Interview with Linda Bloodworth: A Raven's Touch Blog Tour

 

Over the last week I have been working with Linda Bloodworth to help get the word out about her new book, which is now available. Today I am happy to be participating in the blog tour for A Raven's Touch. Below is information from the author about the book. Make sure to check out my interview with the author.

A Raven's Touch Summary

Bullied through high school, seventeen-year-old Justice St. Michaels is grateful for the help of her best friend Moira O’Fhey. Their only wish is to graduate high school, leave the sleepy town of Fallingbrook and all that happened behind them. The Heavens have other plans. Between growths on her back and being involved in explosive school fights, nothing seems to make sense. When an unexpected encounter with Darien Raventhorn causes worlds to collide it exposes the truth about Justice's real identity.

To avenge a family death, Justice must embrace her birthright, and slay a demon before all Hell breaks loose.

Add to Your Goodreads TBR List

Buy on Amazon|Kobo|B&N|iBooks|Google Play

About the Author:

Linda Bloodworth loves chips, like really, ketchup to be exact. Ketchup chips are only found in Canada. Lucky for Linda she lives in Toronto with her husband and three fur babies. In between writing, debating for hours about the Oxford comma, and the misunderstood semi colon; Linda enjoys camping and getting away from the city on day trips.

Visit Linda on her website here, or Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Google+! Feel free to subscribe to her newsletter here.

Author Interview

Where did you get the idea for A Raven's Touch?

Oddly enough, I had a dream, and I woke up and wrote down everything that happened. I was 14 when I had that dream, and it's stuck with me now that I'm in my 30's.

How long did it take you to write this novel? 

Approximately three and a half years. I work full time, so I had to use every spare moment I could get. I write early in the morning before work, after work, and on the weekends.

What was the most difficult part of writing this book?

Getting past the times I thought my writing was crap. Every writer has those moments, and sometimes I had to take two weeks off at a time to mentally recoup. 

Did you have a favorite character to write about?

I love Justice and Moira. Together, they're quite funny, and they have a very strong friendship bond that I hope people admire. I enjoy showing that a female character can be strong, independent, and take charge. 

What part did you enjoy writing about the most?

The ending really was fun because there are so many points that come together to build up to an even higher frenzy. I feel Justice is finally coming into her own and realizes her power. I do have a cliffhanger ending, but I am writing as much as I can for the sequel. 

Did you have any input for the cover? If so, how was that experience?

I had complete control. I worked with a fantastic cover artist who listened to me, and really brought my vision to life. I feel like the cover really represents the story, and has a different feel because of the hand drawn aspect.

Any final thoughts you would like to share?

Writing a book is one of the hardest mental exercises to go through. You don't realize you even have demons until they start to whisper in your ear and beg to come out. Some days you feel like you're the worst in the world, and you should give it all up. Then someone give you a bit of encouragement, and it all fades away. The blood, sweat, and tears are all worth it in the end if you can find the right words to make your story shine.

Make sure to check out A Raven's Touch!

Waiting on Wednesday | Firstlife by Gena Showalter

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature created by Jill at Breaking The Spine.

Firstlife by Gena Showalter
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Expected Publication Date: February 23, 2016
Pages: 480
Find on Goodreads

Goodreads Description

ONE CHOICE.

TWO REALMS.

NO SECOND CHANCE.

Tenley “Ten” Lockwood is an average seventeen-year-old girl…who has spent the past thirteen months locked inside the Prynne Asylum. The reason? Not her obsession with numbers, but her refusal to let her parents choose where she’ll live—after she dies.

There is an eternal truth most of the world has come to accept: Firstlife is merely a dress rehearsal, and real life begins after death.

In the Everlife, two realms are in power: Troika and Myriad, longtime enemies and deadly rivals. Both will do anything to recruit Ten, including sending their top Laborers to lure her to their side. Soon, Ten finds herself on the run, caught in a wild tug-of-war between the two realms who will do anything to win the right to her soul. Who can she trust? And what if the realm she’s drawn to isn’t home to the boy she’s falling for? She just has to stay alive long enough to make a decision…

Why I'm Waiting

I was first drawn to this book because of the cover. It already looks amazing. From what I can see there was so much thought put into it. There is also a lot details that I can't see from the picture alone. I can't wait to see what it looks like once its actually printed out. I'm sure it's going to be stunning. 

For the actual content, this book sounds very intriguing. I'm always fascinated by parallel worlds but this seems like it will be done a little differently. The realms, as they call them, are the afterlife for this world. I'm interested in learning more about the realms and how they came to be however they currently are. I've never heard of this author but I'm looking forward to seeing how this is executed.

