Author Interview - S. Cameron Roach

Please welcome S. Cameron Roach - Scott - as today's Wednesday's guest. As I said on Sunday, when I posted the review of his book,  I met Scott at the art festival in Killeen, Texas a couple of months ago. We were table buddies, meaning our book tables were next to each other. I enjoyed visiting with Scott when we weren't talking with other folks, and he has a good sense of humor. I asked him for a bio for his appearance today, and this is what he sent: 

(short version) I was born, I have lived for 47 years, the when of my death is yet to be determined.

(not as short version) S. Cameron Roach was born a U.S. Navy brat in Virginia but was moved when he was three to San Diego whereupon he endeavored to grow up as best he could. After 18 years, he found himself married to a wonderful woman named Kelli to whom he is still married, and will in fact celebrate their 26 anniversary on this very blogging day, 23 April. Shortly after getting married, he joined the U.S. Army and retired in Texas as a CW3 after 24 years of service, while in that span begetting two sons, Brandon and Christian .  Now he questions why he opened his own franchise business, Safe Ship, instead of taking to the open road to pursue his craft of writing.

Scott admitted to me that he doesn't blog and is not all that familiar with blogging, but he has done quite well at this, his maiden voyage. I do hope he doesn't mind the navel reference being Army and all that, but he did grow up with the Navy. So grab a glass of tea - it is finally warm enough for tea here in Texas - and enjoy the visit with Scott, author of the YA fantasy The Scrolls of Udanadar.

Image Courtesy of Kitchen Talks

I think another story is brewing.

Q.  What is your fondest childhood memory?
A. When I was in a junior high school choir, my choir competed in the high school division in both the Youth and Music Festival in Vienna, Austria, and the Vancouver World Expo. We won first place in both. The fun part, of course, was experiencing Europe and Canada as a teen.

Q.   How did you come to write in the genre you chose?
A.  When I was growing up there was no YA genre, we read what the adults read, which was not always appropriate or completely understandable. Then when the YA genre was nascent, it seemed lacking in any substantive meaning or any intellectual challenge to the young reader. In essence, it was bubblegum for the brain. So, at a time when my children were being homeschooled and reading the classics, I decided I needed to write fun fantasy that would not talk down them but challenge them with deep themes.

Q.  What are your favorite movies?
A.  Serenity, Dragonslayer, John Carter on Mars, Fifth Element, Stargate, and Brave, but I am sure the list isn't complete, just what I can recall.  I can watch them over and over again and still be amused, enjoy, or marvel.

Q.  What is the hardest thing about writing?
A.  Time, peace of mind, environment.

Q.  Where do your stories begin? With character or plot?
A.  One feeds the other.  A plot makes people interested but character keeps them reading. You can have a mediocre plot and survive only if you have engaging characters anchoring your story.  People care about people, especially if they can relate to the plight or situation, and if the dialogue and emotions are authentic. (For a book, not a movie, mind you, at least in my opinion.)

Q.  Do you have a pet?
A.  Yaahh!  Three awesome boxer dogs, the dogs that are closest to being human—Anja (9 ½ yo and acquired in Germany), Kaiser the reluctant pack leader, and Phineas Fogg, a rescue boxer whose rescue name was supposed to be named after the hero in "Around the World in 80 Days," which is actually Phileas Fogg, but we liked Phineas better, so we kept it.

Q.  What is the most interesting job you ever had?
A. The career is the U.S. Army, but what was most interesting about the job was being part of an office hunting down Afghani terrorists who were planting improvised explosive devices to kill U.S. Military personnel. I actually helped to uncover an Iranian intel network stealing US equipment.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In The Scrolls of Udanadar, young Bartholomew Fix, who finds life mundane and meaningless, becomes infected with the spirit of adventure by the bite of the Wandering Bug. He is compelled to seek out an agent of the universe who transports him to another planet to seek his off-world energy and awakens in the home of a great urKa'uun.

