Review, Guest Post & Giveaway: The Day of First Sun by Sheryl Steines

Original Title: The Day of First Sun
Author: Sheryl Steines
Publisher:  Createspace
Published Date:  February 23rd 2012
Genre:  Fantasy

BOOK DESCRIPTION

When Princess Amelie of Amborix is murdered by magical means, Annie Pearce and Bobby “Cham” Chamsky of the Wizard’s Guard are called in by the FBI. Their job is to help solve the crime while keeping the non-magical world from discovering the existence of the Wizard Council.

During their investigation, Annie and Cham discover that Princess Amelie’s death is connected to a series of other crimes in the Chicago area. A larger plot involving, a vampire, a rogue wizard and an army of soul-less zombies is revealed, but can Annie and Cham discover who is responsible before The Day of First Sun?

REVIEW

Perfect blende of fantasy and romance.  If you are a lover of fantasy novels, you will get everything here - wizards, vampires, curses, brooms, ... you name it!

STAR 1:
The plot!  Amazing and well thought-out plot.  Annie and Cham are friends for a very very long time like started their school together, same college and then got to the same job - in the Wizard Guard, yeah, you read that right.  Wizard Guard is like FBI for the magical world.  When a non-magical princess is murdered by magical means, Annie takes over this case, with her team, Cham, Gibbs and Spencer.  They find various clues and suspects to the murder.  Soon, they are on trail for a vampire and an irresponsible wizard.  All the paranormal elements are satisfactorily explained and they are completely enjoyable.  So, star 1 added!

STAR 2:
Kick-ass heroine!  Annie is one of those heroines, who walks around the world with a confidence and bravery.  One thing I always fall for in a book, is a confident heroine.  Annie shows courage, patience and kindness, whenever needed or necessary.  I actually adored her, when she tortured the vampire, who was killing most of them in their country.

STAR 3:
Well narrated!  There are no sub-plots, only one main plot.  But, the author has done a good job of delivering it to the readers, without boring them.  The friendship between Annie's team is great.  And Gibbs' character was both bad-ass, smart and adorable.  Sometimes, we need such members in a team.  And it was a long time now that I have read a book, where vampires are villains (you must see me swooning over JRWard's heroes, LOL!). 

STAR 4:
The start of the novel!  Totally my taste..children racing around in broomsticks, nanny's are fairies who take care of the children, and childhood friendship starting with action and adventure.  Deserves this star with sparks around it!

STAR KNOCK-OFF 1:
Two reasons.  First one being there are some information missing in the novel, and it seems like there will no sequel, so I felt like knocking off one star.  For example, the reason for the murder behind Annie's father is not explained well.  And what is it with the school teams - they start investigating like its a clue, but I have no idea what they are talking about.  I just imagined maybe that's a team name in their school.  Second reason is in most of the places, I didn't enjoy the romance between Annie and Cham.  Its like looking into bad actor in the stage.  But, as romance is not the key aspect of this book,  it's not much to expect to!

"Fairy-tale Detectives" + "Harry Potter" + (spiced up for adults) = "The Day of First Sun"

GUEST POST FROM THE AUTHOR

Please enjoy this guest post by Sheryl Steines, author of the urban fantasy novel, The Day of First Sun. Then read on to learn how you can win huge prizes as part of this blog tour, including $450 in Amazon gift cards, a Kindle Fire, and 5 autographed copies of the book.   

The Strong Female

I am always amazed to hear that, in the year 2012, women are still talking about strong female characters. It’s funny that we’re always surprised when one comes along. Even in Hollywood, actresses still can’t find roles to sink their teeth into. As a reader, I look for characters that I can relate to in some way; a character who is more than a damsel in distress but less than an unfeeling, mean, witch. I’m putting it gently, but I’m looking for someone, who when facing a problem, doesn’t necessarily need a man to bail her out--a woman who can take care of herself in spite of her vulnerabilities. Because in reality, women are multi-layered and complex. We don’t fall to one end of an extreme or the other.

