Mercy of the Queen Guest Post

Mercy of the Queen

By Anne Clinard Barnhill

Release Date:  January 3, 2012

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

464p

SYNOPSIS

A sweeping tale of sexual seduction and intrigue at the court of Henry VIII, At the Mercy of the Queen is a rich and dramatic debut historical about Madge Shelton, cousin and lady-in-waiting to Anne Boleyn.

At the innocent age of fifteen, Lady Margaret Shelton arrives at the court of Henry VIII and quickly becomes the confidante of her cousin, Queen Anne Boleyn. But she soon finds herself drawn into the perilous web of Anne’s ambition.

Desperate to hold onto the king’s waning affection, Anne schemes to have him take her guileless young cousin as mistress, ensuring her husband’s new paramour will owe her loyalty to the queen. But Margaret has fallen deeply in love with a handsome young courtier. She is faced with a terrible dilemma: give herself to the king and betray the love of her life or refuse to become his mistress and jeopardize the life of the her cousin, Queen Anne.

Speaking of Anne, Anne, the author (not the queen. In case you missed it, she died. Sorry to give a spoiler but it's kind of a well known beheading) is here today as my guest:

Anne Clinard Barnhill 

Arthur Brandon strode onto the pages of AT THE MERCY OF THE QUEEN without so much as a 'beg your pardon' and once he was there, he refused to leave.  He appeared as Madge Shelton and her nurse were making their way to London and, as if by magic, he became the romantic lead in the novel.  It wasn't until I was halfway through the book that I realized he was a great deal like my husband, Frank.

     He has the same features as my hubby--dark hair and brown eyes--and he also has that same confidence, the cocky walk and I-dare-you stance.  As the novel progressed, I even dressed Arthur in colors that looked good on Frank.  Interestingly, my husband's nickname is 'Chur,' a name earned when our family (three sons, two parents) took Kung Fu together when the boys were young.  We would all practice our forms and the boys would soon begin chopping at each other with their hands, just like Bruce Lee.  They provided noises to improve the effects.  Ching-chang-chur!!  Of course, my husband joined in and soon, they began referring to him as simply 'Chur.'  Now, our grandchildren call him Chur, too.  So, when Madge dubbed Arthur Brandon 'Sir Churlish', it seemed just right.

     I would never have consciously modeled a leading man on MY leading man--as I said, I didn't realize I was writing about him until mid-way through the novel.  I have found including caricatures of friends and family a dangerous ploy--often, they take offense and it's just not worth the hassle.  But, I figure if a character shows up as adamantly as Arthur Brandon did, a writer has no choice by to let him have his way--even if he does act a lot like your husband.

     Funny how the mind works and how we often put elements of our own lives into creating stories, even though those fictitious stories may have taken place 500 years ago.  It's a little scary though.  I'd hate to think what some psychiatrist might discover about my psyche by reading my work!

For more blog posts regarding Anne's Freudian insights (subconscious, I  mean. Not her dad), visit more sites on the tour by clicking HERE.

More tidbits? Okay. Stalking Anne is not an inappropriate past time. Do so in the following ways:

Link to Anne Barnhill's Website:  http://www.anneclinardbarnhill.com/
Anne Barnhill on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/acbarnhill
Anne Barnhill on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/acbarnhill
Twitter Event Hashtag: #MercyOfTheQueenVirtualTour

The Accidental Bride by Denise Hunter

The Accidental Bride by Denise Hunter

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Goodreads: When a wedding reenactment turns real, this cowgirl suddenly finds she's an accidental bride.

Shay Brandenberger is raising her daughter in Moose Creek, Montana on her childhood ranch, nestled against the Yellowstone River. Despite her hard work, she can't seem to keep her head above water-and now the bank is threatening to foreclose. She prays for a miracle, but the answer she receives is anything but.

Having agreed to play the bride in the Founders Day wedding reenactment, Shay is mortified to be greeted at the end of the aisle by none other than Travis McCoy, her high school sweetheart-the man who left her high and dry for fame and fortune on the Texas rodeo circuit.

Then the unthinkable happens. Thanks to a well-meaning busy body and an absent minded preacher, the wedding reenactment results in a legal marriage. But before Shay can say "annulment," Travis comes up with a crazy proposal. If she refuses his offer, she'll lose her home. But if she accepts, she may lose her heart.

