Author Interview ♥ Piper Shelly

Today, I have an interview with the author of Her Game, His Rules to share with you guys!

 

Don't know what that is? Here's a summary:

 

Her Game, His Rules by Piper Shelly

 

Description from Goodreads:

She’s seventeen. She’s snarky. She’s trouble…

It wasn’t nicking an expressive watch or diamond bracelet that landed Jona Montiniere in the clutches of the police. It was just a darn sweater. After a spectacular, failed escapade, she is forced to return to a mother who spurned her. Jona is furious about the judge’s decision—until she meets her mother’s companion. Gorgeous, provocative, and mysterious, Julian is everything her lonely heart desires. But then he awakens her mother from the dead with a simple touch.

Hunting for the truth in a strange new home, Jona unearths broken promises and bitter secrets. Soon she realizes she’ll once again lose someone she loves…unless she gives him a reason to stay. But how the hell do you keep an angel earthbound?

 

 

Now for the interview!

 

1. Her Game, His Rules. Briefly describe it, please?
It’s the story of young Jona Montiniere, who’s been dumped in an orphanage by her mother
when she was only 5 years old. At 17, and shortly before her release, she gets caught stealing
a sweater and is sentenced to six weeks of living in France with her mother and a family she’s
never known of. The only plus side of this horror? Julian, the most gorgeous, most stubborn
and most mysterious guy she’s ever met.

 

2. Where did you get the idea for Her Game, His Rules?I have a soft spot for angels, even made some very nice, very strange experiences with one
in the past. I’m about to write a blog post about him for my website. If you come there in
December, you can read more about the true inspiration for Julian. ;-)

 

3. What was the writing process like for this book? Anything fun to tell us about it?
Well, the process seemed endless, as I wrote the entire book twice. The first draft was too
lame, boring…way too British. LOL. One day I decided to just trash it. The second go was a
lot more fun…and successful. So many people love it from the first page. I knew then it was
the best decision I could have made.

 

4. Was it harder for you to create the characters or work out the plot? Which did you have
more fun with?
The characters’ personalities have changed a little from the first to the second draft. But it was
the plot that troubled me more. I needed to work in details which I wanted to come back to
later in the book. Then with all the fast writing, I sometimes forgot about those details, then
had to go back and rewrite. But all in all, it was pretty easy to write the book. It only took me
ten months…which IS fast for me.

 

5. Characters are always super important when I'm reading a book, and for good reasons. Can
you tell us about the characters in this book?Well, I don’t want to tell too much, because I think everyone should get their own picture of
them while reading. But I think it’s cool to say that Jona, a feisty teenager who speaks fluent
sarcasm, meets a stubborn angel whose greatest come backs are those where he doesn’t have
to say anything at all. ;-)

 

6. How did you come up with the names for the characters in this book?
I don’t know really. Most of the time, it’s very hard for me to find the perfect names. In this
book, the names were the first things that came to me. I only had to craft a story around them
afterwards.

 

7. I must say, that cover...heh. LOVE. What's your opinion on it?I was the one who designed it, and yes, I DO LOVE IT. I searched for hours on end for
the perfect pictures to piece together. Then I had help from a graphic artist, who shaped
everything right after my imagination. The result is perfect. I wouldn’t do it any different.

 

8. What has your experience with bloggers been like?I’ve been invited to many interviews and guest blog posts recently. I’m really enjoying all this
and I find it great how many people run a reading-site, really. I always thought it’s only the
authors who have a blog to be present in the net. But it seems there are actually more book-
lovers than writers out there. They do a great job for us authors to promote our books. Huge
thank you to everyone!

 

9. Reading! We all love it, obviously. What are some books you've read recently/are looking
forward to reading ASAP?With all the writing and editing for author friends, I don’t get as much reading done as I’d
like. But I absolutely enjoyed the HUSH HUSH saga from Becca Fitzpatrick. And I love
everything vampire. Kerrelyn Sparks will release her newest book soon. Must have it!

 

10. Okay, last question. Because I'm dying to know: can you give us a little swoon-ish fact
about Her Game, His Rules?
A swoon-ish fact? Oh my God! There are quite a few. But I don’t want to tell them all.
Instead I’d like to present you with an exclusive little excerpt, just for you.

 

Sunlight reflected off the wings, tinting his shape in a mist of halo that made it hard to look away. But at the same time the light blinded me. I swallowed hard against my bafflement. “Can I touch them?”

