Showing posts with label Blink YA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blink YA. Show all posts

3.27.2020

Freaky in Fresno ~ Review

Freaky in Fresno
By Laurie Boyle Crompton
Narrated by Madison Lawrence

Freaky in Fresno is a fun book that features two former BFF cousins as they get an eye-opening day learning just what the other's life really is like. Ricki and Lana used to do almost everything together. But after a road trip with their moms and aunt, everything changed.

When Aunt May gifts the two teens with a pink convertible, sparks are sure to fly. But the flying sparks are going to make the next day one that neither Ricki or Lana is about to forget anytime soon. And both are about to have a day that will find Ricki living Lana's life and Lana living Ricki's which is a BIG problem as each has the event of the summer occurring in just a few hours. Can they figure out how to get back to their own bodies before it is too late and they ruin the other's life? And the only one who notices anything is a chihuahua with a major attitude problem (actually reminds me of a couple of dachshunds I know and love).

I really found this book a fun deviation from my normal fare. This is totally teen girl fun and at places totally over-the-top craziness. And throw in a couple of boyfriends you are looking at a relationship disaster waiting to happen. If you are looking for an escape from the stress of your day-to-day with some unbelievable family dynamics look no further.

Now I didn't read this book but rather listened to it in audiobook form. It is narrated by Madison Lawrence who did a good job presenting the story. (I listened to it at 1.25 speed so it went a little faster than the 8 hours and 16 minutes listed time)

If you are familiar with Laurie Boyles Crompton's previous title Pretty In Punxsutawney you will enjoy this one and there is more movie fun involved in this one too. No school situations with this one as it takes place towards the end of summer vacation. But this time it is a drive-in rather than a theater. 

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through Libro.fm with no expectations but to provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.


About the Book:
Influencers. Movie nerds. Beauty queens. And one pink convertible. 
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to spend a day in her shoes? Two estranged cousins—geeky horror movie fanatic Ricki and makeup guru Lana—accidentally switch bodies for a fateful summer road trip that is part Freaky Friday, part romcom, and all heart.

Ricki has one goal: save the Starlight Drive-in movie theater from going dark forever. Okay, make that two goals … she may also want a first kiss from her cinema-rescuing partner and major crush, Jake. Lana definitely has only one goal: grow her online makeup channel to keep her momager off her back, even if the posts attract ugly internet trolls.

The two cousins couldn’t be more different, but their opposite personalities come crashing to a head when their aunt gifts the girls a vintage cotton-candy-pink convertible. To share. Ricki wants the convertible for the drive-in’s grand reopening, but it’s the same day as Digifest, a huge event where Lana needs to shine. After a major fight and a minor electric shock while wrestling over the wheel, Ricki wakes up as Lana, and Lana wakes up as Ricki.

Ricki and Lana have only a day to un-Freaky Friday themselves, a task made even more difficult as they try to keep up appearances on Lana’s channel and with Ricki’s hopefully soon-to-be-kissed crush. But it turns out experiencing a day as each other—with a mini road trip and Chihuahua wrangling—may be the one thing that helps the cousins see each other and themselves more clearly.

4.10.2019

We Were Beautiful ~ Review

We Were Beautiful
By Heather Hepler

She can't remember,
She can't forget...

Nearly a year has passed since the night Mia killed her sister. She doesn't remember it but she was driving and Rachel is dead. Her family has become as scarred as Mia's face and nothing will be able to repair the damage of that night. And now Mia is being sent to spend the summer with a grandmother she has never before met.

But this summer may just offer Mia a chance to live again but there are the dreams that refuse to let her go and yet they keep the memories from truly surfacing. And then there is the job her grandmother arranged for her - I mean who wants to get up before the sun and go to work during summer vacation. But Brunelli's Diner is just the place for Mia, especially after she meets Fig a personality that just may make her Mia's closest friend.

As Fig introduces Mia to her closest friends Mia is about to see the world through new eyes seeing beyond the surface to that which is inside. Sometimes to start healing we need to see the pain of others and this is just what Mia is about to do. And when you throw in the Brunelli family one has no choice but to heal with all the love they share.

This is an emotionally charged book that shows the different ways we can confront pain and loss. No one person handles it the same as evidenced by Mia, her parents and how dealt with the loss of Rachel differently. Sometimes the hardest person to forgive is yourself and this what several characters in this book are dealing with. The guilt one heaps upon one's self is not usually in proportion to what happened but we are left with "if only's" that get magnified as we look back.

