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YA Feature: Introducing 2012 debut YA author Robin Bridges

Friday, 30 December 2011 This week on Reading Away The Days YA Feature is 2012 debut author Robin Bridges. Robin debuts her novel, The Gathering Storm on the 10th of January! Check out my interview with Robin below and why not leave a nice comment as well!
A little about Robin's writing journey:
I’ve been writing stories since I was little. From poems to murder mysteries to unicorn romances! And I would have continued to write even if I’d never gotten an agent or a publishing contract.  I’ll probably never finish the unicorn romance, though.

Can you tell me a little about your debut novel The Gathering Storm?

Katerina of Oldenburg is a sixteen year old hiding a dark secret from her aristocratic family: she can raise the dead.  At the Smolni Institute, an elite school for daughters of European royalty and nobility, she discovers a supernatural evil growing in 1880’s St. Petersburg .  She must protect her family, not only from the two most dangerous vampire families in the city, but must also keep them out of the power struggle between the warring faerie courts.  She must also save them from herself and her own terrifying powers.
Where did you get the idea for The Gathering Storm?

I’ve always loved Russian history and Russian fairy tales.

The cover for The Gathering Storm is beautiful. Who designed it and did you have much say in the design of the cover? I really didn’t have much say in the cover, but I was so happy with the result! Trish Purcell was the Random House designer and I think her work is magical.
How does it feel to be releasing your debut novel?

It’s like waiting for your birthday as a child, or Christmas-  I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep at all the night before my launch date!
Why should we read The Gathering Storm?

If you like a little magic in your historical fiction, or enjoy reading alternative history, The Gathering Storm is for you. J

Robin's Favourites:
Favourite book as a child:

The Queen of Spells, by Dahlov Ipcar, about a girl who has to rescue her love from a fairy queen.

Favourite book as a teenager and why?

Still Life with a Wood Pecker by Tom Robbins.  It was the book we all passed around in twelfth grade and giggled over because it was both funny and naughty.
A book you have read that has taught you a lesson and why?

My ninth grade English teacher was a big champion of positive thinking.  She recommended Jonathan Livingston Seagull, which led to me reading all sorts of books about spiritualism and philosophy in junior high and high school.
A book/ author you would recommend to my readers?

If you can’t get enough of historical paranormal stories, you’ll love Saundra Mitchell’s THE VESPERTINE, or Sonia Gensler’s THE REVENANT.
The Gathering Storm is avaiable now for pre-order!
Barnes and Noble
Book Depository
Indigo Books

Keep in contact with Robin:
Website: www.robinbridges.com

Twitter: @robinbridges
Facebook page for The Katerina Trilogy
Posted by Reading Away The Days at 14:16 No comments

Happy New Year 2012 Giveaway Hop: Dec 30th- Jan 3rd

Thursday, 29 December 2011 Thanks to I am a reader not a writer  & Babs Book Bistro for hosting!

2012 is fast approaching so why not start it with a bang Oh and also some AWESOME swag!! I have some amazing swag to giveaway on this hop! And yes it's INTERNATIONAL!

One lucky winner will win:

*Betrayed: The Guardian of Legacy T-SHIRT (Medium) Sorry its the only one I have!
*The Guardian Legacy postcard
*Two Moons of Sera postcard
*A SIGNED She Smells the dead/Spirit Storm postcard
*A SIGNED The Faerie Ring bookmark
*A betrayed bookmark
*A redheart bookmark
*A SIGNED Pyxis bookmark
*A SIGNED Shade/Shift bookmark

To Enter:

-You must be a GFC follower
-Comment below with you fave 2011 read
-Leave you email so I can contact you if you win!

Extra Entry:

+2 Like my facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Reading-Away-the-Days/246705252037557

Please leave a comment on the facebook page and leave your facebook name below!

-Ends 3rd Jan

Check out the other awesome bloggers particapating:
Posted by Reading Away The Days at 16:34 66 comments

2011 Book Recap: Author Interview: Jeffery David Payne

Over the next few days I am going to post some 2011 book recap posts about books that I have enjoyed this year and also books  that have surprised me for various reasons!

Far From War by Jeffery David Payne was one of those books that definitely surprised me. It surprised me because I really enjoyed it and wasn't sure if I was going to when I first picked it up! Far From Far may be YA which I adore but the concept of the story is one I wasn't sure I would like.

