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!

AoW: Kelley Armstrong

For a #1 New York Times bestseller, Kelley Armstrong is pretty unknown. Let's fix that, shall we?

To date, this Canadian author has 29 books and novellas published (30 in July), and that doesn't include the dozens of anthologies she's featured in, or the online freebies she frequently writes. Her first book was published in 2001, so she is a writing machine. She is from Canada and many of her books take place either there or northern U.S. She also has a degree in psychology, which enables her to write a depth to her characters that other authors seem to lack. Go visit her Facebook or website, there's always a contest going for freebies.

So far she has currently has three series out:

Women of the Otherworld has been her main writing-squeeze for the past eleven years. They are definitely Urban/Contemporary Fantasy and include a wide array of supernatural talent: werewolves, witches, vampires, demons, ghosts, and necromancers to name a few. The main character in each book is a supernatural woman, and most of the plot lines are 'who done it' mysteries and tied up by the end of the book. There is usually a romantic subplot, and as such usually has a steamy 'grownup' scene or two, but it isn't over done or corny, and most importantly DOESN'T detract from the story; it will not read like the novelization of an 'adult feature', rather like that of an action film meets romantic comedy. The fact that her July release will be her last in the series makes me sad and proud at the same time. Instead of continuing a series past its finish time just to make more money, she's going to focus on her other works so she can continue to write creative, high quality, new stories (she is saying that a random book or short story isn't out of the question, but only as the muse strikes, not as a contract does).

The Edison Group actually includes two trilogy's so far: Darkest Powers and Darkness Rising. These books are based in the same world as Women of the Otherworld, but are YA with each trilogy focusing on a different heroine and group of teenage supernaturals that are the results of various supernatural gene experiments. I haven't come across too many authors who are able to switch genre's from adult to YA, but Kelley makes it seem easy. They are definitely appropriate for tweens, while able to remain interesting for her adult fans. She writes from a teenager's perspective really well, they think (supernatural) teenage thoughts, and partake in (supernatural) teenage activities... well, they do when they aren't on the run from evil scientist's and their 'experiments'. I'm definitely looking forward to the next book in this series.

Nadia Stafford is the series she's published the least of. This is an action packed series with no supernatural/sci-fi leanings, just pure kick-ass killer woman. I really wonder what kind of research Kelley did with these, because the main characters are mostly hit-men (people?) and she writes the roles very convincingly. I've never met a hit-person before, but I can imagine they act, talk, think, and behave pretty closely to what she's written. Fascinating actually, and I couldn't put these books down even though they aren't in my preferred genres. She really shows that deep down she is a mystery writer, and all the paranormal wrappings in her other books are just that: wrappings. Fortunately for Nadia fans out there, with Kelley finishing up her Otherworld series, she plans on spending some time on this one, with a possible book out in late 2013.

Fans of Laurell K. Hamilton, Jim Butcher, and Kim Harrison should give her books a try. You won't be disappointed. 

AotW: Interview with Marilee Brothers

There are probably a hundred reasons why I love my Kindle and Marilee Brothers is definitely one of them.

She is an author that I probably would never have discovered without it, and an author that I have grown to love these past couple of years. She has several books in The Unbidden Magic series; a YA series about a spunky girl named Allie who discovers her magical talent after a tussle with a satellite dish (she lost). They are great reads, and absolutely appropriate for the young adults, but still fun to read for us older YA readers.

Marilee keeps herself busy; she publishes about a book every year and has a great book blog. As busy as she is though, I've found that she is great about responding to any questions or comments I might write to her on Facebook or twitter. 

So great, in fact, that she agreed to do an interview with me so that you guys can get to know her a bit better.

What kind of jobs did you have before you started writing and when did you

realize you wanted a career change?

I was very young (19) when my husband and I married. Two baby boys quickly

followed. Several years later, we sold all our earthly possessions and moved to a

college town. Through a series of part-time jobs, scholarships, student loans and

juggling baby-sitting duties, we both obtained degrees with teaching certification. We

began teaching. Another baby boy came along. (Gee, how did that happen?) Later, my

husband went into school administration and I became a school counselor. However, I

always loved the world of books. Even though I had very little spare time, I was either

reading or writing. I even managed to sell some poetry. It wasn’t until my kids were

grown and gone that I had the time and energy to attempt a book. My first book was

published in 2008. Since then, I’ve had a book published every year.

What was the most influential book or author you’ve read? Tell us how it

affected or influenced you.

Just one book? You’ve got to be kidding! Here are some that linger in my memory.

Favorite memoirs: The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls and Unbroken by Laura

Hillenbrand. For pure reading enjoyment: The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon

and Lee Child’s Jack Reacher series. YA series: Can’t beat The Hunger Games. When I

get stuck in my own writing and want to read beautiful, lyrical prose, I read any book

by James Lee Burke. As you can see, I’m a very eclectic reader.

What are you reading right now?

The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown, Bossy Pants by Tina Fey and Roadside Crosses by

Jeffrey Deaver.

Tell us something about yourself that people wouldn’t guess.

I taught physical education and coached a winning volleyball team for a number

of years. I play an ugly game of golf but enjoy hacking my way around the course. I

absolutely love to fish but always give them away because I don’t like eating them.

Out of all your books, is there a character that you relate the most with? Which

one is most like you?

