Shifting Into High Gear, Sarwat Chadda

shifting into high gear, Writing No Responses »
Jun 242010

Dark Goddess-final

Finally for Shifting into High Gear, please give it up for Sarwat Chadda, author of Devil’s Kiss and its sequel, Dark Goddess, out July 1 in the UK, and January 5, 2011 in the US! (And yes, I meant to post this earlier, but due to a scheduling hiccup, you get Sarwat now.) Without further ado, the official blurb for Dark Goddess:

BILLI SANGREAL is a Knight Templar and has thrown herself utterly into their brutal regime, shutting herself off from everyone and everything. But when Billi saves a young girl from a savage werewolf attack, she discovers the attack was no random event.

This  is no ordinary girl. Vasalisa is an avatar with an uncontrollable force within – and it’s not just the werewolves who want her. The Dark Goddess wants to sacrifice Vasalisa and use her powers to unleash unimaginable catastrophes and devastation.

Can Billi protect Vasalisa from the ancient goddess – and at the same time stop her from destroying the world?

SARWAT-000060aaWhat did Sarwat have to say about my three questions?

1. What’s your YA guilty pleasure? Particularly, a novel or series you gobbled up when you were a teen. When I was a teen I was madly into the Conan books, films, comics, everything really. I never went as far as buying the wolf-fur lioncloth, I hasten to add, nor acquire the muscles either, mores the pity. Still got them on the shelves with the Frazetta covers and do re-read them every now and again, just when I feel the need to inject some testosterone back into my writing.

2. If you could choose between dating a paranormal hottie or being one yourself, what would it be? I’d rather be dating the hottie. All the perks with none of the problems. Nothing better than a superpowered girlfriend to right all your wrongs! Plus, cooking would be so easy for dates. Bag of blood for the vampire and dog-food if she was a big hairy on full moons. My only real concern would be introducing her to mother. My mother always warned me never to date a girl with more body hair than me.

3. What do you foresee as the next trends in YA? With Hunger Games and the Chaos Walking trilogies I wonder if we’re going to move towards more science fiction. I don’t really mind, as long as it doesn’t involve vampires.

Don’t miss the Devil’s Kiss book trailer, or the first chapter of Dark Goddess! You can visit Sarwat on his website and blog.

Posted by karenkincy at 9:58 am Tagged with: ,

Shifting Into High Gear, Shannon Delany

shifting into high gear, Writing 1 Response »
Jun 212010

13tolifeWithMariaQuote

And now… Shannon Delany, author of 13 to Life, out June 22! As you can probably tell from the cover, this is a werewolfy novel. Though we get a more mysterious official blurb:

Something strange is stalking the small town of Junction…

When junior Jess Gillmansen gets called out of class by Guidance, she can only presume it’s for one of two reasons. Either they’ve finally figured out who wrote the scathing anti-jock editorial in the school newspaper or they’re hosting yet another intervention for her about her mom. Although far from expecting it, she’s relieved to discover Guidance just wants her to show a new student around—but he comes with issues of his own including a police escort.

The newest member of Junction High, Pietr Rusakova has secrets to hide–secrets that will bring big trouble to the small town of Junction—secrets including dramatic changes he’s undergoing that will surely end his life early.

Want to know more about the author? Shannon’s bio:

Shannon2010OnlineSince she was a child Shannon Delany has written stories, beginning writing in earnest when her grandmother fell unexpectedly ill. In 2008 her greatly abbreviated version of 13 to Life (written in just five weeks) won the grand prize in the first-ever cell phone novel contest in the western world through Textnovel.com. Previously a teacher and now a farmer raising heritage livestock, Shannon lives and writes in upstate New York and enjoys traveling to talk to people about most anything.

And now, Shannon’s take on my three questions:

1. What’s your YA guilty pleasure? Particularly, a novel or series you gobbled up when you were a teen. I devoured the Arrows of the Queen novels by Mercedes Lackey as a teenager. I desperately wanted to have a blue-eyed Companion seek me out and take me away on an adventure!

2. If you could choose between dating a paranormal hottie or being one yourself, what would it be? I would prefer to be one (dating one would bring a whole different set of troubles, like competition and that dreaded–and unfortunately not paranormal green-eyed monster–jealousy).

3. What do you foresee as the next trends in YA? I think we’ll see more apocolyptic and dystopian books as we approach 2012 because our culture’s absolutely fascinated with our own potential destruction and reinvention. We long to have the capability of the phoenix–to come back again and again–and we’re tremendously drawn to a fiery end.

You can visit Shannon on her website, blog, or series website. And don’t miss her 13 to Life book trailer!

Posted by karenkincy at 9:39 am Tagged with: ,

Leah Cypess, Shifting Into High Gear

shifting into high gear No Responses »
Jun 152010

Mistwood hc c

Please welcome Leah Cypess, author of Mistwood, to Shifting Into High Gear! Mistwood stars an ancient Shifter, reborn as a girl, who must save a crown prince’s kingdom. Here’s the  official blurb:

The Shifter is an immortal creature bound by an ancient spell to protect the kings of Samorna. When the realm is peaceful, she retreats to the Mistwood.

