Friday Favourites - Setting

I have finally found the time to start working on Betwixt. It's taken a while, but I'm ready to get into it now. So over the last couple of days, I've been working on my research. As I was scrolling through information and pictures of the setting (Big Bear Lake, CA - GORGEOUS!!!), I started thinking about my favourite settings for books.

I am a total mountain, chick. I don't know what it is, but I LOVE the mountains. When I think through my database of stories, quite a few of them are set in the mountains or at least an area with lots of trees. Forbidden Territory is an example of this.

I think trees and forest create such an awesome setting, because they bring with it an element of danger and surprise. So many more things can go wrong when nature is added into the mix.

My next favourite setting is small town. I love small town. You can have so much fun adding in quirky characters and bringing the reader into an environment where they can get to know the place as well as the MC does.

So, how about you? Where do you like stories to be set? Do you have a favourite book that you're read, or written, where the setting brought the story to life?

Have You Ever Fallen For A Character?

I am in the throes of planning my next book, Betwixt, at the moment. I had a scene dancing in my head yesterday and I was thinking about the MC's reaction, which then got me thinking about the kind of character she was falling for, which then got me thinking about the kinds of characters I fall for in books.

It is so tempting for me to write a similar love interest. There are certain things I look for in a guy and I can't help pulling it into my writing. I have to fight the urge to write the same personality type each time.

If you're a writer, do you fall into that trap?

I guess I like to fall in love, just like my MC's do. I like to get emotionally drawn into a story.

It's the same when I read a book. I LOVE reading books where I fall in love. So what kind of love do I look for in a book? I love it when the guy is a strong commanding character. He might come across as grumpy, but this does not frighten the female. She is feisty and can counter whatever he has to throw at her. He quietly loves this and finds it very attractive, which makes him care deeply for her. He is the kind of guy that wouldn't hesitate to risk life and limb to protect his love. He also displays moments of tenderness, which make you realize that in spite of his tough veneer he would be lost without her.

There are SO many examples of this type of love that I can think of, but I'll just go with the two that are dancing in my head right now...

First is Jamie Fraser and Claire Randall from Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (I know it's not YA, but how can I not mention Jamie and Claire!!!)

And the second is Alex Fuentes and Brittany Ellis from Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles.

Ooo! And I just thought of another one - again not technically YA, but I read this book as a teenager and LOVED it. Atretes and Rizpah from As Sure As the Dawn by Francine Rivers.

Now - ironically - Harrison (male lead from Time Spirit Trilogy) is not actually like the male lead I just described. He is a sweetheart and has no problem bearing his soul. He is still commanding though and doesn't mind taking charge. I really like that about him. He also cares for Gemma more than anyone else and would do anything to protect her. I LOVE that about him :) They are a strong couple who fight the toughest odds to be together.

So - what do you look for in a romance?

Which characters have you fallen in love with over your reading years?

Do you think it's important to fall in love when you're reading?

Friday Favourites ~ shoes, boots, heels

The only thing I'm looking forward to about winter is being about to wear my absolutely favourite boots in the whole world!!! I've even considered getting a second pair 'just in case' these ones wear out soon. And scarily I've just seen a new colour released this year... eeeekk!

I was reading a facebook post recently about how many shoes girls have. This particular friend of mine has 20 pairs (!!!) of those those she wears 13 pairs regularly. WOW. We have just had summer in New Zealand and I have worn a total of 1 pair! I literally LIVED in my jandals (sometimes called thongs or flip flops). In winter I'll live in my ugg boots and doc boots as above.

I'd love to be one of those people that get to wear sexy heels and other funky shoes, but being a mum of young kids means I don't get out much... but one day...

My favourite shoes as a kid were a type of barter bullet. Kinda like a converse shoe. They were white and had reflective colourful stripes on the sides. They were so cool and I loved them!!

Anyway of all the books I've read recently I've hardly read any mention of shoes. Are shoes important in literature? Do shoes define a character? Would a goth wear heeled pink shoes or a nerd wear clunky black docs? I think shoes are very important, we use them to define ourselves, they are also very useful to make shorter people (me) taller :-)

What are your favourite type of shoes? and What do you want your shoes to say about you?

Book Review ~ Pure Blood by Melissa Pearl

It is only a matter of time before Gemma's parents find out she traveled through time to bring Harrison back into existence. The fear of being found out is a heavy weight on her shoulders, but she refuses to give up on everything she's fought for. Harrison is worth the risk.

The couple draws closer together as they battle opposing forces from all sides. They stay strong until Gemma's parents welcome an exchange student into their home. Simeon, a gorgeous Californian, is as smooth as coffee and, supposedly, a fellow time spirit. Gemma's parents expect her to take him everywhere and, of course, fall in love with him. After all, he is the boy they have chosen for her.

No longer able to sneak off alone, Gemma must watch every step as she waits for the inevitable nightmare to catch up to her. Her parents ultimate goal is to get that last necklace and open the box hidden in their safe. If they do, Gemma knows her entire world will unravel.

