Today we are taking part in The Iron Knight blog tour. Here is our interview with Julie Kagawa:

Give us a little intro to yourself
Well, I was born in California, moved to Hawaii when I was nine, and started
tormenting my teachers with mice and centipedes in their desks. I read a lot (often
in Math class, hiding novels behind my textbook), and started writing my own stories
in high school (also in Math class, behind my textbooks). After graduating (my
teachers had a party, I think), I worked as a book store clerk, a vet tech
assistant, and a dog trainer, until the day I sold The Iron King to Harlequin TEEN
and stopped working to write full time. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Tell us about The Iron Fey series
The Iron Fey series is about a girl named Meghan Chase who, on her sixteenth
birthday, discovers her little brother has been kidnapped by faeries, and goes into
the Nevernever to find him. Along the way, she finds out that she is the daughter
of the Summer King, falls in love with a cold, dangerous ice prince, and discovers
that a brand new species of faery—The Iron Fey—are destroying the Nevernever. Her
journey, which ends in The Iron Queen, is about her and her friends trying to stop
the Iron Fey, and finding a way for both species to survive.

Ash’s journey continues in The Iron Knight, after the events of The Iron Queen. And
revealing any more about his story would be a huge spoiler, so I will leave it at
that.

How did you begin writing and what was your journey to publication like?
I started writing seriously in high school, with the intent to be a published author
one day. I had this ridiculous notion that I could publish a book before college
and then I’d be set for life. Hahaha! No, that’s not what happened, obviously. It
took many years of practice, of learning the business and honing my craft, before I
was finally good enough to get a book publisher. Even after I met my fabulous agent
at a writer’s workshop, I still didn’t get a book published until over a year later.
After trying to sell my current book with no luck, my agent told me to start
working on something else. So I did. I wrote The Iron King in a little under two
months, and Harlequin TEEN bought it in a matter of weeks.

What are you working on now?
Right now, I’m working both on my new vampire series, Blood of Eden, as well as the
second series in the Iron Fey saga. Blood of Eden is a post-apocalyptic series
where vampires rule the world, and the second Iron Fey series stars Ethan Chase,
Meghan’s brother, when he is older.

What do you like to do outside of writing?
I’m a video game nut, so you can usually find me on either the Xbox, the PS3, or
playing Sims3 on my computer. I also take Kung Fu four nights a week. And, if I
have any down time at all, I will curl up with a good book.

Thank you Julie!
The Iron Knight is available now: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Iron-Knight-Fey-Book/dp/1848450605/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1327987890&sr=8-1

Hallowed is the sequel to the Cynthia Hand’s bestselling novel Unearthly.

Hallowed follows part Angel Clara who is recovering from a devastating fire that she was caught up in as part of her angel ‘purpose’. In this instalment of the Unearthly trilogy Clara finally starts to get some answers to her questions, although she can’t work out why her brother Jeffrey is acting so strangely .

Furthermore, Clara knows that she wants to be with Tucker, but her visions tell her that this is not her destiny. If coming to terms with this is not hard enough, she then realises that someone she loves will die soon. Who will that person be and what will it mean for Clara?

This is a fantastic story with a well paced plot that will keep you wanting more. It is beautifully written in the first person from Clara’s point of view. The love triangle between Clara, Tucker and Christian was riveting and gives this book a big injection of romance. Have your tissues ready as well though, as there are some heart wrenching moments too.

There are so many revelations about the angel-bloods in this novel that, if you read Unearthly, you will understand and find answer lots of your questions.

I will be looking forward to reading the final instalment in this trilogy!

Thank you to Egmont for sending us a copy to review.

Today we hear from Bookbabbler Pamela…
VIII was the unforgettable account of one of our countries greatest monarchs Henry Tudor.

We are introduced to likeable child Hal, second son of the king of England. Hal is woken by his mother to flee his home to seek safety in the Tower. There is threat of an uprising in England with someone leading them who claims to be someone he cannot possibly be. Someone that makes Henry’s mother very nervous. She is sister of the infamous princes in the tower. As a sister she cannot help but hope the rumours are true and they are alive, but as wife to the King, she has to pray it is an imposter.

The bulk of VIII is comprised of Hal’s childhood, as he struggles under his father’s firm hand and seeks the comfort of his mother. He becomes a cocky youngster, his physical attributes and abilities shaping a confident young man. But with a shadow looming over him. Hal is only the spare to his brother’s heir. A replacement. Someone who can easily disappear once there is no need for him and his brother is on the throne. But then the tables turn and it is Hal who is named King.

The ghosts that haunted him as a boy manifest into demons in his older years. Suspicious and greedy, we are taken on a journey that turned loveable Hal into infamous Henry VII.

I’ve read a great deal on Henry VIII, and while there are a few nitpicks I could make about this novel, I have to commend it for doing not only a stand up job, but make the life and times of Henry accessible to everyone. Teens and adults alike will enjoy this novel as they delve into the darkest places within Henry VIII.

Thanks Pamela and thank you to Templar for sending us a copy to review.

Today we have a guest post from Kathryn Erskine…

You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view … until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.
–To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee

It’s a phrase my mother often said to us growing up, To Kill a Mockingbird being one of her favorite books. She said that if nations’ leaders followed that wisdom, there’d be more understanding in the world. It’s one of my favorite books, too, but I wasn’t actually thinking of it while writing my story about Caitlin, a young girl with Asperger’s, who has lost her brother, her key to understanding the outside world. I had created a family with a widowed father, an older brother who worked hard to be good and please him (he was even a Boy Scout on the leadership fast track), and a girl on the autism spectrum who saw the world without filters which, as it often does, can lead to behavior that appears awkward and rude. Caitlin’s voice tugged at me, her fresh, frank voice, reminding me of something. When I realized that she reminded me of Scout in Harper Lee’s novel, I was struck by my story’s similarities — a widowed father, the “good” older brother who tried to teach his sister to behave properly, and the young girl who spoke her mind. That’s when I decided Caitlin’s brother would nickname her “Scout,” because his sister reminded him of the character in the movie and the book. Of course, in To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout is much younger than Caitlin, which is why she hasn’t yet developed those societal filters. In Caitlin’s case, it’s because of her Asperger’s. I realized other similarities, too. Like To Kill a Mockingbird, my novel is also about tolerance and understanding. Walking in other people’s shoes is something literal and foreign to Caitlin but in practicing that wisdom she begins to understand her world a bit better. When we take that walk with Caitlin, hopefully, we do, too.

Thanks Kathryn!

To find out more about Kathryn Erskine, Mockingbird and to download some book club notes about the book visit www.usborne.com/mockingbird

As part of the blog tour for Touch of Power we have an interview with Maria V Snyder…

Tell us a little about yourself
I live in the United States, I’m married, have two teenagers (Luke, 16 and Jenna,
14), and have a black cat (Valek, 2). I started out working as an environmental
meteorologist and eventually switched to writing fiction. I have nine novels
published and a whole bunch of short stories in various anthologies. Your readers
can learn more about me and my stories on my website at: http://www.mariavsnyder.com

Who were your favourite authors when you were younger?
How young are you talking? ? I remember enjoying Dr. Seuss and Leo Lionni when I
was little, then I was addicted to the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew mysteries then
graduated to reading Agatha Christie, Ed McBain, Dick Francis, and Robert B. Parker.
My brother-in-law introduced me to science fiction and fantasy when I was in
secondary school and I loved Ursula K. LeGuin, Piers Anthony, David Eddings, and
Marion Zimmer Bradley.

