Guest Post & Giveaway: Character Interview and Samaire Provost

I am pleased to welcome Samaire Provost, author of Mad World: Epidemic, which released on July 28th, 2012.  She is here today to give us a character interview with one of her principal characters, Alyssa, who will share a little information on her life and what is happening in her world.

The Black Plague is ancient history. It killed 100 million people nearly seven centuries ago, halfway around the world from the technologically advanced research center at Stanford University. Scientists there have recently begun examining samples of bone marrow from plague-infected corpses unearthed in Europe. All the necessary safeguards are in place. What could go wrong?

Alyssa and Jake are away with their class on a highly anticipated year-end trip to Broadway with their senior acting class when all hell breaks loose at home. Traveling back, and trying to find their families, they encounter deadly results. Riots are breaking out. People are being evacuated. And they have no idea what's happening to their families.

Horrific ordeals, heart-pounding tragedy, and chance encounters harden them for what lies ahead. Faced with tormenting decisions, they're forced to follow their instinct for survival at any cost - even when the cost is a heart-wrenching decision of life or death.

A harrowing adventure of frightening discoveries, horrifying confrontations and narrow escapes in Epidemic, the first installment of the Mad World series.

Find out what's got everyone so terrified.

 

Character interview: Alyssa

Hi Alyssa, thanks for being with us today. How are you doing?

I’m doing okay. Better than I was when we first got to California after our NYC Broadway trip was cut short.

What did you think when you first heard of what was happening back home in Fresno?

I was freaked out. I mean, what’s the chances of a national emergency happening right in your own backyard? I was so worried about my family my stomach hurt the whole way home. It was a very surreal moment. The first of many.

Did you draw on any inner strengths to survive the weeks after you returned home?

Omg, yes. I don’t think I’d have been able to survive without my friends, Jake, Caitlyn, Emily, Conner and DeAndre. They were my strength. I also stayed strong for my mother and brother and grandparents. I needed to find them. It kept me going. Also, the will to live is very strong in me and my friends. We counted on each other so much in those first weeks, and afterward too.

What’s this I hear about you and Jacob Hill?

*smiles* Jake’s the best. I flirted with him freshman and sophomore year. Junior year we had more classes together, so that was cool. We were together in Acting for two years. I actually did a scene with him junior year where we kissed! That was awesome, but I was so nervous. Then in senior year, we became closer friends. And when this plague emergency happened, it just threw us into survival mode. There’s something about knowing you could die any day that makes you want to let the other person know how you feel.

Do you think the crises you all went through damaged you? Had an adverse impact on your mental health or anything? Pushed you to the edge and over it?

No. I think what we went through made us better people. Hardened us for what lies ahead. We just did what we had to do. But the skills and experiences we went through will make it easier for us to continue to survive. I don’t think it warped any of us. I think it helped us grow up fast and mature, and now we are badass! But it was at a terrible price….

Tell us about that, Alyssa. How do you feel about what happened?

I never wanted anyone to get hurt. None of us did. It was awful that those things happened, but we had to survive. Sometimes you have to survive at all costs. But it’s not something I’m proud of. I wish it hadn’t had to happen that way. But it did. It is what it is.

Every now and then I think back to what we lost, about everything that happened. I get teary eyed. But life has to go on. We’re doing the best we can, believe me.

We know that. And we will follow your story to the end. We’re with you all the way. Thanks for talking with us today, Alyssa. And good luck with Jacob.

Thank you.

Author Biography

Samaire Provost lives in California with her husband and son.

Her love of paranormal stories, odd plots, and unique tales as well as the works of Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett, Susan Cooper, Madeleine L'Engle and Stephen King has deeply influenced her writing. 

Mad World : EPIDEMIC her first novel. The second in the series is entitled "Mad World: SANCTUARY"

www.twitter.com/samairep

www.facebook.com/samairep

www.samaireprovost.tumblr.com/

www.amazon.com/Samaire-Provost/e/B008PVTXMW/

Giveaway

One lucky reader will win one of four signed copies of EPIDEMIC.  Open internationally.

 

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Book Review: The Dead I Know by Scot Gardner

The Dead I Know

by Scott Gardner
Release Date: August 7, 2012
2012 Razorbill Canada (Originally published by Allen & Unwin in Australia in 2011)
Soft-Cover Edition; 208 Pages
ISBN: 978-0-14-318212-2
ASIN: B0082477KC
Genre: Fiction / Young Adult
Source: Review Copy from Publisher

4 / 5 Stars

** Winner - Older Readers Book of the Year 2012 - Children's Book Council of Australia **

Summary
When Aaron gets a job at a funeral home, he surprisingly takes to it. But there are dark secrets hidden in Aaron’s subconscious. He experiences dangerous bouts of sleepwalking and recurring dreams he can’t explain: a lifeless hand, a lipsticked mouth, a man,
a gun... Can he piece the clues together and figure out the truth of his past?

My Thoughts
The Dead I Know is one of those easy-to-read books where the chapters are short and the story seems deceptively simple and then you suddenly realize there is nothing simple or easy about what you are reading.  I was drawn into this world of death where life is grim and gritty, and into a mystery that unfolded slowly and carefully, almost like peeling away the layers of an onion.  
  
The image of the onion stayed with me throughout the novel as I couldn't come up with an alternate analogy that seemed to fit so well.  When we are first introduced to Aaron, he is about to be apprenticed at a funeral home and his appearance is that of one who has taken care to hide himself from the world.  He is taken to a barber shop to get a haircut and a shave and it is the first instance where this taciturn young man begins to open up and speak as he falls under his boss's allure.  And although I knew very little about Aaron and there was something mysterious about him, I couldn't help but like him right from the beginning. To be honest, I really had no idea what was going on during the first third of the novel.  But little things, like how Aaron took care of his sick mother and was meticulous about cleaning up after himself and how he responded to his boss's daughter made me like him even more.  There was something endearing and caring about Aaron.

That being said, there was also something really eerie that surrounded Aaron from the moment he was introduced and it definitely gave me the chills throughout the novel.  Aaron had these horrible nightmares which caused him to sleepwalk and as the novel progressed, you began to get a glimpse of what was going on but were helpless to stop it.  You get drawn into Aaron's world as it falls apart and as he learns more about what is going on and the onion peels apart.  The background of Aaron working at a funeral home is sometimes cathartic for Aaron, as weird as that sounds, but at the same time, it is also one of the reasons as to why Aaron finally fell apart and had to face the reality of his past.  I found the whole setting to be rather fascinating.  You know, dealing with the dead helps you face the living and the real world.  A real juxtaposition.  

The writing is rather simple and the chapters are short which helps with the pace of the novel, and I read the whole thing in a couple of hours.  Although there wasn't a lot of detail, I think the lack of detail was almost more chilling as it left a lot to your imagination.  If you've read the book, just think about the motorcycle accident scene and I'm sure you understand. There was also a sense of detachment in the beginning as if we were seeing things through the eyes of how Aaron saw the world, which became less detached as the novel continued.  Interesting writing technique that has a way of drawing you in. 

Verdict
The Dead I Know was a deceptively simple read that was anything by simple.  Character-driven and told from the viewpoint of a teenage boy who life is falling apart around him, it's a raw and grim look at a young man who had the courage to grasp at the straws that were given to him and to face a past he had locked away.  Some readers may find the scenes gruesome or bothersome as it does take place in a funeral home and includes many of the details you would expect to read in such a setting, but I found the style of writing to be somewhat detached so it didn't bother me too much.  

Author Biography
Scot Gardner has written several critically acclaimed novels for young adults. His debut novel, One Dead Seagull, was followed by White Ute Dreaming, a powerful story of first love, mates, and a yellow dog. His third novel, Burning Eddy, was shortlisted for the CBC Award and the NSW Premier’s Literary Award for Young Adults. Gravity was also shortlisted for the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award in 2007. The Dead I Know was published by Allen & Unwin in Australia in 2011; it is the first Scot Gardner novel to be published in Canada.

Guest Post: Finding Your Inner Muse

Finding Your Inner Muse

www.artizencoaching.com

 

You know those days where everything seems to click? Your writing is completely in sync and you feel like you could hammer out an entire book by lunchtime. You feel invincible and unstoppable. You feel inspired. You’ve tapped into your inner muse and you’re holding on for dear life because you don’t know when your muse will visit again. So how do you find your inner muse?

1.     Reach out to the people that inspire you the most – So much of our writing, whether we realize it or not, is influenced by our relationships with people that move us. When you’re feeling uninspired call up a friend or mentor that you look up to and just talk to them. It doesn’t matter if you’re explaining your struggles, letting them guide you, or just listening to a story they have to tell that resonates deep within you, the interaction alone can be enough to spark creativity.

2.     Get outside – Mother Nature has a magical way of tugging at our heartstrings, and sometimes you can tap into your muse by quite literally stopping to smell the roses. Take time to appreciate the world we live in and all that it has to offer. Nature has the ability to touch each of our five senses uniquely, and each sensation can offer a different outlet for our muse to grasp hold of.

3.     Read – Immerse yourself in different types of literature. Blogs, books, poetry… it doesn’t matter what it is so long as it’s something you identify with. Words have a way of reaching out and touching us, coaxing us into submission to our inner inspiration. Sometimes it’s a particular character that suddenly causes the pieces to fall into place, other times it’s a single sentence that makes everything click.

4.     Make time to do the things that make you happy – It’s important to always carve out time away from work to focus on things that make us happy. It can be spending time with a loved one, going sailing, or taking a day trip to our favorite city. When we are happy we are inspired.

5.     Work out – Get your blood pumping! Go for a run or hit the gym for a class. Not only are you doing something good for your body, but working out also gives you a chance to clear our mind of any stressors you’ve been hanging onto. Plus, a healthy body breeds a healthy mind.

While you can never force your inner muse to appear at your command, you can do different things to be more receptive when she does come around. Don’t let frustration and negativity bring you down when you’re struggling with a bout of a lack of inspiration. Instead cultivate a positive, healthy outlook and soon you’ll find yourself awash in creativity.

Author Bio

Nancy Parker was a professional nanny and she loves to write about wide range of subjects like health, Parenting, Child Care, Babysitting, nanny background check tips, etc... You can reach her @ nancy.parker015 @ gmail.com

Guest Post & Giveaway: Nancy Holzner

I am pleased to have Nancy Holzner, author of one of my favourite urban paranormal series, Deadtown, who is here today to discuss Annwn from Welsh mythology.  Fans of the series will know that the author draws on a lot of Welsh mythology in her stories and its fun to see how she weaves those strands together in very interesting, and unique, ways.  For those of you who are new this series, you are in for a treat, but I would start with Deadtown, the first novel in the series.  Here is a summary of her newest novel, Darklands, just released July 31st.

They call it Deadtown: the city’s quarantined section for its inhuman and undead residents. Most humans stay far from its border—but Victory Vaughn, Boston’s only professional demon slayer, isn’t exactly human…

Boston’s demons have been disappearing, and Vicky’s clients are canceling left and right. While fewer demons might seem like a good thing, Vicky suspects foul play. A missing Celtic cauldron from Harvard’s Peabody museum leads her to an unwelcome conclusion: Pryce, her demi-demon cousin and bitter enemy, is trying to regain his full powers.

But Pryce isn’t alone. He’s conjured another, darker villain from Vicky’s past. To stop them from destroying everything she loves, she’ll have to face her own worst fear—in the realm of the dead itself.

 

Annwn and the Darklands

My Deadtown urban fantasy series features Victory Vaughn, a shapeshifter who kills other people's demons for a living. In Darklands, the fourth book in the series, Vicky travels to the realm of the dead in a race to stop an old enemy from regaining his full powers.

The Darklands are loosely based on Annwn from Welsh mythology. In its original depictions, Annwn was not a place of death and suffering. On the contrary, it was a realm of eternal youth, pleasant weather, and abundant food. Time passed differently there, as travelers discovered when they returned home greatly aged after spending a mere couple of weeks in Annwn.

Some sources located Annwn on an island. According to the poem Preiddeu Annwn ("The Spoils of Annwn") King Arthur led three ships full of warriors on a raid into Annwn—but only seven men returned. Whether those who stayed behind succumbed to the pleasures or the dangers of Annwn, the poem doesn't say. Those who escaped carried out a magical cauldron—and this stolen cauldron becomes central to the plot of Darklands.

