Blog Tour and review The Queen's Vow by C.W.Gortner

I’m so excited to be taking part in the blog tour for The Queen’s Vow, by C.W. Gortner – I had the pleasure of reading this in 2012 and couldn’t wait to pose some questions about the book which transported me into history…….my review follows also.  I hope everyone is inspired to read this – it is a firm favourite of mine and was a joy to read.

Did you visit any of the sites from the book prior to writing it, (are there any ruins left from the castles, or the household in Arevalo?), or do you draw mostly from your experience of growing up in Southern Spain and your love of history? 

Though I often rely on my own experiences and love of history, I still think traveling to the sites where my characters lived is a must. Fortunately, Spain is one of my homes and favorite places to visit; while the landscape has greatly changed from Isabella's time, there are still a significant number of extant sites associated with her -- all of which I visited to re-trace Isabella's footsteps and are featured in The Queen's Vow . Her childhood home, the castle of Arévalo, is about 2 hours from Madrid and sits on a desolate escarpment in a truly forbidding landscape. The city of Avila, with its massive medieval walls, is about an hour from there. In central Castile, Segovia is the site of the world-famous alcazar, every girl’s fantasy palace, with its peaked turrets and curving fortifications— ironic, given how dangerous life within its vaulted halls was for young Isabella. Traveling about 7 hours south is Sevilla, and its beautiful alcazar built by the Moors and expanded by subsequent rulers, where a troubled Isabella arrived shortly after her coronation. Córdoba, capital of the Moors until the 13^th century, has the exquisite red-columned mezquita, or mosque, and Palace of the Catholic Kings on the edge of the Guadalquivir River. Another 3 hours up to the mountains is the magnificent citadel of Granada, site of that most renowned of places associated with Isabella: the Alhambra.

Do you have a favourite character from The Queen's Vow?

 I try not to play favorites, otherwise I fear that it will show through in the text and reflect poorly on my other characters. When I'm working on a novel, the cast becomes my surrogate family; I like some characters more than others, naturally, given their disparate personalities, but I want to stay true to each one and give him or her my very best in terms of reflecting their reality for the reader. Even Torquemada has a reason for what he does; it may not be pleasant, but he does have his own beliefs, his strengths and weaknesses. That said, my lead character - in this case, Isabella herself - is always going to come first in my overall affection. I really felt as though I came to understand her during the process of bringing her to life for this novel; I struggled with her as she fought for her throne and wrestled with her doubts; I recoiled at times  from her sense of self-righteousness and moral inflexibility, and always stood in awe of her courage and passion. She was not an easy woman to get to know but in the end, I feel she was worth the effort.

If you had to cast Isabella and Ferdinand in a movie, who would you choose to play their roles?

This is always such a tough question for me! I "see" the characters when I write them both emotionally and physically; they become their own distinct persons and thus, it's challenging to try and clothe them in another's skin, such as that of an actor or actress. For Isabella, perhaps Emma Roberts or Lea Seydoux; for Fernando, Max Irons or Aaron Johnson. The actors would have to be young, but able to convey that complex range of experience and of maturity that both Isabella and Fernando had, even in their teen years.

Thank you so much for taking this time with me. I hope your readers enjoy The Queen's Vow. To find out more about me and my books, please visit me at www.cwgortner.com

Title: The Queen’s Vow

Author: C.W. Gortner

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Published: January 2013

ISBN: 978 1444720792

Rating: 5/5 with merits

The cover on this looks fairly ornate, with swirling embossed gold leaf detail to the sides of the Queen on the cover.

First off, I have to say WOW!!!  I adored this book.  This blew my mind with the stunning amount of detail and thought that has gone into each and every page.  I haven’t read much historical fiction recently, so this was a pure delight to read and immerse myself in.  If time machines were books, then this is a gem of a time machine.  I know I have to give it a rating, as with all my reviews here, but this blows the top off my rating system….that sounds really gushy…but I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and my praise is very well deserved.  This is storytelling at its very best - when it feels so very real the characters aren’t just on the page anymore.

The Queen’s Vow details Isabella’s life from childhood right up to her ascension to become Queen of Castile alongside her husband Ferdinand.  Prior to this book I had a teeny semblance of an idea as to her life, mainly that of the Spanish Inquisition.  The Queen’s Vow took me on an unforgettable journey with Isabella.  Her passion for Castile was a running theme throughout the book.  I saw how she was treated, and how despicable many of the male characters were – I really wanted to reach through the pages and slap many of them for their actions!!!  I could really feel the way in which women during this time were treated, along with how corrupt and self serving many of those in Court were.  I was shocked at how little regard Isabella’s half brother had for her and how weasly those he surrounded himself with were.

I got to know Isabella and her formidable characteristics.  I saw through her eyes how women were treated, and how she strived to make women’s lives better.  I appreciated how well ahead of her time she was, especially when she commissioned a printing press and set about making learning accessible for all, as well as being totally devout to her religion and a faithful wife.  I felt her pain when she miscarried and her joy when her son was born, along with the bittersweet birth of her daughters which had less value in society even with their heritage. 

The Queen’s Vow swept me away through the passages of time so I was with Isabella throughout the book.  I really did feel like I was surrounded by history and real life characters.  This is historical fiction at its best.  Thank you so much C.W.Gortner!  What a high bar you’ve set with this book! 