Shay isn't sure if the recent events are God's will or just a preacher's blunder. Will trusting her heart to the man who once shattered it be the worst mistake of her life? Or could their marriage be the best accident that ever happened?

My take: I've already met Shay when I read (and loved) a previous book by Denise Hunter, featuring Abigail and Wade. Wade's and Shay's daughters are friends. It was fun to peek into Abigail's and Wade's life after the last book ended. But this story is Shay's.

Shay was stood up at the altar by Travis, her high school boyfriend, who left for the rodeo. By the time he figured he goofed, Shay had remarried. Now, 14 years later, Shay is divorced and her ex-husband has died. She's single parenting and running a ranch on fumes. It's about to go under when a Founder's Day re-enactment of a pioneering couple somehow becomes real as Shay and Travis are the proxies.

It's a fun concept, if a little unbelievable. I didn't mind the pretending it could happen. The problem I had was with the cantankerous Shay. The idea is that she's been through a lot of tough times and has learned by many experiences to not trust or count on a man but I found very little redeeming qualities about her. I liked Travis just fine but I did also have a small problem with keeping up with the quick shift of point of view.

The underlying message is one I loved; Galations 1:10 - who are we trying to please, man or God? Shay struggles with what other people think of her. This translates to her own daughter and Travis and Abigail are instrumental in helping her with this issue of pride.

It's a fun, quick read. I like Hunter's writing but I am much more drawn to Abigail's and Wade's story.

Spin by Catherine McKenzie Review

Spin by Catherine McKenzie

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Goodreads: Katie Sandford has just gotten an interview at her favourite music magazine, The Line. It's the chance of a lifetime. So what does she do? Goes out to celebrate - and shows up still drunk at the interview. No surprise, she doesn't get the job, but the folks at The Line think she might be perfect for another assignment for their sister gossip rag. All Katie has to do is follow It Girl Amber Sheppard into rehab. If she can get the inside scoop (and complete the 30-day program without getting kicked out), they'll reconsider her for the job at The Line. 

Katie takes the job. But things get complicated when real friendships develop, a cute celebrity handler named Henry gets involved, and Katie begins to realize she may be in rehab for a reason. Katie has to make a decision -- is publishing the article worth everything she has to lose?

My take: I didn't really expect to like this book. Too many books about wannabe writers who want to show off their Hollywood connections and lifestyles of the rich and famous behaving badly have turned my stomach. The authors are often self absorbed. Now I can honestly say this book kept me reading far past the hour that a woman with four children and a professional job should be reading because I was so intrigued and really cared about the protagonist. She was funny, snarky, and not very self aware but you just could not help yourself. I loved her "voice" and her ability to write a new and compelling story that made me crave a martini or a shot of whiskey. Just to clarify my drinking history - I have none. No, truly. Never even sipped champagne. That's how convincing the protagonist is. But I digress.

Katie does not have a drinking problem. She is not an alcoholic. She simply drinks too much and tends to be irresponsible. At least that's her story and she's sticking to it. Due to her presentation at a job interview, she is the lucky winner to enter a pricey rehab for celebs and rich and famous. Think Cirque Lodge via Robert Redford's influence. It's Utah's best kept secret where stars go to detox. Okay, whatever. We all about it.

So Katie's assignmement is to go to rehab and play the therapy game so she can report on the IT girl who is in the same rehab. But Katie does not have an addiction problem. Of course the reader knows Katie might have a little problem. The story is told first person in Katie's head. She justifies herself, talks to herself and is all too relateable and funny. There is nothing forced about the story as Katie starts out pretending to go through the twelve step program with a lot of deflection and lack of responsibility. She makes friends with a couple of the women in rehab including Amber but it is almost incidental. The meat of the story is the every day in rehab and her slow acceptance that she might choose to stay sober and she decides she has issues.

Somehow a little romance is introduced and new patients show up that shake up the chemistry. I don't think it is a spoiler to mention that she becomes friends with a couple of vacationers, including Amber which causes a moral dilemma for writing the story since she suddenly finds she has a conscience sans alcohol. This is about the time that I become convinced my choice to never partake are still sound. I simply loved Katie. In fact character development for all of Katie's best friends are well done. I just really liked them.

