good dose of romance, family drama, and it's super spooky.  Wake follows Gemma and Harper, two sisters with very different personalities.  Gemma, the younger of the two, is a free spirit.  She loves swimming, especially at night, and she tends to be bit self absorbed.  Harper, on the other hand, is extremely level-headed and responsible.  She tends to be more of a parental figure than a sister.  One night Gemma is out swimming when she runs into Penn, Lexi and Thea, three girls that are new in town.  They are beautiful, captivating and strangely scary.  She can't put her finger on it, but Gemma knows they can't be trusted. After her late night meeting with them everything starts to change.

I've been a fan of Amanda's since she self-published her first series, My Blood Approves.  She has a very unique writing style that seems to draw you into the story.  I was so excited to read Wake because I knew that a story about sirens, something so magical, was exactly the kind of thing Amanda could put her own spin on and make it wonderful.  Wake is an extremely compelling story.  It grabbed me from the very first page.  Gemma and Harper have a somewhat strained relationship, but it's obvious that they love each other.  They have a great dad that manages to be there for them even though he's basically a single father.  Their mother was injured in a car wreck, and she lives in an assisted living home.  Although she's got a lot of mental issues she still comes across as a caring and loving mother.  I have a feeling that there may be more to her that we haven't seen yet.  Gemma's love interest, Alex, happens to be the boy next door.  He's always just been a friend, but things have started to change between them.  I didn't really connect with Alex very well, and I would have liked to have seen more of him.  I think his real personality will come out in the next book because he now as an important job to do.  Harper's love interest, Daniel, is definitely my favorite character.  He lives on his boat in the harbor and leads a pretty quite life.  At first Harper doesn't like him, and she's really rude to him.  I love how he takes it all in stride and never lets it get to him.  He's constantly throwing out witty comments, which I love.  And then we have Penn, Lexi and Thea.  Oh my goodness are these girls creepy!  Every time they speak the people around them hang on every word.  But Gemma and Harper seem to sense that they are evil.  When they came to town there were four of them.  Now there are only three and they want Gemma to join them.  How creepy is that!?  My only complaint with them is that I never really got a grasp on who was who.  They didn't seem to have very unique personalities.  I suppose this could be part of the mythology of the sirens always functioning as a group.  They don't really have unique personalities.

I really enjoyed Wake, and I love that I'm now addicted to a new series that is so different and magical.  I'm excited to see where The Watersong Series takes us.  I'm sure it will be an adventure!

4 Stars * * * *
   

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Q & A with Amanda Hocking

Thank you so much to the readers that participated in our Q&A!  We got some really great questions.  A big Congratulations to Amy @ Read to My Heart's Content!!  She is the winner of the ARC copy of Wake.


Out of all the characters you have wrote so far, who was the hardest to write and who was easier? Did you have a favorite?  ~Amy @ Read to My Heart's Content
Lazlo was the hardest to write, because he was a soft male lead. He was more of a damsel in distress than Remy, so it was a little hard to make sure he didn't come across as weak or un-sexy.

You're book is about mermaids/sirens. What made you write about them? Did you have a fascination with them when you were younger? Or was it just a dream?  ~TayteH
I was really into mythology growing up, so I think that played a part in it. I think Eric helped plant the seeds for the idea, because he really loves mermaids, and lady villains.

When did you realize that you wanted to write? How did you get the idea for this book?  ~Maria Stanica
I always knew that I wanted to write, since I was a kid. Even when I had other interests, I still wanted to be a writer. I wanted to be a paleontologist/writer, and a lawyer/writer.

When you were younger (teenager or kid), did you want to become a writer? Like when teachers asked you what you wanted to be, did you say "An author."? ~Cierra P
Yes. I always wanted to be an author. When I was a kid, I would sometimes say other things, like a farmer, (or a paleontologist or a lawyer), but I would always say I wanted to be an author.

If stranded on a deserted island, what 3 things would you NEED to survive? food and water don't count :) ~madnzanymomma
My cell phone, a Gilligans Island-style cell phone charger, and a jet ski.

How did you come up with ideas for your books? Is there any mainstream authors that you pulled inspiration from and made you want to be a writer? Did you put any thoughts or feelings or anything from your life growing up into your characters? ~Jolene and Family
My ideas come from everywhere, I literally take some inspiration from everything. I think the authors that most inspired and influenced my writing would be Judy Blume and Stephen King, but when I'm writing I'm not thinking "Well, how would Judy Blume say this?" I think that there's definitely some inspiration from my own life, but no direct situations, characters, or feelings are based on me or anyone in my life.

Which book so far has been your favorite to write and why? Thanks! ~Danielle B
So far, my favorite book to write has been Lullaby, which is the third book in the Watersong series. And before that, it was Torn from the Trylle Trilogy.

