Breaking Waves: Review, Interview, Giveaway

Title: Breaking Waves
Series: Heart Waves #2
Author: Danielle Sibarium
Format: eBook, 140pg
Genre: YA Romance
Source: Author, Requested
             Review

Connect with the Author

Website | Twitter | Goodreads

Check out the Book

Amazon | B&N | Facebook

Synopsis

From the moment they met, Jenna knew Reece would break her heart, but she never dreamed it would happen like this. Jenna is left shattered and broken. When life becomes too painful to deal with and she feels completely alone, there’s only one person to help her pick up the pieces and move on. The one person she doesn’t want to turn to. The one person she promised to stay away from. Tyler. Can Jenna put aside everything she knows about him and let Tyler help heal her broken heart?



Review

Let me just say that this author is amazing! She weaves a story so real you cant put the book down! It's so easy to believe that these characters are real. Even when the book is over you keep thinking about them. If you haven't read any of Danielle's books you should. They are incredible!

Breaking Waves begins the morning after Heart Waves ends. Jenna wakes up and Reece is gone. He's acting so strange. Tyler has everyone on edge and Reece has completely lost it. You feel just as confused as Jenna does. Reece keeps repeating himself. Then the unthinkable happens.

Jenna does what anyone in her position would do, but there were times when I wanted to yell out to her, and tell her to look deeper. "He was trying to tell you something!"

Oh man, I was on the edge of my seat through most of this book. I love these kind of books but at the same time I hate them, because how do you tell someone why you liked the book without giving away details? I cant give anything away because it will ruin the whole book! Just go pick it up now! I cannot wait for book 3. Please hurry!


Rate

Now on to the Author Interview!



Bio:

Danielle Sibarium grew up as an only child of divorced parents in Brooklyn, New York. Her imagination was developed at an early age. Surrounded by stuffed animals and imaginary friends, she transported herself into a fantasy world full of magic and wonder. Books were the gateway between her play world and reality. On any given summer afternoon she became Snow White sweeping and cooking for the dwarfs, or Cinderella waiting for the prince.

Danielle always loved dialogue and in elementary school began writing plays and short stories. This is when she began to understand she could not only bring her fantastical world to life for herself, but she could enchant others as well. And so she wrote. She wrote and wrote and wrote.

Sadly the first piece she ever sent out for publication of any sort was a letter to the editor of The Home News Tribune. It was a piece thanking the first responders for their bravery and selflessness on Sept 11th. It was chosen as letter of the week.

In 2007 Danielle collaborated with Charlotte Doreen Small to write songs for her CD More. Danielle wrote the lyrics for Take My Hand, and Goodbye, while Charlotte contributed the melody.

In October 2011 Danielle’s debut novel For Always was released. She has since released Heart Waves and the second book in the Heart Waves series, Breaking Waves.

Danielle graduated from Farleigh Dickinson University with honors, and currently lives in New Jersey with her husband and three children.



When and why did you begin writing?

I began writing regularly and knew that I loved writing in the sixth grade. Writing was my way of going from wall flower to blossoming star. I always had an inner dialogue going on in my head. I felt like in order to get it to stop I had to get it down on paper. But then that dialogue was replaced by a new one.


What inspired you to write your first book?

I dealt with a lot of death growing up and I wanted to write about someone like that, a protagonist that must overcome obstacles of chance and her own self-doubt. A girl who doesn’t see her true potential, but uses the experiences she has gone through to find a reserve of perseverance and strength.


What books have most influenced your life most?

When I was young, like preteen young, I read a lot of John Saul, Nathaniel, Brainchild, Suffer the Children, and I learned about allowing your dark side to shine through your writing. And then as an adult, Twilight inspired me to write all the time, each and every day.


Do you have any current projects you’re working on?

YES! Besides the final book in the Heart Waves series, I’m very excited about a single title NA contemporary I’m working on. This book is a tuff stuff novel that deals with date rape and the aftermath. Carly Cavanough is left battered, her trust betrayed by everyone but the boy she’s been infatuated with since the first day of high school, Ryan Crowley. After Ryan finds Carly, he does all he can to help her move on and regain control of her life. I’m very excited about this book.


Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

The most challenging part of writing is having three wonderful and active children that occupy almost every waking moment. Finding time to write is THE most challenging part for me.


How long does it take you to write a book?

This is a really difficult question for me to answer. Each one has been very different. For Always being the longest because I redid the entire beginning and end, years after I first wrote it. Heart Waves took about a year and a half, Breaking Waves took over a year, but I worked on it simultaneously with the NA book I’m finishing now.


What do you think makes a good story?

I think relatable, imperfect characters and a healthy dose of angst are helpful, along with a gripping narration.


Where is your favorite place to write?

I love to write by the water, but I almost never get a chance to write there.


If you could jump into a book, and live in that world... Which would it be?

I’d probably have to go with Harry Potter. I’d really love to ride a broom and mix up some potions that would hopefully not blow up in my face.


Do you have any advice for other writers?

Read incessantly, write daily, and revise, revise, revise. Write what you are passionate about, not what you think the market is currently dictating. Markets change. Be open to the ever fluid times. The publishing industry has and will continue to transform. We have not seen the finished product, so don’t get hung up on the traditional ideals.

Thank you so much for stopping by to answer those questions for us!

Last but not least, The Giveaway!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

 Giveaway Open International

Author Interview & GIVEAWAY

Today, I would like to welcome Valerie Franklin to The Blogging Book! She has taken some time out of her busy schedule to answer a few questions for us, and she has also been gracious enough to giveaway 2 copies of Always A Hero. The cool thing is the winners get to choose which format they want! That's right! You can choose eBook or Print! This woman is amazing! Okay, Now on to the interview!

Tell us a short Bio about yourself:

I always wanted to write, and wrote my first book in sixth grade and my
mother still has it. In high school I was the editor of my school newspaper
and thought I wanted to be a journalist, but my shyness made interviewing
almost impossible. So I decided that journalism wasn’t the career for me.

After spending five years in the Army, where I met and married my
husband, John and started a family, the bug to write came again. Watching
the antics of my four children, I decided to get a degree in Children’s
Literature and write children’s books, but even as I wrote short stories for
my children I didn’t pursue publishing them.

Then came the Harry Potter phenomenon and I began writing Harry Potter
fan fiction under the pseudonym of Professor Scroll. Reading the reviews
on my stories gave me the impetus to sign up for NaNoWriMo (National
Novel Writer Month) and cram a years’ worth of writing into the month of
November.

This novel is the third one I’ve written during NaNoWriMo.

What inspired you with the idea for this Book?

The prologue wrote itself one evening. The rest was a compilation of two
different projects.

What was the easiest/hardest part about writing this book?

The hardest part was naming the characters. Rebecca’s name changed
four times.

Is there anything you wish was different about the book?

I am never finished. I am always tweaking what I write. When I was writing
Harry Potter fan fiction, when I received a review that someone would have
liked me to expand on a subject, I would. It’s much harder to do that with a
printed book.

What's a typical working day like for you? When and where do you write? Do you set a daily writing goal?

Most of this book was written during the month of November. I have a
regular 9-5 job so I usually write in the wee hours of the morning. I am a
night owl. I also find that I write a lot during car trips while bouncing ideas
off my husband. Paper and pen are never far away.

What’s the best thing about being an author?

I’m not sure yet. I was scared spitless, but I loved my first book signing.

Do you have any favorite authors or favorite books?

That’s a hard one. J K Rowling – of course. Janet Evanovich - the
Stephanie Plum Series – they are so amusing. I just sit and giggle my way
through them. Tolkien. Tom Clancy.

If you could jump into a book and live in that world... Which would it be?

Harry Potter – as Professor Scroll I did just that in my story Witches and
Wizards and Trains – Oh My! Which can be found on the HP fan fiction site -
Sink Into Your Eyes

What's one piece of advice you would give aspiring authors?

Write.!

Write every day and don’t let anyone talk to out of it.

