"The King Must Die" - Book Tour Stop

Hey everyone!

Today's the day that the The King Must Die book tour stops here at the Into The Literary Forest blog. Today I have the very special honor of having author N. Gemini Sasson do a guest post for us today about how she finds inspiration for her novels.

Finding Inspiration from History

N. Gemini Sasson

A lot of people wonder where writers get their ideas from. Really, how do they come up with all those ideas? Wait for the Muse of Creativity to alight on their shoulder and whop them in the noggin with the Wand of Inspiration? Here’s the boring truth: writers aren’t as much creative geniuses as they are observers of human nature and the world around them. They don’t produce completely original ideas; they absorb their surroundings, transform them into words and reflect them back in a different form. They see similarities in seemingly unrelated things and pay attention to details that others, in their busyness, gloss over.

 A long time ago, back in my high school days, my best friend was an aspiring artist. She taught me to paint and while I never had the passion to pursue art, she said one thing to me that has stuck with me through decades: “There’s more than one color in a sunset, if you look for it—there’s yellow and pink and lavender. And shadows are not just black, they’re shades of blue-gray, moss green and muted brown.” That was an epiphany. It changed the way I saw everything.

 That led to other realizations—about how things move, their shapes, how light changes throughout the day, and how the weather not just looks, but feels. A medieval soldier trudging through the Highlands of Scotland on a wintry day wasn’t just out for a stroll. He was hungry, windbeaten, and footsore. The scenery around him may have appeared monotone at first glance, but it’s not—it’s a patchwork blend of purple and gold dusted with pure white, under an endless steel-gray sky. Sometimes, if I’m stuck writing a scene, I turn to photos for inspiration.

 More than just the physical world, I am an observer of people’s emotions—how the pitch of their voices change when they’re excited, how they avert their eyes when they’re lying, how their shoulders slump when their burdens weigh them down. I put the things I see into words so that someone else can envision the same thing. 

 But a story isn’t much of a story without characters. This is where I feel like a cheat, because my characters come from history books. They were real people. I’m only retelling the happenings of their lives in a way I hope today’s readers can relate to. Life in 14^th century England or Scotland may have been very different from 21^st century America, but it’s the novelist’s job to make a story relevant and that’s what I strive to do. I don’t have any readers who are kings or queens (as far as I know), but in The King Must Die one thing I tried to highlight was the bond between a mother and her son and what happens when outside forces test those bonds. A question any of us who are parents can understand is: To what lengths would you go to protect your child?

 So I get an idea, latch onto a character and then what? Those ideas get jotted down in a notebook and they can percolate for months or even years before I have the time to turn my attention to them fully. Meanwhile, I bookmark web sites and collect biographies and non-fiction books on anything related. I’m constantly thinking and planning several books ahead, even though I’m actually only writing one book at a time. It’s a very layered and drawn-out process. Throughout process, I just keep asking myself questions, the most important of which is why?

 There is no magical formula to finding inspiration. It’s everywhere. You just have to look.

N. Gemini Sasson is also the author of The Crown in the Heather (The Bruce Trilogy: Book I), Worth Dying For (The Bruce Trilogy: Book II), The Honor Due a King (The Bruce Trilogy: Book III) and Isabeau, A Novel of Queen Isabella and Sir Roger Mortimer (2011 IPPY Silver Medalist for Historical Fiction). She holds a M.S. in Biology from Wright State University where she ran cross country on athletic scholarship. She has worked as an aquatic toxicologist, an environmental engineer, a teacher and a track and cross country coach. A longtime breeder and judge of Australian Shepherds, her articles on bobtail genetics have been translated into seven languages.

 Links:

Web site: http://www.ngeminisasson.com

Blog: http://ngeminisasson.blogspot.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NGeminiSasson

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/NGeminiSasson

Thank you so much N. Gemini Sasson, that was really inspirational. Everyone don't forget to read my review of The King Must Die (here) and grab your own copy to read and enjoy the story for yourselves. The author will be awarding a $25 Amazon GC to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour. So don't forget to comment!

