Featured Author: R. Rose

Today I am pleased to welcome author, R. Rose, to the blog and to share a little about her books! 

Meet the Author

Roxanna Rose is a California native with a deep connection to her Ulster Heritage. Fascinated by Myths and Legends from cultures around the world, she enjoys creating YA & Fantasy novels steeped in their mysteries. “Desires: A Legacy Novel” is the first in a series based on Celtic Myth & Legend. “Malevolence: A Legacy Novel” will be released later this year along with “She Who Watches,” an Urban Fantasy novel based on the Native American legend. Roxanna divides most of her time between her writing and her career as a Veterinary Technician and Wildlife Rehabilitator.

About R. Rose's Books

Desires

What if your entire race were created by the ancient Celtic God, Dagda to please his beloved daughter, Brighid, who gifted your maternal bloodline with a spark of her soul? Now you’re given the task of living in the mortal realm to bring the gift of the Arts to the mortals she loves; while being relentlessly hunted by the Goddess of the Killing Rage to satisfy a deadly desire for Otherworldly vengeance.

Just before Eléan’s seventeenth birthday, the Goddess of Lust & Rage, along with the Immortal she created, destroyed her sheltered life. Now, an object of possession by mortals and immortals alike; Eléan must learn to control her legacy and, with the two warriors that love her, save the Goddess Brighid by protecting the small flame of Immortal soul that lives within her.

Liam and James have been friends…brothers…since they were children. Now the Otherworld has been released into the Mortal Realm leaving a bloody path of terror in its desire for vengeance. It’s coming for Eléan, a woman they both love and would die to protect. Will the Otherworld destroy their bond…or will their love for Eléan give them the strength to fight what’s coming?

Forced into the service of the Goddess Morrigan and made immortal, Greagoir must be the vessel for the Goddess’ uncontrollable lust and killing rage. Eléan is the key. After all these centuries, all that stands in his way are two mortal warriors gifted by a goddess and a young woman’s desire to survive.

Malevolence is the sequel to Desires, and it scheduled for release in late 2013. 

See more on Goodreads

Follow R. Rose on Goodreads to stay up to date on her writing!

Review: Safe

The earthquakes that destroyed the world are history to Penny, something to ponder on while she lives in the colony trying to follow the rules and do her part to keep civilization alive. She feels content knowing that her intelligence and her boyfriend James' strength have set them up with good careers. The vaccine now integrated into their DNA keeps them safe from illnesses that wiped out so many lives. Everything changes, though, when Penny is taken from her home on the pretense of being sick and faces either exile or execution. Either option is terrifying, but the secrets Penny uncovers may be even more frightening. 

Set after the world has been destroyed by earthquakes, Penny's life in the colony is quite interesting. The society and laws were carefully planned out to give the community a stable, but somewhat eerie feel. This is the life Penny is used to, but readers get the impression that everything isn't as is seems early on. Readers wont be let down by the myriad of lies and half-truths Penny uncovers as she fights to escape the colony before she is killed. 

The characters in this book were interesting as well. Penny is a likable character form the start. She is rather naive, but in a believable way, and she has other characters like Lucan to contrast her desire to believe the best about people and the situation they are in. Lucan was a great character as well. I enjoyed his playful attitude, yet serious resourcefulness. He added lightness when it was needed and strength when Penny needed him. James, Penny's boyfriend, was a little harder for me to connect with. He's rather serious and not terrible affectionate, so I think some readers will have a harder time warming up to him. I'm interested to see how his character develops and whether or not Penny stays with him. 

The adventure throughout the book was well paced after an initially slow first chapter of introducing readers to Penny's world. The action flowed well from scene to scene, and Husted provided lulls when the characters needed to breathe and contemplate what was happening. The overall idea of the book was very interesting. I suspected from the beginning that there would be something of a twist, and indeed there was. Several. Before Penny leaves the colony, her father tells her that her sister, whom she believed was dead, is still alive. Penny's journey to find her proves quite interesting. 

