Interview and giveaway from author: Karen Ann Hopkins



 



Author: Karen Ann Hopkins

Author of: Temptation







The link to my review of Temptation is here


Bio: A native of New York State, Karen Ann Hopkins now lives with her family on a farm in northern Kentucky, where her neighbors in all directions are members of a strict Amish community. Her unique perspective became the inspiration for the story of star-crossed lovers Rose and Noah. When she’s not homeschooling her kids, giving riding lessons or tending to a menagerie of horses, goats, peacocks, chickens, ducks, rabbits, dogs and cats, she is dreaming up her next romantic novel.





Interview:

1)      How did you come up with the idea to write about the Amish? Is any of this story related to real life events?

I was inspired to write TEMPTATION from my observations of the young Amish people of the community I moved into four and a half years ago.  Immediately upon settling into the new farm, a parade of Amish teens arrived to participate in the riding activities I held on a weekly basis.  Watching the interactions between the Amish teens and the non-Amish ones (the Amish call anyone not Amish, English) caused the idea of the forbidden love affair between Noah and Rose to sprout in my mind.  Although, TEMPTATION is completely fictional, there have been several Amish/English relationships within the community.  One in particular ended with the Amish girl leaving her culture to marry her English boyfriend.  The girl was shunned by her family and community, but didn’t regret her decision.

2)      What was your inspiration for this book?

The Amish community I live in was the inspiration for TEMPTATION, along with an adult Amish mystery I’m currently working on.  I quickly learned upon moving into the community that the Amish culture is intriguing on many levels.  It’s not always the cute and cozy world that people dream about.  They deal with many of the same issues that non-Amish people do.  Marital and family problems, financial stress, rebellious children and clashes between families in the community are commonplace.  I wanted to write my Amish fictional stories with the realness that I’ve witnessed myself.

3)      Do you have a certain time of the day where you like to write, and any special rituals that go with your writing?

Much of the time I was writing TEMPTATION, I was sitting in my car waiting for my Amish neighbors to finish their shopping or other activities.  I drove the Amish for a couple of years to make extra income and further immerse myself in the culture.  Being so close to the people I was writing about definitely added to the flow of ideas.  Otherwise, my favorite time to write is early afternoon, before the kids arrive home from school.  

4)      If it was possible would you ever be able to turn Amish and leave your old life and technology behind?

That’s an easy one—no way!  The parts about the Amish culture I admire most are living on a farm and the simplicity of the lifestyle.  Those are things that can be accomplished without joining a regimented group of people, living within the guidelines of strict rules.  I love music and driving my car way too much to ever make the transition.

5)      What was your most enjoyable memory researching for this book?

There have been many moments that stick in my mind, but one day in particular was extra special.  I drove a large Amish family to a property that the oldest son had purchased.  The young man had been crippled in a buggy/semi-truck accident that killed one of his sisters and her boyfriend.  The property was mostly wooded, with some pretty meadows dotting the landscape.  I joined the parents and siblings in cleaning out the small trailer house that sat on the property and clearing brush from around the building.  When the work was completed, we sat around a bonfire, enjoying some excellent Amish food and singing hymns (the Amish can sing hymns without the accompaniment of instruments, but they can’t listen to any music themselves).  The love that each family member had for each other was very evident that night.

 
 

 









Giveaway time!
(This giveaway is international)

   Rules to win:
  You must be GFC follower
+1 for tweeting a link to this giveaway

Leave a comment with your name and email address and I will email the winner

 The last day to enter this giveaway
  is September 18 at midnight





find Karen on facebook here
and don't forget to like her book on facebook here

Temptation Review



Title: Tempation
Author: Karen Ann Hopkins
publication date: June 26 2012
pages:380








Summary: Your heart misleads you. That's what my friends and family say. But I love Noah. And he loves me. We met and fell in love in the sleepy farming community of Meadowview, while we rode our horses together through the grassy fields and in those moments in each other's arms. It should be ROSE & NOAH forever, easy. But it won't be. Because he's Amish. And I'm not


Review:

Awhile back I had read a book about forbidden Amish love that was similar to the description of this book and loved it, once I saw it on the shelves I knew that I had to get it and try it out.

Temptation is one those books that you’ll either love or hate. I completely adored this book. It was a full 5 stars for me but there were some things I didn’t particularly like.