HAPPY READING EVERYONE! :)

"The King Must Die" - Book Review

Hey everyone!

Today I'm going to be writing a review of the novel The King Must Die for the Book Tour hosted by GoddessFish. It wasn't until after I read this novel that I realized that it was the sequel in a book series, though I still managed to read it just fine. :)

Synopsis:

What is done cannot be undone.

 England, 1326. Edward II has been dethroned. Queen Isabella and her lover, Sir Roger Mortimer, are at the pinnacle of their power.

Fated to rule, Isabella’s son becomes King Edward III at the callow age of fourteen. Young Edward, however, must bide his time as the loyal son until he can break the shackles of his minority and dissolve the regency council which dictates his every action.

When the former king is found mysteriously dead in his cell, the truth becomes obscured and Isabella can no longer trust her own memory . . . or confide in those closest to her. Meanwhile, she struggles to keep her beloved Mortimer at her side and gain yet another crown—France’s—for the son who no longer trusts her.

Amidst a maelstrom of shifting loyalties, accusations of murder propel England to the brink of civil war.

In the sequel to Isabeau, secrecy and treason, conspiracy and revenge once again overtake England. The future rests in the hands of a mother and son whose bonds have reached a breaking point.

My Review:


There are so many historical fiction renditions of Edward II's attempted murder and Isabella's supposed involvement. However, N. Sasson has portrayed a different perspective and shone light on the possibility that Isabella didn't try to murder her husband. The dialogue was powerful and N. Sasson brought each of these historical figures to life in her novel The King Must Die. Even though the book is historical fiction and based on an event in history it is still a work of fiction and the author managed to create conflicts, inner turmoil and other conflicts going on around the characters' center issues that they were facing throughout the book.
N. Sasson  has a gift for story-telling and her talent of imagery made the story so vivid it could easily be interpreted into a visual picture within the imagination. I enjoyed this book, at times it felt rather slow but I would continue to read nonetheless and it would pick up pace again. The dual first-person perspectives between Isabella and her son Edward III was a great way to see both sides of the story and see how much Isabella cared for her son and what great lengths she went to, to protect her child even if he was king.
It would be really great to see this adaptation of Edward II's 'murder' to be turned into a movie, through the perspective N. Sasson had painted it in.



Excerpt:

Edward III – Stanhope Park, July, 1327

“Douglas! Douglas!”

Praying it was only a nightmare, I slapped at my cheeks to bring a rush of blood to my hazy head.

Hooves clattered. More shouts. Then ... sword clanged against sword, struck flesh. Chaos. The cries of the wounded.

My heart clogged my throat. The realization struck me with the deadly force of one of Sir John’s cannons: we were under attack. Swallowing hard, I groped in the darkness for my sword. Frantic, I flailed my hand in a wider circle, my palm swatting at a mat of crushed grass. Then, my fingers smacked against my shield. My bones screamed in pain. Great, burning throbs. I pulled my hand to my chest and tried to move my fingers, but couldn’t.

The sounds were coming closer, growing louder.

“Kyrie, eleison,” I chanted. “Kyrie, eleison. Kyrie —”

A dull glint caught my eye. I flexed aching fingers, wrapped them around the hilt and pulled my sword to me. Then I grabbed at the edge of my shield, dragging it over a crumpled shirt, and slipped my left arm through the loosened straps. No time to pull them tight. Rolling over onto my knees, I scooted around the center pole toward the opening. My blade clunked against metal—my helmet. Tucking my sword on my lap, I reached out, grasped it, and settled it snugly onto my head.

The shrill neigh of a horse ripped through the night air. Hooves crashed to a halt just outside the opening of my tent. I froze.

“A Douglas!”

Don't forget to get your own copy of The King Must Die and stay tuned for a guest post by author N. Gemini Sasson coming shortly! I had a lot of fun with this virtual book tour.

