Hello lovelies! How are we all finding the January blues? The last few weeks have been pretty busy for myself with coursework hand-ins and exams for Uni, as you probably could have guessed this meant my blogging took a back seat. But I am back and with vengeance. Reading is something I have always been passionate about, ever since I was really young I would read almost every night before I went to bed. Throughout high-school I stopped doing this - reading wasn't exactly the "coolest" thing, so I only picked up a book occasionally. After started Uni a few years ago, I really got back into it. I read most days and nights when I can and this year have already read three books. Once I find a good book I just can't put it down.   

Two of the three books I've read this year included Teri Terry's dystopian thriller trilogy. The first book, Slated, follows a young girl Kyla who has had here memories "slated". The government, Lorders, in a bid to reduce the number of criminals erases any young teen's minds before the age of 16 who have committed any crimes. This leaves Kyla in a hospital after all her memories from her life before have been erased. She no longer know who she is or what she has said to have done. 

Slated Blurb:

The government claims she was a terrorist, and that they are giving her a second chance - as long as she plays by their rules. But echoes of the past whisper in Kyla's mind. Someone is lying to her, and nothing is as it seems. Who can she trust in her search for the truth?   

The book follows Kyla as she is rehomed and left to stay with a new family, it explores her struggle in trying to to fit into this new life and her determination to find out why she was slated in the first place. She meets a few questionable characters along the way and meets Ben, whom she falls for. Without giving too much away about the second book, Fractured, uncovers many secrets surrounding Kyla's new and past life while she must try to figure out who she can really trust with all of her secrets. But all is not what it seems.

Fractured Blurb: 

Kyla shouldn't remember anything from before she was Slated, but dark secrets of her past will not stay buried. Caught in a tug of war between Lorder oppression and the fight for freedom, her past and present race towards a collision she may not survive. While her desperate search for Ben continues, who can she trust in the world of secrets and lies?

I really loved both of these books and cannot wait for the third instalment, Shattered, to be released in March of this year. I am an avid young adult reader and especially love dystopian novels. I really connected with the characters that Terry created. Although I found the first book lacked a lot of action, the second certainly made up for it. If you loved books like the Hunger Games and Uglies, I can assure you you will love this too. 

For those of you that have read the series, or are interested to find out more you can do so by clicking here. Which will lead you to Teri Terry's website. If any of you are interested also, Terry is touring and will be at the Waterstones in Livingston on the 29th of January where she will be doing a Q&A and book signing. This is between 6.30 - 7.30. I think I am going to go, if I can. I would love to know if you are going to be there too. Leave me a comment! 

Blog soon little ones.

Hush Giveaway

Recently my blog has received over 150 followers and I am so grateful for this, I love reading through all your comments and everyone's own blogs. I could spend hours of my day doing it. As a reward for my lovely followers I wanted to do a give-away, I want to do a another one to celebrate this. I am thinking a Christmas style one, what would you all like to see?

This is my very first give-away and I am super excited for you all, I have been planning this for a long time, and as some of you may have remembered wrote about something exciting happening to my blog - well this is it! Recently I reviewed a really awesome book called Hush, written by Stacey Campbell. If you still haven't gone out and read this, now is your chance, I urge you to do so because it is such a great book. You can find the book here.

"For small-town girl Blakely Henry, any hope of finding her biological parents died when she stopped believing in fairy tales and Disney princes. That is, until she spots her boarding school's new British exchange student, Max Ryder, staring at her.

Why would a boy who looks like he stepped out of the pages of a magazine be looking at her?

Because Max knows something Blakely doesn't."

The book follows a young eighteen year old and his fascination with reporting, it brings him on an exchange program in Canada where he meets the mesmerising, Blakely. The two are drawn to each other and not just because of a dark secret surrounding Blakely and her family.  

Because Stacey is such a fabulous author, she thought it would be a great idea to collaborate and give one lucky winner the chance to win a signed copy of Hush! Super exciting. She even agreed to answer some of my questions too.

Who is Blakely really?

The character of Blakely is loosely based on our oldest daughter. I wish there was a real Max for her, but at this point she is still looking.

Where did you get the idea for Hush?

Every night, we gather around the table for dinner. On one such evening, several years ago, we were discussing the British royal family. “Well, there’s both Tudor and Middleton on my side of the family,” my husband informed our girls.

“Does that mean I could be a princess?” a much younger Blakely asked. “Only if several hundred people died first,” I told her. “But what if that happened? What if there was some sort of big family reunion and they all died?”

And the idea was born...

