Cover Reveal: Kendare Blake's MORTAL GODS

Here it is!

Awesome, right?

If you follow my blog, you already know I'm a pretty big fan of Kendare Blake's work (it doesn't hurt that she's originally from Minnesota but was smart enough to move somewhere warmer). I recently reviewed her newest release Antigoddess, and just received word that she's revealing the cover for the second book in the series, Mortal Gods. Of course when she offered the chance to win an ARC of this book to any bloggers who helped with the reveal, I jumped on the wagon of terror. Because I not only love her work (young adult paranormal), but she's a pretty amazing person with a very healthy sense of humor. My kind of peeps.

At first I was bummed when she told me the first cover was getting a makeover as well, because I thought the original was striking. Then she sent me the redo, and I got over it. Because I love the beautiful silhouette of the woman with owl feathers floating through the air. It fits perfectly with the story.

Kendare promised to add something to the cover reveal if we so requested, so I asked her for a little insight to the book. Here was her response:

Some insight into the story...hmm....the entire Goddess War series deals a lot with adversarial relationships. Athena has one with practically everyone she knows. I don't even think she knows how to have the other kind. But to me the interesting thing about those relationships is the way they can change. The way people who hate each other can slowly learn to understand each other, and maybe even make peace. In Antigoddess, the wickedness of Hera and Aphrodite was apparent to Athena. She never considered anything else. But as Athena comes to understand them, who knows?

How's that?

That's awesome, Kendare. And so are you.

I tire of writing these things in the third person. So. I write fiction, apparently mostly YA. I didn't know this, but like Stephen King says, writers are the last ones to know what it is they've written. My first novel, Sleepwalk Society is a college story. I guess it falls into that no man's land they call, "New Adult".  Anna Dressed in Blood and Girl of Nightmares are teen horror. My short fiction can be found online in numerous places.

But enough about that. When I am not writing or reading, you can generally find me sitting around wondering what the hell I'm going to do with my life. That, or being a gastronome, plotting a new recipe. Perhaps on a run or hike, playing tennis or watching Big Cat Diaries with my feline. This summer I have saved a total of three turtles during attempted road crossings.

Find Kendare on

Twitter

Goodreads

Her website

10(ish) Questions With Author Kendare Blake!

Okay, so excuse me as I come down from a major case of fangirl overload. Kendare Blake recently became one of my favorite authors of all-time with her witty mannerisms, laced with some pretty dark tales. She's become the master of YA horror, some comparing her to the genius of Stephen King with her phenomenal novel Anna Dressed in Blood, and most recently Antigoddess. I was beyond honored when she recently agreed to answer a few questions for my blog, and can't stop laughing from her response to my last question. If you haven't heard of Kendare until now, do yourself a huge favor and buy her books. Seriously.

Was there something in particular that inspired you to write scary stories for a living, or did you just know you were destined for awesomeness?

Scary stories ARE awesomeness, aren't they? I don't understand folks who hate scary entertainment. As for what inspired me, I think I'm morbid and disgusting by nature. I don't find a lot of what I write terribly scary, but it's all fairly dark, and hopefully, disturbing. Stephen King was the first real novelist I read, along with Anne Rice and Bret Easton Ellis, so...let's just say I never had any desire to read a Babysitter's Club book.

Who was your favorite character to write so far? (And if your answer isn’t Cas, why not? You did an amazing job of getting inside a teenage boy’s head!)

I'm so glad you thought so! Though Cas is sort of a special case: a teen who hasn't hung around many other teens. Most of his interactions have been with adults, his mom, twenty-somethings and Gideon. I'm dodging this question, because I don't know who's my favorite to write. I love Cas and Thomas and Carmel and Morfran, just like I love Athena, Cassandra, Hermes, and weirdly enough, Ares. They've all surprised me at some point, and that's what makes it fun.

You’ve been compared to Stephen King, and as a life long fan of his, I think it’s well justified. What elements do you think make a best selling horror story?

I don't know. People are pretty easily scared, for the most part, so maybe the scares aren't as important as compelling concept. I know that my faves are the particularly clever ones, or the particularly twisted ones. Gore is optional, and it can be so easy to do poorly. Also, thank you! I don't think it's justified, but I'll take it.

