Getting to Know the Authors: Featuring Kathleen Baldwin!

Bio in her words:

   Life is an amazing adventure. Mom died when I was thirteen. But life rolls on. I roamed the Rockies, wandered the desert, enjoyed way too many classes in college, was stalked by a cougar, lost an argument with a rattlesnake, fell in love at least a dozen times, was proposed to eleven times, finally met and married my own personal hero, and together we’ve raised four free-spirited adventurous children.
   I write for the fun of it. An award-winning author and illustrator - Kensington published four of my Regency romantic comedies, including Mistaken Kiss, a Holt Medallion finalist.
   I adore the wit and humor of Oscar Wilde, P.G. Wodehouse, and Jane Austen. But my eclectic reading interests bounce from Frank Herbert to Meg Cabot, and on to the delightfully imaginative tales of Diana Wynne Jones.
   What books do YOU love to read?
Contact me through: www.KathleenBaldwin.com

She has written:

A School for Unusual Girls (Stranje House, #1), Lady Fiasco (Regency Trilogy, #1), Mistaken Kiss (Regency Trilogy, #2), Cut from the Same Cloth (Regency Trilogy, #3), Diary of a Teenage Fairy Godmother: A Contemporary Teen Fantasy Romance, The Highwayman Came Waltzing: A Traditional Regency Romance Novella, Waltz With A Rogue and Basketball Droids Have Taken Over My Neighborhood (Adventure Book for Kids Ages 9-12!).

Now on to the Interview:

1) How old were you when you started writing, in your opinion?
    Weird story - I started writing in grade school. Clear back in first grade, I could already read so Mrs. Whitney put me to work writing poetry. From there on out my teachers were convinced I would be a writer and would give me all kinds of little writing prompts and private assignments while they did other things with the rest the english class. During 7th and 8th grade I got sent to the library to read. Ironically, I intended to be a doctor when I grew up. Everytime my parents moved us to a new school I thought I'd finally get a regular english classes. And even though we moved often, only once in third grade did that happen. It turned out my teachers were right. Although I still love science and biology, I wouldn't have made a very good doctor. I'd probably have a total melt down the first time one of my patients died.

2) What do you want a reader to gain from reading your works?
     I hope readers feel more courageous after reading my books, and more confident about being the person they really are inside. I hope women and girls especially will realize that even the little things we do make a difference in the world.

3) What are your three top suggestions on becoming an author, or being pleasure writer?
1. Write from a place of joy.
2. Journal your deep thoughts and reactions - that's great practice for writing fiction.
3. Observe/study what components you think make a compelling story. (The answer to this is not as universal as one might think - the answers to this question will contribute heavily toward your unique storyteller's voice.)

4) What is your favourite novel, why?
     I'd be hard pressed to pick a favorite novel. I've so many favorites. Tell you what, today I'm going to say my favorite novel is DUNE by Frank Herbert. Why -- because the philosophies and thoughts in it had a profound effect on my life.

5) Who is your favourite author, why?
     Here again it will depend upon the day. But today I'm going to say Oscar Wilde. Why because I love how he blended phenomenal insight into human behavior with humor. He makes us laugh and yet appreciate humanity in all its weaknesses for the delight and love that we sometimes demonstrate.

6) What are your favorite pass times besides writing?
     I like to swim. I love art and music. And I love to go adventuring out in nature.

7) Who in your life do you credit your imagination to the most?
     Well, first God, but then I thank my mother. She read to us every night and for much of my growing up she wouldn't allow a TV. She was so into creativity that she wouldn't let us have coloring books because she didn't want us to color in the lines. She'd give us blank paper and crayons.

8) What are the top five things on your bucket list?
     To be frank, there's very little left on my bucket list. Oh, I would like to make a NYT Times or USA Today bestseller list. But other than that I've experienced so many wonderful things. Anything else I get to do is just gravy. At a very young age I made a point of doing most of what was on my bucket list because I knew, with my breathing issues, I might die any day. I love being alive and I'm grateful for every day.

9) What is your funniest childhood memory?
    Um, you'll probably notice in my books I'm obsessed with flying. I dream I can fly almost weekly, and always have. In the third grade I decided to build a human size wind-up airplane. So I took and old inner tube to use as the rubber band and some wood and built a crude plane. Then one of my brothers and I hauled it up into our tree fort. We wound up the propeller, and because he was smaller, he was the test pilot. Um... needless to say it did a major nosedive. Fortunately my little brother didn't break anything. Whew!

