Fantasy Flashback Friday: Tamora Pierce

A look back at my pre blog fantasy author favourites!

 

One of my 2014 resolutions was to create more features and blog more about pre blog books. This feature will encompass both those goals!  I have been a huge fantasy fan ever since Enid Blyton convince me a chair could fly and grant wishes. I plan to feature a different author each post and give brief reviews of their books. First author is: Tamora Pierce!
 

How?

I was sent to my school library to pick a book for reading tutor as I'd forgot mine and just picked Wild Magic off the shelf! I quickly sped through The Immortals series and the rest is history!

Why?

Tamora is a talented world builder. Her novels are either set in Tortall or Emelan these worlds are completely different to each other from magic and Gods to basic social structure and within these worlds all the different countries are unique with different backgrounds and cultures. The attention to detail is phenomenal. World building aside, her characters are always well written and unique , her female characters in particular are very confident and independent. Tamora isn't afraid to confront bigger issues within her books, they contain LGBT characters, domestic abuse storylines, bullying, contraception and safe sex. Above all Tamora keeps her books and characters true to the time period she has set them in making them easy to read.
 

Book Breakdown

There will be two Tamora Pierce posts, This first one is going to focus on Tortall books, I've included the decade each series was published in as the Tortall books have spanned three decades. I am keeping this spoiler free where I can, obviously Daughter of the Lioness will give away some spoilers for Song of the Lioness though!
 
Song of the Lioness: published in the 1980s.
Goodreads summary: the Song of the Lioness quartet is the adventurous story of one girl's journey to overcome the obstacles facing her, become a valiant knight, and save Tortall from conquest. Alanna douses her female identity to begin her training in Alanna: The First Adventure, and when she gains squire status in In the Hand of the Goddess, her growing abilities make her a few friends -- and many enemies. Books 3 and 4 complete Alanna's adventure and secure her legend, with the new knight errant taking on desert tribesmen in The Woman Who Rides like a Man and seeking out the powerful Dominion Jewel in Lioness Rampant. 
SoTL spans a long period of Alanna's life so you can see how she gets through knight training and then out in the 'real' world which
Favourite book: This is a hard one! I think The Woman Who Rides Like A Man because it features the Bloody Hawk tribe and they were so interesting!
Favourite characters: Jon, I loved Jon, he was strong and fair but fun. George, King of thieves, the 'bad' boy of the series. Faithful, witty and snarky, exactly how you would expect a cat to be. To be honest I loved all the characters but I had to narrow it down.
Favourite element: Alanna's love life involves more than one guy and not in a love triangle but a realistic progression as she grows up. Alanna's determination to do things she's not allowed to or that are deemed impossible.
 
The Immortals: published in the 1990s
 Goodreads summary: The story of Veralidaine Sarrasri (known as Daine), a parentless girl with an extraordinary talent. Daine finds a job that takes her and her pet Cloud from her home country of Galla to the kingdom of Tortall where she finds a new life and a new family, and learns that she has the magical ability known as "Wild Magic," which enables her to speak to animals, heal them, and take their shape as well as bend them to her will. She makes new friends with creatures, including the black-robe mage Numair Salmalin, a young dragon named Skysong (nicknamed Kitten), the lioness
Favourite book: Emperor Mage because it mostly takes place in Carthak!
Favourite characters: Numair, who doesn't love a talented attractive mage? Kaddar, I absolutely loved Kaddar. He reminded me of Jon and I loved how well he adapted to living under his Uncle's rule while retaining his own views. I really want to see more of him. Rikash, I loved his wit and his relationship with Daine.
Favourite element: Wild magic, I loved this concept and how it developed throughout the series.