Be aware that swearing is heavy. Sex is implied but mostly in past tense. Drug and alcohol use and abuse is heavy with the caveat of the sweet friendships that develop in rehab, a more clear understanding of addiction, and real struggles to survive and successfully complete a rehab program.

Definitely worth the read but does not pass my Mom-o-Meter. You will laugh. You might cry. You will enjoy.

DJ Rising by Love Maia

DJ Rising by Love Maia


My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars


Goodreads: The first thing I hear is music. The first thing I've always heard is music.

Meet Marley, an unassuming high school junior who breathes in music like oxygen. In between caring for his heroin-addicted mother, and keeping his scholarship at a fancy prep school, he dreams of becoming a professional DJ.

When chance lands Marley his first real DJ job, his career as "DJ Ice" suddenly skyrockets. But when heart-rending disaster at home brings Marley crashing back down to earth, he is torn between obligation and following his dreams.

My take: The book tells the story about Marley, a boy who has seen a lot of sorrow. Yet for all the times he's down, he finds his way back up and keeps swimming. He sets his goals high and works for his dreams. It all sounds quite After-School-Special but I assure you it is not. Although Marley is a hard working student on scholarship in an expensive prep school, finding jobs as a DJ, he is still dealing with a mother who shoots the rent through her veins then does nothing but sit in a heroin induced stupor. Marley gets tired. He wants a childhood but the responsibilities lay heavy on his shoulders.

The characters Marley meets along the way represent different aspects of hope, redemption, common sense, love, and belonging. The message is one of forgiveness and acceptance but the journey there involves a lot of grit. Marley sees a lot of drug and alcohol use/abuse, dialogue and swearing is strong and the tragedies Marley endures takes him to a new low. Marley is not perfect but he is definitely a good role model.

I also had no idea what an art being a DJ is! The author describes it in many different ways and paints beautiful pictures with her words. The end result is that I understood how out of blue, comes green. When all of life is layered together, balanced just right, even the tragedies can add depth to a human soul, depending on the person's willingness to accept and forgive.

Outside the Lines by Amy Hatvany

Outside the Lines by Amy Hatvany

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Goodreads: When Eden was ten years old she found her father, David, bleeding out on the bathroom floor. The suicide attempt led to her parents’ divorce, and David all but vanished from Eden’s life. Since childhood, she has heard from him only rarely, just enough to know he’s been living on the streets and struggling with mental illness. But lately, there has been no word at all.

Now in her thirties, Eden decides to go look for her father, so she can forgive him at last, and finally move forward. When her search uncovers other painful truths—not only the secrets her mother has kept from her, but also the agonizing question of whether David, after all these years, even wants to be found—Eden is forced to decide just how far she’ll go in the name of love.

My take: Eden's father is mentally ill. The book toggles between time lines and voices. This is a very tricky endeavor which the author does very well. Eden and David have distinct voices and I am never confused with POV. Also, time period is clear as Eden sees things as a little girl and changes perspective as she gets older. David grows more mentally unstable as time continues on. Although David is never given a clear diagnosis, it appears he begins with Bi-polar which progresses to "with psychotic features." David struggles with calming the mania and slowing his mind which quiets his creativity. This is too hard for the artist in him and continually ceases his medication.

So Eden is now 31 years old. She is successful chef and her best companion is her dog, Jasper. For some reason, Eden suddenly wants to locate her father. The last she saw of him was during his suicide attempt. When he was hospitalized, her mother served him with divorce papers. She remarried a fireman who was at the scene of the tragedy and they gave Eden a baby brother shortly after that. Eden shares a close relationship with her brother who has some demons of his own with pleasing his father. This is hinted at but never fully explored. Same with the romance the develops that was interesting. I would have liked to know a little more about that one.

Eden begins the arduous task of trying to find David. She starts at a homeless shelter and meets love interest. Loved him. Wonderful love story. Very sweet and healing. Eden has issues of trust and allowing herself to love and be loved by another person. This is all part of her journey to find David.

