Tuesday 31 May 2011

Guest Post: It’s All About Character by Tess Hardwick

 Many readers ask how I get the ideas for my novels.  For me it always starts with a character.  I’m an observer of other human beings, more interested in the nuances of personalities and character traits than anything else in life. I am in constant observation and analysis mode while moving through this world, searching for hints to an individual’s true character loitering beneath their well-formed persona. 

I grew up in a small town.  What I learned early on is that people are not always what they seem: the preacher sneaking out of the bar at 2 a.m. with a woman of questionable reputation; the admired school teacher who beats his wife; the ‘it’ boy who gets an unpopular girl pregnant and lies to everyone, leaving for college as if he had no part in the wreckage left behind.  All of which was known to me, because in a small town, people talk, truths leak out to the observant kid with a bad habit of listening to adult’s conversations, noticing bruises on a woman’s arms, and befriending peers in all social groups. 

What I know now is this affinity I have for noticing everything meant that I was not merely burdened with too much knowledge of the suffering in our human condition but that I was a writer.  For it is the writer’s job to ascertain the truth hidden between the polishing and posturing of life and explore it through words and story.  I’m particularly drawn to telling stories of the voiceless, ordinary people caught in the trappings of their circumstance, rendering them powerless and invisible.  Perhaps this is from my past, hidden truths nestled in my own DNA; generations of women in my family tree, poor and disenfranchised from the best that life had to offer.

For Riversong, the lead character, Lee Tucker, came to me while I was driving the White Whale (that’s our family’s nickname for our Honda minivan) and listening to the song “Chasing Cars” by Snow Patrol.  Something about the lyrics and melody of that song brought her to my mind, a fair redhead, slender, a hidden fragility displayed to the outside world as cool and distant.  After she came to me, I had to know more about her.  Why was she this way?  What happened in her past that formed her?  As is my process, I then wrote a detailed character analysis and description, including everything from appearance, to her childhood, to her spiritual beliefs.  The story came then, along with several tricks of the fiction craft, like putting her into dire circumstances that forced her to make decisions she wouldn’t normally make.  Oh yes, we storytellers must always have an inciting event.

After the supporting characters are discovered and analyzed in the same way as my main character, the story writes itself.  The characters do what they do, say what they say, because they are fully imagined in my mind.  I know everything about them.  However, even so, sometimes they do things that surprise me, changing the direction of the story.  For example, I never had any intention of making so much of Riversong a love story, but my character Tommy wanted what he wanted and there was no stopping him. 

That’s when, as a writer, the real fun begins.

~~~

ABOUT RIVERSONG

Author Tess Hardwick assembles a colorful cast of endearing small-town characters and takes you on a journey that will make you believe in the possibilities of life – even in the face of overwhelming adversity and unimaginable grief. Lee Tucker is the kind of woman you find yourself rooting for long after the last page is read. 

When Lee’s husband commits suicide, he leaves her pregnant and one million dollars in debt to a loan shark. Out of options, she escapes to her deceased mother’s dilapidated house located in a small Oregon town that, like her, is financially ruined, heartbroken and in desperate need of a fresh start.  Lee's resilience leads to a plan for a destination restaurant named Riversong, to new chances for passion and love, and to danger from her dead husband's debt as her business blooms.
 A surprising mix of romance, humor, friendship, intrigue and gourmet food – Riversong entertains while reminding you of life’s greatest gifts. 

Paperback price: $9.95
eBook price: $2.99
Paperback: 278 pages
Publisher: Booktrope Editions
ISBN-10: 1935961144
ISBN-13: 978-1935961147


  •   Available on Amazon.com in Kindle and paperback version
  • Available on BarnesandNoble.com in Nook and paperback versions
  • Riversong is available internationally – please contact us directly if you do not see it on your preferred book purchase website
  • Remember - you can always read for free on www.booktrope.com
  •  Discounts or customized editions may be available for educational and other groups based on bulk purchase. For further information please contact info@booktrope.com



ABOUT TESS HARDWICK


Tess Hardwick is a novelist and playwright. She has a BFA in Drama from the University of Southern California. In 2000 she wrote her first full-length play, My Lady’s Hand which subsequently won the 2001 first place prize for new work at the Burien Theatre. This is her first novel.



Like her main character in Riversong, Tess is from a small town in Southern Oregon.  She currently lives in Snoqualmie, Washington with her husband, two small daughters and a teenage stepson.  She is inspired daily by the view of the Cascade Mountains from her home office window





CONTACT INFORMATION

Publishing/Marketing Contact
Author Contact
Katherine Sears
Tess Hardwick
425.830.9702
206.355.1735
www.booktrope.com
www.tesshardwick.com

Tess is available for personal appearances and interviews, please contact Katherine Sears (info above) to schedule.