Book Synopsis:

A compelling novel which reimagines the early years of one of history's most notorious queens in all their passion, treachery and bloodshed. 'I am Isabella, Queen of Castile ...' Isabella was the notorious warrior-queen who, along with her husband Ferdinand, transformed Spain forever. Popular belief has her as a religious fanatic persuaded into the horrific excesses of the Inquisition by her confessor, Torquemada; but C W Gortner paints a picture of her early life, showing us a headstrong, passionate girl who grew into the most powerful queen Spain ever knew and whose vision and imagination allowed Columbus to discover America.

Source- Many thanks to the publisher, an ARC was received in return for a honest review.

Breathe Blog Tour, Extract & Giveaway

This giveaway is now closed

I’m really excited to be taking part in the Breathe Blog Tour, so please join me in welcoming Sarah Crossan.  You can also read an extract of Breathe, and for UK & Ireland residents there’s the opportunity to win your own copy of Breathe!  Read on…..

Sarah, which actors would you cast in a film or TV version of Breathe?

I think David Morrissey would make a fantastic Pod Minister and Lisa Bonet could be Petra. Apart from that, I’m not too sure, but I definitely wouldn’t want Alina, Bea, or Quinn to be Hollywood perfect because they aren’t—who is? It’s also important that any actor playing the role could do a British accent. The novel is set near London, and I would want it to feel convincing.

Website: www.sarahcrossan.com

Facebook: Sarah Crossan   

Twitter: @SarahCrossan

Breathe by Sarah Crossan (Extract)  
UK & Ireland residents can also enter to win your own copy of Breathe, simply fill out the linky or email your address to bookwormreviewed@gmail.com and we’ll post on here who won once they’ve responded with their address.  Breathe will be sent directly from the publisher.  The giveaway ended on 29^th October at 5pm. 

Review: Breathe by Sarah Crossan

Title: Breathe

Author: Sarah Crossan

Published: 11 October 2012

Publisher: Bloomsbury

ISBN: 978 408827182

Rating: 5/5 with merits

The cover on this shows the dystopian world that Breathe is set in and is an eye catching colour, I love the shades of purple and blue used.

Enter a world where to breathe you have to buy, or have access to air tanks.  A world of singular laws and also of complete obedience.  Imagine what would happen to those without the means, or to those with plenty.  

I found Breathe had a lot of echoes from real life, from government to social classes.  The main thing that struck me when I first started reading was the wealth of those around government or those not questioning what was happening, to those trying to do the right thing, or those merely trying to live and "get by".  The romance is mingled in really well, alongside the loss and stark realisation that you don’t have control of your life if you are in the pod, and that existance out of the pod may be a myth.

I found Bea & Quinn’s relationship to be really endearing, although it took tragedy for Quinn to see Bea for who she truly is.  This is a brilliant coming of age book – Quinn really steps into the limelight and becomes the person he wants to be rather than taking the easy route and not questioning things. 

A lot which takes place in this book could very easily happen, it was that believable.  I really enjoyed every single character.  From the mad as a hatter Maude, to the seemingly lofty high and mighty Petra.  The thing that most had me on the edge of my seat was the action of Quinn’s parents throughout…this has some truly jaw dropping scenes in, and is one of my favourite books of 2012 for not only making me think, but also for the unique storyline.

Book synopsis:

Years after the Switch, life inside the Pod has moved on. A poor Auxiliary class cannot afford the oxygen tax which supplies extra air for running, dancing and sports. The rich Premiums, by contrast, are healthy and strong. Anyone who opposes the regime is labelled a terrorist and ejected from the Pod to die. Sixteen-year-old Alina is part of the secret resistance, but when a mission goes wrong she is forced to escape from the Pod. With only two days of oxygen in her tank, she too faces the terrifying prospect of death by suffocation. Her only hope is to find the mythical Grove, a small enclave of trees protected by a hardcore band of rebels. Does it even exist, and if so, what or who are they protecting the trees from? A dystopian thriller about courage and freedom, with a love story at its heart.

Source - this review is based on an ARC recieved from the publishers in return for an honest review.  Check back on 15th October, when we're the stop on Breathe's blog tour - should be fun :)))

Skin Deep Blog Tour

Please welcome Laura Jarratt, author of Skin Deep.  We're really pleased to be taking part in the Bog Tour for this book, check back tomorrow for our review.

Researching Skin Deep

There’s a lot of Skin Deep that comes from knowledge I’ve acquired over many years but there were areas too that needed in-depth research. And when you’re researching a book even those areas that you think you know well need checking properly because it’s easy to be operating under a misapprehension. I came across one of those in the final edit before the book went out and I had to change a paragraph about Cole and Ryan’s journey to sell the bike. I’d always thought erroneously that you had to be a certain age to travel pillion but there is no legal age in the UK, as long as you are able to sit safely on the bike. I realised this on a day out with the family when a guy with a little girl of about eight rode into the car park. As soon as I got home I dived into Google to check the legislation and make a change to the book. So tip no. 1…

1. Double check everything, even the things you think you’re sure of

A lot of the small detail of Karen’s life comes from information I’ve gathered over a number of years, from being around at the zenith of the New Age movement and knowing people committed to a travelling lifestyle. I also knew a fair bit about narrowboats that I’d got from a guy who’d once worked as a fitter and at one point I’d wanted a boat myself but I still had to go and check up-to-date information about residential permits and waterways laws. Tip no. 2…

2. Google is a lot easier to use if you already know something about the subject so don’t always dive for the search engine – what do you already know that might help?

