Hey Everyone!

A few weeks back I did a review on a Historical Fiction

Novella, In Her Dreams by Katherine Givens. 

I was fortunate enough to be able to do a quick Q&A with her and 

to be able to give you guys an opportunity to win 

an e-copy of this amazing story! 

Fun Facts

What author/story inspired you to write?

We start with the difficult questions right off the bat! I can’t really say one particular author has inspired me. As I’ve developed and continue to develop as a writer, several authors have affected my work. Anyone familiar with me knows I am a Jane Austen fan, but the others who have left a profound impact on me are Alexandre Dumas, Charles Dickens, Connie Brockway, Liz Carlyle, and Julie Beard.

 Favorite TV Show/Movie? TV

My immediate answer is Game of Thrones. Who doesn’t love a bloody medieval fantasy full of twists and turns?

  
Do you have a specific room in your house or a coffee shop which you like to write in?

My work space is nestled in a corner of my bedroom. About a year ago I invested in establishing a small office complete with a writing desk, leather chair, laptop, plotting board, and all the office supplies a writer might need. I even have a little carousel for my pencils, markers, sticky notes, thumb tacks, staples, butterfly clips, and files. Mementos from my journey hang on my cork board, such as the name tag from my first conference and the cover image for In Her Dreams. My favorite memento is of a fortune from a fortune cookie I received a few weeks before my contract with Harlequin’s Escape Publishing. It says, “Happier days are definitely ahead for you Struggle has ended.” I’m not certain if my struggle has ended, but I am much happier!

 If you had the choice of going back in time or going to the future, which one would you choose and why?

I think the fact I’m a historical romance author answers that question. I’ve always said if I had a time machine I would travel through the ages to see the Egyptian courts of Nefertiti, play a practical joke on Julius Caesar, decide for myself if Nostradamus had the gift of foresight, and end the day by dining with Queen Victoria.

What is the last book you have read that made you cry?

Khaled Hosseini’s And The Mountains Echoed. For anyone who has read The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns, you know Hosseini has a gift for lyricism and melancholy stories. His writing style is so distinctive and his message always profound. This always gives me cause o cry on page one hundred of any of his books.

Story Related Questions

 What was the inspiration behind your novella?

Emerald eyes with amber drops floating in the seductive pools. Those eyes do not belong to anyone in particular. The image simply popped into my head one day, and I couldn’t shake it away. I sat down to write a description to match those eyes, but I ended up building an entire story around something mundane.

 What would you have done if you were in Evangeline’s position?

Exactly what she did. I wouldn’t let anyone threaten the happiness of my own sisters, nor would I allow someone else to control my destiny. I would take charge of my own life and carve a path to my own dreams. 

      We don’t get a very good opinion about Evangeline’s and Angela’s mother. What are your thoughts about their mother? Do you believe all mother’s during this time period would have followed her lead?

Sometimes all a story needs is a villain with a shrill voice and a heavy hand. When I set out to write In Her Dreams, Evangeline’s and Angela’s mother was meant to be the center of conflict. Her purpose was to stifle and control her daughters, but in the end fail. This character is in no way a mirror of my own mother, who has always put my needs above her own. I’m grateful for everything she has done for me. Evangeline’s and Angela’s mother’s basis is not in any single person, but a collection of events in my life when I felt held down. I needed to be like timid Angela and headstrong Evangeline. I needed to take myself out of a terrible situation, overcome it, and end up basking in joy.

Whether or not Evangeline’s and Angela’s mother is a reflection of all mothers in nineteenth century depends on the individuals in the time period. I never stereotype a group. I always dissect the individual. I’m certain there where mothers who browbeat their children into making decisions meant to advance their own lives. Abuse and nagging might’ve been a means to carry this out. Of course, there were also loving, caring mothers who sought for the best for their children. However, no matter the character of a mother, the majority of aristocratic families placed their children in the “marriage market” to win the hand of a spouse who would advance their position in society, add wealth to the family coffers, and in-laws to boast about. Daniel Pool explains this perfectly in his book What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew.

     Can you tell us about your new book?