 ~~~

Review: Wuthering Heights - Emily Brontë



Wuthering Height, buku yang ditulis oleh Emily Brontë dan diterbitkan untuk pertama kalinya tahun 1847 ini sempat membuat saya penasaran. Tidak hanya disebut-sebut di tiga buku berbeda yang telah saya baca sebelumnya ( Daddy Long Legs, Twilight series, Evermore), kisah tentang Catherine dan Heathcliff ini juga ternyata ada di Topeng Kaca, manga karya Suzue Miuchi. Tidak seperti di tiga buku yang hanya menyebutkan Wuthering Height sepintas lalu, di Topeng Kaca saya mendapatkan sedikit gambaran bagaimana kisah buku ini dimulai. Sayangnya di sana hanya memberikan penggalan kisah Heathcliff dan Catherine di masa kanak-kanak. Jadi saya tidak pernah mengetahui bagaimana kelanjutannya. Beruntung beberapa bulan kemudian versi novel pun diterbitkan. Dari buku ini lah saya akhirnya tahu bagaimana kelanjutan cerita klasik yang membuat perasaan saya bercampur aduk saat membacanya.

Kisah Wuthering Heights awalnya dinarasikan dari Ellen Dean (Nelly) yang bekerja sebagai pengurus rumah keluarga Earnshaw dan Linton. Cerita kemudian dilanjutkan oleh Mr Lockwood berdasarkan penuturan Nelly.

Semua kisah berawal dari kedatangan Heathcliff di tengah-tengah keluarga Earnshaw. Mr Earnshaw memutuskan untuk membawa anak laki-laki yang identitas tak jelas itu untuk tinggal bersama. Kehadiran Heathcliff yang mendadak tentu tidak mendapat sambutan yang hangat dari anggota keluarga yang lain. Walaupun akhirnya oleh Catherine Earnshaw memutuskan untuk menerima Heathcliff, namun tidak demikian dengan Hidley Earnshaw. Kebencian anak laki-laki keluarga Earnshaw seakan tak pernah padam sejak pertama kali Heathcliff menginjakkan kaki di Wuthering Heights. Bertahun – tahun Heathcliff mendapat perlakuan yang kasar. Dan semua itu semakin menjadi ketika Hidley menjadi kepala keluarga Earnshaw. Keberadaan Catherine di sisinya lah yang mampu membuat Heathcliff bertahan. Sayang suatu hari Heathcliff memutuskan untuk meninggalkan Wuthering Heights. Semua itu dikarenakan Catherine, wanita yang dicintainya sejak kecil, memilih untuk menikah dengan Edgar Linton. Bertahun-tahun yang mereka lalui bersama seakan tak berarti apa-apa. Heathcliff yang sangat terluka akhirnya memutuskan pergi.

Tiga tahun kemudian, dendam dan cinta yang tersisa membawa Heathcliff kembali ke Wuthering Heights. Tiga tahun ternyata cukup untuk mengubah peruntungan Heathcliff. Ia berubah menjadi pria kaya. Sayangnya bukanlah waktu yang cukup untuk menghapus lukanya di masa lalu. Namun waktu sesingkat itu, Heathcliff berubah menjadi pribadi yang kejam dan tanpa belas kasih. Segala macam cara ditempuh hanya untuk membalas sakit hatinya.Hanya dalam waktu singkat, dengan keculasannya, Heathcliff berhasil membalikan keadaan. Seakan tak pernah puas, hal itu terus ia lakukan terhadap generasi-generasi selanjutnya.

Wuthering heights adalah buku yang benar-benar menguras emosi. Sering kali saya menjadi marah hanya karena membaca setiap kalimat yang diucapkan oleh para tokoh. Tidak jarang saya ingin membungkam Heathcliff, Catherine ataupun para pelayan di Wuthering Heights karena kata-kata mereka yang tajam dan tidak sopan. Amarah saya juga tersulut melihat semua perlakuan tidak pantas yang diterima oleh Mr Linton ataupun Isabelle dan tokoh-tokoh lain. Hal ini juga yang membuat saya kadang berpikir untuk berhenti membaca buku setebal 487 halaman ini. Namun tingkah laku mereka pula yang membuat saya akhirnya mengambil buku kembali. Cerita gelap yang penuh kebencian ini sungguh membuat saya penasaran.