HAPPY READING EVERYONE! :)

"Immortal Hearts (Vampire Kisses #9)" - Book Review

Synopsis:

Athena "Stormy" Sterling is coming to Dullsville, and Raven is both excited and panicked in anticipation of Alexander's little sister's visit. Alexander tells Raven that she and his sister have a lot in common, but can the mini-Raven be everything she hopes for? Alexander calls her Stormy for a reason.

Stormy's visit stirs up the perfect immortal whirlwind. Raven is forced to take a good look at what it would really mean to be a vampire in the Sterling family, aside from some of the things she already loves, like shunning the sun and sleeping in a coffin with Alexander. When Raven compares her life with Stormy's, she can see that it's not all starry skies and black roses. But Raven knows she's always wanted to be a vampire.

Alexander is as romantic and dreamy as ever, and though he keeps showing Raven how much he loves her, will she ultimately be able to convince him that it's the right thing to turn her?

This final chapter of Vampire Kisses' nocturnal romance will keep all mortal and immortal hearts racing.

I don't even know where to begin about how much I love this book. After reading the eighth book in the Vampire Kisses series and having heard that the ninth installment would be the last I was terrified. Mixed emotions had coursed through me; joy at finally finding out what Alexander and Raven's futures would hold and heart-wrench that something could go terribly wrong. Even though I had picked this book up from the bookstore just days after its release I was reluctant to read it, not knowing what to expect. Every time I saw it on my bookshelf it was just beckoning me to read it. I felt a pull to read it straight away and find out the ending of the Vampire Kisses series.
But today I finally mustered up the courage to sink my teeth into the conclusion to the Vampire Kisses series and finished Immortal Hearts in one go, unable to put it down just like every other book in the series. Raven was as spunky as ever and I fell in love with Alexander all over again, he truly is any girl's dream vampire. I loved it when Ellen Schreiber would introduce new characters into the series (Like Sebastian who I had instantly loved) and Stormy was no exception. Alexander's little sister was wonderful and she really brought life to the story and showed another side of Alexander. The strength of the friendship between Raven and Becky was evident in Immortal Hearts and made us see that true friendship can be strong enough to surpass anything.
At the turn of every page I was kept on my toes dying to know if Alexander would finally give in and change Raven or if fate had something else in store for the ravishing ghoul couple. Trevor, as menacing as he always is, remained Raven's nemesis to the very end, allowing us to enjoy more of their bickering throughout the book. This is one of my favorite books in the series now along with the first, second and fourth, though I love the entire series. Ellen Schreiber has easily become one of my favorite authors and she didn't let me down with this last book.
A few years ago in my freshman year of high school was when I had originally discovered the Vampire Kisses. I was going through a really tough time and got into loads of trouble, messed up in a really bad crowd, and was put into tight spaces by people I had thought I trusted. I felt like I couldn't trust anyone anymore and felt alone because of what I was going through in real life. At the time I had hated reading and wouldn't touch a book unless I was forced to by my teachers with a looming threat of a bad grade that would appear on a report card if I didn't. It was no accident that Vampire Kisses had been sitting on a library bookshelf waiting for me to pick it up. As cheesy as it may sound, Vampire Kisses helped me during that dark time and I really connected with Raven and suddenly didn't feel so alone. Vampire Kisses isn't a classic or an all-time best seller but Ellen had touched me through her words and I will always look back at the series with fondness. Because throughout the years as the books to the series would come out I can see how much I've changed from the first book to this last book and I know that Vampire Kisses had changed me in some way. You understand if you had connected with a book in some way, it's kind of indescribable. (Okay I'll cut the cheesiness now ;))
The ending was perfect and warmed my heart and was a fitted conclusion for Alexander and Raven. I loved how the audience was left off able to imagine for themselves what they would expect to happen afterwards. Those are the best endings, the ones that bring a smile to your face and have you saying "and they lived happily ever after" at the end.
But the adventures aren't over, we can relive them over and over again by rereading the wonderful story of Vampire Kisses. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a good light-hearted, easy read with sappy romance, spunk and a hot vampire. You may not get all emotional about the book but you'd still love it, I assure you. If not then you must have something wrong with you...just kidding...actually, no I'm not.