There is no magic, only Ka'uun—the energy of creation—and the urKa'uun are its users. Bartholomew becomes an apprentice and learns quickly how to use the energy. He is then sent out on an important mission with the urKa'uun's other ward, a skilled girl born of the wild-wise Duvar, for the Thousand-Year King is dying too soon. The two must bring back the Scrolls of Udanadar used in his creation as they may hold the answers; failure would bring all-out war between kingdoms of the Realm and with the Urilok, an ancient and fierce enemy.

A simple mission is never so simple so the two find themselves traveling the realm on an exciting quest where they discover danger, a budding romance and humor in the most unlikely places. Once a naïve, self-absorbed boy, Bartholomew grows into a brave hero by learning what it is to sacrifice in order to achieve a higher goal.

Book Review - The Scrolls of Udanadar by S. Cameron Roach

I'm trying something different today at It's Not All Gravy. Instead of me writing a review, or having a guest who is a professional writer, today the review is by a reader and a fan of fantasy stories - Dany Russell, who is also my daughter and a wonderful cover designer. We both met the author of this book, Scott Roach, otherwise known as S. Cameron Roach, at the Take 190 West Art Festival in Killeen, Texas, and Dany bought his book. She wanted to try her hand at writing a review, and I came up with the idea of letting Scott ask her a couple of questions. Reviews don't normally have that kind of exchange between author and reader, at least not the professional reviews that are a step above some of what you see on Amazon, but I thought this could be fun and interesting. I'll let you weigh in on that after you read the review.

The Scrolls of Udanadar
S. Cameron Roach
Print Length: 575 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1466954639
Publisher: Trafford (September 20, 2012)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B009FX7UQU

This book portrays what could happen to a boy living in a suburban town who is so bored out of his gourd that adventure finds him. The Wandering Bug takes Bartholomew Fix to another world with kings, knights, wizards, and wayward wandering.  He has no manual and while he has a host, in the beginning he has no guide.

I found this book an enjoyable read. After the first chapter or so, the story really picked up and took me for a ride. There are two other books I have read with “Game” in the title and they were slow starters for me as well, even though they have become immensely popular.

While reading this book, I became deeply involved with Bart’s life and travails. As he learned lessons in basic combat, teamwork, philosophy, or the Ka’uun, Bart steadily, and sometimes unsteadily, matured. The lives of the other characters and their skills intrigued me. How would Bart’s next lesson in the local magic called Ka’uun take place? How would Yuari, the teacher’s ward, respond to the diverted attention and uncharacteristic requests? Would Yuari’s people accept Bart?
   
Now I will answer the questions from the author:

SCR:  Was the relationship development between the boy and girl paced well and authentic?

A:  I found the interaction between Bart and Yuari to be believable and sometimes amusing. As with any relationship, trust takes time to become a bond. Sharing that time with them was a pleasure.

SCR:  What about the author's writing style needs improvement or further development?

A:  Frequently interchanging proper names like first “Bartholomew” then “Fix” was uncomfortable to read. Thus when you used “the boy” so close in another paragraph, I winced at the awkward word usage.

SCR:  Was the growth of the boy realistic and was he easy to identify with?

A:  For the most part he was very realistic. However, there are a couple of spots toward the end where Bart expresses knowledge or comprehension I thought was well beyond his teachings and growth.

SCR:  Do you think a sequel is in order?

A:  Absolutely!

I hope you enjoyed this "different" review. Perhaps I might try this again sometime. Please do try to come back on Wednesday to meet Scott as Wednesday's Guest this week.

And finally, for all who celebrate Easter:

Wednesday's Guest - Cairn Rodrigues

Good morning everyone. Please do grab a piece of this delicious Fantasy Fudge and join me in welcoming Cairn Rodrigues to It's Not All Gravy as today's Wednesday's Guest. Cairn is doing a blog tour to let folks know about the Song Of Solstice stories, and was kind enough to make this one of her stops. She would like a glass of milk with her fudge. What about you? The picture of Cairn below was stolen...er...borrowed from The Diesel Electric Elephant Company. It is just so perfect for Cairn, I couldn't resist.