This is definitely a teen book with all the issues it deals with. Issues that will leave the reader thinking "How would I have handled this situation?" And the best fiction that stays with us has a way of making us look past the normal that we are comfortable with and thinking and empathizing with the characters we are being introduced to. This would be an excellent teen book club selection if you are looking for a title to add to your list of possibilities.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I offer my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.


About the Book:
It’s been a year since fifteen-year-old Mia Hopkins was in the car crash that killed her older sister and left her terribly scarred. The doctors tell her she was lucky to survive. Her therapist says it will take time to heal. The police reports claim there were trace amounts of alcohol in her bloodstream. But no matter how much she tries to reconstruct the events of that fateful night, Mia’s memory is spotty at best. She’s left with accusations, rumors, and guilt so powerful it could consume her.
As the rest of Mia’s family struggles with their own grief, Mia is sent to New York City to spend the summer with a grandmother she’s never met. All Mia wants to do is hide from the world, but instead she’s stuck with a summer job in the bustling kitchens of the cafĂ© down the street. There she meets Fig—blue-haired, friendly, and vivacious—who takes Mia under her wing. As Mia gets to know Fig and her friends—including Cooper, the artistic boy who is always on Mia’s mind—she realizes that she’s not the only one with a painful past.
Over the summer, Mia begins to learn that redemption isn’t as impossible as she once thought, but her scars inside run deep and aren’t nearly so simple to heal … especially when Mia finally pieces together her memories of the night Rachel died.
From acclaimed author Heather Hepler comes We Were Beautiful, a poignant young adult novel about tragedy, forgiveness, and love. Perfect for fans of Robyn Schneider and Justina Chen.

Paperback: 304 Pages
Publisher: Blink (April 2, 2019)
Genre: Young Adult Fiction / Coming of Age
ISBN: 978-0-0310-76643-8

Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes and Noble

About the Author:

Heather Hepler is the author of several books for teens and tweens, including Frosted KissesLove? Maybe, and The Cupcake Queen. Having lived in East Texas, Alaska, and Death Valley, she currently resides with her son, their two spoiled cats, and their ridiculously smart dog in Maine.

Connect with Heather

Website | Facebook | Instagram



Heather Hepler’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:

Monday, April 1st: @booksbeforebedtime and Books Before Bedtime
Tuesday, April 2nd: Book Fidelity
Wednesday, April 3rd: @createexploreread
Friday, April 5th: Not in Jersey
Monday, April 8th: A Bookish Way of Life
Tuesday, April 9th: Teachers Who Read
Wednesday, April 10th: Blooming with Books
Thursday, April 11th: Christian Chick’s Thoughts
Monday, April 15th: @diaryofaclosetreader
Wednesday, April 17th: @librarycutie
Thursday, April 18th: Diary of a Stay at Home Mom
Monday, April 22nd: Book by Book
Tuesday, April 23rd: Bookworm for Kids
Wednesday, April 24th: Amy’s Book-et List
Thursday, April 25th: View from the Birdhouse

2.06.2019

Between Before and After ~ Review with Giveaway

Between Before and After
By Maureen Doyle McQuerry

Sometimes the Most Important
         Story to Discover Is Your Own

Molly Donnelly's life is changing yet again and her mother is slipping further into a depression that is somehow linked to the secrets of her past. A past that her father has declared would bury her unless she buried it first. Molly is determined to discover the past her mother has so closely guarded and why she declares that she wasn't "beautiful and good" like her mother who died from the plague known as the Great Flu of 1918.

Elaine Fitzgerald was fourteen years old when influenza changed life for most of the nation and for her family. She lost her mother, her baby sister, her aunt, and though he didn't die she lost her father. Keeping her family together was what mattered most and providing as normal a life as possible for her eight-year-old brother Stephen takes precedence. But in 1919 Brooklyn life is not easy especially without her mother to be a wall between them and their father.

In 1955 Molly is fourteen, the same age her mother was when her life was forever altered. But searching for clues to the past isn't easy when San Jose is a so far removed from Brooklyn. And when Uncle Stephen is linked to a miraculous healing life takes another twist that further threatens the normal life Molly longs for. Molly's search into the past will have unexpected results that she never imagined.