A Coup D'Etat that sets of a modern day civil war in America. When I heard this I was like, not sure this is going to be my thing but how wrong I was. From reading this book it has taught me that even if the genre, the setting or description of a book puts you off, maybe you should try it, in the end you might find a book you really love. Check out my review of Far From War here!

I was very grateful to get an interview with Jeffery David Payne author of Far From War, check it out! A little about Jeffrey and how he started writing:

I've been writing for a long time: mostly plays and screenplays.  I'd always wanted to write a novel, but I wasn't sure if I had the stamina for it; it seemed like such a huge undertaking. After writing my first novel (yet to be published) and Far From the War, I've learned that, if anything, my problem is confining a single story to the 90,000 - 120,000 words considered normal for a novel.

One of the things that always frustrated me about play writing and screenwriting was that that work isn't really finished once I finish the script.  A producer has to pick it up and run with it.  Making that happen is tricky and even when it does happen, your original intent can get distorted by directors' and actors' interpretations.  Sometimes this is good; they contribute new and wonderful things.  Sometimes.

With fiction, the story is fully realised when I finish the manuscript.  I don't need to cut anything because the props or scenery or special effects don't fit with the budget.  It's a true blank canvas.  Writing long form fiction is also very rewarding, even if very few people ever read it.  As for my writing career, such as it is, it's definitely in the nascent stages.  Far From the War is my first published novel and we put it out through an imprint some friends and I created called Roche Harbor Books.  For a long time I bought into the old idea that I needed an agent and should patiently wait for someone in the publishing industry to discover my work.  When I wrote my first novel, that was good advice, but so much has changed since then.  Now we have agents becoming publishers, and enough established writers going around the traditional process that they're starting to talk openly about their bad experiences with traditional publishing.  Roche Harbor Books and Far From the War is a bit of an experiment, and so far, one that's going well.  It seemed like a better alternative than waiting.

In my personal life, we're just celebrating the first birthday of my son Oliver today.  I live in Seattle, am married to a wonderful woman named Kathryn, and I work as Chief Technology Officer for a company that makes planning and financial software for concert touring and Hollywood.

For all my readers can you tell them a little about Far From War the first in a trilogy!

Far From the War is the first book in a series about modern day civil war in the United States, an idea that seemed pretty far fetched when I started writing it.  The first volume is about a girl named Esther, a very smart ambitious girl modeled after some of the cool girls I remember from the high school debate team.  The novel opens with Esther receiving an appointment as a page to the United State House of Representatives.  It's very competitive and pages spend their days working in and around some of the most powerful people in American politics.  It's eye opening for Esther; for so long she'd been a big fish in a small pond.  In some ways her experience is modeled after some of the culture shock I received once I started working with people in Hollywood.  You meet people who say and do things you never imagined in your life anyone would ever say and do.  America as depicted in the book is in the midst of a depression, with 30% unemployment and $30 a gallon gasoline.  The middle class has collapsed.  Things are tense in the country, people are desperate.  Eventually a cadre of politicians and military leaders stage a coup, one they hope will be peaceful and bloodless.  It doesn't work out that way.  Military units loyal to the deposed government try to end the coup -- and the shooting war begins.  At that point Esther abandons Washington, DC and  heads back home to her family on the opposite end of the country.  Needless to say, she has a rough time getting home.

Where did you get the idea for the trilogy?
It didn't really start out as a political book.  The idea started when my wife and I spent a long weekend on Orcas Island before our son was born, (or conceived for that matter).  We had rented a house on the water near the ferry landing watching the ferry come and go.  I began to wonder what would happen if the ferry stopped running, if power and communication lines from the mainland were cut.  The idea of a family trying to preserve their idyllic life on the island began to take shape, but I needed a reason why that loss of contact might happen.  This was during the mid term Congressional elections in the United States, 2010.  It was a nasty race and it was the first time I'd noticed the political rhetoric start to include hints of revolution or violence if certain objectives couldn't be reached politically.  That brought about the idea of a modern day civil war in the United States and I needed a way to show readers what was happening on the mainland.  The original plan was to write a single novel that alternated between a the family's struggles on the island and member of the family caught up in the war on the mainland.  I realised quickly that this would be a very long book and decided to break it into a series at that point.  When I introduced the character of Matthew, I decided to make it a trilogy with one book from Esther's point of view, one book from the family's point of view and a finale from Matthew's point of view.  Each book will show the perspective of a different character and extend the overall timeline of the war.