Other than Sleepwalk Society, I believe your books have all been YA paranormal. Do you see yourself writing outside of the genre again anytime in the future? What's your favorite part about writing YA?
I'm sure I'll write outside the genre. What I'm working on now is outside the genre, and I don't know if it's adult or YA. You have to write the stories that want writing, you know? It's never a real decision. I'm not one of the writers who has three or four fantastic ideas to choose from. One at a time, it demands attention, and then on to the next.

My favorite thing about writing YA is that I don't think of it as YA. I think of it as writing. Same when I'm reading it. YA is just a label, a way of categorizing something that's way too broad and varied, but I understand why it needs to be categorized. Things need organization, right? 

When you’re not busy writing the next best seller, what are some of your favorite guilty pleasures?

Guilty pleasures, eh? I love going to restaurants. Love it. And I guess I still DVR General Hospital, the soap opera, because I heard it was going off the air and I used to watch it as a kid so I wanted to watch the end, and then the damn thing didn't die. So now I'm stuck watching until it finally does.

 

Although you grew up in the great state of Minnesota, and went to college in London, your bio says you currently live in the beautiful state of Washington. Please tell me you know Isaac Marion, and the two of you meet on a regular basis over beers!

I do not know Isaac Marion, though I would love to meet him on a regular basis over beers. I'd actually like to meet anyone on a regular basis over beers. That sounds nice.

What authors do you admire, and what would you crown your favorite book of all-time?

That's an impossible crown. The answer is always going to change. From day to day. Hour to hour. In the time it takes to reply to this question. The Mists of Avalon? Jane Eyre? The Stand? IT? NOS4A2? The Red Tree? The Unbearable Lightness of Being? His Dark Materials? The Iliad?

I admire Holly Black, Caitlin R Kiernan, Joe Hill, Milan Kundera, Bret Easton Ellis, and loads of others. Anyone who writes, really. There's always something to admire.

Is the sequel to Antigoddess your next release, and will there be a third Anna Dressed in Blood (there must be a way to make Anna permanently corporeal so she can run off into the sunset with Cas!)?
Yes, the formerly titled ARISTEIA is my next release. No word yet on what it's new name is. The Goddess War Book Two. I'm doing edits now, and I'm pretty excited about it actually. No plans for a third Anna, but I'm never taking it off the table. I miss them. You never know when Cas will show up and demand the attention again. He loves the attention.

You must watch horror movies considering how much you love writing horror. What are some of your favorites?
Hmm. I just watched Insidious: Chapter 2, and if you put both together, it's a pretty decent experience. Not scary, but not dull. I also like SINISTER, so James Wan is on my current sweetlist. The Descent about the girl-eaters in the caves was pretty scary, but I didn't ENJOY watching it. And I'll always love Freddy Krueger. Scream is great, too, but they should've left it alone after 2, or even the first one. And I'm pretty pleased that the slew of Japanese horror remakes has ebbed. The Ring was okay. The Ring 2 was stupid. The Grudge was silly, thank god it had Buffy in it.

And finally, who in the hell do you think is feeding rats to the zombies on The Walking Dead?

I think it's that creepy little girl who names them. She's trouble. Even her sister knows it. They should probably toss her over the fence, ASAP. Like, post-haste. Slingshot into the woods, the next time the walkers try their leaning and climbing trick. I mean, they're already out of piglets.

Thanks so much for having me by! 

Kendare Blake is an import from South Korea who was raised in the United States by caucasian parents. You know, that old chestnut. She received a Bachelor's degree in Business from Ithaca College and a Master's degree in Writing from Middlesex University in London. She brakes for animals, the largest of which was a deer, which sadly didn't make it, and the smallest of which was a mouse, which did, but it took forever. Amongst her likes are Greek Mythology, rare red meat and veganism. She also enjoys girls who can think with the boys like Ayn Rand, and boys who scare the morality into people, like Bret Easton Ellis.

Where to buy Kendare Blake's amazing books:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Follow Kendare Blake:

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Zombie Cover Overhaul AND SALE!

You may have (or most likely, have not) noticed my second zombie cover has changed since I posted the reveal a few days ago. This is one of those things as an indie author that can be good or bad—I can change anything I want at any given time. I'm going to stick with the good, since I've gotten great feedback on the changes. As The Time Zombies Became the Least of My Worries is the second book in the series, I've also given the first book an overhaul to match. So here they are, side by side!