Anyone else looking forward to this release?

Top Ten Tuesday: Top 10 Books to Read in 2016

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted at Broke and Bookish. This week's theme is freebie so I decided to talk about the Top Ten Books I Want to Read in 2016. There are so many books I want to read and have recently bought but I'm going to pick the books I'm most of excited to read that I already own.

1. Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan - I'm currently reading the first book in the series but I have the entire series so I want to finish it this year.

2. Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling - This is another series I would like to complete this year. Everyone is always talking about the series and I want to finally be completely immersed in the world.

3. Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff - I've heard mostly good things about this book and I don't want it just sitting on my shelf looking pretty.

4. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare - I've had this book for years now but the one time I tried to start it it didn't grab my attention. I've heard so many good things about the series so I want to give it another try.

5. Saga by Brian K. Vaughan - I have the first 5 volumes and I want to get caught up before the 6th volume comes out. I'm sure once I start this I will end up reading them all at once.

6. The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon - I recently got this book and since I've heard so many good things about it this was moved up in my general TBR.

7. The Jewel by Amy Ewing - I bought this as an ebook almost 2 years ago for a project but I never got around to reading it. As usual with all the other ebooks I buy, I forgot about it and would like to get to it this year.

8. Partials by Dan Wells - This is another book that I really want to read but keep forgetting about since I have it as an ebook.

9. Eon by Alison Goodman - Basically the same as the previous two. I was excited about this but I forgot about it because I have the ebook.

10. The Girl With All The Gifts by M. R. Carey - I've heard so many amazing things about this. I have a copy so I want to get this book this year. It's a thriller so I might wait until around Halloween to read this.

Oblivion (Lux #1.5) by Jennifer L. Armentrout | Review

Oblivion (Lux #1.5) by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Publication Date: December 1, 2015
Genre: YA, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance
Pages: 1005
Source: Purchased for Kindle
First Line: "Faster than any human eye could track, I move soundlessly among the trees in my true form, racing over the thick grass and the dewy, moss-covered rocks.
Find on Goodreads

Goodreads Description

I knew the moment Katy Swartz moved in next door, there was going to be trouble. Lots of it.

And trouble’s the last thing I need, since I’m not exactly from around here. My people arrived on Earth from Lux, a planet thirteen billion light years away. Plus, if there’s one thing I know, it’s that humans can’t be trusted. We scare them. We can do things they only dream about, and honestly, we make them look weak as hell. ‘Cuz they are.

But Kat is getting to me in ways no one else has, and I can't stop myself from wanting her—or wanting to use my powers to protect her. She makes me weak, and I’m the strongest of our kind, tasked with protecting us all. So this one simple girl…she can mean the end for us. Because the Luxen have an even bigger enemy—the Arum, and I need to stay on my game.

Falling for Katy—a human—won't just place her in danger. It could get us all killed, and that’s one thing I’ll never let happen...

My Thoughts

If you didn't already know Jennifer L. Armentrout decided to publish the beginning of the Lux series from Daemon's point of view. A lot of people usually don't like when authors do this but I admit that I'm a sucker for this kind of stuff. I'm always interested in learning more about the mind set and the decisions behind the actions behind the characters other than the one telling the story. With that being said, when I found out about this I was so excited and immediately pre-ordered it.

Oblivion is the first book of the Lux series, Obsisdian, in Daemon's point of view. Since I ordered the Kindle version, I received the first 3 books in the series in Daemon's point of view. The Lux series was my favorite series I read in 2015. I loved it so much I started rereading it later in the year, even though I had read the entire series for the first time earlier in the year.

This book did exactly what I was hoping for. It gave insight into Daemon and his thoughts when all we could see through Katy's eyes was him being rude. Although we knew it was more going on to Daemon, we were allowed to see exactly what was going on and the responsibilities being placed him by not only his small group of friends/family but also from the alien community he was a part of. We were also able to see Daemon fall in love with Katy even though he kept trying to deny it. It was nice to know that Daemon wasn't being an ass for no reason most of the time.

I loved this! It allowed me to relive the story with out reading it exactly how it happened before. If possible, Oblivion made me love Daemon even more! If you were a fan of the story, and Daemon, I think it is worth reading for a different perspective. I would love to see more from this world, even if it wasn't from Daemon and Katy's perspective (Dee and Archer, or even Ashley, Adam, and the other orgin kids all grown up).

Have you read this? What were your thoughts?

Waiting on Wednesday | Assassin's Heart by Sarah Ahiers

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature created by Jill at Breaking The Spine.