For the first time since we came out here, Julian seemed the tiniest bit uncertain. “No one has ever
touched them before.”

“I promise to be extra gentle,” I teased, already crawling toward him. Kneeling, I reached out. Julian’s sudden tension didn’t escape me, but it also couldn’t make me stop. As soon as I traced the curve of his left wing, the limb twitched away. A visible shiver raked over his naked torso.

“Sensitive, are we?”

“You have no idea,” he drawled on a deep rumble.

I gasped when he grabbed me around the waist and pulled me into his lap. Dipping his head, he
purred into my ear. “But I can show you a spot or two on your body which are just as sensitive.” He took my earlobe into his mouth, nibbling gently.

The whisk of his tongue coaxed a surprisingly loud moan from me. He continued to nibble a path
along my jaw, and I surrendered to his embrace.

His wings flapped to the front. They closed around me, enveloping me in total protection. His
tongue trailed down my chin and neck in the most enticing way, aiming at the hollow in the base of my throat. I angled my head to give him access to that sensitive part of my skin. Above, a swarm of swallows hovered motionless in the sky.

“You froze time again?” I breathed, running my fingers through his silky golden hair.

Julian skimmed my cheek with the tip of his nose. When his eyes were level with mine, he gave me a
determined stare. “I told you, I like to savor.”

 

Um, whoa. Not what I expected. Hehe. Thank you to Piper Shelly for answering my questions and giving us the excerpt!

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Two things I have on me at any time: A pen and a notepad.

The written word is my greatest joy. Hardly a day goes by that I don’t boot up my laptop, open my latest project, and get drawn into the deep dungeons of my mind to bring all the mischievous and enticing characters flittering around there to life. Or rather, onto the page.

From my early childhood on, I scribbled down everything and anything I found useful. Tons of diaries and rough drafts of short stories are piling on my shelves. Besides writing, I enjoy to travel around the world where I find inspiration during a romantic dinner in Paris, a walk on the beach with my dear husband, or a breakneck rollercoaster ride in Disneyland with our son. Whatever the adventure, it finds its way into my books.

I started writing paranormal romance in my late teens and will probably still be sitting at my desk writing fiction when I’m well over ninety. At least that’s how I imagine my life going on from here.

 

♥Jessica(:

 

Dante ♥ #DaemonInvasion Updates♥

Just a few little updates on our two favorite book boys, yes?

 

Dante:

I'll start with Dante. I just have a couple of things to say real quick, and then I'll let you know how Houston's doing ;)

 

1. Have you added The Collector on Goodreads yet? Because the ever amazing Victoria Scott told us V Mafia members that if the book reaches:

 

 -4,000 adds on Goodreads by December 31, 2012, all the family members get an exclusive excerpt. WHICH WE CAN POST ON OUR SITES. As in, I will post an excerpt for y'all.

 

 -4,500 adds on Goodreads by December 31, 2012, an exclusive trailer (approved from Dante himself, hehe) will be given to all family members to watch, and share. Which means, I'll show y'all that, too.  Seriously, I like to share things. I'm nice like that.

       

               The moral of this is that you should ADD THE COLLECTOR ON GOODREADS.

Thanks! ;)

 

2. Victoria got some really cool THE COLLECTOR buttons! See?

Aren't they so flippin' awesome? I think they're great! Do you want some? I mean, I know I want some. You're probably wondering how you can score some of these sweet little declarations of awesomeness. Weeeell, Victoria Scott is having a giveaway! Click HERE to go to her blog and enter! Other than this, I haven't heard of any other way to get these buttons. Trust me, if there was a way, I'd be all over it. So go enter!

3. I wasn't planning on having three, but I JUST made a new fan art for THE COLLECTOR, so...here it is!

Yeah. I know. Hehe.

 

Now, MOVING ON...

 

 

Daemon:

And by "Daemon" I of course mean the Daemon Invasion! Which brings us to VOTING FOR HOUSTON.

 

Yes, I say we should all VOTE FOR HOUSTON.

 

From what I'm hearing, this is turning out to be a big battle between L.A. and Houston. But all the cool people are voting Houston. So...yeah. ;) Hehe. And because this video is so completely AWESOME, I'm going to share it with you. Stacey made it...and it is so funny!

 



Couldn't have said it better myself.

 

Remember, folks: If Houston wins, the nation wins.

 

#VOTEHOUSTON

 

Click HERE to be a great person and vote (for Houston).