As the danger mounts, Gemma must decide if she has the courage to make the ultimate sacrifice to save the ones she loves and stop to her parents' destructive plans.


The third and final instalment of the Time Spirit Trilogy, and Pearl doesn't disappoint. Again I read it almost in one sitting and was left thinking about it for days. Always the sign of a good book!! Another gorgeous cover that attracted me immediately.

PURE BLOOD answers the questions you are left with after BLACK BLOOD and then some. More action, more romance and the ultimate sacrifice.

Now that Harrison is back in her life, Gemma has to hide that knowledge from her parents at the same time as trying to find out what they are really up to and why they need Gemma to travel. The arrival of Simeon is another complication in her plan. With Gabe's help, Gemma learns more about her abilities and about who she really is. After snooping about her house she discovers what her parents are really up to and it only leaves one option for Gemma.

I loved Gemma's growth in this book and her ultimate decision. She is selfless and puts others before herself. Pearl once again turns out an amazing book filled with beautiful turns of phrase and easy to read writing.

I would recommend this series to young teens right through to adults.

Check it out on Smashwords or Amazon (but read the first and second books of the trilogy first: GOLDEN BLOOD and BLACK BLOOD)

Find Melissa Pearl on Goodreads and Facebook

Blog Tour Time!!

It's finally here. The Golden Blood Blog Tour has finally arrived. Whoppee!!!

I'm very excited because so many fantastic blogs are in this tour and I feel very privileged to be featured on their sites.

The first five are already up. If you'd like a chance to read some deleted scenes from Golden Blood, a guest post or two and some reviews, please take the time to visit.

Here is the tour schedule:
http://atomrbookblogtours.wordpress.com/2011/12/03/golden-blood-blog-tour/

Please help spread the word far and wide. There are chances to win free copies of Golden Blood plus a grand prize at the end of the tour.

Thanks so much for everyone's help... and thank you so much to Julie for organizing this. You are such a legend. All your time and energy has been so appreciated :)

Friday Favourites - Guys Who Can Kick Some Butt

As part of the YA Indie Carnival this week, I had to post about who would be a good competitor in the Hunger Games - either from your own writing or books you've read. It was a really fun post to compose and it got me thinking.

A little while ago a did a post about girls who could kick butt. Now it's time to talk about the guys.

Who is your favourite guy from a book you've read or a movie you've seen that can really kick some butt?

Firstly I'd have to choose Dom, from the Time Spirit Trilogy. He is a strong, powerful character who can knock a guy flat with one punch. I really do love Dom :)

I also really like John Smith from I Am Number Four. Admittedly he is an alien, but he's pretty awesome.

I cannot ignore some of the characters in Twilight. Jasper is my favourite fighter. I really love his backstory and the way he trains the others. Very cool.




So - what do you think?
Who have I missed?

Book Review ~ Black Blood by Melissa Pearl

Gemma's parents have put enough rules around her relationship with Harrison that she feels like she's living on parole. But she wins one battle—a summer job working for Harrison's step-father. It is the perfect chance to spend the steamy, hot Florida days with her boyfriend. It's also a great distraction from the cellphone hiding in her underwear drawer—her only contact with Gabe, the mystery man who's stalking her.

When she confronts Gabe, he tells her that her parents are not who she thinks they are, and Harrison has the gall to believe him. Surrounded by conflict, Gemma doesn't know what to believe, and it takes a trip back in time for her to glimpse the sickening truth.

Thanks to her parents, she returns to the present to find the love of her life no longer exists. His family line was broken and now, so is she.

This betrayal forces her to seek out Gabe. Setting aside her fear of the truth, she must trust this man and learn what he can teach her... otherwise, she'll never get her boyfriend back.


I'm attempting to be unbiased, but I absolutely LOVED this book. GOLDEN BLOOD (Book One in the Time Spirit Trilogy) was fantastic but BLACK BLOOD was even better. The tension and fast pace of this story made it impossible to put down. The only reason I didn't read it all in one session was the book is on my husband's ipad and he needed it at work. In fact today I stole it and kept it at home to finish the book.

This builds on Book One (without too much of that repetitive stuff that trilogy's often do) and takes us off on a wild adventure into Gemma's worst fear; her boyfriend has been deleted from time.

Melissa Pearl's writing is intelligent and colourful. She has a unique voice without too much fluff. She gets to the point and holds you on the edge of your seat, drip feeding you clues until the dramatic conclusion.

And last but not least, the cover of this book is beautiful. It perfectly encapsulates the anguish Gemma goes through in this story.

Pop by next week for my review of PURE BLOOD (final book in the Time Spirit Trilogy).

Check BLACK BLOOD out on Smashwords or Amazon (but read the first book of the trilogy first: GOLDEN BLOOD)

Find Melissa Pearl on Goodreads and Facebook