Tokoh favorit saya jelas bukan Heathcliff ataupun Catherine. Walau awalnya saya sempat menikmati kisah masa kecil mereka. Sosok Catherine Earnshaw kecil juga sangat menyenangkan. Tidak jarang saya dibuat tersenyum karena tingkah lakunya. Namun begitu beranjak dewasa dan mulai mengenal perasaan satu sama lain, baik Heathcliff maupun Catherine berubah menjadi tokoh yang tidak mengundang simpati sama sekali. Lihat saja bagaimana keegoisan Catherine ketika dihadapkan dengan lamaran Mr Linton. Saya tidak heran jika akhirnya Heathcliff memutuskan untuk pergi dan akhirnya kembali dengan membawa tumpukan luka dan sebersit dendam yang ternyata bertahan bertahun-tahun. Bahkan kisah cinta yang terjalin antara mereka berdua pun tidak dapat saya rasakan. Pertemuan-pertemuan yang kerap mereka lakukan bahkan saya anggap sebagai pengkhianatan terhadap Mr Linton.

Tokoh yang juga membuat saya kesal adalah Joseph. Berkali-kali saya mengharapkan, akan ada perubahan pada karakter ini. Sayangnya hingga di akhir buku, harapan saya tidak juga terwujud. Bahkan tingkahnya semakin mengesalkan. Kata-kata kasar tak ada henti-hentinya terucap dari pria yang nampaknya tak pernah tersenyum ini. Buku yang kerap dibacanya setiap minggu ternyata tidak mampu menjadikannya sebagai pribadi yang menyenangkan.

Untungnya tiga karakter itu tidak lantas membuat saya melupakan Nelly, Mr Linton dan Cathy. Masih ada bagian yang membuat emosi negatif akhirnya mereda. Terutama ketika membaca bab-bab yang menceritakan bagaimana perhatian dan kasih sayang Edgar Linton pada anak perempuannya. Pertumbuhan Cathy Linton dari kecil hingga menjelang remaja juga menarik untuk disimak. Dan yang menjadi bab favorit saya adalah ketika buku ini mulai bercerita tentang hubungan Cathy dan Hareton, yang juga menjadi akhir dari buku ini. Saya sungguh tak menyangka, Emily Bronte akan menulis akhir yang indah untuk Wuthering Heights yang kelam. Setelah melewati tahun – tahun yang suram, mereka yang tersisa memang pantas mendapatkannya.

Satu hal yang juga menarik perhatian adalah penamaan kediaman keluarga Earnshaw dan Linton. Saya jadi bertanya-tanya apakah setiap rumah di masa itu memang memiliki julukan seperti halnya Wuthering Heights ataupun Thrushcross Grange.

Cover
Saya suka pilihan warnanya. Gelapnya cerita di Wuthering Heights tergambar dengan jelas. Kalaupun ilustrasi yang mungkin dimaksudkan untuk menggambarkan Heathcliff dan Catherine tak ada di cover depan, menurut saya tidak akan mengurangi kesan yang ditinggalkan.

4/5

Penulis: Emily Brontë
Penerjemah: Lulu Wijaya
Penerbit: PT Gramedia Pustaka Utama
Cetakan: I, April 2011
Tebal: 488 hlm
ISBN: 978-979-22-6278-9

Monday 30 May 2011

Review: Firelight - Sophie Jordan


Buku fantasi adalah salah satu genre yang paling saya sukai. Terlebih ketika sang naga menjadi bagian dalam ceritanya. Ketika mengetahui bahwa buku yang ditulis oleh Sophie Jordan ini juga menuturkan kisah tentang si mahluk mitologi, saya sontak memasukkan buku ini ke dalam wishlist. Dari Goodreads dan Amazon, hampir semua blogger buku luar negeri menyukai buku ini. Terlihat jelas dari rating yang mereka berikan. Membaca beberapa review buku ini dan excerpt membuat saya semakin penasaran. Saat itu, akhir tahun 2010, saya belum mengetahui bahwa Firelight akan diterjemahkan oleh Penerbit Atria. Jadi, sempat terbersit keinginan untuk membeli buku yang diterbitan HarperTeen. Beruntung saya tidak terburu-buru melakukannya. Karena akhir Maret 2011, sang editor mengatakan buku ini sedang dalam proses pengeditan. Senang rasanya. Apalagi ketika buku ini dikirimkan langsung oleh penerbit untuk direview. Saya tidak perlu menunggu lama untuk mengetahui bagaimana kisah Jacinda, gadis keturunan naga.

