Her Book Self

On surviving a zombie apocalypse, Onge said,

"My survival or not depends on where I am. I work overnights at walmart and if the apocalypse happens then my coworkers and I have some ideas on how to survive. If it is anywhere else I'm not sure I'd make it. Maybe I need to start carrying a bat with me everywhere I go."

"Shop smart. Shop S-Mart."

If there's one thing I learned from watching Army of Darkness, it's don't mess up the magic words when reading the necronomicon.  But if there are two things I learned from watching Army of Darkness, they're don't mess up the words when reading the necronomicon; and superstore employees are definitely the folks you want to team up with when zombies are on the loose!

Congratulations, Onge, and hope you enjoy the book!

I rarely read short stories, and it's even more rare that I review collections of them, but Hungry For You by A.M. Harte was a worthwhile exception to this trend as it is unlike any collection - and really, unlike any book - I've ever encountered. And I mean that as an incredibly high compliment!

Hungry For You takes on the genre of zombies but rather than the typical approach to the zombie apocalypse with hordes of undead taking over the world (or classic literature), Harte uniquely examines zombies in a sympathetic light. In these stories, the undead are the heroes, the romantic leads, and the misunderstood protagonists of a wide variety of scenarios.

The entries in the collection range in scope of a few lines to several pages. Some are funny, some are disturbing but all are entertaining and well written. For those that appreciate the lighter side of zombie fiction and enjoy a chuckle with their chills, this is definitely a book to devour!

It's no coincidence that Her Book Self is trending towards monsters and mayhem this week.  With werewolves yesterday, zombies today and a vampire book later in the week, it's easy to guess that Halloween is one of my favorite holidays.  In the spirit of celebrating, I'm also excited to present an interview with Hungry For You author A.M Harte on Wednesday of this week which will also feature a giveaway of this fun collection of zombie love stories.  If you like books that mix the morbid with the humorous, be sure to stop by later this week and enter the giveaway!

I know I've lamented my lack of travel experience on this blog before but I've also stated that I love books for their passport nature.  It's exciting to me to visit new places and travel the world without going farther than my local library and one of my recent journeys took me on a trip across the Atlantic to a locale I've long dreamed of visiting in real life. 

Cole Baker is a spunky American graduate with a passion for her family's past.  In studying her ancestry she discovers a link to a Scottish clan with a strange history.  Unable to sate her curiosity where myth and legends cross with reality she hops a plane overseas determined to find her family's roots. 

Rowan MacLaoch is the modern day laird of the clan linked to the bizarre story of ancient star-crossed lovers that Cole uncovers.  Curses should be a thing of fairy tales but Rowan's people have a hard time shaking the superstitions they have lived with for centuries.  Cole finds herself drawn to the secretive Scotsman but as a veteran of the RAF, Rowan lives with scars and shadows of his own past even on top of the legends of his clan. 

The Legend of Lady MacLaoch was a delightful journey through the past and present castles and highlands of Scotland.  From the sights and sounds of lush gardens to the intricate tastes of Scottish whiskeys, author Becky Banks paints masterful scenery that leaps from the page in stunning details.  Cole is a heroine to cheer for with equal parts smarts and sass and Rowan walks a delicious line between brooding heartthrob and renaissance man.  From start to finish, the book was hard to put down and it seamlessly blends action, mystery, and romance with just a dash of magical realism.  Not since Diana Gabaldon's Outlander has a book left me with such a desire to see Scotland for myself, but The Legend of Lady MacLaoch is certainly cheaper than plane tickets and makes for an excellent literary journey.

I'm pleased to be part of author Becky Banks' Legendary Blog Tour promoting this book.  Check out my previous post for my interview with Becky Banks and a chance to win a paperback copy of The Legend of Lady MacLaoch (leave a comment on this review for an extra entry into the giveaway!)

And of course I'm still trying to pinpoint what it is about Scotland that has me so enamored.  The kilts?  The accents?  The highlands?  The whiskey?  Maybe it's all of the above.  Feel free to chime in with your own thoughts about the book (or Scotland) below!

 I'm pleased to start this week as a stop on Becky Banks' Legendary Blog Tour celebrating her novel The Legend of Lady MacLaoch! Be sure to check out my next post with my review of the book and after reading through this author interview, leave a comment with your best guess to the trivia questions as an entry to win a paperback copy of the book - details below!

Hi Becky! Tell us a bit about yourself. How did you get started as a writer and how did a girl from Hawaii end up writing a book set in Scotland?

Alooooooha! Mahalo nui loa (thank you very much) Lisa for having me! Well, the two-second explanation on how a girl from Hawaii got to Scotland is, by plane. Iceland Air, specifically.

Ha-ha! No, really though, I first attended college here in Oregon (go Beavs!!) then settled down in Portland and started my career in the environmental field. A handful of years went by and in 2009 my husband and I took a trip to Scotland. At that time I had already dabbled in novel writing, I had written but not finished two manuscripts and with the excitement of the trip began my third. After Scotland, being immersed in the history and ancient lore of places like Portree, Urquhart, Drumnadrochit, Sterling, Elgin, and Dunvegan the tapestry of The Legend of Lady MacLaoch took shape.

What type of research went into constructing the details of this novel?

Being curious by nature and having a knack of never forgetting certain details, the majority of the book came right out from memory from the ten days we spent in Scotland. The biggest research portion was the fighter jet scene at the beginning. Right at the beginning *spoiler alert* Rowan and co-navigator Vick are cruising in a jet and get struck down. Now, I’ve logged my fair share of mileage in planes traveling to and from the islands from the mainland, but an airline is called an airbus for a reason. It’s pretty much a different world from being in a fighter jet. I feel that one can be told or read about what it’s like to be in the cockpit of a jet but for me nothing can replace seeing it, or being there. I have a healthy fear of heights so I wasn't about to sign up for ride in one. Enter YouTube. I spent hours flying in jets, doing flybys and ejecting all via uploaded videos. You’d be surprised on how many ejection videos there are on there – and some recorded from the cockpit!

On your website, you have a poll for readers to choose which Scottish actor they most picture as Rowan MacLaoch. Did you have any of these highland hotties in mind when writing Rowan?