I’ll start with the things that I loved about this book:

I love when books change their point of views between characters, I actually prefer this way because you can read about the other persons emotions instead of just sticking to one person, so being able to read both Rose’s and Noah’s side of the story was a good move on the authors part.

The description and emotion in all of the characters was great! I could picture all of them easily and their emotions were true.

None of the characters lacked personality, each one was different and creative and I especially loved the relationships between Rose and her brothers, I personally don’t have any older siblings, but as an oldest sibling I understand the responsibility in having to look out for my younger siblings and even though Rose and Sam fought and picked on each other a lot. I loved how overprotective Sam was over Rose and I wish I had an older brother that would look out for me like that.

I did have a few problems with the book,

I felt like their love was to instant. All they did was stare at each other for the first time and they were practically married. I don’t really believe in love at first sight so the beginning of their relationship was unrealistic to me.

After they met the rest of the book was just them talking about their love for each other and their parents disapproval, the book didn’t really have much of a plot until the end where more of the action was.

 The only other critical thought about the book was even though Rose was only 16; her character almost seemed too childish. It just seemed like there was a huge immaturity level between Noah and Rose, even though Noah’s Amish life style makes him more mature than that of an 18 year old “English” boy.

But even after my critical thoughts I do recommend this book to anyone who’s looking for a different kind of read than their used to. It’s a tragic romance that’s doomed to fail, right?

5/5 stars

Giveaway of book #1 and #2 of the 39 clues...

It's time for another giveaway! I'm giving away book #1 (The Maze of Bones) and book #2 (One False Note)


  The Maze of Bones
author: Rick Riordan












One False Note
athor: Gordan Korman








Contest rules:
Rules: - you have to be a follower ( and don't forget to leave a comment with your email so that I can contact the winner)
USA only

Extra Entries +1 suscribe through email

That's it... easy right, good luck guys!!


Contest ends: July 4th

Happy Birthday to Me Review

Happy Birthday to Me
Author: Brian Rowe
Pages:175
publication date: April 7 2011







Summary: Seventeen-year-old Cameron Martin has a huge problem: he’s aging a whole year of his life with each passing day! High school is hard enough; imagine rapidly aging from seventeen to seventy in a matter of weeks, with no logical explanation, and with prom, graduation, and the state championship basketball game all on the horizon. That’s what happens to Cameron, a popular pretty boy who's never had to face a day looking anything but perfect. All Cameron wants to do is go back to normal, but no one, not even the best doctors, can diagnose his condition. When he finds love with a mysterious young woman, however, he realizes his only hope for survival might be with the one person who started his condition in the first place...



Review:

I had been asked to review this book a little over a year ago, and now I FINALLY got around to finishing it. I feel really bad about forgetting about this book, but once I found it and started reading it I couldn’t stop.

The plot of this book was very different, sure there were types of movies and books kind of approaching this type of summary but nothing came close to this. I have to admit I wasn’t crazy about reading it. But I’m glad I did, If I was in the type of situation that Cameron was in I don’t know what I would do but hiding would definitely be one the things I would do. I mean how crazy would it be to age one year every day that goes by.

   Thankfully Brian gave us good details on how his aging went. I could clearly picture him each day of his aging life. There were some parts that I made me kind of think like really? Like when he was 60 years and still going to school, he wanted to go to prom with someone. I’m pretty sure no sane girl would go to prom with a 60 year old man, no matter if he was 17 inside or not. The creepiness of doing that kind of turned me off of that part for a bit but after that I got right back in the story.

It’s definitely a book you should check out, the other two books in this trilogy are already out so if you read and enjoyed the first one be sure to check out the second one ( Happy Birthday To Me Again) and the third book (Happy Birthday To You) which you can find on Amazon for 2.99

Happy reading!

3.5 stars

I've Got You Covered

I've Got You Covered
Author:Toni Sinns
publication date: April 12 2012








Summary: Anistasia moves a lot to get away from her past. But when she lands in Brooksville she runs into John. Something about him just makes her feel so safe and he can't get her off his mind. The two soon learn they actually have more in common than they could possibly ever know.



Review:

I’m always attracted to these types of books, where the main character has a bad/sad past and they find a guy who loves them for her and they fall in love, and they all seem to be predictable. But after reading I’ve got you covered I totally fell in love with this book.

