I thought vampires were our enemies – they controlled our lives, isolated our cities, and demanded our blood – until I met Victor. With Victor taking over as the new Lord Valentine, things were supposed to get better. Instead, they're worse than ever.
Day Walkers, a new breed of vampires who can walk in the sun, are terrorizing the city. Blood supplies are low, and if Victor's vampires don't get enough, they will become infected with the Thirst – a disease that will turn them into mindless killers.
To stop it, I must journey across the desolate wasteland to the very place where the sickness began. I can only hope that the answers that await me are enough to save us all… before it's too late.
You can also go to this links to continue on in the hop!
Oh, The Books Youll Read!
YA Paranormal Hop – Opal Giveaway!
Guest Post by Cindy C. Bennett!!!!
As in everything else, books tend to go through trends. Vampires and werewolves dominated for a time, dystopian overshadowed all else for a while, zombies have taken up arms (and eaten them), now it seems to be fairytales. Is this a bad thing?
Personally, I don't think so. Anything that causes would-be writers to pick up the pen (or keyboard as it may be) can't be a bad thing. If a trend hits that sparks someone's creative bone and pulls a story out of them, then we the readers win. I've discovered some amazing new writers in the midst of various trends.
When the dystopian craze hit, it was like a smorgasbord for me. I love dystopian novels. I think it comes from my childhood love of Star Wars. The Star Wars universe is like dystopian in reverse—the universe before it was civilized. Dystopian is the world after civilization collapses. It seems to be ebbing a bit, but I still can't get enough of it. I hope that even if it isn't the current "trend" that it continues to inspire others to write. That's one genre I'm scared to death to tackle because I just don't have that specific kind of creativity. So I need others to write it for me.
When fairytales first poked their head onto the scene, I was pretty happy. Okay, it's more like I was giddy. I love, love, love fairytales. From my first viewing of Cinderella on VHS (!) when I was a kid I was hooked. I've long wanted to write retellings, but was afraid no one would care enough to read them. It took someone with more courage than me to decide they were worth throwing out into the world once again, and I happily leapt on the train.
I think the bottom line is that we're all drawn in by the romanticism of all of the trends. I mean, who knew zombies could be romantic, and yet there are several romantic zombie stories popping up. Whatever trend is current, the underlying theme seems to always be love and hope, that our hero and heroine can overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles and keep their love intact while doing so.
So from my point of view, I say bring on the trends. Because bringing them on brings on new and exciting stories that we can all lose ourselves in, and what else is reading for but to be transported to someone else's universe for just a little while.
THANKS so much for doing this Cindy!!!
Author Interview with Julia Crane and Talia Vance!!!
Talia – Walk Through Cold Fire was a book I read in high school. It has stuck with me all these years. It came at a time where there weren't a lot of books about real life drama and helped me realize that I wanted to write books that teens could relate to.
Julia: I think Nancy Drew started my addiction to reading.
Talia – The Boxcar Children. It might not have been the first book I read to myself. I'm sure there were Dr. Suess books before that. But The Boxcar Children was the first one to leave an impression.
Julia: Harold and the Purple Crayon.
Julia: Autumn Dawn by Lizzy Ford. I love that series.
Talia – Read, watch TV/movies, play games, and most importantly spend time with my family.
Julia: Think about finding time to write! I enjoy reading, hiking, traveling and Pilates to name a few things. Sadly, there never seems to be enough hours in the day.
Talia – Many things combined. Characters you can connect with, a good plot, good pacing, and some description, but not too much.
Julia: Vivid characters, and a plot that keeps you guessing.
Who would you consider your favorite author and why?
Talia – I honestly have too many for different reasons. Lurlene McDaniel pulls at my heartstrings in every book. Stephenie Meyer for getting me back into writing. Cassandra Clare for making me see that all paranormal things can go together. VC Andrews for taking risks and going where most authors don't.
Julia: I love so many authors it's really hard to pick just one. Hmm, I'm racking my brain trying to come up with one. I love Ken Follett. He spins a great tale. It's amazing how he can keep so many characters life-like and several story lines going at the same time without any confusion. That's talent.
Talia – If it's a good book, I'll read it again. Most of the books I keep get ready several times over the years.
Julia: I've read Fountain Head & Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand each three times. I normally don't re-read books. There are too many out there I want to experience.
that moment, Justyn wasn't just portraying the phantom. Justyn was the phantom.
amazing, Justyn!" the teacher gushed.
he corrected as he stepped down from the stage.
quick, and caught it in his hand without missing a beat.
whatever it took to avoid.