Tidak seperti kawanan Draki- manusia keturunan naga- lainnya, Jacinda adalah jenis draki yang tidak biasa. Dia adalah satu-satunya yang memiliki kemampuan untuk menyembur api. Keberadaan Jacinda menjadi sangat berarti. Ia menjadi tumpuan harapan. Karena draki penyembur api akhirnya muncul setelah menunggu selama empat ratus tahun. Hal ini juga yang menjadi alasan mengapa Severin,ketua kelompok bersikeras untuk menikahkan Jacinda dengan pewarisnya, Cassian. Diharapkan, mereka berdua akan menghasilkan draki-draki penyembur api lainnya.

Namun ide itu ditentang keras oleh ibu Jacinda. Ia keberatan kalau anak perempuannya dijadikan induk pembiak untuk para penyembur api cilik. Malam itu juga , setelah kejadian yang nyaris merenggut nyawa Jacinda, bersama Tamra, saudara kembar Jacinda, mereka meninggalkan rumah secara diam-diam. Memilih kota yang cukup jauh dari jangkauan para draki. Tidak tanggung-tanggung, padang gurun adalah lokasi yang dipilih untuk menetap. Ibu Jacinda tahu benar, di tempat ini, anaknya akan kesusahan untuk berubah wujud. Dengan begitu, secara perlahan, naluri draki Jacinda akan padam. Dan itulah yang diharapkan ibunya.

Sayangnya tidak semudah itu membunuh naluri draki dalam diri Jacinda. Secara diam-diam ia menyusup keluar rumah untuk berubah wujud. Jacinda tahu resiko yang harus ditanggungnya jika ketahuan. Namun ia tak punya pilihan lain. Dorongan naluri draki dalam dirinya terlalu besar untuk dilawan. Masalah lain muncul ketika ia harus beradaptasi dengan lingkungan sekolah yang tidak semuanya ramah. Jacinda kembali bertemu dengan Will, salah satu kawanan pemburu yang dulu pernah ditemuinya saat insiden. Tak hanya Will, pemburu lain juga berada di sekitar Jacinda. Dari aura yang terpancar, mereka seakan siap untuk mengoyak tubuh para draki setiap saat.

Suka!!!. Saya menikmati semua hal yang diceritakan Jacinda. Dari cerita tentang jenis-jenis Draki, bagaimana mereka berubah wujud, semua fakta yang mengejutkan dari penuturan ibu Jancida ataupun cerita tentang kejam para pemburu. Kisah yang terjalin antara Jacinda dan Will juga sebagai pelengkap yang manis. Semua menjadi semakin menarik ketika fakta mengenai Will terungkap. Akhir yang dibuat oleh Sophie Jordan, sang penulis, membuat saya tidak sabar ingin membaca Vanish, buku selanjutnya yang akan dirilis September tahun ini.

Karakter-karakter di buku ini menarik.Walau banyak diantaranya membuat saya kesal. Nama - nama yang dipilih Sophie untuk para Draki dan keluarganya juga unik. Jacinda, Tamra,ataupun Cassian. Nama mereka tidak pernah saya temui sebelumnya. Saya jadi penasaran dari mana nama-nama itu berasal.

Jacinda menjadi satu-satunya karakter yang saya sukai selain Will. Semua hal yang dirasakan draki penyembur api ini dengan mudah saya mengerti. Bahkan Ibu Jacinda ataupun saudara kembarnya Tamra dengan cepat menyulut emosi saya. Bahkan keberadaan sepupu-sepupu Will juga sempat membuat saya takut.

Walau masih menemukan beberapa typo di beberapa bab, saya tetap salut pada kerja keras penerjemah dan editor. Karena mereka mampu menyajikan Firelight dengan sangat baik.

Untuk semua yang suka dengan cerita tentang naga yang tidak biasa, saya merekomendasikan Firelight menjadi salah satu bacaan kalian.