The Protector of the Small: published in the early 2000s. 
Wikipedia summary: The story features Keladry of Mindelan, the first girl to follow in Alanna's footsteps—legally and without disguise, after a law is passed allowing girls to try for knighthood. As she begins her training, Kel is constantly harassed, injured, plagued by doubters and put on probation by her training master, who thinks a girl will never succeed. Kel discovers the hazing of young pages and fights the bullies to put a stop to it. Kel makes memorable friends throughout the series, including the wry Nealan of Queenscove, and also Lord Raoul of Goldenlake, an old friend of Alanna's. She meets some key enemies, including Joren of Stone Mountain, her fellow page. The series follows Kel's training and the first year of her knighthood, a timespan of nine years.
Favourite book: Squire, I loved Kel's Knight master and all the developments as it spanned a long period.
Favourite characters:
Favourite element: Kel doesn't have any magical abilities or influential friends to start with, she's just an ordinary girl who wants to be a knight. I love that Tamora didn't make her 'the next Alanna'.

Daughter of the Lioness/Trickster's: Published early 2000s.
Wikipedia summary: The story of Alianne (Aly) of Pirate's Swoop, the 16-year-old daughter of the legendary Alanna the Lioness. Disallowed work as a Tortallan spy by her parents, Aly leaves home only to be captured by pirates and sold into slavery in the Copper Isles. Under the guidance of Kyprioth, the god of tricksters, Aly involves herself with a conspiracy of the native raka people against their luarin conquerors, in accordance with a prophecy made by Kyprioth himself through one of his priestesses, centuries earlier.
Favourite book: I'll be honest I never really clicked with this duet, I was so excited for it I badgered my technology inept Mum to make an amazon account so I could buy it but I just couldn't get into it!
Favourite characters: Nawat! I loved his backstory and his personality.
Favourite element: The Copper Isles it was great to explore a different country.
 
Beka Cooper/Provost's Dog: published late 2000s.
Wikipedia summary:The series is a prequel  two hundred years earlier. It details the adventures of Beka Cooper, a sixteen-year-old recruit of the Lord Provost, originally from a
lower city family and now in service to the Provost's Guard. This series is told from a diary-style first person perspective. Beka's entries detail how hard she works to try to make her home, the Lower City of Corus, safer. Beka's roots in the Lower City give her both a keen insight and a sense of empathy for the people she is there to protect.Favourite book: Terrier, I loved the mystery, the setting up of this medieval Tortall and the characters.
Favourite characters: Definitely Rosto! He reminded me of George

Final Thoughts

What I love most about Tamora Pierce is that despite the decades separating her series her characters remain relevant and that all their stories despite the different lifestyles/cultures are inspiring to readers. I love that the protagonists are all unique with different motives. I also love how well crafted and layered the Tortall.

Are you a Tamora Pierce fan? What's your favourite Tortall book?
Much Love!
Lettie
Xxx

Quarterly Check Up!

For some reason I've been skipping my monthly reviews! I thought I'd do one big 'check in' for the first quarter of 2014. 2014 has been a slow blogging year so far I keep getting into little slumps so I'm hoping with my blogiversary coming up and exciting posts all planned out I can get back to my usual schedule!

January-April in Numbers

Total posts= 39

Books read= 29

Reviews Posted= 15

 

Favourite Books!
January~ Rome by Jay Crownover.
February~ Best Kind of Broken by Raen Smith.
March~ What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang.
April~ The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski.

What I've Reviewed!

Dangerous to Know and Love by Jane Harvey-Berrick.

Unraveled by Jen Frederick.

Finding It by Cora Carmack.

That One Summer, Series Review!

Racing Savannah by Miranda Kenneally.

All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill.

Taking Something by Elizabeth Lee.

The Only Exception by Magan Vernon.

Heartbeat by Elizabeth Scott.

Believe by Erin McCarthy.
Panic by Lauren Oliver.
How To Say Goodbye by Amber Lin.
These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
Saving Quinton by Jessica Sorensen.

Southbound Surrender by Raen Smith.

What I Posted!

Stacking the Shelves: April
Challenge Update 1!
Currently.... Update.

Stacking the Shelves: March

Interview: Melody Grace.

Spring Bloggiesta To Do List!

Spring Bloggiesta NetGalley Mini Challenge!

Behind the Blog: 4 Hearts to 4½ Hearts!
Thoughts on Searching for Beautiful by Nyrae Dawn.