Between Before and After is a most engaging book that is told from both Elaine and Molly's perspectives. There are approximately 35 years between the before and the after of this book. This is a story of family, despair, hope, loss, betrayal, faith, and love. In other words, this is a book that looks at life and embraces it in all its facets good or bad. This is a story of mothers and daughters and of brothers and sisters and the bond that exists between them. This is most definitely a book for teens (or older) readers and not middle-grade readers. It is interesting to see just how different life in 1919 and 1955 differs from what we experience today - in no way is simpler (technologically speaking) easier.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by the publisher through TLC Book Tours with no expectation but that I offer my honest opinion - all thoughts expressed are my own.


About the Book:
“The carnage began with the roses. She hacked at their ruffled blooms until they dropped into monstrous drifts of red on the parched yellow lawn … Only two things kept my mother grounded to us: my uncle Stephen and stories.”
Fourteen-year-old Molly worries about school, friends, and her parents’ failed marriage, but mostly about her mother’s growing depression. Molly knows her mother is nursing a carefully-kept secret. A writer with an obsession for other people’s life stories, Elaine Donnelly is the poster child of repressed emotions.
Molly spends her California summer alternately watching out for her little brother Angus and tip-toeing around her mother’s raw feelings. Molly needs her mother more than ever, but Elaine shuts herself off from real human connections and buries herself in the lives and deaths of the strangers she writes about. When Uncle Stephen is pressed into the limelight because of his miracle cure of a young man, Elaine can no longer hide behind other people’s stories. And as Molly digs into her mother’s past, she finds a secret hidden in her mother’s dresser that may be the key to unlocking a family mystery dating to 1918 New York—a secret that could destroy or save their future.
Told in dual narratives between 1918 New York City and 1955 San Jose, California, Between Before and After, by award-winning author Maureen McQuerry, explores the nature of family secrets, resiliency, and redemption. This is a historical coming-of-age Young Adult story about the complex bonds between mothers and daughters.

Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes and; Noble


About the Author:  

Maureen Doyle McQuerry

Maureen McQuerry is an award-winning poet, novelist, and teacher.  Her YA novel, The Peculiars is an ALA Best Book for YA 2013, Bank Street and Home Book recommended book. Her MG fantasy duo, Beyond the Door and The Telling Stone, were a Booklist Top Ten Fantasy/SciFi for Youth and a finalist for the WA State Book awards.  Her poetry appears in many journals and anthologies.  She lives in Washington State.
Connect with Maureen

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Enter for a chance to win a copy of this book
Open to those with a US mailing address who are over 18 years of age.
Please be aware that the winner's mailing address will
be passed on to the publisher who will mail out your book.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Maureen’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS

Monday, February 4th: @girlsinbooks
Tuesday, February 5th: @the_readers_nook
Wednesday, February 6th: Blooming with Books
Thursday, February 7th: Books and Cats and Coffee
Monday, February 11th: A Bookish Way of Life
Tuesday, February 12th: Write Read Life
Wednesday, February 13th: @read.write.coffee
Thursday, February 14th: 100 Pages a Day
Monday, February 18th: @prose_and_palate
Tuesday, February 19th: From the TBR Pile
Tuesday, February 19th: Rockin’ Book Reviews
Wednesday, February 20th: @createexploreread
Monday, February 25th: Run Wright
Tuesday, February 26th: @librarycutie
Wednesday, February 27th: Jessicamap Reviews and @jessicamap
Thursday, February 28th: Book Fidelity
Friday, March 1st: What is That Book About

1.24.2019

Pretty in Punxsutawney ~ Review

Pretty in Punxsutawney
By Laurie Boyle Crompton

   Wake up.
             Go to school.
    Fall in love.
                       Repeat.

Andie's senior year of high school is about to start and she has high hopes for the coming year - hopes that include maybe her first ever kiss. And she knows just the boy she hopes to get it from. The one whom she has been not so secretly crushing on since she and her family moved to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Yup, the home of the king groundhog is now Andie's home.

To celebrate the coming school year Andie and her mother watch Pretty in Pink. Andie is finally ready for the classic in her mother's opinion and Andie is totally for it as she'll finally get to experience the movie for which she's named for. But when morning comes around Andie is surprised to discover that she missed the ending by falling asleep on the sofa. Whoops, the first day of school is off to a roaring start especially with the thrift store vintage pink dress that her mother purchased as her fashion of the day, she didn't mean to fall asleep in it.

