Halo – Trailer
Another book that I have been highly anticipating is Alexandra Adornetto’s YA, Halo!
Book Description:
“Three angels are sent down to bring good to the world: Gabriel, the warrior; Ivy, the healer; and Bethany, a teenage girl who is the least experienced of the trio. But she is the most human, and when she is romantically drawn to a mortal boy, the angels fear she will not be strong enough to save anyone—especially herself—from the Dark Forces.
Is love a great enough power against evil?”
Check out the trailer.
I’ve always been fascinated with Angels, what about you?
Sherry D. Ficklin – Guest Blog & Giveaway
Today, it’s my pleasure to welcome debut author Sherry D. Ficklin to SVR! Her first Paranormal YA novel, Foresight, is out now and she’s been kind enough to come by to guest blog and offer up an autographed copy of Foresight and some swag to one lucky commenter. ( Read my review ) Let’s be sure to give her a warm welcome. 🙂
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Out:
1. Vampires
Though, there was some debate on this one. One agent said it was “dead again” and another called the fanged ones “timeless” which just goes to show that what one person loves, another will hate. There’s no pleasing everyone, especially agents.
2. Fallen Angels
I have seen many of these recently, but I don’t know if I quite agree with this. I think there’s still lots of room in the mix for a well done Angel story, but I would like to see something new, something that puts a twist on what everyone else is doing with them.
3. Werewolves
Sorry, my furry friends. You are so over. (Except for you, Bree Despain. You just keep putting out those books)
IN:
1. Faeries
Yes, the fair ones are making the rounds again. Who doesn’t love a good Faerie tale?
2. Greek Mythology
With movies like Clash of the Titans and the forthcoming God of War, is this a huge shock? Nope.
3. Zombies
Really? I guess so. Not a huge surprise. They are looking for good Zombie books that put a new twist on the old ideas.
Other huge trends right now are Steampunk (think Dr. Who) and Romance (think Perfect Chemistry).
Why is this important? Short answer, it’s not. If you (like me) love vampire books, that’s not gonna change just because fewer are being published. “Trends” are crap and writing to a trend is stupid because it takes so long to write and publish a book that by the time you made it to the shelf, the trend would be over anyway.
So, then why did I write a Greek myth/Faerie story? Because I love them. Passionately. And when I wrote this book, 3 years ago, I had a hard time finding someone to publish it because all anyone wanted was a vampire story. Yep. Thank goodness my publisher had the foresight (no pun intended) to give FORESIGHT a try.
Monsters will never fall out of favor totally. We love our monsters. We need our monsters. But they do seem to cycle around. So you tell me, what monsters would you like to see more/less of?
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go work on my Zombie/Steampunk/Romance. Have a great week everyone, and Happy Reading!
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Thanks Sherry!
Giveaway Details:
Sherry Ficklin has been gracious enough to supply an autographed copy of Foresight, book one in The Gods Of Fate trilogy and a reversable book tote with some swag such as buttons, pens and a beaded book thing to giveaway to one of my readers! Contest is open to Everyone.
Ask Sherry a question about the book, about writing, or about the paranormal elements she discusses in her guest post!
For one entry: Please leave a comment with the answer to the question. (+1 entry)
For extra entries:
- Subscribe to my blog, Sidhe Vicious Reviews, through the links at the top right hand side of the blog, and let me know in your comment. Be sure you verify your subscription through the email you’ll receive or it won’t count. (+1 entry)
- If you’re already subscribed, you’ll receive two extra entries, but be sure to let me know in the comments if you’re an old follower. (+2 entries)
- Post a link to this contest on your Twitter, FaceBook, MySpace, GoodReads, LibraryThing, or on your blog and send me the link either in the comments or by email and you’ll get an extra entry for each place you add a link to. ( add 1 entry each for however many links you’ve done)
- Follow me on Twitter, Add me as a friend on FaceBook, GoodReads, MySpace, Chapters Community or LibraryThing. (add 1 entry each for however many places you followed/friended me)
- Contest is open to Everyone and will run through September 10th until 11:59pm. The winners will be posted here on September 11th. (That’s my birthday! I can’t think of a better way to celebrate than for one of my readers to win a great book & some cool swag)
- Please leave your email addy in your comment for me to contact you if you’ve won, but post it like wilmaflinstone(at)boomshakalaka(dot)com so you don’t get any spam. If I haven’t heard back from the winner in 7 days, a new winner will be drawn from the eligible comments. Winners will be chosen by a random number generator. Good Luck everyone!