Photo courtesy of Alaska Michael's Recipes.

Greetings to all who muse with Maryann! She’s a warm and wonderful lady and I’m grateful she opened her blog to me. I'm Cairn Rodrigues, publishing neophyte, lapsed chef, and avid questioner of life. Recently my first novel, The Last Prospector was released. It's an alternate world fantasy that kicks off a much larger story, but this first one is all about Prospector He's a man with a sealed fate, but that fate is a mystery as is the reason he was chosen.

I know you have been working on the release of this book while also dealing with your father's cancer. Do you want to share anything about the challenges of doing that?
Challenge is a good word. There's been nothing but challenges since his diagnosis in September of last year. My dad’s cancer is pretty aggressive, he went from stage three to four in the space of a month and he’s currently in hospice. It was important to him that the book be published before he dies, so I had to push to get it done. I can’t lie, the pressure was enormous because most of my time was spent caring for him, taking him to radiation and helping to get his affairs in order. I did get a lot of help and support from great friends, and this probably wouldn’t have happened without them.

How long did it take you to write The Last Prospector, and where did the story idea originate?
It took about four months to write the first three installments of the Song of Solstice. The Last Prospector and book two, Travellers &Tramps were originally one long book. Thinking a 900+ page novel might be a bit frightful from an unknown novelist, I split it into two books. The idea started when I finished reading the fifth book of another wildly popular fantasy series. It really dissatisfied me because I felt the author was just milking his success at the expense of the story. That’s when I started thinking about what it would take for a series that would satisfy me, which led to me actually having to write. 

Writing the story is the easy part. One of the most sublime pleasures of my life is being in Solstice, exploring it as I write. It’s everything after that is so daunting. Being a first time novelist, and a self-published one, makes the hills much higher to climb. This blog tour is a great opportunity to talk about The Last Prospector and all the aspects of Solstice. Recently, I wrote about the influence of colors on the story on Alberta Ross’ blog, and yesterday I addressed Bruce Springsteen’s large contribution on The Doglady’s Den.

If you could go back in time, what one thing would you change about yourself?
I would have taken better care of my teeth! Seriously. My life-long terror about dentists was a fear that has cost me dearly in the long run. Running from, or catering to, our fears is the worst form of self-sabotage. Now I’m confronting those fears and taking some positive, but very costly, steps towards good oral hygiene.

What other creative things do you do?
I really enjoy creating goofy art installations in my backyard. Generally, it’s a way of using things that might otherwise be tossed away, such as the old rusted, dented wheelbarrow that became a portable floating candle pond. Last year’s big install was the rubber duck pond and for the upcoming season, I’m planning something I call Boulevard of Broken Pottery.

Do you have a pet?
Of course! We took in a lutino cockatiel last summer and named her Tyra Jackson.  She is a very reserved and somewhat hostile beast, but has loosened up quite a bit since we adopted a kitten in December. Viva is sweet gray and white tabby and Tyra loves her to pieces. Every morning, they meet at Ty’s water bowl for a very complex bird bath and chit chat session.

How did you come to write in the genre you chose?
Because fantasy is carte blanche to spin a really fantastic tale. There aren’t the constraints of other forms of fiction, such as historical, where there is a body of known facts needing acknowledgement. With fantasy, it can be anything, anything at all and the rules are made up by the writer. The opposite side of that is that readers need to have a certain amount of trust to embark on a fantasy read. They want to know the story will explain itself, that the author won’t leave them confused about the rules of the world they’re entering.