There were a few scenes toward the end where I thought the emotion from the characters didn't reach it's full potential, and the last few chapters seemed a little slow, but overall I enjoyed this book. It was a fast, entertaining read, and aside from some editing errors, was an enjoyable book. I'm interested to see how this series progresses and where Penny ends up in the end. 

SAFE is available now from: 

Amazon

B&N

Author Website

Connect with Dawn Husted online at:

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You can also enter to win a Kindle copy of Safe Below!

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Interview: Dawn Husted

Today I'm pleased to welcome Dawn Husted to the blog to talk about her new YA post-apocalyptic novel, SAFE. 

More about SAFE

Penny, a teenage girl, has been genetically mutated along with other inhabitants by a vaccine given to their great-grandparents who settled the Land, an island. This particular serum caused everyone to develop vine like marks all over their bodies, along with enhanced abilities passed down through the generations. Penny finds a shift in her reality that causes her to fight for survival as she searches for the truth, even if it puts her at odds with the only person she can trust.

***

1. What was your inspiration for this book?  I loved the idea of a teenager discovering the reality of their world to be faulty; each one of our lives is what we are taught. When these truths are found to be a lie, a person’s reality changes dramatically. I wanted to write a science fiction book and was obsessed with the notion of a post-apocalyptic time period. These concepts sum up SAFE. 

2. Would you classify your writing as plot driven or character driven? Definitely plot driven. When I first started thinking up the world I wanted to write about, the ending was going to be the same no matter what character I used to tell the story. However, the story turned out to be much different than what I started with.  And every scene takes on a life of its own due to each character’s reaction to a situation.

3. Can you tell us a little about your main character? Penny is a seventeen year-old girl, who just turned eighteen. She lives on an island, with other survivors, and also lives at home with her parents in a house located in the Colony.  Penny grew up as an only child and upon graduating high school, started working in a laboratory building. Her boyfriend, James, is a guard who’s training at the Academy.  

4. Without giving away too much, tell us a little about the main conflict in this book.  Everyone on the island is born with a genetic trait that was passed down from their great-grandparents. These genetic traits created vines, black markings, all over everyone’s body.  Everything on the island is controlled and regulated by their leader, and the rules are enforced by the guards. One day, her dad was caught taking vials of medicine from the lab he works in – an illegal act. Penny’s parents force her to run from guards who are trying to kill her. 

5. What do you hope readers take away from this book? A fun action packed story that

keeps readers on their toes and leaves them putting the pieces together. I did my best to answer all questions, however, nothing is what it seems until you finish the book. 

6. What song best describes your writing style? This is a hard question! If I had to choose from the songs I really like right now, I choose: Serena Ryder, Stompa.  It’s fun, empowering, and the beat keeps you listening until the end. 

7. Night Owl or Early Bird? No doubt, I’m a night owl. I can stay up late, deliriously, writing as much as my eyes will let me. 

8. Skittle or M&Ms? Neither. Reese’s Pieces ;-)

9. Who are your favorite authors? To be honest, I never enjoyed reading when I was younger. Now that I’m older, I like... Patrick Ness, Stephanie Meyer, Suzanne Collins, J.K. Rowling, Nicholas Sparks, and the list goes on. Of these authors, Patrick Ness’s book, The Knife of Never Letting Go, was one of my top favorites. His writing style is unique and different. I really like that. And the story was unlike anything I had read before.


10. Can you tell us about any future projects?  I have nothing in the works right now. I find that when I start something new, my mind gets completely encased in the project. And since I’m an independent author, I don’t have anyone marketing SAFE for me. Therefore, I’m putting all my energy into promoting it right now.  I’ll be writing ideas for future plots in my journal, but I don’t plan on starting a new book until 2014.

***

About the Author

Dawn Husted started writing in the fall of 2008, but she didn't began publishing her work until 2011; After marrying her husband, Dawn graduated with a Bachelor degree from Texas A&M University and spent the next couple of years trying to figure out what she wanted to do. 

In 2008, she dabbled with writing a book intended for her eldest child and soon published it three years later. Since then, the Windor Series was published (available for free on her website). In 2012, another book became available titled Silently Screaming, a literary fictional work geared towards the young adult genre.


Currently she just released her newest novel, SAFE. A young-adult (post apocalyptic science fiction) book.

SAFE is available now from: 

Amazon

B&N

Author Website

Connect with Dawn Husted online at:

Twitter

Facebook

Website

You can also enter to win a Kindle copy of Safe Below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Color Blind

Teresa and Red discovered their mind-speak connection in the first Team Red book, and joined forces with the local police department to stop a rapist. Surely they're ready for a break, right? Not exactly. 

The pair still have a few tricks up their sleeves to discover, and no reader can forget David and Bas. David's relentless passion sweeps Teresa off her feet, and Bas is struggling to come to terms with that, but every member of Team Red is put on high alert when a group of military men show up unannounced and threaten to reveal Team Red unless they pledge to assist them. Team Red is only getting started. 

After speeding through book one, I was eager to get my hands on this book. I have to say, I wasn't disappointed. Book one left readers wondering who the secret footage of Red was sent to, and in book two we get to find out. The romance angle definitely has the potential to overpower everything, but I enjoyed the storyline in this book quite a bit. The interruption of the military group that tries to force their way into Teresa's life sets off a series of events that adds plenty of excitement and danger to the story. 

What I really enjoyed about this storyline was how it allowed Teresa to grow as a character. She discovers new abilities with Red and she also is pushed to grow personally and to face difficult situations that will impact her emotionally. Teresa was a good character to start with, and I came to enjoy following her story even more. 

The romance aspect of this book is a powerful draw as well. The love triangle that began in book one between Teresa, Bas, and David is only partially resolved. Yes, Teresa chose David and loves him very much, but that certainly doesn't mean Bas has let go of his feelings for Teresa. I was a fan of Bas from book one despite his talent for making stupid choices and saying the absolute worst thing when it came to Teresa. Watching him struggle to be around Teresa was heartbreaking. Hammond did a great job of keeping the romance intense and keeping readers guessing. I won't give any spoilers, but the ending...wow. Readers will be dying for book three. 

Readers do need to remember, though, that this book is geared for more mature readers. There are sex scenes, sexual conversations, and profanity. If you want the same fabulous story without these aspects, remember that Hammond is writing a dual series for New Adult readers. 

Color Blind is available now on Amazon and you can add it to your shelf on Goodreads. 

Connect with T. Hammond online at Amazon, Goodreads, Facebook, and Team Red FB. 

Summer Kindle Fire Giveaway

This is a joint AUTHOR & BLOGGER GIVEAWAY EVENT! Bloggers & Authors have joined together and each chipped in a little money towards a Kindle Fire HD 7".

Kindle Fire HD 7" Giveaway

The winner will have the option of receiving a 7" Kindle Fire HD (US Only)

  Or $199 Amazon.com Gift Card (International)

  Or $199 in Paypal Cash (International)

 

Sponsoring Bloggers & Authors

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  Giveaway Details 1 winner will receive their choice of a Kindle Fire 7" HD (US Only), $199 Amazon Gift Card or $199 in Paypal Cash (International). There is a second separate giveaway for bloggers who post this giveaway on their blog. See details in the rafflecopter on how to enter to win the 2nd Kindle Fire. Sponsor a future Kindle Fire Giveaway by signing up HERE. Ends 8/15/13 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash.

Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the participating authors & bloggers. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.   a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: In His Stead

Thomas Lane has already lost one son to the war in the Middle East. When his second son's National Guard unit is called up, he struggles with the reality of the situation. He doesn't want to lose another son, and he doesn't want to see his youngest son tainted by the effects of war as he has been. The solution...to take his son's place and serve in his unit so his son will stay safe. 

The premise for this book was very interesting. The idea of Civil War Era law being put into action today intrigued me. I didn't find the overall acceptance of the law in this book to be very realistic, but I could understand the desire a father would have to spare his son from the brutalities of war, and possibly from death. 

Despite the intriguing idea of this book, it is one that I truly struggled with. I think readers will either identify with this book easily because they share similar views as the characters/author, or they will struggle with it as I did because I did not share some of those views. 

What I struggled with most in reading this book were the attitudes and motivations of the characters. In the first few chapters, the main focus seems to be on Thomas Lane fearing that he will lose his youngest son in the war, just as his oldest son was. That, I found to be completely understandable. I connected with Tom's desire to spare his son from seeing the harsh side of war, especially since the book had already described the PTSD Tom suffered from after his own experiences in the military. The problems relating to the characters came, for me, when the focus changed from protecting his son to a more political message. 

Tom's son, Donnie, ends up in the National Guard after getting in trouble with the law. As an alternative to legal punishment, Tom's convinces the judge to agree to Donnie joining the Reserves instead, hoping it will "straighten Donnie out." Another motivating factor for both of his son's joining the military was the college tuition assistance it provided. Both of these were valid reasons for Donnie to end up in the military, however, my problem with this came when Tom begins regretting these decisions and blaming the military. Tom seemed to know from the beginning that Donnie was not cut out for the military, yet he pushed him to join thinking the war would be end and Donnie would never actually see active duty. When that does not happen, he acted as if it was unfair that Donnie should be called up, that he was too young to face war. If those were his feelings, he never should have pushed Donnie to join the military in the first place. 

Also, when it came to college tuition being a reason for joining, Tom goes from believing it is a good program to acting as if the military is tricking young people into joining, or preying on young people who can't find jobs elsewhere. The attitude from Tom and many other characters in the book seemed to be that of "I didn't sign up for this. I only joined for the college tuition." Be that as it may, they still signed up for the military. Being called up for active duty was a risk they took, and I had a very hard time sympathizing with that kind of sentiment. The military offers incentives to join, just like many companies do, but they are not tricking young kids into joining. 

I also had a hard time with the fact that Donnie eventually agrees to letting his father take his place. Initially, he is upset because he knows others will think he is being a coward, but he admits that he never wanted to be a soldier and agrees to let his dad go instead. I didn't see the guilt I expected from Donnie over this decision. I would have thought that he would have been concerned with the fact that he was putting his own father in harms way, and would be responsible in large part for anything that happened to him. Yet, that wasn't the sentiment. He was proud of the situation even at the end of the book, and I had a difficult time with that. 

Overall, the concept of this book was interesting, but I didn't find it to be very plausible. The author attempts to validate the story and Tom's decision with the idea that one man can change the world with his sacrifice, but I didn't find this to be realistic in this instance. This is a book that was written to specifically relay a political message that the author wanted to share, rather than to tell a story. Some readers will agree with the message and enjoy this book, and others will not. 

In His Stead is available from: 

Amazon

You can connect with Judith Sanders online at: 

Goodreads * Iron Word Press * Twitter  

Guest Post: Judith Sanders

Today I am welcoming Judith Sanders,  author of In His Stead, to the blog today to talk about her new book. 

Book Summary

Retired Army Ranger Thomas Lane once burned for the taste of gunpowder and the thrill of the battle. But as he struggles to cope with his own PTSD and the death of his eldest son, killed by an IED in Afghanistan, Lane learns that the price of war is far too dear.

When the National Guard calls up Lane's youngest son to serve, Lane knows he will do anything to save his child--even if it means going in his place, a pursuit unheard of since the Civil War when slaves were sent to war in place of their masters.


In His Stead, Judith Sander's second novel, follows Thomas Lane's crusade against the United States Army, its JAG corps, a vengeful officer, the very son he is desperate to save, and his own wife, who has the Solomon-like choice of losing either a husband or a son.