But when she is needed she always comes.

Isabel remembers nothing. Nothing before the prince rode into her forest to take her back to the castle. Nothing about who she is supposed to be, or the powers she is supposed to have.

Prince Rokan needs Isabel to be his Shifter. He needs her ability to shift to animal form, to wind, to mist. He needs her lethal speed and superhuman strength. And he needs her loyalty–because without it, she may be his greatest threat.

Isabel knows that her prince is lying to her, but she can’t help wanting to protect him from the dangers and intrigues of the court . . . until a deadly truth shatters the bond between them.

Now Isabel faces a choice that threatens her loyalty, her heart . . . and everything she thought she knew.

Praise for Mistwood:

“A traditional premise is transformed into a graceful meditation on the ramifications of loyalty, duty and purpose… Astonishing and inspiring.”
-Kirkus (starred review)

“Fans of Megan Whalen Turner’s ‘Attolia’  books will be drawn to similar hidden political currents within the court, and fans of Kristin Cashore’s Graceling will wholeheartedly embrace Isabel as a reluctant warrior heroine treading in unfamiliar waters of the heart.”
- School Library Journal

“An unusual, suspenseful fantasy that is propelled by well-placed clues.”
- ALA Booklist

Leah kindly answered my three questions:

1. What’s your YA guilty pleasure? Particularly, a novel or series you gobbled up when you were a teen. I was really into Sweet Valley Twins. When I was in seventh grade, I even started writing a rip-off series about a pair of brunette twins named Cindy & Sandy.

2. If you could choose between dating a paranormal hottie or being one yourself, what would it be? Be one myself. :)

3. What do you foresee as the next trends in YA? I don’t; I suspect it will be something no one sees coming — so not a focus on a particular kind of supernatural creature, which seems to be the guessing game everyone is playing.  I think dystopia will remain a strong trend, because there are so many different things you can do with it; and as with many new trends, it’s actually an old subgenre that is making a comeback. It would be cool if space opera was the next trend, so that’s my vote if not my prediction.

Guess what! You can read the first three chapters of Mistwood online. Also check out Leah’s Mistwood book trailer and her website.

Posted by karenkincy at 4:10 pm Tagged with: ,

Kitty Keswick, Shifting Into High Gear

shifting into high gear No Responses »
Jun 122010

freaksville680

Please welcome Kitty Keswick to Shifting Into High Gear! Kitty’s novel Freaksville is out now, brimming with paranormal beasties. Want to know more?

KaseyA group of teenagers, trapped in a haunted theater on the night of a full moon, find out that ghosts are the least of their worries…

Every woman in the Maxwell family has the gift of sight. A talent sixteen-year-old Kasey would gladly give up. All she wants is a normal life. Shopping and talking about boys with her best friend and long-time sidekick, Gillie Godshall, consume her days. Until Kasey has a vision about Josh Johnstone, the foreign exchange student from England. The vision leads her into new realms, a lead in a play, a haunted theater … and into the arms of Josh. Yet, both Kasey and Josh have secrets lurking in dark corners. Can Kasey’s new romance survive FREAKSVILLE?

How did Kitty answer my questions? Here we go:

1. What’s your YA guilty pleasure? Particularly, a novel or series you gobbled up when you were a teen. My YA guilty pleasure, now is Rachel Caine’s Morganville Vampire series….I adore them. witty, sharp , action pack and well vamps. Can’t ask for more…oh wait, maybe werewolves.

2. If you could choose between dating a paranormal hottie or being one yourself, what would it be? To thine own self be true…words that are the thread in my novel Freaksville and words, I try to live by…but a hottie werewolf, I might be tempted, especially if he had a British accent.

Kitty Keswick3. What do you foresee as the next trends in YA? Hum, trends, I’m not one for following trends. I write about what speaks to me. I hope paranormal will continue to fascinate readers as I love to write it. I also hope that humor stays popular, too.

Don’t miss the Freaksville book trailer! To find out more, check out Kitty’s website, blog, Facebook, and Twitter. Freaksville is available on Amazon.

Posted by karenkincy at 10:13 am Tagged with: ,

Judith Graves, Shifting Into High Gear

shifting into high gear No Responses »
Jun 092010

UnderMySkin_w2470_300

Next on my blog tour for Shifting Into High Gear: Judith Graves, author of Under My Skin, a novel where werewolves and other paranormal creatures creep through the night. The official blurb:

All her parents wanted was for Eryn to live a normal life…

Redgrave had its share of monsters before Eryn moved to town. Mauled pets, missing children. The Delacroix family is taking the blame, but Eryn knows the truth. Something stalks the night. Wade, the police chief’s son and Redgrave High’s resident hottie, warns her the Delacroix are dangerous. But then so is Eryn–in fact, she’s lethal. But she can’t help falling for one of the Delacroix boys, dark, brooding–human Alec. And then her world falls apart.