To celebrate the new covers (or just to appease my manic mode), I've reduced the digital versions of the first book in the series (The Day Zombies Ruined My Perfectly Boring Life) to just 99 cents! So if you haven't read this fun adventure yet, do it now before the second book is released...you'll be glad you waited since book #1 contains a pretty big cliffhanger.

You can read the first chapter here:

Chapter One - The Day Zombies Ruined My Perfectly Boring Life

And purchase the rest of the book here:

Amazon (Kindle and paperback)

Barnes & Noble

Kobo (includes iBook format)

Book Review: Horns

At first Ig thought the horns were a hallucination, the product of a mind damaged by rage and grief. He had spent the last year in a lonely, private purgatory, following the death of his beloved, Merrin Williams, who was raped and murdered under inexplicable circumstances. A mental breakdown would have been the most natural thing in the world. But there was nothing natural about the horns, which were all too real.

Once the righteous Ig had enjoyed the life of the blessed: born into privilege, the second son of a renowned musician and younger brother of a rising late-night TV star, he had security, wealth, and a place in his community. Ig had it all, and more—he had Merrin and a love founded on shared daydreams, mutual daring, and unlikely midsummer magic.

But Merrin's death damned all that. The only suspect in the crime, Ig was never charged or tried. And he was never cleared. In the court of public opinion in Gideon, New Hampshire, Ig is and always will be guilty because his rich and connected parents pulled strings to make the investigation go away. Nothing Ig can do, nothing he can say, matters. Everyone, it seems, including God, has abandoned him. Everyone, that is, but the devil inside. . . .

Now Ig is possessed of a terrible new power to go with his terrible new look—a macabre talent he intends to use to find the monster who killed Merrin and destroyed his life. Being good and praying for the best got him nowhere. It's time for a little revenge. . . . It's time the devil had his due. . .

**Before I start my review of this book, I just want to make it clear that this is not a young adult book, and is intended for mature adults. Joe Hill is Stephen King's son, and this book reads much like a SK book with a ton of vulgarity, and sexual situations. While I try to keep my books mostly YA, I know I have may fans who are of legal age and enjoy paranormal reads outside of the genre. Granted I was reading Stephen King by 10, but still...**

I really wanted to like this book, especially knowing it was recently made into a movie starring Daniel Radcliffe. The beginning started out strong with a great premise, and I could've sworn I was reading a book written by the author's father. But before long, I discovered Joe Hill's story telling skills aren't as masterful as it failed to keep my interest. The concept of waking with a pair of horns was pushed to the side as the protagonist went into hiding, and reflected on events of the past. Mid-way through I considered shelving it since I really didn't care what happened to any of the characters.

Still, I continued to plow through, knowing the story must have some redeeming qualities if it was opted for the big screen. I kept hoping to be surprised by some genius twist that never came. The ending didn't do much for me, and was actually rather predictable. The story jumps around from present to past so many times, it made my head spin. Maybe if we had first heard Ig's whole story before he woke with horns, it would've been more engaging. But the book was divided into more of a horror story in the beginning, morphing into a murder mystery toward the end.

Sadly, I feel this one only earned three zombies. I still may give Joe Hill another chance, because I hear good things.

Joseph Hillstrom King (born 1972) is an American writer of fiction, writing under the pen name of Joe Hill. Hill is the the second child of authors Stephen King and Tabitha King. His younger brother Owen King is also a writer. He has three children. Hill chose to use an abbreviated form of his given name (a reference to executed labor leader Joe Hill, for whom he was named) in 1997, out of a desire to succeed based solely on his own merits instead of as the son of Stephen King. After achieving a degree of independent success, Hill publicly confirmed his identity in 2007 after an article the previous year in Variety broke his cover (although online speculation about Hill's family background had been appearing since 2005).

Book Review: The Hallowed Ones

Katie is on the verge of her Rumspringa, the time in Amish life when teenagers can get a taste of the real world. But the real world comes to her in this dystopian tale with a philosophical bent. Rumors of massive unrest on the “Outside” abound. Something murderous is out there. Amish elders make a rule: No one goes outside, and no outsiders come in. But when Katie finds a gravely injured young man, she can’t leave him to die. She smuggles him into her family’s barn—at what cost to her community? The suspense of this vividly told, truly horrific thriller will keep the pages turning.