(I should also mention that if you’re leaving me a bunch of links in your comment, do not panic if it doesn’t show up right away. It just automatically gets held for me to moderate, which I will as soon as I’m online. 
)
Foresight – Spotlight & Review
Foresight by Sherry D. Ficklin
Book Description:
“All Grace Archer wants is to graduate from high school and get on with her life. But the Gods of Fate have other ideas. Attacked at graduation by a mysterious woman with gruesome henchmen, Grace is lucky to escape with her life.
Rescued by a Fae warrior named Chris and her Aunt Phoenix, Grace learns that her mother was the Greek Goddess Pandora. Now Grace must protect her mother’s urn from the crazed demi-goddess Lilith, who is determined to unleash its horrors on an unsuspecting Earth. As if her blood legacy is not bizarre enough, Grace begins to develop frightening powers that threaten to destroy her from the inside out. Can Grace find the strength to defeat Lilith? Can she learn to control her powers before she loses her mind?”
My Thoughts:
Foresight is book one in The Gods Of Fate trilogy. I really liked how it starts off at Grace’s graduation with her thoughts on what for her, is a mundane process to be endured. Then the s#%t hits the fan, so to speak, and its non-stop action from there. Grace is a fun, fresh character with a lot of resilience and determination. Faced with difficult odds and shocking information about her blood lines, she bravely goes up against the ultimate foe to fight for her life and those of the people she loves.
Really great story with an interesting mix of the Fae and Greek myth. I loved the characters and their “voices”, the pacing, the seamless mix of two paranormal elements, and the story itself. The only thing I would have preferred to be different is for the story to be fleshed out a bit more in regards to Grace having to deal with everything changing so fast. Maybe the author had a word limit with her publisher, or something to that effect, (I’m just guessing here), but at some points it felt a bit rushed. That’s just my personal preference though. It’s a great story and I am really looking forward to the next book in the trilogy, Second Sight, due out Sept 2011.
Buy Foresight at:
The Book Depository , Amazon, Createspace or Amazon US
Find out more about Sherry D. Ficklin and what she’s working on at her website.
Original Sin – Spotlight & Review
Original Sin by Allison Brennan
Book Description:
“Haunted by chilling memories of demonic possession and murder, Moira O’Donnell has spent seven years hunting down her mother, Fiona, whose command of black magic has granted her unprecedented control of the underworld. Now Moira’s global search has led her to a small California town that’s about to become hell on earth.
Tormented by his own terrifying past and driven by powers he can’t explain, ex-seminarian Rafe Cooper joins Moira’s dangerous quest. But Fiona is one devilish step ahead. Hungry for greater power, eternal youth, and stunning beauty, the sorceress is unleashing upon the mortal world the living incarnations of the Seven Deadly Sins.
Together with a demonologist, a tough female sheriff, and a pair of star-crossed teenagers, Moira and Rafe are humanity’s last chance to snatch salvation from the howling jaws of damnation.”
My Thoughts:
This book took me awhile to get into, but it was a good read all-in-all. Good characters, good plot-line, conflict & resolution for the end of the first book in the series. The author also leaves an on-going plot-line open to keep you curious about what’s to come in the following books.
I did enjoy the story but it didn’t blow me away. I can’t put my finger on it, but something about it felt a bit cliche or like something was missing. I hate to say that without specifying exactly what it was that struck me like that, but that’s my over-all feeling. I like the premise for the series, I liked the depth of the characters, the pacing was good, and the conflict & resolution were also good. Nothing about this book was amazing for me. I would recommend it as maybe others would enjoy it more.
Carnal Sin will be out on June 22nd, 2010 and Mortal Sin will be out on Nov 23rd, 2010.
3.5
Buy Original Sin at:
Chapters, Amazon or Barnes & Noble
Find out more about Allison Brennan & her books at her website.
Angelology – Spotlight & Review
Angelology by Danielle Trussoni
Format:Hardcover
Published:March 9, 2010
Publisher:Doubleday Canada
The following ISBNs are associated with this title:
ISBN – 10:0385668619
ISBN – 13:9780385668613
Book Description:
Sister Evangeline was just a young girl when her father left her at St. Rose Convent under the care of the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration. Now a young woman, she has unexpectedly discovered a collection of letters dating back sixty years – letters that bring her deep into a closely guarded secret, to an ancient conflict between the millennium-old Society of Angelologists and the monstrously beautiful Nephilim, the descendants of angels and humans. Rich and mesmerizing, Angelology blends biblical lore, mythology and the fall of the Rebel Angels, creating a luminous, riveting tale of one young woman caught in a battle that will determine the fate of the world.”