Take writing courses. You can always learn grammar, punctuation and
spelling or use your spellcheck option on your word processing program.
But only you can tell the story you have bouncing around your head.

Any other books in the works? Goals for future projects?

Yes. The project I’m working on is about a serial killer. At the moment I’m
thinking this will be a three book series.

When and why did you begin writing?

The dream has been with me since I was 11 when I wrote my first book.
Too much imagination! When I read a book, I always come away with
questions or that I would have like to see this or that scene expanded.
Hence – fan fiction.

How many books have you written?

Including fan fiction – 12 so far.

Is this book based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

No, not really. The only similarities are that I and my husband were
both in the Army and my husband loves Spiderman – hence Paul
having ‘spidey-sense’.

How do you react to a bad review?

I cringe. Read it again and move on. We learn from our mistakes.

Where is your favorite place to write?

My home office. Everywhere is there are too many distractions.



Thank you so much for taking time out of you day to answer some questions for us! I have had a blast!

Now on to the giveaway!

As I said before, there are 2 copies of Always A Hero to be given away. Format is up to the winner.

To be entered in the giveaway, all you have to do is fill out the Raffelcopter form below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author Interview: Tara Manderino

Bio:

Author Tara Manderino loves to create stories and situations for the people running around in her head. She first began writing in third grade when she realized she couldn't afford her reading habit.

She writes and is published in a variety of genres and finds that each one is her favorite at the time. Her books are available at a variety of online retailers.

Tara resides in her native town in southwestern Pennsylvania. When she’s not chasing Lydia, the boxer, she’s writing her own stories, or reading, Tara likes to bake, watch old movies, and do a variety of crafts.

Find Tara on Facebook | Twitter | Linked In

What inspired you with the idea for this Book?

Thinking about vampires in general. There are all these vamps running around. Didn’t any of them have
kids before they became vampires? Alex did. He also admitted becoming a vampire wasn’t the brightest
move he ever made, but it seemed to follow other bad decisions. After watching his own son for awhile,
he decided he wanted to watch his progeny.

How did you get interested in writing this particular genre?

I’ve always been interested in the paranormal. If there is good, it must be balanced by evil. I wanted to take something considered evil and turn it around. Alex became a detective because it was a way to be helpful.

What was the easiest/hardest part about writing this book?

The easiest part were definitely the characters. Alex showed up one day, and I told him to go away because I didn’t have a story. He bounced back with Lisa and the kidnapped child. The absolute hardest part was finding an obscure language.

What's a typical working day like for you? When and where do you write? Do you set a daily writing goal?

A typical writing day is anything but typical. All I can say is that it involves writing and editing, and preferably not of the same work at the same time! I do like to set a goal of 100 words a day. That idea is from another writer friend of mine. That way I can say I wrote. Generally, the real work output is between a few hundred and a few thousand.

What’s the best thing about being an author?

Letting the people in my head out! When I was working on my American historical series, I was getting
positively crazy. When I was finishing up Simon’s story, Luke, his partner, kept pacing about. I could
hear him nagging me. When was I going to be done? When was I getting to his story? Could I please
hurry it up, he wanted his book done.

Do you have any favorite authors or favorite books?

Probably way too many to mention. I adore Joanna Lindsey’s earlier Malory family novels.

If you could jump in to a book, and live in that world... Which would it be?

Oh my! I don’t know if that is a fair question. In my own books, I would love to visit 1874 U.S. This was
an exciting time with new discoveries on all fronts.

What's one piece of advice you would give aspiring authors?

Write. Write what you want to read, and write from the heart. Then, once it’s written, edit.

Any other books in the works? Goals for future projects?

Lots of goals! Currently, I’m working on the edit for the third book of the President’s Orders series,
featuring Secret Service agents Simon and Luke. I am working on a short vampire story, and on an
inspirational romance novel. Just a little diversity. I can’t wait to get caught up with those projects
because I have a regency I would like to write.




Thank you so much for stopping by to answer those questions for us! It was fun getting to know more about you!

Tara has many books out now. You can check them out here!

