About The Author





What Was Your First Impression Of Alice?
*stares back in silence a moment before sighing* I guess I can't fetch the guitar and play the answer to that on, right? Ive never been that good with words but...Alice is the infamous missing piece. She allows me to be me, you know? It's always been like that as if she was this spot of brilliance, shining on without eve realizing it from moment one and....*cough a little* Yeah. Can we get to the next question now, please?

What was the defining point for you when you knew things were changing for you? That one's easy. It was the moment she knocked on that door. I knew then that either things were changing of the apocalypse was upon us, and since I has seen no zombies around I thought I could rule out the end of the world.

If you know then what you know now is there anything you would do differently? *Opens his mouth, closes it again looking slightly embarrassd* Actually no, I wouldn't change a thing. I know that makes me sound pretty supid, but if I refused to go through the stuff Id not have her now. And if I can't have the good without the bad, I'd rather face the bad head on. Besides in the end...Wait, I'm not supposed to talk about the end, right? Let's leave it at this then: it was worth it. *smiles ruefully* and you really don't meed to look at me like I'm THAT pathetic.

What makes you the happiest? Aside from playing and making out, you mean? *grins* The usual stuff, I guess. Seeing me folks happy, being with friends, having my girl come over with back...Just holding hands in publish with her is good enough. The best moments have to be those when she's smiling and I know I puit that smile there.

Is there something from your story that readers may not pick up on that you want to point out? Yeah. Alice is the one doing the telling, and I'm not sure she really understands how much I love her, or even why. I'd like to explain that, even though feelings aren't really explainable. I'd like readers, and I'd like her, to see that it isn't just a blind, or something that could have happened with anyone else but her. But to do the, I'd need a whole new book.

If you could have one wish come true, what would it be? I want a happily ever after. What else could I ask for?

*ARC Galley received from Publisher for honest review

THIS BOOK WILL ROCK YOUR SOCKS OFF. I got it on Netgalley and it BLEW MY MIND! I read it in a day. My mom kept trying to get me off the computer but I couldn't stop! ACK! I loved it! The characters and narrative voices, EVERYTHING!! I'm in a dream haze! IT WAS EPICTASTIC! If you have an ARC of this book, GO. READ. IT. NOW. If you don't have this book early, start saving your money or GO PRE-ORDER! 

Okay now that the fan-girling is over onto the real review. It was amazing, we've already established that fact. I loved how well it was told! The narrations were very well done, especially for being told in 3rd. In some of my reviews I've mentioned that I prefer 1st, but this was very impressive! And yes there are multiple POVS. Mostly from Celaena, but also from two of the guys. It was all so awesome. Snarky and funny comments provided quite a few laughs. I loved it!

As I was reading the novel I found scenes that reminded me of fairy-tales. I was kinda just like "Oh that's neat..." but then after I finished the book I read this review that said it was lightly based off of Cinderella. That was really nicely woven in. But I could also see a few little things from other fairy-tales. Another great plus! There is mystery-magic twist that felt a little bit out of place, but I'm guessing it's going to lead into something bigger and amazing in the next book so I think I could forgive that. But still a little awkward.

The romance...I'm honestly standing right in the middle. I'm totally in love with Chaol. But I also love the Prince. (Yes, he does have a name, but I've forgot) So I'm still not sure who I'm rooting for. Probably Chaol. Either way she gives you a cliff-hanger and now I NEED BOOK TWO! Overall it was AMAZING and I highly recommend you get your hands on this book AS SOON AS IT COMES OUT! Which would be in a month!

Content: Mild [D*** word throughout, not heavy. B**** a couple times, He** a couple times. A couple instances of innuendo. Mention of women's "moon time".]









This review is 100% from Inky's brain
Use of this review w/out consent is prohibited.

I promise I'm not here to boast. :D I'm here to show off the love I got and share it around! I know that some people don't like blog awards. But I love them! I think it's a great way to show that you love a blog and to give them encouragement and appreciation in a sweet way. It's really easy to spread it so I totally love doing awards. Espescially since I've been nominated 4 times in the last week for the same award. Luckily today that's different!


One of my FAV blogger friends nominated me for the FABULOUS BLOG RIBBON! Thank you SO much to Kathryn @ Clean Teen Fiction! You go girl!


Anyway................here is the gist of the award and my Ribbon love!

1. Post the rules on your blog.

2. Name five of your most fabulous moments, either in real life or in the blogosphere.

3. Name five things you love.

4. Name five things you hate    

5. Pass the award off to 5 bloggers and notify them.

It's time for that randomness again! This is such a fun meme! I hope you all consider participating! Random Reads is hosted @ I'm Loving Books as is designed to support the books that may not be on the top of your reading pile. I think is such a cool idea and anyway. I should get to the picking eh?

My Random Read for the Month of July Is....*drumroll*...

Raised By Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes  book # 1387 of 1801
Adopted by the Alpha of a werewolf pack after a rogue wolf brutally killed her parents right before her eyes, fifteen-year-old Bryn knows only pack life, and the rigid social hierarchy that controls it.  That doesn't mean that she's averse to breaking a rule or two. But when her curiosity gets the better of her and she discovers Chase, a new teen locked in a cage in her guardian's basement, and witnesses him turn into a wolf before her eyes, the horrific memories of her parents' murders return. Bryn becomes obsessed with getting her questions answered, and Chase is the only one who can provide the information she needs. But in her drive to find the truth, will Bryn push too far beyond the constraints of the pack, forcing her to leave behind her friends, her family, and the identity that she's shaped?