If you could take a week vacation with any of your book characters, who would you chose and why? :D ~Karen
Probably Bobby from My Blood Approves and Marcy from Watersong. That would be the best vacation ever.

Where does the inspiration for you stories come from? When you get an idea do you do an outline or do you just write? Out of all the dreamy boys you have invented who do you think is the most swoon worthy? ~Bridget Howard
I do always outline before I write a book, I take notes, character outlines, chapter outlines, just so I know where everything will be before I start writing. I think the most swoon-worthy guy I've written, for me at least, would be Loki from the Trylle books or Daniel from Watersong.

If you could hop into the life of any book character for a day, who would if be and why? Thank you for the giveaway! ~Gabby
Batman. Because he's Batman.

Who is your favorite muppet? ~Claudia Carozza
Beaker or Gonzo

What's your favorite book that you've read this year? ~ryllina
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

What was the first novel you completed and was it published? ~Kirsti
The first novel I completed was called "Dreams I Can't Remember," and no it was not published, because it is terrible.

Are any of your characters based on your real life friends/family members? ~jayandmelb
No. I think some characters might take some inspiration from different people, but none of them are solely based on anyone.

Did you always want to be an author? When did you first know? ~Erika
As soon as I learned what an author was, that's what I wanted to be.

Amanda, You're achieved so much success already. Are there any major milestones you're still looking forward to with your writing career that you're aiming for? ~Heather
The biggest thing I look forward to in my career, is to hopefully keep writing and entertaining readers...that's not really a milestone, but it's my favorite part.

UPCOMING: Wake Book Tour and Giveaway

I am extremely excited to officially announce that Flying on Silver Wings will be a part of Amanda Hocking's Wake Blog Tour!!  Amanda has been working very hard to put together a ton of fun and exciting things for her readers, and as soon as a schedule of events is available I will have a link posted for everyone.  As of right now my stop on the tour is scheduled for July 23rd, and FoSW will be doing a review, Q&A and giving away an ARC copy of Wake.  Instead of a typical author interview we are going to have you, the readers, ask the questions!  If you would like to ask Amanda a question post it in the comments section.  Everyone that posts a question will be entered into the giveaway for an ARC copy of Wake! 

Find Amanda and her books:

Amanda's Blog 

Amanda's Goodreads Page

Add Wake to your GR TBR!

Wake @ Amazon OR Wake @ B&N

Depending how much participation we have Amanda may not be able to answer all questions, but anyone that comments WILL be entered into the giveaway.  Don't forget to leave me a way to contact you!  The giveaway is open to US only. The deadline for commenting is July 15th at Midnight. So come on everyone!! Ask away!

COVER REVEAL: ReAwakened by Ada Adams & GIVEAWAY

Welcome to my stop on the ReAwakened Cover Reveal Blog Tour!  ReAwakened is Book #2 in the Angel Creek series by Ada Adams.  ReAwakened will be released Fall 2012.  Isn't it gorgeous!!? 

Ada Adams is also giving away an ARC copy!  Every reader that comments on this Cover Reveal blog post will have their name entered into a drawing to win an autographed ARC of ReAwakened.

Ada will also be doing an hour-long live Tweet-chat about anything and everything related to her writing, Angel Creek, characters, non-spoilery parts of the story, etc. on July 5th @ 5 p.m. EST .  Come by and hang out! :) [Use hashtag #ReVampedChat]. Since we’re all on different time-zones, please feel free to leave questions at any other time that day, and Ada will make sure to get to them eventually.


ReVamped website: http://www.revampedbook.com/

ReVamped Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/revampedbook

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13495198-revamped

Ada Adam's Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/Ada_Adams

ReVamped on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/ReVamped-Ada-Adams/dp/1470068982/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_1?tag=vglnk-c498-20

ReVamped on B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/revamped-ada-adams/1109594714?ean=9781620953105

Cover Designer: Juliana Kolesova @ www.julianakolesova.com

“ReAwakened” Theme: Blood (hence the cover color).

If you want to be entered to win the ARC copy of ReAwakened be sure to comment ON THIS POST!!  Be sure to leave a way for me to contact you.  Deadline for entering is Midnight July 8th!  Good Luck!

EXPERIENCE BLOG TOUR: Against All Odds by Aliaa El-Nashar

Against All Odds by Aliaa El-Nashar

The Story revolves around:

-A boy called Damien who seems to have it all. He's rich, good-looking and athletic. He's also arrogant, obnoxious and a major player. Damien is one of 5 children who seem to not get along, until one day Damien meets Alexis and his life is turned inside out.

-A girl called Alexis who has trust issues due to her parents. Her best friends mean the world to her, and she refuses to date anyone that doesn't fit completely in her 'Perfect Guy' list.

They're thrown together a lot and start to face inner demons they've hidden away for so long.