Tell us about Touch of Power
Touch of Power is a fantasy novel about a healer set in a world that is recovering
from a deadly plague. Avry’s world has blamed the plague on the healers and has
hunted them down. She is finally caught only to be rescued by a group who wants her
to heal their Prince. The group’s leader, Kerrick, knows the healers aren’t to
blame for the plague and that she could do some good for a change instead of hiding.
Unfortunately, she believes this Prince is the one who started blaming the plague on
the healers so she isn’t risking her life for some pampered Prince. As they travel
to the Prince’s hidden location, they’re pursued by others who have realized having
a healer around might just be a good thing for them, but not necessarily for her.
Your readers can read the first chapter of Touch of Power here:

http://www.mariavsnyder.com/books.php

What are you working on now?
I’m working on Scent of Magic. It’s the second book of the Healers series and it’s
due out at around the end of 2012/early 2013.

What do you like to do outside of writing?
I enjoy playing volleyball, skiing, and photography. I also make jewellery and
still love to read. Travelling is another thing I love doing and I never say no to
a trip. ;>

Thanks Maria!

Here is some more exciting news which gives you the chance to win an ipad:
Create a video review of A Touch of Power and be in with a chance of winning an iPad!
Maria V. Snyder has teamed up with top teen mag Mizz to give you the chance to win
an iPad and be the official book review for MizzMag TV to boot! All you need to do
to enter is make a video review of A Touch of Power. MIRA Ink is giving away free
review copies to the first 50 people who get in touch, so visit facebook/MIRAInk for
more details on how to get involved! Also, check out Mizz Mag TV at
www.youtube.com/user/MizzMagTV for an exclusive video of Maria talking about her new
Healer series!

Today we are blog tour hosts for Cynthia Hand’s latest novel Hallowed, the sequel to Unearthly. Here are Cynthia Hand’s Top 5 Picks in Paranormal Romance

I have a problem with the term “paranormal romance.” Barnes and Noble had just changed their shelving system when I sold Unearthly back in 2009, and when I found out that my book was going to be shelved under paranormal romance, part of me cringed a little. Maybe even a lot. I had always described my book to people as an urban fantasy, meaning that it takes place in present-day times but also has fantastical elements. I was comfortable with being the writer of an urban fantasy. The word “paranormal” to me seemed limiting, like to be classified as paranormal the characters have to be some kind of mystical sparkly creatures, vampires or werewolves or (gulp) angels, which doesn’t leave room for a whole lot of other creative ideas. And the word “romance”—well, that conjured up a cheap paperback novel with either a sexy flower or a scantily clad couple in some sort of aloof-yet-passionate embrace, the kind of book that you let fall open and it lands on. . . heaving bosoms and fluffy stuff like that. I admit I did read romance novels when I was a teenager, mostly because I was curious and mystified by the idea of romantic love and (glances furtively around, whispers) sex. *Note to teens. Do not read romance novels to learn about (glances furtively around, whispers) sex. Trust me. This would be like watching soap operas to learn about how to build a solid marriage. Shakes head.* I always had a couple stealthily-purchased romance novels stashed in secret locations in my room, lest my mom start poking around. But write romances? Heck no! No heaving bosoms for me, thank you very much.
Ahem. So. Me and the term paranormal romance were not friends. Which was a problem, since my book really is a paranormal romance. It doesn’t matter than PR is not what I intended when I set out to write Clara’s story. I have to be honest. There are special sparkly creatures in my books. And there is romance, i.e. hot guys, and kissing, and even a heaving bosom now and then. I don’t write the term “heaving bosom” of course; my wording is usually something like “my breath catches” or “my heart pounds in my chest”. Same diff.
Sigh. I remember the day I wrote the big kissing scene in Unearthly. It came out pretty smoothly, truthfully. I was feeling a bit flushed myself at the end of the writing day. So I cut and pasted the scene to my writing partner, Joan, to see what she thought. Great! I remember her saying. It’s not too Harlequin? I asked. She said something like, It’s very swoony, but it’s good. Later my agent would pick that specific passage as a teaser to send the editor who acquired my novel for HarperTeen. An example of my fine writing, she called it. The kissing scene? I thought with an involuntary twinge of my eyelid. O-kay. . .
It worked out for me. Clearly. But for the longest time I wasn’t really comfortable being the writer of romance novels, even with the term “paranormal” in front of them, which was supposed to change the meaning into something for teens and non-adult-entertainment-oriented. People kept asking me for tips on how to write PR, and I would try to change the subject, maybe something about tips on how to write about setting. But I could not avoid the fact that Unearthly was, indeed, PR. Another anecdote: when I got my ARCs of Unearthly, I gave one to my friend Corbett Phibbs, and when I saw him again later, I was all on pins and needles to know what he thought (since he is a character in the book, after all), and he quirked an overgrown white eyebrow at me and said, “Oh yes, it was wonderful.” My heart lifted. “So romantic,” he said. My heart sank.
I’m glad that I’m over my aversion to the term now. Mostly. (eyelid twinge). I can embrace my genre with pride. And what got me over it, you ask? Well, I’ll tell you. Other books that could be found on the PR shelf. Specifically, I fell in love, again and again and again, with other novels that were classified as paranormal romance. Fantastic books. Books where I was lost in their worlds, charmed by their creativity and their world-building, drawn in by their characters, their stories, their sense of fun. If these rock-star writers were in the PR section of the bookstore, well, then I could be proud to be there too. It was that simple.
That was the loooooong setup to the following list: my top 5 paranormal romances. It’s an important list to me, because these books helped me to become at home in my own skin, in a writerly sense. And because, quite simply, they rock.