I instantly connected with the main character, and what her life was all about. There were some parts that dragged on a little bit for me but it was a great book!

The cover reminds me of an adult romance novel though; when I first looked at what this whole book was about I saw the cover and was instantly turned off because adult novels don’t appeal to me but after reading the summary I decided to give it a try and I loved it. I always misjudge books, and I almost always love them.

The only thing with this book is that I wished there would be a bit more mob parts, and car chases.  If you love romantic suspense novels then you’ll want to read a copy of I’ve got you covered right away. You can honestly say that there aren’t many books that you read that involves the mafia. Readers will fall in love with this book starting on the first page.

IMM #18



Please leave a comment with your IMM and tell which books were you favorite :)

Sela is free for kindle today and tomorrow only!


Sela

This is book #2 in the Leland Dragon Series

link to get Sela for free: Click here



Summary:
Peace was fleeting. Vorham Riddess, Venur of Esra Province, covets the crystal ore buried deep in Leland's mountains. His latest device to obtain it: land by marriage to a Leland maiden. But that's not all.

Among Dragonkind, old threats haunt Mount Gore, and shadows loom in the thoughts of the Red who restored life to land and love. A dragon hunter, scarred from countless battles, discovers he can yet suffer more wounds.

In the midst of it all, Sela Redheart is lost, driven from her home with only her old uncle to watch over her. As the dragon-born child of Kallon, the leader of Leland's Dragon Council, she is trapped in human form with no understanding of how she transformed, or how to turn back.

Wanderers seek a home, schemes begin to unfurl, and all is at risk as magic and murder, marriage and mystery strangle the heart of Esra. A struggle for power far older and deeper than anyone realizes will leave no human or dragon unaffected.

In a world where magic is born of feeling, where the love between a girl and a dragon was once transformative, what power dwells in the heart of young Sela?



link to get Sela for free: Click here

SIlver Knight review


Silver Knight
Author: Caron Rider
publication date: Februry 24 2012
pages:278





Summary:
When seventeen-year-old Diana recognizes an elderly priest in a video on YouTube, she realizes that reincarnation is real and that she’s been alive before! Every night in her dreams, she relives her past learning that it’s kill or be killed. Now a bishop at the Vatican whom she saved in another life calls on her once more. She is needed to help defeat evil within the catacombs of Rome. But when she arrives in Rome, she meets Alexander – the man of her dreams! Through the centuries she has loved him…betrayed him...been killed by him. Will she give him another chance or this time will she strike first?(




Review:

It’s not often you read about demon slayers, and being reincarnated over and over. But what made Diana special was that she is able to dream about her past lives. That may not be the best thing. She only dreams about her deaths. Never about the good things, just her deaths and how Alexander has killed her over and over again.

At the beginning I was unsure if I was going to like this book but these types of books always surprise me. And once I started it I couldn’t stop, this book was very fast paced and it was almost scary to read about all her deaths, and to be able to imagine all that happening to one person is just unbearable. I found myself cringing when she got hurt or laughing when she was laughing. And I found myself rooting for Alexander and Diana to get together.

The only problem with those two is that Alexander is a demon and Diana is a demon hunter, you would think that Diana would slay him and get over him when she had the chance, but somehow he convinces her differently. I don’t want to give too much away, but I will say you won’t be upset with the outcome.

I don’t believe in reincarnation but the whole plot was different and creative and I loved every second of it. I loved how she incorporated history in this book, putting her own creative twist on things. I was very surprised at the biblical reference and loved that she incorporated that into her book.

And while we didn’t get a whole lot of Alexander, only bits and pieces I know that he will show more often in the next book “Silver Demon” which hopefully will come out sometime later this year.

I highly recommend reading this book, you won’t be disappointed!

4/5 stars


Don't forget to read the author interview with the author here

Interview with Caron Rider author of "Silver Knight"



Author:Caron Rider

Author of: Silver Knight



Bio:

In the 1990s, I began teaching adults to use computer software, hardware, and networking. After several years, my clients became younger and younger until I found myself tutoring high school dropouts to pass the GED. I found working with at-risk teenagers so rewarding that I changed my undergraduate major to Education.
Upon graduating from the University of South Alabama with a B.S., I began teaching high school history and continue to teach history classes online. I now live in rural Missouri with my two kids, two dogs, two cats, and father.