“Set in the secluded world of cloistered abbeys, long-lost secrets and angelic humans, Angelology has all the makings of a blockbuster hit, combining elements of The Da Vinci Code and Kate Mosse’s Labyrinth
My Thoughts:
First of all, this cover just blew me away, it’s so gorgeous! I was looking forward to reading Angelology because it seemed to be written in a way that is similar to Anne Rice’s Vampires, only with Angels and Nephelim. I was not disappointed. Danielle Trussoni has truly written a unique and memorable story that will stick with you and have you wondering if maybe there really are Nephilim out there among us.
This tale is richly detailed and a wonderfully complex world in which past and present are mixed with truly believable characters, involving an enticing mystery, ancient myths and interesting theories regarding fallen angels and nephilim. The ongoing conflict between Angelologists and Nephilim had me captivated and I was pulled into the story completely! Trussoni’s writing oozes atmosphere, and the intricate plotting and pace were fascinating. Definitely a “must read” in my opinion.
4.5
Buy Angelology at:
Chapters, Amazon or Barnes & Noble
Find out more about Danielle Trussoni and her novels at her website.
Read my interview with Danielle. (The contest portion is closed)
Danielle Trussoni – Interview & Giveaway
Sidhe Vicious welcomes author Danielle Trussoni! We’re looking forward to getting to know you and all about your novel ANGELOLOGY.
Thank you! I’m really glad to be here.
Your novel, ANGELOLOGY will be released on March 9th, 2010 by Viking Penguin Group. Can you tell us about it and a bit about the main characters?
Angelology is a novel that follows a group of angelologists—scholars who track and study various kinds of angels—as they work to contain the machinations of the Nephilim, half-human, half-angel creatures who are first mentioned in Genesis: 6 of the Bible. The story moves through various times and settings, going from contemporary New York, to 1940s Paris to ancient Bulgaria. The heroine is a young woman named Evangeline who becomes enmeshed in this struggle. There is also a young man named Verlaine who begins to uncover the central mystery of the novel.
What about Angels inspired you to write about them?
Actually, I didn’t set out to write about angels at all. I knew that I wanted to set some of the story in a convent and so I went to stay in one to do research. While there, I happened upon a reading room with books about angels. I knew then that angels would be an ideal centerpiece for the novel.
You’re currently living in the south of France doing research for the sequel to Angelology. Can you tell us about the new book?
Angelopolis is a love story between Evangeline and Verlaine set in Paris. There are forays to the south of France, especially the Bay of Angels in Nice.
How did you get your start in writing? What, if anything, lit the “spark” to get you started and keep you motivated?
I’ve been writing regularly since high school, when I kept very meticulous journals. I knew I wanted to write from a very young age, however, and so I have no real idea what inspired me to want to write. I think that it was something I was born to do.
Worldwide, there is a Twilight craze, and your book features a love affair between a Nephilim and a human. What do you think it is about fantastical fiction that appeals to readers so much? Where do you think ANGELOLOGY fits in with this trend?
I think the invitation to imagine a new world is irresistible for many readers and when this is combined with romance—which is a complete construction of our desire anyway—it can be even more seductive. ANGELOLOGY is (in my opinion) really different from Twilight, but there is still the obsession with otherness and desire in ANGELOLOGY, and there is definitely the element of fantasy mixed into a seemingly ‘normal’ world.
As research for this novel, you stayed in the convent of Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration in La Crosse, WI where your great aunt is a nun. What was that experience like?
It was a wonderful, completely educational experience. The Sisters at St. Rose in La Crosse were generous with their time and allowed me to interview them. I was there before I had any real notion of what I would write, and yet they very openly allowed me to visit.
What supernatural power or creature would you most like to have or be?
I would love to be immortal and without physical substance, sort of like an angel, I suppose.
If you could choose one fictional character to bring into real life, who would you choose?
Orlando. Or Heathcliff. I can’t decide.
How have the books you’ve read influenced the books you write?