1.Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater. This book to this day makes me feel slightly chilled to think about. It’s simply a beautifully written book. I love the shifting perspectives between the two main characters, how you can see their feelings for each other develop from both sides, and the tension between them as things start to simultaneously heat up and cool off.

2.Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr. This is one of the first books I read when I started to read YA again, and I totally love it. I thought Marr created such a rich, beautiful world, and her characters really yearn for things. That’s all characters truly need in order to build a great story—a yearning, a deep desire for something—something that we as readers can yearn with them about.

3.Rampant by Diana Peterfreud. This book begins with a scene where the main character is making out with her boyfriend and he pressures her to have sex and then gets stabbed by a killer unicorn. Hello, awesome! I heart this book through and through, and loved the sequel as well. One thing I particularly enjoy about this is that the story revolves around the notion that the main character is a virgin, and will only keep her powers if she remains a virgin, but it still manages to build a warm and realistic romance, thus proving once again that love and sex are two very separate entities.

4.Firelight, by Sophie Jordan. This is a book about a girl who is secretly a dragon, who falls in love with a dragon hunter. Juliet meets Romeo, if Juliet could fly and breathe fire. This book is hot. I love how the main character literally heats up when she sees the hot guy, and the love scenes are very (cough) believable and passionate and easy to get caught up in. And I liked the sequel, Vanish, even more because I am a huge fan of the dragon-boy rival, Cassian. (fans self). Whew.

5.Paranormalcy by Kiersten White. This book made me laugh out loud so many times! The voice of the main character is hi-larious and the character is so strong and independent and fierce, but also a believable teenage girl. Evie is my hero, and Kiersten White is my savior in a world where they aren’t making any new Buffy the Vampire Slayer episodes. It’s that good. I also appreciate how fresh the romance is in this book, how the love interest in literally invisible, how he can change his appearance to suit his moods, and how Evie is ultimately attracted to what’s inside of him, figuratively speaking.

Thanks Cynthia!

You can follow the blog tour tomorrow by heading over to Serendipity Reviews: http://www.serendipityreviews.co.uk/

Today we are taking part in the blog tour for India Dark and have an interview with Kirsty Murray…

Tell us a little bit about yourself
A publisher friend of mine who specializes in children’s and YA writing says that anyone who writes for young people is suffering from arrested development. He believes that authors are usually the emotional age of their protagonists. That’s good news for me as I started out writing about eleven year olds but the last few years my protagonists have averaged around 14 years of age. I may be growing up at last!

