Philippa Gregory Q&A and Changeling Widget

Changeling, the first YA novel by Philippa Gregory is finally released this week!!  I for one am so excited for this amazing looking new series.  To celebrate the launch a fantastic widget has been created which you can find here -  http://www.orderofdarkness.com/widget/

Simon & Schuster have also done this incredible question and answer session with Philippa Gregory, which I am thrilled to share with you!!!

How was writing a book for teens different from writing a book for adults? I don't think there is any difference for me in terms of the craft of writing. I think that the quality and enjoyment of the novel should be at least equal to a book for adults. 

      

          Do you have a favourite character in your new teen series? I created the two principal characters of Luca and Isolde and liked them so much, but then I was amazed to find that the servant character of Frieze just jumped off the page. He is funny and full of common sense, wonderful with animals and has a great loving nature. His role just grew through the story as I came to like writing about him more and more. He is very important in book 2, and I think I will end up with a cast of 4 principal characters rather than 2.

   

         When you are writing a multi-book series, do you work from an outline (know all the beats) or do you work toward an ending (know how it all ends)? This has been the first series that I have written that is not anchored completely by the historical record, so I have revelled in the freedom of it and have worked on each novel quite independently. I know where the whole series ultimately ends, but I don't know yet how I will get there. It's a truly creative process, I feel as if I am making it up as I go along and loving this.

          Why did you set your new teen series in the 15^th century? The date of 1453 is such a key one - people really believed that it was the end of the world. It is this belief that means that Luca has his job in exploring the "end of days" and also means that there are so many manifestations of the supernatural that people report.

       

 How is it working with fictional characters rather than real historical figures It has been a real holiday from the demands of accuracy and research. It has set the novelist in me free for the first time in a long time. I love discovering and researching the historical characters, but to be able to create characters from imagination has been a real treat.

Books That Make Me Go Oooooh (43) The Diviners By Libba Bray

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Unconfirmed Cover

The Diviners By Libba Bray
Published In The UK By ATOM
Due For Release September 2012
Amazon LINK
Goodreads LINK

It's 1920s New York City. It's flappers and Follies, jazz and gin. It's after the war but before the depression. And for certain group of bright young things it's the opportunity to party like never before. For Evie O'Neill, it's escape. She's never fit in in small town Ohio and when she causes yet another scandal, she's shipped off to stay with an uncle in the big city. But far from being exile, this is exactly what she's always wanted: the chance to show how thoroughly modern and incredibly daring she can be. But New York City isn't about just jazz babies and follies girls. It has a darker side. Young women are being murdered across the city. And these aren't crimes of passion. They're gruesome. They're planned. They bear a strange resemblance to an obscure group of tarot cards. And the New York City police can't solve them alone. Evie wasn't just escaping the stifling life of Ohio, she was running from the knowledge of what she could do. She has a secret. A mysterious power that could help catch the killer - if he doesn't catch her first.

I am a BIG fan of books set in the past.  I've already read some of Libba's work (which was also historically set) and adored it.  I can't wait to see what this story has in store for me.......

Title AND Cover Reveal: Philippa Gregory YA Debut

In December I went along to an event with the lovely guys at Simon And Schuster to discuss the new books of 2012.  During a conversation with one of the lovely publicists it was mentioned to me that Philippa Gregory who is famous for her adult historical novels was working on some new work but for the young adult market.  I was instantly very excited by this and have been trying to find out more since.  Yesterday the news I have been waiting for, finally arrived!!!

The series will be called 'ORDER OF DARKNESS'  It will consist of FOUR books, The first being called

CHANGELING

This is due to be released on 24th May 2012 in glorious Hardback

"In Changeling, the year is 1453 and all signs point to it being the end of the world. Accused of heresy and expelled from his monastery, handsome seventeen-year-old, Luca Vero, is recruited by a mysterious stranger to record the end of times across Europe. Commanded by sealed orders, Luca is sent to map the fears of Christendom, and travel to the very frontier of good and evil. Seventeen year-old Isolde, a Lady Abbess, is trapped in a nunnery to prevent her claiming her rich
inheritance. As the nuns in her care are driven mad by strange visions, walking in their sleep
and showing bleeding wounds, Luca is sent to investigate and driven to accuse Isolde.
Outside in the yard he can see a pyre being made ready to burn the guilty…"

Soooo what do you think??  I'm definitely loving the sound of this.  I love that this makes history just a little more accessible and interesting to a younger market, plus will hopefully still appeal to Philippa's original fanbase.
The cover is simply gorgeous too - could not have pictured anything better!!!

