Official Sponsor of Rufflecon

I am proud to announce that I am an official sponsor of Rufflecon!

Rufflecon is an alternative fashion conference celebrating a variety of fashion sub-styles including, but not limited to, lolita, fairy kei, mori girl, gyaru, and steampunk. Since my upcoming book, ASHWOOD, features a protagonist that is a young J-fashion enthusiast, I thought that Rufflecon would be a perfect fit. Additionally, if you attend the High Tea event on Sunday, Oct. 4th, you will have a chance to win a free copy!

I am looking forward to attending and proud to sponsor such a great event. See you there!

Summer Pick 2015

So happy that the humid summer is done and we're slipping into the nice, cool autumn. I managed to read quite a few great reads this past season, but one stands out above the rest...

Summer Pick 2015

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

YA Fantasy

The Summary

Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear.

It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do.

But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy.

There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.

– Blurb from Goodreads

The Characters

Our two main characters are Laia and Elias, though there are other notable characters that also play important roles and who are equally as compelling. Laia is driven by her loyalty and love for her family to jump head-first into danger. Though she constantly chastises herself for her cowardice, her actions prove that she is incredibly brave despite these insecurities. She comes off as a bit naive and sounds much younger than she is at times, but as a whole she was endearing.

Elias, likewise, is also likable and I enjoyed witnessing his internal struggles and emotional conflicts. His compassion and fortitude make him an easy favorite. The dynamic between his relationship with other characters are varied, complex and believable... and often heartbreaking. 

The Setting

This isn't quite dystopian and neither does it fully feel fantasy, but instead touches of both. The setting is very reminiscent of Roman-occupied Constantinople with classic mythological elements used to bring out the fantasy aspects. It's never heavy handed on it's use of magic which helps sell this world to the audience. Some have referred to this as a YA friendly version of A Song of Ice and Fire and I can certainly understand the comparison, though I think this book stands on it's own.  

Overall Opinion

This is one of those books that has me not want to put it down. I was fully engaged from start to finish. There are so many moments that had me on edge, with jaw dropped open. It's a great mix of action, intrigue and drama. It's rare when a book lives up to the hype surrounding it, but I am happy to say that An Ember in the Ashes truly does live up to it.

Be warned though - this is a very dark and gritty book, and the setting is an utterly bleak place. As a trigger warning, rape is a subject that is frequently discussed throughout the text, and while nothing occurs "on-screen", as it were, it may still be upsetting to some.

Author Spotlight: Jennifer Gadd

In this "Author Spotlight" I interviewed Jennifer Gadd, author of the recently published book, CAT MOON by Distinguished Press. It is a Middle Grade horror, perfect for kids who like a little touch of spookiness in their stories. 

CAT MOON by Jennifer Gadd

C.J.: Can you tell us about some of the inspiration for your newly released book, CAT MOON?

Jennifer: A few things come to mind on this. One is a long-time interest in the folklore around lycanthropy. Couple that with the character of Remus Lupin from the Harry Potter series and the burgeoning market for teen vampire stuff, and you have a pretty good medium for what I wound up writing.


C.J.: What was your biggest challenge that you faced during writing this book?

Jennifer: When I wrote the book ten years ago, my girls were 11 and 16. And the thing about kids is that they constantly need stuff. Finding blocks of time where I wouldn’t be interrupted was the thing I remember being very frustrating. 

C.J.: Who was your favorite character to write?

Jennifer: Oh, Emma, definitely. I love that girl so much. She sort of sprang out of my imagination fully-formed, as it were, so I always knew exactly how she would react, what she would want, and what she would say without having to think very hard about it.

C.J.:  If you could transform into any animal, what would you choose?

Jennifer: I would like to be a dog who lives in my house. Because that’s a pretty cushy proposition.

C.J.: Who are some of your favorite authors and favorite books?

Jennifer: In my opinion, the finest novel ever written is The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. It is just so tightly written, with hardly even one word wasted. Just brilliant. I do love a lot of “canon” literature—Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, and George Eliot, to name a few. For more popular authors, I would choose Agatha Christie, Douglas Adams,  Candace Robb, and Anne Perry.

C.J.:  How did you get started as a writer?

Jennifer: I don’t remember ever NOT being a writer, to tell the truth. I can remember writing short stories and poems in elementary school. Anytime there was a writing-based choice for school projects, that was my option.

C.J.: What advice do you have for young, aspiring writers? 

Jennifer: Read everything you can get your hands on. Read good stuff, read bad stuff, read easy stuff, read hard stuff. Read. And then write. Write every spare second you have available. And don’t forget to make time for writing. Make it a priority. If you don’t, life will always manage to take the time from you.

You can find CAT MOON here:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Smashwords