When I was younger, I started reading Danielle Steele, but I couldn't read her for long. Her female characters were far too needy and always put themselves in a position of requiring a savior. Even as a child, I couldn't help but wonder why these characters always needed a man to improve their lives. Why couldn’t they simply take care of themselves? It seemed as though female characters fell into two camps, and only two. They were either villains, witches, someone to be hated and despised, or they were weak, pathetic, your classic damsels in distress. Why is fiction lacking real women, women who can simply be human and celebrate all that they are?

As I got older, I found myself drawn to shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I saw in Buffy a strong character. Yes, she could kick ass, kill the vampires and fight the demons. She also had a brain, could plan, and could save the world each week. But she wasn't uni-dimensional. She also has a side that liked clothes, shoes and boys, a side that was feminine, a little vulnerable; a side that, okay, sometimes needed to be saved. She was a complex female character, real and human, a character with whom I could definitely relate.

The strong female character isn’t a caricature or stereotype. She’s not a total wimp like Snow White, and she’s not a total monster like the evil queen. She falls somewhere in the middle. She’s reactive, emotional, human, sexual, confident and sometimes unsure of herself.

When I originally wrote my character Annie Pearce in The Day of First Sun, I wrote her as a no-nonsense person, strong and smart, the girl who could survive on her own. But she didn’t feel genuine. As the story unfolded and changed, I rewrote her, gave her friends and family with whom she could interact. I gave her feelings, gave her stress. I let the other characters take charge once in awhile and offer some support. I melded two halves into one woman--a strong woman, who can take care of herself and ask for help when necessary. We’re not perfect, so why should our characters be? Instead, why can’t we make them simply authentic?

Charlize Theron made a really compelling comment regarding her character in the movie Young Adult. She said, "Women are usually either really good prostitutes or really good mothers. Maybe women are finally getting the chance to play more honest characters," Theron said. "We usually don't get to play bad hookers or bad mothers -- or anything in between."

Maybe it’s time to be a little more real and a little more honest.

As part of this special promotional extravaganza sponsored by Novel Publicity, the price of the Day of First Sun eBook edition is just 99 cents this week. What’s more, by purchasing this fantastic book at an incredibly low price, you can enter to win many awesome prizes. The prizes include $450 in Amazon gift cards, a Kindle Fire, and 5 autographed copies of the book. All the info you need to win one of these amazing prizes is RIGHT HERE. Remember, winning is as easy as clicking a button or leaving a blog comment--easy to enter; easy to win! To win the prizes:

1. Purchase your copy of The Day of First Sun for just 99 cents
2. Fill-out the simple form on Novel Publicity
3. Visit today’s featured social media event

Help my blog win: The tour blogger who receives the most votes in the traffic-breaker poll will win a $100 gift card. When you visit Novel Publicity’s site to fill-out the contest entry form, don’t forget to VOTE FOR ME. 

About the book: A vampire, a rogue wizard and an army of soulless zombies are par for the course for Annie Pearce and Bobby “Cham” Chamsky of the Wizard’s Guard. But when the non-magical princess, Amelie of Amborix, is murdered by magical means, a deeper plot unfolds. Get it on Amazon. About the author: Behind the wheel of her ’66 Mustang Convertible, Sheryl is a constant surprise, using her sense of humor and relatable style make her books something everyone can enjoy. Visit Sheryl on her website, Twitter, Facebook, or GoodReads.

Feature & Follow #7

RULES

• To join the fun and make new book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:
• (Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts {Parajunkee and Alison Can Read}
• (Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers
• Put your Blog name and URL in the Linky thing. You can also grab the code if you would like to insert it into your posts.
• Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say “hi” in your comments and that they are now following you.
• Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don’t just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don’t say “HI”
• If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love…and the followers.

If you’re new to the follow friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!

Question:

WHAT IS THE LONGEST BOOK YOU’VE READ? WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE 600+ PAGE READS?

Answer:

Longest book?  Huh, I don't know..Harry Potter, maybe (it looks huge!).  Because most of them nowadays are e-books and even when I buy hard-copies, I don't see the page count. I just start reading it.  And my favorites will be Harry Potter (of course!),  Vampire Academy series (does it have 600+ pages?  I think I have to go and look into the books again.. :) ),  I really don't know guyz!  Maybe you could say the names of some longest books, so that I can pick my favorites from there. :)

So, what is your answer to this question?