Assassin's Heart by Sarah Ahiers
Publisher: Harper Teen
Expected Publication Date: February 2, 2016
Pages: 400
Find on Goodreads

Goodreads Description

In the kingdom of Lovero, nine rival Families of assassins lawfully kill people for a price. As a highly skilled member of one of these powerful clans, seventeen-year-old Lea Saldana has always trusted in the strength of her Family. Until she awakens to find them murdered and her home in flames. The Da Vias, the Saldanas’ biggest enemy, must be responsible—and Lea should have seen it coming. But her secret relationship with the Da Vias’ son, Val, has clouded her otherwise killer instinct—and given the Da Vias more reason than ever to take her Family down.

Racked with guilt and shattered over Val’s probable betrayal, Lea sets out to even the score, with her heart set on retaliation and only one thought clear in her mind: make the Da Vias pay.

With shades of The Godfather and Romeo and Juliet, this richly imagined fantasy from debut author Sarah Ahiers is a story of love, lies, and the ultimate vengeance.

Why I'm Waiting

I have been interested in reading more assassin books lately so I was really excited to find out about this book. Most of the time when there's a story about an assassin, the person is usually alone. No family, friends, etc. I like that this story centers around an assassin who once had a family and I'm hoping that we get to see Val with her Family and how that companionship affects her relationships and the way she interacts with others. I'm interested to see how that might be different from someone who never had anyone anyone else. I'm really looking forward to this!

Anyone else looking forward to this release?

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Recently Added To My TBR

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted at Broke and Bookish. This week's theme is Top Ten Books I Recently Added To My TBR. I went to Goodreads and looked at the last books I added to my TBR. Instead of just choosing the last books I added I'm picking so I'm most excited for. Also, this might include books I haven't added to my TBR yet.

Has anyone read any of the books that are currently out? I would really like your opinion if you have!

A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses #1) by Sarah J. Maas | Review

A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses #1) by Sarah J. Maas
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Publication Date: May 5, 2015
Genre: YA, New Adult, Fairy Tales, Retelling, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance
Pages: 416
Source: Purchased
First Line: "The forest had become a labyrinth of snow and ice."
Find on Goodreads

Goodreads Description

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it... or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

Perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore and George R. R. Martin, this first book in a sexy and action-packed new series is impossible to put down!

Favorite Quotes

"We need hope as much as we need bread and meat. We need hope, or else we cannot endure."

"Because your human joy fascinates me — the way you experience things, in your life span, so wildly and deeply and all at once, is . . . entrancing. I'm drawn to it, even when I know I shouldn't be, even when I try not to be."

"Be glad of your human heart, Feyre. Pity those who don't feel anything at all.”

(There are so many more but I don't want to have too many.)

My Thoughts

Just as a fair warning, this review is most likely going to contain spoilers! 

When I first started reading this I was a little scared that this was going to end up like my experience while reading Throne of Glass. I thought I was once again going to be in that group that thought this book was just okay while mostly everyone else loved it. The beginning was a bit of a slow start. I was interested in the life Feyre was living but I wasn't invested enough to really care. At the beginning of the book I was more worried about how much I didn't like her family. None of her family showed appreciation for Feyre basically keeping them all alive.

There were little parts that helped the plot more forward but for the most part the first half of the book was slow for me. I was interested in what was going on and the interactions between the characters but I was frustrated at the same time because I was trying to think of every reason why Tamlin might have kept Feyre alive. Not only did Tamlin keep her alive, he basically offered her a better life than the one she was living. However I enjoyed having the time to learn more about this new world and the people living in it.

I had mixed feelings about Tamlin sending Feyre home when they were so close to breaking the curse that had been put on the Spring Court. I understand why it had to happen but I didn't get why Feyre didn't put up more of a fight. I'm pretty sure at that point she knew she was in love with Tamlin but she just let it all go for what she thought was freedom. I was kinda happy that it happened though because I got the feeling Feyre wouldn't have realized how much better her life had become since she didn't have to worry about keeping her family alive because of some stupid promise she made to her mother.

I admit I did kind of spoil myself (by accident) for part of the ending. I was trying to see when the second book in the series was coming out and I started to read the synopsis. Knowing didn't take away much except for not being a little confused or surprised by the part where they drop the light on/in Feyre. Besides that I was happy with the ending and I was surprised by the reaction of some characters, mainly Rhysand.

I'm happy that there was no insta love with Feyre and Tamlin! They are both flawed characters and they had to learn to get along and eventually like each other regardless of their faults. I loved the slow progression of their relationship. Besides the 2 main characters, there were a few others I liked. One of my favorite characters so far is Lucien. I liked Lucien even before I found out his back story. Even though he made it clear that he didn't like Feyre, he was always helping her out and entertaining her, sometimes even being a buffer between her and Tamlin.