A normal life? Now that’s the real fairytale.

judith1And without further ado, here are Judith’s answers to my interview questions:

1. What’s your YA guilty pleasure? Particularly, a novel or series you gobbled up when you were a teen. I read everything by L. M. Montgomery – loved the Anne series, as well as her lesser know works. But most of the reading I did as a teen was from the “adult” shelves. There just wasn’t the fantastic selection we see in young adult titles today, so I had to seek my twisted, dark tales elsewhere. Ray Bradbury, Margaret Attwood, Robertson Davies, Douglas Adams, etc. I adore those authors and still re-read their books often.


2. If you could choose between dating a paranormal hottie or being one yourself, what would it be? Love this question! I’d be one myself, of course. ;)   That’s one thing I wanted to take on in Under My Skin – having a strong female main character with paranorm abilities of her own. One who wasn’t just the girlfriend or sidekick, or worse, the bait.

3. What do you foresee as the next trends in YA? It’s difficult to predict trends and yet once they take off, their rise seems so obvious. In light of the recent flood of “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” titles – combining classics with modern “paranormal” sensibilities – I betcha we’ll see more of these filtering through children’s classics for the middle grade crowd. I personally want to tackle “Anne of Green Gables: Man-eating Potato Slayer”. (Anne is set in Prince Edward Island – know for their potato crops – get it?!) I expect to see re-workings something like: Cat in the Hat Takes on Shapeshifters and Bats, or The Little Mermaid vs. The Evil Sirens….well, maybe not those specifically, but you can’t deny I’m onto something. ;)

Want more? Don’t miss the Under My Skin trailer. Visit Judith’s website, blog, Facebook, and Twitter. Under My Skin is available on Amazon.

Posted by karenkincy at 9:01 am Tagged with: ,

Jordan Deen, Shifting Into High Gear

shifting into high gear No Responses »
Jun 062010

Jordan Deen cover

First up on my blog for the event Shifting into High Gear, please welcome Jordan Deen, author of The Crescent (out now!) and Half Moon (out January 14, 2011). What kind of werewolves roam through the pages of The Crescent? Here’s the blurb:

Becoming a werewolf is not an option for seventeen-year-old Lacey Quinn, but death can be a strong motivator.

Lacey is so focused on her future that everyday life has passed her by. Counting down the days to her eighteenth birthday, Lacey is almost home free. But when she falls for the mysterious Alex Morris, she lands in the middle of an ancient war between two enemy wolf packs. Tempting dreams, tantalizing lies and a dangerous love triangle ensues leaving Lacey heartbroken and confused.

Lacey’s fate rests in the hands of Alex and Brandon, but both are pulling her strings for their own agendas. Even as she slips further into the dark world of werewolves, Lacey struggles to find the truth and save the only family she’s ever known.

And now… a miniature interview with Jordan! She was kind enough to answer a few of my questions about young adult paranormal literature.

1. What’s your YA guilty pleasure? Particularly, a novel or series you gobbled up when you were a teen. I was a bit unusual as a teen.  I didn’t read ‘teen’ novels.  I stuck to Stephen King, Edgar Allen Poe and really dark works.  I went through a whole gothic period where I wanted to hang out at B&N and read poetry and dark stories about the 3 D’s-  Death, Dying and… Depression… Yeah.  I know.  But it’s true.  My mother was thankful when I ditched the black clothes, black hair and black eyeliner.

2. If you could choose between dating a paranormal hottie or being one yourself, what would it be? Excellent question!  I’m sort of selfish, I’d rather be the paranormal hottie myself and let everyone crave me. Bad, I know.  But it would be awesome to have some kind of power that no one else had.

3. What do you foresee as the next trends in YA? I’m active on a lot of blogs and websites and what I’m seeing from YA readers is kids looking for edgy, contemporary and dystopian type novels.  Dystopian is something I’d like to try to write, but haven’t gotten around to it quiet yet.  Just wrote a zombie short story for a publisher though and that was a learning experience in itself for me!  (Considering I am *terrified* of zombies)…

To find out more about Jordan Deen, visit her website, Facebook, Myspace, Goodreads page, and follow her on Twitter! The Crescent is available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Posted by karenkincy at 4:54 pm Tagged with: , ,

Shifting Into High Gear

shifting into high gear, Writing No Responses »
Jun 062010

Does reading about werewolves and shifters make you howl with happiness? If so, then be glad that June is here. Because this month is the event Shifting Into High Gear. I’ve teamed up with authors Jordan Deen, Judith Graves, Kitty Keswick, Leah Cypess, Sarwat Chadda, and Shannon Delany to talk about all things werewolf and shapeshifting. You can follow us on Twitter with the tags #shiftinggear and #werewolfjune. Catch me on their blogs at various times during June, and check my blog on these dates:

June 6, 7, 8 (Jordan Deen)
June 9, 10, 11 (Judith Graves)
June 12, 13,14 (Kitty Keswick)
June 15, 16, 17 (Leah Cypess)
June 18, 19, 20 (Sarwat Chadda)
June 21, 22, 23 (Shannon Delany)

Awooo!

Posted by karenkincy at 3:35 pm Tagged with: