Win the chance to create a character!

As you may or may not know, indie author Solitaire Parke has been releasing his book 'The Emerald Dragon' one chapter at a time on his blog.  If you read the recent interview with Solitaire this is old news to you.  What I failed to mention (because I am a slacker!) is that Solitaire is sponsoring an awesome contest that will be hosted by Alexia and Ritesh at Alexia's Chronicles.  Two very lucky people will get the chance to create a dragon rider and a dragon that Solitaire will feature in 'The Emerald Dragon'! How cool is that?  But wait, there's more!  (Were you hearing the cheesy voice in your head just then??) The winners will not only receive a signed copy of the book once it's released but they will also be mentioned on the dedication page. That's pretty amazing right?  Details and rules of the contest will be released on June 30th at Alexia's Chronicles.  Do yourself a favor and go check it out.

Taste by Kate Evangelista

Phoenix McKay has bounced around when it comes to schools. It figures that once she finds a school she actually like she may have to leave. She broke the ONE rule of the Barinkoff Academy, no students allowed on campus after curfew. Granted, she broke that rule on accident but Phoenix is so stunned by what she discovers that even though she got away with it the first time, she risks expulsion by breaking curfew a second time. How could she know that the things she witnessed and the people she encountered would drastically change her life?

I loved this book, it is a page turner and I had a hard time putting it down. I found that the story line was imaginative and the history behind the flesh eaters was a refreshing change of pace from those of similar 'creatures'. The characters were very well written and easy to relate to. The pacing of the story was perfect, there were no lags or dull moments. The romance aspect of the story was creatively handled and not overdone. The only thing I wasn't overly fond of was Phoenix's reaction to being separated from Demitri. Phoenix is introduced as a strong-willed, independent girl/woman who, in my opinion kind of turns into a moody pile of mush. Then again, her experiences through the book change her and maybe that is exactly how the author wanted to portray her, as a woman who finally lets someone in. I really liked both Demitri and Luka and had a hard time deciding whose 'team' to be on. To be honest I still don't think I've come to a decision. Phoenix's character on the other hand I wanted to punch several different times. My first opinion of her was spoiled rotten rich girl but my opinion changed somewhat as the story developed.

I like that the title not only refers to what the flesh eaters do, but that Phoenix is able to get a 'taste' of what it's like to live a different life. Added bonus, the cover is gorgeous!

I think that Kate Evangelista did a tremendous job with Taste and I'm eagerly awaiting her next releases! 

My Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Showcase Sunday #4

Again, this Showcase Sunday is for the last 2 weeks.  I'm still moving, therefore behind in my blogging!

Showcase Sunday is a weekly meme hosted by Vicky at Books, Biscuits and Tea. The purpose of Showcase Sunday is to show off our newest books or book related swag whether you bought, borrowed or received as a gift or for review. If you would like to participate in Showcase Sunday click here to learn how.

Bought:

For Review:

Gifted:

My awesome friend Marie gave me the Fifty Shades Trilogy (in addition to helping me pack!). You rock Marie, thank you soooo much!

Won:

I won this through the Dark Passage Giveaway at fuonlyknew.  A big thanks to Laura for hosting the giveaway and author M.L. Woolley for providing copies of her book as prizes

What sorts of goodies did you snag this week?  Feel free to post a link to your book haul post.

Vengeance of the Wolf Giveaway!

Indie author Solitaire Park, whom I recently had my first author interview with, has amazingly offered up an autographed paperback copy of his book 'Vengeance of the Wolf' as a giveaway prize! It's a super easy giveaway, details are as follows:

• This giveaway is open to the continental US ONLY.
• Winner will be contacted by e-mail and will have 48 hours to respond. If there is no response after 48 hours, another winner will be chosen.
• Winner's shipping address will be provided to the author as he will be shipping prize to the winner.
• Entering is easy, simply leave a comment on this blog post (please include your e-mail for contact purposes).  Following my blog as well as Solitaire's would be fantastic but it's not required.
• Entries will be accepted until 11:59pm CST on June 30th. Winner will be chosen on July 1st.

Good luck and happy reading!!

Getting To Know Solitaire Parke

Recently indie author, Solitaire Parke asked me to review his thriller 'Vengeance of the Wolf'.  The blurb was enticing and I was more than happy to do a review. You can read that review here.  Solitaire was gracious enough to grant me an interview (my first!!!!!) and offer a signed copy of 'Vengeance of the Wolf' for a giveaway. (Giveaway details will be released in a separate post)

Solitaire Parke was born in Bakersfield, California in 1952. He has been avidly reading books of all kinds, but especially Science Fiction books, since he was twelve years old. It was the author, Edgar Rice Burroughs, whose style of writing evoked a passion for the written word and became his inspiration. Throughout his life he has acquired a degree in Music Theory, a Masters in Photography and spent a decade and a half in Graphic and Web Design. He is currently pursuing his dream of being a full-time Author. His books range from Horror/Thriller to Science Fiction as well as Metaphysical and Poetry. He resides in Arizona with his family and is the proud owner of Tairobi...his Manx cat. He has been a huge help in the writing process!