Cover Reveal: Make it a Double by Sawyer Bennett.

Spring Reading Thing.

Monster Reviewathon: Sign Up!

Reading through the Ages- Primary School!

Stacking the Shelves Follow Up: February

Guest Post: Leigh Ann Kopans.

Stacking the Shelves: February!

Mini Reviews: Reveiw Copy Cleanup Edition!

Interview: Jay Crownover
Book Blogger Love-A-Thon Interview!
Top Ten Tuesday: Swoon Reads!
Stacking the Shelves: January 2013 Follow Up!
Anything to Have You by Paige Harbison: Sneak Peek...
Be With Me Release Day Launch!
Review Copy Cleanup!
Stacking the Shelves: January 2014!

Bout of Books 9.0

Challenges 2014!

2013: A Review!

 

Goals!

• Monthly reviews~ I'm committing to bringing back my month reviews!
• Consistency~ I want my consistency back! I'm aiming lower than usual for a target of 10 per month, hopefully it's achievable.
• 2nd Blogiversary~ I want to celebrate my blogiversary at the beginning of June with a week of reviews, features and flashbacks!

 

All laid out I feel like I've had a better start than I thought. Not as great as I had hoped and less reviews but a good start! The only way is up now!

How has 2014 been for you so far?
Much Love!
Lettie
Xxx

Stacking the Shelves Follow Up: February

Yearly follow ups on my monthly stacking the shelves posts.

I have a bad habit of buying lots of books and then not getting around to reading them...... Please tell me this happens to other people?
Hopefully these posts will make me accountable and encourage me to read the leftovers :)

Reviewed!
Make It Last by Bethany Lopez.
I Choose You by Bethany Lopez.
Trust in Me by Bethany Lopez- Measuring Up by Nyrae Dawn.Double Clutch by Liz Reinhardt
Fall Guy by Liz Reinhardt.

Leftover......
Between The Lines by Tammara Webber.
None of The Regular Rules by Erin Downing.
My Paper Heart by Magan Vernon.
The Disgrace of Kitty Grey by Mary Hooper.
Mila 2.0 by Debra Driza.
Perception by Lee Strauss.

More reviews but more leftovers!
Which of my leftovers should I read first?
Much Love!
Lettie
Xxx 

Guest Post: Leigh Ann Kopans.

Today's post is from Leigh Ann Kopans.

 

Raised on comic books and classic novels, Leigh Ann developed an early love of science fiction and literature.  As an adult, she rediscovered her love for not only reading, but also writing the types of fiction that enchanted her as a teen.  Solving for Ex was born of her love for Jane Austen’s classics, and how they taught her that love stories could be funny and wickedly smart.


Hi Lettie! Thanks so much for inviting me to your blog to celebrate the release of Solving for Ex! I’m so excited to talk about one of my favorite topics – literary reduxes.

I’ve always been a bit obsessed with reduxes – close retellings of classic stories. I think it’s because, in some way, I’ve always known that the greatest stories are, at their core, applicable to humanity no matter what the time period, setting, or genders of their characters. I’ve always also believed that writers get their inspiration from all sorts of places – no story is truly, one hundred percent original. As I learnt with Solving for Ex, which is a fairly close retelling of Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park, writing a story with just one source of inspiration is actually a little more difficult than writing a novel pieced together completely from scratch. Without going into too much detail, making sure you stay true to the story, in this case two hundred years old, while maintaining a plot arc and character arc that will engage contemporary readers. As you might imagine, I have a pretty high standard for reduxes, and I want to share my favorites with you. I basically swoon any time I think of any of these.

Clueless.

A redux of Jane Austen’s Emma, Clueless does an arguably better job of handling some of the story elements and drawing supporting characters than Austen did – meanwhile, Cher is in some ways more endearing and a deeper character than the original Emma.

Eyre House by Caitlin Greer.

Jane Eyre was the first book I ever loved, so I’ve always scoffed when I hear that someone’s written a retelling. As if (as Cher would say.) So when my friend Cait approached me saying she was thinking of retelling Jane Eyre on a Southern haunted plantation-turned-inn, and by the way, she was probably going to swap the genders of the two main characters, I have to admit I was a  bit skeptical. But Lord in Heaven (as her characters would say,) did she ever do an amazing job. It captures every nuance of the original you would ever want to see, spins the characters into something you wouldn’t have imagined, and adds a truckload of steam. Check it out here: http://www.amazon.com/Eyre-House-Caitlin-Greer-ebook/dp/B00DTMISIM/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

Ten Things I Hate About You

This is a really cool redux, because not only does it recast The Taming of the Shrew pretty darn faithfully, it also incorporates a pretty large number of elements from the original play – for example, the characters attend Padua High. Not only that, they are super-smart teens who incorporate actual lines from the original play into their dialogue, and it doesn’t feel awful or contrived at all. This is one of my fave movies of ever.

For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund.

Honestly, I always thought that Austen’s Persuasion was one of her blandest titles (I’m sure that was on purpose, Jane, no hard feelings,) but Diana Peterfreund managed to give it a really cool twist as a dystopian futuristic class-conflict based love story. Two thumbs up.

 

Thanks again for having me over, Lettie! You’re such an amazing support and I can’t wait to work with you again!!!

I love the majority of these reduxes! I've never read Eyre House though!
What are your favourite reduxes?
Much Love!
Lettie
Xxx

Stacking the Shelves: February!

What is Stacking The Shelves all about?

Stacking The Shelves is hosted by Tynga all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

 

Welcome to my monthly round up!

Borrowed Shelf!

 Fall of Five by Pittacus Lore~ My library finally put it on long term loan!

What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang~ This one has been on my TBR for years!

 

Actual Shelf!

Into the Still Blue by Veronica Rossi~ Finally got my hands on this one-excited to finish up this trilogy

 

Virtual Shelf!

NONE! First time ever~ finally getting some self control!

 

Review Shelf!

NetGalley

The Best Thing I Never Had by Erin Lawless~ Sounds like an interesting read.
Panic by Lauren Oliver~ Love the sound of this and I'm interested in Lauren Oliver's contemporaries.
Never Google Heartbreak by Emma Garcia.
Song of the Fireflies by J.A. Redmerski.
Saving Quinton by Jessica Sorensen.
Searching for Beautiful by Nyrae Dawn.
Day of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor~ I was lucky enough to get this on read now!

Blog Tours

Best Kind of Broken by Chelsea Fine~ I loved this new adult debut.
Unconditional by Melody Grace~ Love this series! 

What joined your shelves in February?

Much Love!

Lettie

Xxx

All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill.

"You have to kill him." Imprisoned in the heart of a secret military base, Em has nothing except the voice of the boy in the cell next door and the list of instructions she finds taped inside the drain.
Only Em can complete the final instruction. She’s tried everything to prevent the creation of a time machine that will tear the world apart. She holds the proof: a list she has never seen before, written in her own hand. Each failed attempt in the past has led her to the same terrible present—imprisoned and tortured by a sadistic man called the doctor while war rages outside.
Marina has loved her best friend James since the day he moved next door when they were children. A gorgeous, introverted science prodigy from one of America’s most famous families, James finally seems to be seeing Marina in a new way, too. But on one disastrous night, James’s life crumbles apart, and with it, Marina’s hopes for their future. Now someone is trying to kill him. Marina will protect James, no matter what. Even if it means opening her eyes to a truth so terrible that she may not survive it. At least not as the girl she once was. 

Thoughts!