Other sources locate the entrance to Annwn underground. (I use this tradition in Darklands; at the full moon, a doorway into the realm may be opened inside a shallow cave known as The Devil's Coffin.) Sometimes, it was possible to wander across the border into Annwn by going too deep into the woods. In the First Branch of The Mabinogi, the great medieval collection of Welsh myths and legends, a Welsh prince named Pwyll learned this when, on a hunting trip, he gets separated from his party and effectively poaches on land belonging to Arawn, lord of Annwn. To make up for trespassing, Pwyll must switch places with Arawn for a year and a day, taking on Arawn's likeness to rule Annwn and defeat Arawn's enemy. The fact that he doesn't sleep with Arawn's wife during his time there makes Pwyll Arawn's fast friend for life. (Although Arawn's wife must have been deeply confused and more than a little annoyed!)

In Darklands, Arawn is a minor god and the source of the realm's magic. He is a stern but fair ruler. The rules of his realm must be obeyed, yet he tries to protect his subjects. He has forbidden demons from entering the Darklands, creating a massive range of enchanted mountains on the border between the two realms. After Arthur's theft of his cauldron, he also closed the borders to the living, so Vicky has to use her wits to find a way in—and it's far from a sure thing that she'll be allowed out again.

Eventually, medieval Welsh depictions of Annwn shifted to make it less of a parallel world and more of a realm of the dead. In the poem Cad Goddeu ("The Battle of the Trees"), Annwn is a frightening place filled with tormented souls and monstrous creatures. Still, many sources distinguish between Annwn, a place of rest for departed souls, and Uffern, the realm of demons. (The word Uffern comes from "inferno.") I follow this latter idea—the Darklands are a way station for departed souls, a place where they spend time before being reincarnated or regenerated. Not all souls find their way there, and it is not a place of punishment. It is a place of strong magic that follows its own rules, its own time.

Welsh mythology is incredibly rich in stories and symbols, and I have fun mining its depths for materials I can incorporate into my Deadtown stories. Annwn is a fascinating place, and I loved exploring it in Darklands. I hope you'll explore it with me!

_________________________________________________________

DARKLANDS, the fourth novel in Nancy Holzner's Deadtown series, is now available. For information on Nancy and her books, visit her website. You can also find Nancy on Facebook and Twitter. And visit her Kickstarter page to find out about her plans for a Deadtown prequel!

Biography

Nancy Holzner grew up in western Massachusetts with her nose stuck in a book. This meant that she tended to walk into things, wore glasses before she was out of elementary school, and forced her parents to institute a “no reading at the dinner table” rule. It was probably inevitable that she majored in English in college and then, because there were still a lot of books she wanted to read, continued her studies long enough to earn a master’s degree and a PhD.

She began her career as a medievalist, then jumped off the tenure track to try some other things. Besides teaching English and philosophy, she’s worked as a technical writer, freelance editor and instructional designer, college admissions counselor, and corporate trainer. As Nancy Conner, she writes how-to and reference books on topics ranging from classical mythology to using Office 2010.

Nancy lives in upstate New York with her husband Steve, where they both work from home without getting on each other’s nerves. She enjoys visiting local wineries and listening obsessively to opera. There are still a lot of books she wants to read.

Giveaway

One lucky reader will win their choice of Deadtown, Hellforged, Bloodstone, or Darklands. 


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Guest Post: Bo Briar

I am pleased to welcome Bo Briar, author of Morgan Hall, who is here today to discuss why it is important to include gothic fiction in one's reading repertoire.  I first discovered gothic fiction at a very young age and have been enthralled with it ever since, even preferring to read it on those dark and stormy nights in front of my fireplace, giving it that extra ambiance.  What can I say?  I'm a total sap for stuff like this. Take a look at the blurb for Morgan Hall:

Lady Christie Morgan is not the only occupant in this desolate English estate. A young apparition appears, sparking a chain of horrifying occurrences involving Christie and the two men closest to her: Anthony Longfield-Lothian and Tristan Ely. A saga of mystery and sordid family history weaves intrigue for the passionate love triangle. Past and present war as the secrets of three aristocratic families come to light.

Gothic Fiction - What is it and how did it come about?

And why it is a must-read genre…

Gothic fiction, also known as Gothic horror combines elements of both horror and romance. The first ever gothic novel is regarded to be The Castle of Otranto by the English author Horace Walpole back in 1764 – so he would have effectively pioneered the genre.