The difficult and most time consuming parts of Skin Deep in terms of research were the medical information on burns and the police procedure later in the book. For the burns, I read around a lot, both fiction and non-fiction accounts from burns sufferers and then I trawled the net for info from hospital websites. There’s a lot of information available online for patients and carers. Once I’d got everything together I mailed a writing friend who got his doctor mum to check my timeline was reasonable and that I was working along the right lines. At this stage an expert to spot errors is invaluable. I used the same method with the police procedure. This was a little easier as I’ve had to sit in as responsible adult with minors as part of my job so I had a bit of an idea about the law in this area. But it’s actually really difficult to get the kind of information I needed to make those scenes accurate so again another writing friend who works for the police came through for me and got me the guidelines for detaining and interviewing minors and also what happens after interview in murder cases. Which makes tip no. 3…

3. There’s no substitute for an expert but you don’t always need to go bothering busy professionals, which can be difficult for an unpublished writer anyway. If you get out and meet people and also make online friends in a writing community who can help you out, then you’ll have access to an amazing range of occupations and expertise. Use the people you know and help them out in return when you can.

My favourite bit of research for Skin Deep though was checking out what tofu tastes like so I could write Ryan’s perception of it accurately, and I have to say I think he’s absolutely right about it tasting like candle wax. But it was the look of utter horror on my other half’s face when he realised he had to eat it for dinner too – priceless and not to be missed for anything. He still gives me the evils when I bring it up, hehe.

Thanks to Egmont for letting us take part in the blog tour, this is a brilliant look into how to research for a book :)

Hallowed Blog Tour - On Christian

So excited to be taking part in the blog tour for Hallowed - author Cynthia Hand is here to tell give us insight On Christian....

Christian was one of the very first images to come to me when I was writing Unearthly. I, like Clara, saw this boy standing in the trees, and I was intrigued by him, and I really, really wanted to know who he was, and what he was doing there. So I set about finding out.

I said in an earlier post on this tour on Serendipity Reviews that I never meant for the readers of Unearthly to get to know Christian very well. The reason for this is because I wanted to push back, just a little, at the idea of insta-love. Now I can be a sucker for love-at-first-sight stories as much as the next girl, and I must confess that the first time I met my husband I was like, mmmm, hubba, hubba, hello blue eyes! (which I thankfully did not say out loud), but I resist a lot of these YA books where the characters fall instantly in love with a boy they only just met. That’s not real life, at least not the way I know it. Attraction, sure. Love. . .er, no.

I thought Clara’s attraction to Christian was natural. He’s hot, after all. And she knows he’s important. She’s constantly having visions of him, after all, and believes that she is destined to save his life, and some of these visions have a romantic vibe in them. So of course her heart is going to beat all wonky around him. But I also thought it was better if Christian didn’t return that attention. Even better, if he was already involved with someone else.

I had some experience with this. In high school I had a painful, painful crush on a boy who didn’t know I existed. Okay, I shouldn’t say he didn’t know I existed. He did. He knew my name. I think he even liked me, as a person. But he seemed blissfully unaware of my wide-eyed, sweaty-palmed, squeaky-voiced transformation whenever I was around him. I wasn’t in his league, I told myself. (Later, when I was older, I would head-slap that 16-year-old version of myself and say, heck yes I was in his league, maybe he wasn’t in my league, ever think about that?!) Now, I wasn’t unpopular in high-school (I wasn’t super popular either; I had my group of friends and they had me, and I was happy with that), and eventually I had a boyfriend I liked a whole lot, and I certainly didn’t spend my high school years pining over Mr. Unavailable. I was far too busy for that. But I thought about him, sometimes. And I wondered what would happen if one day he’d just look at me, and see me, really see me?

This is the vibe I wanted to capture with Christian in Unearthly (and with Tucker, who is looking at Clara in the same way). Then I thought I’d take Clara to a moment when Christian does see her, and find out how she would react to that. Would she pick the perfect boy she had constructed for herself out of her visions and her daydreams? Or would she pick the real-life, flesh-and-blood boy she really knows?

In Hallowed, things get a whole lot more complicated. I’m wicked that way, I suppose. Bwa ha ha. I intended for us to get to know Christian in this book, at least a lot more than we knew him in Unearthly. He’s still a bit mysterious, but I think we also come to see him as a good guy, considerate, someone who understands Clara for who she is (or maybe I should say what she is) and is attracted to that about her, someone who is really there for her when she needs a shoulder to cry on. He proves himself to be a good friend to her, and I think this is so important to them building a real relationship. Friendship is key to real love.

He is also (good characters are FLAWED, like I said earlier in my Tucker post!) far from perfect. He’s a bit spoiled, first of all. He’s not used to having to work hard to get what he wants (in this way he is like the polar opposite of Tucker, who has had to work his cute little butt off for everything), and he can get a tad superior, at times, and entitled. He has some room to grow up still, I think. They all do. And while he understands Clara in a way that ultimately Tucker can never understand her, there’s also something that’s still conflicted about his feelings for her. Deep down, I think, Christian doesn’t like to be told what to do. He especially doesn’t dig the idea that he is being told who to love. He’s trying to be okay with it, to accept his purpose on this earth, to believe in destiny, but there’s a small part of him that resists, even as he gets to know and like Clara for who she is and not just who she is supposed to be.

It’s a true triangle, in this book. This will make some readers groan, I know. Clara herself groans about that. But for me this story isn’t about a character who loves two guys and has to choose between them. Seriously, it’s not. It’s a story about what we all face, when we have to choose between what we think we should do, and what our hearts desire, between what we need and what we want.

People who are Team Christian are romantics, I think. They believe in destiny. They believe in sacrifice for the greater good. They believe in selflessness.

That or they just think Christian is really hot.