 

♥Jessica(:

 

P.S. Remember that there are A BUNCH of Texas bloggers offering giveaways if Houston wins. This bunch of bloggers DOES include me. It'll be my biggest giveaway ever, and it will be international. But only if Houston wins. And no, I'm not even sure what I'll be giving away, exactly. Probably a super cool box of books, signed books, swag, and signed swag. But we'll see! #VOTEHOUSTON, friends! That is all.



Blog Tour: Loving Summer by Kailin Gow ♥ Review

Loving Summer by Kailin Gow

Release Date: May 28, 2012

Format: ebook

Publisher: theEDGEbooks.com
Series: Loving Summer #1

Source: Gifted for blog tour

 

Description from Goodreads:

Library of Congress Short Description:

After not having seen childhood family friends, Rachel and her brothers Nathaniel and Drew in three years, sixteen year old Summer Jones, who has always spent her summers with the Donovans at her Aunt Sookie's Malibu beach house, discovers there is more to her long-time crush on one of the Donovan brothers this summer than meets the eye, especially when Astor Fairway, the handsome television star taking her aunt's acting coaching sessions, notices her. This summer, the summer she is noticed, would be the summer no one could forget.

Publisher's Marketing Copy:

Summer has always looked forward to spending her summers at her Aunt's beach house with the Donovans. To her, summers at Aunt Sookie's beach house was magical, especially getting to spend time with the Donovans - her best friend Rachel and Rachel's brothers Nathaniel, and Drew. Here at Aunt Sookie's beach house, they can be anyone and anything they dreamed. For Summer, she had always wished to become as pretty as Rachel and for her brothers to think of her as more than Rachel's friend. For Nat and Drew, summers at Aunt Sookie's beach house meant fun and escape, a place where they go to with their mom and sister for the summer, away from city life. They never thought this summer would be different. They never thought things would change as much as they did...and it all began with them falling for and loving Summer.

Loving Summer by Kailin Gow. This is the first Kailin Gow book that I've read--though I've heard lots about her books--and it definitely left me wanting to read more of her writing.

Loving Summer is essentially a love story--or a piece of a love story, since this is the first in a trilogy--with some family issues thrown in. It is incredibly sweet and a very fast read. This is a really good book to read when you want to just fly through something. It makes you think a little, but not so much that it brings down the easiness of the read.

Character Rundown:
Summer: Summer is the girl this whole trilogy is based around. I mean, honestly, her name's in te title. I don't think she's all that magnificent, though. I mean, she's a cool girl and all, but I don't see why everyone fawns all over her. And her little hang-up on Nat makes me want to slap her. Sorry, but it's true. I liked her around Astor, though.

Nat: I want to slap him. Leave the poor girl alone and quit confusing her. That is all there is to him--he jumps in, messes with Summer's mind, then backs away again to be gone until he decides to come around again. Not. Cool.

Astor: I liked Astor. I have a feeling this poor guy's going to get his heart broken, though. That's not a spoiler, that's a prediction. I enjoyed his and Summer's moments together and he's so nice! I relaly like him.

Drew: Drew!! I am Team Drew forever and ever. I love everything about him except his little man-whore tendency. He's so incredibly sweet. And so obviously the sweetheart of this book. I hope this trilogy defies the norm and actually makes the sweetheart love interest win. Becasue he cares about Summer the most and I vote Drew all the way.

Other characters: Rachel, the best friend. She was okay, I guess. I was more caught up in the fact that there were three love interests when I was expecting two. Aunt Sookie. This poor woman. That's all I'm going to say, at risk of spoiling.

The plot. As I said, this was a fast read, but there wasn't really much that I wasn't expecting. Or, if I wasn't expecting it, it wasn't too surprising anyway. This book makes big on the sweetness of it, not the surprises., which was fine for me. We all need a cute read every now and then.

The sweetness. I just said that this book is made of sweetness, like, two seconds ago, but I'll repeat in case you missed it: THIS BOOK? IS SWEETNESS PERSONIFIED. Lots of little bits of angst. There are three boys instead of two. If you're looking for a sweet read, this book is for you.

The ending. What would the first book in a trilogy be if it didn't end with something that made me want to read the next one ASAP? Because I do. Grrrr...

Overall, this book is sweet. And cute. If you're looking for a cute and sweet read, In suggest you give Loving Summer a go.

♥Jessica(:

 

Review: Rift by Andrea Cremer

Rift by Andrea Cremer
Release Date: August 7, 2012
Format: Hardcover, 431 pages
Publisher: Philomel
Series: Nightshade Prequel #1
Source: Borrowed from Danelle!