Certainly! In Her Dreams is my historical romance novella detailing the loves of two sisters. However, they are being courted by the wrong men. Angela is envious of her sister’s suitor, but Evangeline’s heart belongs to another. He comes in the form of a golden-haired, green-eyed dream, but that is all he is. A dream. Both sisters will have to decide if they shall follow their mother’s dictations or veer off their set courses and into the arms of their beloveds.

    I noticed that you’re a big fan of Historical Fiction 
(ME TOO!) what is about this genre that captivated you so?

Being transported to another era different from my own. Whether I’m reading or writing I, I love being swept back in time to civilizations and societies with unique beliefs, customs, practices, and livelihoods. My favorite stories are always set in the Victoria and Regency eras, Middle Ages, and ancient civilizations. Having the stories center a romance with one of these settings serving as the backdrop makes it all the more entertaining!

Thank you for having me on your blog! It was a blast, and I would always be happy to come again.

—Katherine Givens

Thanks to Katherine Givens and Harlequin Australia's Escape Publishing I am able to give 
away a copy of this amazing Novella :) 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Title: Leave the Light On

Author: Karen Stivali

Publish Date: 11.05.13

Pages: 238

Acquired: Review copy per Blog Tour: 

Goodreads Rating: 4.07

My Rating: 4.0

Goodreads

Amazon

SAMHAIN PUBLISHING STORE

SYNOPSIS:

When love throws you a curve, swing for the fences."

Parker Wood's dreams of becoming a professional baseball player are shattered when he's injured in a devastating car crash. After two years in hospitals and physical rehab facilities, he's ready to move back to his childhood home and take over the family landscaping company. The house and business are his, now that his father has passed.

Sophie Vaughn has suffered through a hellishly public divorce from a husband who couldn't manage to stay faithful for two months of marriage. Determined not to let her personal drama impact her successful wedding and party planning business, she buys her parents' old house, hoping the comfort of familiar surroundings will help her heal.

When Parker and Sophie discover they're neighbors once again, it's as if time has stood still. Their friendship is quickly rekindled, along with the decade-long crush neither of them ever admitted having. Then the heat between them exposes a long-held secret that threatens to tear them apart...unless they can detach from their painful pasts and move forward-together.

Warning: Contains sultry summer nights, steamy pool-side encounters, and you'll never look at a jar of peanut butter the same way again.

My Review: 

What happens when two childhood best friends who had feelings for each other without the other knowing move back to town around the same time. Will those feelings return? Will their friendship pick up where it left off?

As other reviewers have been labeling this story, this is one of second chances. I believe that we can all relate to having that childhood or teenage crush that we continuously think back upon and wonder "What If?" "What if I told them how I felt?" "Where are they up to now?" I know I have a certain someone in my past I ask these questions about. This is the beauty of this story and what made me enjoy it so much.. I loved seeing how Parker and Sophie came back together after both having been broken in love. And it exactly this kind of innocent, "second-chance" love that they needed to heal themselves and make them believe in love again! I really enjoyed this book and became a fan of the author's writing. I am looking forward to reading more books from her.

Author Info: 

Karen Stivali is a prolific writer, compulsive baker and chocoholic with a penchant for books, movies and fictional British men. When she's not writing, she can be found cooking extravagant meals and serving them to family and friends, who never seem to mind the excessive quantities she tends to prepare. She attributes her ability to multitask to the fact that she rarely sleeps, which gives her more hours every day.

Karen has always been fascinated by the way people relate to one another so she favors books and movies that feature richly detailed characters and their relationships. In her own writing she likes to explore the dynamics between characters and has a tendency to craft romantic tales filled with sarcasm and sexy details. Although she writes in three genres (erotic romance, contemporary romance and women's fiction) all of her stories are love stories with happily ever after endings.

Karen has published several erotic romance novels with Ellora's Cave including two award winning stories: Always You (published September 2011, First Place Winner of the RWA Passionate Plume Award - 2012)and Marry Me (published June 2012, First Place Winner in the NEC-RWA Bean Pot Reader's Choice Award - 2013).

