Love & Decay, Episode 2

This weeks installment of Rachel Higginson's new zombie series takes place one week after the events in Episode 1, and our crew has settled into a (somewhat) comfortable routine of southward migration. Comfortable, that is, until they come across a road block of zombies... Of course, they're used to zombies.

What they aren't used to are settlements that use zombies as a blockade AND test for would-be visitors (or passers-through). Settlers that have very particular ideas on the role that a women should play in this new world. And it's not a role that sits right with Reagan, Haley, OR the Parker brothers.

It especially doesn't sit well with Hendrix. He of the smoldering eyes and not-so-subtle hints of feelings that are far too inappropriate for an apocalyptic setting. While his brother may be fine with elementary-style flirting his way into the heart of Haley, Hendrix is willing to wait for Reagan to realize, what in his mind, is inevitable...

But, while Reagan in unequivocally drawn to Hendrix despite his infuriating attitude and over-evolved sense of protection, his older brother Vaughan is making a confusing situation even more difficult with his easy jokes and genuine good-guy attitude...

Who knew that the end of the world would have so many hunky bachelors to choose from?

Fun facts

• This is the second installment, and is due to release the weekend of July 26th
• episode 2, like the first one, will only cost $.99
• This series is modeled after t.v. shows.... 12 total episodes (novellas), one released every two weeks, and a small hiatus after all 12 are 'aired' before the next 'season' starts. So you don't have long to wait until the next installment.

Nomad, a review

50 years in the future America is ravaged by a dictator, towns have been reduced to war zones, and the few people brave enough to overthrow the new order are out-manned, out-gunned, and fighting a battle they can never win. If only there were a way to kill the dictator before he comes into power.

Raven. Her name is the only thing she knows about herself. She finds herself walking alone, on a highway, covered in blood that isn't her own, carrying a backpack full of cash and a plasma gun. Her memories of how and why have escaped her mind with everything else.

After piecing clues from the items in her backpack together with the few memories she has regained, Raven knows what she needs to do; she needs to travel to New Haven to assassinate college student Logan Carraway, future Dictator of the United States of America and the man that will one day be responsible for thousands of deaths and the ruin of a nation.

Written by J.L. Bryan, Nomad is a spectacular addition to my book-shelves. I was instantly sucked into this story, the story of this young girl that has been shaped by a war-ravaged country and how she struggles to do the right thing, gambling with her very future in a quest to prevent the near apocalyptic environment that she grew up in.

I don't typically read science-fiction. Not that I dislike the it, but it's not the genre that I naturally gravitate to.

That being said, Nomad is one of those books that I'm glad I didn't pass over. Really glad. J.L.Bryan wrote an approachable time-travel book, one that doesn't make the reader feel stupid for not knowing the theories behind time travel... one for people that might not know what flux capacitors or red phone booths have to do with traveling through time. It adds in a little romance, but nothing that will give you a toothache. 

Fun Facts

• Nomad is due to release this Friday, July 26th
• There are no plans for a sequel, but that doesn't mean there won't be at a future time
• Not appropriate for a very young reader (12-13 and under) because of some sexual content and violence
• J.L. Bryan is a self-published author. Visit is website at http://www.jlbryanbooks.com/
• Buy his books at Amazon

Want a copy of this book? Like my Facebook page or follow me on Twitter for a chance to win... or do both for two chances!

AoW: An Interview with JL Bryan

About a year ago I came across a really interesting book, called Jenny Pox (read my review), by an Indie Author I'd never heard of before, JL Bryan. While I haven't read all his work since then, Jenny Pox has stuck with me as a very clever and unique addition to the YA Horror genre. I was lucky enough to be able to read his newest book, Nomad, which is due to release this Friday... And I really mean lucky because it is phenomenal.

In celebration of JL Bryan's awesomeness I have decided to make him the Author of the Week, and he decided to take the time to do an interview with me.

When did you first realize you wanted to write?

I've been writing stories since elementary school, and had pretty well made up my mind that I wanted to write them for a living by the time I was seven or eight. I wrote my first novel-length story when I was 12, I think.

Any pearls of wisdom you want to share with other aspiring writers?

Read very widely and write every day. Work hard to develop your craft. Everything else is details and luck

What are your favorite books? What are you reading right now or most recently?

Right now I'm reading MIND ON FIRE, a biography of Ralph Waldo Emerson. I typically read more nonfiction that fiction, as it feeds my imagination more.

Any sneaky lessons in your books that you hope the readers will learn? What do you want readers to take away from your writing?

I don't really try to work in lessons. I'm not didactic, I'm not out to push a certain viewpoint. Fiction is a good way to explore questions that don't have any clear answers, so that's what I'm usually doing.