(This bio was taken from Solitaire's website )

The Interview:

How many hours a week do you typically spend writing? Is there a certain time or place that you prefer to write?  


I have an office set up in my home and I spend sixty to seventy hours a week writing. I don't get out much.

I know you are a Graphic Designer by day, is that something you truly enjoy or is it just to pay the bills?  


Just recently I stopped working a day gig and I now work full time on writing. But I did use the web stuff to pay the bills for a long time. You do what ya gotta do, but I'm a lot happier now.

You mentioned that 'Vengeance of the Wolf' was written several years earlier. If you were just writing it now what changes, if any would you make?  


That's funny, because I actually considered changing some things, but my family talked me out of it. I guess in retrospect, it should stay as is, but it did go through the whole edit thing again.

How did you come up with the idea of killing in dreams?  


I wrote a metaphysical documentary entitled "Beyond the Astral Planes" and in my research for the book, it occurred to me that if you could actually leave the body and travel about, then why not more. The “more” turned out to be Dorian and Vengeance.

If 'Vengeance of the Wolf' was made into a movie, who would you cast as Dorian?  


Stuart Townsend from "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" definitely, because the guy is creepy.

What is your favorite word?  


Success. There's just no substitute for that word.

Currently on your blog you are releasing one chapter of 'The Emerald Dragon' every Friday. I think that is a great way to introduce readers to the story, although I will admit the waiting is hard! Was there a specific reason for releasing it this way?  


There was a twofold reason for delivering the book this way. First, I wanted to get feedback from the writers and readers as to what they thought was cool and what they thought was not, and secondly to have a contest at some point, letting the readers style a dragon, a dragon rider complete with names and background. Two of these submissions would be selected and placed into the story and held as regular characters throughout the book. The winners will be mentioned on the book's dedication page and they get a signed copy of the paperback when it's released. I thought it would be fun for everyone. The contest will actually be hosted by “Alexia’s Chronicles” on June 28th. To check out the contest when it goes live, click here.

Besides new chapters of 'The Emerald Dragon' is there anything else in the works that your readers can look forward to?  


Sometime this month (June) My novel "Tinker Smith & The Conspiracy of Oz" will be released and it constitutes my first Y/A Science Fiction Book. I'm very excited about writing in this genre and can't wait to get started on book two.

What is the average airspeed of an unladen swallow?  


Well, it actually depends on which variant form of the species, but the average speed would be about 11 meters per second, or 24 miles an hour. See, I've discussed this with friends, and the answer was fairly easy to obtain, but I think a better question, and certainly more difficult to comprehend, would be...How many pancakes does it take to line the roof of a doghouse?

What is your favorite activity to do with your family? 

My family takes an active role in the creation of everything I get into, from the websites, to the artwork and of the books themselves. It's good bonding time for us and the jokes about whatever the project incites is good fun. Some great ideas have surfaced from these times and we all look forward to them.

My cat, Booker would love to ask Tairobi a question.

I see that you love to stretch across the keyboard to help out with the typing, as do I. Do you find that your dad appreciates your efforts or does he get exasperated like my mom?
  
At the beginning of his projects, he thinks I'm very helpful, but toward the end he gets testy and doesn't appreciate my expertise...Humans.

Showcase Sunday #3

This showcase covers the last 2 weeks.  I'm in the midst of an out of state move so I haven't been posting as much as I'd like.

Showcase Sunday is a weekly meme hosted by Vicky at Books, Biscuits and Tea. The purpose of Showcase Sunday is to show off our newest books or book related swag whether you bought, borrowed or received it as a gift or for review. If you would like to participate in Showcase Sunday click here to learn how.

Bought:

 Free e-books:

For Review:

Won:

I won this through Goodreads First Reads Giveaway

I won this through the May Month Giveaway Bonanza  at Life Between Pages. Thanks Sophie!

I won this through the OMG!! It's a super easy giveaway at fuonlyknew. Thank you Laura!!

I had a pretty good couple of weeks.  How about you guys?  

Vengeance of the Wolf by Solitaire Parke

* I was given a free copy of this book for review purposes. The review is based solely on my opinion and was not influenced by author or publisher.

Politicians of the world are falling victim to an 'imaginative' serial killer. Detective John Yardley and FBI agent Frank Williams are on the case, then they are off the case and finally they are put back on the case. They get kicked off the case (and in the case of FBI agent Williams, fired) because they fail to apprehend Dorian before he kills the President. They get re-assigned to the case because the rest of the world seems unable to get their hands on Dorian as well. Dorian has a special skill set that enables him to exact his vengeance and elude the authorities. It will take some unique individuals to bring Dorian down, do such people exist?

I loved the idea behind the story, it was smart and imaginative. The reason that Dorian was looking for vengeance was unique and inspired and something I could get behind. Minus the horrific murders of course. The characters were interesting but I would have liked to see more development of Yardley and Williams. There was a lot going on in this story and at times it got a little confusing bouncing between all the locations and trying to sort through all the information.

Overall this was an enjoyable read and I would recommend it to readers who enjoy thrillers, police stories, horror and a little bit of fantasy.

My Rating: 3.5/5 Stars