Interview:

1-      How long did the writing process for Silver Knight take?

Silver Knight took almost a year to write and edit.

2-      When will the second book come out?

Silver Demon will come out towards the end of June (barring any technical problems with editing). So hopefully it will be available on the Summer Solstice.

3-      What inspired you to write a book about slaying demons?

I am a history buff and particularly like history about different religions and how they came about. In my family history I have a relative who was named Solomon. Now one of the more famous people in Jewish and Christian history was King Solomon. So there I have one connection with the idea of people coming back around based on a continuation of their names (not that I think I’m descended from King Solomon, but you never know). Then there is an ancient text known as the Testament of Solomon, which talks about Solomon controlling armies of demons. So I put him together with killing demons and reincarnation.  From there I simply wanted an enjoyable story that had a strong female lead.

4-      Obviously there’s going to be a second book, how many books are going to be included in the series?

I thought for the first part of The Silver Series, it would be a trilogy. From that point I would like to have some stories about several of the other characters that might be stand-alone novels within this same demon-killing world.

5-      If you could be any character (male or female) from your book who would you pick? And why?

I would be Bathsheba. In Silver Knight, she already has a connection to several of the characters (and if you’ve read it and were paying particular attention, then you may  have found all the connections), but readers will learn a lot more about her in book two. She’s an exciting character.

6-      While writing this book, did you write it cover to cover, or did you write it in separate pieces?

I have a really weird writing style that drives my editor nuts! I go through and write the whole thing, but it tends to be very bare bones. So then I go back and start filling in pieces.  I have a feeling my methodology will probably evolve some as the story progresses.

7-      Do you have any rituals you do while writing (like listening to music, etc.)? And when do you do most of your writing?

I do my best brainstorming when I listen to music and drive but I have to write while it’s quiet. Really I’m at my computer from about 6:30 a.m. until about 10:00 p.m. I only take breaks to tend to the house, kids, grandpa, animals, etc.

8-       What are some things about you that nobody really knows?

That’s a tough one because I’m pretty much an open book. When my students first meet me, it’s funny because if you ask me a question, I’m going to answer it and they are often very surprised at those answers. I’ve taught many who are considered “at-risk” so their attitude towards me is often hostile until they discover that I grew up more poor than many of them and that I had a mother who was an alcoholic and drug addict. All of a sudden I’m not considered “the enemy” because they feel like I’ve faced some of the same hurdles. It’s important to me for them to know that they can overcome whatever life has thrown at them.

Free kindle book from author Michael West

You can get a free kindle book only till tomorrow, Please download this book onto your kindle, just follow the link below.



Poseidon's Children

Author: Micael West
Publication date: March 2012




Summary:
Man no longer worships the old gods; forgotten and forsaken, they have become nothing more than myth and legend. But all that is about to change.

After the ruins of a vast, ancient civilization are discovered on the ocean floor, Coast Guard officers find a series of derelict ships drifting in the current—high-priced yachts and leaking fishing boats, all ransacked, splattered in blood, their crews missing and presumed dead.

And that’s just the beginning.

Vacationing artist Larry Neuhaus has just witnessed a gruesome shark attack, a young couple torn apart right before his eyes….at least, he thinks it was a shark. And when one of these victims turns out to be the only son of Roger Hays, the most powerful man in the country, things go from bad to worse.

Now, to stop the carnage, Larry and his new-found friends must work together to unravel a mystery as old as time, and face an enemy as dark as the ocean depths

And the winner is............





First place- TayteH



congrats to you both.... if you don't respond in the next 72 hours I will pick another candidate

Thank you all for participating :D

BLOGOVERSARY DAY!




So in honor of having my blog up for one year I decided to hold a giveaway.
There will be two prizes for first and second place.

First place:
1-will get a box full of YA books (mystery box)
2- swag
3- and a $10 gift card to Amazon

second place:
1-will get swag
2- and a $10 gift card for Amazon



Rules:
1- you have to be a follower ( and don't forget to leave a comment with your email so that I can contact the winner)


Extra Entries
+1 suscribe through email
+2 tweet or post on blog about the contest (leave me a link in the comments along with your email of the link you posted)

(first place isn't international, but second place can be)

Contest ends on: Saturday March 10

Blogoversary giveaway!!!