This book was so unbelievably cute!  It starts out a little slow, but it quickly picks up speed as more characters are introduced.  The story opens and we are introduced to Damien.  He is a rich kid, and a bit cliched as the party boy that uses girls.  You never really see this side of him though, so it's not hard to forget his past.  When Damien meets Alexis his whole world is turned upside down.  As he puts it, it's love at first sight.  Alexis, on the other hand, has trust issues.  The only people she's close to are her best friends, Cameron and Eddie.  She has a crazy little list of what qualities the perfect guy should have, and she won't even consider dating a guy that doesn't meet all of them.  The relationship between Damien and Alexis falls into the dreaded "friend zone", and Damien is determined to move past that.  But this book is more than just a love story.  It's also a family story, and a quite beautiful one.  Damien and his siblings, Taylor, William, Owen and Jane, don't really get along.  Actually, they don't really talk at all, not since an accident when they were all children.  But as circumstances keep throwing Alexis into Damien's family they realize he's not the only one that has changed since she came into their lives.  I loved Damien's family, especially his sister, Jane! 

This story can be heartbeaking at times, but it's also very heartwarming.  Watching the transition between Damien and his siblings is so sweet.  It's obvious that the indifferance they show is not how they really feel.  They actually care for each other.  I really enjoyed Against All Odds.  There are a few things that seem a bit quirky while you're reading, but it's obvious that it's the cultural differances of the author, Aliaa El-Nashar.  It's not distracting though so I was still able to enjoy reading.  This is Aliaa's first novel, and I'm looking forward to seeing what she comes up with in the future as she really polishes her skills.  It's obvious she can come up with great stories!

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I had the recent pleasure of inteviewing Jane, Damien's sister.  What a lovely girl!

FoSW:  Given the nature of your relationship with your brother and his personality and reputation, what were your first thoughts when you realized just how Damien felt about Alexis?

Jane:  It was really weird to be honest. I mean, that was Damien, my brother, who broke the heart of many a girl. He was careless and reckless with their emotions and never remembered their names or gave them a second thought. It felt like poetic justice that he'd fall so hard for the one girl that didn't seem to be interested in him, it was certainly worth every moment seeing him so flabbergasted. I was so confused though, and curious, what was so special about her that had him twisted in knots?

FoSW:  It was obvious from the beginning that you really liked Alexis. What was it about her that you liked so much? Did you realize right away how she would change your family?

Jane:  Well, to be honest she had already changed the family before I'd even met her. That was the main reason I was excited to see her in the first place. This girl, who was the reason my brother allowed us into his room, to jest with him again, to just sit and talk, to attend my birthday party long enough to see my reaction to the gift she'd chosen. I of course never realized how far she'd go, but that was an incredible start.

What I liked about her was how she was down to earth, she wasn't threatened by us or our wealth. Many girls my brothers dated were either intimidated by our family name or took it for granted, but she did neither. She'd treated us like she'd treat any other friends. She was very sweet and friendly, but you could tell she was guarded. Though I guess I would have liked her anyway with the way she made my brother edgy.

FoSW:  I loved your reaction to the bracelet that Alexis helped Damien pick out for your birthday. Have you added any charms to it?

Jane:  Yes, actually I have! It's a beautiful bracelet let's face it, not to mention it showed how well my brother knew me, even though it wasn't he who picked them out. He still remembered stuff about me when I was sure he hadn't been paying attention for years. I bought a charm with a videocamera on it and another with a pretty high heel shoe. I can't wait to buy more though!

FoSW:  I'm dying to know about you and Eddie. I see a bit of a love triangle there. I'm extremely curious about what's going on with you two. Can you gossip about that?

Jane:  There's not much to tell really. I mean, I guess it's pretty obvious to everyone that I have a huge crush on him, it's not like I can hide it. I try to keep my snide side on alert to at least regain some dignity when he's around. But honestly, I've never seen a male specimen like him before. He's stunning, but also sweet, caring, funny and very smart. Not to mention, he has such a sad history, all you can think of is to try and wipe it away for the time being, even though he tries not to show his true feelings.

Edmund is a mixture of my twin brothers Will and Ty. I am convinced that's why they get along. He's so charming and irresistible like Ty, but has sworn off girls like Will. Not that Ty is always dating or anything himself, but he's gone to more dates than Will.

The love triangle part is awful because I absolutely adore Cam. She's an amazing friend, and the way she looks at Eddie, you could tell she's halfway in love with him. I feel guilty, because whenever he catches her looking at him, he just hugs her and you could tell he felt sorry and sad for the way she felt, knowing he could never return those feelings. At least with me, our battering helps calms things down a little bit.  I'm doing my best to get over him. I'll let you know what happens with that.

It was really nice talking to you Leigh Ann! Bye!

FoSW:  Thank you Jane!!

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