Another relationship that is explored and well developed is between mother and daughter. Eden has held her mother somewhat responsible for her father's mental demise. If she'd only tried harder to help him, he wouldn't be missing or living on the streets. Slowly, Eden discovers the difficult decisions her mother had to make and why she made them.

The story is very well developed except for the two side notes previously mentioned but they are pertinent to the story of Eden and David. The main characters are VERY well developed. There is emotional and psychological exploration and metamorphoses as the years go by. It is a well written exploration of mental illness and respecting yourself and the mentally ill person and their choices. I really enjoyed this one.

Follower Love Giveaway Hop

Blog hop sponsored by Kathy and Racheal.

The book for contest is May the Road Rise Up to Meet You by Peter Troy



Product Description: An engrossing, epic American drama told from four distinct perspectives, spanning the first major wave of Irish immigration to New York through the end of the Civil War.

Four unique voices; two parallel love stories; one sweeping novel rich in the history of nineteenth-century America. This remarkable debut draws from the great themes of literature—famine, war, love, and family—as it introduces four unforgettable characters. Ethan McOwen is an Irish immigrant whose endurance is tested in Brooklyn and the Five Points at the height of its urban destitution; he is among the first to join the famed Irish Brigade and becomes a celebrated war photographer. Marcella, a society girl from Spain, defies her father to become a passionate abolitionist. Mary and Micah are slaves of varying circumstances, who form an instant connection and embark on a tumultuous path to freedom.
     
All four lives unfold in two beautiful love stories, which eventually collide. Written in gorgeous language that subtly captures the diverse backgrounds of the characters, and interspersed with letters, journals, and dreams, this unforgettable story, rendered in cinematic detail, is about having faith in life's great meaning amidst its various tangles.


2 copies available.
It's a historical fiction.
Would it be AN historical fiction?
I always get confused with those "H" words.
Unless it's a swear word, I don't struggle quite so much. Flows far too easily.
Click HERE or fill out form below.

For more great sites with books and book giveaways, see below.

Then I wouldn't mind some comment love. Validate me even though I don't know how to qualify historical fiction. And sometimes slip out a *heck* or something. Or is it "an" heck?

Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult

Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Goodreads: A life hanging in the balance…a family torn apart. The #1 internationally bestselling author Jodi Picoult tells an unforgettable story about family, love, and letting go. 

Edward Warren, twenty-four, has been living in Thailand for five years, a prodigal son who left his family after an irreparable fight with his father, Luke. But he gets a frantic phone call: His dad lies comatose, gravely injured in the same accident that has also injured his younger sister Cara. 

With her father’s chances for recovery dwindling, Cara wants to wait for a miracle. But Edward wants to terminate life support and donate his father’s organs. Is he motivated by altruism, or revenge? And to what lengths will his sister go to stop him from making an irrevocable decision? 

Lone Wolf explores the notion of family, and the love, protection and strength it’s meant to offer. But what if the hope that should sustain it, is the very thing that pulls it apart? Another tour de force from Jodi Picoult, Lone Wolf examines the wild and lonely terrain upon which love battles reason.

My take: I'm going to admit a shocking fact and I might be judged here. Love me, anyway. I have already read two Jodi Picoult books and I did not love them. In fact, I marginally tolerated them, although the subject matter had merit. Maybe it was the state of mind I was in at the time but whenever someone mentions a book by Picoult, I am underwhelmed.

Now I feel bad. The five stars is not overcompensating. It's a story that is complex and provides much introspection. And it kind of hurt my heart but not in a bad way. I sound a little oxi-moronic, don't I.

The story begins with Cara at the scene of an accident. She's hurt and she's just pulled her father from the wreckage of his truck. The ambulance arrives and she is aware of the severity of his injuries. They are both hospitalized and Cara's mother, Georgie, is called.

Georgie is living with her new husband, Joe, and their twins. She immediately calls her son, Cara's brother who is in Thailand, to come home. He jumps on the first plane and rushes to the hospital. Luke, Cara's and Edward's father, has suffered a severe brain injury and is on a ventilator and feeding tube. Georgie is no longer married to Luke. Edward is over the age of 18 but estranged from his father for reasons later explained while Cara is closest to her father but a minor and physically and emotionally a wreck. Who will be the spokesperson for Luke? That's one story line.