10) To the youth of today, if you could tell them one thing, what would it be?
       Life is a gift, every day is a lovely blank page. Write a beautiful story with yours. Every story has sadness, hardships and difficulties. If it didn't it wouldn't be a story. It's what a heroine or hero does with those troubles that makes their life a tragedy or a beautiful story.

Siren's Fury (The Storm Siren Trilogy #2) by Mary Weber (Review)

  The second installment of The Storm Siren Trilogy, Siren's Fury starts off by devastating the reader and removing the two best components of Siren's Storm. From there it seemed to be all down hill. 97% of the novel seemed to be politics, which was dreadfully boring to read about. I was so disappointed by this turn of event, mainly because I had loved the first novel in the series.
   The characters seemed more and more dull and flat further you got into the book. That is because they did not seemed to grow and change with the story as it progressed. If anything, their behavior felt less and less consistent to their character. There were very few moments of intrigue in the novel and it not very interesting as a whole. Hopefully these problems are resolved by the next novel in the series, but for now, I do not recommend Siren's Fury to anybody and give it the honest and disappointed rating of TWO OUT OF FIVE STARS!

*Advanced Readers Copy Review*

Getting to Know the Authors: Featuring Brittney Mulliner!

Bio:

   Brittney has been an avid reader for as long as she can remember. Her parents’ form of punishment  growing up was taking away her books and making her go outside to play. She loves the beach, exercising, sleeping in, and cookies. Yes, she does know those contradict each other.  She’s an obsessive dog lover. She will cry at pretty much any video or picture of a puppy. Although, sadly she doesn’t currently have an outlet for her affection. Something that she plans on remedying soon.
She was born and raised in Southern California, with a brief hiatus in Arizona. She recently graduated from BYU.
Her website: http://brittneymulliner.com/
Her Twitter: https://twitter.com/Britt_Mulliner

She has written:

Begin Again

Blurb:

Escaping her past, Aubrey Tate moves to Southern California for a fresh start with her older brother, Brandon. Starting over at a new school seems easy with her cousin, Mckayla, and her two best friends at her side, but handling the new guys is another matter. Aubrey end

s up in the middle of three rivals that each want her to themselves. Mike claims her first and declare himself her friend and protector. Luke is the school heartthrob that stops Aubrey in her tracks, speechless. Gage is the mysterious, dark outsider that Aubrey can be herself around. How will she navigate her new life while she’s still haunted by her past?

Live Again (Begin Again # 2)

Blurb:

 In the sequel to Begin Again, Aubrey Tate finally finds where she belongs.

Living with her brother in California, finding new friends she can trust; things are finally beginning to settle down for Aubrey.

The she receives the note that changes everything, The past she thought she left behind is still following her.

Now she faces the threat of a stalker who has the potential to unravel her perfect new life.

This time, she has her friends and brother helping her, but will they be enough to save her from her real life nightmare?

Now on to the Interview!!

1) How old were you when you started writing, in your opinion?

I’m somewhat of a late bloomer as authors go. I’ve always been bookworm/bookaholic/etc. but I didn’t start writing creatively until my senior year of college. I wrote and published my first novel at 22.

2) What do you want a reader to gain from reading your works?
I’d like them to gain understanding and appreciation for different points of view. Every person has their own story and past that makes them who they are, and so do characters. We can learn from them and their mistakes to shape ourselves. Through stories we’re exposed to all kinds of families and backgrounds and we become more empathetic to those characters. I hope that we can do that in real life, too.

3) What are your three top suggestions on becoming an author, or being a pleasure writer?
Enjoy the process. It isn’t easy, so if you don’t find some sort of happiness from it you’ll either quit or hate your life.
Don’t do it for fame or fortune. Write because you have something unique and important to share with the world.
Don’t be afraid to be true to yourself. When I first started writing I was constantly second guessing myself because I didn’t want anyone to judge me or my opinions. I also didn’t want to offend anyone, but at the end of the day you will NEVER please everyone so write what you believe in and people will support your honesty.

