Interview with Lindsey Loucks, author of The Grave Winner and INT giveaway!

I met this terrific indie author at a twitter party (which by the way, is still my favorite twitter party to date), and boy, am I glad I did! Lindsey is a terrific author and everyone should read her awesome book, The Grave Winner!

Goodreads Book Description: Leigh Baxton is terrified her mom will come back from the dead -- just like the prom queen did.

While the town goes beehive over the news, Leigh bikes to the local cemetery and buries some of her mom’s things in her grave to keep her there. When the hot and mysterious caretaker warns her not to give gifts to the dead, Leigh cranks up her punk music and keeps digging.

She should have listened.

Two dead sorceresses evicted the prom queen from her grave to bury someone who offered certain gifts. Bury them alive, that is, then resurrect them to create a trio of undead powerful enough to free the darkest sorceress ever from her prison inside the earth.

With help from the caretaker and the dead prom queen, Leigh must find out what’s so special about the gifts she gave, and why the sorceresses are stalking her and her little sister. If she doesn’t, she’ll either lose another loved one or have to give the ultimate gift to the dead – herself.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Author Blurb: Lindsey R. Loucks works as a school librarian in rural Kansas. When she's not discussing books with anyone who will listen, she's dreaming up her own stories. Eventually her brain gives out, and she'll play hide and seek with her cat, put herself in a chocolate induced coma, or watch scary movies alone in the dark to reenergize.

She's been with her significant other for almost two decades.

Links:

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Add The Grave Winner to Goodreads.

Check out Lindsey’s website.

Follow Lindsey on Facebook.

Follow Lindsey on Twitter.

Author Interview

1.I love that you are a librarian as well as a writer. Can you talk a little about your journey and how your experiences as a librarian influenced your writing? 
Sure! I’ve always been a book freak, so becoming a librarian and a writer seemed like a natural progression. As a librarian, I get to visit with kids of all ages about their reading likes and dislikes. One thing I learned from them is to start a story off with a bang and then keep the pace rolling along, sometimes at breakneck speed, until the end. That’s something I tried to do with The Grave Winner.

2. Why YA horror? 
Well, I had a terrifying childhood, and I mean that in the best way possible. My parents loved some of the old horror movies and they practically lived and breathed anything by Stephen King. When I was old enough to handle movies like The Exorcist and Stephen King, I couldn’t get enough. Now, I’m constantly on the hunt for something to scare myself silly.

3. I love your characters. Did any of your characters surprise you? If so, which one?
Thank you! I think the only one who surprised me was my main character Leigh. Underneath her rough exterior, she has an enormous heart. After what I put her through, she still puts others’ needs before her own. That takes a special type of person, especially for someone who’s only fifteen!

4. The setting of your novel is creepy-- did you spend a lot of time in graveyards to get the right feel? Also, do you have a store that you've gone to similar to Whaty-Whats? 
I only went to the cemetery once with my best friend since first grade. We wandered around and talked about life and death all while the sounds and sights drilled into my head. We had a great time!

Whaty-Whats is based on a real place in my hometown. I’d go there often with my other best friend, and I loved every second of it. It was mostly the unique smell of the place that I enjoyed but also the fabulously unique clothes. I once bought a Harley Davidson tank top there with the motorcycle decorated in glitter. *sigh* I need to go back there one of these days because I miss that store!

5. If you could be sorted into a Hogwarts house, which one would it be and why? 

Ravenclaw because I’m a knowledge junky. Though at times, I can be a Slytherin-type, too…

6. What was your favorite YA read of the past year? 
Probably The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson. It’s book two of the Fire and Thorns series. It’s a pulse-pounding thrill ride threaded through with one of the sweetest love stories I’ve ever read.

7. Favorite show of all time? 
Firefly. I would give a couple of toes to have it back on the air.

8. Tell us about your cat. Is he/she anything like the awesome Elf in your book? 
Well, he does sleep a lot, but that’s the only thing he has in common with Elf! Other than sleeping, his latest hobby is staring at the light switch in the living room. I guess I should go stare at it too since it must be awesome. His name is Jesse, and he’s my spoiled baby.

9. Can you tell us what you are working on now and if we are going to see the awesome characters from The Grave Winner back again? 
I have a sexy/scary novella coming out in August, and I’m about halfway done with the sequel to The Grave Winner. I’m super excited about both of these!

Thanks so much for having me!

Well, thank you so much for being here! Now enter to win some awesome loot including a signed copy of this great book!