Blog tour & competition- Lolly Luck by Ellie Daines

Today I have great pleasure in taking part in the blog tour for Lolly Luck by Ellie Daines (Phew!  What a busy week!!)

Competition now closed - winner announced (Caroline F)

Lolly Luck is filled with a rollercoaster of emotions for the main character, Lolly.  She’s a fun loving, easy going girl who you can’t help but like from the very start of the book.  Lolly considers herself lucky, if anyone finds money it’s Lolly, she’s the one who wins competitions and is the person people see with a smile on her face and in her heart….but everything is about to change….here’s an excerpt from Lolly Luck:

I’d never seen my dad cry before. It certainly wasn’t what I was expecting when I got home from school. It was a horrible end to what had started off as the perfect birthday. My morning had begun with a special birthday breakfast of French toast with crispy bacon, and a fruit salad topped off with strawberry yoghurt. My favourite. Mum had put all my birthday cards into a neat little pile next to my presents and had tied a Happy Birthday balloon to my chair. But straightaway I could tell that one present was missing; the present I’d been looking forward to the most – my brilliant new bike. I knew my parents had bought me a bike. They’d been whispering to each other for weeks and ‘bike’ was the word I always picked up. I’d wanted one for ages; a proper grown-up bike with gears, which hadn’t been handed down from my sister, Zola, and wasn’t covered in Barbie stickers.

Zola was already at the table having her breakfast, a yucky concoction of scrambled egg mashed up with baked beans. Even though I like baked beans and I absolutely adore scrambled egg, they so do not go together.

‘Happy birthday, Lollipop,’ said Mum, giving me a hug. ‘I can’t believe you’re eleven today! You’re growing up so fast. You excited?’

‘Yeah, totally,’ I replied. ‘And today’s going to be fantastic.’

‘Oh, it will be, don’t you worry. Your dad and I have got you a wonderful present. Dad’s been called into work a bit early today, so we’ll give it to you this evening. I hope that’s OK?’

I smiled at Mum. ‘Of course.’ But, no, it wasn’t OK. I wanted my bike at that precise minute and wasn’t looking forward to waiting twelve torturous hours before I finally got to see it.

‘Right then, I’ve got to scoot off myself. Enjoy your breakfast, birthday girl – and, Zola, no dawd­ling on the way to the bus stop,’ said Mum, grabbing her handbag and looking pointedly at my sister. ‘Make sure you and Lolly get to school on time.’

‘Yes, Zola, no flirting with boys and making us late,’ I mumbled, picking up a slice of French toast.

‘Omigod that is such a lie,’ said Zola, glaring at me. ‘Just because it’s your birthday, Lolly, it doesn’t mean you can start showing off.’

‘Girls!’ Mum snapped. ‘Can’t the two of you get through a day without arguing?’

We sighed and nodded obediently, but as soon as Mum had left the room Zola was poking her tongue out, pieces of her vomit-looking breakfast falling onto her plate.

‘Oh, grow up, Zola,’ I hissed.

My sister is fourteen but sometimes it’s like she’s only four. I know Mum thinks we argue too much, but really we do get on and, to be honest, I don’t think there’s anyone else I’d want as my big sister. I can talk to Zola about anything, and ever since I was really little she’s been there for me. When Zola was still at my primary school I could always count on her to back me up whenever my arch-enemy, Mariella Sneddon, tried to upset me with some snidy remark. All Zola needed to do was threaten Mariella with a wallop, which was enough to have her running scared.

‘By the way, happy birthday, Lolly Loser,’ said Zola, hurling a card and a little parcel at me.

Lolly Loser is Zola’s horrid pet name for me, even though she knows I’m no loser. I’m Lolly Luck by name, lucky by nature. I’m the luckiest person I know, and the luckiest person everyone else knows.

Ellie Daines, author of Lolly Luck

Blog tour - The Priest and The Peaches by Larry Peterson

Please welcome Larry Peterson, author of The Priest and The Peaches.  

You have asked me to do a post revolving around the characters in the book. Let me begin by saying that I am intimately connected to all of them. I feel what they feel, I see what they see and I mask what they mask. None of them are insignificant even if they only make a brief appearance and speak one sentence or even say nothing, like the pall-bearers at the funeral. It may be that I lean to heavily on the "omniscience" thing but I can't help it.

 

Let me begin with the character, Joanie. She is a high school senior. I am a man old enough to be her grandfather. So, for me, becoming Joanie is not an easy transition. But once I begin to dialogue her I begin to understand her. Suddenly I become Joanie and understand her thought processes, her anxieties, what she feels, what her fears are, her hopes etc. Then I turn off the switch, turn it back on and become six-year old Joey. I am now living in Joey's world which consists primarily of his home and immediate family. He does not know much more than that and at that moment, neither do I. Until I turn the switch off and turn it back on, Joey and I are one.

 

I believe that  this interaction between me and all of the characters is an ongoing process as I write. I am not looking in at them but rather, I am in the pages with them. From Father Sullivan to the drunken lawyer, even the antagonist, Beatrice Amon, and Dr. Rothstein, the cops, Dancer, Scratch, and so on. Wow, talk about multiple personalities inside of one person's head. Thank God  I can turn off the switch.

Larry Peterson's blog:

http://www.ThePriestandthePeaches.com

Larry Peterson's Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/larrytpbx

Larry Peterson's Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/slipperywillie
Tribute Books website:
http://www.tribute-books.com

Tribute Books Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Archbald-PA/Tribute-Books/171628704176

Tribute Books Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/TributeBooks

The Priest and the Peaches Book Summary

Historical fiction novel set in the Bronx in the mid-1960s

Take a seven day journey with the five, newly orphaned Peach kids, as they begin their struggle to remain a family while planning their dad's funeral.