I’ve been writing fiction for children and teenagers for around thirteen years and in that time have had nine novels published plus an assortment of smaller books – both fiction and non-fiction – for younger readers. I’m lucky enough to be able to write full time, though I also spend a couple of months of the years visiting school to teach creative writing and speaking at writers festivals and literary events.

Tell us about India Dark
India Dark is based on a true story. It’s a fictionalized account of the collapse of a famous troupe of child performers – Pollard’s Lilliputian Opera Company. I spent years researching the lives of child theatre performers of the late 19th and early 20th Century before I began work on the novel. I decided to tell the story as fiction as I believe it’s a much more powerful way of telling the truth about people’s lives.

What was your inspiration for India Dark?
I’ve always been drawn to stories about gutsy kids who stand up to authority or take charge of their own destiny. I think many people under-estimate the strength and resourcefulness of children and teenagers. When I first came across the story of Pollard’s Lilliputian Opera Company I realized there was enough material for half a dozen novels about the troupe but it was the final closing chapter that was the most compelling. The novel details the last months of the troupe.

The kids who worked in the theatre industry in the late 19th and early 20th Century were amazing. They were smart, funny and incredibly versatile. There were dozens of ‘lilliputian’ troupes around the world but they were particularly popular in far-flung posts of the British Empire. How could I go past a story that featured fabulous locations, gutsy teenage characters and an international scandal?

Who were your favourite authors when you were younger?
The first author that I fell completely in love with was Mark Twain. As soon as I read the last page of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer I turned back to the first and started reading it all over again. But there were a lot of authors that I loved from all over the world. I went through a big Lucy Fitch Perkins stage when I was very young and was intrigued by all the novels she wrote about twins. I loved Rosemary Sutcliffe’s historical fiction, Astrid Lindgren and H.J. Kaeser’s spunky characters as well as most of the novels of C.S. Lewis and Frances Hodgson Burnett. There wasn’t a lot of YA fiction around during my teens so I quickly graduated to reading classics like Jane Austen’s novels but when I did bump into a work of genuine YA such as Hesba Brinsmead’s Pastures of the Blue Crane I was really excited.

What are you working on now?

I’m writing an historical fiction set in South Australia in 1919. It’s very loosely based on my grandmother’s adolescence. She was one of four teenage sisters who lost their only brother in WWI. The family thought he was coming home – they’d even received a telegram to say he was looking forward to seeing them – but he was shot by a German sniper who wasn’t aware that the war was over. The novel is about how the sisters come to terms with losing their brother and the repercussions of the war on the lives of young women in the post-war period.

What do you like to outside of writing?
Everything I do connects to my writing in one way or another, not because I’m particularly conscientious but just because everything I love everything that connects to books. My favourite leisure activity is reading. I love hanging out in bookshops and libraries. I’m a member of a couple of different book clubs too. My husband and kids are big readers as well so there’s a lot of conversation within our family about books.

Most years I spend several months travelling but for the last year I’ve been continuously on the road while my husband toured his puppet show in remote areas of Australia. Meeting new people, catching up with old friends, and discovering new places all add to my understanding of stories and how each of us connects to a different kind of narrative.

Thank you Kirsty!

We have a copy of India Dark to giveway. Just retweet this post or leave a comment to enter. Giveaway ends on Friday 20th January. Open to UK residents only.

Melbourne, Australia, 1909: faced with the prospect of employment in either the match factory or the jam factory, 13-year old Poesy Swift auditions for a children’s theatre company that specialises in popular music-hall songs.