I think the books that influenced me the most were 19th century novels and, when I start to pull apart the structure of ANGELOLOGY, I can see that I was very much influenced by them. I love descriptive writing and larger than life characters, all of which are hallmarks of the 19th century novel.
What do you do when you’re having writer’s block to “shake” it off?
I force myself to sit in front of my computer until I actually write something. Usually I end up throwing this out, but it will get me started. Or I eat a lot of chocolate.
ANGELOLOGY visits many different locations: a picturesque convent on the Hudson River Valley, the Upper East Side of Manhattan, the streets of Paris and the mountains of Bulgaria. What was your favourite location and did you visit them to write about them?
Yes, I did visit them all, even the cave in Bulgaria. It is strange, because I love all three of these locations for different reasons. I can’t decide which is my favourite. I guess it would depend upon my mood.
How much of the book is rooted in fact and where did you let your imagination take flight?
I very purposely blurred the lines between fiction and fantasy in ANGELOLOGY. I chose characters such as Abigail Rockefeller and settings which many people are familiar with. I also have tried to create the sense that Angelology is a living breathing practice. Medieval theologians actually created angelologies–or systems of classification for angels– and were genuinely practicing the study of angels, but in our day and age it is difficult to imagine such a thing happening. In reality, it isn’t. But by creating a structure and an academy of angelology, and placing my angelologists in real settings, I hoped to draw readers into belief. One example of this is a website I’ve created: www.angelologist.com. You can learn a lot about the world of angelology on this site.
Here is an easy checklist of fact/ fiction:
ANGELOLOGY–Real although I changed its meaning and made it an on-going practice
DEVIL’S THROAT–Real. One can visit it in Bulgaria. The legends about Orpheus are also really in circulation.
ABIGAIL ROCKEFELLER–Real, although I’ve re-imagined her and made her an angelologist.
ATHENEAUM, ACADEMY OF ANGELOLOGY, PARIS—False. Fiction
NEPHILIM–Real in the Bible, so it depends upon whether one thinks the bible is fictional or not.
Saint Rose Convent–False, but modeled on a real Saint Rose Convent in La Crosse, WI
Are any of your characters particularly fun or easy for you to write? Any that are more difficult?
I loved writing from the perspective of Brother Clematis, a 10th century Thracian monk. I also loved writing from the point of view of Gabriella, one of the toughest angelologists around.
Do you have any tips for aspiring speculative fiction writers?
Make your alternate world or reality as strong as possible.
Thank you for giving me this great interview Danielle. It was a pleasure getting to know about you and your novel, Angelology!
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Giveaway Details:
The wonderful publicity people at Viking/Penguin have generously offered one reader a signed copy of Angelology! Giveaway is open to USA & Canada only.
Question: Do you believe in Angels? Have you ever had an experience? Do tell.
For one entry: Please leave a comment with the answer to the question. (+1 entry)
For extra entries:
- Subscribe to my blog, Sidhe Vicious Reviews, through the links at the top right hand side of the blog, and let me know in your comment. Be sure you verify your subscription through the email you’ll receive or it won’t count. (+1 entry)
- If you’re already subscribed, you’ll receive two extra entries, but be sure to let me know in the comments. (+2 entries)
- Post a link to this contest on your Twitter, FaceBook, MySpace, GoodReads, LibraryThing, or on your blog and send me the link either in the comments or by email and you’ll get an extra entry for each place you add a link to. (+? entries, insert however many links you’ve done)
- Contest is open to USA & Canada and will run through March 17thth until 11:59pm. The winners will be posted here on March 18th. Please leave your email addy in your comment for me to contact you if you’ve won. If I haven’t heard back from the winner in 7 days, a new winner will be drawn from the eligible comments. Winners will be chosen by a random number generator. Good Luck everyone!
(I should also mention that if you’re leaving me a bunch of links in your comment, do not panic if it doesn’t show up right away. It just automatically gets held for me to moderate, which I will as soon as I’m online. )
About Me
I read Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Light Fantasy, Young Adult and Graphic Novels in said genres. I’ve also been known to read the odd historical romance if they involve uber-sexy highlanders, vikings or knights & if they involve some time travel and a lot of humor. Heh! 😀 If any Authors, Publicists or Publishers would like their books reviewed or would like to schedule a Guest Blog or Giveaway please contact me at sidhevicious@gmail.com
Please see the BIOS page for more info on our reviewing style and for other info.
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