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Review of The Grave Winner by Lindsey Loucks and INT giveaway

Goodreads Book Description: Leigh Baxton is terrified her mom will come back from the dead -- just like the prom queen did.

While the town goes beehive over the news, Leigh bikes to the local cemetery and buries some of her mom’s things in her grave to keep her there. When the hot and mysterious caretaker warns her not to give gifts to the dead, Leigh cranks up her punk music and keeps digging.

She should have listened.

Two dead sorceresses evicted the prom queen from her grave to bury someone who offered certain gifts. Bury them alive, that is, then resurrect them to create a trio of undead powerful enough to free the darkest sorceress ever from her prison inside the earth.

With help from the caretaker and the dead prom queen, Leigh must find out what’s so special about the gifts she gave, and why the sorceresses are stalking her and her little sister. If she doesn’t, she’ll either lose another loved one or have to give the ultimate gift to the dead – herself.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

My Review:  I was given this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.

The Grave Winner by Lindsey R. Loucks doesn't fall into an easy category. The genre is most similar to a YA horror/paranormal (like the wonderful Anna Dressed in Blood), but I don't want readers who aren't into horror to discount this book. It has a lot of really terrific paranormal elements and is a wonderful read. I'm not a horror buff either and I loved it! This book stars Leigh, a typical rebellious teenager that has just experienced what every other teen hopes not to experience-- the death of her mother. A popular girl at school has just come back from the dead, and Leigh is determined not to have her mother come back that way. But events take an ominous turn and she struggles to keep her family and friends safe as creepy things start to happen. She also gets into a bit of a romantic triangle between a cute graveyard caretaker and the brother of her best friend. Will Leigh be able to work all of this out in time?

I loved this book. Every time I thought I could pigeonhole the book, it surprised me in some way. I had some questions along the way that I wasn't sure would be answered, but they were, in a most satisfying way. The characters are terrific-- I think I would have been lucky to have friends like Leigh and Jo in high school. The two love interests sizzle, although I think I definitely have a soft spot for the best friend's brother, Callum. The setting is creepy and appropriate.

I have to mention this as well-- Loucks has the best swag I've ever seen any author have. The items she has are pivotal players in the book, and I was delighted to see how those elements revealed themselves. I think it's a talent to have swag that enhances the book even more.

Overall, a terrific and creepy read-- make sure you have a warm blanket, pet, or significant other to squeeze during the scary parts! I'll be watching Loucks career from here on out.

Now enter to win this great book and her terrific swag! 

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Character interview with Sebastian Fiscard from The Vampire Code by E.C. Adams and INT giveaway!

I'm so excited to introduce this sexy vampire character (my first vampire crush!).

Goodreads Book Description: 'The Vampire Code' is an Urban Fantasy Romance Novel about a young lawyer from Manhattan who agrees to defend a vampire wrongly accused of murdering a human.

In so doing she becomes the target of human hate-groups, primary among them the New Ku Klux Klan and the much more dangerous Vampire Resistance - a secret society of vampires who refuse to mainstream and obey the Vampire Code.

In the mayhem that is now Aurora’s life the only constant is Sebastian, the stoic vampire assigned to protect her. Nothing ever seems to affect him. Violence and politics are his life and there's no space for anything else.

Yet when an ancient curse starts killing Aurora slowly he's willing to go to unimaginable lengths to save her. Could Aurora have changed him the way he changed her? And how far are they both willing to go together so they can have the happy ending they both deserve?

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Author Blurb:

A lawyer by profession, E.C. Adams started writing when she decided to take a break from her career and focus more on her expanding family.

Born in Malta, a tiny island bang in the middle of the Mediterranean sea, she now lives there, but over the years, she's lived in Italy (Rome), England (London) and Cyprus (Paphos).

She loves Greek and Italian food, and throwing lavish parties at home, where all guests are expected to bring a +1 or more.

"The Vampire Code" is her debut novel and the first book in a Series by the name “The Fiscard Vampires”. 

Interview with Sebastian
Thank you so much for stopping by! Can you tell us a little about where you live?
I live in Manhattan, New York, where I work for the Vampire Council of Twelve. 

What is your favorite thing about being a vampire? Your least favorite? 
My favorite is the fact that I keep being given time to improve myself and leave a positive impact in the world. My least favorite is the way I so often fail to either improve myself or improve the world around me, no matter how much time I am given on this planet. It can get very frustrating. 

If any vampire would scare/intimidate you, who would it be and why?
I am not afraid of anyone in particular. My only fear in this life is that someone could harm my loved ones and I’d be powerless to help them. In popular culture, what is the fictional depiction of the vampire that would make you cringe and why? Probably Bram Stoker’s “Dracula”, because it left the greatest impact on the minds of humans, painting the worse possible image of vampires.