How much research do you typically do for a book?

Tons, partly because I enjoy the research. It might take a few hours of research to get one sentence or one paragraph right--to find the one or details that really adds something to your story.

Out of all of your books, is there a character that you relate the most with or which one is most like you?

I think all the characters have some of me in them, but I'm not sure that there's one that's most like me. Certainly there was a strong emotional connection with Jenny from the Jenny Pox books.

Can you tell us a little bit about your new book Nomad, which is due to release on July 26th? It's pretty different from your most recent works; was it hard to leave the worlds of the Paranormals and Songs of Magic to write something new?

Nomad is a story about a young woman who travels back in time fifty years (to our year, 2013) to try and prevent a dystopian future. I definitely don't have trouble trying out new stories and ideas. I'm not very good at sticking to one specific genre at all, which is what you're supposed to do if you want to sell a lot of books.

Where did you get the idea for Raven, your main character? Can we expect to see more of her in the future? Will we get to learn a bit more about Eliad, the mysterious boy from an alternate future?

I enjoyed writing Raven because she's a little bit of a sensitive soul who grew up in a harsh, violent, decimated sort of world. I really don't have plans to write sequels right now, but that doesn't mean there won't eventually be a sequel. It all depends on what I get inspired to do.

Thanks for having me visit your blog, Regan!

9 Places That Scream for a Good Book

Book Review of The Rush, by Rachel Higginson

The first in a new Rachel Higginson series, The Rush certainly lives up to her other works!

Ivy lives a fairy tale life. She's beautiful, has all the best clothes, and can get any guy she wants... Too bad she's doesn't really want any. She is born into a society of sirens, sirens that have adapted to the modern world quite well. No more ship-wrecked sailors for these women, and Ivy is groomed from a young age to be able to attract men. She knows how to talk, walk, and look seductive. She knows how to manipulate men to get what she wants, overkill considering they fall in love with her immediately... it doesn't matter that she's only 16, and it certainly doesn't matter the she is wracked with guilt because of her very existence, hating her effect on the people around her but unable to break away from her family and the role she was born to play.

This book is significantly darker than most others... the heroine isn't some happy-go-lucky girl at the beginning of the book. She's damaged, and exhausted from acting the part. The situations she gets into in this book aren't the 'big battle, good vs. evil'... is the kind of evil that happens in real life. Lusty eyes from an older man that has complete control over her, near-rape, being pimped out by her own mother... It's kind of shattering because this type of thing does happen, though without the Siren part of it. It might be in smaller degrees, but tons of mothers groom their daughters to catch a man (yes, it still happens), encourage flirtations and promiscuity, look the other way at blatant emotional abuse... at blatant emotional damage.

I would NOT recommend this for the very young YA reader. Nothing too 'adult' happens, there is no sex, no drugs, though there is some alcohol... but it is still too mature for the youngest YA readers.

• This book is the first in a series
• Andrew James wrote a song specifically for this book; the lyrics are used in the story. Check it out here.
• It is currently $3.99 on Amazon.... buy it here
• Find out about more upcoming projects at Rachel Higginson's website. http://www.rachelhigginson.com/ and go like her on Facebook! 

Love & Decay, a book review

I don't usually read novellas... because I always want a lot more story when I read that last page, and I'm not ready to be done with it yet...

Good thing about the Love and Decay series... in two weeks the story will continue. And again two weeks after that.

Reagan just went through a pretty bad breakup. Sure, most girls do at some point or another.. but really this one was bad. She found out that perfect Quarterback Chris was cheating on her in the worst way possible; he tried to eat her brains. A common side affect to the new Herpies Cure which has successfully brought on the, you guessed it, Zombie Apocalypse. So, after that rather messy breakup (she had to sever his head with her car before he got the message...), Reagan is sure that she's done with men. Especially since most of the still human-men in the post-apocalyptic world are intent on making her and her best-friend sister-wives for an entire community of militia-men. So when the two girls are unexpectedly saved from a room full of face-eaters by the drool-worthy Hendrix and his handful of brothers, she surprised by their adamant refusal to rape and/or pillage... even more surprised by the what she sees in his eyes when he looks at her and the feelings it brings out in her. Feelings that have no place in the world they live in.

This is a great start to a very promising eSeries, and oh my jeebus I can't wait to read more!

Love and Decay is by Rachel Higginson (visit her site here). It's only $.99 right now, so you should go buy it... here.

Bella Swan vs. Eden Matthews... all about the role models.