This was another book recommended by Literary Agent Bree Ogden. I wasn't sure about it at first, and put it off thinking I would connect with Katie, a girl from an Amish community. But I found it interesting to read about this world I really knew nothing about, and how differently she handled things based on her religious beliefs. The story starts just as Katie is preparing for her Rumspringa—a time when the Amish are allowed to visit the "outside world" before they become baptized into their faith and cannot do anything to disobey their community's laws. She's looking forward to this experience with her friend/sometimes-boyfriend Elijah, until they realize there's something very wrong going on in the outside world.

At times I really wanted to strangle Katie for her naivety, but she ended up redeeming herself later on. She's got the biggest heart of anyone in her community, and feels compelled to do what's right, whether or not the Elders in charge approve. It was so interesting to hear about the Amish way—every detail of their community was told so well it's as if the author had actually lived there. There was just the right mix of horror embedded into the story, and these "vampires" are just my type ("holy crap, run for your lives" rather than "sparkling and sexy"). I was completely blown away by just how much I enjoyed the story, considering I was prepared to be bored by the religious aspects before I even picked it up. But Laura Bickle does a wonderful job of holding your interest, making it another hard one to put it down.

This book earns 5 zombies! I was actually glad I put it off so long as the sequel was released a mere week after I finished. Stay tuned for my review on her second book (spoiler alert: it was just as awesome).

Laura Bickle has worked in the unholy trinity of politics, criminology, and technology for several years. She and her chief muse live in the Midwest, owned by four mostly-reformed feral cats.

Her work has been published in Midnight Times, Down in the Cellar, MicroHorror, Theaker's Quarterly Fiction, Ballista, Byzarium, New Myths, a Blog-O-Novella office soap opera for True Office Confessions, and Aoife's Kiss. Her most recent project is the Embers series of urban fantasy novels for Juno-Pocket Books.

Book Review: Anna Dressed in Blood

Cas Lowood, armed with his late father's athame knife, kills ghosts. In Thunder Bay, Anna, forever 16, drips blood on her white dress from throat slit in 1958, and rips apart anyone who enters her house - except Cas. He makes new friends - high school queen Carmel, jock Will, admiring nerd Thomas and Tom's voodoo grandpa Morfran - to fight this demon.

This April I attended a writing conference in which Literary Agent Bree Ogden listed off dozens of YA books she recommended for great style and original story lines. Being a crazy reading fanatic, I added most of them to my Amazon shopping cart as she named them. Some of the books were pretty decent, while some of them barged their way onto my bookshelf of favorites. Anna Dressed in Blood made its way right to the tippy top.

The story follows Cas Lowood, teenage ghost hunter, and his witch mother as they move to a new town after getting a tip from an anonymous "friend" of this ghost named Anna. Cas is a pretty laid back guy who knows he will only be in his new high school for a short while, and he knows how to manipulate people to get what he wants. When he sets his sights on the school queen bee and a quiet nerd, he finds unexpected friendships, as well as fellow ghost hunters. While at first I couldn't get over the idea that the ghosts in this story go corporeal, once I was able to accept it, I couldn't stop reading. There's so much more to the story than just a boy hunting ghosts, and it continues on to its sequel, Girl of Nightmares (I will review another time).

Reasons I love Anna Dressed in Blood:

1. Cas is an amazing character, humorous and brave, plus it was quite refreshing to read from a guy's point of view.

2. The horror scenes were executed extremely well. On one of Kendare's books there was a quote that read "Stephen King better watch his back". At first I thought that was blasphemy as SK is one of my favorite authors, but after reading Kendare's writing, I understand.

3. The unexpected grouping of loner ghost hunter, queen bee and nerd made for a fun, interesting group.

4. The humor. I've said it a hundred times, but when something involves horror and humor, it wins me over every time.

5. Kendare Blake grew up in Minnesota. I'm always pleased to see one of my own break free and do well in society.

6. The twist near the end. Although I had an inkling that something else was going on, I never would've guessed something that creepy was going to happen.