They find an ally in the local parish priest, Father Tim Sullivan, who tries his best to guide them through the strange, unchartered and turbulent waters of "grown-up world." A story that is sad, funny, and inspiring as it shows how the power of family love and faith can overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

Larry Peterson's Bio:

Larry Peterson was born and raised in the Bronx, New York. A former Metal Lather/Reinforcing Iron-worker, he left that business after coming down with MS. He, his wife and three kids moved to Florida 30 years ago. Larry began doing freelance newspaper commentary after graduating from Tampa College in 1984.

His first children's picture book, Slippery Willie's Stupid, Ugly Shoes was published in 2011. In 2012, his full length novel, The Priest and thePeaches was released and he is presently working on the sequel.

He also has a blog (http://www.ThePriestandthePeaches.com) where he posts weekly commentary. He lives in Pinellas Park, Florida and his kids and six grandchildren all live within three miles of each other.

eBook
ISBN: 978-0-9837418-4-8
ISBN: 978-1-4658-6327-0
Pages: 285
Release: January 1, 2012

Kindle buy link
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006P0EYI8/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=tributebooks-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B006P0EYI8

Nook buy link
http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=dcSBhG3Rj8w&subid=&offerid=239662.1&type=10&tmpid=8432&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%252Fw%252Fthe-priest-and-the-peaches-larry-peterson%252F1108051518%253Fean%253D2940013858190%2526itm%253D1%2526usri%253Dthe%252Bpriest%252Band%252Bthe%252Bpeaches
iBookstore buy link (coming soon)

Smashwords buy link
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/116166?ref=tributebooks

PDF buy link
https://www.payloadz.com/go/sip?id=1538819

Blog Tour - Robin Wasserman author of The Book of Blood and Shadow

A big welcome to Robin Wasserman, author of The Book of Blood & Shadow, thank you for having us as a stop on your blog tour. Please tell us more about how you researched the setting for The Book of Blood and Shadow....

I’ll admit it: If it had occurred to me that writing a book set in a different country might necessitate the very glamorous-sounding “research trip” to that country, The Book of Blood and Shadow might have been set in Italy. (Come to think of it, if there’s ever a sequel…) But it’s a good thing it wasn’t, and not just because Prague turned out to supply the perfect physical setting and historical background for the story I wanted to tell. It’s also a good thing I decided that to really do the idea justice I was going to have to see Prague for myself (rather than just foraging libraries and Wikipedia pages for information). This is the first time I’ve ever done any kind of on-site research for a book, and so it’s the first time I’ve gotten a chance to see how firsthand research—how the experience and physical reality of a place—can shape, and sometimes completely re-form, the story you’re trying to tell.

I spent about a week in Prague, on a mission to experience the city as Nora (the main character in The Book of Blood and Shadow) would experience it, but also to scout out sites where Elizabeth (author of the 16^th century letters that Nora finds) might have hidden her treasures. It was a strange way to move through a foreign city, simultaneously trying to soak in the present and the past, but Prague is the perfect city in which to do it.

My favorite passage in the book is actually lifted almost directly from an entry I scrawled in my little black Moleskine (feeling like an idiot for pausing at one tourist trap after another scribbling “deep thoughts” in my journal) while standing on the Charles Bridge, trying to capture the city’s strange layering of one era on top of the other:

That was Prague: a palimpsest. Dead eras like onion skins, one atop another, post-Communist on Communist on art nouveau on baroque on renaissance on late medieval on early medieval and on back to the original settlement, the angry bohemians and their warrior queen. Graffiti sprayed on gothic churches, cubist facades on renaissance palazzos, Lady Gaga tracks spurting from tiny speakers at the base of a baroque storefront housing a selection of nineteenth century style marionettes probably manufactured in China. It was a Picasso version of a city, all noses and elbows and foreheads jutting out at impossible angles, oil layered over newsprint layered over canvas, beautiful and terrifying at once.

Since I don’t actually speak Czech (which meant I effectively spent that week taking a vow of silence, because I was so embarrassed to speak to people in English and even more embarrassed to trot out my guidebook phonetic pronunciations of Czech), this wasn’t the kind of research trip spent in a library. Instead, I spent every one of the unusually warm and sunny days haunting the city, searching—and this was harder than I expected it to be—for sites that had been left pretty intact since the sixteenth century. I also took a “ghosts of Prague” tour, went to a concert of Broadway songs in a centuries-old synagogue, and sampled just about every pastry the city had to offer.

Along the way I discovered many things that threw a wrench in my plotting—like the fact that the famous statues on the Charles Bridge, which had played a big role in my descriptions of late sixteenth century Prague, weren’t actually built until long afterward. Or the fact that one of the landmarks where I’d intended to plant a Renaissance-era clue had been almost completely demolished in World War II, a perfect replica erected in its place.

But the trip also gave me some things I’d been missing, most importantly a setting for the most important (or at least most exciting) scene in the book: The Sedlec Ossuary, also known as the church of bones.

The interiors of this church are built entirely from the bones of the thousands who died from the plague.

Obviously there was no way this wasn’t going in the book.

I tried my best not to turn The Book of Blood and Shadow into a travelogue. (Though I wasn’t always successful: That’s what editors for. You can thank mine for the fact that there aren’t a hundred extra pages describing the old Jewish ghetto, an area I was so fascinated with I just couldn’t let my characters leave without exploring every corner.) But even though the book isn’t stuffed full of minute descriptions of Czech scenery, and even though while I was writing I barely looked at the million photos I took, I could never have written this book without those days I spent in Prague, breathing in the city, its sights and sounds and smells. I didn’t need to look at the pictures, because by the time I sat down to the computer, Prague was in my head. It was in my fingertips, and, if I did my job right, it ended up all over the page.