VS

I want to tell you about this great series: it has a love triangle between a stubborn girl, her perfect-looking immortal boyfriend, and her (also immortal) male best-friend. The main character is surrounded by people that can turn into animals, or read minds, are virtually indestructible, are super strong and fast, seem to be allergic to death and she didn't even know these people existed at the beginning of the books. She goes through a lot of impossible things throughout the four-book series, and in the end, after discovering her own unique power, wins a battle against the oppressive ruling class...


It's not what you think. It's really really not.

I'm really trying to tell you about the Star-Crossed series, a kick butt series by Indie Author, Rachel Higginson.

Before I go any farther, Twihards... you are about to get really mad at me. Don't get me wrong, I read the series multiple times and will probably read it again; Meyers certainly writes a page turner... Unfortunately after you finally close the last page you realize you just read a bunch dirty, filthy, crazy-person words that makes it seem ok to not only date an abusive pedophile stalker, but that you, as a [female] person, are defined by your romantic relationships.

So, I'm going to do a little character comparison between two series that seem to have similar archetypal characters.

Both girls start their first day of a new school
Eden is immediately an outcast
Bella is immediately popular and sought out by every boy in school

They both start forming an attraction to a beautiful boy but is soon warned away for very good reasons
Eden tries to follow advice but falls in love anyways
Bella immediately ignores advice and pursues relationship

Boyfriend forbids her from going somewhere
Eden steals a passport and credit card to travel across the world to save her friend anyways
Bella gets slightly frustrated but does nothing

Eden finds out that Kiran is engaged, she tries to ignore and stay away from him
Bella finds out that Edward is 100 years old and sneaks into her room at night to watch her sleep... she blushes.

Eventually they both get their heart broken by their boyfriend when he tried to do something 'for her own good'
Eden breaks up with him and becomes the leader of a revolution intent on destroying the monarchy and freeing her people
Bella goes through months in a fog, doesn't speak to anyone, and eventually starts jumping off cliffs so that she can hallucinate her boyfriends voice

While mourning the loss of their relationship, both girls rely heavily on a best friend that is in love with them
Eden eventually gives a relationship with friend a chance, actively trying to move on from the past
Bella uses him as a buffer from other guys and... er... jumps off cliffs!

Boyfriend says sorry
Eden threatens to kill him
Bella forgives him instantly

To earn back her trust/deserve her love:
Kiran becomes an integral part of the the revolution that plans to kill his father, the king, and helps free his people from oppression
Edward looks deeply into her eyes and promises to never leave again


There are clearly a lot of parallels between these two series; even more than I mentioned. And I'm well aware that I'm being a little harsh on Meyers' series. But I hear so many girls saying 'can't wait to find my Edward'. So many girls content to act like a 'Bella' and live happily ever after.

Bella is not a character that any young girl should strive to be like.

She, my friends, is a wimp. She is a pushover. She is in a relationship with a controlling, overbearing, way-to-old-for-her man, and constantly seeks out dangerous behavior for no good reason, trusting completely that someone else will rescue her if things 'go too far'.

Bella starts this series out as a human and wants nothing more than to be something non-human. When she finally is, Meyers' wrote about how much more Bella could feel and see, her human life being almost like a foggy dream.

Likewise, Eden also starts out the series thinking she is a human... it turns out she isn't, but there is always that respect for humanity. Eden is constantly defending her upbringing (raised as a human) against the immortals that think they're better.

It really just seems like Higginson has more respect for humanity, because being human is just as real as being nonhuman in her books. Sure, the Cullins respect humans by not sucking their blood, but Bella's transformation into a Vampire shows that vampires are far superior than human beings; smarter, faster, and can feel a larger depth of emotion... it seems that Vampires are to humans as humans are to animals, which makes the Cullens 'Vegetarianism' almost offensive. Yes, I'm ranting now...

Back to the subject at hand.

Eden is not a wimp. She is stubborn to the point of density, and she barely figures anything out on her own. I'll say that for Bella; she suspects somethings a little wonky with the Cullen clan, and she tries, and succeeds, in figuring it out. Eden literally blows things up and still needs to be told that she is magic.... But no character is without their flaws. She has a love that is just is strong as Bella's, but Edens love story doesn't define her. It's not who she is, not the most important facet of her life. She is connected to Kiran, they 'complete' each other... but that doesn't mean she's half a person without him. She does things, meets people, kidnaps princes and bodyguards, rescues prisoners... she doesn't just mope around.

Because in real life, if your boyfriend breaks your heart... moping around for months is not healthy. It's not ok. Jumping off cliffs is not a good thing either. You might say 'but she loved him so much'... what if your best friend got dumped and started acting like Bella? Would she be justified in her crazy-pants behavior or would you be scheduling an intervention with her family and a very good therapist?

The point of this blog? I forget...