Description from Goodreads:
Chronicling the rise of the Keepers, this is the stunning prequel to Andrea Cremer's internationally bestselling Nightshade trilogy!

Sixteen-year-old Ember Morrow is promised to a group called Conatus after one of their healers saves her mother's life. Once she arrives, Ember finds joy in wielding swords, learning magic, and fighting the encroaching darkness loose in the world. She also finds herself falling in love with her mentor, the dashing, brooding, and powerful Barrow Hess. When the knights realize Eira, one of their leaders, is dabbling in dark magic, Ember and Barrow must choose whether to follow Eira into the nether realm or to pledge their lives to destroying her and her kind.

With action, adventure, magic, and tantalizing sensuality, this book is as fast-paced and breathtaking as the Nightshade novels.

I was sincerely distraught after finishing the Nightshade trilogy. Honestly, I could rant about that ALL. DAY. LONG. So naturally, after having my heart torn to pieces like that, I was...hesitant going into another book by Andrea, let alone one set in the same world, only hundreds of years earlier. Still, despite the hesitation, this book turned out to be worth it and sucked me in completely.

I will admit, the beginning didn't wow me as much as I thought it would--partly because of the Nightshade trilogy and partly because of the formal way it was written--but once the book got going, I was taken away yet again in a wonderful Andrea Cremer story. Her writing is just as wonderful as before, and she writes the most fantastic action scenes.

Character Rundown:
Ember: I liked Ember more than I liked Calla. Ember knows what she wants and sticks with it. I had little to none of the utter frustration Calla made me feel. Ember was a solid, respectful character. I look forward to reading more of her story.

Barrow: I love this guy. He is my boy in this series, no doubt about it. Jana from The Goddess says in her review that Barrow is very much like Dimitri from Vampire Academy. I agree with this--I did, in fact, find myself reminded of Dimitri a few times. Barrow is strong and mature and pretty much god-like. I adore his character!

Alastair: Alistair. What to say about him? I suppose he's a third point in this love triangle, but I don't feel much of that kind of love for him. He can be a cool guy, though he is a bit delusional at times. Poor guy. He doesn't make the best decisions given his situation, and I didn't like that. I'm a very judgemental reader, you know. And Alistair made me want to slap him a bit. Still, though...por guy. I feel for him.

Other characters: I loved reading them all. They were great in their roles and it was fantastic. That is all.

The plot. As I already said, this book takes a chunk of the beginning to really get into, but after that it's pretty much smooth sailing. I enjoyed this book very much.

Sweet things. This book has loads of sweet things. The only problem is that they're hidden within the time period norms. The romance was undeniably THERE--and so completely heart-warming--but it wasn't as obvious for most of the book as I would have personally liked. It takes a bit for something to truly happen with this. On the bright side, though, I have no doubt that the next book will make up for it tenfold.

The ending. What else would you expect from Andre Cremer than a cliff hanger? It didn't make me want to punch somebody, though, so as always, that is a plus.

Overall, I enjoyed this book more than I expected to going in, as I was hugely skeptical. Needed to protect my poor little heart this time. Nevertheless, this book reeled me in and I'm officially stuck in it. I await the next book with everyone else. Hopefully there won't be as much heartbreak as in Nightshade. *fingers crossed*

♥Jessica(:

Waiting on Wednesday! (15) ♥ All I Need by Susane Colasanti

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine where we tell y'all about the books we cannot wait to get our hands on!

All I Need by Susane Colasanti

Expected Publication: May 21, 2013

Publisher: Viking Juvenile

 

Description from Goodreads: 

The last night of summer is only the beginning.

Skye wants to meet the boy who will change her life forever. Seth feels their instant connection the second he sees her. When Seth starts talking to Skye at the last beach party of the summer, it’s obvious to both of them that this is something real. But when Seth leaves for college before they exchange contact info, Skye wonders if he felt the same way she did—and if she will ever see him again. Even if they find their way back to each other, can they make a long-distance relationship work despite trust issues, ex drama, and some serious background differences?

Teen favorite Susane Colasanti returns to the alternating-voice style of her beloved debut When It Happens in this Serendipity-inspired story about summer, soul mates, and the moments that change our lives forever.