Sure that she's made a less than stellar first impression at her new school by first losing Colton and then putting her foot in her mouth more than once she's more than a bit down. But when she begins day two by repeating day one she's hopeful that she can erase the mistakes of the day before, or rather the mistakes of today will never happen.

But this is just the start of an endless cycle of repeating the same day over, and over, and over. As Andie tries to break this curse she gradually discovers just how messed up the school is with all its little cliches dividing the student body from one another. Slowly she makes connections within each group, though none of them remember it when the day resets. And when she realizes that through each reset there's only been one person who has accepted her for who she is no matter how she dressed or acted she comes to understand that she too needed to see beyond the surface to who each person truly is. And she'll have plenty of time, she just may never graduate or have her next birthday anytime soon, but other than Andie who's counting the number of first days of school this year will have.

This book is quite engaging once the first introductory chapters have set the stage. And Andie's antics are at times over-the-top. And personally, I never got what she saw in Colton from the start but the scene where they met was rather amusing (take away from the book -avoid smuggling Whoppers into theaters - just saying). I'd probably disappoint Andie as I was totally uninformed about most of the movies that she and her mom were enjoying. And if you are unaware of what a cute-meet is you won't be after reading this one.  It is nice to have a book where the family gets along (my pet peeve in books is the often explosive relationship between tween/teens and their parents) and cares about each other. This is a fun book and one that I would highly recommend to tween and teen readers.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by the publisher through TLC Book Tours with no expectations but that I offer my honest opinion - all thoughts expressed are my own.


About the Book:
Groundhog Day meets Pretty in Pink mashup from author Laurie Boyle Crompton, Pretty in Punxsutawney tells the tale of a girl willing to look beneath the surface to see people for who they really are.
Andie is the type of girl who always comes up with the perfect thing to say…after it’s too late to say it. She’s addicted to romance movies—okay, all movies—but has yet to experience her first kiss. After a move to Punxsutawney, PA, for her senior year, she gets caught in an endless loop of her first day at her new school, reliving those 24 hours again and again.
Convinced the curse will be broken when she meets her true love, Andie embarks on a mission: infiltrating the various cliques to find the one boy who can break the spell. What she discovers along the way is that people who seem completely different can often share the very same hopes, dreams, and hang-ups. And that even a day that has been lived over and over can be filled with unexpected connections and plenty of happy endings.
Hardcover: 304 Pages
Publisher: Blink (January 15, 2019)

Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes and Noble

About the Author:

Laurie Boyle Crompton is the author of several YA books, including Adrenaline Crush and Love and Vandalism. Laurie graduated first in her class from St. John’s University with a BA in English and Journalism. She has written for national magazines like Allure, survived a teaching stint at an all-boy high school, and appeared on Good Day New York several times as a toy expert. And yes, “toy expert” is an actual profession. She grew up in a small town in western PA and now lives near NYC with her family and one enormous and very fuzzy “dog toy expert” named Baxter Bear.

Connect with Laurie

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram


Laurie Boyle Crompton’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:

Monday, January 14th: Bookmark Lit
Monday, January 14th: @bookish_nel
Tuesday, January 15th: Books Before Bedtime and @booksbeforebedtime
Wednesday, January 16th: A Bookish Way of Life
Thursday, January 17th: @the_readers_nook
Friday, January 18th: Rockin’ Book Reviews
Monday, January 21st: Run Wright
Tuesday, January 22nd: 100 Pages a Day
Wednesday, January 23rd: Book Fidelity
Thursday, January 24th: Blooming with Books
Friday, January 25th: @katielmae
Monday, January 28th: From the TBR Pile
Wednesday, January 30th: Diary of a Stay at Home Mom
Thursday, January 31st: Kahakai Kitchen
Friday, February 1st: Books a la Mode
Saturday, February 2nd: @love_my_dane_dolly
Monday, February 4th: Christian Chick’s Thoughts
Tuesday, February 5th: Write Read Life
Wednesday, February 6th: Helen’s Book Blog

3.12.2017

Unfolding ~ Review

Unfolding 
By Jonathan Friesen

What she foresees
could tear them apart...

Stormi was a miracle baby delivered to the town of Gullary, Oklahoma, on the winds of a tornado. Though taken in as one of their own Gullary has never truly accepted her as one of their own. And Stormi's gift of insight (intuition) has allowed her to give warnings earning her the tag unnatural.