4) What is your favourite novel, why?
Ask your parents who their favorite child is…no answer? Yeah, same here! The Harry Potter series is still my favorite to read, but the most influential on me and my writing is The Great Gatsby. I read it for the first time in High School and have read it several times since. I love the depth of the characters. At first read the story might seem shallow but with each new read I find more and more about each character that I love and hate. Fitzgerald is a writing role model for me.

5) Who is your favourite author, why?
I’m a total fangirl for C L Stone. Her series are so addictive…like mark your calendar, preorder, create a countdown, join in discussions, read fanfic, tattoo the character’s names (kidding), and binge read addictive. You’ve been warned.

6) What are your favorite pass times besides writing?
Working out is basically all I have time for and it’s because I wake up before the sun to do it. My husband is really into exercising, so it’s become our thing. I work fulltime so my days go: Work out, work, write, and repeat. I think sometimes I thrown in sleeping and eating but it’s not a guarantee.

7) Who in your life do you credit your imagination to the most?
My parents. They decided to have me 6 years after my brother and stop with me so I had no one to play with growing up. I entertained myself by creating elaborate stories and lives for my Barbies and reading books.

8) What are the top five things on your bucket list?
Travel to at least 6 continents
Swim with dolphins
Become an established enough author to quit my job and write fulltime
Skydive over Hawaii. If I’m going to die at least my last memory is looking out over paradise!
Pet a sloth, my favorite animal

9) To the youth of today, if you could tell them one thing, what would it be?
I know it seems impossible, but stop caring what everyone else thinks! Be yourself! You might be around these people until you graduate, but after that you won’t see or speak to them again. I wish I could go back and tell myself at 15 to just be happy being me, and cherish your parents and family. They won’t be close by forever. One day, in the not so distant future, you’ll miss them and they won’t be just down the hall.

Dronish (Walker Saga #6) by Jaymin Eve (Review)

     The sixth installment of the Walker Saga, Dronish introduces the second last half-Walker into the Walker world. Out of all of the stories in this series, Dronish definitely has the most alien feel to it. The planet of Dronish is a dying planet that it desperate for energy with energy sucking vampires with one eye and translucent skin. Of all the creatures introduced into the series, the creatures of Dronish are definitely the least humanoid.
      Similar to the rest of the series, Dronish introduces new characters, plot twists and environments. In this installment, the deadline to save the universe quickly approaches, adding even more tension to the story. Like the rest of the novels, Dronish is action packed, romantic and all around interesting. The story continues to introduce the special Walker animals that add a new dynamic to the plot and development of the characters. As the plot thickens, the readers grow more and more hooked. I definitely recommend Dronish and give it FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARS!

Cover Reveal of Like Candy & Sweet Liar by Debra Doxer (The Candy Series #1-2) with giveaway!

Like Candy & Sweet Liar by Debra Doxer
(The Candy Series #1-2)
Synopsis:
Revenge is sweet, just like candy.
Candy Seaborne knows she’s badass. She takes after her father, an assassin and possibly a spy, although he won’t admit to either. She idolizes him. Her dream is to follow in his footsteps. But first, she has to finish high school.
Biding her time, waiting for real life to begin, Candy craves drama and isn’t above manufacturing some. If you’re a classmate who wronged her or a boyfriend who cheated, watch your back. She’s no pushover, and revenge may be her favorite pastime.
Jonah Bryson is the senior class heartthrob who breaks all the stereotypes. He’s a jock, but he isn’t the typical player. He’s moody and antisocial. No girl has gotten anywhere with him since his last girlfriend broke his heart.
Candy sees Jonah as a challenge and the perfect distraction. But she may be in over her head because unlike everyone else, Jonah isn’t buying her tough act. He sees the lost, lonely girl inside. He sees too much. When he looks at her that way, she wants to let her guard down and be vulnerable. But that’s the last thing she should do because her father’s world is spilling over into hers, and life is about to get real much sooner than Candy expected.
This story is told over two full-length books.
Like Candy (The Candy Series #1) releases on July 28th
Sweet Liar (The Candy Series #2) will be available this fall.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/series/154207-candy

AUTHOR BIO:
Debra Doxer was born in Boston, and other than a few lost years in the California sunshine, she has always resided in the Boston area. She writes fiction, technical software documents, illegible scribbles on sticky notes, and texts that get mangled by AutoCorrect. She writes for a living, and she writes for fun. When her daughter asks when she’ll run out of words, her response always is, “When I run out of time.”
Connect with Debra. She loves hearing from readers.
Author links:
http://debradoxer.blogspot.ca/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6876249.Debra_Doxer
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorDebraDoxer
https://twitter.com/DebraDoxer

GIVEAWAY!!