 

Why I can't wait for this: I love Susane Colasanti. I've read almost all of her books (all except her newest, Keep Holding On) and adore them all. They're so sweet and I love reading them! So of course I'm excited for her next one. And goodness...this looks like a book I'm just going to LOVE!

 

What are you waiting on this week?

 

♥Jessica(: 

Teaser Tuesday! (19) ♥ Eve and Adam by Michael Grant and Katherine Applegate

Do you want to participate in Teaser Tuesdays? It's simple and hosted by MizB from Should Be Reading. All you have to do is:

-Grab your current read

-Open to a random page

-Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page

-BE CAREFUL NOT T INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)

-Share the title & author, too, so that the other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

 

Eve & Adam by Michael Grant & Katherine Applegate

Release Date: October 2, 2012

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

 

Description from Goodreads:

And girl created boy…

In the beginning, there was an apple—

And then there was a car crash, a horrible injury, and a hospital. But before Evening Spiker’s head clears a strange boy named Solo is rushing her to her mother’s research facility. There, under the best care available, Eve is left alone to heal.

Just when Eve thinks she will die—not from her injuries, but from boredom—her mother gives her a special project: Create the perfect boy.

Using an amazingly detailed simulation, Eve starts building a boy from the ground up. Eve is creating Adam. And he will be just perfect... won’t he?

 

 

 

Teaser: "I'm seeing an interesting side to Solo. He's not the blushing boy in my hospital room, rendered speechless by Aislin's antics." ~pg. 89

 

And there goes my teaser. What are YOU teasing us with this week?

 

♥Jessica(:

Dante Walker Playlist♥

Yes, you read that right. This is a playlist that I made (or, well, am making, becase if we're being honest, this is a last minute thing) for my boy Dante. But before we start:

 

Disclaimer: A lot of these songs are word play. Don't judge my whole taste in music off of these songs. Some of them I actually like, but others I just have on here because of the WORDS.

 

All right, list time! I'll have them all linked to a YouTube video for them. I'm not really being picky about the videos I choose, so long as the songs are on them. That's all that really matters.

 

1. "Bad To The Bone" by George Thorogood & The Destroyers: Honestly, does this one need an explanation? Dante ALL THE WAY.

 

2. "I'm Awesome" by Spose: I chose this one because the main words are "I'm awesome"--such a Dante thing to say, I think--and because this song is so funny"I'm

 

3. Made of Wax, Larry, What Are You Made Of?" by A Day to Remember: I was just listening to this song, and thought of Dante. I'm not sure why. "Don't blink, they won't even miss you at all..." something about those words...I don't even know. But I feel this song should be on this list anyway. There's a lot more in the lyrics that makes me think Dante, too, but I'm not going to bore you with it here.

 

4. "Enchanted" by Taylor Swift: STOP. Before you jump all over me about how in the world this could be a Dante song, listen to me for a sec. Have you read the little Dante Halloween thing Victoria wrote? Because that is what makes me think this song. The girl's at a party, standing there, sees Dante, and BOOM. She's stuck on him. I think this song 's perfect for that.

 

5."NJ Legion Iced Tea" by A Day To Remember: "I hope you're happy with yourself." Those words in this song make me think Dante. Quite a few ADTR songs bring Gante to mind, actually...maybe sometime I'll make a completely ADTR Dante playlist? Definitely someting to think about.

 

6. "Burnin' Up" by Jonas Brothers: This is another one of those word play songs. Because Dante? SO HOT. Hehe.

 

7. "Trade Mistakes" by Panic! at the Disco: I have a feeling that Dante has a more remorseful side underneath his tough exterior. I don't know this for a fact, but I think there may be a part of him that wants to trade his mistakes. Therefore, this song has made the list.

 

8. "We're Not Gonna Take It" by Twisted Sister: My brother and I are obssessed with this song, and it kind of occurred to me that...Dante wouldn't take it, either. So I get to add this! Yay!

 

9. "crushcrushcrush" by Paramore: I love Paramore. So I had to put one of their songs on here. And this one...I don't know about you, but I'M crushing on Dante.

 

10. "Another One Bites the Dust" by Queen: If you read the excerpt from The Collector, you'll get this. Because...another one bites the dust. ;)

 

Goodness...Another One Bites the Dust never fails to make me laugh. So, that's my playlist. I think I might make another one of these sometime...it was fun. Plus, now I'll be listening extra careful to songs for Dante wordplay ;)

 

♥Jessica(:

 

P.S. Remember that disclaimer? Well...maybe you CAN judge my taste in music off of this...ha!