Gothic fiction feeds on a pleasing sort of terror mixed with elements of romance. It is dark, exciting, mysterious, melodramatic, full of deep and passionate feelings and oodles of atmosphere. It is intimately associated with the Gothic Revival architecture of that era and in the same way rejects clarity and rationalism preferring the joys of extreme emotion, the thrills of fearfulness and awe inherent in the sublime, as well as a quest for atmosphere. 

It is important to understand that the ruins of gothic buildings were very much linked to strong emotions as they represented the inevitable decay and collapse of human creations. English landscape parks of the time would even add fake ruins for this kind of effect and feeling. Medieval buildings were seen by English Gothic writers as representing a dark and terrifying period, of harsh laws enforced by heavy punishments including torture – an era steeped in mystery, fanaticism for example anti-Catholicism and the Inquisition, and superstitious rituals. 

There are a number of prominent features of Gothic fiction. These include both psychological and physical terror, mystery, secrets, darkness, decay, death, the supernatural, ghosts, haunted houses, elaborate but crumbling castles and Gothic architecture, hereditary curses and madness.

Gothic fiction characters often include Byronic heroes, tyrants, evil villains, maniacs and madmen, femmes fatales, persecuted maidens, insane women, magicians, paranormal characters for example vampires, werewolves and monsters, ghosts, the Devil and so forth.

All of this put together with clever twists in the storyline makes Gothic Fiction a fascinating read. Taking the reader out of reality and pushing them out of their comfort zone – into a world of decaying beauty, deep passions and dark secrets. Where love can be eternal and anything and everything can happen in the stormiest yet most breath-taking ways. It is a genre that guarantees that while reading, you will leave this everyday world behind and step into a whole new other – leagues away from everything you’d come to know.

My novel Morgan Hall is everything a Gothic novel should be – almost all of the above. In addition to this, I have also moved all of that as it is, literally, into our modern world, and you will be able to relate to the characters and what they are feeling but still be left with that very overwhelming Gothic rush and that sense of “wow”!

So come and have a go – experience “Morgan Hall” by Bo Briar.

Author Biography
Bo Briar nursed a love of art, music and architecture from childhood as well as all things ghostly. Her years at a British boarding school secluded in an ancient English county of majestic stately homes, historical towns and quaint medieval villages, nestled among mysterious forests and chocolate-box landscapes formed many of her lifelong impressions, beliefs and ideas.

Although having a natural affinity for the countryside Bo lived most of her life between the big cities of London and Hong Kong. Though widely travelled, she will always return to the two cities she calls home.

Her love for writing began at university where she would often diverge from composing dissertations to creating spooky stories. After taking a sabbatical from work in the hope of quality time with her two young children, she has also managed to complete and publish her first novel Morgan Hall. She is currently writing the sequel.

Bo welcomes you to her website at: www.bobriar.com

Review: Morgan Hall by Bo Briar

Morgan Hall

by Bo Briar
Release Date: November 28, 2011
2011 World Castle Publishing
Ebook Edition; 258 Pages
ISBN: 978-1937593513
ASIN: B006FJUY1K
Genre: Fiction / Gothic
Source: Pump Up Your Book

3 / 5 Stars

Summary
Love never dies, and revenge never sleeps in Morgan Hall…
Morgan Hall, a desolate country estate, has been in Lady Christie Morgan’s family for almost 400 years. A family cursed by eternal tragedy, and now Christie is the last Morgan.

Apparitions appear, sparking a chain of horrifying occurrences involving Christie and the two men who love her: Anthony Longfield-Lothian and Tristan Ely.


Emotions run high as their world spins wildly out of control. Are they all cursed to repeat the grizzly past? Does sweet revenge claim its prize?

My Thoughts
Morgan Hall is a gothic fiction novel that definitely has the right atmosphere as it's set in an old English manor that has been in the Morgan family for centuries and comes complete with pounding rain and unusual thunderstorms, lush countryside, eerie woods, sparkling streams and ponds, and a house full of secrets and unease.  As per many of these novels, the main character, Christie Morgan, begins seeing spirits, hearing strange noises, has unusual things happen to her, and then is tormented by events that grow more dangerous and eerie as the days move on.  While I found the setting to be quite fascinating, and thought the descriptions of the houses were quite good, I'm afraid the characters themselves are what actually drove me to give it the rating that I did as I enjoyed the descriptions far more than I enjoyed the characters.