Thank you Ellen from the bottom of my heart.

In My Mailbox

Hey everyone!

Once again it's time for an 'In My Mailbox'. In My Mailbox is a book blogging Internet meme started by Kristi over at The Story Siren. In My Mailbox is a meme where you talk about books you receive in your mailbox, giveaways, books you bought at stores, borrowed from the library and etc!



This is an accumulation of books that I've gotten over the last couple of weeks from grocery stores to giveaways!

(In order from top to bottom)

Once in a full moon by Ellen Schreiber

I absolutely love the Vampire Kisses series and have been dying to read other books by the glamorous Ellen because she's one of my favorite authors. So after several times of going to the bookstore and dying to pick up her famous werewolf series off of the shelf I finally did! Woohoo!

Cloaked by Alex Flinn

I loved Alex's other urban fairytale retelling like Beastly and A Kiss In Time.

Immortal Hearts by Ellen Schreiber

The last book in the Vampire Kisses series which both thrills and saddens me. I'm super excited to read the conclusion of the series but nervous about what's going to happen. But I'm so excited to sink my teeth into this book! ;)

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith

While on a trip to the movie theater a few weeks ago I saw the trailer to the Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter movie directed by the amazing Tim Burton and was instantly thrilled. As soon as I had laid eyes on this book at the grocery store I knew I needed to get it because I wanted to read the book before seeing the movie so that my mind could be fresh and my imagination unaffected. (It's one of my quirks.)

Vengeance by Ian Irvine

I won this book in a giveaway on GoodReads and the synopsis sounded pretty cool so I'm excited to read this whenever I'll get the chance.

That's all for the books In My Mailbox. What books have you guys gotten recently that you're excited about?

HAPPY READING EVERYONE! :)

Update - New Blog Title & More

Hey everyone!

So I've got some really great news. I just changed the name of my blog, it's something that I've been contemplating over for quite some time....It's just that 'Into The Literary World With Noellie' was quite a mouthful and not catchy at all. So the other day I saw a cool picture of a forest and thought 'huh, why don't I do something forest themed for a title?' and the gears in my mind got rolling and today it just clicked. Thus, The Literary Forest is the new title of the blog. Now I'm going to have to send out e-mails to the book tour groups I'm affiliated with and let them know so they won't get confused haha.


So not only is the banner new but I also finally made a visual rating system for the book reviews. It's not fancy and pretty simple but it's purple and it glitters! Woohoo.

Five Stars - I Absolutely Loved It

Four Stars - I Really Liked It

Three Stars - I liked it

Two Stars - It was Alright

One Star - I Didn't Like It

Or in other words I wanted to throw it across the room at a wall. But I have only given a book a one star for a review maybe twice... so hopefully I won't encounter another book deemed wall-toss worthy. There will be an In My Mailbox post coming up this week as well as a few other reviews AND the 'The King Must Die' Book Tour will be taking place next week! So stay tuned for some upcoming awesomeness!

HAPPY READING EVERYONE! :)

"Perfect Chemistry" - Book Review

Synopsis:

When Brittany Ellis walks into chemistry class on the first day of senior year, she has no clue that her carefully created 'perfect' life is about to unravel before her eyes. She's forced to be lab partners with Alex Fuentes, a gang member from the other side of town, and he is about to threaten everything she's worked so hard for: her flawless reputation, her relationship with her boyfriend, and the secret that her home life is anything but perfect.

Alex is a bad boy and he knows it. So when he makes a bet with his friends to lure Brittany into his life, he thinks nothing of it. But soon Alex realizes Brittany is a real person with real problems, and suddenly the bet he made in arrogance turns into something much more.

In a passionate story about looking beneath the surface, Simone Elkeles breaks through the stereotypes and barriers that threaten to keep Brittany and Alex apart.