Random Thoughts:
I've heard some really great things about these books so I'm excited to read this book this month! HAve you read this? What did you think? What is your Random Read for July? I'd love to hear anything!

Happy July!

It’s A.J.’s world. A strange place where patterns jump out and catch the eye, very little is missed, and most of it can be recalled with a deep breath, it’s different from the world the rest of us inhabit. But the rest of us can see it – when we read. In this world, the smell of Florida takes three weeks to fully leave the senses and the air in Dallas is so thick that the planes “sink” to the runways rather than actually landing. For A.J., texture reigns supreme. Whether it’s air or blood or virus, it can be felt and smelled. School is a privilege and two science degrees (a BA and MS) are mere pats on the back compared to the prize of knowledge. Teaching is something done for fun (and the illusion of a regular paycheck) and is rewarding at all levels, grade school through college. No stranger to awards and national recognition for outstanding work as a teacher, trainer and curriculum writer, like most true teachers, the real joy for A.J. is in the “oh!” - the moment when the student sees the connection and it all makes sense. A.J. has lived in Florida and Los Angeles among a handful of other places. Recent whims have brought the dark writer to Tennessee, where home is a deceptively normal looking neighborhood just outside Nashville.

What inspired the idea for this story? Was it totally random or based on something? For all my other books, I can definitively state their origins, but for PHOENIX, the plot was always just 'there'. I did have the idea that I wanted to tell a story without 'deus ex machina' ('God outside the Machine' ). I wanted to tell a story that didn't depend on things happening TO the characters so much as characters shaping their own destinies, either on purpose or by accident.

If you had to rename your book what would you name it? This is tough! The story is about Jason, who is in a fire as a kid and it changes his whole life. As an adult he becomes a fire fighter like the
one who saved him. He is the Phoenix in the story - I don't know that it could have any other title than PHOENIX.

When did you know you wanted to write? I always wanted to write. In 3rd grade, I wrote an 80 pg novella by hand. Like many writers, I constantly started things I didn’t finish. But I really ‘became a writer’ when I learned to buckle down and finish.

Was there an author that inspired you to write a fabulous book? Of course! I love Nabokov for his writing style and because he made the bad guy the protagonist in “Lolita”. I worship Orson Scott Card for weaving so many wonderful pieces together so well. You never read his stuff and think "Why/How did that happen?" (Read "Enchantment" - often overlooked, but fantastic!)

Most excited books by other authors to read this year? The list is too long. I think Amazon should just have a standard Tuesday bank withdrawal from my account, I have so many.

Who was the most supportive in your writing process? Most influential? Aside from the usual suspects (a very supportive family and friend network), I have to name my friend Susan Benesh. She’s an RN who worked tirelessly to find me a firehouse to do a ride along. And I MUST thank everyone at the West Columbia Fire Department in South Carolina. They let me camp out at the station house and ride along on their calls. They really helped shape the book. THANK YOU GUYS!!

What are your Favorite scenes to write? Anything cliff-hangery. I love a good fight scene. I live to write the moment the fire jumps the line and they all hear the crack of wood, but can’t see what’s coming. And my heart pitter-patters when I write in a clue, something I know that the reader doesn’t yet, but I’m tipping you off. . .

If you could have any superpower what would it be? Definitely stopping time. I want to write more, spend more time with my family and travel more. There aren’t enough hours in the day.

Any advice to Aspiring Authors? I was an aspiring author not that long ago. My first advice is this:
decide who you are writing for. If it’s yourself, then don’t worry about publishing, but if you are writing to get published, then you have an audience, agent and publisher you need to think about!
There are a ton of things I wish I had known before I started and I found a lot of the advice out there to be wrong. I’m sure it worked for some, but it seems to be gospel for new writers and it’s not. I started
a blog about writing PHOENIX and it’s full of tips from me and my manager about writing in general and about getting published for the first time! (www.PHOENIXtheBook.com)

Any upcoming projects we should look for? PHOENIX hits the shelves and the internet later this year. But I’ll be traveling with pre-sale copies. So come find me at ComicCon San Diego, WW ComicCon in Chicago, DragonCon and others. Later, Phoenix will be made into an AudioMovie like all my other books. And shortly, I’ll be starting the next book – INERTIA. You can always
find weekly posts and podcasts at Smart Chickens, my blog. Both are online at  www.SmartChickens.com and on iTunes.

Thanks for stopping by AJ!
AJ will be at plenty of Comic-Con's this year so make sure to stop by and visit her! And don't miss any of her thrilling books like Phoenix!

Hello Chickas! I'm back. Alive and well. I had a lot of fun at my Girls Camp this past week but I'm excited to get back in the books. Now I get to catch up on all my scheduled reviews and tour posts and interviews! Yikes! But it's a good life. Hope you all have had a lovely week. I'm excited to keep checking all your blogs and seeing what's been up with you. Anyway. I've got a few things:


Also It's time to announce the winners to my BLOGOVERSARY Giveaway! *drumroll please*

Congrats to the two! They have been notified by email and have till Wednesday at noon to respond! Thanks for all you who entered! I had more than a thousand entries!!!!!

And that's all the news for now. TNT,