Allie Emerson, my protagonist in the Unbidden Magic series has all the qualities I wish

I’d had when I was her age. She’s brave. (I wasn’t) She doesn’t let her circumstances

hold her back. (I did) I guess you could say Allie is my alter ego. The character I relate

to the most is Allegra Thome, in my adult romantic suspense, The Rock and Roll

Queen of Bedlam. Allegra teaches behavior-disordered teens as I did. Many of the

AoW: Anne Rice

Anne Rice. I'm sure most of you have heard of, if not read, her works. I've been a huge fan of her writing since I was a tiny tween, and I can honestly say that her books helped mold me into the bibliophile I am today.

I could have sworn sunlight
would kill me.

Most people know her for her groundbreaking Vampire Chronicles; one of the first to create the 'lovable' bloodsucker that so floods our bookstores now. She is an author where quality trumps quantity every time, never releasing more than a book a year and rarely even that frequently. Her books can always manage to sweep you into a world away; a world where you don't exist and you live every moment through the hero or heroine, even when they are so drastically different than you yourself are. While reading  you can't help but be what she wrote until you turn that last page, which can be a bit alarming; after all, her characters do, say, and want things that are, by definition, supernatural, so don't be surprised if you start calling your friends 'mon ami', get a slight aversion to sunlight and are uncharacteristically thirsty. If you haven't read any of her work and aren't a fan of horror/preternatural fiction, don't write her off quite yet. Anne has also put her stamp on a number of other genres, everything from historical fiction to Christian fiction and even an erotica series(oh my!).


It isn't just her writing that I am such a fan of. Mrs. Rice is a true role model; as an author, and as a strong woman. She stands firm with her beliefs no matter the controversy that may be behind them. I may not agree with everything she believes but I truly respect her. Check out her Facebook page sometime. She and her fans are always posting news articles of various topics, and she is great about adding her two cents whenever possible.


Now, Anne already has an auto-biography out there so I'm not going to go over her full life story for you. I will, however, tell you some of the more interesting points.

• Her given name is actually Howard, after her father. It wasn't until she started school that she ditched it and started going by 'Anne', a name she picked because it was pretty.
• Her mother was an alcoholic
• She married her high school sweetheart, poet (and painter) Stan Rice, having two children and 41 yrs together until his death of brain cancer 2002.
• Interview with the Vampire started life as a short story.
• Her first child, a daughter name Michele, died in 1972 at age five due to leukemia. A few months previous to her diagnoses Anne had a dream that her daughter was dying because there was "something wrong with her blood". Her character Claudia in Interview with the Vampire is said to have been created to help overcome the loss, since she rewrote the original short story into a bestselling novel while grieving.
• After this tragedy, Anne and Stan relied heavily on drinking; a habit they stopped when their son, Christopher, was born.
• Her father, Howard O'brien wrote a children's book called The Impulsive Imp. Anne has fond memories of her father reading chapters of this book to her and her sister as he wrote them.
• Alice Borchardt, her sister, was also a talented writer (and one of my favorites). Unfortunately she died in 2007.
• Writing is certainly a family occupation, because her son Christopher Rice is also a bestselling author, and is a contributor to the LGBT-related magazine, The Advocate.
• Anne is a diabetic, and has had two near death experiences.
• She considered herself an atheist for most of her adult life, having left religion behind when she turned 18. She returned to Catholicism in 1998, though she didn't agree with the church on several social issues. In 2002 Anne stop writing the Vampire Chronicles, instead dedicating her writing entirely to Christ.
• In 2010 Anne very publicly renounced her dedication to Christianity, though she remains committed to Christ, stating that:

"My faith in Christ is central to my life. My conversion from a pessimistic atheist lost in a world I didn't understand, to an optimistic believer in a universe created and sustained by a loving God is crucial to me. But following Christ does not mean following His followers. Christ is infinitely more important than Christianity and always will be, no matter what Christianity is, has been, or might become." 

•  Anne lived in New Orleans until age 16, when she moved to Texas with her family. She didn't return to live there until 1988, and wrote The Witching Hour to celebrate her homecoming. New Orleans is the setting for many of her books, another fad she started in the genre (I can name at least 2 other Vamp authors who base their stories here).
• Anne moved to California in 2005 to be closer to her son, selling her Garden District home.

Clearly this remarkable woman has had more bumps in the road than anyone deserves, and those were just a few notes on the remarkable journey that has been her life. A true artist and storyteller, she is the Queen of Horror, but isn't limited to that. She's been a vocal advocate for many causes, including gay rights/equality, women rights, and the rights of children, especially when concerning persecution from traditional/outdated religious views. You don't have to agree with her views, but unlike so many famous (and not so famous) people who seem to only be occupied by their own lives, she tries to initiate change from the problems she sees in the world by keeping informed and informing others. She has earned my respect, and I hope yours as well.

Irrefutable proof that vampires sparkle burn in the sun.

To sum it all up, Anne Rice is the bee's knees. You either love her, or you just haven't read her work yet. Well, that may not be true, but to me she is an inspiration and anyone who doesn't think so... well you're weird. I mean, she wrote about vampires who suffered through the same issues we face: loneliness, morality, love, meaning of life, and religion back when it was taboo; she made them conscientious, romantic, and terrifying... and she did it all without a single sun-inspired sparkle!