Ha-ha! Oh, great question. Actually, Rowan is none of these men. He lives and breathes as a bartender in Portree on the Isle of Skye. Of course I took a few major liberties on his persona, using his looks and physique as the inspiration. I did little more than converse briefly with him (he being a MacLeod) and when he overheard my husband and I talking about visiting the MacLeod castle estate that day he said, “Ye visited my castle today, aye?” One look at him, and into the story he rolled.

What would you say are the highlights and challenges of working as an independent author?

My other profession, besides being an author, is in the marketing field. I have been involved with taking an environmental start-up company with a bootstrap budget to a successful nationally recognized leader in its industry. With this experience under my belt I thought going independent would be easier than trying to go the traditional route with the manuscript. I also need to confess now, I am a control freak. As an independent author I have control over my novels from beginning to end. From cover art to editing styles. The other great part of being independent has been choosing my own team. As you may have read in the acknowledgement section, this was a community effort to create The Legend of Lady MacLaoch. My editing team are an awesome set of talented women, my peer reviewers too are amazing and each of them make being an independent author a major highlight of this career. The challenge however, is finding time to do it all. Because I take on more roles than just writing as an independent author, I find that writing, plus working a day job and still finding time for the rest of my life can be a little difficult. But despite that challenge, being an independent author is bliss.

What authors or works have inspired or influenced you?

Well, I have to say two books influenced me the most. The Berenstain Bears and Madeline L. Lingle’s A Wrinkle in Time. I wasn’t a huge fan of reading as a kid so these stuck with me because I can remember, still, reading them for the first time. Though I have to say that it wasn’t necessarily books or authors that influenced me the most, it was cinema. One of my most beloved pastimes was watching movies with my father. We seldom had extended time with him so when he would bring home movies we (my brother and I) would just go nuts. The action adventures with strong female leads are the ones that resonate deepest with me. One in particular that is a wonderfully fierce and funny movie called The Long Kiss Goodnight. I still love this movie; it’s right up there with Top Gun. Ha-ha!

Your blog recently mentioned a tribute to your late grandmother (you have my condolences) and you referred to her as a "certified badass" who instilled her spirit of strength and confidence into you. Do you see her present in Cole's character?

That’s a very interesting point! (And thank you for your condolences she was truly and amazing person) Gran and Cole do have many things in common, both are southern ladies who have more of the Wild in them than they do the Lady and both have a stubborn streak. :0) Cole also has an analytical air to her when it comes to research – in that she sees the data and sometimes gets pigeonholed there not seeing the world that the data exists in. Hence she has a hard time believing in coincidences. However, my gran was more an observer of the world, she enjoyed the stories that people told, and everyone whether they knew it or not had a story to tell. For her, the more coincidences and outliers, the better the story.

What projects are you currently working on and where can we find out more about your work?

The next project that I’m currently working on is another novel, its working title is The Mechanic. The Mechanic, is very very different from The Legend of Lady MacLaoch, as it is set here in the US and is much more of a gritty love story. The main character is a woman named Eva Rodgers. She’s a businesswoman and chief editing officer for a large magazine, the man in the story is a man named Nathaniel Vellanova. Nate is a street-wise European auto mechanic with a brutal past. The grit comes out in strong language, even stronger characters and a storyline that is about fast cars, smart yet tragic youths and intense life changes. Oh, and the bond of it all? Love. Currently planned to release early 2012.Thanks for having me Lisa and if people want to get more info or personally drop me a line visit me at www.beckybanksonline.com.  Happy reading!!

Thanks for joining me, Becky!

And now for the giveaway! One lucky Her Book Self reader will win a paperback copy of The Legend of Lady MacLaoch!  The contest will run from now until October 1st and is open to entrants in the US and Canada.  To enter leave a comment below with your name and email address and your best guesses (or well researched answers) to these two trivia questions:

Question 1: What castle is Castle Laoch in The Legend of Lady MacLaoch loosely based upon?
Hint: This answer can be found in the comments at the first tour stop at www.romancing-the-book.com.

Question 2: What does laoch mean in Gaelic? As in MacLaoch.
Hint: Lisa's last name translated from Spanish has the same meaning.

You can gain up to three entries for this contest - one entry for making a guess at each answer, one entry if you get both answers correct and a third entry for leaving a comment on my review of The Legend of Lady MacLaoch!  Good Luck!

I just realized I never announced the winner of the Progeny Prize Pack giveaway!
Hope you enjoy the book as well as your new stylish book mark to track your progress!  Thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway and for those who did not win, there's still time to win the eBook giveaway of Three Sisters!

As Monty Python once said, and now for something completely different!  As I've been constructing features and posts for Indie in Summer, I crossed paths again with the delightful British author Helen Smith.  Last year, with my review of Alison Wonderland I was able to feature an author interview with Ms. Smith, and now that I've read (and loved) her newest short story Three Sisters Helen was kind enough to join Her Book Self again for another interview, this time in the voice of her heroine Emily Castles!  I've always imagined how fun it would be to sit down and have a conversation with my favorite book characters so here's a little piece of what that would be like!   

As a special bonus, Helen Smith has offered to sponsor a giveaway of one ebook copy (your choice of format) to one lucky reader!  Check out the details after the interview!

Hi Emily! Thanks for joining me! Tell us a little about yourself.

Hello Lisa, thanks for inviting me here. I live in London in a quiet street that is typical of many residential streets in London: some of the occupants have lived here all their lives, others have come to live in London from abroad – there are Somalis, Jamaicans, Japanese and Australians; there are people with families, elderly people and young people who are living together and splitting the rent. Since going to a wonderful party in a big house at the end of my street that had been temporarily taken over by artists and circus performers, I have got to know some of my neighbors. I have realised there’s a secret behind every front door!

As this is a book blog, do you consider yourself a reader? What are some of your favorite books and/or authors?

I love Agatha Christie – she’s my favorite author.

I'm so sorry about the loss of your dog, Jessie. It seems that most people without pets have a difficult time understanding the bond between humans and canine companions. How do you best describe the relationship to them?

Thank you. Jessie was really old but I was still sad when she died. Looking after a dog is a huge responsibility as it’s your job to make sure they’re healthy and happy. But it can be very rewarding as dogs are really good companions; they just seem so cheerful all the time. For much the same reason that you yawn when you see someone else yawn, or cry when they cry, or smile when they smile, when you see a happy dog, it makes you happy. When that dog is your dog, it makes you feel proud: everything is OK with one little part of the world that you are able to control.