Every time I went to the bookstore Perfect Chemistry would be sitting there on a shelf beckoning me to pick it up to read it. A lot of people recommended it to me and told me that it was really great and that Alejandro (Alex) Fuentes was a really hot character that you couldn't resist falling in love with. So, the next time I had gone to the bookstore I took a leap of faith and I am certainly not disappointed. Perfect Chemistry was a wonderful love story, although a bit cliche at parts (but I'm a total sucker for cheesy, sappy romance) it had a lot of emotion and passion in it.

The dual first-person narration style was really great because we got to see both sides of the story from the unique perspectives of both Brittany and Alex. It felt like we were always one step ahead of the game with a secret with one character that the other didn't know about and that was really exciting. Brittany was a really believable character and I liked how she cared so much about her sister and although she put on a performance for everyone else she didn't like not being able to be herself. Alex, oh where do I begin with muy caliente Alex? He definitely won me over, maybe it's because I always root for the underdog but it might also have to do with the fact that even though he wasn't walking a straight line he still always had his family and Brittany as his number one priorities.

I loved the chemistry between Alex and Brittany, those romances that start out with the characters biting at each other's throats and then starting to fall for one another when their passioned hatred turns to unconditional love are definitely my favorite type of love stories.

Simone Elkeles definitely has a wonderful writing style, I really loved how she put Spanish into almost every other sentence, especially when  it came to Alex's perspective. I really liked Paco, he made me laugh and reminded me of someone I used to know, but I COULD NOT STAND Colin!

Oh goodness, the whole time I read any scenes with Colin in it I just wished Alex or anybody would sock him. From the beginning of the novel I just knew what kind of guy Colin was and just knew what was coming. One thing is for sure, after reading Perfect Chemistry I am DEFINITELY going to continue reading the series. Thank you to anyone that recommended the Fuentes Brothers series, you rock! So, are you guys suckers for bad boy characters too? ;) I also heard this book was going to be made into a movie? Or is that just cruel gossip to get our hopes up? :(

HAPPY READING EVERYONE! :)

"Fix by Force" - Book Review

Synopsis:

Spencer doesn’t have a choice.

He can't choose to be different than what he is—the son of the town's worst enemy, the weakling who can't stand up for himself, the loser without friends.

He can't change the way things are.

Or maybe he can.

Immediate confidence.

Rapid change.

Instant hope.

These are the things Spencer believes he needs to fix his life, and that is what the steroids promise—a quick fix.

But promises can be broken and shortcuts are often treacherous, and Spencer must decide if those risks are worth the perceived rewards—if “artificial” hope is strong enough for him to be fixed, by force.

When I had first received this book after winning it in a giveaway on GoodReads hosted by Jason Warne himself I wanted to read the book just to expand my literary boundaries but hadn't expected to be super impressed. However, I stayed up until 2 o'clock in the morning to finish reading this book, that pretty much speaks for itself. Fix by Force was definitely enlightening about the psych of someone on steroids or considering steroids. Prior to reading this book I just assumed that the only people who took steroids were egotistical meat-heads, but Jason Warne's story told me otherwise.
Spencer has low self-esteem, feels disconnected from everybody, and hates being compared to his father; the town's enemy.
What I really liked about this book was how it went against stereotypes; the steroid user wasn't the already big quarterback who just wanted to bulk up more, or how the new-start school Spencer went to wasn't filled with only delinquents, there were also students who just made a dumb mistake. When Spencer goes to the New Start school and is in a new environment he starts changing, getting violent, throwing punches for almost no reason but it isn't because of the influence of his peers it's because of the steroids.
I really liked this book a lot more than I had expected to, Spencer was a believable character and at times really relate-able, going through high school and feeling like you just don't fit in or having bullies.
Jason Warne's writing style was great and I found myself thinking 'this is an awesome book, I'm gonna have to check out other books by this author.' At the Dodge scene (don't worry no spoilers) I almost started crying, not just because I'm such a crybaby but because Warne knew how to captivate that moment and the emotions that Spencer was feeling perfectly.
I recommend this book for any teen or adult, it's perspective-changing and can teach you a thing or two about how to perceive others and about the consequences of trying to fix everything by force.

HAPPY READING EVERYONE! :)