Now that you have met Cairn and learned a bit more about The Last Prospector, I'm sure you would like this convenient little BUY BUTTON to get your very own copy. And if you want to know more about Cairn, you can visit:  The Cairn Rodrigues Amazon Page  * The Light Stealers Song Blog  * FaceBook  *  Twitter – @CairnRodrigues *  Google Ploo [This blog always uses the French pronunciation of Google + since it makes Google + sound slightly more interesting] *  Cairn on Goodreads

Book Preview - The Last Prospector by Cairn Rodrigues

The Last Prospector
Cairn Rodrigues
File Size: 455 KB
Print Length: 296 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: Cairn Rodrigues; 2 edition (January 6, 2014)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00HQ5N54U

You'll notice, dear reader, that I called this a book preview and not a book review. That is because of the most obvious of reasons - I have not yet read the book. Not that I don't want to, it's just that time keeps running faster than I can.

So, I will just tell you a bit about the book - a summary I stol... er, borrowed from a lovely blog called the Diesel- Electric Elephant Company.

Solstice is a world apart, created by a mysterious Boss and shaped by tempers of warring twin goddesses. Once it was a playground for sisters Ylumya and Ynoirya, but then the wars began. Now Solstice is the stage for the final battle between light and dark. Everyone must choose a side.

The Boss sired the first prospector 1,000 years ago. Charged to search for a treasure unnamed, an unbroken line of men have been caretakers, shepherds and warriors for Solstice since the misty times. Now, Grayme Ceruleya is the last prospector, he is destined to find the treasure. But what happens to Solstice when he does?

A runaway slave dies giving birth alone in the desert. The nomads who find the baby don’t realize that the child is the pawn of the gods and wields more power than they can comprehend. Except for one boy, broken-hearted Tonyo who makes a tremendous sacrifice to ensure the baby’s safety.

In Solstice the unlikely is probable, magicks are mundane and all the stories are true. It’s a land of stunning natural beauty, filled with exotic wildlife and vibrant cultures. Powerful factions like the whore’s guild make the rules, ancient enemies find new strength and dreamers are waking up all across the land with one message.

The Final war between the Twins has started. A victor must be decided this time. …

Oh, who does not like a good battle? Especially when good will win out, as certainly good must do to have a satisfying ending.

Cairn Rodrigues is a former professional chef who found that keyboards offer fewer cuts and burns, so she turned to writing. A life-long nerd, she has an affection for marzipan and a potentially unhealthy Twitter addiction. She resides near her hometown of Sacramento, California in a poorly decorated house. She also has a charming, rather quirky wit, so who knows what she will share with us on Wednesday when she will be my guest here on It's Not All Gravy. Please do come back and help her feel welcome.

Blogger Book Fair Guest Jeff Horton

Welcome to the second day of the Blogger Book Fair, organized by the amazing Kayla Curry. This is going to be a fun week of authors sharing bits and pieces of their books, sharing some virtual goodies, and giving away some great prizes. There is also a Reader's Choice contest going and my short story collection, The Wisdom of Ages,  is in the Anthology Category. My mysteries, Open Season and One Small Victory are in the Mystery Category and my romance, Play It Again, Sam, is in the Romance Category. (Votes are certainly welcome. [Smile])

  At the end of the week, I will give away advance copies of my mystery, Stalking Season to three lucky winners, or an e-book of your choice. All you have to do to win is comment on the blog this week and I will draw names on Friday. Please leave a contact e-mail.

Today my guest for the Blogger Book Fair is Jeff Horton. He was born in North Dakota, the youngest son of a career Air Force Master sergeant, where he spent the first four years of his life before moving to North Carolina. A somewhat voracious reader growing up, he read everything from comic books to The Bible, including stories by many popular authors such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, H. G. Wells, Jules Verne, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Michael Crichton, Tom Clancy, C. S. Lewis, and J. R. R. Tolkien. Jeff Horton's novel, The Great Collapse, a story about the coming of the pulse and the end of civilization, was published in 2010. He is a member of the North Carolina Writers Network. He is sharing a bit of information about his latest book, Cybersp@ce.

In honor of his sci-fi novel, I thought we could travel with him to the Space Bar which takes us to the Portal for Sci-Fi and Fantasy on Facebook. Pull up a stool and join us.