Jonah has counted Stormi as his best friend his whole life and he wishes that she would see him as something more. But how could she when he is a monster - his back twisted his brain a host for seizers - and Stormi is perfect.

But Gullary is keeping a secret one that has been in the keeping for nigh on 18 years. And the time to pay the price for their sins is coming...  And Stormi alone sees the signs unfolding around her, she alone can prevent the tragedy that may be revisited upon Gullary, but she can't do it alone.

Unfolding is a book that grabs the reader's attention and won't let go. There are some totally unexpected twists that one did not anticipate. I have to say Gullary is not a town I'd recommend visiting and the SuperMax Prison hides the biggest secret of all. This book has the same feel as an old Alfred Hitchcock movie very creepy - not a before bed reading choice unless you plan to read through the night.

I  was provided a review copy of this book by the publisher through BookLook in exchange for my honest review ~ all opinions expressed are my own.


About the Book:
Jonah wishes he could get the girl, but he’s an outcast and she’s the most perfect girl he knows. And their futures seemed destined to fork apart: Jonah’s physical condition is debilitating, and epileptic seizures fill his life with frustration. Whereas Stormi is seemingly carefree, and navigates life by sensing things before they happen. And her most recent premonition is urging her to leave town.
When Stormi begs Jonah for help, he finds himself swept into a dark mystery his small town has been keeping for years. And the answers Stormi needs about her own past could possibly destroy everything Jonah has ever known—including his growing relationship with Stormi herself.  

10.26.2015

Shades of Doon ~ Review

Shades of Doon
A Doon Novel 3
By Carey Corp and Lorie Langdon

Shades of Doon opens with Veronica recovered from the illness that left her seemingly on death's door at the conclusion of Destined for Doon.  But Vee's illness and recovery had no known cause or trigger.  But a mystery illness is not the least of their worries especially when something pulls them away from Doon.  Can Vee and Kenna find their way back to the kingdom they have come to love?

But during their absence an ancient, hidden evil is about to make its presence known and there may be no way to stop an evil that has found a foothold within the kingdom.  Who can be trusted to help in the battle that is coming?

I have to admit I love the Doon series - I think the way it is tied to Brigadoon just adds to the mystic of the story.  This is Brigadoon for a new generation.  A land displaced from time that individuals from the outside world are called to one has to love the idea.  But all is not perfect - the ancient threat that resulted in Doon's displacement is still alive and still seeks to control the land.

This is a classic good verses evil story.  What would one sacrifice to save what one most cares about? Would one make a deal with"evil" to protect the life of a loved one?  For a kingdom?  Or would following the path of good out way the cost of selling one's soul?  What would you choose?  This is the choice now facing Vee as Queen of Doon.  Will she sacrifice the kingdom, her life for Jamie, the prince she loves?  Or for Kenna? 

If you like exciting keep-you-up-all-night-reading you need to read Shades of Doon!  If you haven't read the first two books it is an absolute must to read them first as this is not a standalone book.  And really why come into a story at the halfway point?  This book is geared towards the teen / YA reader but adult readers who love a touch of fantasy and romance will enjoy this book, this series.

I was provided a copy of this book through the BookLook blogger program in exchange for my honest review.



About the Book:
After cheating death, Veronica Welling is determined to savor every moment in her idyllic kingdom with both her true love and best friend by her side at last. At the same time, Mackenna Reid is enthusiastically building her new life and a theater with her prince. But just as their dreams of happiness are within reach, the world Vee and Kenna have chosen is ripped away, leaving them to face their most horrific challenge yet—their old lives.
Thrust out of Doon, the best friends are confronted with tormentors from their past and no way to return to their adopted land. When the MacCrae brothers rush to their rescue, the girls’ situation turns from nightmare to modern-day fairy tale. But their happiness could be short lived: unbeknownst to them, someone in their closest circle is aiding the witch of Doon in her bid to destroy the kingdom once and for all.

10.01.2014

CSFF September Blog Tour ~ Rebels Day 3

Welcome to Day 3 of the CSFF September Blog Tour
featuring Rebels by Jill Williamson.
REBELS
The Safe Lands 3
By Jill Williamson

When Captives ended Mason and Omar were about to be liberated and no one knew what liberation meant short of death. Shaylinn and Ciddah had been rescued from General Otley and Lawten Renzor.