Now all I need is an idea for a book set in Italy.

Or maybe Hawaii…

You can read my review of The Book of Blood and Shadow HERE
The Book of Blood and Shadow by Robin Wasserman is published by Atom as a paperback original on the 19^th January 2012, £6.99

Felicity Heaton Guest post (Blog Tour)

Interview with a Source Blood – Amber from Forbidden Blood

Firstly, thank you to Michelle for having me here today as part of my Paranormal Pandemonium 2011 Blog Tour. My latest release, Forbidden Blood, is a vampire romance novel and the first in my new Vampire Venators romance series. It’s a dark, sensual tale of betrayal, revenge and a love that knows no bounds.

Here’s a little bit about me and this series. I’m a paranormal romance / sci-fi romance author writing as Felicity Heaton and F E Heaton, and I have penned over forty stories since I started writing in 2005. Most of those are still available, either for purchase as e-books and paperbacks or as a free download.

Today I had the opportunity of interviewing Amber, the heroine from Forbidden Blood, and she provided some great answers to my questions about her, her vampire hero Kearn, and their story.


FH: I have Amber here today with me to talk about her book, FORBIDDEN BLOOD. Firstly, can you tell us a little about yourself?

AMBER: I certainly can, I’m just not sure where to start. I’m human, for now, and I was just going through life like everyone else, not a clue about the fact that vampires are real... and that they aren’t the only supernatural species out there walking amongst us. I thought my life was going to be normal. I had a job, and was on the verge of moving to Paris to pursue my career when I met Kearn. I’m not saying that I prefer that life to the one I have now, just that I hadn’t expected to meet a vampire that night or to discover that I’m a Source Blood. That might sound crazy to people who don’t know what a Source Blood is. I’m human... but my lineage dates back thousands of years to a time when vampires were evolving. My ancestors broke away from them and remained human, but I share a gene with them. Because my bloodline didn’t evolve, that gene has remained pure. Now, if a vampire drinks my blood, they can gain anything between a nice buzz if they only take a little... and if they drink a lot... well, I’ve seen what happens, and it scares me. My blood can restore the same deteriorating gene in theirs, reawakening their godlike powers. It’s a frightening thing... both to know I carry the power to unleash the true powers of a vampire, and to know there are other women and men out there who share my blood... my family included. I want to warn them, but I’m not sure I can do it without sounding as though I’ve lost my mind. Kearn tells me that they’ll be monitored and the Venators and the Sovereignty will keep them safe, but I still worry about them, and the others like me out there.

FH: Can you tell us about what happened in your story?

AMBER: I was attacked in an alley because I had witnessed something I shouldn’t have. All I had done was see inside a factory courtyard where men were carrying heavy black sacks, and suddenly life as I knew it was over. Men attacked me, and a vampire fed me his blood... I thought I was going crazy but once you see fangs and you’ve tasted their blood... and can feel it inside you, controlling you against your will, then it’s hard to deny they exist. Kearn rescued me. Every day I thank God that Kearn was prowling the area in search of the very man who attacked me. When he took me back to his apartment and explained some things, and asked me to assist him, I couldn’t exactly say no. I knew the safest place for me was with him, and he was my only means of survival. The man wanted to taste my blood to discern whether I was a Source Blood and valuable to him as a blood slave, so he could harvest it and sell it to other vampires... he wasn’t going to stop until he had me, and I wasn’t about to leave Kearn’s side until Kearn had him instead. Everything turned mad after that... I found out what Kearn was... and the man upped his game, and I still have to live with the memories of what happened. Sometimes I still have nightmares.

FH: It must have been hard to deal with everything, especially discovering the existence of vampires and other demons, and also the discovery about your blood.

AMBER: It was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to deal with. Being told that I was different, and that the man after me wouldn’t stop until he had me... I still get shivers now. I was lucky that Kearn was there. I know he’s a vampire, but he’s so different to how I pictured them. He’s strong and steadfast, and he did everything to protect me. He sacrificed so much to keep me safe, and I love him all the more because of it. Vampires are as different to each other as humans are. Some of them, like Kearn, are good inside, even if they don’t realise it. Kearn helped me through everything. He supported me and I couldn’t have done it without him. I’m a strong woman, but there’s only so much I can deal with... and being told vampires exist, that Venators are there to hunt those who harm Source Bloods, and that I’m one of those special humans... it’s a lot to take in. I think I would have fallen apart without Kearn there to keep me together and give me something to focus on. It’s far easier to deal with something when your mind is on something far nicer... like making a vampire with a closed-off-heart open up and fall in love with you.

FH: Your relationship with Kearn is very complicated because your blood is forbidden and he’s not supposed to taste it. It must have been difficult for both of you at first, and not just because of the blood. There’s the vampire thing too.