CYBERSP@CE-The novel is a sci-fi espionage story, with ingredients of international intrigue, artificial intelligence, action, suspense, and romance. Set mostly in the Nevada desert, Cybersp@ce includes cyber warfare between nation states, the fantastic virtual world of an alien computer, and the hunt for one of the world's greatest spies.

From inside their home located outside the small town of Corona, New Mexico in 1947, a young boy and his parents, while watching a freak lightning storm, hear a loud crash, after young Henry Summers witnesses what he thinks is an alien spacecraft falling from the sky.

Many years later, Nick Reynolds is appointed as the head of a Cyber Command task-force established to deal with the increasing cyber warfare threat from China. Soon after, a new, disturbing type of cyber attack emerges, just as Nick learns that a massive Chinese cyber attack against the United States infrastructure might be imminent. When the evidence suggests that the threat is real and that the attack will kill millions of people, Nick discovers that his team will not have enough time or the technical resources to stop the incredibly advanced attack when it comes.

Nick soon learns of another top-secret project, however, one which might offer a way to stop the attack and spare the lives of hundreds of millions of people.

Dr. Henry Summers works on that top-secret project with his scientist daughter, Kate, inside Area 51 at Groom Lake, Nevada. Working with Nick after years of trying to reverse-engineer an alien spacecraft, the team has a breakthrough when they discover how to interface with an alien ship's computer, by using a cybernetic helmet, which they use to enter a fantastic, virtual world. Together they work to save humanity from a horrific nuclear war, paving the way for a fantastic and exciting future for humanity.

Cybersp@ce is the first novel in the Cybersp@ce Trilogy

Find Cybersp@ce on Goodreads

Find Cybersp@ce on Amazon

Cybersp@ce on YouTube

Author Contact Information:

Website:                       www.hortonlibrary.com

Facebook Page:            https://www.facebook.com/Author.Jeff.Horton

Twitter:                        http://twitter.com/#!/Jeff_Horton

Goodreads Page:          http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4478744.Jeff_W_Horton

Amazon Author Page:   http://tinyurl.com/8tapc5x

Blog                             http:// http://anovelsperspective.blogspot.com/

Shelfari:                        http://www.shelfari.com/jeffhorton

Librarything:                 http://www.librarything.com/author/hortonjeffw

AuthorsDen:                 http://www.authorsden.com/jeffwhorton

Pinterest Page:               https://pinterest.com/authorjhorton/

Google+:                      https://plus.google.com/111088200879432148676/posts

Interview with Author A.B. Whelan

Today's Wednesday's Guest is novelist, A.B. Whelan, who is currently on a short blog tour to let people know about her young adult novel. As part of her tour, she is giving away a $25 Amazon gift card and a goodie bag with a copy of the book, a necklace and a magnet. Visit the tour starting spot, I am a Reader Not a Writer, for all the details. Now, I'll let A.B. take the stage.

I'm so glad to have you as my guest today, A.B. Could you tell the readers just a bit about yourself before we get to the other questions? 

Thanks for having me here today, Maryann. I'm an author, reader, movie fanatic, and a soccer mom. I have a big mouth and a big heart. I speak Hungarian, English, German, some Spanish and a little Greek. I love adventure, challenge, cooking, and baking. I dislike shopping, being bored and junk food. My latest novel Fields of Elysium is a YA science-fiction romance, but I like to call it a romantic fantasy. I have written contemporary fiction, and I’m working on more YA books. But doesn’t matter in which genre I write, my stories always revolve around love and life-changing decisions.

Just for fun, what is your family's favorite story to tell on you?

As newlyweds my hubby and I bought a house near Tehachapi in a private mountain community. I’m a city girl so I had a hard time getting used to all kinds of creepy crawlies around the house. One night I was home alone with our newborn when a mouse crossed the bedroom floor. I freaked out and called my fireman husband at his station. He jokingly told me to call the police and I did (only the community one, though, but I know exactly what you’re thinking). Two officers showed up and searched the entire house to hunt down the intruder, barely able to conceal their amusement. After a few more encounters with spiders, snakes, and rodents, we sold the house and moved back to the city. I’m still listening to this story at every family gathering.