I really like the cover of Far From War. Who designed it and did you have much say in the design process?
I'm glad to hear you say that because I really like it, too.  It's not as sensational as most YA covers.  I doubt a traditional publisher would ever have approved it; it doesn't really pop out at you on a bookshelf.  It's a subdued, serious cover which I think we needed for what eventually became such a serious book.  The artist is named Marina Veselinovic, an artist from Serbia who's been through a civil war herself as girl.  Her father fought in the war.  We're planning on a documentary as part of the final instalment in the series where we'll get more into Marina's story and how her experiences factored into all three covers.

As for my input, I've always found it's better to leave artists alone and let them apply their own powers of creativity.  I knew I wanted to suggest the finale scene with Esther on the pier without giving the whole story away.  Marina took that idea and ran with it.  I recently learned that her cover illustration was selected for a prestigious art exhibition in Serbia, The 46rd Golden Pen of Belgrade, The 11th International Biennial of Illustration 2011.  I've attached an image from the exhibition's catalog with some interesting details. How is work coming on the next book in the series?

The next book is called The Mail Still Runs and gets into what happens to Esther family while she's stuck on the mainland.  It's told from the perspective of Esther's sister Charlotte, and Charlotte is very different from Esther.  She's more of an athlete, not as vocal.

At this point it's running long.  It will need a lot of cutting once all is said and done.  I'm just getting into the part where the letters for Esther start arriving from Matthew and how they impact the family.  This book also gets into Chad's family.  We hint around in the first book about his father's involvement in the war.  This becomes a central conflict in the second book.

Why should we read Far From War?
Well, I wouldn't be so brash as to say that everyone should read it.  I can't even say it's a good book,  because that isn't for me to say; it's for people like you to say.  I can only say what my intent was in writing it.  I wanted to write a book that asks tough questions, that makes readers face unpleasant realities about where the world is headed, but I wanted to do this without it feeling as though reading the book is work.  I tried to write a story that pulls you through the book without all the heavy content bogging you down.

In the process of researching the book I tapped into a lot of information I'd never really considered before.  I was blissfully ignorant about a lot of things.  Not anymore.  As the European Union approaches either fiscal union (financial dictatorship) or collapse, as war in the middle east expands, as Russia and China start to assert themselves militarily, as political division and counter-terrorism measures in the United States erode our constitution, it seems clear that something terrible is about to happen: not in a book, but in real life.  The world is entering a dark and dangerous phase.  What that will ultimately mean is anybody's guess, but what's clear is that all our lives are about to change.  Most dystopian fiction warns readers about what might happen 100 years from now.  Far From the War shows a world just a few years, perhaps days away.

Buy Far From War:

US: http://www.amazon.com/Far-War-Jeffrey-David-Payne/dp/0983732205
UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Far-War-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B005EGIS86

Contact Jeffrey here:


Guest Post by Natasha Larry author of Darwin's Children Series

Wednesday, 28 December 2011
I hope everyone had a Happy Christmas! I am back now the hoildays are over with a guest post from author Natasha Larry. Natasha is the author of the Dawin's Children Series. "Life can get pretty complicated for any seventeen-year-old girl, but for a home-schooled telepathic black girl trying to survive in a prestigious private school in small-town Jonesborough, Tennessee, it can be maddening – especially when her telepathic father keeps eavesdropping on her thoughts!

Jaycie Lerner’s family isn’t the usual mom-dad-kid setup. Jaycie’s mom’s MIA, but Allison, her personal live-in ‘trainer,’ is more than a mom, with her own special abilities, like being able to lift cars and run incredibly fast. And Jaycie’s godfather John is more than persuasive – he can literally convince anyone to do anything.

As far as the rest of the world’s concerned, Jaycie’s on the outside looking in. The townsfolk love Jaycie’s pediatrician father, but she doesn’t fit in with ‘normal’ kids, and she doesn’t really want to. Most of her free time is spent training to keep her telekinetic and telepathic powers under control. But there’s one thing she can’t control – and that’s her feelings, especially when her best friend Matt is nearby. If only he knew what she was truly capable of…

Everything seems to be status quo for Jaycie until she receives a cryptic message from a stranger and meets a very unusual girl new to Jonesborough. Then all hell breaks loose." "Seventeen-year-old Jaycie Lerner’s psychokinetic power surge is over, and her astounding powers are under control for the time being – sort of. As she struggles to maintain her humanity in the face of the awesome terror and responsibility of her abilities, she also yearns for the chance at a normal life – and a relationship with Matt Carter, the best friend she had to leave behind. But Matt’s got a few tricks up his sleeve, and he’s not about to give up on his feelings for Jaycie.
As Jaycie and her family grapple with the day-to-day routine of trying to keep their world together, Jaycie’s mother figure, Allison Young, endures a personal crisis of her own. The superhuman blonde possesses the physical equivalent of Jaycie’s awesome psychic power. So evolved, at ninety-two she still looks twenty. But what good is extended life when everyone else around her is so fragile? With no one to share her unusual life, she’s a uniquely lonely woman yearning for the romantic love she sees all around her. But in a dream she gets her wish – and it quickly turns to a nightmare for everyone else in her life. The memory of a rose is all she can hold onto in the storm of obsession that nearly sweeps her away.