It was a pretty big step for you to attend your neighborhood party despite still grieving for Jessie and I'm sure you never anticipated what an eventful evening it would be. With all that occurred, do you regret at all your decision to go out that night?

It was one of the most exciting nights of my life! I met some very interesting people, solved a mystery and got to know my neighbors. I’m really glad I decided to go out that night.

Your neighbors display a wide variety of circus type talents. If you had to join a performing troupe, what would be your job?

I’d love to be an aerialist, doing all sorts of daring tricks on the trapeze.

Could you share your recipe for cheesy potato bake?

Ha! It turns out I’m better at sleuthing than cooking. I just throw the ingredients together and sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn’t. You’d do better to follow a Jamie Oliver recipe than follow one of mine.

Have you embarked on any adventures since what happened in Three Sisters? (Any hints about what's next to come in The Emily Castles Mysteries?)

Yes, my neighbor Victoria owns a dance and drama school for children – she used to be an actress. She has been receiving poison pen letters and has asked me to work undercover in the school to find out what’s going on. Apparently someone has uncovered a secret in Victoria’s past. She’s being very cagey about it but I need to try and find the truth about what happened twenty years ago to shed light on what’s happening now. Someone who works at the school has died and I’m sure the events are connected.

 
Thanks for joining me, Emily!  

And for everyone who enjoyed this little peek into the life of London's latest detective, be sure to enter for your chance to win an ebook copy of Three Sisters!  To enter, check out her blog, and then come back here and leave a comment on this post - or my review of Three Sisters - telling me something interesting you learned about Helen or her work!  (Contest will be open internationally from now until July 20 JULY 29 - Be sure to leave a way to contact you if you win!)

I know I don't normally read and review short stories, but earlier this year I came across a fantastic fantasy novel and when I learned that the author was expanding the world of the book through a series of short story prequels, I jumped at the chance to read them!

In Progeny: The Children of the White Lions author R.T. Kaelin created the world of Terrene, a richly detailed land populated with a host of heroes and villains ripe for adventuring. However, the history and culture of the landscape in Progeny - as expansive as it was - hinted at the tip of an iceberg. Readers were keen to point out that there seemed much more to the world; and the short story collection Merchant is the first episode in The Terrene Chronicles to provide readers with a glimpse beneath Progeny's surface.

Merchant is a collection of three stories ("Market", "Festival", and "Journey") which relate the early experiences of the hero Nundle Babblebrook. In Progeny the witty halfling is introduced as a merchant turned magic user and Merchant is the engaging tale of his history. As in Kaelin's full length work, the setting shines, the secondary characters are full of charm, and Nundle himself is a delight.

Equally enjoyable as a prequel or postscript to Progeny, this companion piece could be appreciated by fans of Kaelin's writing or those sampling it for the first time. Humorously nicknamed "The Nundle Bundle" (on the author's website), Merchant is a great addition to the ever expanding world of R.T. Kaelin's Terrene.

And as a special treat for Indie in Summer, R.T. Kaelin has generously offered to sponsor a giveaway of a Progeny Prize Pack - including a paperback copy of the book and a deluxe bookmark! The giveaway is open to mailing addresses in the US and Canada INTERNATIONALLY and you can gain up to TEN entries per person.  Here's how:

1. Leave a comment on this post. (Be sure to include a way to contact you!)

BONUS ENTRIES:
2. Leave a comment on R.T. Kaelin's guest post.
3. Leave a comment on my review of Progeny.
4. Leave a comment on my interview with R.T. Kaelin.
5-6. Follow R.T. Kaelin on Twitter. (Worth two entries!)
7-10. Check out The Terrene Chronicles - Merchant, Family, or Rivals - and send an email to HerBookSelf at gmail dot com with which story/stories you read and your thoughts.  The stories are available for free on R.T. Kaelin's website or are downloadable for $.99 per bundle for your eReader of choice.  One extra entry will be added for each story pack that you email me about as well as a bonus fourth entry if you remark about all of them!

This contest is open from now until July 7th.  Winner will be notified by email and have three days to respond with a valid mailing address (US & Canada).  If no response, a new winner will be chosen.  Best of luck!

UPDATE 6/24/11 - Contest is now open internationally!  Same entry rules as above, be sure to indicate a way to contact you if you win!

What makes a ‘good book’?

Go ahead, take a moment and try to come up with your answer. I will wait for you here.

[whistle…]

Still here? Seriously, think about it. I won’t go anywhere.

[whistle…whistle…]

Done? Good, welcome back.

Now, if you have an answer, that is great. Hold onto it for a little while. If you were unable to come up with an idea, no worries, I promise that at the end of this article, I will reveal the correct answer. You might wonder how – with such a subjective question – could there be a ‘correct’ answer? Maybe not. Nevertheless, I think there is one that is as correct as any other is.

Now, if you asked a thousand different people that exact question, you might get a thousand different answers. As I am not any of those people, I cannot guess as to what their response might be. So, along with some help from a few esteemed authors, let me tell you what my convoluted answer is and why I have done my damnedest to write what I consider a ‘good book.’


Rare is the author who can create a story that is timeless. It is a tall mountain to try to climb.

Even the most enduring tales of all time, at their heart, are nothing more than a deep examination of the human condition on one level or another. Genre, plot, setting, style, theme all take a backseat to the characters and their journey.

Authors like J.R.R. Tolkien, Ernest Hemingway, Charles Dickens, C.S. Lewis, Jane Austen, Ken Follett, and others of their ilk all have or had the inspired ability to both grasp and elucidate what stokes the furnace within an individual and examine how that fire either gently toasts or violently chars the people they touch in their life. The characters they create have stories we wish we could continue to follow even when the book stops.

However, we cannot all hope to be as succinct and surgically precise as these great writers who have created uniquely fantastic characters while weaving a grand tale for them to traipse through. Some of us must simply strive for a good read, crafting something that makes the reader excited, hopeful or anxious as they turn that next page.

With every bit of fiction I put out, I want the reader to be looking forward to discovering the next phase of the tale. Regardless of time, place, or reality, I endeavor to guide the reader along a path that, when the story/book ends, the reader’s immediate response is a disappointed and frustrated, “Damn…but I want to know what happens next…”

“You know you've read a good book when you turn the last page and feel a little as if you have lost a friend.” 