To learn more about Karen you can visit her website where she blogs original recipes, sassy commentary on The Bachelor, and tidbits about her journey in the writing world. Karen can also be found attempting witty banter on 

Twitter          Website         Goodreads

GIVEAWAYS:

The author has been generous enough to provide a tour wide giveaway

 and individual giveaway's for each blog. Make sure to enter both! 

All winners will be drawn on November  11th and 

notified by The Novel Tease via email provided.”

Tour-wide Giveaway **Open to US ONLY** 

1 WINNER will receive: (1) $20 GiftCard to either Amazon or Barnes and Nobles, 

(1) e-book (winner’s choice) from Mrs. Stivali’s entire published collection. 

 a Rafflecopter giveaway a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Addicts!

Welcome to another of our Fantastic Flying Book Club events. This month we are really happy, because we have the opportunity to share with you a new book written by the acclaimed author Alyson Nöel!!!
I know, not only the cover is beautiful, but the series are awesome. For those who don't know what these books are about, we can tell you a few things without telling too much. Like these books do not miss the "Alyson Noël essence" we read in all her books, meaning is going to be full of romance, fantasy, paranormal stuff and some incredible magic. 

And about the plot, let's just say that Daire Santos was going crazy, seeing things normal people don't, so her mother sent her with her grandmother. Guess what happened? She discovered that she's a Soul Seeker, one who can navigate the worlds between the living and dead. 

Cool right? But I said there was romance, right? So when she uses her powers, that's when she meets Daire, the boy from her dreams, and the whole world is shake to its core.

I know what you're thinking! I need to read these books right now! I know, but don't worry. In this FFBC we will review the fourth book in the Soul Seekers saga. Are you excited, Book Addicts?

Horizon (The Soul Seekers #4)

by Alyson Noel

352 pages

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Release Date: November 19th, 2013

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Urban Fantasy

Synopsis:

Fate has bound them together—and torn them apart. Now Daire and Dace face one final fight that will seal their destiny forever.

Daire Santos is the last of the Soul Seekers, and the only thing standing between the Richters and the destruction of everyone she loves. With her grandmother gone and Cade back in Enchantment, Daire must finally step into her destiny and lead the fight against the Richters. But what if that means sacrificing the person she loves most?

Bound to the Richters by blood, Dace struggles against the darkness growing inside him that threatens to claim Daire too. Though Daire refuses to give up on him, the choice may not be hers. An epic battle is on the horizon and the end of the world looms near. With such insurmountable odds stacked against them, is their love really enough to conquer all?

Fated (The Soul Seekers #1)

by Alyson Noel

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Release Date: November 19th, 2013

Synopsis:

Fate has bound them together—and torn them apart. Now Daire and Dace face one final fight that will seal their destiny forever.

Daire Santos is the last of the Soul Seekers, and the only thing standing between the Richters and the destruction of everyone she loves. With her grandmother gone and Cade back in Enchantment, Daire must finally step into her destiny and lead the fight against the Richters. But what if that means sacrificing the person she loves most?

Bound to the Richters by blood, Dace struggles against the darkness growing inside him that threatens to claim Daire too. Though Daire refuses to give up on him, the choice may not be hers. An epic battle is on the horizon and the end of the world looms near. With such insurmountable odds stacked against them, is their love really enough to conquer all?

Echo (The Soul Seekers #2)

by Alyson Noel

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Release Date: November 13th, 2012

Synopsis:

She inherited a magical destiny—and a mission to stop a powerful family of dark sorcerers. She never expected to fall in love with one of them.

There’s still so much Daire Santos has to learn about being the last Soul Seeker….and about herself. As her magical training becomes more intense, so does her relationship with Dace. But when she learns that his connection to the evil Richter family goes far deeper than she ever imagined, she begins to question if love really can conquer all.

Dace is painfully aware that he wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for the Richters’ dark magic—and now his brother Cade is determined to use his love for Daire against him. Dace is willing to sacrifice anything to protect the girl he loves —including his own life. But will Daire allow it? And what if defeating Cade costs not only his life, but his soul too?