Follow me and comment below, so that I can follow you back!  Thanks for stopping by and happy weekend to everyone!

Review, Interview & $25 Amazon GC Giveaway: Flidderbugs by Jonathan Gould

Original Title: Flidderbugs
Author: Jonathan Gould
Published Date: August 30th 2011
Genre: Children's, Fantasy

BOOK DESCRIPTION

As Kriffle the Flidderbug investigates why his fellow 'bugs find it impossible to agree on the pressing issue of how many points there are on the leaves of the tree on which they live, he finds that the truth is more complicated, and ultimately more terrifying, than he ever could have imagined.


Flidderbugs is a political satire, a modern fable, or maybe just a funny little story about a bunch of insects with some very peculiar obsessions.


REVIEW

This book came up as a huge surprise to me.  I love children's books, so the surprise is not in the genre.  The surprise is that even though its a children's book, I 'know' that adults also will love it.

Flidderbugs is a community of bugs in a Krephiloff tree.  The Flidderbugs themselves fall under two categories - Triplifers and Quadrigons - each taking up half of he tree.  There was a election coming up and these two parties try to convince others of their beliefs and get the vote.  Triplifers believe that the leaves in their tree have three points and Quadrigons believe that the leaves have four points.  The problem is they both believe that strongly and they both have proof of their own.  So, when Friggle, son of the leader of the Triplifers, tries to convince the Quadrigons that the leaves have three points, he was being laughed at, by Fargeeta, the girl bug who is next in line for the Quadrigon leadership, and other Quadrigons.  What is the real problem?  Will Friggle win the election proving that the tree has three pointed leaves?  Or Fargeeta get the better of him?

Amazing and light way of story-telling will definitely make the readers enjoy this short book.  The current political drama and however big and strong we are evolved, we still fret over the simple issues, without understanding the truth of the opposition's voices.  If all we ever do is oppose, then we are never going to see the truth.  This is what the story depicts in a fun and easy way.

The words used by Gould for the world formation is hilarious and enjoyable.  This is my first book by Jonathan Gould and I have to say Dr. Seuss has left his mark in many of his readers, because here is one example of how a perfect children's book must be.

Must read for all ages!

A FUN INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR JONATHAN GOULD

Jonathan Gould is a Melbourne-based writer and doodler.  He calls his stories "dag-lit" because they're the sort of stories that don't easily fit into the standard genres. Some might think of them as comic fantasies, or modern fairytales for the young and the young-at-heart.

Over the years, his writing has been compared to Douglas Adams, Monty Python, A.A. Milne, Lewis Carroll, the Goons, Dr Seuss and even Enid Blyton (in a good way).

Author Online: Blog | Twitter | Facebook

Now, for a fun interview - here it is!



Is there an inspiration behind why you chose writing?

I didn’t choose writing – writing chose me. There I was, walking down the street, feeling happy. The sun was shining and the birds were singing. I never realised that dastardly villain, writing, was hiding behind the trees. Then all of a sudden, out he jumps and chooses me, before I had a chance to argue or complain or even try to run away. Since then, there’s been nothing I can do except write. Curse that swine.

Well, it might not be quite like that but you get the picture. Like most other writers, I write because it’s just something I have to do.

Give us a glimpse into a typical day in your day starting when you wake up till you lie down again.

I wake up. I doze. I tell myself it’s time to get up. I doze a bit more. Eventually I roll out of bed. I have breakfast while thinking about writing. I jump on the tram and think about writing. I spend a day at work while thinking about writing. I jump on the tram again while thinking about writing. I eat dinner while thinking about writing. I jump on the computer and try to sneak in a bit of writing. I say goodnight to the kids, feeling guilty for not spending more time with them. I sneak back to the computer and try to write some more. I spend some time with the wife while feeling guilty for not spending enough time with the wife. I go to bed and dream about writing.