-Paul Sweeney

Now, I could see how you might read my last words and think to yourself, “That’s sort of a sick, vindictive approach for an author to take.” In a sense, you might be right. But, please, try to understand things from my point of view. When I write something, rarely is it for my sole consumption. The words I write are meant to be read by you. I want to make a connection with you; draw you in and make you feel invested in the story. You should love or hate the characters. You should root for or against them. You should demand to know what happens and be happy or mad as events play out. Ultimately, you should care.

When I write, I strive for stories that leave the reader longing for more when the last word on the last page is consumed. I do this for the purely selfish reason that I want that reader to come back the next time I publish something. Without readers, an author is a madman having a conversation with a brick wall.

When you close a book, I want you to be satisfied, but a little sad the tale is over. I want you to feel like you have just said farewell to a good friend whom you will not see for a long time.

Why?

Imagine how excited you will be when the next work comes out. It will be like a grand reunion.


I like to read and write books that require the reader to invest themselves in the tale. Novels that can be read on a lazy, Sunday afternoon are not my cup of tea.

I like – no, I love – books that demand my attention. I adore stories that draw me in and force me to connect the dots. I worship authors that leave little, hidden nuggets for me to find as I read. I long for novels that make me immediately want to read the book again, only moments after completing the first pass, just so I can catch the little intricacies that I missed.

When I write, I leave those same bread crumbs I savor for my readers. Some are readily apparent, others…well, wait a book or two in the series for the ‘ah-hah!’ moment. I promise, it is coming. Really.

Every author worth his or her salt wants to write a ‘good book.’ I certainly set out on my journey as a writer to do so. Hopefully, I have succeeded.

However, the ultimate judgment as to if I have achieved my goal is not up to me. That is your job.

Now, for that ‘correct’ answer to the opening question: Do you want to know what makes a ‘good book’?

“'Tis the good reader that makes the good book.” 

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

I think that is as good an answer as any.