I'm not usually a fan of books involving time travel but All Our Yesterdays is a brilliant result of stepping out of my comfort zone. The time travel aspects of the book were clear, well explained and actually made sense! The plot itself was full of twists and turns, more than enough to keep you engrossed chapter after chapter late into the night. The characters were well written and so distinctive. I loved how unaware of themselves they were and how they all interacted. From the beginning I found James to be quite manipulative towards Marina especially as he seemed to know she was hopelessly in love with him. As the book progressed he became more obsessive, selfish and unlikeable but at the end he almost redeemed himself which was surprising! Marina had her faults but she was unfailing loyal and good hearted deep down. I loved Finn, he was brave, assertive when needed yet still maintained a semblance of mystery! I adored how he interacted with Em and to an extent James. Em grew in my estimations as her backstory was explained and revealed, I think it really added depth and made a Em more realistic character. I enjoyed how clever and witty she could be while remaining good and kind hearted. I found Nate to be the most intriguing character, mainly because he became a big what if? I especially liked his influence over James, Marina and Finn who all idolised him. The Doctor was possibly my least favourite character, he simply used people until they became useless to him and then cruelly discarded them. I found his 'interrogation' methods cruel and his enjoyment of them worrying!
I absolutely adored every page of this book! I felt like all the characters and plot points were tangled up in a ball which slowly unravelled revealing each surprising twist. It is the perfect mix of sci-fi, light dystopia and contemporary.

Rating!

First one of 2014! I immediately brought the paperback for my shelf and rereading purposes!

Are you an All Our Yesterdays fan?
Much Love!
Lettie
Xxx

Taking Something by Elizabeth Lee.

 

I know what you’re thinking. “You were such a jerk, Nick!” Believe me, I know I screwed up the best thing I had going in my life, but that was kind of my thing. I’d learned how to run cons before I could even form complete sentences, and I’d always been selfish. But I changed. Lila forgave me, my brother and I were getting along, and I was trying to make a name for myself in the music world.
At least that was what I was trying to do when I negotiated my way into the recording studio with pop superstar Sadie Sinclair. I thought it would be a piece of cake—charm my way into her heart and into her record label’s good graces.
Just when I thought I had it all figured out, I got mixed up in a web of lies, manipulation, and deception. A web that had me questioning my motives and desires altogether.
Was the fame and fortune really worth the price?

Thoughts 
Give Me Something has been on my TBR for ages so I jumped at the chance to read Taking Something! I did occasionally feel like I was missing some background knowledge but overall it read well as a stand alone. I found the characters to be well developed and unpredictable. Nick surprised me as a character, he was much more dedicated and hard working than I expected. I loved how charming and persuasive he could be to further his career. Nick's pitch and his subsequent working relationship with Westwood really showcased these qualities in Nick and was a great way of introducing his character. His relationship with Sadie was not what I expected which was different and made the book much less predictable, even if Nick was a bit naïve in starting the relationship! I expected a more polished sweet pop star than Sadie who was high maintenance and highly selfish. Gia, who wasn't even mentioned in the blurb, turned out to be one of the most secretive characters right up until the very end of the book! I liked her integrity and loyalty, even if it was misplaced! Landry was my unexpected favourite, I found him witty and industry smart! I liked how he reacted to all the twists and turns of his life and how he befriended Nick.  The plot was complex and well thought out. I assumed it would be your usual boy meets famous girl story but it was much more complicated and layered than that. I enjoyed discovering all the character driven twists throughout the book.  

The characters were well developed and uncliched and the plot was clever and surprising! I hope to see more books in this series and will be picking up Give Me Something soon!

Have you read this series? Do you recommend Give Me Something?
Much Love!
Lettie
Xxx
 

Mini Reviews: Reveiw Copy Cleanup Edition!

 

The Only Exception by Magan Vernon

 
Fiercely liberal Monica Remy prefers to blend in. Despite her tattoos, piercings, and outspoken personality, she transferred to Central to escape—before she finds out that her next door neighbour is the uber conservative governor's son, Trey Chapman.
No matter how hard she tries to avoid Trey, he still finds a way to get under her skin. Monica can’t stand his crisp white shirts or his staunch views on women. But she can’t help counting every freckle on his face and wondering what it would feel like to have him stop talking politics and kiss her.
A class debate project forces the unlikely pair to work together, and the political lines are blurred in late-night make out sessions. But despite their fiery chemistry, Trey’s politics threatens to smother their relationship for good.

Thoughts!