Author Interview: Shelli Johannes-Wells

I am so excited to have Author of Untraceable, Shelli Johannes-Wells

on the blog today! Untraceable was released November 29th. 

Welcome, and Thank you for taking the time out of your day to

answer some questions for us!

Bio:

S.R. Johannes lives in Atlanta Georgia with her dog, British-accented husband, and the huge imaginations of their little prince and princess, which she hopes- someday- will change the world. After earning an MBA and working in corporate america, S.R. Johannes traded in her expensive suits, high heels, and corporate lingo for a family, flip-flops, and her love of writing. You can find her hanging out online and visit her at srjohannes.com

When and why did you begin writing?

I always loved to write. When I was younger, I used to write short stories and poems. I even won a State essay contest, which to me was the lottery. But it went on the back burner all through college and my marketing career. After I had my daughter, I took maternity leave. Since I was an executive, I got 5 months. I started writing while she was napping. 

What inspired you to write this book?

I am always concerned about wrongs to nature and my husband camps a lot. He came back one weekend from camping and talking about how remote some places are. So emotes people could do things and get away with it. That sparked an idea that grew over time.

How did you get interested in writing this particular genre?

I think my brain stopped growing at 16. I relate better to teens and love young adult books. I also wanted to write strong girl characters.

How many books have you written?

Written? About 5. This is my first published one.

Is there anything you wish was different about this book?

Besides more sales and movie deal?? J No I love this book just the way it is. I’m 

very proud of it.

Is this book based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

All my characters have pieces of me - or someone I know - in them. That’s what makes writing so personal to most authors. I did visit NC and see the bear pits. I was so horrified; I had to do something to speak out against them.

What books have influenced your life most?

My life? Kahil Gibran, Bible, and teaching of Dali Lama. For my writing? James Patterson, Sue Grafton, and James Hall.

Do you have any current projects you’re working on?

I have a tween paranormal book, On the Bright Side, that was almost bought by a publishing house back in 2009 coming Jan 31^st., 2012. And Uncontrollable (the sequel to Untraceable) is scheduled for summer 2012. I am also part of an indie pub group and we have an anthology coming out for Valentine’s Day with short stories from boy characters.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Voice is harder for me than plot.

How long does it take you to write a book?

6 months to a year from beginning to end.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Follow your heart and find confidence in your writing.

If you could jump into a book, and live in that world... Which would it be?

A utopic one that was truly utopic J

What do you think makes a good story?

I cannot read a book unless it is pacy and then makes me cry.

How do you react to a bad review?

I haven’t really gotten one yet. (knock on wood) But I would try not to. If it were constructive and well thought out, it wouldn’t bother me. Not everyone connects with a book. But if it were a personal attack on me or just plain mean, I wouldn’t (and don’t) give it any credibility. That is for any bad review – not just any for me.

Where is your favorite place to write?

My office. As long as it’s quiet. I can’t write in public, I have adhd so I get too distracted.

What’s the best thing about being an author?

I love the feeling of writing. Making up stories that people connect to. Seeing people care about your characters as if they were real.

Thank you so much for stopping by the blog today! It was so much fun!

Be sure to check out Untraceable. 

Grace grew up in the woods. When her forest ranger dad disappears on patrol, she fights town authorities, tribal officials, & nature to prove he’s alive. Torn between a hot boy and cute ex, she heads into the wilderness to find her dad. Soon, Grace is caught in a web of conspiracy, deception, and murder. It will take more than a compass and motorcycle for this tough heroine to save all she loves.

 buy the book

Amazon | B&N

connect with the Author

Blog | Facebook | Twitter

Author Interview & Giveaway: Chris Redding

I would like to welcome Chris Redding to the blog today!

She is releasing two novels this month,

Blonde Demolition, & A View To A Kilt. 

She's here to answer a few questions for us! Welcome Chris!
She is also giving away 1 ebook copy of Drinking Game!

Bio:

Chris Redding lives in New Jersey with her husband, two kids, one dog and three rabbits. She has always wanted to be a writer. She graduated from Penn State with a degree in journalism with an English minor. When she isn’t writing, she works part time for her local hospital.