  

What is the most unusual or interesting research you have done for your books?

I’m reading Adolf Hitler’s biography for City of Shame (Fields of Elysium, #3). In that installment I’ll introduce the Terraka emperor and I need him to be a despicable human being.

What gives you the most pleasure in writing?

When I read a five-star review. Then I know that there are other like-minded people out there, and I know I’m not alone.

What is the hardest thing about writing?

Staying within yourself and not trying to change to suit everybody. It’s very easy to lose your voice when your head is filled with criticism.

What other creative things do you do?

I used to be a marketing director in a shopping mall in Hungary, and whenever I organize a party or bake a cake, I decorate to impress. I actually learned how to frost cakes professionally by watching videos on YouTube.

Where do your stories begin? With character or plot?

With the character, an approach some readers find boring but if you don’t get to know the main character why would you care about her struggles or triumphs? I don’t like books or movies that start out with a very hyper scene and then slow down tremendously.

Do you have a pet?

Yes. We have a dog. We got her from a shelter in Crete and she is the most amazing and obedient and loving animal ever.

Here is a short excerpt from the book to whet your reading appetite. This is from chapter ten. 

"I began falling rapidly in full consciousness, my eyes open. A black growth under me drew frighteningly closer, while the world seemed to slow down around me. Astonishingly, I understood that I was going to die in a matter of seconds. Dying without pain sounded better than being ripped to pieces.

When I was only yards away from the black plants, I could clearly see that they were enormous mushrooms, towering above the ground. Thousands of long, skinny and curvy stems supported colossal umbrella heads, creating an immense fungus carpet. The most bizarre image I’ve ever seen.

Once I dropped on the edge of a mushroom’s head, I smashed my face onto the spongy matter. It cushioned my landing but the stem collapsed under my weight and lowered me. A fine black powder started to spread from the nearby mushrooms and soon I could hardly breathe. As I desperately struggled for air, the top of the mushroom tilted. I rolled off and crashed down onto a shorter mushroom. Then hit another. And another. Until I reached the ground. Squirming in anguish, I gasped and coughed, and finally blacked out. After all the pain and anxiety I was finally at peace."

Book Review - Fields of Elysium by A.B. Whelan

Fields of Elysium 
A.B. Whelan 
Print Length: 416 pages 
Publisher: InMotion Capitol (December 10, 2012) 
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc. 
ASIN: B00AM4I0KG

In this fantasy romance the central character, Molly, has just moved to California from New Jersey and she is having trouble fitting in at her new school. She is unhappy and lonely for her friends back in the East, and one day she goes for a hike and her new life changes dramatically. She slips through a wormhole, but it takes some time for her to realize she is no longer on earth.

Molly has gone to the planet, Arkana, where she meets a group of guys that includes Weston and Victor. Weston is obviously interested in her, but it is Victor who interests her. He is so handsome, yet cold and distant, not being as friendly to her as the others. Part of his allure is the mystery of why he holds back when the others welcome her.

Once Molly realizes she is no longer on earth, she is as enchanted with the new planet as she is with Victor, and she goes there as often as she can to experience the peace and contentment the people on this earth-like planet have. But not all the people are contented. Victor harbors anger because of the death of his parents.

The book is billed as a young adult novel, but readers of all ages can enjoy this story as they read about the adventures Molly has on Arkana.

The author is currently on a blog tour and will be my guest on Wednesday. I hope you can come back to help welcome her to It's Not all Gravy. In the meantime, you can visit some of the other stops on the Fields of Elysium Blog Tour.

Book Review - Priestess of the Eggstone by Jaleta Clegg

Priestess of the Eggstone

Jaleta Clegg

·  Paperback: 278 pages

·  Publisher: JournalStone (August 10, 2012)

·  Language: English

·  ISBN-10: 1936564475

·  ISBN-13: 978-1936564477

This sci-fi fantasy is the second book of The Fall of the Altairan Empire series featuring Dace, a space pilot who manages to get into trouble everywhere she goes. She was introduced in  the first book, Nexus Point, as was another recurring character, Tayvis.