Things quickly turn deadly for the vampires, but the Dey-Vah Guard fairies refuse to acknowledge there’s an imbalance in the nature they protect. As the danger gets ever closer to Jaycie and her family, the race is on to find answers before a secret plot can destroy them all."
In this fun interview. One of Natasha's characters, Haylee interviews her!

Haylee Mitchelle: So, Ms.Larry - inquiring minds want to know, why does Matt Carter think he's so fabulous? I mean, sure he's cute...ish..but he isn't all that.
Natasha Larry: *laughs* Well, okay...right into it, huh? I made Matt very confident because he is an alpha male, and in nature, alpha males are very confident. As far as human females go, confidence in males is always appealing, he wouldn't be very realistic otherwise. But, I've been talking about Matt a lot lately, I would rather talk about you.

H.M: Um, why?

N.L: Well, because I find you very interesting?

H.M: Whatever...well, considering who I'm talking to...I'm an open book. I have a few questions for you about my upbringing. Not that I don't appreciate how tastefully you revealed my story to the world, but why?

N.L: Oh, trust me. I didn't want to go there. I did it because of your ability. There is no denying that these horrible things happen to young woman, every day. I can't think of anything more evil than rape or child molestation. And, because you have this incredible ability to burn evil, something truly evil had to happen to you. It was one of the hardest things I've ever written, but it also made you, in my eyes at least, the strongest female hero in the series.

H.M: Really? Stronger than Jaycie, who can do anything??

N.L: Oh, yeah. Jaycie was kind of over-privileged, and she kind of annoys me. Don't get me wrong, I love her and all, but I like you more because you have a strength that I admire and you can't be wrong.

H.M: Oh...*blushes* Whatever, dude. What do you mean, I can't be wrong?

N.L: I mean, with your ability. Jaycie can mess up, and destroy the entire planet. You, however, can't burn someone unless they are evil. Yours is the only power that I created that is neutral. For example, you can try to burn someone innocent all day, but it won't work. When you look at someone, they are either evil or they aren't.

H.M: Thanks for taking some of the pressure off, Johnson!

N.L: Who's Johnson?

H.M: Don't worry about it. Its an inside joke.

N.L: I wrote you! How do you have inside jokes that I don't get?

H.M:  I don't know, you should probably see someone about that...*sings* Awkward...Anyway. So, let's move on to my grandmother, Sylvia Nash. Is her ability a lesser version of my own?

N.L: Her ability is absolutely a lesser variation of your own.

H.M: Interesting, so have you decided that it's always that way?

N.L: Always that way?

H.M: Are you being cute right now?

N.L: Aren't I always?

H.M: Oh, you're fun. I mean the superpower thing. Have you decided that it's always genetic? I mean, Mason is a mind reader and so is Jay... although she is alot freakier.

N.L: Well, I don't think it's safe to say it's always genetic. Superpowers are determined by both genetics and your trigger event. If your trigger event is different enough from your parents, then your abilites will be.

H.M: Well, thanks for explaining it like a human being, rather than like Matt. I never understand what that kid is saying.

N.L: Sorry about that.

H.M: Its okay. We're cool. Okay, last question because I have more Alonzo tormenting to do...

N.L: Shoot.

H.M: I have to know...are we done with these faeries? Or, are you planning on bringing them back.. like full force?

N.L: Ah, are the Dey-Vah an issue for you?

H.M: They are pretty annoying...

N.L: Well, I'm sorry, kid. The Dey-Vah will be around for a while. They will take one more of a partner role, but I'm kind of fond of Lucy..

H.M: You would be...

N.L: Wow, I made you such a smart ass...

H.M: *smiles* Thanks...

Thanks to Natasha for the awesome guest post!

Darwins Children Series are available to buy NOW!
Author's Website's: http://www.paranormalwire.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Darwins-children-Series/145755472156223
Twitter: @natashalarry
Posted by Reading Away The Days at 11:43 4 comments

Merry Christmas To All!