When and why did you begin writing?

I began writing when I was ten. We had an assignment for English class to write a story. I wrote about a lady with lots of cats.  I began writing for publication in 1997 when I was pregnant with my second child. Something about that pregnancy had my creative juices flowing.

What inspired you to write your first book?

I don’t remember. I was 14 at the time. I wrote in class instead of paying attention.

How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

Written? Probably 8 start to finish. I have more than that half done. My favorite is whatever I am working on at the time.

Is there a message in your novels that you want readers to grasp?

I always love this question. No, there isn’t. I’m not that deep.

Do you have any current projects you’re working on?

Right now I am in the middle of developing 2 writing workshops. Then I will get back to writing another thriller.

What do you think makes a good story?

You have to identify with the characters and the story has to make you forget you are reading a book.

Where is your favorite place to write?

I have a laptop so I travel. In the winter I write in my front room because it is the warmest room in the house.

Anything you would like to add?

I love to write. I get cranky when I don’t write for a while and when I do write I feel as if my body secretes endorphins. I’m happy for the whole day.

Great answers! Thank you so much for answering those questions for us! And congratulations on your releases this month!

Want to know more about Chris?

Connect with the author

 Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Here's a List of books she has written:

Corpse Whisperer

The Drinking Game

Confessions: Volume One

Incendiary

A View to a Kilt

Blonde Demolition

Here are the two books being released this month!

Waking up next to a dead guy can ruin your whole day.

When a wise-cracking interior decorator wants to put her past behind her, the dead body of the mayor’s son makes it pretty clear that won’t happen too easily.

A conservative former computer geek for the FBI is holding on too tightly to his past. His wife died under suspicious circumstances and he believes the decorator has the information to solve the case. Unfortunately for him, she isn’t talking… until a series of events convinces her she needs protection especially when her biggest secret threatens to destroy both their lives.

YOU JUST CAN'T HIDE FROM THE PAST...

Mallory Sage lives in a small, idyllic town where nothing ever happens. Just the kind of life she has always wanted. No one, not even her fellow volunteer firefighters, knows about her past life as an agent for Homeland Security.

Former partner and lover, Trey McCrane, comes back into Mallory's life. He believes they made a great team once, and that they can do so again. Besides, they don't have much choice. Paul Stanley, a twisted killer and their old nemesis, is back.

Framed for a bombing and drawn together by necessity, Mallory and Trey go on the run and must learn to trust each other again―if they hope to survive. But Mallory has been hiding another secret, one that could destroy their relationship. And time is running out.

Author Interview: D. F. Lamont

I would like to welcome D. F. Lamont to the blog today!

He is here to talk about his debut Novel The Jinx.

You can read my review here.

Bio:

D. F. Lamont, 42, is married with children and lives in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The Jinx is his first work of fiction.

When and why did you begin writing?

I’ve been writing for a long time. In university I had talked about starting a student newspaper, and in third year, in 1989, I did. It had a great response, and that experience ended up determining what I’ve done for a living – writing, editing, layout and design, journalism and PR.

Why did I begin writing? I started writing for myself for a couple of reasons. One was that in 1998, while I was working for a satirical magazine, which mostly made cruel fun of powerful people, I ended up working on three very personal pieces of writing – two eulogies and the speech for my wedding. I realized that words, and how you can put them together, can move people to feel better. They can provide comfort and solace in a way that I didn’t realize. 

I also decided to sit down and write something – and finish it – because in my work in P.R., I would sometimes write press releases or ads that would make the event I was trying to promote sound better than it actually was. This is actually the opposite of what you want in marketing, where you want to “underpromise and overdeliver”. But I thought, “if my own writing is the end product, maybe I can just sell that.”

I also have a Master’s Degree in English Literature, and when studying my favourite literary critics were the ones who took a practical approach to criticism, because they cared about good storytelling.

What inspired you to write this book?