AMBER: Yeah, the vampire thing and the blood thing were hard to work out at first. When I confronted him about the fact he was a vampire, not just a Venator, and I saw the effect my blood had on him, I wasn’t sure how to react. It’s like a drug to them. It unleashed a different side to him, released his inhibitions and his passion. It’s hard to be afraid of the fact a man, a vampire, has just tasted your blood when he’s pinning you to the side of his car and kissing the breath from you in the most delicious way. He was still the man I knew, the one who would do anything to protect me... but all the emotions he usually kept locked away were unleashed and there was actually a small part of me that really wanted him to take more blood from me. Not just that night either. I wanted him so much, against my better judgement, and every time he tasted my blood, we grew a little closer. He finds it hard to keep things hidden from me when my blood is inside him. I can feel his emotions, so I could sense his pain and turmoil, all the dark things he wanted to hide from me. Kearn has been through so much. It was impossible not to fall for him, especially when I found out the things he had endured with his family and his exile. When I learned about his past, I also realised why he kept his emotions on such a tight leash, and why there were times when he refused my blood... like when we were making love.

FH: How has life been since the events that happened and brought you together?

AMBER: It’s been so much quieter since then, but I know that Kearn still feels a lot of pain over the events that happened in our story, and in his past. I think he has a long way to go before he can move past it all and let it go. He’s been even more attentive than usual, and I’m not going to say that I don’t enjoy it. When he’s not off on missions and we’re together, he scores top marks in the romance stakes... actually, he scores high when he’s away from me too. He calls me whenever he can to check in on me. I think he’s worried that his family aren’t treating me well when he’s not around, but they’re nice to me. He takes me with him on missions whenever he can, and says that it’s because he can’t bear to be apart from me, but I’m convinced it’s because he doesn’t want to leave me with his family. I’ve been working with some of the vampires to promote better treatment of humans amongst the species. It’s amazing the work you can do, and the attention you get from even the darkest of vampires when you have Archduke Pendragon on your side. He oversees all the vampires in Britain, and since he introduced me into society, everyone has been very pleasant to me, even at the balls when Kearn and I break the rules by dancing together.

FH: Your story, FORBIDDEN BLOOD, is a book in a series. Can you tell us a little about the series and can we expect see more of you in other stories in this series?

AMBER: Yes, it is part of a series, and I believe you’re writing about Kearn’s cousin Traegard Montagu next. I would love to read that book because in the few times I’ve met Traegard, he’s been colder than the Antarctic around me. I don’t think it’s a human thing either. I think it’s a woman thing. I’ve wanted to ask him about it so many times, but he’s so quick to make an exit if we’re left alone together. Traegard is a Venator too. Kearn says that he didn’t know that his cousin had been chosen until they met again at the Savernake mansion the night that Kearn defeated the man who was after me. I believe the series focuses on the Venators, doesn’t it, and in particular the vampires? Kearn has told me about Venators, and how they work for the Sovereignty and basically dish out punishment to every vampire who breaks the laws regarding Source Blood. He won’t tell me much about the place they call the “endless dark” which is where the souls of those sentenced by the power given to the Venators by the Sovereignty go. He closes up if I try to get him to talk about it, and says that I don’t want to know. I generally take that as a sign that I really don’t want to know. The vampires aren’t the only demon species that the Sovereignty governs. I’ve heard that there are angels, witches, werewolves and cat-shifters, and things called therianthropes... and even fairies! I haven’t met any of them yet, and Kearn says that I probably won’t as vampires don’t tend to associate with other species, but I overheard someone talking about cat-shifters at a ball recently, and apparently a pride of them has moved to the countryside near the Savernake and Montagu mansions, so I might get to meet some after all.

FH: Describe yourself in one word?

AMBER: Strong. I think it’s a requirement when dealing with a vampire fiancé and the whole crazy world they live in.

FH: Thank you for meeting with me today and chatting. Is there anything else that you’d like to add?

AMBER: Thank you for having me here today and letting me ramble about Kearn. It feels good to talk to someone about everything and not have to worry that they’ll think I’ve gone round the bend. I can’t wait to catch up with everyone in other stories in the series. I’m sure any who read my story will be as interested in finding out how I turn out as the vampires I live with are!



I hope this post has given you some insight into my Vampire Venators series. If you have any questions, please feel free to leave them as a comment and I’ll do my best to answer them. If you’re interested in the series, you can find details of the first book in the series, Forbidden Blood, below, and can also follow me on my blog tour by visiting my 2011 Blog Tour page on my website - http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/paranormal-pandemonium-blog-tour.php


Forbidden Blood is available now in e-book formats direct from my site, on Amazon Kindle, Smashwords, Barnes and Noble Nook, Apple iBookstore, Sony Reader Store and Kobo Books. It is also available in paperback from Amazon.com and will shortly be available in paperback from Amazon worldwide and Barnes and Noble.


Forbidden Blood
Felicity Heaton
In a dark world where vampires exist and where Source Blood, a rare human blood type, can bestow godlike powers upon them, the vampire Venators of the Sovereignty fight to protect the humans by banishing those who drink it to the endless dark.

Exiled from his family and with only his duty to sustain him, Kearn has been on the trail of an elusive Source Blood abuser for three years. When he saves a beautiful human female from the vampire’s grasp, it turns out she’s the lead he’s been waiting for. Amber is a Source Blood and the perfect bait, but for who?

As they race to catch the vampire and survive the cruel games he plays, Amber is pulled deeper into Kearn’s world and discovers the painful secrets he hides behind his handsome but emotionless exterior—hurt that she has the power to heal if she is brave enough.