Good days ahead.
~~~~

And good memories behind!
(So goes the greeting and response in Terrene.)


For those who want to check out more of R.T. Kaelin's writing (and for those who love epic fantasy) be sure to check out his website!  As I hinted at above, coming this week will be a review of Merchant (the first short story bundle from The Terrene Chronicels) as well as a giveaway of Progeny!  One paperback copy will be up for grabs (US or Canada only) with up to ten entries per person.  I won't reveal all the ways to enter just yet, but two of them do include leaving a meaningful comment on this post (include an email address) and following R.T. Kaelin on Twitter.  Good luck and check back later this week for more details!

The winner of one paperback copy of Vessel: The Advent by Tominda Adkins is...


On roadtrips and traveling, Nora had this to say:

Road trips in my family are usually pretty chaotic. My sister complains the whole time, my mom tries to make it a ton more exciting than it actually is, and my dad complains the whole time. But somehow, I usually have a ton of fun! We usually go via car, but sometimes we fly. My favorite destination we've been to was Niagara Falls, but we went during a record heatwave and it was above 100 degrees the entire week. Just our luck :]

Congratulations and hope you enjoy the book!  For Nora and all those who took advantage of the free download, feel free to stop back to my review and share your thoughts on Vessel when you finish it!  And thank you again to Tominda Adkins for sponsoring this giveaway!

If there's one thing I enjoy more than books that can make me laugh, it's authors that can do the same!  Along with taking the time to answer my questions, Tominda Adkins, author of Vessel (Book I: The Advent) is sponsoring an awesome giveaway of her hilarious and fun novel.  Check out the details after the interview, and join me in a warm Her Book Self welcome to Tominda Adkins!

*applause, applause*

Welcome, Tominda!  Tell us a little about yourself - How did you get started as a writer?

Coming up with stories has always been my bliss. Four days out of five, I was that kid at recess who just got on the swingset and did nothing else. Except I wasn't just swinging, I was completely spacing out and building intricate plot lines about dragons and god-knows-what-else in my head. I was always writing up character profiles, drawing them, creating maps and new nations, and building story outlines. By the age of eleven I pretty much knew that I wouldn't be content until I published a book, and yet I never planned for a writing career. Majoring in English never crossed my mind. I wasn't interested in English; I was interested in my stories, and in telling them the right way. I discovered the right way by reading a lot, and by writing a lot.

How did you come up with the concept for the Vessel series?

The short story: Too much anime as a kid! My personal favorites were Ronin Warriors and Sailor Moon. The long story: When I was twelve, my best friend Lindsey and I stayed up until dawn writing separate epic fantasies. The notebook I filled that night hardly resembles Vessel, but the seeds are there: five young men, elemental powers, and comedic situations. It just kept evolving from there. Anyone who knew me in high school can tell you I was never without a spiral-bound neon notebook filled with this ongoing story and supplemental manga-esque doodling. I went to college, put it away for a few years, and tried writing some light literary fiction, which never got anywhere. And then one day, Jordan invited herself into my head and the rest of Vessel just came pouring out of me. It all fell into place, and this time I knew it was mature enough, it was good enough, so I dropped everything in order to get it published. Now I am finally able to share it with readers, and I couldn't be happier with the response so far.

One of the things I loved about Vessel: The Advent was that it is a road trip novel. I've always enjoyed stories where a physical journey parallels the journey of character development. Are you a fan of road trips? What is your favorite destination and method of travel?

I do love road trips! I'm generally content on the road, whether alone or with friends. I love driving, and I adore diners (I've honestly fantasized about being a trucker). Two summers ago, I drove from West Virginia to Seattle in four days. My car broke down five times and the AC was kaput for the entire journey. Despite what my travel companion will tell you, it was the best trip ever.
Honestly, my favorite destination is someplace I've never been, and my favorite method of travel is by horse. But since I don't own a horse and rarely get the opportunity to ride in Seattle, I'll say that 'by car' is a close second. It's when I'm driving around listening to loud music that I start to visualize key scenes for Vessel. Probably not the safest way to craft a novel, but it works for me.

Was it difficult to develop so many characters concurrently?

Character development always feels like the easiest part. One thing that consistently amazes about writing is the way characters tend to dictate their own creation. You start to get a feel for them, but sometimes when you begin priming them to be a certain way, they flatly refuse. You want specific relationships to form, or you want a protagonist to show strength before he's ready, but the characters have a way of pointing you in the right direction and thus improving the story itself--if you let them. It's truly a group effort. I sit and type, and I've got these guys glaring over my shoulder the whole time, saying: "Are you kidding? I'd never do that!" or: "I'm wearing what?" and: "Yes! Yes! I'd totally say that!" and so on. When this whole thing started, for instance, Corin was supposed to be a total ditz. He wound up being the most sensible character I've got. I wanted Ghi to stand out as the key male protagonist for Book I, but Jesse absolutely jumped up and stole the show. There was no stopping him. All these developments were for the better, though, and I have my characters to thank for it.

 Whose storyline was the most enjoyable to write?

Jesse is obviously a ball to write, but Khan's storyline is probably my favorite right now. There's a lot of mystery to him--not just concerning his past, but his current actions. Doing a character who doesn't speak is a challenge, but a fun one. Readers sometimes ask why he doesn't talk. It's not that he doesn't know English; he just doesn't see the point in speaking in most situations. Or maybe he's just a total sociopath. I don't know. Heck, I created the guy, and I hardly know what he's thinking half the time. He has a lot of depth, though; he's a lot sweeter and selfless than readers realize right now, and I can promise that he'll continue to surprise.

Your website has a Vessel character quiz - which character is most like you and which is the least?

This is a fun one! I think a lot of people would guess that Jordan and I are the most similar, but I don't see it. Friends do tell me that reading Vessel is like sitting with me while I tell a story, and I guess the way I talk really does show through in Jordan's narration . . . but she's just so cranky. I like to think that if I were stuck on a tour bus with the Vessel, I'd have a darn good time. So I'll say that I'm most like Jackson. He's loud, friendly, up for anything, and rarely in a poor mood. I can identify with that. The least like me is probably Khan. He and I don't have much in common, except maybe a predilection toward tattoos.

Another aspect of the book that I found really entertaining was Jordan's narration and her witty banter with Jesse. Do your friends and family consider you a funny person or is most of your humor saved for your writing?

I see humor in everything, and I'm always bursting to tell someone a funny story. I'm a total ham, sure, but it helps that the most outrageous (and usually embarrassing) things always happen to me. I don't know why that is. I'm like a Seinfeld situation magnet. I can't walk out the door in a long skirt without it winding up over my head in a strong wind, or ripped completely off by bicycle gears, or half-digested by pygmy goats. You see? There's this stereotype of authors using their sorrows to inspire, or writing to make use of their pain. I suppose, then, that I write to make use of my absurd circumstances. So when a naked man accidentally locks himself in my kitchen pantry (true story), I just think: "Yep. I can use that."

Using a haiku, how would you persuade someone who had never read the book that Vessel: The Advent is a work they will love?

What an original question! Here goes:

Earth is in peril!

Five gods, one girl, add liquor . . .

Oh no. We're all doomed.

The Hollows were also a delightfully creepy new concept and I liked that you took a new spin on zombies as an adversary. Are you a fan of zombies in books and movies? How did you come up with your reinvention of them?

I had eight zombie apocalypse nightmares in 2010! I wouldn't call myself a zombie afficianado, but I do appreciate a well-done zombie movie or graphic novel. Zombies terrify me for the same reason that sharks do: you absolutely cannot reason with one, and it wants to eat you. You can't reason with a toddler, either, but a toddler can't gnaw out your intestines. Unless it's a zombie toddler.