What are your current literary works?  Any sneak peaks?

I’m assuming you’re referring to what I’m writing. I’m currently putting the finishing touches on my first novel – it’s my version of an epic fantasy. I like to describe it as Tolkien meets Dr Seuss. The title is Magnus Opum.

I’m also working on a sequel to my first ebook, Doodling. This one is tentatively titled Scribbling and will continue the strange adventures of Neville Lansdowne.

If you could invite any 5 people to dinner who would you choose?

Darth Vader
Douglas Adams
Queen Elizabeth I
Horton the Elephant
The boss from Dilbert

Is there a song you could list as the theme song for your book or any of your characters?

Most people I know think that I’m crazy – by Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs

What TV show/movie/book do you watch/read that you'd be embarrassed to admit?

TV show – Desperate Housewives – don’t tell anyone, please.

Tell us your most rewarding experience since being published.

Having Doodling nominated as a Goodreads Choice Awards semi-finalist. And then having the amazing Donna Brown create a Vote Doodling video on YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPeOsFJDtl0

What's one piece of advice you would give aspiring authors?

Run, run as hard as you can if you see that villain, writing, crouching in the trees. Ok, too late? Then all I can really say is write. Write a lot and then write some more. Like any craft or skill, practice might not make perfect but it definitely does make better.

Also, find a mentor, or a group of peers. Get feedback. Always listen to advice, but make sure you stay true to yourself.

If you could jump in to a book, and live in that world, which would it be?

Anything by Dr Seuss. I love his imagination and I love his worlds. Except for that Cat in the Hat. I think he’s trouble so I’d steer clear of him.

If someone wrote a book about your life, what would the title be?

I’m Sorry, Did Somebody Say Something?

If you had 24 hours alone how would you spend it? 

Writing, writing, writing, writing. And I might try to squeeze in some writing as well.

When you were little, what did you want to be when you "grew up"? 

I wanted to dig for dinosaurs. I had a bit of an obsession about it. One thing that hasn’t changed about me is I still get kind of obsessed. For a writer, I think that’s a good quality. Without it, you’d probably never get to finish anything.

Note – I still think dinosaurs are pretty cool and am definitely planning to write about them.

In your wildest dreams, which author would you love to co-author a book with?

None. I’m far too much of a control freak to want to write with somebody else. And I’d hate to think I’d be pissing off somebody I loved and respected.

If you could have any superpower what would you choose?

The power to give everybody in the world exceptionally good taste – because then, of course, they’d all go and buy my books.

QUICK ANSWERS

Favorite place?

Wherever there’s laughter and fun

Best christmas present?

Just having family together

Favorite book?

Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy

Favorite author?

Douglas Adams

Favorite smell?

Melting cheese

Favorite series?

Are we talking books? Then I’d probably have to say Lord of the Rings. Awfully unimaginative but it is a defining work

Nickname?

Jonno, Gouldy, you dag

Favorite writing spot?

Inside my head – that’s where the stories come from.

Favorite movie?

Monty Python’s Life of Brian

Favorite dish?

Any dish that has a pizza on it

Favorite color?

Green

Favorite quote?

These pretzels are making me thirsty

Favorite flavor of ice cream?

Pistachio

Your best trait?

I’m very obedient. If I get asked a lot of questions, I’ll try to answer them all.

Your worst trait?

Sometimes I’m far too obedient.

$25 AMAZON GIFT CARD GIVEAWAY

Jonathan will be giving away a $25 Amazon GC to one randomly drawn commenter from the tour and the host with the most comments (excluding Jonathan's and the host's) will receive a $20 Amazon GC.

ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS COMMENT ON THIS POST TO HAVE A CHANCE TO WIN $25 AMAZON GIFT CARD!  GIVEAWAY OPEN INTERNATIONALLY!