Wait! Go read the Star-Crossed series. Discover an overpowering love story that at least mimics healthy human behavior. Make a Team Kiran shirt and wear it proudly, cuz that boy actually deserves fan adulation.

Book 1 in the Star-Crossed series is Reckless Magic... It's even free, so go ahead and give it a try. You'll thank me.

Why Indie Authors?

The past few years have seen a flood of new writers clogging up my eReader. New, self published, writers. Why are we seeing so much of these, before unheard of, 'Indie Authors'?

This guy. Right here...
Is my fav piece of technology.
Ever

I'll tell you.

eReaders. Yes, the introduction and subsequent popularity of electronic books has made getting published a piece of cake. Self-published that is. A writer no longer has to send manuscripts off to dozens of publishing houses before seeing their works published. After writing and getting formatting done, they can just upload their work directly onto whichever ebook seller site that they want.

An author now has control over their work; their publication date, the art work, everything about it is firmly in their control.

As a reader, this is amazing. There are tons (like so so so many) books flooding the market right now, so many new things to read. And, because it's cheaper for an Indie author to publish a book, they are usually incredibly cheap. They usually publish more frequently too, so you don't have to wait an entire year for your next 'fix' in a series.

My face after reading some of the
books lacking... good. As in: No Good

I've come across so many incredible books, and series, written by the Indie's... but for every great book I've come across there are two that are in serious, and I mean SERIOUS, need of a good editor. And sometimes it's hard to find a quality work, and it's even harder NOT to get disenchanted with ALL Indie Authors... until you find the gem of a new book that makes you fall in love with Indie all over again.

That's the little rabbit-hole for self published authors, I think. A book isn't ready once you type in 'The End' on the last page; my favorite Indie authors are well aware of this and make a concerted effort to make GOOD edits, get graphic designers (read my interview with a graphic designer here), and all that drudgery that makes a good story into a good book.

Here are a couple of my personal tips for finding the good, and skipping the bad and the ugly.

• Check out the reviews. I'm not saying you have to read every one. I usually read a few of the bad ones, and an equal number of the good ones, sometimes you'll find that the bad reviews are for things you are willing to overlook... like punctuation for me
• ... look at the number of stars. If there are a hundred 4 and 5 star, and only ten 1 and 2 star then go for it. If those numbers are reversed, then walk away.

Are these going to become things of
myth and legend?!?

I can't help but wonder what this new trend will mean for traditional publishing houses. How can they compete with the book prices of the self-published that have cut out the middle man? What does this mean for chain bookstores that have no way to sell eBooks, or don't carry the print version of our Indie books?... I think I feel a few interviews coming... must make some phone calls...


As always, let me know what you think. Do you have any favorite books or authors? Any questions, comments, or irate ramblings? I'd love to hear from you.

AotW: Rachel Higginson!

Ok, so I've neglected my blog for entirely too long.

Sorry about that.

To celebrate my return to the blogging world, this week I'll be focusing on one of my favorites, Indie Author: Rachel Higginson.

My personal writing inspiration, Rachel is the mother of FOUR (that's right) children, and is still pumping out books left and right.

I could go into detail and tell you all sorts of things about Ms. Higginson... But I'm not. If you want to know more about her day to day activities with her full house and her high school sweetheart turned husband, then you should visit the blog on her website http://www.rachelhigginson.com/. There you will also find upcoming releases and information about all her delicious books.

Instead I will tell you that when I downloaded the first book in her Star-Crossed series, Reckless Magic (which is free!), I was hooked within a few pages.

Could.not.put.it.down.

In fact, every single one of her books is completely addictive. So, in celebration of this incredible author, I'll be posting a few reviews on her books. Starting with this one right HERE.

Here are a few links to get you started on your fandom:
Her website
Her Facebook
Her Twitter
and last but not least, her Youtube channel

So go and discover her!

Starbright

Starbright is the first (and so far, only) in a great series by... you guessed it, Rachel Higginson. Ms. Higginson has, once again, created a great read for YA readers of all ages; it is so very appropriate for even the younger readers of the genre. 

Stella is a star, the female version of an angel warrior which are on the lowest ring of Angels that heaven has to offer. That doesn't mean that she isn't important; quite the opposite in fact. Stella is destined to be the future protector of Earth, our dear planet being the last one holding life. One day she will be joined with her counterpart, the male star that she will be connected to in heart, body, and soul. Together they will work to protect Earth from the evil darkness that has been destroying life throughout the galaxy. 

In the meantime Stella is looking forward to life staying the same as it has for the past 16 years, like that of any other small town girl and counting down until her 18th birthday which will mark the complete arrival of her powers. She thought the next few years would consist of going to school, hanging out with her best-friend Tristan, and trying not to glow in the middle of class.