The idea came from a dream that I had that I was having very bad luck, which then stopped affecting me but seemed to affect the people around me. People were having nasty falls in the kitchen, that sort of thing. In my dream, I ran away to keep them safe, and ended up coming up against big monsters made of boulders, running down a mountain road towards me. So I took that kernel of the story and built a book around it.  

Are any of your books based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

This is my first book, but I definitely share some experiences with the characters. Like Stephen Grayson, I also have an older brother who did karate, who used to jump out at me and say “Defend yourself!” I also caught my shoe in the front wheel of my ten-speed on the first day of Grade 8. But he isn’t me and his family isn’t mine. But I do dig through my own experiences in order to try to “anchor” those of my characters. 

What books have influenced your life most?

Wow! That is a big question. They tend not to be fiction. One is “Talkin’ Moscow Blues” by Josef Svorecky, who is a Czech refugee who moved to Canada. It is a book of essays on Jazz and Politics, and he has an incredible perspective because Czechoslovakia was occupied first by the Nazis and then by the Communists, and he talks about the similarities between the two totalitarian states and their hatred of freedom of expression. Another is Grammatical Man, by Jeremy Campbell, which is about information theory – in fact, the ideas of entropy and chaos and order in The Jinx all come from information theory. For Science Fiction, probably The Cyberiad by Stanislaw Lem.  

Do you have any current projects you’re working on?

I am close to finishing the first draft of my next book, which is also a science fiction fantasy book for young readers. If you like the Jinx, I think you’ll like what I’m writing next. I have a couple of other projects in the offing as well, including a comic book I would like to do. 

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

I find it easier to come up with plots than with characters. With the last book, and the one I am working on now, there was a point where I could sketch out the whole plot as an outline, and then I fill it in. But some stories have a bunch of elements and I just can’t bring them together, and it’s not always clear to me what I’m missing.

How long does it take you to write a book?

Well, The Jinx is pretty short. I’m not sure how other writers manage to tell such long stories. But it took about eight months to write, with quite a big break in the middle. I hope to be done this next book in about three months.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Plenty! Write what you like, not what you know. Remember: stories are about conflict. Don’t wait for inspiration, that will come to you in the writing. Write at least 1,000 words a day, every day. Try not to have more than three people talking in a scene.

This list of “rules” for writers is really good:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/feb/20/ten-rules-for-writing-fiction-part-one

What do you think makes a good story?

Whether it’s a film, a TV show, or a book, I like the feeling that I am being immersed in a real and different world. That’s what my favourite books do: Patrick O’Brian’s Aubrey/Maturin series, Robert Van Gulik’s Judge Dee Murder Mysteries, the original Star Wars Trilogy, The Lord of the Rings. It takes a lot of different elements to make it work.

How do you react to a bad review?

Generally the reviews have been very positive, and not just from my friends and family! A couple of boys who bought it told me they really liked it. One of them says The Jinx is his second favourite book after The Hobbit. In lots of areas of my life I am “passionate” (a polite way of saying I blow my top) but after writing for so long I am kind of technical about my writing.
I want my writing to move the reader – to be excited, or creeped out, or laugh, but I know not everyone is going to like it, the way some people aren’t going to like certain kinds of food. Some people don’t like chocolate. You might say, “How can you possibly not like chocolate?!” but if you don’t like something, you don’t like it.

But if the people who might like it really love it, that’s what matters to me.

Where is your favorite place to write?

I do almost all of my writing in my home office, but I bought an old-fashioned fountain pen and a notepad and I love writing on that as well. Last month I sold copies of The Jinx at a table at the Central Canada Comic Con in my hometown and I found it really relaxing to work there. I had to keep reminding myself to try to sell my book to passersby because I was getting absorbed in the writing.

Anything you would like to add?

If you’re looking for a fun book for your kids, aged 9-13, check out the Jinx! You can buy it as an e-book for $2.99 anywhere, and if you order through lulu.com, you can get a paperback version for 15% off – just $12.74.

http://thejinxbook.tumblr.com

http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/the-jinx/16791931

Thank you for stopping by and answering some questions for us!

You can find out more about D. F. Lamont on:

Facebook | Twitter | Website | Goodreads