I also really liked Alis and Rhysand. I'm not really sure why I like Alis, I just do. I knew from the moment Rhysand was introduced he was going to be important. The more that was revealed about Rhysand the more I liked him. It's clear by the end of this book that Rhysand has developed feelings for Feyre, especially by the way he was fighting to help her, even though he gave an excuse for that. From the moment Feyre got to under the mountain, Rhysand had done everything he could to help her. I'm pretty sure this is going to end up being a love triangle. As of right now I'm team Tamlin. Although Nesta wasn't my favorite character, she redeemed herself a little later in the book. I would love to see how she would do living in Prythian with Feyre.

Overall I loved this book. I couldn't give it a full 5 stars because it was slow in the first half of the book for me. I'm excited to see where this story goes! I can't for A Court of Mist and Fury to come out. I will most likely be preordering it!

What are some of your thoughts about this first book? Are you looking forward to A Court of Mist and Fury?

(Just a side note, if you leave a comment please use commentluv. I have it set up because for some reason I can't respond to comments when using the default blogger comment system. I had to delete a comment already because I wasn't able to reply to it and the plugin wouldn't show up.)

Waiting on Wednesday | A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature created by Jill at Breaking The Spine.

A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns and Roses
#2) by Sarah J Maas
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Expected Publication Date: May 3, 2016
Pages: 640
Find on Goodreads

Goodreads Description

Feyre survived Amarantha's clutches to return to the Spring Court--but at a steep cost. Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can't forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin's people.

Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms--and she might be key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future--and the future of a world cleaved in two.

With more than a million copies sold of her beloved Throne of Glass series, Sarah J. Maas's masterful storytelling brings this second book in her seductive and action-packed series to new heights.

Why I'm Waiting

I just finished A Court of Thorns and Roses and OMG!!! I think this series might be a new favorite of mine. It took me a while to get through because I put it down at some point to get through some smaller books but when I did pick it back up I finished it pretty quickly. I love this world and I can't wait to get back to it! I'm really excited to see how this world grows. I don't know what else to say without giving a full review on A Court of Thorns and Roses, which I plan on posting by the end of the week. I'm just really excited excited for this and I will probably end up pre-ordering it.

Have you read A Court of Thorns and Roses? Are you excited for A Court of Mist and Fury?

Top Ten Tuesday: 2015 Releases I Meant To Get To But Didn't

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted at Broke and Bookish. This week's theme is Top Ten 2015 Releases I Meant To Get To But Didn't. There were so many books that came out in 2015 that I wanted to read but I didn't. There are different reasons why I didn't get to them but most of them was because I didn't have a lot of extra money to spend on books. These aren't all the books I was looking forward to last year but the ones I was most excited for that I can remember. These books aren't listed in a specific order.

What what some of the 2015 releases you were excited for but didn't get to?

December Wrap Up

Happy New Year! I usually post these on the last day of the month or the 1st of the new month but as you can see that didn't happen. As you can guess, during the holidays at the end of the month things got a little hectic. I was spending a lot of time with my family and I was working so I didn't really feel like doing much of anything else. However, I read more in December than I did in any other month in 2015.

In December I also decided to start a YouTube channel. I was thinking about this before I started blogging but I never got around to doing it. I'm happy that I went ahead and started the channel. I feel that it will be another way to interact with people about. If you would like to check out my channel just click the YouTube button in the column to the right.

I kinda have a lot to get through in this wrap up so let's get started.

2015 Reading Challenge

As I stated in the last few wrap ups I posted, I set a 50 book reading goal for 2015. I went back and added some books that I had read but never put on Goodreads. I also went back and updated books that Goodreads that hadn't counted and realized I didn't need to read as many books as I thought I did. I completed my goal for the year! I'm pretty sure I read more than 50 books during 2015 but I don't have a record of some books. If you would like to see what books I read in 2015 (that I have documented) check it out here. 

New to My Shelves

This month there were so many books I wanted to get. Christmas shopping limited how much money I had to spend on books so I was only able to pick up a few books. I also got a couple books for Christmas. I made a video about my December book haul if you want to watch that.

Illuminae | Da Vinci's Tiger (OwlCrate) | Grave Mercy

Red Rising | Afterworlds | Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Books I Read

During the month I read 11 books. Like I said before, that's the most I've ever read in a month. A couple of these were children's books or short stories but I  also read a few bind ups. All the short stories I read, there was a link to read it for free if anyone wants to check any of them out.