I really enjoyed the political aspects of this book. Although as I'm British I did find it hard to follow at times and the issues surrounding contraception completely went over my head. I liked Monica and how direct she was with her thoughts and actions especially with her roommate at the very beginning! I also found her very brave and resilient despite the circumstances. I really liked Trey as a character, he was such gentleman and respectful of Monica with their political difference. I think sometime his politics clouded his actions. Trey's family were refreshingly uncliched despite their political beliefs they were welcoming and friendly towards Monica. I really enjoyed the epilogue and how it wrapped up loose ends and showed how Monica fitted into the Republican family!

Rating!

I enjoyed the politics and the chemistry between Monica and Trey!

 

 Hearbeat by Elizabeth Scott.

Life. Death. And...Love?
Emma would give anything to talk to her mother one last time. Tell her about her slipping grades, her anger with her stepfather, and the boy with the bad reputation who might be the only one Emma can be herself with.
But Emma can't tell her mother anything. Because her mother is brain-dead and being kept alive by machines for the baby growing inside her.
Meeting bad-boy Caleb Harrison wouldn't have interested Old Emma. But New Emma-the one who exists in a fog of grief, who no longer cares about school, whose only social outlet is her best friend Olivia-New Emma is startled by the connection she and Caleb forge.
Feeling her own heart beat again wakes Emma from the grief that has grayed her existence. Is there hope for life after death-and maybe, for love?

Thoughts

This book had such a deep and controversial core issue, it definitely humanised an issue and situation that is often showcased in the media with little attention to the people involved! I admired Emma as she was at the centre of this difficult situation and I think I identified with her as an only child of a single mother. I think she struggled to remember how things had truly been before the accident and also to have faith in Dan. It was hard for her to move on as her mother though technically dead was still there so she'd had no closure through a funeral or anything. It also made her a spectacle  at school, people were confused with how to deal with her. Olivia however was such a supportive and open friend who tried her best to be there for Emma which at times couldn't have been easy! I loved her side story with Roger and her techy parents! Caleb had his own background which I enjoyed learning about and understanding. I liked how he and Emma related to each other and how their friendship/relationship grew throughout the book

I wasn't too keen on Dan, I felt like he and Emma didn't really take an time to figure out their relationship without Emma's mum and he didn't quite understand how to reassure or relate to Emma after the accident.

I loved the journey Emma went on during the book as she dealt with her grief, anger and confusion and struggled with her relationships but ultimately started to repair her relationships, express herself better and say goodbye.

 Rating

 

Believe by Erin McCarthy

 Robin used to be a party girl… until she got black out drunk and woke up in bed with her best friend's boyfriend. Now she's faced with being THAT girl, and couldn't be more disgusted with herself. She can't even tell her friends the reason for her sudden sobriety and she avoids everyone until she meets Phoenix—quiet, tattooed, and different in every way that's good and oh, so bad…
Phoenix is two days out of jail when he meets Robin at his cousin's house, and he knows that he has no business talking to her, but he's drawn to her quiet demeanour, sweet smile, and artistic talent. She doesn't care that he's done time, or that he only has five bucks to his name, and she supports his goal to be a tattoo artist.
But Phoenix knows Robin has a secret, and that it's a naïve dream to believe that his record won't catch up with them at some point. Though neither is prepared for the explosive result when the past collides with the present…

 Thoughts

I really enjoy this series but I wasn't too keen on Robin before I read Believe. In less than a chapter I was completely taken in by Robin and Phoenix! Robin was a lot less confident than she had seemed through Jessica and Rory's eyes especially after the incident. It was refreshing to read about 'THAT girl' from a different perspective and to see  how Robin reacted and felt in regards to it. I think at times she blamed alcohol to heavily for the incident. I loved Phoenix, he seemed like such a cliché bad boy but turned out to be a sweet boy who lived a clean life according to his convictions. I admired how hard he worked and I enjoyed his banter with his cousins. The way he pursued Robin and saw the real her was just what they both needed! Once again great chemistry and a fresh relationship. I also enjoyed seeing how the group's dynamic changed and grew in this instalment and seeing them from the more outsider view of Phoenix. I'm looking forward to next book already!