Saturday, 24 December 2011 I just want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! I hope everyone has a great time and gets everything they want! I will be back on Tuesday with more awesome reviews and interviews!
Posted by Reading Away The Days at 12:05 4 comments

YA Feature: Introducing YA Author M.C.Moore & FREE Download of M.C.Moore's novel!!

Friday, 23 December 2011 This week on Reading Away The Days is YA author M.C.Moore! M.C.Moore is the author an awesome new YA book Trefoil. M.C.Moore has also kindly offered a free download of her book, Trefoil to all my readers. Just go to this link and put in this code WC37W and you can download Trefoil for FREE!! Now check out my interview with M.C.Moore!

A little about M.C.Moore and how she got into writing:

I guess you could say I have the personality of a fourteen year old video gaming, fantasy fiction reading, math loving nerd girl.  I got my glasses when I was nine, had an Atari growing up, and loved reading. I grew up in West Texas, in the country, five miles from a town with only four thousand people in it. I have one brother but a lot of cousins, and we grew up together.  I'm the oldest, and therefore the bossiest, so I used to make up games and adventures for us.  That's really were I got my start with creating imaginary worlds.

The adventure always called to me, so I moved around a lot as an adult, seeing lots of different parts of the US.  I think I was looking for the inspiration for those imaginary worlds, or the imaginary worlds themselves.  I finally ended up in Southern California, with a fantastic job in a library.  That's when I started throwing book ideas around, it all started making sense, I needed to write.

I think I always wanted to write, I just couldn't find out where I was supposed to be, what genre. I think that the young adult fantasy genre is where I'll probably write most of my books.  That is where the Atari loving 14 year old nerd girl belongs.

Can you tell us a little about your debut novel, Trefoil? Imagine that you grew up in New York City, on the edge of Central Park, just living the normal life of a modern teenager, going to school, doing homework, trying to survive the teenage angst.  Then you wake up one morning after having the same weird dream that you have been having for weeks, your tired, you have a bit of a headache. The day seems normal, until dinner, then your dad tells you that your mom who left when you were ten, left you a letter to read before your eighteenth birthday.

That's what Meckenzie Desmond's life was like, until it all changed with that letter.  She and triplet brother and sister, Taggart and Kellan, find out their mother is the Queen of Aquanis, the land of the water Fae.  They are meant to come to the land and rule, oh, and they are getting some special gifts for their birthday, magical Fae powers.

Everything would be fantastic, if wasn't for the fact that the last set of triplet rulers, the legendary Trefoil, were assassinated.  So now they have to watch out for assassins, learn about their new powers, plan a huge eighteenth birthday celebration, graduate from high school, and prepare to rule the land of Aquanis.  No problem, right?

Where did you get the idea for Trefoil?

My mind is a funny thing sometimes.  I was thinking about my cousin's triplets, and how three is the perfect balance, so many things come in threes.  So why not a fairy tale about a set of triplets meant to rule in a triumvirate, a balance of mind, body and soul.  Thus the research began and it all started to fall in place.


The initial feeling, nausea, you know like you are going to throw up at any minute, then I was just tired.  I haven't really stopped to let it all sink in, because I view the whole trilogy as one story, one piece of work.  So I am not allowing any down time between the three books, the second book 'Aquanis' is being formatted for release, and the third book 'Truir' is in the writing stage.

I will say it was kind of surreal to hold that first paperback proof in my hand, something tangible.  I was so proud to have actually finished, but then I dove right into editing.
Trefoil is a fantasy novel. Is this a genre you like reading yourself. If so what are some of your favourite books/authors?

I love fantasy, but I read across many genres.  I am a huge fan of Anne Rice; she was the first author that inspired me to tell a story.  I had tried many, many years ago to write after reading the Interview With a Vampire series.  The problem was genre.  I wasn't meant to write adult literary classics.

I love Suzanne Collins series The Hunger Games.  I thoroughly enjoyed Amanda Hockings Trylle Trilogy; she is a fascinating story teller.  I just finished Michael G. Manning's first two books from the Mageborn series, and I loved those.

I also love comic books.  Neil Gaiman's Sandman is so amazing.  I love his novels too, but Sandman is what enticed me to read his works.

Are you currently working on any other projects?