I think I want to make it clear right now that the ethical dilemma is not what strikes me as brilliance of the author. Euthanasia and the right to pull the plug or live in a vegetative state has been argued for decades. It is argued in a courtroom in the book. The real brilliance is the way Picoult tells the story through the different points of view. One moment and font it is Cara, then a different moment and font it is through Edward, then Georgie and so it goes. Each character offering a perspective that is equally compelling given the characters age and experience. Meanwhile, interspersed is Luke's story which foreshadows the next event.

Luke offers no commentary or perspective to the current battle. Luke is a fascinating creature in that he is a wolf biologist. He is so committed to the species that he insinuates himself into a captive pack of wolves and makes observations. To carry himself to the next level, he leaves his family for two years to live in the wild, insinuating himself into a wild pack of wolves or die trying. Obviously, he didn't die trying but he was gone for two years. I'll end the suspense. He enters a pack of wolves.

Wolves live by the rules of the pack. Each wolf holds a job within the pack. There is also protocol that must be followed down to the social strata of eating their prey. It is fascinating to read the behaviors and pack creed as Picoult researched this subject then simplified it for the reader to digest it. What I realized, about halfway through the book, was that Luke's diatribes and fascinating facts about the wolves were not random but mirroring his own family. It is subtle and can have many different interpretations but definitely present.

It's a book that leaves the reader digesting it for days afterward.

IMM (2/5/12)

This week in my mailbox I am reading:

Alienation by Jon S. Lewis

Alienation by Jon S. Lewis

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Goodreads: The invasion was only the beginning . . .

After his parents were killed in a car accident, Colt McAllister was drawn into a world he thought only existed in comic books-one where mind control, jet packs, and flying motorcycles don't even scratch the surface.

Along with his best friends Oz and Danielle, Colt is now training at the secret Central Headquarters Against the Occult and Supernatural academy. But strange accidents seem to follow him. . . even with the security of the school grounds. What first seems random soon turns deadly. But who is targeting Colt?

As the alien invasions increase in frequency and force, C.H.A.O.S resources are taxed to the limit and they're forced to utilize the new recruits. In the midst of battle, Colt will discover some startling revelations . . . about himself, his friendship with Oz, and why he has been chosen to defeat this alien attack against earth.

My take: This is book 2 in the series and very easy to jump into without a lot of work. Colt, the protagonist, is ready to enter the C.H.A.O.S. training with his best friends. The problem is that Colt doesn't know who he can trust. It becomes clear, early on, that someone wants Colt dead and he is being followed. An alien who can shape shift is provided as a hired assassin which gives the thriller more interest. Also, Colt unknowingly (although he discovers) carries a secret within him that could be very dangerous depending on the political party or planetary race. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

The book is well paced, a quick read and provides the reader with a dose of higher power and God. Colt's grandfather is religious and Colt shares his beliefs and struggles with ethical dilemmas. The book is well suited for a teenager who enjoys a little bit of action mixed in with some alien domination threat along with some social strife common for teens.

At the Mercy of the Queen: A Novel of Anne Boleyn by Anne Clinard Barnhill

At the Mercy of the Queen: A Novel of Anne Boleyn by Anne Clinard Barnhill

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Goodreads:  A sweeping tale of sexual seduction and intrigue at the court of Henry VIII, At the Mercy of the Queen is a rich and dramatic debut historical about Madge Shelton, cousin and lady-in-waiting to Anne Boleyn.

At the innocent age of fifteen, Lady Margaret Shelton arrives at the court of Henry VIII and quickly becomes the confidante of her cousin, Queen Anne Boleyn. But she soon finds herself drawn into the perilous web of Anne’s ambition.

Desperate to hold onto the king’s waning affection, Anne schemes to have him take her guileless young cousin as mistress, ensuring her husband’s new paramour will owe her loyalty to the queen. But Margaret has fallen deeply in love with a handsome young courtier. She is faced with a terrible dilemma: give herself to the king and betray the love of her life or refuse to become his mistress and jeopardize the life of her cousin, Queen Anne.

My take: The story begins after Anne Boleyn has succeeded in wedding King Henry VIII. The protagonist is the author's ancestor, Margaret Shelton or Madge. I didn't love the protagonist because she was not a strong character. On the other hand, she provided a point of view that is different from other books I've read on Henry's second wife; she is Anne's first cousin.