Do you really like wine or is it really just tolerable? If so, what kind? (I'm guessing Cabernet-yum!)
Red wine, yes. If a red is properly aged and then allowed to air, I’d go as far as to say it’s exquisite.

What drew you to work with the Vampire Code?
I couldn’t accept the fact that vampires should continue to live in secret, and it was always more clear to my community that if we were going to reveal ourselves to humans, we had to be prepared. The Vampire Code is the platform on which we built all of our efforts to integrate into society. It allows us to come to the human world with a set of promises that we, as a people, pledge to keep, in order that we may live side by side, with humans, in harmony.

Can you tell us a memory from your human life? 
Some of my best memories revolve around hunting with Louis the thirteenth, who was my King when I was still human. We’d be gone for days – a bunch of young men, their horses and their hounds – and we would forget the formalities and restraints of our noble lives. At the end of each day, we’d have mud up to our knees, our muscles would be aching from riding all day, and we’d share a hearty meal by a large fire while telling dirty jokes, gossiping about women and generally drinking and boasting too much. I cannot think of happier times in my human life.

OK, I have to know. Describe your perfect woman!
Personally, I value honesty and bravery, and have always found women who respect and assert themselves, very attractive.

Thank you so much for joining us today, Sebastian! Now stop swooning everyone, and enter to win this great book!

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Interview with EC Adams, author of The Vampire Code and INT giveaway!

 I'm so excited to introduce this next novel as well as the amazing author who wrote it! This was definitely one of my favorite indie books this year (although to be honest, I've been getting a really great stash in 2013, best year yet!).

Goodreads Book Description: 'The Vampire Code' is an Urban Fantasy Romance Novel about a young lawyer from Manhattan who agrees to defend a vampire wrongly accused of murdering a human.

In so doing she becomes the target of human hate-groups, primary among them the New Ku Klux Klan and the much more dangerous Vampire Resistance - a secret society of vampires who refuse to mainstream and obey the Vampire Code.

In the mayhem that is now Aurora’s life the only constant is Sebastian, the stoic vampire assigned to protect her. Nothing ever seems to affect him. Violence and politics are his life and there's no space for anything else.

Yet when an ancient curse starts killing Aurora slowly he's willing to go to unimaginable lengths to save her. Could Aurora have changed him the way he changed her? And how far are they both willing to go together so they can have the happy ending they both deserve?

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Author Blurb:

A lawyer by profession, E.C. Adams started writing when she decided to take a break from her career and focus more on her expanding family.

Born in Malta, a tiny island bang in the middle of the Mediterranean sea, she now lives there, but over the years, she's lived in Italy (Rome), England (London) and Cyprus (Paphos).

She loves Greek and Italian food, and throwing lavish parties at home, where all guests are expected to bring a +1 or more.

"The Vampire Code" is her debut novel and the first book in a Series by the name “The Fiscard Vampires”. 

Book Two will be published in 2013.

Author Interview
I love hearing stories about how writers got started. Can you grace us with your story? 
I always loved to write, but I never really thought of it as a career. I studied Law, and started working as a trainee in a law firm before I’d even finished my studies. In those days, I practically lived at the office, and writing a book was the last thing on my mind. There was always a subpoena that needed writing first!

Then in 2010, due to a complicated pregnancy, I decided to take a break from work, and was overwhelmed with the amount of free time at my disposal. Once I was done cleaning the house, and after re-organizing my husband’s socks so they all faced the same way, I found myself jotting down notes for what would be my first novel: “The Vampire Code”.

Why vampires? 
I could say a lot of clever, intellectual things, but in truth, I’m a fan of vampire fiction, (and fantasy in general), so it was a natural fit for me. It just made sense.

I love your characters. Did you have a favorite? In particular, which one was the most fun to write? Which one was the most difficult?
The main character and narrator in “The Vampire Code” is Aurora, a 28 year old lawyer. We spent hours together, inside my head, so she was the easiest to write.

I had the most fun writing the vampire Alexander Reubens. I love Alex because he is a whole lot of smoke and mirrors. You never know where you stand with him. You’re told he’s a genius and that he’s dedicated his (long) life to science, but somewhere along the way, he made such a terrible mistake that he was stripped of the Fiscard family name and placed under house arrest indefinitely. I modeled him physically on Ian Somerhalder, so perhaps in part, this also contributed to my pleasure in writing this character. (The flesh is weak and all that….)