Mystic (The Soul Seekers #3)

by Alyson Noel

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Release Date: May 7th, 2013

Synopsis:

Since arriving in the dusty desert town of Enchantment, everything in Daire Santos life has changed...and not always for the better. While she's come to accept and embrace her new powers as a Soul Seeker, Daire struggles with the responsibility she holds navigating between the worlds of the living and the dead--and her mission to defeat the evil Cade Richter. But Cade's soul is inextricably entwined with that of her boyfriend Dace, putting their love to the ultimate test. How can she defeat Cade if it means destroying Dace too? And is their love strong enough to survive death—and what lies beyond?

Check out The Soul Seekers' website

Alyson Noël is the #1 New York Times best selling, award-winning, author of FAKING 19, ART GEEKS AND PROM QUEENS, LAGUNA COVE, FLY ME TO THE MOON, KISS & BLOG, SAVING ZOË, CRUEL SUMMER, FOREVER SUMMER (a LAGUNA COVE/CRUEL SUMMER 2-in-1), KEEPING SECRETS (a SAVING ZOË/FAKING 19 2-in-1), the IMMORTALS series including: EVERMORE, BLUE MOON, SHADOWLAND, DARK FLAME, NIGHT STAR, and EVERLASTING, the IMMORTALS spin-off, RILEY BLOOM series including RADIANCE, SHIMMER, DREAMLAND & WHISPER, with short stories appearing in the anthologies FIRST KISS (THEN TELL), KISSES FROM HELL, & DEAR BULLY. She is currently working on a new series for teens, SOUL SEEKERS--FATED & ECHO are in stores now, MYSTIC, & HORIZON will follow in 2013.

With over 8 New York Times bestsellers in 2 years, and over 6 million copies in print, her books have been translated into 37 languages, sold in over 50 countries, and have made the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, Wall Street Journal, LA Times, NCIBA, and Walmart bestsellers lists, and have won numerous awards such as: the National Reader's Choice Award, NYLA Book of Winter Award, NYPL Stuff for the Teenage, TeenReads Best Books of 2007, Reviewer's Choice 2007 Top Ten, appeared on the CBS Early Show's "Give the Gift of Reading" segment, and selected for Seventeen Magazine's "Hot List" and Beach Book Club Pick.

Chosen as one of OC Metro magazine's "20 Women to Watch," she's been nominated for the Orange County Business Journal's "Women in Business Awards" as well as their "Excellence in Entrepreneurship" award. Her adult novel, FLY ME TO THE MOON, was optioned by Ridley Scott's, Scott Free Productions, with Sharon Maguire (Bridget Jones' Diary) set to write and direct, and all 4 books in THE SOUL SEEKERS series has been optioned by Cheyenne Enterprises.

Born and raised in Orange County, California, she's lived in both Mykonos and Manhattan and is now settled in Southern California where she's working on her next book.

November 4th

The UnofficialAddiction Book Fan Club & A Reading Nurse -> Welcome to the Fantastic Flying Book Club

November 5th

YA Midnight Reads -> Review

Curse of the Bibliophile -> Review + Dream Cast

Paranormal Book Club  -> Promo Post

November 6th

Book Bird Fiction -> Review + Excerpt

DanaSquare -> Review + Playlist
Sergio Dice -> Promo Post

November 7th

Curling Up With A Good Book -> Promo Post

BookLovingHippo -> Review + Dream Cast

November 8th

Tome Tender -> Review

Book Reviews -> Review + Excerpt
Wicca Witch 4 Book Blog -> Review + Excerpt

November 9th

Book Boyfriend Reviews -> Review

Shayna Varadeaux Books & Reviews -> Review
Alexia Purdy's Blog -> Promo Post

November 10th

Library of a Book Witch -> Review + Dream Cast

BookHounds YA -> Review + Excerpt

whYAnot Reviews -> Review + Playlist

• There will be ONE winner
• You must be 13 or older to enter this giveaway
• It's a US/CAN ONLY giveaway.
• Each day there will be available a #QOD (question of the day) in each participant blog. You can earn more points by answering the answers.
• For those who don't know how this works, the winners will be those who have participated the most. Meaning, the winners will be those who have more points. No Rafflecopter luck this time, Book Addicts. This is all on you now! If there's a draw, then the odds will decide and this time the Rafflecopter luck would be a major factor deciding if you win or not.

