Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Interview with Erin Albert, author of The Prophecy, and Huge Book Giveaway (INT)!

18160774Guys! I've finally read and reviewed The Prophecy by Erin Albert, and it's fabulous! What's even better is that I have an awesome giveaway for you guys, which only leads up to an even BIGGER giveaway!!!!


Goodreads Book Description: Growing up on a small farm in the kingdom of Vanguard, seventeen-year-old Layla Givens lives a deceptively tranquil existence. But her carefully constructed life quickly falls apart when she’s abducted by a religious zealot who proclaims her The Fulfillment of an ancient peace prophecy and whisks her away to marry her greatest enemy.

Wilhelm, Prince of the Ethereals, is reluctant to meet his new bride. He's grown up believing Vanguards are evil, an enemy to fight and fear...not love. Can he set aside his prejudices and work alongside Layla to bring lasting peace after centuries of war?

Nash, a loner who has never fit in, carries a huge secret, one big enough to destroy both kingdoms. When he accidently meets Layla, he’s no longer content to live in the shadows, but he must resist his growing attraction—for her safety and for the longevity of the two kingdoms.

When Nash's secret is revealed, a firestorm sweeps through both realms, with Layla at the center. Now she must choose between duty and desire while the fate of two nations hangs in the balance.



My Rating: 5 Couches!
  

My Review: Erin is a good friend on twitter, so I admit I was worried. I always worry about reading friends' books because you want to be honest, but let's face it, it always sucks reading a book you don't like that was written by a friend. Thank goodness, this wasn't an issue because The Prophecy ROCKS! :-)

The Prophecy by Erin Albert is the first book of a YA fantasy trilogy that whisks us away to the nations of the Vanguard and the Ethereals. Layla is our main protagonist, although the perspective of the book shifts from character to character effortlessly, and she is one of the Vanguards. Her adoptive family is worried that she may be the Fulfillment because of her black hair and purple eyes. It's been foretold that the Fulfillment will bring the two kingdoms together in peace.

All Layla wants to do is go to the Vanguard celebration and get some sweet bread. She doesn't feel like the Fulfillment, but she's quickly found by a zealot and taken off to become Wil's bride. Wilhelm is the heir to the Ethereal throne. As Layla meets both Wil and a mysterious boy named Nash, she will be forced to decide between her mind and heart on every level, and make a choice that may save or destroy the kingdoms and the hope for peace.

I loved this book. It was fast paced, and the world building was seamless. I've seen books that completely fail on that level, but The Prophecy had a wonderful balance between world building, character building, and plot. Each of the characters were well described, and I found myself rooting for each of them. I loved the plot twists, and I found a new book boyfriend in Wil, who is one of the sweetest characters I've met in a long time.

Layla was hard to like initially, but she quickly won me over, which is critical in a book like this. I also loved how the older generation of kings and queens played a large role in this book as well.

I wasn't a huge fan of Nash, and I felt like some of those scenes were forced. However, this is my only slightly negative comment about the whole thing, and I know this is just a personal preference. There are several people out there who are glad I don't like Nash so they can have him for themselves!

Overall, a really wonderful YA debut by a wonderful person. I'm beyond relieved that this book is terrific, because it makes my job as an honest reviewer that much easier! I'm dying to get my hands on the next installment!





Interview with Erin:
1. Tell us a little about yourself and how you got into writing.
I’ve always loved the written word. I read my first book Morris The Moose Goes To School at age four and typed up my very first poem (with my Mema—grandma—helping me spell). I’ve been writing since that moment. In addition to novel writing, I enjoy theater and have written and directed many plays.

2. What was the best part of writing the Prophecy, and the worst? 
The absolute BEST part about writing The Prophecy has been working with my friends (aka: The Dream Team). They add so much to the process. I think the worst part of any author’s life is waiting, which seems to be something we do a lot. LOL!

3. Tell us about your editing process, and what kind of time and effort and people that go into it.
I am a grammar freak, so I do a good deal of editing before I employ the efforts of others. I start with the story itself. I write that without paying too much attention to grammar, sentence structures, etc. Once it’s complete, I go through and edit myself—a long, painstaking process. I then ask my Dream Team and critique partners to give it a gander and offer their thoughts and edits. When I got the contract for my book, my publisher assigned me editors. I worked with them in several iterations to sharpen the story even more. I ended up spending weeks in the editing cave, but I think those ladies really made the story shine.

4. Name a book that you wish you had written yourself and why.
I wish I had written the Percy Jackson series. I have a MAJOR fictional crush on Percy Jackson. More than that, I think the stories are creative and humorous. I like to think I’m a funny person, but Rick Riordan just takes the cake for me.

5. All your fans want to know... which guy are you partial to in your book? Wil or Nash?
Hmmmmm…I can’t really say lest my answer give away any plot twists in the future books. I can tell you what I like about each of them.

Wil—I love his tender heart, morality, romantic nature, and chivalry. He’s a rare gem of a person.

Nash—I love his strength, passion, mystery, and fierceness. He has so much stacked against him, yet he never gives up.

6. If Layla could have a best friend from another book, tv show, or movie, who would it be and why?
I think Layla would get along well with other tough girls like Tris (Divergent), June (Legend), Allison (Blood of Eden), and Katniss (Hunger Games). Those five just might have the ability to take over the world!! LOL!