Zombie movies definitely helped inspire the Hollows, who've undergone some major evolution throughout re-writings of Vessel. They used to be demon spirits in another dimension, then vampire-like beings, and probably other things I'm forgetting. For a long time, I wasn't sure what their endgame was, what they were after, you know? "Taking over the world" is overdone, and there are too many civilized vampires out there who kill with moral discrecion. I wanted the adversary to be savage, calculating but insatiable, and scary. Then I saw this bad movie a few years ago about seances, with this black ectoplasm floating up out of a kid's mouth, and I was like: Yes! That's what my evil is! It doesn't think, it just feeds--like zombies! No political goals, no dreams of eternal life, no name even--just a hunger. A hunger that takes the shape of the people it has fed upon and emptied. Hollows. Bingo.

You already have some plans for future books in the Vessel series - what can you reveal about the next book?

Well, there will be five books in all, and each one will shine a little extra light on one Vessel in particular. Jesse got Book I. Next up is Jackson. In Book II, we'll learn a lot more about the Luna Latum, the Vessels' abilities, and their drink preferences. Basically, the boys get a few months of R&R at their new digs, the Elysium (where Jordan is miserable, of course). Then they are called to Egypt by the Luna Latum Consulate, where sand is displaced and trouble is had. My website promises "cults, prosthesis humor, the bloody return of a certain not-quite-dead princess and her flesh-eating horse, and, naturally, a gay disco club". The book doesn't have a subtitle yet, and in fact I'm holding a contest to name it. The winner will have a doomed character named in his or her honor!

What other projects are you currently working on?

I write the occasional speculative short story, but right now Vessel is all I have time for. I'm always looking to do cover design, typesettng, and e-book formatting for other authors, though. Eventually, I want to expand my publishing capabilities and promote works other than my own. As for what I'll be writing after Vessel, who knows!

Where can we find out more about you and your work?

ReadVessel.com is a great place to start, and the Elysium blog: TomindaAdkins.blogspot.com. I'm always trying to keep things interactive and show visitors a good time. And, of course, anyone is welcome to email me: vessel.tom@gmail.com. I love questions, comments, suggestions, rants, recipes, weather updates--whatever you want to send my way.

Thank you so much for sharing your time and work!

Thank you for the questions, Lisa! This has been a pleasure. Happy reading!

And now for the giveaway details!  Great news for eBook fans: for a limited time only there is a FREE download available at the book's website!  In case that's not awesome enough, Tominda Adkins will also send a paperback copy of the novel to one lucky Her Book Self reader!  To enter the contest for the paperback copy, leave a comment below with your email address and answer to the question, "Are you a fan of road trips? What is your favorite destination and method of travel?"  Giveaway is open to US and Canada mailing addresses and ends on April 13th! 

Winner will be selected using random.org and will have three days to respond via email with a valid mailing address; if no response, a new winner will be chosen.

In a rare stroke of generosity author J.C. Phelps declared a multi-way tie for second place and allowed me to award multiple copies of the second place prize (Color Me Grey).  In other words, if you left a comment, you won!  Thank you so much to all of you for reading, following, and commenting at Her Book Self and for entering this contest!  But... for the super special winners, I'd like to congratulate:


for winning first prize which was a code for Color Me Grey and Shades of Grey!  And super duper congratulations to:


who has won the grand prize containing codes for Color Me Grey, Shades of Grey, and Reflections of Grey - the entire Alexis Stanton Chronicles thus far! 

Thanks to everyone for entering the contest and I hope you all enjoy the book(s)!  For those that want to know a little more about J.C. Phelps (besides what she shared in our interview) check out her great blog to find out more about she's currently reading and writing!

When asked who she wanted to receive the gift copy Jacque said:

Congratulations, I hope you both enjoy the book; and thanks again to Teri Coyne for sponsoring this great giveaway!

Sad you didn't win? Stay tuned to Her Book Self for another great giveaway coming soon!

Back in August, I reviewed a powerful and intriguing book called The Last Bridge by author Teri Coyne.  Four months later, that post still receives several hits a week and it has nothing to do with the quality of my review and everything to do with the amazing book and author on which I was commenting.  It is my extreme pleasure to revisit The Last Bridge and to interview Teri Coyne!  In case this isn't exciting enough, read on after the interview for details about the chance to participate in a phenomenal giveaway to win your own copy of The Last Bridge...plus a bonus!  Without further ado, meet Teri Coyne!

*applause, applause*

Hi Teri!  I was first led to read The Last Bridge when I heard the description about Cat being drawn home and the note left for her which read, "He is not who you think he is." How did you develop the idea for these words?

I’m not really sure. The whole idea for the story came to me as an image of a farmhouse kitchen with garbage bags taped to the walls and a note on an old kitchen table. I heard a voice speaking the opening line of the book…and as hard as I tried to shake it I could stop thinking about the image, the voice and what the heck was on that note.
The story was the process of discovering what had happened in the kitchen and what the note meant.

Was Cat a difficult character to write? Were you ever tempted to make things easier for her or did you always know that she had to walk a rough road?

Cat wasn’t a hard character to write or for me to love but telling her story was hard. I discovered early in the process of writing the story that while I loved Cat many readers found her unlikeable. That hurt my feelings as I knew what happened to her to make her that way and I wanted the readers to stay with the story long enough to find out the whole story.
I knew the road would be rough for Cat – the road to redemption always is don’t you think? While Cat struggles with the impact of her early traumas she is also perpetuating pain with Addison and her son. This is often the case with people who have experienced abuse, while they continue to suffer the effects of the trauma, they often act out their abuse in ways that are destructive to others. Cat’s only chance for happiness is to take responsibility for her choices and to own her own actions. In order for her to do that she had to confront the past and that was hard to write.

Bridges - both real and symbolic - played an important role in the story. At what point in constructing the book did you choose the title?

I’ll let you in on a little secret a writing mentor of mine told me early in the process of writing the book – she said not to get too attached to your titles. While I pride myself on being able to spin a good yarn I am not good at titles. So the title of the book changed a few times before we settled on The Last Bridge. My agent read it when it was called “Chasing Venus” which referred to a scene in the book which was edited out, then she sold it to Random House as “Skin and Bones” and then right before we went to publication it was renamed “The Last Bridge,” which my agent came up with.
I loved the title because, like you mentioned, it refers to both the real bridge in the story and the one we all have to cross to find our way to the truth.

What do you hope that your readers take away from Cat's story?

I really want readers to appreciate the importance of being able to own your own truth, the tell your story and to own the choices you make in your life. I know, it’s a tall order and not a very long book!
While we accept the concept that sexual abuse happens, we do not accept the reality. In speak with many women who experienced various forms of abuse what was most painful to hear was not their story but the fact that many of them have never had the chance to tell the people close to them the truth of what they went through. Often we assume it will be too painful for someone to tell but I think what we really believe is that it will be too painful to hear.
It is but loving someone is letting them tell their story and helping them feel safe to tell it.
I fervently believe that if women told the truth about their lives we would feel more empowered and able to stop so much of the abuse that goes on. Okay – I’m off my soapbox now!

What authors or works would you say have inspired or influenced you?

So many authors have had an impact on my life and on my writing. One of my favorite writers is Tom Robbins, I loved the passion and imagination he brings to his stories, his compelling point of view and his incredible sense of fun and humor. Sue Miller writes thoughtful and engaging stories with women characters who are flawed in real ways and struggling. Lionel Shriver is one of my current favorites, she has a keen awareness of the dynamics of love and of the impact our experiences have on our relationships. And finally Sarah Waters is my go to writer for finely crafted and amazing stories.

From your website I see that you have a background in acting - and even stand-up comedy. Do you prefer being on stage to writing? Do you still perform as an actress or comedienne?

I haven’t performed in a while and I do have moments where I miss it. Stand-up is very immediate, you know right away whether you hit the mark or not, whereas with writing you don’t always know. Both stand-up and writing allow me to tell stories, which is one of my passions while acting afforded me the chance to inhabit someone else’s story. I am hoping to do stand-up again at some point.

You also have some great writing samples on your site of your poetry and some shorter reflective works. ("Helping Hands", "The Easiest Way to Ruin Your Birthday", "Water" and "Good Fences" were my favorites!) Do you prefer writing smaller pieces or full novels? Do your shorter works ever develop into longer things?

Thank you so much for your kind words about my other writing. I love writing poetry and have been doing it since I was a young girl, in fact it was the first writing I ever did. I also love writing my blog and sharing my observations.
I feel like every story or idea has the right form it should take so as much as possible I try to let the form speak to me rather than try to shove it into a format. Sometimes I think I have an idea for a novel but as I start to write it I realize it wants to be a short story. On the other hand I thought The Last Bridge was going to be a short story and it turned into a novel so you never know.
Like most things in my life I am trying to just go with the flow.

What projects are you currently working on?

I am currently working on my second novel – which is going through a major rewrite and I’m working on a few essays . I also have a third novel outlined…if there were only more hours in the day!

Where can we find out more about you and your work?

My website, www.tericoyne.com is chocked full of more information than you would ever want to know about me and my blog is updated weekly with observations, thoughts, etc. I’m also on Facebook and Twitter so feel free to join me there!  Thanks so much for supporting the book I really appreciate it!

And now for a fabulous opportunity to win not one but TWO copies of The Last Bridge!  Since this is the season of giving, Ms. Coyne has generously offered to sponsor a very special contest here.  One lucky winner will receive a copy of The Last Bridge for his/herself and another copy to be gift wrapped and sent to a friend!  (Image not representative of actual gift wrapping.)

To enter, leave a comment below with your email address (ex: herbookself AT gmail DOT com) telling us to whom you would like to give this book as a gift and the reason why.  Contest is open internationally and will run until December 13th.  Winner will be contacted by email and asked to provide two valid mailing addresses.  Good luck!

The winner of the Fall Into Fantasy  Firelight Swag Giveaway is.....


In the book Firelight, Jacinda has the power to turn into a dragon but on transforming into a mythical creature, Kristina said,


Great choice!  Interestingly enough, I could see Firelight also being an appropriate title for a book featuring a Phoenix!   Congratulations, Kristina and enjoy your prize!

I want to thank Casey over at The Bookish Type for inviting me to participate in a multi-blog review-fest of some very exciting new releases in the Young Adult Fantasy genre!  Throughout the months of October and November various bloggers have been reading and reviewing a host of really intriguing books and several of them are quickly climbing up my TBR list.  For this event I'm pleased to share with you my review of Firelight by Sophie Jordan.  I hope you enjoy my review and check below for details about the swag giveaway!  Also, click over to The Bookish Type and check out all the other great reviews, interviews and contests going on with Fall Into Fantasy!

Sophie Jordan's Firelight tells the story of Jacinda, one of a strange race of draki - dragons that can take human forms. Jacinda is especially unique in that she is a fire breather, possessing a talent that many in her tribe thought to be extinct. Of course, standing out is not always a good thing and when her gift places her in danger, her mother decides to take Jacinda and her sister and leave the tribe of draki for a life as normal humans.

After moving to the desert, Jacinda finds the draki side of her dying and fights to keep her heritage alive. One boy at her school seems to ignite her dragon side, but Jacinda recognizes him as a hunter that she once escaped from. He rejected the chance to kill her when he first saw her as a draki, but none of the hunters know that the draki can appear human and Jacinda's relationship with him puts her entire species at risk.

I really enjoyed how Sophie Jordan handled the dragon mythology in this book. Instead of sticking to traditional dragon lore, Jordan created her race of draki as unique and original creatures. I liked how there were unique talents among them and was intrigued that some members of the tribe were not able to transform at all. The details of the urban fantasy world drew me into the story and led me to care more about Jacinda and her friends.

For me, the biggest downside of Firelight is that it has a very unsatisfying conclusion. I didn't know before reading it that this was the start of a series, but even with books that have sequels planned, I prefer when the first book is still a succinct standalone story. There was very little resolution in this one and the novel definitely left me eager for Jordan's next book. All in all, Firelight is an interesting fantasy work that sets up a unique story. Hopefully fans will not have to wait too long for a sequel to extend Jacinda's adventure.

As a special bonus for Fall Into Fantasy, Casey is sponsoring a Firelight Swag Giveaway!  If you would like to win a Firelight bookmark, sticker, and postcard autographed by author Sophie Jordan leave a comment on this post between now and November 30th!  Contest is open internationally and the winner will have three days to respond by email to claim the prize before a new winner is chosen.  To enter leave a comment below including an email address (ex: herbookself AT gmail DOT com) and answer the following question inspired by this novel:  If you could transform into any mythical creature, what would you become (and optionally, why)?

Congratulations to Ashley, winner of The Hunger Games giveaway! 

On why she was entering the contest Ashley plain and simply stated,
Enjoy the book, Ashley, and I hope you find, as I did, that it really does live up to all of its positive press!  And thank you to everyone who entered the giveaway.  I really wish I had unlimited funds and could buy and send you all a copy of this book.  If you have the chance, check it out from your local library, borrow it from a friend, or make the splurge and purchase it for yourself!  It really is an exciting and interesting book!

Thanks to everyone who joined and followed this blog because of this contest.  I'm thrilled to reach 100 followers in just five months of blogging!  And also, remember that for all giveaways on Her Book Self, I include a reader loyalty bonus in which all regular commenters receive an extra entry!  Keep following, keep commenting, and stay tuned for future giveaways!

Book: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Series: The Hunger Games

Book Order: The Hunger Games*  (1), Catching Fire* (2), Mockingjay (3) 
* indicates a book I have read

There's a part of me that's resisted reading this series because of all the hype surrounding it. Staring at the dramatic black cover of book one, with its striking golden bird, I wondered if the product could truly live up to the promise. Could this book really be as good as everyone has said?

I have to admit I have heard much more about The Hunger Games rather than hearing what The Hunger Games is about. The story is set in Panem, a dystopian version of America divided into twelve districts. Every year at a ceremony called The Reaping, young adults - one boy and one girl - from each district are chosen to fight to the death in a barbaric and brutal survival contest called The Hunger Games. The hero and heroine of the book are representatives from the coal mining District Twelve, Peeta Mellark and Katniss Everdeen. They are drawn together in their fright and disgust at the contest, but pulled apart knowing that friendship cannot last when there can only be one survivor.

It was the character of Katniss that drew me so deeply into this book. She is a great picture of adolescent strength and has a bright loving spirit that occasionally shines through the hard, rough exterior that her life and circumstances forced her to adopt. And yet, even with tinges of romance, this was not a girly book. It's a gritty, violent, suspenseful story of survival and battle - people against each other and the elements - but the emotional side of the story complements the action wonderfully.

As intense as Deathly Hallows and with a love story more believable than Twilight, it's no surprise that The Hunger Games has captured so many fans. This is a book that truly does live up to its hype, and like many, I can't wait to read the subsequent books in the series.

In celebration of Series in September and because I enjoyed this book so much, I'm going to give away one (once read, like new) paperback copy of it to a lucky winner!  The contest will be open internationally - or basically to any address that I can ship a book to within my price range.  (My apologies to those on the International Space Station, I don't think I can get this one to you...)  There will also be a reader loyalty bonus in that entrants who have previously left meaningful comments on this blog will be given one extra entry - I know who you are.  :)

To enter, leave a comment on this post telling me what interests you most about The Hunger Games, why you want to win this book, and your email address written in spam protected format (ex: herbookself AT gmail DOT com).  Selection from eligible entries will be made using random.com.  Winner will be contacted by email and will have three days to respond with a valid mailing address; otherwise a new winner will be chosen.  Contest closes on October 1st - or when Her Book Self reaches 100 followers, which ever comes later.  Let me know if I've forgotten any details or if you have any other questions.  Best of Luck!

As Book Blogger Appreciation Week continues, today's theme is "Unexpected Treasure" and bloggers are promted to discuss a book or genre that they read on the recommendation of a fellow blogger.  This one's a bit of a challenge for me as I don't often keep track of how or where I first hear about the books I read, and really, people would be hard pressed to identify a genre that I haven't read. 

There are instances, though, where a book will linger on my TBR list for far too long, until other people start talking about it.  It starts with a few casual mentions, some early buzz, and then it gets to the point where publicity overflows and  I've heard about the title from so many different places that I can't even say where I heard it first.  And then, eventually, I read it. 

This was the case for me with The Hunger Games.  It's been sitting on my shelf, alongside Catching Fire, unread for a year or more.  Before the book blogging community starts rallying with pitchforks, I knew it was planned as a trilogy and I really wanted to wait until all three books were published before I started to read the series.  And then there's the issue of hype.  When everyone I talk to raves about something as "THE BEST BOOK IN THE WORLD!!!" it sort of makes me not want to read it.  My expectations are raised so high, that I wonder if the product can ever live up to the promise.  As soon as Mockingjay came out, I was almost turned off the series entirely, as I desperately tried to avoid spoilers.  But since some of that buzz slightly settled, I finally did pick up The Hunger Games. 

I want to save my thoughts and review of this book (and series) for next week where I will be highlighting it as another entry in my Series in September meme, but I could not think of a better book (that I have not already blogged about) to highlight as my Unexpected Treasure.  I'm sure I would have read this book eventually, but it was my fellow bloggers that prompted me to read it now.  And I'm very, very glad that I did.  Despite the hype, and my own hesitations, this book won me over.  So much so that I will be hosting a giveaway of it in the near future!  I'm not sure if I want to design this as a 100-follower giveaway or just gift it away to a lucky reader that has not yet read it, but stay tuned to Her Book Self for more details.  As with my previous contest, there will likely be some type of reader-loyalty bonus, so if you're interested in scoring a win, following, reading and commenting can only help you out!

Congratulations to Ellen, winner of The French Blue giveaway!

On favorite gems, Ellen said, "My favorite gemstone is the one on my left hand. I know that's overtly sentimental, but it's true."

Thanks again to everyone who entered the contest!  I wish you all could win and I really enjoyed reading your responses.   Since there were so many entrants, stay tuned for another Her Book Self Giveaway later this year! 

I suppose I'm still getting used to the idea of authors as "real people". I think it's a feeling akin to running into your grade school teacher at the grocery store and realizing that outside of the school day Mrs. Miller still needs to shop for bread and milk with the rest of the town.  These mysterious writers whose words fill my head and take me to far off places while I traverse the Chicago rail system are real people, with real lives, and real voices of their own.  With that said, I'm pleased to present another author interview and today's guest Richard W. Wise, author of The French Blue, an amazing cross-continent adventure novel set in the seventeenth century.

*applause, applause*

Thank you for agreeing to this interview, Richard! First off, how did you select Jean-Baptiste Tavernier as the subject for your novel?

Tavernier was one of the most interesting men from a century that included many. Consider that he traveled 180,000 miles. The Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock in 1620 and they never left. Tavernier made six voyages and managed to survive countless adventures, enough to flesh out several fictional heroes. In addition he was like me, an international gem dealer, I figured I could get inside his head.

I loved how you blended fact and fiction so seamlessly in the book. In the afterword you wrote that you incorporated many of Tavernier's opinions from his journal into the story. Was Tavernier's goal of finding a large and unique gemstone something he wrote about or did you concoct it as a storyline?

About 80% of the novel is factual in the sense that it describes actual events in Tavernier's life. I added and embellished mainly in areas that Tavernier left blank in his own biography. How did he manage to get an entre into the highest aristocratic circles? His fictional adventures in Germany provides a context. Like most gem dealers he was very close with information on sources. I had to fill that in so that the reader would understand his objectives and how one goes about searching for gems. I also tried to retain his voice as I found it in his own books.

From your website I see that, like Jean-Baptiste, you have quite the collection of precious stones yourself. How did you first get involved in this trade?

I originally began as a goldsmith that was my third and current career, but when I was a young boy I also read a wonderful book called Pearl Diver that took place in the South Seas and that whetted my appetite for searching for gems and adventure.

Tell us a little about your travels. Where would you say has been your favorite location to go?

Like Tavernier I like Southeast Asia though as a dealer in colored gemstones, Thailand, Burma and Sri Lanka are more important areas for me. Tavernier always traveled to the source. I have visited the gem mines of Brazil, Colombia, Tanzania, Kenya, Australia and the pearl beds off Tahiti. Several articles describing these travels can be found on my business website, www.rwwise.com.

It's not much compared to where you've been, but I had the privilege of viewing The Hope Diamond at the Smithsonian several years ago and it really is a remarkable diamond. (My favorite color is blue, but I was unsuccessful in convincing my husband that it would make a good birthday present for me.) What is the largest or most amazing gem that you have seen? Do you have a favorite of the ones you have bought or sold?

I have many favorites and my latest favorite tends to be my latest acquisition. You can find my collection on my business website: www.rwwise.com

You have a long list of credentials for your work as a Graduate Gemologist, but you also have a remarkable talent for writing. How did you get started as a writer?

Thank you, I have always been a writer. I have published perhaps forty articles on gemstones and most of them contain a travel narrative that my readers seem to enjoy. My first book, Secrets Of The Gem Trade, The Connoisseur's Guide To Precious Gemstones, provided a learning experience. Like many other writers, I also have an unpublished novel. I am now totally hooked on fiction.

The French Blue was a really enjoyable piece. Are you planning on writing more novels in the future?

My next book, also a novel, is set in Boston in the 1970s. It is meant to be a mystery-thriller and recounts the adventures of a community organizer.

Where can we find more information about your work?

Well, obviously there is my website and also my 1st book's website; www.secretsofthegemtrade.com. I also write a blog: GemWise.

Thank you again for your time, Richard!  The French Blue and Secrets of the Gem Trade are available now!