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

Guys! 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! 
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Good News, A New Look, and a Giveaway!

Dear All:
First, I have some good news. I officially passed my Pediatric Boards! Whoohoo! Never have to take that sucker again.

Also, let me know what you think of my redesign. As you can tell, I love the color blue. But I adore the new look. It still preserves the minimalist thing I have going on, but is way prettier! Please let me know what you guys think!

Also, there's a great giveaway going on by one of my favorite indie authors, Christina Smith (plus, she has a pretty great name :-)). She is giving away all 4 of the books in the Moon's Glow series.
https://www.facebook.com/christina.smith.7161953

To celebrate all this good news, we're gonna do a giveaway! :-) Also, stay tuned for posts on my writing process, reviews on some great adult reads, and my journey as a freelance editor.

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NEW NAME: Ensconced in Lit and Updates and GIVEAWAY!

Dear all:
As you know, I've taken a pretty long hiatus from blogging. There are a couple of reasons why:

1. Took Pediatric Boards in October 
Studying for this pretty much took up any spare time, so I had to cut down on my favorite past time.

2. Writing my first novel 
It's currently in its third draft and with one of my traditionally published friends to see if it's worth sending out to the world in some form or fashion. I'll keep you guys posted and have some upcoming posts about the writing process!

3. Editing
I'm a freelance editor in my spare time, so I've taken a pretty big project recently, to edit a wonderful memoir by Barbara Amaya, who is a trafficking survivor. Working with her has made it clear that this book needs to be out in the world to make people more aware of this huge problem. If you didn't know (and I didn't), it's a huge problem not only internationally, but also here in the United States. I'll be doing a preview and some promotion for this in January.

4. Work:
Things have gotten pretty crazy in the research lab that I'm working in, but finally in the last two weeks have been getting some amazing results! 

Anyway, I'm hoping to get back into blogging. I'll never do it as frequently as I did when I started since I'm transitioning to writing books more, but I'll try to post once a week.

I've decided to rebrand my blog as ENSCONCED IN LIT because my novel is adult contemporary, and I've branched out from reading just YA. I want to share some of those reads with you all without having a second blog.

It was nice to take a break from YA, but it'll always be my first love!

I'm also going to start doing some giveaways this month to thank my readers and hopefully remind people I'm still around! Can't wait to see you all more in the future!
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The Prophecy Blog Tour: Author Highlight, Erin Albert

Dear All: So excited to introduce Erin Albert, a good friend, who finally has come out with her first book, The Prophecy! I can't wait to read it!

The Prophecy 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.

Erin Albert is an author and fitness trainer.  Since she picked up Morris the Moose Goes to School at age four, she has been infatuated with the written word.  She went on to work as a grammar and writing tutor in college and is still teased by her family and friends for being a member of the "Grammar Police."  In her free time, Erin enjoys acting, running, kickboxing, and, of course, reading and writing.  

Find me online:

Twitter:  @ErinAlbertBooks

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Erin-Albert-Books/182769448541270

Website:  www.erinalbertbooks.com

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18160774-the-prophecy

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MANMADE Boy Blog Tour: Guest Post: Jon Skovron, author of Manmade Boy

Welcome to the MAN MADE BOY blog tour! The son of Frankenstein’s Monster and his Bride, 16-year-old Boy has lived his whole life in a secret enclave of monsters hidden beneath a Broadway theater, until he runs away from home after he unwittingly unleashes a sentient computer virus on the world. Together with the granddaughter(s) of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Boy embarks on a journey across the country to L.A. But Boy can only hide from his demons for so long…

Wetware: Hacking the body

The main character of MAN MADE BOY is named Boy, and he’s the son of Frankenstein’s Monster and the Bride of Frankenstein. Like his parents, he’s a stitched together patchwork of body parts brought to life by some mysterious, and at least in my book, magic process. He’s also a computer nerd who loves writing code. He refers to himself as a hacker, but he’s quick to clarify by saying he’s not one of those sleazy identity thieves or script kiddies. And as a hacker, he’s always trying to find better, cooler ways of doing things. One of the more drastic things he does is modify his own body so that he can interface directly with his computer. For example, he has big clunky patchwork hands that make typing very slow. So he adds USB ports to his wrists to bypass the keyboard and mouse. By doing this, he taps directly into his nervous system so that all he has to do is think about typing and it shows up on the screen. Pretty cool, right?

This is not a new idea, though. In fact, it’s based on a long held theory that your brain activity is mostly comprised of electrical impulses. If that is true, then conceivably, those impulses could be translated into computer code, creating a bridge between the digital and physical world. The idea of using emerging technology to join these two worlds, or to enhance the physical body in other ways, is generally referred to as bio or wetware hacking. A lot of it is built on wacky “what if” ideas, and you might have seen a dramatized version of some of them on television shows like Fringe. But make no mistake, there are real people out there doing real wetware hacking to themselves or others.

There are two basic types of wetware hacking: invasive and non-invasive. Let’s ease in with some non-invasive methods first.

Sound

Brainwave entrainment is the process by which the dominant brainwaves of a subject are induced to a desired frequency. Certain types of music and many natural sounds of nature randomly accomplish this task. A song can alter your mood. The sound of a babbling brook might relax you. Some of this is merely associative memory. But there is also a measurable response in how certain combinations of sound can alter brain function in the cortegofugal network of neurons. In other words, during a brain activity scan, we can see a difference, even if we don’t yet understand what it means. What if we were able to codify how sound translates to the brain. What if we could develop a combination of sounds so complex that it could alter not only your mood, but your thoughts and basic cognitive functions?

Vision

A group of neuroscientists in California and Seattle published a paper showing how they used bursts of light to change the behavior of neurons in mice. After undergoing prolonged stimulation, the mice would attack anything put in the cage with them, including other mice and even inanimate objects. Their behavior suggested that they had more or less gone berserk.

Magnetic Fields

This is where things start to get more invasive. There are people who believe that by surgically implanting a small “natural” or rare-earth magnet in their finger, they can sense electromagnetic fields all around them, giving them a sort of sixth sense. Some tattoo parlors are even starting to offer the service. Of course, most people just do it at home, and things can get nasty if it gets infected. Whole sections of wetware hacking forums are dedicated to reducing or preventing the risk of infection.

Wireheading

And finally, the ultimate in wetware hacking, direct brain assault. The basil ganglia is the part of the brain that controls gross and fine motor control, including speech and facial expression, but not cognition. Researchers experimented on mice, inserting a wire with a blue light into the basil ganglia. When the light was switched on, the mice were unable to move. Obviously, it’s a crude first effort, but it seems more an issue of scalability than plausibility. Could it be that one day they could sick a wire into someone’s head and move them around like a puppet? What about a wireless implant?

I don’t want to give too much away, but in MAN MADE BOY, a certain rogue digital intelligence utilizes most of these methods in her efforts to interact with the “real” world. And the end result ain’t pretty.

MAN MADE BOY Synopsis

Sixteen-year-old Boy’s father is Frankenstein’s monster and his mother is the Bride. A hacker and tech geek, Boy has lived his whole life in a secret enclave of monsters hidden beneath a Broadway theater, until he runs away from home. Now, the boy who’s never set foot outside embarks on a madcap road trip with the granddaughters of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde that takes him deep into the heart of America. Along the way, Boy falls in love, comes to terms with his unusual family, and learns what it really means to be a monster—and a man.

About Jon Skovron

Jon Skovron is the author of STRUTS & FRETS and MISFIT.  Visit him at jonskovron.com.