 Rating

I love this series and each book is just an fresh and passionate as the last!

 

Related reviews:

The Only One by Magan Vernon.

True by Erin McCarthy.

Sweet by Erin McCarthy.

 

Three great books- thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read them!

 

Have you read any of them?

Can you recommend any other Elizabeth Scott books?

Much Love!

Lettie

Xxx

 

 

Interview: Jay Crownover

 I'm thrilled to have the chance to ask Jay Crownover (Marked Men) a few of my burning questions!

Jay Crownover

I’m a native Coloradoan and if you live here you know why that is a source of pride.  I love all the things Colorado has to offer and that is why I choose to set my books in this familiar setting.  I try to write about things I know and am familiar with which is why my stories feature plenty of rock and roll and body modification.
I’ve been in the bar industry since I was in college and I spend over forty hours a week watching the interaction between men and women in a unique way.  I think my 9 to 5 job offers me valuable insights into how relationships start and evolve in a social setting.  I love it.
I like to write New Adult novels because I remember being in my early twenties and thinking I had it all figured out only to be proven wrong time and time again.  When I look back those were the years that defined who I am today, and good or bad those decisions untimely set me on my current path, so that’s what I like to explore in my writing.

Questions!

Did you plan Marked Men series to be a six part series? Particularly Asa, was he always going to get his own book?
No, Asa was going to die originally at the end of Jet's book,  but something about him just kept whispering to me that he could turn it around. Plus of all the guys I needed a guy that was actually a bad-boy. He’s a criminal and really shady so that's fun to play with. I did know all the other guys once they were introduced were going to get their own books. They were all just too interesting to leave hanging.

Do you have a favourite guy or couple?

From the Marked Men books I absolutely do not have a favourite. I love them all and their stories have all been really important to me. I do have a favourite character...he's just in a different series and no one has met him yet! His name is Bax-Shane Baxter and he's a car thief.

What do you have planned for after the Marked Men series?

Right now I have a new series called Welcome to the Point that has the first two books coming out between the marked men books.  Better When He's bad is the first book and it's out in June. This series is very different from the Marked Men so it's exciting to try something new and something really kind of not out there in the NA market right now!

Books

Great series full of hot tattooed guys and strong girls! Highly recommended!

Are you a fan?
Which Marked man is your fav?
Much Love!
Lettie
Xxx

Book Blogger Love-A-Thon Interview!

I took part in this last year and I was so excited to take part again this year!

I'm thrilled to have Melissa from Allodoxophobia here with some brilliant questions that she came up with!

 Be sure to check out her blog which she shares with her best friend Christina for some great posts and also my interview! Like last year I've added my comment underneath in italics.

 

Early bird or night owl?

Night Owl

 

What are you currently reading?

Up From The Grave by Jeaniene Frost.

 

Favourite pizza toppings?

Mushrooms, tomatoes and green peppers.

 

Cake or pie?

Pie, chocolate cream preferably. I don't think sweet pies are as big over here as they are in America! I've never seen a chocolate cream pie for sure!

 

What was the last TV show you watched?

Modern Family :) Love this show!

 

If you could travel to any place in the world tomorrow, where would you go?

Paris with my daughter- it is her dream trip.

 

If you could sit down and interview any author (past or present) who would it be?

William Faulkner, I was always impressed with stream of consciousness.

 

Who is your favourite book boyfriend?

Barrons from The Fever Series by Karen Marie Moning...super bad, dangerous and very hot!

 

Favourite book heroine?

Celaena from Throne of Glass, Tris from Divergent because she made the brave choice. Great choices!

 

What is the one piece of advice you would give any person thinking of starting a book blog?

Read, read, read and don't be afraid to ask questions to other bloggers. They are the best source of wisdom :)

 

Thanks to Melissa for being my interview partner- I enjoyed meeting you and I've definitely been introduced to some new books and authors.

A huge thanks to Katelyn and Alexa for hosting the event!

 

Be sure to check out all the events going on today and tomorrow!

Much Love!

Lettie

Xxx