And Mason and Omar are about to be liberated.  Liberation is not what anyone expected.  Good news Mason and Omar are not dead. Bad news they are separated from their family and friends.  And they have to do hard labor in dangerous conditions.  By helping Ciddah Mason made an enemy of Renzor, who is determined that Mason will continue to pay for his error.  Omar is still Omar and even in his liberated state he can still find trouble.  But liberation has a few surprises in store in the form of the formerly liberated.  

Meanwhile those Outsiders who have manage to align themselves with the Naturals (aka Kindred) have hidden themselves beneath the city.  But differences of opinion are sure to arise among this vast and varied group of individuals who feel strongly about their beliefs. 

Can the lies that the Safe Lands has been perpetuating for years be revealed?  Or have the lies been so firmly embedded into the Safe Lands way of life that they will never believe the truth?

But help comes in an unexpected form.  And this could be the catalyst to change the future and allow the Safe Lands to open their gates.

I still don't like Levi - he just sort of grates on one's nerves.  He's of the opinion that he is right and everyone else needs to fall in with his thinking.  Fortunately he meets someone among the Kindred who could very well give him a run in the superior attitude he has.

Omar still draws my sympathy, though he is in definite need of an intervention (which just may happen).  Mason is still my favorite brother.

I think as far as characters go Shaylinn grew the most throughout the series.  I will miss them all and hope that at some point in the future we may revisit this land as they recreate what they once had.

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher Blink in conjunction with this CSFF blog tour in exchange for my participation and my honest review.

Want to read Rebels yourself?  Pick up a copy today 


9.30.2014

CSFF September Blog Tour ~ Rebels Day 2

Welcome to Day 2 of the CSFF September Blog Tour
featuring Rebels by Jill Williamson.


Over the course of this series I have had the pleasure of interviewing Jill Williamson for each book and here are those interviews working back through the series - starting with Rebels:

1) How would you view Levi, Mason, and Omar's growth as individuals throughout the Safe Lands series?
Each of the brothers grows some during the trilogy. Levi learns to love people who are different than he is. Mason learns that not everything has a perfect answer--he can't solve everything. And Omar learns to forgive himself and that life is very much worth living.


2) The Safe Landers have a statement Find Pleasure in Life.  This seems to be something many people believe now - how much influence do you think modern technology has on this attitude as opposed to pre-industrial technology living? (like those living in Glenrock)
I think people have always wanted to live happy lives. Modern technology brings entertainment and instant gratification right to your smartphone--it's effortless. And while the technology is amazing, we need to be careful not to lose the ability to entertain ourselves outside of technology. Talking face-to-face with other people. Playing a board game. Jogging together. There is much pleasure to be found
in life apart from technology. I think of Pa Ingalls playing the fiddle for his family or dancing at
Bilbo Baggins' birthday party. That kind of pleasure--without technology--is still a lot of fun.



3) Do you see yourself ever revisiting this series in the future (i.e. following a specific character who was in the background, prequel, etc.)?

The only way I might do so would be to publish the prequel. Originally the publisher made an offer to purchase Captives and the prequel where Elder Levi was a teenager in our current day times. When I explained that Captives was meant to be the first book in a trilogy, they tossed out the prequel. I'd already written half of it, and I've always wanted to finish it. Maybe someday. We shall see.

Outcast interview:
1) Omar is trying to change. Do you think part of the problem he has is the attitude Levi and Jordan have towards him?
Levi and Jordan treat him in a similar way that his father did. And Omar’s insecurities come from his relationship with his dad. So that’s why those two tend to get under Omar’s skin. But Omar is starting to learn that he doesn’t have to be the person his dad wanted him to be. That he can be who God created him to be.
  
 2) Levi is having trouble getting the Glenrock survivors follow his directives as elder, do you feel this is a result of Levi's own insecurities in his position or is it a result of being in the Safe Lands?
Well, Levi is elder. They even voted him in. So he’s trying to be the best leader he can. But he’s young, and he doesn’t really understand what grace is all about. So he’s quite legalistic in his ways. He strongly believes that with enough will power a person can be perfect, and he’s determined to try. That does stem from his insecurities over his past mistakes. He doesn’t want to make mistakes ever again. But he is human, so he will never be perfect—at least not on earth.
  