The most difficult to write was, without a doubt, Sebastian, Aurora’s love-interest in the book. He is a four hundred year old vampire with a no-nonsense attitude. He’s lived multiple lives, is stoic, reserved, quiet, yet handy with guns and highly combat-trained. He is handsome, in an unassuming manner, but also a little scary. The trick was to allow all these characteristics to seep out of him throughout the story – like crumbs on a path – and make him an attractive love-interest for a spicy twenty-eight year old lawyer.

Which authors have inspired you?
This is a difficult one. As a teenager, I used to read mostly thrillers, because I was always borrowing books from my father’s extensive library. And I genuinely believe, now that “The Vampire Code” is complete, that the books I read in my “formative years”, for want of a better expression, have inspired my writing. I’m talking: Wilbur Smith, John Grisham, James Clavell and Tom Clancy.

Then as I grew up, moved out of my parents’ house and started building my own collection, I started gravitating more towards fantasy and urban fantasy. I have the greatest respect for Kim Harrison, J.R. Ward, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Jeanine Frost and the earlier Charlaine Harris books.

What was your favorite read in the past year and why?
“The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins, because once a year, I buy a book and I stay up all night reading it, even though the alarm is set for 6am. And “The Hunger Games” was that book for me in 2012. It was special. It was perfect. It was the book of 2012.

What do you do when you aren't writing?
I work as a lawyer and I have three small children. Before I started writing, I used to read a lot. I would read every evening after work, and at weekends, so I’d go through one or two books a week.

Now, because I have the children and have added writing into the equation, I don’t have much time for anything else. The children come first, then my legal work, then writing. I don’t have time for much else – at least not for the time being.

What was the most fun and most difficult thing about writing this book? 
The most fun was talking to Aurora inside my head. The most difficult was the publishing process, of which I was mostly ignorant. I honestly thought it would be easier than it actually was.

Can you tell us a little bit about what is in store for Aurora without giving too much away? 
At the end of Book 1, Aurora is seen to have grown into an adult in her own right. In Book 2, her maturity will be put to the test. That is all I can say at this stage – both because I don’t want to reveal too much, and because I’m not 100% sure.

Now enter to win this terrific book or a Vampire Academy book of your choice!
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Review of Vampire Code by E.C. Adams and INT giveaway

Goodreads Book Description: 'The Vampire Code' is an Urban Fantasy Romance Novel about a young lawyer from Manhattan who agrees to defend a vampire wrongly accused of murdering a human.

In so doing she becomes the target of human hate-groups, primary among them the New Ku Klux Klan and the much more dangerous Vampire Resistance - a secret society of vampires who refuse to mainstream and obey the Vampire Code.

In the mayhem that is now Aurora’s life the only constant is Sebastian, the stoic vampire assigned to protect her. Nothing ever seems to affect him. Violence and politics are his life and there's no space for anything else.

Yet when an ancient curse starts killing Aurora slowly he's willing to go to unimaginable lengths to save her. Could Aurora have changed him the way he changed her? And how far are they both willing to go together so they can have the happy ending they both deserve?

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

My Review:
I was given this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.

The Vampire Code by E. C. Adams is about a young and talented lawyer, Aurora, who is approached by Sebastian Fiscard, a vampire in the most prestigious vampire families, to help him defend his brother in court. His brother is being tried for murder because the vampire that he turned (his wife) killed another woman in cold blood. Aurora learns that the Vampire Code is set up very differently than the human legal system, so she navigates through this new territory as well as fights off her growing feelings for Sebastian. She is also being pursued by the Resistance, who wants to see her dead for showing her face in vampire court. Can Aurora survive in this brave new world?

I loved this book. LOVED. I don't say that lightly. And I'm even more happy that this is a talented new writer. There has been a ton of speculation as to where this book lies-- it's either New Adult or Adult (I think it's the latter), but honestly, it doesn't really matter. I think young adult readers as well as adult readers will gravitate towards this book because the characters are great (I think I have my first ever vampire crush, and I've read a lot of vampire books), the pacing spot on, and the world building with the Vampire Code just fascinating. There are also a lot of great plot twists that I won't tell you about so that you can discover them on your own.

My one small issue (and this is really just a personal preference that did not change the rating) is with the medical stuff later in the book. The details don't really make sense to me, but I was okay with glossing over that (which I usually am not okay with!) to get back to the story at hand.

Overall, one of the best indie reads I've gotten my hands on this year. I will be closely following E.C. Adams' career from here out.

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