Don't get me wrong as I enjoy a good gothic fiction novel and have been hooked since I discovered my grandmother's stash in her bedroom (in French and in English) when I was twelve years old. And while I really enjoyed the atmosphere in this novel, especially the pounding rain and the early darkness (perhaps I am rain-deprived in this drought-ridden July?) but I could envision everything so clearly and that is clearly due to the author's good writing skills when it comes to describing events and settings.  I would even say I enjoyed the plot to a certain extent although it did seem to get caught up in the descriptions and in the characters' love triangle, but I like old family secrets and things that have been kept hidden for centuries, so perhaps I am a bit of a sap for things like that.

My biggest issue with Morgan Hall was the characters as they kind of got on my nerves.  Christie, the last living descendent of Morgan Hall, became one big mess as things kept happening to her and I was often saying, "Where's your backbone, girl?"  I just don't have the patience for women who are constantly crying (I realize this is just my issue and many people don't have a problem with this: It's something I need to work on.).  And what particularly drove me crazy was the sudden development of this love triangle thing.  Yes, I could predict something would happen, but it was how it happened that I wasn't overly crazy over, but then I am never crazy about these insta-love things so this would never have appealed to me.   The whole flow of the situation didn't quite sit right with me and I thought the characters behaved like young, spoiled children and it really bothered me.  I actually really liked Jonathan, the gamekeeper, and thought he was the most level-headed of the bunch. 

Verdict
Morgan Hall definitely has all the markings of a gothic fiction novel and I enjoyed seeing all of these elements in play; the spooky hall, the temperamental weather, the unexplained events, etc... And while the descriptions of the various homes were quite well done, I felt like the plot and the characters didn't quite live up to expectations.  But the potential is definitely there, and I hope Ms. Briar will continue to write gothic fiction for those of us who can't quite get enough.

Guest Post & Giveaway: P.W. Creighton

I am pleased to welcome P.W. Creighton, who is here today to discuss how he developed his inspiration and ideas for the setting to his new novel, Nightfall, released January 2012.  I have always found the research and development process to be quite fascinating and enjoy hearing how an author got the inspiration for the often unique and amazing settings they create in their novels.  Take a look at the blurb to Nightfall:

Three years after everyone important to Connor Maitland was murdered by a fanatical cult he is still attempting to put his life back together. Accompanied by his ex-girlfriend and business partner, Alison Herne, he is making a living as a jack-of-all-trades running a security company, sailing charters, and even photographing weddings out of Dolliber Cove, Massachusetts. Connor’s world is finally coming back together until they find one of Alison’s ghost hunter friends murdered.

When a childhood love he thought was dead, appears on his doorstep during their investigation, Connor is forced to confront memories he convinced himself were the delusions of a man deep into grief. They are being stalked by a mysterious man who appears to know far too many of their secrets. After Alison is almost killed confronting her occult past, it is impossible for Connor to deny the connection between the cases. Someone is attempting to end Connor’s life and the lives of all those who surround him.

The crazed rantings of the murderous cult may be the key to his survival.

 

Setting Nightfall

When I first came up with the story of Nightfall it began with the characters. I envisioned their style, attitudes and relationships long before I could think of where I wanted the story to take place. As the story came together the scenes just sort of fell into place.

Each scene required a certain tone and I envisioned a specific setting for the scene to take place but I still didn’t have an overall setting for the entirety of Nightfall. I only had pieces that I needed to assemble. I had Connor’s home, an old forgotten building, a house under renovation, a pizzeria and a closed down jail. All of these settings I had visited or experienced at some point. The most notable was certainly the closed down jail. In Windsor, Vermont there is an old former jail-prison that was closed in the 70’s that was subsequently renovated and turned into low-income housing. The structure remains fairly well intact including the old death row. This was one setting that I really wanted to feature in the story.

On the whole, there were a multitude of scenes but I still couldn’t decide on the definitive setting for the entire story. It wasn’t until I took a trip to Salem, Massachusetts that I found the elements Nightfall was missing.

Now, there have been countless stories that have used Salem as a setting, and it carries a certain cliché in the paranormal genre yet the reality of the Salem gave me a different inspiration.

Modern Salem is a bustling metropolis with the original founding buildings hidden at the center. It’s an interesting mix of historic sites and modern urban development. Through exploring Salem you could wander from historic sites to psychic and witchcraft shops, from pizzerias to True Blood-esque Witch/Vampire bars like Strega. In all, visiting Salem gave me a new perspective.