3) I like the link that you created with the naturals and the people from Glenrock, did you have this in mind before you put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) or was this a revelation to you as well?
Hmm… By “link” do you mean the common ancestor? If so, I did have that in mind. I started writing the apocalyptic prequel before I ever started writing the dystopian series. So those characters and what happened to them were always in my mind.

4) With the little tidbits you've dropped about Papa Eli and his time in the Safe Lands what are the possibilities of a prequel?  I for one would be in line waiting.
It could happen, sure. I originally sold the prequel, which is called Thirst, and Captives to Zondervan. But when they learned that I had intended for the dystopian book to be a trilogy, they opted not to buy the prequel. So if the books do well enough, I think Zondervan would be willing to publish the prequel about Eli, his sister, and his youth group friends are the main characters. And they were trying to get out of the city to a safe place that had clean drinking water. I miss those guys. :-) That book is half written, so it wouldn’t take all that long to finish it. Though some of the revelations in the Safe Lands series are spoilers for how Thirst ends.

5) Why the Owl?  What drew you and Omar to this particular character?
In the beginning of Captives, Omar was drawing an owl. I had said he had an obsession with them. So that’s why I thought it would be a good fit. I didn’t give him that interest for any reason in particular. I was just writing, and when Mason has said there were pictures all over the walls in Omar’s room and he felt like there were eyes everywhere, that made me think of owls, since they are always depicted with large eyes. And that’s also why I made the Owl was one of Omar’s favorite superheroes from the comic books his grandfather gave him. The Owl is a real superhero, just not a very popular one. So Omar made it his own.

6) The cover for Book 3 is really interesting ~ which brother do you see as being on the cover?
The way I see it, Levi is on the cover of Captives, Omar is on the cover of Outcasts, and Mason is on the cover of Rebels.

Captives interview:
1) When you came up with The Safe Lands did you anything that influenced your design of this city?
I came up with The Safe Lands map long before I came up with a story to go with it. I was drawing maps one day and thought it would be fun to have a walled city. When I finished drawing it, it looked like a bell. So I started calling it The Bell. Then later, when I got the idea for the story, I knew instantly that it would fit with my Bell map.


2) Levi, Mason, and Omar are all different and handle the situations that they are given differently.  Do you have a favorite brother and if so who is it and why this brother?
I suppose that Mason is my favorite. I like the way he tries to solve problems by thinking them through. It was hard for me to write him, because I don't think like he does. I spent a lot of time on forums, reading his type of personality to try and find his voice. And when I found it I was so excited because he became real.


3) Do you think Mason's empathetic nature makes him ideal for the medical profession or is his sensitive nature too empathetic and he would be hurt by all the pain and suffering that he would see?  
Mason will always be saddened when patients die or are in a lot of pain. But to be a successful doctor, Mason will have to learn to separate himself from that and understand that death happens and that it's not his fault. This will be easier for him to handle if he would stop trying to control things and trust God.  


4) Levi's guilt over what he think happened in the past has affected him, did this also play a role in his attitude towards his brothers - especially Omar?
Sure. Levi beat himself up that he failed to set a good example for Omar. Levi thinks that a leader should be perfect, yet he knows he's not perfect. Still, he strives for perfection, which makes him a little intense. And he likes to tell his brothers what he thinks they should do and think, but that's not a very good way to lead. Levi will learn this in time, I hope.


5) The technology used for the tattoos in the Safe Lands, do you think there would be a market for it today and if so what warnings would give against its use?
I think people would love SimTags. They would be very popular. As to warnings, it's still a way of marking your skin, though images only show up when they're programmed. And you could get infections from implanted microchips. Plus, it's a way for the government or the SimTag company to know your location at all times, which is a little creepy.


6) The other day after I finished reading Captives I was putting on make-up (just lip gloss and blush for work - don't want to scare the patrons out of the library! :D) and Roller-Paint was brought to mind (which was really a scary thought!).  Where did this idea come from? (I've seen the Safe Land ads for it by the way UGH!)  
Because Safe Landers prize beauty, but their disease makes the skin flaky and ugly. So I figured they would find a way to make themselves look perfect. I can't remember where I came up with the name for it. Maybe when we were painting in the house. LOL




Be sure to come back tomorrow for my review of Rebels on the third and final day of the tour.  And while you wait for the midnight toll you can visit the other tour participants who are sharing their thoughts about Rebels throughout this 3 day tour 
(September 29 - October 1, 2014)