Guest Post by Judith Sanders

"Sander's rich rendering of Civil War law, validated in the 21st century to save Thomas Lane's son is rare and spellbinding. The humanity linking the pages… will pierce you like a sword." 
—Retired Judge Advocate General of the U. S. Army Hugh R. Overholt

"An ancient law, a modern war, and a father's love that knows no bounds".  

First I would like to say IN HIS STEAD felt ‘right’ in the writing. The words literally ran out of me nonstop. All the stories from generations of my family members, my husband included, and friends who served in the military are the source from which the intense passion, endearing affections, and zesty humor between the pages has flowed.

This story pulled on my heart and strikes a cord with all parents. IN HIS STEAD prompts a question no parent ever wants to address.

It is the very question Thomas Lane faces: What would you be willing to do to rescue your child from eminent danger? 

Well, Thomas Lane has a great answer. 

The main character of IN HIS STEAD, Thomas Lane is a retired Army Ranger coping with PTSD. He is a man we might know. He is a loving father, a friend to his neighbors, and a beloved husband. He is not perfect and like many workaholic fathers leaves his children’s day-to-day lives in the hands of his wife. But when it comes to the military he is perfectly matched for the task he tackles.

After two years his family is still morning the loss of his eldest son to an IED in Afghanistan. So when Tom’s second and last son, a musician, with more earrings in his ears than the local jewelry store and who only joined the National Guard to stay out of jail is called to duty, Tom is determined not to leave this son’s future to fate. Tom goes on the offensive and is determined to not only prevent the boy from serving but if necessary to serve in his son’s place. After all, rationalizes Tom, ‘That’s what dad’s do, protect their kids”.


Tom searches for legal ammunition and finds it with the help of a Confederate slave owner who had been dead for the last one hundred and thirty years. 

He discovers an obscure Civil War common law that allowed one man to serve in another’s stead. Tom sets out on the rocky and dangerous road to take his son’s place, just as slaves were once sent to replace their masters and rich Northerner’s like J. P. Morgan and Grover Cleveland paid Irish immigrants to fight and die in their place. 

Tom ignites a chain reaction of conflicts between himself and the United States Army, it’s legal corps (JAG), a vengeful commanding officer, the much young soldiers in his platoon, and his own son. Tom’s obstacles include his own wife who is given the Solomon like choice to either say goodbye as another son goes off to war or let her war ravished husband take their boy’s place.

Thomas Lane is a father with heart: loving, idealistic, and dangerous when his family is threatened. 

But can one blue-collar American win his battle against the United States Army?
This troubled veteran’s rollercoaster journey reshapes many lives most of all Tom’s as he learns what it really means to be a dad, and by example equips his son with a code of conduct for being a man.


IN HIS STEAD is grounded in solid historical fact, common law, and traces Tom’s transformation from a troubled veteran and reluctant parent to a hero who earns the respect of family, fellow soldiers, and the very enemy he is fighting. Ultimately, Tom’s expression of fatherly love becomes a bright beacon in a world exhausted by the shadow of terrorism and the tears of war.

Meet Judith Sanders

Judith was born and raised in a small rural town in New Jersey. She had a family, became a
single mom and then pursued a career as a nurse working in hospitals and with the US military as a civilian nurse. Judith is remarried and has 3 children and 4 grandchildren and she and her
husband divide their time between homes in North Carolina and New Hampshire. 

Judith is an avid reader of fiction. Inspired by her natural story telling, a passion for characters,
and events around the first Gulf War and her husband’s military service in Iraq, she turned to the
right side of her brain to begin her writing career with her first novel, Crescent Veil, a reality fiction novel about a terrorist band who finds the missing WMDs from Iraq and a team of former
weapons inspectors who hunt down the terrorists. With her second novel, In His Stead (A

Father’s War) she honors the memories of those fallen and looks to a path to peace.

In His Stead is available from: 

Amazon

You can connect with Judith Sanders online at: 

Goodreads * Iron Word Press * Twitter *