Dace is flying for a company that hired her to courier sensitive materials, but she does not know Beliff  is a front for the Targon Crime Syndicate, until she goes to get paid and discovers the Patrol is raiding the company offices.  She manages to evade the Patrol, only to discover another major problem. Jerimon, her copilot, stole a god from the Sessimoniss, and the entire sentient species is chasing him, wreaking havoc throughout space. Now the challenge is to find the Eggstone god and return it before the Sessimoniss declare war; a challenge made more difficult because they also have to avoid getting caught by the Patrol and the Targon Syndicate.

Even though I am not a fan of sci-fi and fantasy, I was pulled into this story and, for the most part, enjoyed the read. Dace is a strong character, and strong female characters appeal to me. We have come a long way from the melodramas where Pauline had to be saved by the hero.

The secondary characters were well done as well. I liked Jayla, Jerimon's sister, who joins the adventure when they need a navigator. Leon, who hijacks Dace's ship, is a fun character, and how Dace and Jerimon deal with him is a clever bit of plotting.

There were some things in the story that didn't work as well for me. First was the incessant fighting between Dace and Jerimon. They are attracted to each other, but use the bickering to keep each other at arm's length. Dace, especially, is not open to any kind of romance because she still has feelings for Tayvis based on something that happened in the first book. The bickering just went on too long and kept repeating the same complaints against each other.

The romantic triangle did not work for me either. I found it hard to believe that Dace could have the same strong feelings for both Jerimon and Tayvis, but maybe that was just me. I also thought the romantic issues interfered with the flow of the rest of the story, which was much more compelling.

This was a good introduction to some fascinating alien species and a believable futuristic world.

Jaleta Clegg will be my guest this coming Wednesday, so I do hope you will come back and meet her and her character, Leon. You can see why I liked him so much.

Also, please stop by tomorrow for the Genre Favorites Blogfest,  hosted by Alex J. Cavanaugh http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/  Those of us participating will be sharing about our favorites in books, movies, and music and revealing one guilty pleasure.

A Sunday Mix Up

Today I was supposed to write a review of Return to Exile as part of the blog tour the author is doing to promote the book. Apparently Eric was not able to do a tour when the book first came out, so the idea of a "spring re-launch" was conceived. If all of the various pieces had come together, this kind of tour was a good idea. A publicist did the major work in organizing a month-long tour, not anticipating that there would be a problem actually getting the books to blog hosts due to a problem with getting the books from the warehouse.

This tour was planned some time back, and you have probably noticed the badge on my right sidebar. I wanted to stretch myself a bit in my reading tastes, and this looked like it was going to be a good book. Fantasy and paranormal fiction is all the rage and I wanted to see what it was all about. 

The publicist, who is a very patient young woman, at least I think she is young, but then, I am old, so most people are younger than me, was very helpful. She sent messages to the publisher alerting them that all these bloggers were lined up and ready to help promote the book, and we had no books. She then sent us all messages to let us know that there was a problem with getting the books shipped. There was also much rearranging of scheduled blog stops, to give us time to receive and then read the book.

My date was moved from early in April to today, in hopes that shipping and reading would happen, but it has not. Now I have to move on to reading some books that I need to review for May for some of my Wednesday's guests.

Shadow Wargs

The book may still arrive at some point, and if it does I will read it and post a review in the future. I'm already intrigued by reading the first few pages on Amazon, and absolutely love the illustrations.

RETURN TO EXILE is the first "Snare" in the middle grade, urban fantasy series, THE HUNTER CHRONICLES, written by E. J. Patten & published by Simon & Schuster.

Snare 2: THE LEGEND THIEF is coming December 4, 2012!

The cover art & internal spot illustrations for THE HUNTER CHRONICLES were done by John Rocco of Percy Jackson fame.