Read an excerpt: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/ebooks.php?title=Forbidden%20Blood

Available in e-book for $3.99 from:
Author's website: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/ebooks.php?title=Forbidden%20Blood
Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0055I1LNW/
Amazon Kindle Germany: http://www.amazon.de/dp/B0055I1LNW/
Amazon Kindle UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0055I1LNW/
Barnes and Noble Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/forbidden-blood-felicity-heaton/1103572024
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/66030

Available in paperback for $10.99 from:
Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1461132193/



Biography:
Felicity Heaton is a romance author writing as both Felicity Heaton and F E Heaton. She is passionate about penning paranormal tales full of vampires, witches, werewolves, angels and shape-shifters, and has been interested in all things preternatural and fantastical since she was just a child. Her other passion is science-fiction and she likes nothing more than to immerse herself in a whole new universe and the amazing species therein. She used to while away days at school and college dreaming of vampires, werewolves and witches, or being lost in space, and used to while away evenings watching movies about them or reading gothic horror stories, science-fiction and romances.

Having tried her hand at various romance genres, it was only natural for her to turn her focus back to the paranormal, fantasy and science-fiction worlds she enjoys so much. She loves to write seductive, sexy and strong vampires, werewolves, witches, angels and alien species. The worlds she often dreams up for them are vicious, dark and dangerous, reflecting aspects of the heroines and heroes, but her characters also love deeply, laugh, cry and feel every emotion as keenly as anyone does. She makes no excuses for the darkness surrounding them, especially the paranormal creatures, and says that this is their world. She’s just honoured to write down their adventures.


If you want to know more about me, or want to get in touch, you can find me at the following places:
My website: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk
My blog: http://www.indieparanormalromancebooks.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/feheaton
Twitter: http://twitter.com/felicityheaton
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/felicityheaton

Blackwatch blog tour, character insight and 5 signed books to giveaway!

To visit the next stop on the Blog Tour for Blackwatch please visit:
Wondrous Reads who hosts it on Friday 21st April :) 
Giveaway now closed!
Today we're celebrating the publication of Wintercraft: Blackwatch by Jenna Burtenshaw and are excited to be taking part of the blog tour for Blackwatch.

Jenna's here to give readers an insight into one of the major characters from both books, Kate Winters.  We've also got a giveaway, courtesy of Headline!

5 lucky readers will each receive:

• poster
• postcard
•    signed book 

Please join me in welcoming Jenna back :)

The Girl In The Fire

The very first image I had of Kate Winters was a girl standing in the middle of a burning bookshop holding an old book.  I knew she was a girl in danger, but from the way she was standing stoically with the flames raging around her it was obvious that she was made of strong stuff.

At the beginning of Wintercraft, Kate lives with her uncle Artemis above a bookshop in Morvane: one of Albion’s largest northern towns.  Since her parents were taken by wardens when she was five years old, Artemis’s determination to protect Kate from the dangers of their world has led her to live an isolated life.  She works with him and her friend Edgar in the bookshop every day and rarely mixes with other people in the town. 

When Artemis’s greatest fear become reality and the wardens return to Morvane, all of his preparations prove useless.  Morvane is harvested for more people to fight in Albion’s war. Artemis is one of many people who are stolen from their homes, and wardens burn down the bookshop with Kate and Edgar still inside.  In one night, the only life Kate has ever known falls down around her as she is hunted through the tunnels beneath her town and eventually captured by the High Council’s most ruthless and terrifying man: Silas Dane.

I knew it would be difficult to take Kate from the isolated girl she is at the very beginning of the story, to the powerful and confident young woman that she would become as the series continued.  She is not a superhero.  The only abilities her uncle gave her were a distrust of people and a love of books, so when she is thrown into danger she is not the type of character to come out fighting right from the beginning.  She is a methodical person, not a spontaneous one.  She assesses situations, gathers information and then takes action.  The experiences she endures in the books are so far from those of her old life that it takes her a little while to adapt.

I wanted Kate to be quite an ordinary person within the story.  She’s not a sword-fighter or a traditional ‘magic-wielder’.  She is sceptical of the idea of life after death, so when she uncovers a natural aptitude for seeing into the veil between worlds, it fazes her.  She has always been taught that stories about the Skilled are just that: stories.  She is a very logical person, so suddenly being able to do something that defies common logic puts her in a very difficult position.  The events of Wintercraft take place over just a few days, but by the time Blackwatch begins, Kate is beginning to find her feet.  Her natural confidence starts to spread and shine as she attempts to take control over the new life that has been thrust upon her.

I love Kate as a character.  She is human.  She makes mistakes and sometimes finds herself overwhelmed, but she tries to do what feels right and she never gives up.  I see her as a quiet survivor.  She does not look for big events to happen in her life, but when they do arrive, she is more than capable of taking control.  She thinks on her feet and protects the people she loves. 

The ideas of family and loyalty run just under the surface of the Wintercraft books.  Kate feels a responsibility towards the ancestors that have come before her, she wants to help her uncle and ultimately protect the book that cost her parents their lives.  In Blackwatch and beyond, those family links begin to break a little.  Kate has to think more as an individual and soon finds that her greatest allies do not necessary share her blood.  There are connections made as she moves through life that run much deeper than that.

Kate was the very first character who inspired the entire Wintercraft series.  She is quiet, yet strong.  Logical, yet open-minded.  She is not the delicate girl her uncle thought he had to hide away.  She is independent and resilient, and – once earned - her loyalty is unshakeable.  Without Kate, the story might never have had a beginning.  Without that first image of her standing in the flames, the world of Albion may never have existed.  The books tell her story, from a quiet shop girl to a young woman whose choices will have more influence upon her world than she could ever have imagined.  It is a pleasure to write for her.       

 The giveaway is open to UK residents only, please leave a comment about this post along with a contact email address.  Winners will be sent their prizes direct from Headline.  Giveaway closes on 25th April, so be quick!

To visit the next stop on the Blog Tour for Blackwatch please visit  Wondrous Reads who hosts it on Friday 21st April :)