The classic idea of Salem is no longer valid, but all of the surrounding towns like Marblehead and Beverly carry that original New England Township feeling that most still associate with Salem. If I had not actually visited Salem, Nightfall would not be set in Doliber Cove. I would still be under the same impression as most about Salem and elements like sailing on the Massachusetts coast, quirky book shops, and mysterious bars would be absent.

Author Biography

Author of the Psychological, Supernatural Thriller Series Nightfall, Writer, adventurer, archaeologist, photographer, videographer, Tech-Geek, Investigator

Originally from California, PW moved frequently, living in many places including Vermont, Tennessee and currently New York where PW took his interest in adventure to college earning a Bachelors in Folklore Anthropology, Archaeology and Art Studio. After his work was displayed in gallery exhibits and television documentaries, he returned to college for his MSEd as a Communications Specialist in Media Production. Between rock climbing, sailing and investigations, there's barely enough time in the day but it's all a modern adventure.

 

www.facebook.com/AuthorPW

www.twitter.com/RavenRequiem13

www.pwcreighton.com

Youtube Trailer

Giveaway

One lucky person is going to be the recipient of an autographed paperback version of Nightfall as well as a copy of Connor's pendant. 

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Review: Dead is a Battlefield by Marlene Perez

Dead is a Battlefield (Dead Is #6)

by Marlene Perez
Date Published: March 6th, 2012
2012 Houghlin Mifflin Harcourt
Softcover Edition; 227 Pages
ISBN: 978-0-547-60734-4
Genre: Young Adult / Paranormal
Source: Review Copy from Publisher

3.5 / 5 Stars

Summary
Jessica Walsh is starting her freshman year at Nightshade High and trying to forget about the tragic events surrounding her brother’s graduation. She wants to have a normal high school experience. But that’s easier said than done in Nightshade.

When a new boy shows up at school, the girls are infected with a case of seriously creepy crushes. But when their obsession turns to violence, Jessica and her friends start to wonder if there’s more going on than just a little friendly rivalry. Are the smitten girls turning into love zombies?

And Jessica has other worries—like her crush on Dominic Gray, the cute but moody new singer for Side Effects May Vary, and the mysterious tattoo that appeared on her arm one day and lets her know whenever there is trouble brewing. Jessica learns she's a Virago, a woman warrior chosen to fight evil whenever it threatens her hometown. But does a lowly freshman really have what it takes to keep Nightshade safe?

My Thoughts

Dead is a Battlefield is the sixth novel in this series, and features Jessica Walsh, a freshman trying desperately to forget the serious events that surrounded her brother's graduation.  I thoroughly enjoyed the previous novels in this series and wondered where the author was going to take this series when this one popped into my mailbox one day.  And although I enjoyed it, I can't honestly say I enjoyed it as much as the earlier novels featuring Daisy.

Jessica is an interesting character, but I felt like the author focused too much on the status of her popularity rather than on her character traits and the development of her character which I found to be somewhat erratic.  I found her to be somewhat selfish at times and although I liked the fact that she was honest with herself to admit she liked her popularity, it did irk me at times and I kind of found her to be snobbish.  Perhaps this will change in future novels as her character develops and she gets put in more serious scrapes which allows her to grow up and be more responsible and mature.

The plot is meant to be lighthearted and fun, definitely not complex, and it lives up to that standard set in previous novels.  I enjoyed the antics of secondary characters and the various events that continue to plague the town of Nightshade as it was just pure fun.  While the main plotline is easily predictable, I enjoyed reading how the various characters worked together to get themselves out of the scrapes with the usual romantic entanglements getting in the way.  You have to take the plot with a grain of salt, but the various threads are fun and set up some interesting scenarios for the future.  If you are looking for complex, deep plots, then this book and series are definitely not for you, but if you are looking for light entertainment, then you will enjoy this novel.

Verdict
Dead is a Battlefield continues the antics of the various characters introduced in previous novels and puts them in scenarios that are fun and entertaining.  While not quite up to the standard of the previous novels featuring Daisy, this one was still fun and lighthearted, and I'm hoping that as Jessica's character develops and matures, and I get used to the change in character focus, Jessica will grow on me as well.