7. Can you tell us a little about the sequel to The Prophecy without giving anything away?
In the sequel, you will be introduced to several new characters (some you’ll like and some you won’t), get an answer to Wil and Vespa’s fates, meet the Outlanders, and discover there might be more to the prophecy than meets the eye. There is a scene in this book the Dream Team and I refer to as The Scene. So, be prepared!! ;)

AND NOW! The fantabulous giveaway!!!  

Erin has been supremely generous, and we're giving away FIFTEEN e-copies of The Prophecy! And if that's not cool enough because this book is awesome, the OTHER reason you want to win this book is that IF YOU WRITE A REVIEW, there is a giveaway in January where there is a tremendous, fantastic prize with tons of books and ARCs from 2014 and a gift certificate for one lucky winner! 
a Rafflecopter giveaway  
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65 comments:

  1. Thank you so much for this fantastic book giveaway!! x

    {p.s- love the *new* look of the blog Christina - amazing }

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  2. Hey Christina! The Fb link on the right hand side doesn't work. Neither was the option to "like" your page via rafflecopter. Thanks for the giveaway & I love the cover.

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    1. Thanks for letting me know!!! Both are fixed now :-)

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    2. Thank you!! My cover artist will be SO thrilled you said that (as will my friend who designed the crest displayed on it).

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  3. Hey Christina! I love the new look on your blog :)
    The book sounds great ;)

    -Dee's Reads

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  4. Looks like a fun read--Great giveaway!

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    1. YAY! I totally hope you find it a fun read! ;)

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  5. Intriguing premise! Thanks SO much for this most generous giveaway. :-)

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    1. I'm stoked you think so!! Good luck with the giveaway!

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  6. Intriguing premise! Thanks SO much for this most generous giveaway. :-)

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  7. Wow! 15 e-copies! We love you! I'm keeping my fingers crossed (when I'm not typing) that I win one! Thank you!

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    1. I'll cross my fingers too! ;) Thank you for your participation!!

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  8. Oh! AND that January contest sounds exciting! I will certainly leave a review at Goodreads, Amazon and B&N in January if I should win! Thanks

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    1. Even better!! I'm about to jump up and down now!! ;)

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  9. Fingers are crossed! I've heard from Crystal that this book is amazing! Thanks so much to Erin for an awesome giveaway! And to, Christina, for hosting it!

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    1. Hey, girl!! I SO want to hear your thoughts!! Hugs!!

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  10. Thanks for the great giveaway Erin!

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    1. Happy to do it!! Thank you for your interest!!

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  11. This is an amazing giveaway. Thank you, Erin! Great review & interview, Christina!

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  12. Amazing giveaway. can't wait to win it.. ;) :)

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    1. That's the spirit!! Not "if I win" but "when I win!" Love it!

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  13. This book sounds right up my alley! I will have to put some $ aside to buy if I don't win. I hope I win, mu hubby says he is cutting my book allowance :(

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    1. Awwwww, hubby, give her a little break?? ;) Thank you so much for setting money aside for my novel. I am honored!

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  14. This synopsis is intriguing! I'm definitely buying this! :D

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  15. Thanks for the giveaway. Hope I win! I'd love to review it on my blog. Sounds fantastic!

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    1. I am always stoked about reviews! Thanks!

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    2. I like to help authors out that why I created a blog to begin with. Reading and reviewing books has become a huge part of my life. Although the reading always was. Now I guess get to help others which makes me happy.

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  16. Hi! I found your blog through a retweet. Thought your review was very well-written. Thanks for the giveaway, I'll definitely check out your reviews in the future.

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    1. Right? Christina is a great reviewer, and I'm so thrilled she liked my book! I appreciate your participation!! :)

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  17. Great giveaway thank you!

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  18. I love this giveaway! I can't wait to read ;)

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  19. Ok, I hope I"m not commenting twice LOL. But either way, the giveaway and interview is totally worthy of two comments ;)

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  20. I love this giveaway! I can't wait to read ;)

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  21. Looking forward on getting my hands on this book one way or the other :) Thanks for the giveaway!

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  22. Looking forward to getting my hand on the book one way or the other! Thanks for the giveaway too :D

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  23. This sounds like such an exciting new series. I love High Fantasy with a combination of romance and political intrigue! Can't wait to check it out!

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    1. Squeal!! I'm a huge high fantasy fan too!! Thanks so much!

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  24. Wow, thanks for the kickbutt prize! (that's what you wanted to hear, wasn't it? :D)

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    1. That's totally what we want to hear!! LOL! ;)

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  25. Thank You for the amazing givaway it is so kind of you =)

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  26. Thank You for such a wonderful giveaway it was so kind of you to do =)

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  27. This is an incredible giveaway! (: Awesome interview!

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  28. I can't wait to read this one way or another - what a great start to 2014!

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    1. I'm so stoked you said that! Happy New Year!

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  29. I am so excited to read THE PROPHECY. Thank you for hosting this giveaway and good luck to everyone participating! :)

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  30. I can't wait to read THE PROPHECY! Thank you for hosting this giveaway and good luck to everyone participating! :)

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  31. Thank you! I'm thrilled to be one of the winners! WooHoo!

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