Obsession with Books is turning 2!!

Obsession with Books is turning 2! 

I completely forgot about my one year anniversary so have been frantically checking my calendar regularly just to ensure I didn't miss my 2nd! I wanted to do a giveaway to thank everyone who has supported me and my blog, I didn't expect to be a part of such an AMAZING blogging community so this is a small way to say I appreciate your visits, comments and your friendship.

How the blog came to be::

When I first started blogging (on the 30^th March 2011), I did it as a way to keep track of all the books/series/authors I was reading, I was using Goodreads but only ever rating the books so my blog came about to log my personal thoughts and to be honest I did it never expecting to have one follower let alone 1600+ so it has truly been an unexpected welcome.

Why I love it::

Besides for my sanity!! I have met some amazing blogging friends from all around the globe which has been absolutely wonderful, they are each inspirational and reading the comments I receive is something that makes my day so a very BIG thank-you!!

Getting to chat to publishers and authors is something I also didn’t expect and it still wows me every time I receive a book; get a tweet or a message from someone I really admire, my family at times thinks I am crazy when I squeal like a fangirl!

Thank-you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who follows me here, on Twitter, Goodreads or Facebook, it is greatly appreciated!

Giveaway::

So as a way to celebrate this milestone I have decided to offer two (2) very special followers a chance to win a book of their choice (pre-orders accepted) from The Book Depository to the value of $15aud each.

** Giveaway is open internationally as long as TBD ships to you.

** Ends midnight 7^th April 2013 aest

** The book will be shipped by the Book Depository - no responsibility will be taken for misplaced/lost items.

** Not all options are mandatory, my only requirement is you follow Obsession with Books in some way.

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Interview & G!veaway - Sweet Evil (The Sweet Trilogy #1) by Wendy Higgins

I am so pleased to feature the wonderful Wendy Higgins on my blog today for an interview and a giveaway of Sweet Evil, which is the first book in the Sweet trilogy.

Follow Wendy: Twitter – Goodreads – Facebook – Website

My Review

Author: Wendy Higgins
Series: The Sweet Trilogy
Pages: 447
Genre: Young Adult – Paranormal
Publisher: HarperTeen

Amazon – Barnes & Noble – The Book Depository

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

Embrace the Forbidden

What if there were teens whose lives literally depended on being bad influences?

This is the reality for sons and daughters of fallen angels.

Tenderhearted Southern girl Anna Whitt was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She's aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but Anna, the ultimate good girl, has always had the advantage of her angel side to balance the darkness within. It isn't until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage and her willpower is put to the test. He's the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna.

Forced to face her destiny, will Anna embrace her halo or her horns?

Interview:

Welcome to Obsession with Books Wendy, I have recently read and thoroughly enjoyed Sweet Evil, are you able to tell us a little about The Sweet Trilogy and yourself?

Hi! Thanks for having me! There’s not much to say about me. I was a high school English teacher for a couple years, and now I stay home with my children and write full time. It’s my dream job! :)
The Sweet Trilogy is ultimately a love story about two children of demons who have a lot going against them. They have to choose between their love and their safety.

When and why did you begin writing?

I began writing in elementary school as soon as I learned how. I was always lost in my own imagination, and writing down those stories was the only way I could get them to stop looping through my head.

Where did the inspiration for your book Sweet Evil come from?

I’m not certain. Many things in my life led up to writing this story: the relationships I’ve had, friendships, heartbreak, family issues, my spirituality, books I’ve read...it all sort of came together and hit me when the time was right.

Each of the characters in Sweet Evil are so very different, was there anyone you found particularly challenging to write?

Kaidan was my challenging character. He likes to keep things to himself, so many of his feelings needed to be portrayed through gestures and actions. I found myself rewriting his scenes many times to try and get it right.

What is your ideal day as an author?

Ideally I write in snatches of stolen time alone. If I can wrangle a babysitter, or during the few hours each week while both kids are in school/preschool, I dive into my story and try to make the most of every second I have in solitude. Mostly I write at night when everyone’s sleeping.

Do you mind telling us how long it took for you to write Sweet Evil?

The first draft took seven weeks, but it was terrible. The beauty was in revision. I’m a constant reviser/tweaker/editor, so in total it took a year to get the story to a point where it was publishable.

Is there anything about you that would surprise your readers? Any quirks, habits, routines etc.

I’m very boring at this point of my life, and it’s surprisingly fun! I made the most of my teen years and early twenties. I partied and lived a wild life. Actually, I’m lucky I made it through those years, lol. I was even a flight attendant for a short while. I was always boy crazy (I still am, though I now safely obsess over book boys and celebs like Channing). Oh, and I’ve survived two house fires.

Are you able to describe what your writing process is like?

It’s insane. I try to outline...I really do, but I’m bad at it. I write scenes as they come to me, and then I try to fit it all together. I end up needing to revise A LOT. I’m horrid at introductions/1st chapters, and tend to rewrite them over and over before getting it right.