I'm focusing most of my energy and efforts into finishing the Trefoil Trilogy, book two 'Aquanis' is being formatted for digital upload, and book three 'Truir' is in the writing stage. I have two more ideas in the works as well, one is a series that could be as many as five books, just know that mermaids are in my future.

Why should we read Trefoil?

Read Trefoil because you are slightly fascinated by the occult, you love adventure, fantasy, and the thought that, there is always more out there than what you can see with your eyes.  Read my book because you want to be entertained and surprised and most importantly because you too are a Fae loving fanatic.  Relax and surround yourself with intrigue, action, adventure, discovery, magic, and romance. There is a character that will take you will love, a character you will hate, and character you will want to marry.  Of course each reader will have their own favorites, but there is one particular character that I have fashioned after my brother, and he is my favorite.

Is there an author or book you would recommend to my readers?

By far my favorite author at the moment is Amanda Hocking.  I love her style and her ideas.  She is inspiration to independent authors everywhere for her triumph without a publisher.  I mean we all want people to read what we write; we want them to love what we give them, those pieces of us.  I just love the pieces that she shares with us.

M.C.Moore's Christmas Favourites:

Fave christmas read?  I would have to say Douglas Adam's Hitch Hikers Guide to the galaxy because I take it with me to my grandparent's at Christmas, so that is probably my Christmas read, even though it really isn't a Christmas book.

Fave christmas song?  All I want for Christmas

Fave christmas movie?  (this is actually a tough one because I love movies with a Christmas theme.)  Mixed Nuts, Love Actually, and Elf (it's really a three way tie and you know I'm a fan of the threes.)

What do you want for Christmas?  I need a new computer. I want an iPad.

Thanks to M.C.Moore for the interview!
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/mcmooreauthorpage
Twitter:     http://twitter.com/#!/mysticmoore
Google+   https://plus.google.com/114031466193879549851/posts?hl=en
Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5336017.M_C_Moore
Buy Trefoil:
Books available at:
Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0068CHD0Y
B&N:       http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/trefoil-m-c-moore/1107421321?ean=2940013484597
Smashwords:  http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/105455
Createspace: (for paperbacks) https://www.createspace.com/3709616
Posted by Reading Away The Days at 15:55 No comments

UK Blog Tour for The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton- Author Interview & Swag Giveaway Hey! Welcome to the last stop on the UK blog tour for The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton. I just want to say a few thank you's to everyone involved in the blog tour.  Thank you to the following bloggers that particapated:
Donna @ Book Passion For Life
Emma @Belle Books
Jodie @ Books For Company
Kerry-Ann @Reading A Little Bit of Everything
After you have read Kiki's awesome interview, head over and check out the above bloggers post's as well!
Also I big thank you to author Kiki, who trusted and let me organise her blog tour!
How Kiki got into writing:
I’ve always loved to write but I was so busy with work and my family and life that I didn’t make the time to write. Then I read Harry Potter. (I didn’t actually start Harry Potter until the Goblet of Fire came out… I read books 1-4 in a week.) I’d forgotten the magic of a well-told story. The magic of becoming the characters in a book and experiencing their adventures. I loved Harry Potter so much that I decided I’d write a little story for my daughter and that’s when the madness all started…
Can you tell us a little about your debut novel, The Faerie Ring?
London 1871, pickpockets, stolen rings, faeries, romance, danger, mystery
Orphaned and picking pockets in London’s Charing Cross station to support not only herself, but her ‘family’ of orphans, sixteen year-old Tiki steals the Queen’s ring and thinks she’s solved  their problems. That is, until Rieker, a pickpocket from the North End, suspects her in the theft and tells her that the ring is really a reservoir that holds a truce between the British and Faerie courts.
When he warns her that the fey will do anything, including murder, to recover the ring, Tiki is unsure whether to believe him or not. To complicate matters, Rieker seems to know something about the unusual birthmark on Tiki’s wrist. But when Tiki and her family are threatened the game changes.

Where did you get the idea for The Faerie Ring?
I’ve always loved the idea of things not being what they seem. That other dimensions or worlds exist side by side with our own, just beyond our ken; that the scope of our world is more than just the three dimensions that we are able to easily comprehend.

The cover for The Faerie Ring is beautiful. Who designed it and did you have much say is the designing of the cover? Thank you! Usually authors do not have any input in the design of their covers, but I’m very fortunate that my editor, Susan Chang, did ask my opinion. I was pretty specific about the things I thought should be included and even did some mock-ups of my own and included other covers I liked.  I was lucky enough that Susan and Seth Lerner, the Art Director, listened and really came up with the perfect cover.  As you read the book, you can flip back to the cover and see things that maybe you didn’t notice at first.