This post is a part of the tour for "Goddess Fish Promotions"

Interview and $25 Gift Card Giveaway: Soul Seduction by Lori Toland

Original Title:  Soul Seduction
Author:  Lori Toland
Publisher:  Loose Id LLC
Published Date:  November 28th 2011
Genre:  Erotica, Urban Fantasy

Goodreads | Amazon

BOOK DESCRIPTION

Ashlee Bennett has her priorities straight. Fighting demons is at the top of the list until she meets her sexy neighbor, Luke Byrne. Even though he is human, she can't stop dreaming about his buff body and sexy grin, until her dreams turn to nightmares.

Her world is turned upside down when Luke follows her one night but instead of being afraid, he is only more determined to stand beside her and fight. Ashlee knows she needs to keep her distance from Luke, not just to protect her virginity but her heart as well. But Luke may be the only one who can save her from the night, and her dreams.

EXCERPT

He looked as good as he did every time I saw him, except now he wore a green polo shirt. His grin held little apology as he said, “Sorry.”

He wasn’t being insincere, just mischievous. It reminded me of grade school when Bobby used to pull my hair and then apologize when I cried. “It’s all right,” I said, spying what was inside his bag. “Went grocery shopping?”

“I picked up a few things,” he said amicably, but then a silence stretched out between us. I got my key out, wanting to say so much more but not knowing where to start. “I see you did too.”

Oh my God. I covered up the side of my bag, even though I knew he’d already seen the big yellow rooster with Cocks-A-Lot emblazoned on the side. I really had to have a word with Terry about his packaging. “Uh, yeah.” Way to go. You’re really wowing him with the witty commentary.

He shifted his bag to dig for his house key. “So what’s in the bag?”

“I don’t really know,” I said slowly as my cheeks heated. Luke raised his eyebrow. “My friend owns the shop, and he was just getting rid of some stuff.”

“That’s great,” he said. “Would you like to try those out with me?”


PLEASE NOTE:  THE FOLLOWING EXCERPT IS R – RATED AND CONTAINS ADULT LANGUAGE AND SITUATIONS


“I can’t just leave,” I protested as the cool evening air hit me. “I came with a friend.”

He rounded on me, and I nearly ran into him. “You mean your boyfriend? Do you want to stay with him? Just say the word, Ash.”

The possessive tone in his voice ticked me off. “What the hell, Luke? I don’t even know you, and you’re acting like you fucking own me.” But even as I said the words, I wanted him to grab me, hold me, and take me however he wanted. My lust for him clouded my ability to say no.

“Ash,” he said gruffly, “all I think about is having you.” He moved forward as he spoke, and I stepped backward, keeping my distance until my back met a wall. I knew my control around him was shot to hell, and I couldn’t trust myself. He snaked his hand into my hair and roughly grabbed the strands. He angled my head so I couldn’t look away. If I were able to breathe, I would have hyperventilated.

“Don’t.” My plea sounded weak, and I doubted he even heard me.

“I can’t help myself,” he said and kissed me gently. It was the lightest of pressure on my lips, until he coaxed them apart. When my tongue met his, I was tentative at first, but Luke took charge and claimed my mouth.

I was strong enough to pull away, to tell him no and kick him in the nuts if he didn’t stop. But I didn’t want to. I let myself drown in his kisses. I was so wrapped up in what he was doing to me with his mouth, I barely noticed he had lifted me up and held me against the concrete wall.

He settled his hips between my legs and rocked them, pressing his cock against my clit. The only thing keeping him from fucking me was the thin barrier of our jeans. I spiraled higher, and my pussy clenched, desperate to have him inside me.

He pulled his lips away from mine, and my vision whited out. My clit pulsed faster and faster, and I accidentally banged the back of my head against the hard concrete wall as every muscle in my body tensed.

I shook from the intensity of my climax, my teeth grinding together. He leaned in and kissed me, claiming my mouth with his tongue again. Then he broke our kiss and whispered, “You are mine, Ash. Don’t doubt for a second that I will own you. All of you.”

I quivered, my lips parting, ready for more. I felt like we were frozen in time, and I would have spent forever there, memorizing his face.

INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR LORI TOLAND

CEO by day, erotic romance writer by night, Lori Toland lives in Orlando where the summers are hot but the romance between her characters is even hotter. Writing since the tender age of 13, Lori somehow finds time to play video games and watch movies while taking care of her beloved cats and a husband who will forever be her hero.