In just two short days it will be my one year Blogoversary, and yes I havn't posted many things this year yet but I plan on keeping up with it again. So in honor of me having a blog for a year I am going to have a HUGE giveaway....

Come back in two days where the rules and prizes will be posted :D

The Scorpio Races Review



The Scorpio Races
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
pages: 404
publication date:October 18 2011






Summary:
It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die.

At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.

Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn’t given her much of a chance. So she enters the competition — the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen



Reviews:

There are so many thoughts whirling around my head right now. This book was so different from anything I have ever read. I don’t think I ever even read the summary of this book before I read it; I just automatically had to read it because it was written my Maggie Stiefvater.

I had never heard of the capall uisice story before, I mean who would have known that there was a story about dangerous fairy horses that came out of the water. Horses that eat flesh and yearn for the salt water, dangerous living creatures that can kill you at any possible moment.

While reading this I became afraid of these creatures, I felt like part of the story, like I was right there watching the Scorpio Races, watching the people get trampled on and killed by these horses. Maggie really had a vision for this story, you can tell just by reading the details that she put into this book. And being able to throw in some romance in the book was icing on the cake.

Every time she described one of the horse’s cry I would shudder because it was almost like I could hear them myself.

I loved how she switched the POV from Sean to Puck, there were both such amazing main characters that you couldn’t help but feel drawn into their lives. All the characters really pulled the book together, and you could either love or hate the characters. 

It did take me a little while to read, the beginning was a little slow and boring but it was work it. In the end I couldn’t stop reading it. I can’t say I was that shocked with the ending. There are some books where you get to the end of the book and you read the last word and you’re disappointed. But the ending for “The Scorpio Races” was perfect. A perfect ending to a perfect book.

4/5 stars

In My Mailbox #17



Thanks for watching, please leave a comment on what books your excited for in this up and coming year.

A Million Suns Review



A Million Suns
Author: Beth Revis
pages: 386
Publication Date: January 10 2012




Summary:
Godspeed was fueled by lies. Now it is ruled by chaos.
It's been three months since Amy was unplugged. The life she always knew is over. And everywhere she looks, she sees the walls of the spaceship Godspeed. But there may just be hope: Elder has assumed leadership of the ship. He's finally free to enact his vision - no more Phydus, no more lies.

But when Elder discovers shocking news about the ship, he and Amy race to discover the truth behind life on Godspeed. They must work together to unlock a puzzle that was set in motion hundreds of years earlier, unable to fight the romance that's growing between them and the chaos that threatens to tear them apart.

In book two of the Across the Universe trilogy, New York Times bestselling author Beth Revis mesmerizes us again with a brilliantly crafted mystery filled with action, suspense, romance, and deep philosophical questions. And this time it all builds to one mind-bending conclusion: They have to get off this ship.


Review:


I don’t regret reading this book this early but I am a little sad that now I have to wait a year and a half for the next one. I loved Across the Universe and I loved A million Suns, I have a feeling the next one is going to be even better!

There were parts of this book that were just amazing and some that I thought were a little slow but the slow parts were what led up to the amazing parts. I felt like there could have been more parts with Elder and Amy together. Not that they weren’t together a lot of the times but for some reason I just didn’t feel like it was enough. It’s hard to explain and put into words.

A Million Suns was all I hoped it could be and more, we learned more about Elder’s past and his struggle with becoming leader. It was so hard for him to take charge and lead thousands of people onboard the ship.

 There were riots, fights, romance, hate, drama, mystery and drama. I can relate to Amy on the whole feeling claustrophobic onboard the ship. I know I would feel the same way, but it all feels interesting how they have cities and levels. I can’t really grasp the hugeness of the ship. In my mind I’m thinking of like large airplanes. But Godspeed is SO much bigger than that.

The whole mystery of the book was exciting, although I want to kick myself because I have a tendency to read the last page of the last two chapters of the book and I kind of ruined the surprise of who it was. *sigh*

All well, it helped me get through the book knowing who it was; otherwise I would be so tense, ready for the reveal of who was doing it and why. It was so unexpected!

Beth Revis did an absolute wonderful job creating the second book in the Across the Universe trilogy, I can only hope that the next one will be even better then the first two, I’m excited to see what Beth has in store for us next, and I’m interested in what her next book/series will be about when she finishes the Across the Universe trilogy.

4/5 stars

In My Mailbox # 16





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