How does it feel to have your debut novel out there for all to read?

I’m thrilled to have my story out there as an actual book. It really is a dream come true and Tor (my publisher) has been so fantastic to work with! They’ve been very supportive and have given me lots of opportunities to do signings at big industry events which is equally exciting. Imagine people standing in line to get a copy of your book – it’s surreal!!
Why should we read The Faerie Ring?
One of the reasons I wrote The Faerie Ring, was because I felt like reading historical fantasy – a story set in the past – and didn’t know of any that involved faeries. There may well be some out there but I didn’t know about them at the time. I think compared to most of the newer YA books, that combination might make mine a bit different.  All of the historical facts are true and accurate, which makes it kind of fun, and since London is such an ancient city – you can go today to many of the places in The Faerie Ring.
So – if you like historical fantasy novels – you might like this one.
I have completed a contemporary YA called THE LAST DANCE that I just love and I’m working on a new standalone paranormal fantasy YA.
Kiki's Christmas favourites:
Fave Christmas Read?  A Christmas Carol

Fave Christmas treat? Chocolate Marshmallow Santa's

Fave Christmas Movie? You've Got Mail
Fave Christmas song?  James Taylor / Natalie Cole – Baby It’s Cold Outside.
What do you want to see under your Christmas tree this year? A contract for my next two books! :)
Thanks to Kiki for the awesome interview. The Faerie Ring is available now from the. The Faerie Ring is available to buy now!
Follow Kiki:
Website: http://www.kikihamilton.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/kikihamilton
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/kikihamilton1
First Prize: The Faerie Ring postcard
The Faerie Ring badge
Two Faerie Ring bookmarks (1 signed)
Second Prize: The Faerie Ring postcard
Third Prize: Two The Faerie Ring bookmarks (1 signed)
-Giveaway is International
-Giveaway opened to 13+
-Three Winners
-Leave a nice comment below for Kiki
-Leave your email address so I can contact you if you win
+1 GFC Follower
*Giveaway ends 31st December
*Giveaway sponsored by Kiki Hamilton
*Giveaways will be shipped 6th January

Posted by Reading Away The Days at 14:45 12 comments

Mid-Winter's Eve Giveaway 21st-27th December

Wednesday, 21 December 2011 Thanks to http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com/ & http://oasisforya.blogspot.com/ for hosting this hop!
For my giveaway one lucky person will win a awesome swag pack which includes:
*A sample of Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor, it has the first four chapters of the book so for all you guys that haven't read it you can read the first four chapters to see if you will like it!
*A set of Spirit Storm trading cards by E.J.Stevens
*A two moons of Sera by Pavarti K Tyler magnet
*A Pyxis by K.C.Neal bookmark (SIGNED)
*A Nightspell by Leah Cypess bookmark (SIGNED)
*A Founder by LM.Long bookmark
*A The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton bookmark (SIGNED)
*A Betrayed by Ednah Walters bookmark
*A The Sight Book one in The Glamour Series by M.D.Christie postcard (SIGNED)
*A Fairy Bad Day by Amanda Ashby postcard (SIGNED)
So to win this SWAG of awesomeness and yes it is INTERNATIONAL, you have to comment on one of my reviews from this year it is as simple as peas. You can find all my reviews here! Or by simply clicking the review tab above. YOU MUST then come back to this post and comment which review you commented on, along with your email address so I can contact you if you win!
*Review comments from the 21st December onwards only count as your entry. If you have commented on the review before the above date that is awesome and I really appreiciate it, however please comment on an other one that sounds interesting to make your entry count.*
-Giveaway Ends on 27th December
-Prize will be shipped on January 6th

Check out my other giveaway of swag from The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton!
Have a great Christmas and a happy new year!