Other books on Anne Boleyn have either painted her as a victim or an antagonist. In this book, she is neither. She is a strong woman in a time period where women held very little power. Brief history that is not often mentioned - Henry married Catherine of Aragon, his first wife, because his older brother was supposed to. His older brother was to be king but he died. Henry inherited his bride. They had Mary (Bloody Mary). In the preceding decades, Protestantism (I made that word up) was born. The history of protestant faiths is not covered but both Martin Luther and John Calvin were actively opposing the pope in the early 1500's. The common people, tired of hell and damnation and driven to poverty by constant taxes and church offerings, were quickly split between Catholicism and Reformation.

Meanwhile, there were court politics. Henry had his part to play as did every courtier at the palace. Henry had many mistresses, including Anne's sister, Mary. When Henry approached Anne for some sexual dalliances, she refused. Her reasons are suspect but ultimately she claimed she would not offer her body unless he married her. And then we know the rest.

Madge is a beautiful cousin who arrives at court at the age of 16, shortly before Anne's coronation. She becomes a close confidante to the queen and through her eyes we get to know more about the palace politics and Anne's nature. Rather than being a scheming social climber, Anne is presented as an imperfect woman who is also a champion for the Reformation. As queen, she holds sway over promoting the Reformed church. At the same time, however, she did not support Henry's dissolution of monasteries which filled his coffers, much to Cromwell's chagrin. Cromwell enjoyed the bounty he skimmed from the to coffers of Henry and didn't like Anne's complaints.

Overall, the book provided a fresh view on Anne Boleyn. She is neither innocent nor guilty, victimized nor seductress. She was a woman trying to survive in a time and place where her options were unsavory.

Dialog and swearing - mild
Sex - Moderate to heavy
Violence - Moderate

All There Is: Love Stories from StoryCorps by Dave Isay

All There Is: Love Stories from StoryCorps by Dave Isay

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Goodreads: A celebration of love from StoryCorps.

In All There Is, founder Dave Isay shares stories of love and marriage from the revolutionary oral history project, revealing the many and remarkable paths that relationships can take.

From the excitement and anticipation of courtship to the deep connection of lifelong commitment, we discover that love is found in the most unexpected of places-a New York toll booth, a military base in Iraq, an airport lounge. As the storytellers in this book start careers, build homes, and raise families, we witness the life-affirming joy of partnership, the comfort of shared sorrows, and profound gratitude in the face of loss.

These stories are also testament to love's remarkable endurance. Love survives discrimination, illness, poverty, time-even death. In the courage of people's passion we are reminded of the strength and resilience of the human spirit and its enduring capacity to begin anew. This powerful collection bears witness to real love, in its many varied forms, enriching our understanding of that most magical feeling.

My take: I love the concept of this book! It's a company that sets up shop and ordinary people go into a booth where with another person and a moderator. They interview one another or just tell their story. A prompt might be: If you have only 45 minutes to live, what legacy would you leave? They tell their stories of love, loss, heartbreak, and happiness. The stories run the gamut of love; from young marriages, to people in their 90's, those who survived WWII, gay couples, those who lost loved ones during the 9/11 attacks, lost then found loves.

The most moving were the stories of 9/11 and those that have lasted through decades of ups and downs. The book is organized in three parts. Nearly every story brought an emotional response. Mostly, I felt the hope.

Vampirates - Immortal War GIVEAWAY and Author Guest Post

Author Justin Somper:

It certainly feels strange bringing my six-book sequence VAMPIRATES to a close. Some ten years ago, I had a flash of inspiration when the word “Vampirate” arrived, Eureka-like, in my head. It took me a while to get the idea for the books together and then to sit down and write the first one. DEMONS OF THE OCEAN was published in the UK, where I’m based, in 2005 and in the US in 2006. It’s been quite a voyage as I’ve combined writing a book a year with touring, blogging and a parallel career in public relations. Working on the VAMPIRATES books has proved enormously rewarding in ways I could never have anticipated. When I had that first flash of inspiration, little did I know that the books would be published in 35 countries and 25 languages, or that I’d have a wonderfully vocal online audience airing their views on characters and plotlines at vampirates.co.uk and via twitter and facebook, or that there would be a stage version of the books touring around theatres and schools.