Do you find it difficult making your characters so believable/ giving them depth?

First of all, THANK YOU!! What a great compliment. I try really hard to make my characters believable. I fashion them out of traits I see in real life, friends, people in coffee houses, my kids and their friends, etc.… No one is really safe around me. You never know when you might turn up on the pages of one of my books. 

How would you describe your own writing style?

Natural. I try to write simply. We all have so much going on in our lives. I really want to create books that feel like a fun mini vacation. Especially for students who have so much serious reading to do already. 

What is your own favourite book?

Wow, That is a really tough question for me. I’ll pick up around ninety books each year. If they catch me in the first 20 pages I’ll read them. If they don’t I’ll put them down and move on to something else. Life is too short for bad wine, bad chocolate and a book you just can’t get into.  Last night I finished my 72nd book of the year. I have shelves of favorite books. 

On your blog, which can be found here, you revealed that Hush is going to be made into a movie; do you have any preferences of who you would like to see playing your main characters, Blakely and Max?

No not really. The producer really wants actors and actresses who want to be part of Hush the Movie and not just in it for the paycheck. She has an amazing vision of what she wants to do. Every time I meet with her I have to pinch myself. Indieflix and Kanbar entertainment, the companies that picked up Hush, are pretty amazing companies. I have complete faith in their judgment. We are still very early in the process though.

I have definite ideas about what the characters look like, but I am always up for suggestions too. Check out my Pinterest page under Lakeview novels here. I am thinking of putting together boards for each of the main characters soon as well.

Personally being from Scotland, I loved the way the characters were linked to the country, is this something that will follow in the series?

Yes! My husband’s family is from Scotland. You guys live in the most amazing place. I swear there are plot lines behind every corner.  We just don’t have that kind of history here in the US. Every time I am in the UK I swear my brain goes into overload. I know I will mess up with phrases and descriptions but know it comes from the heart and I am doing my best. I am hoping to concentrate most of book four, Silence, in Scotland. I might have to get you and some of your readers to help me out with the first couple of drafts to make sure I get it right!

Did you imagine your novel could be so successful?

I am afraid to call myself successful. I am fairly superstitious. Everyday I face insecurities like everyone else. Will people like my stories? Will they sell? What else can I do to make my books better? I am truly thrilled that readers are enjoying what I’ve written and I hope I can continue entertaining them for years to come. I have three releases in 2014. Whisper; book two in the Lakeview series. Arrgh, a turn of the century swashbuckling pirate yarn for ages 7-10.  And Sock Monster, a picture book about what happens when you don’t pick up clothes when asked. So cross your fingers for me.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck guys, and don't forgot to tell your friends!
Blog soon little ones.

*Book Spotlight

Hush: A Lakeview Novel - Stacey R. Campbell.

I was really into this novel as soon as I read the blurb. I am self confessed new adult book addict. I swear I just cannot get enough of the genre! Something about fast paced, dystopian, or teenage star crossed lovers always gets the hopeless romantic in me. And this was no let down. 

"For small-town girl Blakely Henry, any hope of finding her biological parents died when she stopped believing in fairy tales and Disney princes. That is, until she spots her boarding school's new British exchange student, Max Ryder, staring at her.

Why would a boy who looks like he stepped out of the pages of a magazine be looking at her?

Because Max knows something Blakely doesn't."

Following a young eighteen and his fascination with reporting, it brings him on an exchange program in Canada where he meets the mesmerising, Blakely. The two are drawn to each other and not just because of a dark secret surrounding Blakely and her family.  

I really enjoyed Campbell's style of writing, and the way she wrote about both characters feelings, making their relationship much more believable than some other novels I have previously read. The surrounding characters around both protagonists are filled with much more substance and humour than I originally expected, which was so refreshing to read. I especially loved the character of North, his quick wit and the way he interacts with Blakely and Max, is much like I react with my own friends. 

Without being too short or too long, the novel was able to fully tell an exciting and page turning story which kept you wanting to read more about the evolving relationship between its two central characters. A will they or won't they question was posed for much of the novel.

The series are set to continue, with another three said to already be in motion. Set around the magnificent Lakeview school I think it makes a great grounding point for new and exciting characters to emerge and be explored other than the two protagonists of this book. I am really looking forward to reading more from Campbell, and hope the next few instalments in the series comes sooner rather than later.

I would really recommend this book if you get the chance to read it. And would love to hear your reviews on the novel if you did. 

Blog soon little ones! 

* Book courtesy of Netgalley. I therefore do not own the rights to the image, all credit is due to publishers.