7. THE COVER! I almost never read a book if I'm not drawn in by its cover.

8. And of course, the writing. A story is ten times better when the writing is the best of the best, and Kendare's prose is definitely first rate!

Anna Dressed in Blood certainly earned its 5 zombies rating!

Now excuse me while I fangirl and prepare to attend Kendare's book signing in September...

Kendare Blake grew up in the small city of Cambridge, Minnesota. She is a graduate of Ithaca College, in Ithaca, New York and received a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from Middlesex University in London, England. She loves to travel, is an advocate for animals, and cheats a lot when she plays Final Fantasy. Adopted from South Korea at the age of seven months, she arrived with the following instruction: "Feed her chocolate." Though not medically advisable, she and her parents are eternally grateful for this advice.

Plot Twists, Holes and Messed Up Endings

I'm a total story junkie. I love hearing new tales, whether told in movies or books. While I usually say I like them to be completely unique and surprising, there are times when I get the feeling Hollywood's intentions are to do nothing more than completely shock the hell out of their viewers in any way they can with a really messed up ending. Sometimes it's a good thing, when done with good storytelling. Other times it's like watching a grown man dancing in footed pajamas to an off tune jazz number.

This past week I was able to get in a few movies during mommy/daughty time (daughter's nickname for it), and in the middle of the night when my brain refused to shut down. While I still haven't figured out why I like to scare the crap out of myself, later having to worry about shadows moving in the dark, scary thrillers are my favorite. Therefore I watched Dark Skies (for a third time), 6 Souls, and The Uninvited—all scary movies that each contained some pretty crazy plot twists.

While I really enjoyed the twists for the most part, I was also annoyed by some of the plot holes that came with them. I certainly don't expect each story to be perfect, and as a writer I know how horribly frustrating and infuriating plot holes can be. But when there are reasons to doubt the final outcome of all the events brought together, it just ruins the story. I can't discuss the plot holes of these three flicks in any detail or I would be giving away the twist for those who haven't seen them. But I would love to sit down with the movie's writers and ask if they could explain these holes, or if they were intentional. Do they even know they exist? Maybe they want the viewers to have to sit back and wonder about these things after the movie is finished. Or maybe the producers are so anxious to make a buck that they completely missed these holes all together.

Regardless, each of these movies earned a 4 or 5 star rating from me. Despite their flaws, the stories were intriguing enough to hold my interest, and make me glad I spent the time watching them.

Check out my full reviews for Dark Skies and 6 Souls on one of the other blogs I contribute to.

Why 'The Purge' is Disturbing on So Many Levels

Last week I got the chance to see the creeptastic thriller/horror flick, The Purge. And I can't understand why the reviews coming out for it are so bad. While it's a bit unconventional as far as horror movies go, it was original, and definitely did its job of freaking me out. There were major twists, and the ending was unexpected. The acting was top notch, especially from Rhys Wakefield who played the creepy AF stranger (pictured left).

The concept of a future in which crime (including murder) in the US is legal, however, was so disturbing that I left the movie thinking I hope like hell we're not that stupid as a nation to actually do something like this one day. The thought behind this purge is that it will allow people to rid themselves of hatred and violence, therefore creating a lower crime rate. I've also seen theories that suggest this purge also rids itself of the lower class, as they're too poor to afford a proper security system.

One of the most unsettling things about this flick was the way in which nearly everyone seemed okay with this purge, and even embraced it. The parents explain to their children why it's good for our country the way you would expect them to be explaining where babies came from. The daughter and her boyfriend see the neighbor sharpening a machete and say, "Looks like he's preparing for the the purge." The bitchy neighbor lady stops by with cookies, and says she won't be having a purge party this year as it becomes too much of a hassle. There are broadcasts on the TV in which a woman's voice pleasantly reminds the viewers why the purge is good.

As you can expect, this movie is filled with violence. At one point it reminded me of Helter Skelter and the Charles Manson family. There's a disconcerting scene in which the dad has the mom help to torture a person, and another troubling scene in which you see a parent pushed to their limit when their children are threatened. The family's morals are stretched to the limit, and even broken. This was literally me throughout the entire film:

Yet despite all of this, I enjoyed it. Really, it was just an adult's version of The Hunger Games. Does liking it make me crazy, or just extremely twisted? Has society pushed us so far that it takes extremely disturbing ideas to entertain us? I know this isn't true of everyone, as many people I've talked to said they will not be seeing this movie. But there are still a lot of us out there who really enjoy that kind of thing. And once again, it leaves me concerned for the future generations. What will come next?