Author Websites:

• http://loritoland.com/
• http://loritoland.livejournal.com/

So, let's start the interview with this interesting author.

Q: Is there an inspiration behind why you chose writing?

I always loved to read. My aunt (a teacher) taught me to read from a very young age. But I also loved to create my own worlds so writing was a natural progression.

Q: When you were little, what did you want to be when you "grew up"?

I wanted to be a doctor. But eight years of med school is a pain in the ass. My hat is off to people who spend that long in school!

Q: Finish the sentence- one book I wish I had written is....

All the books I’ve written. I enjoy the worlds I create, otherwise I wouldn’t create them.

Q: What are your current literary works?  Any sneak peaks?

The Replacement Guitarist and Home For The Holidays (m/m erotic romance), Trust In Me (m/m erotic romance) and Soul Seduction (m/f erotic PNR/UF). My current release coming up from Loose Id is The Long Con, which is about a British SOCA agent that is following a missing Fabergé egg. He falls in love with a Mafia man who is about to get conned by a group of grifters. I have to warn you, this new book is VERY HOT. 

Q: If you could travel in a Time Machine would you go back to the past or into the future?

Hmm, I think I wrote a story like this. I would definitely head back to the past and see my family again. I lost three grandparents, my mom, my aunt and a cousin in the space of two years.

Q: If you could be one of the Greek Gods, which would it be and why?

OMG, ask me a harder question! I don’t know. Maybe Ares. There’s a very fine line between love and war.

Q: Please tell us in one sentence only, why we should read your book.

Luke is a hot, sexy British hero. Enough said. :-)

Q: Tell us your most rewarding experience since being published.

Meeting fans. I just had a wonderful experience here meeting with a book club and I meet current fans and new fans. It was awesome.

Q: What's one piece of advice you would give aspiring authors?

Never give up! Keep writing and don’t ever stop.

Q: If you could jump in to a book, and live in that world, which would it be?

The Replacement Guitarist. I want to be a rockstar J

Q: If someone wrote a book about your life, what would the title be?

Don’t Try This At Home

Q: What is your favorite scene in the book and why do you love it?

When Luke and Ashlee wake up together after the party and the rest of that scene. It’s way hot. I love the way Ashlee is having a moment and screaming at Luke and he just remains calm as can be.

Q: What TV show/movie/book do you watch/read that you'd be embarrassed to admit?

The Prince & Me. *facepalm* I watched that movie in the theatre and afterwards I decided to head to England for vacation. I met up with an online friend there and eight years later, I’m happily married J

Q: What is one book everyone should read?

This is hard because everyone’s tastes are different. Hence the reason everyone has a favorite book. I personally love Mary Calmes’s books. They are so awesome. I’d have to say Change of Heart.

Q: One food you would never eat?

Black pudding. *gags* It’s a Northern England breakfast treat. YUCK YUCK.

QUICK ANSWERS

Favorite place?
Home with my hubby and cats.

Best christmas present?
Not having to drive to see my dad and family.

Favorite book?
Are you kidding me??

Favorite author?
Mary Calmes

Favorite smell?
My cats

Favorite series?
The Succubus series by Richelle Mead

Nickname?
Girlcat

Favorite writing spot?
Anywhere with no WIFI

Favorite movie?
Anything with Anne Hathaway

Favorite dish?
Katsu made from scratch. Yum!

Favorite color?
Yellow

Favorite quote?
“I got nothing.”

Favorite flavor of ice cream?
Pomegranate Pinkberry

Your best trait?
Strong willed

Your worst trait?
Flighty

GIVEAWAY

Lori will be giving away the winner's choice of a $25 GC to either Amazon, AllRomanceEbooks or Loose Id for both blog host with most comments and one randomly drawn commenter during the tour.

TO HAVE A CHANCE TO WIN THIS $25 GIFT CARD, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS COMMENT IN THIS POST.  OPEN INTERNATIONALLY!  GIVEAWAY ENDS APRIL 13TH 2012!

THANKS FOR STOPPING BY!