I have learned a LOT as I’ve worked on these books and it’s clear to me that the latter three books in the sequence are more sharply plotted than the first three. It was gratifying to see a recent online review at bittenbybooks.com comment that “this sixth and final book in the Vampirates series is by far the best. Filled with non-stop action and edge-of-your-seat excitement, Justin Somper does not disappoint.” All thanks to the chapter grid system – involving large sheets of graph paper and a truck-load of coloured post-it notes - I evolved as I moved along! I think the latter books are probably a bit nastier but also somewhat funnier – I have discovered, like others before me, that horror and comedy are rather good companions, though I still primarily see these books as adventure stories.

I’m often asked who is my favourite amongst my many characters. It’s tempting to nominate my arch villains, Sidorio and Lady Lola. The bad guys do indeed get the best lines and it’s been deliciously fun to live in their crazy heads for a time. But, over the sequence as a whole, I’d pick Jez Stukeley as my favourite character – not least because he has grown so far from my initial concept of him. I brought him into Book 2 – TIDE OF TERROR – to make a quick impact, to be loved by the characters in the story (and hopefully readers too) and then be killed in a pirate duel early on. So far, so good. But, after Jez’s rather moving funeral and his coffin being slung in the ocean, he floats away to a beach where he lands at the feet of Sidorio, who brings the mariner “back from the dead” and appoints him his second in command. So Stukeley moves from the pirate world to the Vampirate realm but it’s clear that he has attachments to both. I think the fact that he is torn between his two lives, gives Stukeley more depth and pathos than the other characters. One of my favourite scenes in the sequence as a whole is in Book 3 – BLOOD CAPTAIN – when he returns to the pirate haunt, Ma Kettle’s Tavern, but can’t connect with his old friends now he is a Vampirate. I won’t spoil the scene, in case you haven’t read it, but suffice to say it doesn’t end well. 

The hardest book for me to write was definitely Book 6 - IMMORTAL WAR – perhaps because a big part of me didn’t want to let go of these characters or the world of this story, which I have inhabited for eight years or more. At the end of the book, you’ll find that I have left a few threads hanging. This gives me the opportunity to go back in, at some point in the future, and pick up my business with the Vampirates. But, even if I don’t ever return, I wanted to give the sense that the characters will be going about their business, whether I’m there or not. They have their own destinies and it’s time for me embark on a new journey with a whole new cast of characters. I’m excited to see where my next idea will take me.

Nancy here: I am glad to know that authors feel attached to their characters, too. I like a tidy ending but with the idea that life goes on. In my mind, Sam Malone is still serving drinks at Cheers in Boston with daily Cliff Clavin little known facts, a bar yelling, "Norm!" and Carla is still popping out babies and getting more cantankerous. 

Meanwhile, Vampirates is waiting for you! It's a great escape, easy and fun read, action packed with characters you will LOVE! As much as Norm, Cliff, and Sam? I don't know. But the world is just a better place with great characters (even imaginary) occupying space.

If you are ready to launch into this great book (and I know you are), you can buy the book at a local bookstore, or go to Amazon or enter to win a copy right HERE, thanks to awesome publicist at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Faery Tales and Nightmares by Melissa Marr

 Faery Tales and Nightmares by Melissa Marr

I hated the short story units during high school. They were weird. I think the fact that I enjoy well written short stories so much today is a testament that I have, indeed, grown up as a reader. Reiteration - well written short stories.

Marr accomplishes well written short stories. She lost me on the first one that was only a couple of pages long but the rest were entirely enjoyable, if not slightly disturbing. I think that was part of the allure for me. I really did love the selchie story best, although I'd known them as silkies.

The stories were about mythical creatures and included not only their draw but their dangers. The stories were short, clear, concise and provided just enough at the end to wonder what would happen. I kind of hoped there would be a part II of the stories.

The second half of the book befuddled me. This is not the fault of the author. It is a continuation of the world Marr created in her Wicked Lovely series which I am not caught up with. Okay, I read the first one then jumped into the next big thing. My apologies. End result is that I didn't finish this part. But I can recommend the short stories. Marr is gifted in writing shorts.