Cover
Dibandingkan dengan cover aslinya, design versi Atria nggak kalah keren. Namun kalau disuruh memilih, cover yang diterbitkan oleh HarperTeen akan menjadi pilihan pertama.

4/5

Sumber: Penerbit untuk direview
Penulis: Sophie Jordan
Penerjemah: Ferry Halim
Penyunting: Ida Wadji
Penerbit: Atria
Cetakan: I, April 2011
ISBN: 978-979-024-475-7

Sunday 29 May 2011

Review: Riversong by Tess Hardwick


Author Tess Hardwick assembles a colorful cast of endearing small-town characters and takes you on a journey that will make you believe in the possibilities of life - even in the face of overwhelming adversity and unimaginable grief.

Lee Tucker is the kind of woman you find yourself rooting for long after the last page is read. When her husband commits suicide,he leaves her pregnant and one million dollars in debt to a loan shark. Out of options, she escapes to her deceased mother's dilapidated house located in a small Oregon town that, like her, is financially ruined, heartbroken and in desperate need of a fresh tart. Lee's resilience leads to a plan for a destination restaurant named Riversong, to new chances for passion and love, and to danger from her dead husband's debt as her business blooms.


A surprising mix of romance, humor, friendship, intrigue and gourmet food, Riversong entertains while reminding you of life's greatest gifts.

My Thought
River Song is touching book. It is a story about Lee Tucker. A woman who tried to live her life after misery things happened to her. It was not easy to her to build everything. Her past was always behind her.

In the beginning, her miserable life was revealed. Her childhood was unhappy. She spent those days with her pathetic mother. Even after leaving her behind, the bad luck kept haunting her. Few years later, when she thought everything was fine, a phone call rang and told that her husband committed suicide. He left her nothing but a big debt. Then a debt collector ran after and threatened to hurt her. In the middle of the messiness, she caught herself pregnant.One thing in her womb became another thing to think of.

i liked this book. I got no problem with the plot. I could easily follow the story from the first till the last chapter. The ending was nice.

Lee Tucker was a fragile woman. The past and what had just happened made her built a thick wall. She became too afraid to run new life. She almost lost the faith in herself. All her sadness was easily felt. I could get her emotions when she remembered all bad memories in her childhood.

My favorite character was Ellen, Lee’s neighbor who helped her a lot. I love the bond between Ellen and Lee. Once, my eyes were teary because of their conversation. Ellen has such a big heart. She was the one who kept encouraging Lee. She was not tired doing so. Tommy was also a sweet character. The romance between Lee and him was written naturally. Everything between them flowed in a good way. One character that made me smiled with his presence was Linus. I found him witty. I wish I could read more about him.

For a debut book with adult and fiction genre, River Song is a nice reading.

Cover
It was not a kind of cover that I like. But if they wanted to show the grief, I think they have designed it well.

4/5

Source: Ebook from the author
Paperback: 278 pages
Publisher: Booktrope Editions (March 30, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1935961144
ISBN-13: 978-1935961147
Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches

Buy Riversong at Amazon

~~~



Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a member of the Book Lovin' Bitches Ebook Tours and a copy was provided to me by the author. Although payment may have been received by Book Lovin' Bitches Ebook Tours, no payment was received by me in exchange for this review nor was there an obligation to write a positive one. All opinions expressed here are entirely mine and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, the book's publisher and publicist or the readers of this review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Book Trailer: Betrayed (The Guardian Legacy #2) by Ednah Walters






Lil has come to terms with her life as a Guardian/demon hunter and the wielder of the Nephilim most powerful weapon. But trouble looms in the Guardian enclave. Bran is pulling away from her and her best human friend is in trouble, and it's all Lil's fault (Goodreads)

In My Mailbox #18

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristen from The Story Siren.

This week, I did not go to bookstore. YAY. But the postman still delivered four books for me. Thanks to Loni from A Casual Reader for Warm Bodies and Kobo who has ordered Wither and White Cat for me.

Won




Bought.
I ordered these books a month ago. They just arrived last Wednesday.





How about you, what you got in your mailbox? Feel free to leave the link of your IMM post.

Thursday 26 May 2011

Review: Wrapped by Jennifer Bradburry


Agnes Wilkins is standing in front of an Egyptian mummy, about to make the first cut into the wrappings, about to unlock ancient (and not-so-ancient) history.

Maybe you think this girl is wearing a pith helmet with antique dust swirling around her.

Maybe you think she is a young Egyptologist who has arrived in Cairo on camelback.

Maybe she would like to think that too. Agnes Wilkins dreams of adventures that reach beyond the garden walls, but reality for a seventeen-year-old debutante in 1815 London does not allow for camels—or dust, even. No, Agnes can only see a mummy when she is wearing a new silk gown and standing on the verdant lawns of Lord Showalter’s estate, with chaperones fussing about and strolling sitar players straining to create an exotic “atmosphere” for the first party of the season. An unwrapping.

This is the start of it all, Agnes’s debut season, the pretty girl parade that offers only ever-shrinking options: home, husband, and high society. It’s also the start of something else, because the mummy Agnes unwraps isn’t just a mummy. It’s a host for a secret that could unravel a new destiny—unleashing mystery, an international intrigue, and possibly a curse in the bargain.

Get wrapped up in the adventure . . . but keep your wits about you, dear Agnes.

My Thought
This book brought us to Agnes Wilkins who was prepared to face her debut. Agnes, herself,did not give any attention about it. She let her mother arranged everything for her including the debutante dresses. The mystery begun in a mummy unwrapped party that she attended. From the body, she found one symbolic coin. It gave her difficult puzzle. She had to solve it or they would hurt more people. Since then, the adventure begin.

Wrapped gave me many great things. From an interesting character, Agnes Wilkins, till some facts that I have never read in any history book. I like how the mystery was up and finally revealed.

I learnt little bit about Napoleon and all his victory at school. They gave me two pictures of him.I knew his troops had conquered many country. But they did not say or explain anything about his maneuver. One thing for sure, he was as smart as they wrote in some chapters.

Mummy unwrapping party was also new for me. If I did not read this book, I would not know that some people in the Victorian era really hosted such occasion. I think it's little bit harsh. For me, Mummy should have been considered as something sacred. But all guest in the party seemed to enjoy the procession. Some of them even excited about it.

I liked Agnes in a first glance. Her passions to learn many things were fascinating. I adored her curiosity and wittiness. I loved when she was suddenly out of burst in foreign language. I was also glad when I met Caedmon. The story line that involved Agnes and Caedmon was written well. Everything between them happened naturally. However I felt no wave in it. It's really plain.

But overall, Wrapped was enjoyable reading. If historical fiction is your favorite genre, I think you should grab this book soon.

Cover
Can you see the mummy in the cover?
I did not notice it till I read about the chapters about mummy unwrapping party. Now I know why they chose such cover. I just could not imagine if they use the real mummy.

3.5/5

Source: Simon & Schuster Grab Galley
Author: Jennifer Bradburry
Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Atheneum (May 24, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1416990070
ISBN-13: 978-1416990079
Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.8 x 1.3 inches
Buy Wrapped at Amazon

Wednesday 25 May 2011

Waiting on Wednesday: Vanish (Firelight #2) by Shopie Jordan


To save the life of the boy she loves, Jacinda did the unthinkable: She betrayed the most closely-guarded secret of her kind. Now she must return to the protection of her pride knowing she might never see Will again—and worse, that because his mind has been shaded, Will’s memories of that fateful night and why she had to flee are gone. 

Back home, Jacinda is greeted with hostility and must work to prove her loyalty for both her sake and her family’s. Among the few who will even talk to her are Cassian, the pride’s heir apparent who has always wanted her, and her sister, Tamra, who has been forever changed by a twist of fate. Jacinda knows that she should forget Will and move on—that if he managed to remember and keep his promise to find her, it would only endanger them both. Yet she clings to the hope that someday they will be together again. When the chance arrives to follow her heart, will she risk everything for love? 

In bestselling author Sophie Jordan’s dramatic follow-up to Firelight, forbidden love burns brighter than ever. (Goodreads)


Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins (September 6, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0061935107
ISBN-13: 978-0061935107
Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 1 inches
Preorder Vanish: A Firelight Novel at Amazon


I have just read the first book. I loved it. From Jacinda, the main character and the idea about  Draki. Will is also the reason why I want to read the next book. I can't help myself but jealous for those of you who have and read the ARC. Cant hardly wait.

Look at the cover, it's more gorgeous than the first book. I wonder who she is. 


I hope I can get this book when the book is released. 