Before she knows it, she’s on a two-year tour through Asia. At first it’s all an adventure, but by the time they reach south India, many of them have been disciplined by the manager and their performances hide enormous turmoil backstage. At the end of their last show, all but two of the children turn on their minders and go on strike, then walk out into the hot Madras night.

India Dark is a story of friendship, jealousy, lies and lost innocence.

I love historical novels and I am fascinated by India in the early twentieth century, so I was really looking forward to reading India Dark.

Based on a true story of a theatre troupe which toured the world from the 1880s, India Dark follows the fictional Percival’s Lilliputian Opera Company on their journey from Australia.

The novel is told from the perspectives of two young members of the Lilliputians; Poesy Swift and Tilly Sweetrick. The Lilliputian’s are child performers who sing and dance on stage, it is Poesy’s first tour and at first she is very excited about traveling to America. However, things get off to a shaky start when the troupe discover that they will not be heading to America straight away after all due to lack of funds. Instead, they will be touring the East and travelling onto India in order to raise money. Soon, however, with money in short supply and illness never far away a new scandal strikes the Lilliputian’s with Poesy and Tilly at the heart of the vicious rumours. Will they be able to escape or will a cloud follow their names forever…

I loved this book, Murray has brought India, with all of its customs, sounds and exotic smells, alive to the reader making them feel that they’re witnessing the events as they unfold. I would really recommend India Dark to anyone who enjoys historical novels and I will be looking forward to reading future works from this author.

Thank you to Templar Publishing for sending us a copy to review.

Opal Moonbaby is the first novel by debut author Maudie Smith.

The story follows Opal Moonbaby who comes to earth from the planet Carnelia and be-friends two siblings – Robbie and Martha. Robbie is instantly taken by Opal and her strange ways and terms. Martha, however, is not so keen on Opal. In fact, after falling out with her best friend Martha has decided that she never wants to be friend with anyone again. Ever.

Thus, follows the tale of Opal’s determination to gain Martha’s friendship. Will Opal and Martha become friends?

The plot is very well paced and there are a lot of surprises in store for the reader. Opal is a fascinating character and is well balanced by the more sensible Martha. One of the funniest parts is Opal’s mis-understanding of lots of English pronunciations (despite her Earth manual). Opal also has a pet ‘mingle’ called Garnet, which I completely fell in love with.

This is a hilarious book and Smith is hugely successful in vividly bringing Opal and her alien ways to life. I really enjoyed reading Opal Moonbaby and hope that there may be a sequel in the future.

Recommended for children aged 7 +

Thank you to Orion for sending us a copy to review.

Claire feels like her life is finally settling down. She’s been fully initiated into her family’s pack of female werewolves, her best friend Emily is back in town, and the gorgeous Matthew Engle is now her boyfriend. But when a new girl comes to town and threatens to break up Claire’s friendship and relationship, everything starts to unravel. Not only is the new girl trying to steal her best friend and boyfriend, but it seems that she may know more about Claire than she’s letting on. Knowing Claire’s secret breaks all the rules of the pack, and the consequences may be more than Claire can handle…

Nocturne is the sequel to Christine Johnson’s debut novel Claire de Lune.

The novel follows the life of High School student Claire Benoit who leads a double life as a werewolf. Claire is settling into her werewolf skin and she feels very happy with her life, especially now that her boyfriend is Matthew Engle and they will be going to the Autumn Ball together. Just when everything seems to be settling down and Claire thinks she will be able to spend lots of time with her best friend Emily, a new girl, Amy, arrives on the scene. Claire becomes suspicious of Amy and is worried that she may know more about her than she is letting on. Will she be able to keep her secret safe?

This is the first book by Christine Johnson that I have read and I really enjoyed it. It is a fast paced novel with lots of surprises in store. I loved Claire’s character, especially the way that she tries to juggle all of her commitments. I also particularly enjoyed the part about the Autumn Ball – it sounded like so much fun. I would recommend this book and will be looking forward to reading more from Christine Johnson.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster for sending us a copy to review.