Do you have a favorite character from Sweet Evil?

No...in all honesty I love them all. I guess my huge soft spots would be for Anna and Kaidan since everything centers around them.

Are there any books or authors that have most influenced you?

I’ve always leaned toward commercial fiction (though I’ve read and enjoyed plenty of thoughtful literary pieces over the years—it’s just not my fave). Growing up I loved the works of Beverly Cleary and R.L. Stine. Then Richelle Mead and her Vampire Academy.

Is there a book you are reading at the moment? And do you tend to favor a particular genre?

I used to gravitate to chick lit, but lately it’s YA or adult paranormal romance. It changes, of course. I have a huge TBR pile. At the moment I’m actually beta reading for an unpublished friend, and next
I’m reading My Heart Be Damned by my blogging buddy Chanelle Gray.

If Sweet Evil were to be made into a movie, who would you chose to play the roles of your main characters Anna and Kaidan?

Anna is hard. Maybe Chloe Moretz? And I could definitely see someone like Ben Barnes for Kaidan. I’d love to have an actual English guy play him.

What is up next for you?

I need to revise my Irish story, SEE ME, and send it to my agent. And this fall I plan to start my third and final Sweet book! Eeek! I’m hoping to hear news from the publishers about the rest of the trilogy very soon. :)

Quick Questions:
 
Fave band / television series / movie? Currently loving The Wanted/no TV for me/love Josh Hartnett movies like Lucky Number Slevin

Coffee or tea? Coffee

E-reader or hardcopy? Hardcopy

Cats or Dogs? Dogs

Ideal travel destination? The UK!!! Especially Ireland

Thank-you so much Wendy for taking time to talk to us today!

It was my pleasure. Thank you so much for having me!

Follow Wendy: Twitter – Goodreads – Facebook – Website

Giveaway:

I am giving away 1 x paperback copy of Sweet Evil

This giveaway is open to: Everyone as long as The Book Depository ships to you

Ends: September 28^th

Please enter via the Rafflecopter below!

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GIVEAWAY and REVIEW After Eden (Fallen Angels book 1) Katherine Pine

Author: Katherine Pine

Pages: ebook

Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

AMAZON: After Eden (Fallen Angels)

From the Blurb.

Devi knows she shouldn't trust the new employee at her favorite used bookstore. Sure, he's funny, smart and hands down the sexiest guy she's ever met, but something dark lurks behind his unassuming smile and sinful green eyes.

Still, a girl can't always afford to be picky. When an angel abducts your twin brother it should come as no surprise that the one person who can help you get him back is a demon--and only if you're willing to pay his price. 

REVIEW:

Thank-you kindly to author, Katherine Pine for giving me the opportunity to read and review After Eden.

The main protagonist Devi, is a young girl who has lived through a number of tragedies, the death of her father and the abduction of her twin brother, Kai. She is a loner and has few friends so spends a lot of time in her favorite book store, it is here she meets the new owner, Oz who is quick to smile, witty and good-looking in a rock-band emo sort of way.

(Possible spoiler, highlight to show) Devi was born without a spirit but with a beautiful soul, her twin on the other hand has the opposite and had a spirit which didn’t belong in the human world so had been summoned and abducted by an Angel.

As the story unfolds, it is a quest to protect Devi’s spirit from the evil and to try and work out where and why her brother had been abducted.

I really enjoyed Devi and Oz as characters, they complimented each other well; I was fascinated by Oz, his history and his curse, I really wanted to know more; he was quite sweet with Devi and I loved the way he was portrayed. The angel/demon mythology and the biblical undertones were quite unique and I really felt for Devi and the dread and fear she must have felt for her brother.

The plot itself is rather slow at times but improved toward the end of the book, the world building was interesting but I felt there were a few unnecessary parts which didn’t belong at all, one in particular (Devi’s BF’s revenge on her ex) was immature and didn’t quite fit the story so I found myself skimming. I felt a sense of something missing. It just didn’t grab me. I want to know how it all unfolds, but there was no sense of frustration, excitement or awe.

There were a number of spelling errors and a bit of repetition that lend itself to the writing feeling just a tad bit amateur, although it wasn’t a distraction from the story which gives credit to the world building and the character development

The secondary characters are well-rounded, I was intrigued by Forneus, the Devil but I wasn’t quite sure where his loyalties lay; I wasn’t so fond of Kim for a best friend & would have liked to have learnt more of Devi's relationship with her mother. There is a lot of room to grow and I feel that Pine gave us a good foundation for the beginning of a series.

After Eden has a few scenes containing graphic violence, which I didn't mind but others reading YA may.

GIVEAWAY:

Author, Katherine Pine has kindly offered one very lucky follower a chance to win an ebook copy of her novel, After Eden (through Smashwords voucher redemption).

You must be a follower in order to enter and leave a brief comment with your email address.

The lucky winner will be randomly selected and announced on Friday 6th May 2011.

GOOD LUCK!! and thanks again to Katherine :)