Check out all the other blogs and get hopping:
Posted by Reading Away The Days at 05:37 22 comments

Author Interview: April Barbosa

Tuesday, 20 December 2011
A little about April and how she got into writing:

I am 30 years old and have 3 kids. I grew up in an abusive household and then at the age of 16 married an abusive man. I was married 4 years and finally got away after he tried to kill me twice. What gave me the courage was the second time he also tried to kill my daughters. For my children I got the strength and left. I met and married my soul mate and I realized I was an alcoholic and abusive. I used writing as a therapeutic output. Writing helped me to see what I was doing wrong in life and to change it. Can you tell us a little about your novel Shy's Sorrow?
Shy's sorrow was a mixture of fantasy and reality. I wasn't ready to write about my "old" life but I wanted to vent. So I made a story about a girl kind of like me. Her story is my story, but there are alot of made up situations. When my memior comes out people will be able to see the similarities.
Shy is a girl who lives a comfortable happy life. When fate takes a turn for the worse, she is thrown into a life of violence, manipulation and a place where no one is who they seem to be. This story is also about a girl who gets to establish relationships with parents who were absent during her childhood.
Where did you get the idea for Shy's Sorrow?
Shy's Sorrow came about through reality. Growing up all my friends would call me La Shy Girl. I had never had a close relationship with my dad. My grandpa was the only positive father figure I ever had. In 2005 he past away and that set me on a journey to have my dad in my life. Also fighting and violence was a way of life for me growing up. I seen my first fight when I was in kindergarten. It was something that has stuck with me through the years. Watching a grown man jumping on anothers man's head while he is knocked out can change the views of anyone, especially a five year old child. I thought that was what life was about.
Shy's Sorrow is an Urban YA book. Is this the genre you prefer to write in or is there any other genres you would like to tackle, i.e. fantasy, paranormal, contempoary?
I like urban writing wether it be YA or adult, but I like to test my skills. I have wrote an story in the erotica genre. I am also writing my memoirs. I plan on trying fantasy. I have alot of respect for fantasy authors.
You are currently looking for a literary agent, how is your search coming along?
Well I had one literary agent respond and tell me she loved my erotica story, but since it is a short story she would like me to write at least two more and resubmit so I can have a book or ebook. I am currently working on them.
Why should we read Shy's Sorrow?
People should read Shy's Sorrow because it is a look into the life of what real young people face today. Some of us live protected lives where there is no violence or hate. But there are others who live a war like existence in the US. Running from gunshots, being jumped. They are all desensitizied to lifes hardships and even to death and murder. If we watch the news we see glimpses of that life but if you read Shy's Sorrow or even talk to a teen in the hood or projects they will open the door to a life not many people know exists.
Are you currently working on any new projects at the moment?
Yes, I am writing my memoirs and also some fantasy and erotica. There is also a book number two to Shy's Sorrow.
Shy's Sorrow is available now!
Follow April:
Twitter: @authoressapril
Posted by Reading Away The Days at 08:32 No comments

Review: A Witch in Winter (Winter Trilogy #1) by Ruth Warburton

Monday, 19 December 2011
I recieved this book a few months ago from Hodder Children's Books for review and I don't know why I didn't start it earlier! A Witch in Winter is a debut novel from author Ruth Warburton which is released in January 2012.

First off I love the cover of A Witch in Winter, it is so pretty, take a look for yourself! So, A Witch in Winter is about a girl called Anna Winterson who moves to a small fishing village called Winter with her dad. Her dad has just recently lost his job and fell into a depressed state so moving to Wicker House in Winter is a new start.
Wicker House is a damp, run down and just about liveable house, overlooking a forest with the sea in the distance, nothing like living in London. For some reason Wicker House reminded me of the house in Casper :)
Anna is clearly not happy with the move. A new house, no phone singal, a new school and having to make new friends. A teenagers worse nightmare! She does make friends though and while her dad is away visiting friend's in London Anna and some of her new friends have a sleepover in Wicker House. There they decide to do an incantation from a old spell book that Anna's dad found in the house for some fun. They pick a LOVE SPELL!
All hell then ensues, with "bad boy" Seth falling in love with Anna due to the love spell, finding out Anna herself is in fact a witch, stand off's with Seth's ex-girlfriend , near death experiences, creepy crows, a crazy organsation and a battle witch on witch to compete with Harry and Voldermornt! Phew! What more could you want?
A Witch in Winter was a fast paced novel with a romance that makes you cheer on the love, however leaves you still a little, just a tinie bit unsure whether the love is all real. With a fresh take on witches, set in a small village on Britains coastline. A Witch in Winter is a must read!
Ruth Warburton is a talented author with a great debut novel. A Witch in Winter is just the beginning of the story and what a great beginning it is. I can't wait for the next in the series A Witch in Love!
5/5 Butterflies!﻿
Pre-order A Witch in Winter now!
Check out Ruth on FB: http://www.facebook.com/ruthwarburtonwriter
Follow Ruth on twitter: @ruthwarburton
I had an interview with Ruth at the beginning of the month. Check it out here!
Posted by Reading Away The Days at 16:28 4 comments
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