Check out my full review of The Purge on Two Chicks and a Blog.

Vlog Celebrating New Release and a Discussion on Horror Movies

I'm baaaaack. Today I celebrate the release of Cheating Death *throws confetti* and review a couple of horror movies, as well as discussing horror movies today in general. Oh, and I wear a really cool t-shirt that may quite frankly be my favorite.

Sorry for the funky lighting. It was a gloomy day here in Minnesota!

Check out Cargo (the 7 minute zombie movie I mentioned)

Read my review of Hannibal

Listen to the fun crew at Zombiecast

Celebrate the Small Things Blog Hop

Happy Friday! I just realized I spaced this blog hop off last Friday—sorry Vik! I'm keeping things short and sweet today as I have to leave for my daughter's track meet early afternoon.

Things that brought me joy the last two weeks:

1. I really haven't done a lot of writing related things in the past two weeks other than get Cheating Death ready for publication and What I've Done ready for a re-release, but I did receive a printed copy of Cheating Death in the mail, and there's no feeling like holding your hard work in your hands.

2. Season finale of The Walking Dead. It wasn't as grand as I was expecting, but at least most of our favorite characters survived.

3. Rihanna concert with my three daughters and some friends. That is one talented lady and it was fun to see her live.

4. Good times out with friends at the bar. Now that I've lost the pounds I was aiming for, I've been able to enjoy life again with some of my favorite things.

5. Brand-spanking new series, Hannibal. The movies based on the same character are some of my favorite, so I'm expecting big things. So far, so good. Check out my review on one of my other blogs: Two Chicks and a Blog.

6. This Walking Dead skit on Conan with Melissa McBride and Michael Rooker:



Hope everyone is starting to enjoy warmer weather! Have a great weekend!

How Para is Your Normal?

Picture of clouds in our backyard. UFO cover?

Personally, I've never experienced anything strange that could be explained only as a paranormal encounter (if you don't count the weirdness brought on by a bunch of teenaged girls with a Ouija board in junior high or the really strange clouds that once hung over our backyard). Yet one friend told me that she always saw her grandmother's ghost after she moved into her house, while another swears she saw some crazy lights that could only be UFOs. A few of my Twitter friends recently shared very detailed stories of some pretty creepy things that happened to them that really don't have any other logical explanation.

House I grew up in. Haunted?

Last weekend I met a man who lived in the same house as I did growing up. It was a rather large old house, built in the late 1800s. There were servant stairways, old-fashioned radiators for heat and stained glass windows throughout. This 50-something-year-old man looked me in the eye and said he knew there were ghosts in that house. Whatever wisdom he held in those eyes actually gave me the shivers. All I kept thinking was how happy I was that I didn't know this 20 years ago.

Still, I remain a skeptic. We live in a time where just about everyone knows how to photoshop images. Old houses have old boilers and really creaky doors that don't stay closed. How much of paranormal stuff is a result of imagines fueled by television shows and scary stories? If you see a shift in shadows, it could just be your overactive imagination telling you that you saw a ghost. If you ever watch the ghost hunter reality shows, you know how those guys are good at scaring the crap out of themselves just by walking through these old buildings more than anything. And I always get a good laugh out of the "voices" they "translate". How they ever get actual words out of those noises, I'll never understand.

Relax, I found this one on the internet.

If there really are ghosts among us, I would think that every single person would have experienced an encounter of sorts. If there really are aliens that come and experiment on people in the night, I doubt the government would be able to keep a total lid on that kind of information.

I would love to tour a well-known haunted site (it's on my bucket list) or see strange lights floating in the sky. The very thought of it is exciting (did I mention I'm a big X-Files fan?). But I think the only reason I can get excited about these things is because in my heart I don't think it's real. Therefore, it's just fun entertainment. Or so I tell myself.

What do you think? Have you ever experienced anything that couldn't be explained by plain logic? I'd love to hear your stories!