Win (1) copy of Horizon (Soul Seekers #4) by Alyson Noël (US/CAN ONLY)

What do you think about the Soul Seekers? Would you like to be one? Why/Why not?


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you to our beloved team for making this event possible.

Unchosen (The Reaper Diaries #2)

by Michele Vail

Publisher: A Freeman Publication

Release Date: October 29th, 2013

Genre: YA, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Fiction

Click here to read about these book: Goodreads
Click here to watch the Book trailer: Youtube
Click here to Read our FFBC Welcome Post: FFBC

Undeadly (The Reaper Diaries #1)

Michele Vail

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Release Date: November 20th, 2012 

Genres: Horror, Young Adult, Fantasy

Click here to read about these book: Goodreads

Click here to watch the Book trailer: Youtube

Click here to Read our FFBC Welcome Post: FFBC

Michele Vail writes young adult paranormal fiction about zombies and reapers. The Reaper Diaries is set in present day Nevada in a world where ancient Egyptian religion and necromancer magic is real and part of every day life. Oh, and there are zombies. Lots and lots of zombies.

Michele likes reading, dogs, cats, board games, ghost-hunting shows, and Halloween. She believes in magic, in the impossible, and in the restorative powers of chocolate. Michele lives happily-ever-after with her Viking husband in the Pacific Northwest.

To know more about her and her books, go to her Reaper Diaries Website.

This always changes, but right now, I’d say my favorite book is FOOL by Christopher Moore.

The moment I get to write “the end.”

Supernatural.

Howl’s Moving Castle.

Rainy day, and I’m tucked in bed with puppies reading or watching Netflix with my Viking husband J

“Girl, I Love You” by Massive Attack.

Chocolate

Right now, I dig “Rath” from The Reaper Diaries. Okay, I’m picking a boy from my own book, but he’s hawt. I made sure of it!

Mythology

Paranormal fiction, romance, mystery.

“You are what you love, not what loves you.” (From the movie “Adaptation”)

Those Winchester brothers.J

Shakespeare.

My husband.

“You Are the Only Exception” by Paramore

I, too, am a book addict. In fact, I have a double addiction as both a writer of words and a reader of them.

Hi Michele we are really happy to host this FFBC event with you and to get to know you a little bit more and your books. Thank you so much for everything.

The Reaper Diaries is about Molly Bartolucci, a reaper-in-training, who is learning that life, and death, aren’t exactly predictable.

I imagined a world where zombies, ghosts, and supernatural elements were part of the common world. I love the idea that all the things we find a little scary or stranger would be considered perfectly normal.

Like most teenagers, Molly is trying to figure out who she is, while trying to do the right things for her family.

It’s been a dance, really, between who they are and who they want to be together. Plus, they have that whole “end of the world” thing to worry about. It’s about priorities … and hormones.

Liam Hemsworth as Rath

Chloë Grace Moretz as Molly

Odeya Rush as Ally

AnnaSophia Rush as Barbie

Molly has done a lot of growing up in this book, and has a more mature view of the world and her role in it. And her and Rath are getting closer as their relationship changes into something deeper and more meaningful.

Click on the banner to follow the Tour and stop by all the sites hosting this FFBC event!

• There will be ONE winner
• You must be 13 or older to enter this giveaway
• It's an INTERNATIONAL giveaway.
• Each day there will be available a #QOD (question of the day) in each participant blog. You can earn more points by answering the answers.
• For those who don't know how this works, the winners will be those who have participated the most. Meaning, the winners will be those who have more points. No Rafflecopter luck this time, Book Addicts. This is all on you now! If there's a draw, then the odds will decide and this time the Rafflecopter luck would be a major factor deciding if you win or not.

Win (1) $20 Amazon Gift Card (INT)

1) Tell us something about yourself like Michele did.

2) What do you think about Michele's Dream Cast? And about UNBROKEN?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you to our beloved team for making this event possible.