~~~



Waiting" On Wednesday is a weekly meme that hosted by Breaking The Spine

Tuesday 24 May 2011

Book Excerpts (+ giveaway) : Hedgelend by Ann Nyland




Book Blurb

Hedgeland, an urban fantasy of time travel. Dr April Neuland, a Professor of Ancient Languages turned non-fiction writer, has been plagued by dreams all her life, dreams of her past life in the Otherworld. Meanwhile, in a parallel dimension of April's past and Caridwen's future, Worthing, a Future History Professor, has allied with the Military to access Future Internet communications and use new technology to influence April to write an ebook novel revealing where she, in her past life as Caridwen, hid the Kiste, a device to travel through time and space. Hedgeland weaves all three time/space frames: Caridwen, Worthing, and April. Hedgeland is the first in the Hedgecraft Sequence, but is a fully self contained novel with no cliff hangers

Book Excerpt

Chapter 3. Worthing.

"Welcome to the Faculty of History seminar on Caridwen and the Kiste. I will hand you over to Dean Bellamy who will introduce you to today's speaker, Professor Worthing."

"Thank you, Professor Woods. People in Future times are aware of the Kiste and will give it different names, such as The Golden Bough and The Silver Branch. The Silver Branch is often associated with sacred apples. While not all of you are Future Historians," Bellamy broke off, nodding to Worthing and Fields, professors of Future History at the Scientificarium, and then sweeping her arm in the general direction of their senior students, "all of you do have some knowledge of the Future worlds, Greece and Rome. The Future Roman writer Virgil will write a poem in which the Sibyl - a Seer - says Aeneas needed to carry a sacred branch to enter the Underworld. He was not able to enter the Underworld without it."

Bellamy held up a hand to silence the murmuring her comment had provoked.

"Yes, it is clear that there is some general memory of our world carried into Future civilizations' mythologies. To continue, in Virgil's story the ferryman refused to carry Aeneas over the river into the Underworld until the Sibyl produced the Golden Branch. In the same way, Future worlds will say that the Silver Branch is a passport to Tirn Aill, the Otherworld, and that at times certain faerie women led mortals to the Celtic Otherworld. This is particularly significant for us, since our civilization is later interpreted as the Celtic
Otherworld, as we all know.

"Now I will turn you over to Professor Worthing to present to you his paper, 'Branching out into the His-Tree of Caridwen.'" Some people giggled at Worthing's awful pun; others just looked perplexed.

"Thank you, Dean Bellamy," said Worthing, a Future History professor well liked by all his students for explaining academic matters in a lucid manner and, better still, interspersing them with jokes, most of which were adult rated. "My paper is not too scholarly as we have students from the Faculties of Humanities and Sciences here today.

"The Kiste was of importance to our ancestors, for with it they were able to travel between Caer Sidi and the primitive Otherworld.The Kiste which the Mabinogi stole was of greater importance to them as they used it to travel not just through space, but through time. Our ancestors were unaware of this until just before the Cataclysm. Our details from that period are sketchy, as most documents were destroyed in the Cataclysm.

"Future peoples will also realize the Kiste to be important, although only through their race memories. The Future Greek philosopher Pythagoras will say the letter 'Y' is like life with its dividing ways of good and evil, and he will identify it with the mystic symbol of the branch which initiates such as Aeneas offered to Proserpine in the Otherworld while out of their physical body. We were able to procure a Future Text - for those of my students here, it's Psy.Pyth 8:2 - and I quote, 'He was not allowed to go to the Shades unless he had the Branch to hold up.' Again to my students, you will note that the Future Greek expression 'the Shades' will often be mistranslated in Future Time as 'Rites of Proserpine,' and Proserpine is the Future Roman name for Persephone. More of this in class tomorrow. Yes it's early, but I expect to see you all there."

Now for the giveaway


Ann is agreed to give away one lucky winners chance to be a character in her next book. All you have to do is leaving comment in every blog post including my post. Check the list of blog tour participants here.


Don't forget to check the next blog stop at Book Lover's Hideaway



About the Author

Author Dr Ann Nyland was on Faculty at the University of New England, Australia.

She is a grammar pedant, ancient languages translator, and best selling non-fiction author of such books as The Complete Books of Enoch; Angels, Archangels and Angel Categories: What the Ancients Said; The Book of Jubilees; A Devil of a Job to Find Satan in the Bible, among others.

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