Death Note: Black Edition Volume 1 & 2

The Paper Menagerie 

Oliver's Tantrums

Toads and Tessellations

Santa Baby, I Want A Bad Boy For Christmas

Oblivion

Never Never Part 1

The Water That Falls on You from Nowhere

Bridesicle

Impossible Dreams

Currently Reading

A Court of Thorns and Roses | Death Note: Black Edition Volume 3

I put down A Court of Thorns and Roses in December because I was trying to finish my Goodreads goals. I have finally picked it back up and I'm pretty sure that I will finish it sometime today. I also started the 3rd volume of Death Note in December but ended up putting it down to read shorter books. Once I pick it back up I should finish it quickly.

How was December for you? What are some books you read?

Top Ten Tuesday: 2016 Resolutions

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted at Broke and Bookish. This week's theme is Top Ten Resolutions We Have for 2016. I don't usually make resolutions because I always felt like I wouldn't follow through with them. However I'm starting to believe that when you when you write something down and put words behind thoughts you are more likely to get it done. This year I've have some bookish resolutions as well as some other resolutions that go along with the ones I listed in my 2016 Reading Goals and Challenges post.

1. Read more books! - There are so many books that I want to read and so many books being released this year.

2. Make more time for reading - I spend a lot of time randomly browsing the internet or other unnecessary things. I'm going to set aside time everyday for reading no matter how much or how little I can get read.

3. Read more diversely - This include reading from diverse authors, different genres, reading more than just YA books.

4.Not be ashamed of the books I read - I'm pretty sure I read more than 50 books last year but I didn't want to add every single book I read because I was ashamed of some of the books. I would like to not care about what people might think about some of the books I read.

5. Be more organized - This is one thing that I feel is the most important. I can make a lot of my other resolutions happens by being more organized.

6. Complete the first draft of my book - There isn't much to say. I need to get to writing!

7. Grow/develop my blog - I would like to do more reviews and add other content to my blog.

8. Be consistent with my blog and YouTube - I set goals for my blog and YouTube and I would like to stick to those.

9. Stop procrastinating - I have been getting a little better at this but I feel like there is always room for improvement. I'm hoping getting more organized will help with this.

10. Make friends in the book blogging/BookTube community - I'm always looking for new people to talk with about books with but I would really like to make some friends throughout the year.

2016 Reading Goals and Challenges

Before I get to my goals and challenges for the year, I would like to let everyone know I decided to start a Youtube channel to go along with my blog. Here's the video I posted for my goals and challenges for the year if you want to check it out.

Personal/Overall Reading Goals

• Get more organized!
• Work ahead of schedule instead of procrastinating.
• Books/Reading
• I set a goal of 50 books for the year on Goodreads
• Diversify my reading!
• Participate in a few reading challenges
• Blog
• Post at least 3 times a week
• Include other content besides memes and reviews
• Youtube
• Post at least once a week

Challenge #1: Pop Sugar Reading Challenge

I saw the Pop Sugar Reading Challenge quite a bit last year and I wish I would've known about it earlier. Although I'm not sure if I will be able to get to everything I decided to try it out. Here is a list of all the challenges.

Challenge #2: Around the World Reading Challenge

I've seen this challenge being done a few different ways. Since one of my goals for the year is to read more diversely, I've decided to read a book by an author from every recognized country in the world. I have created a Google map and I will be using that to keep track of what I read. I'm pretty sure I'm not going to finish this challenge during the year but I definitely plan on starting it. Here is a link to my Google Maps if you would like to follow along with my progress in this challenge.

Challenge #3: Finishing the Series Challenge 

The last challenge I decided to participate in is Finishing the Series Challenge. This challenge is hosted by Bea's Book Nook. My goal is to complete level 4 of this challenge, which is to complete 7 or more series. Here is the list of the series I'm attempting to finish for this challenge:

• Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead - Last year I started rereading this series but stopped after reading the 4th book. I want to finish up
• Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz - I meant to reread/finish this series last year. Since I didn't get around to it I would like to this year.
• Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling- I'm one of those people who hasn't read the series yet. I plan to read it before this year is over.
• Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan - This is another much loved series that I haven't gotten to yet.
• Red Rising by Pierce Brown - I recently got the first book in the series. The last book in the series comes out this year so I would like to get to the entire series.
• 5th Wave by Rick Yancey - I own the first book but never got around to reading it. Since the last book is supposed to be released this year I'm going to try to finish the entire series.
• Death Note by Tsugumi Ohba - I finished the first 2 volumes the black edition, which is actually the first 4 volumes of the series. I still need to read the last 4 volumes.

What are some of your goals and challenges for the year?