Enter bellow to get a chance to be one of three winners to receive a 25$ Amazon gift card!

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Giveaway of From a Distant Star by Karen McQuestion!

   Karen McQuestion has donated a hard copy of her new fabulous book From A Distant Star for a giveaway!! Huzzah! So today for Canadians and Americans we are doing a giveaway of this amazing prize! Enter the raffelcopter bellow for a chance to win! (Keep in mind you have to do at least one task to get ballets for the draw.)

Synopsis of From A Distant Star: 

   Seventeen-year-old Emma was the only one who hadn’t given up on her boyfriend, Lucas. Everyone else—his family, his friends, his doctors—believed that any moment could be his last. So when Lucas miraculously returns from the brink of death, Emma thinks her prayers have been answered.
    As the surprised town rejoices, Emma begins to question whether Lucas is the same boy she’s always known. When she finds an unidentifiable object on his family’s farm—and government agents come to claim it—she begins to suspect that nothing is what it seems. Emma’s out-of-this-world discovery may be the key to setting things right, but only if she and Lucas can evade the agents who are after what they have. With all her hopes and dreams on the line, Emma sets out to save the boy she loves. And with a little help from a distant star, she might just have a chance at making those dreams come true.

About the Author:

     Karen McQuestion is the bestselling author of books for all ages. Some of her titles include Hello Love, Life on Hold, The Long Way Home, and the Edgewood series. Her publishing story has been covered by the Wall Street Journal, Entertainment Weekly, and the national NPR show, The Story with Dick Gordon. She has also appeared on ABC’s World News Now and America This Morning. McQuestion lives with her husband and kids in Hartland, Wisconsin.
Visit her online:
Her website: www.karenmcquestion.com\
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Karen-McQuestion/107725872640353

(CA and US  only)

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Getting to Know the Authors: Featuring Karen McQuestion!

Bio:

     Karen McQuestion is the bestselling author of books for all ages. Some of her titles include Hello Love, Life on Hold, The Long Way Home, and the Edgewood series. Her publishing story has been covered by the Wall Street Journal, Entertainment Weekly, and the national NPR show, The Story with Dick Gordon. She has also appeared on ABC’s World News Now and America This Morning. McQuestion lives with her husband and kids in Hartland, Wisconsin.
Her website: www.karenmcquestion.com\
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Karen-McQuestion/107725872640353

She has written:

The Long Way Home, Easily Amused, Hello Love, Edgewood (Edgewood, #1), Favorite, Life on Hold, Wanderlust (Edgewood, #2), Lies I Told My Children, Absolution (Edgewood, #3), Celia And The Fairies, From a Distant Star, Secrets of the Magic Ring, Turning a Corner, Edgewood, Wanderlust (Edgewood #2), A Scattered Life, and Life On Hold.

Now on to the Interview!!

1) How old were you when you started writing, in your opinion?

  I decided I wanted to be a writer in third grade. My teacher had us write short stories and she read mine aloud as a good example. That’s all it took!

2) What do you want a reader to gain from reading your works?

  First and foremost, I write to entertain. I also hope that readers experience the story through the characters. I’m thrilled when people tell me one of my stories made them laugh or cry.

3) What are your three top suggestions on becoming an author, or being a pleasure writer?

  Practice, practice, practice! Read and write a lot, and make sure to read mindfully, noting when a story works, or not, and why.

4) What is your favourite novel, why?

  A Wrinkle in Time would be at the top of a very long list. I have many favorites. 

5) Who is your favourite author, why?

  Again, I have many. Neil Gaiman, Stephen King, Anne Tyler, C.S. Lewis, Madeleine L'Engle, Liane Moriarty, Dennis Lehane, Susan Ee, and the list goes on…

6) Who in your life do you credit your imagination to the most?

  I tend to think an imagination is something you’re born with. I can’t remember anyone encouraging me to be creative, but as a kid I was always daydreaming which is a helpful trait in a writer.

7) To the youth of today, if you could tell them one thing, what would it be?

  Listen to your intuition and never give up! Also, keep in mind sometimes disappointments lead you exactly where you need to be. Life is funny that way.