Books That Make Me Go Oooooh (17) Clockwork Prince By Cassandra Clare

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Clockwork Prince By Cassandra Clare (The Infernal Devices)
Published In The UK By Walker
Due For Release 6th December 2011
Amazon LINK
Goodreads LINK

"In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa's powers for his own dark ends.
With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister's war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move and that one of their own has betrayed them.
Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will; the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?
As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart."

I already have 3 editions of Clockwork Angel, so it is safe to say I am loving this series.  I cannot wait for this follow-up to be released, why oh why was the release put back to December???

Books That Make Me Go Oooooh (15) Fateful By Claudia Gray

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Fateful By Claudia Gray
Published In The UK By HarperCollins Childrens
Due For Release In The UK March 2012
Amazon LINK


"A tragic tale about falling in love on the world’s most infamous ill-fated sea voyage as heroine, Tess, discovers darker secrets that lie beneath the doomed crossing… and a hidden brotherhood that threaten to tear her lover from her forever.
The RMS Titanic is the most luxurious ship ever built, but for eighteen-year-old Tess Davies it’s a prison. Travelling as a maid for the family she has served for years, Tess is trapped in their employ amid painful memories and family secrets.
When she meets Alec, a handsome upper class passenger, Tess falls helplessly in love. But Alec has secrets of his own… and soon Tess is entangled in a dangerous game. A sinister brotherhood that will do anything to induct Alec into their mystical order has followed him onboard. And Tess is now their most powerful pawn.
Tess and Alec fight the dark forces threatening to tear them apart, never realising that they will have to face an even greater peril before the journey is over…"

For many years now I have had quite, shall I say morbid fascination with the Titanic.   The whole idea of this stunning ship that was supposedly unsinkable, meeting its demise on its very first journey is absolutely amazing & ironic.  Now to add in Claudia Gray's fabulous imagination and some paranormal twists, makes for an even more exciting and intriguing tale.  This really is right up my street!!!!

Review - The Taker By Alma Katsu

"When Dr Luke Findley turns up to his hospital shift in the small town of St Andrews, Maine, he's expecting just another evening of minor injuries and domestic disputes. But instead, Lanore McIlvrae walks into his life - and changes it forever. For Lanny is a woman with a past...

Lanny McIlvrae is unlike anyone Luke has ever met. Hers is a story of love and betrayal that defies time and transcends mortality - and cannot end until Lanny's demons are finally put to rest. Her two hundred years on this earth have seen her seduced by both decadence and brutality - but through it all she has stayed true to the one true love of her life. Until now.

An unforgettable novel about the power of unrequited love to elevate and sustain, but also to blind and ultimately destroy, The Taker is an immortal love story on an epic scale..."


I absolutely adore the UK cover.  Its definitely the first thing that drew me to it.  I even did a blog post based just on the beauty of it.  Imagine my happiness when I read the blurb and the story was right up my street too.  I love the victoriana style of it, with the Gothic roses and silver coloured branches.  The bi-line tells you just enough to get you intrigued and know what the story is about.  Also the edges of the paper are black - SO COOL!!!!  This alone gets a huge thumbs up from me!

So from reading the blurb it was safe to guess this wasn't a typical young adult book like I would normally buy, but there was just something about it that I just had to read.
It starts off about a guy called Luke & his life as a doctor in a small town in the US.  I was surprised on reading it, that it was in a narrated style and I most definitely didn't expect that.  Its not till the end of the first chapter you really learn that the story is more about the girl Lanny and so you are really reading from her perspective.  It was quite a cool reading twist.

You are thrown straight into a story of mystery, that is most definitely clever and engaging.  You feel a part of the story from the get go.  I just wanted to absorb every aspect of the it.

The book is set in 4 parts.  From the first part, I couldn't really see why it was an adult book.  There are some scenes of sensuality and passion, but nothing really gratuitous.  Then I got to the second part of the book and it took a very dark, sinister turn.  I could completely understand the adult classification then.  There really are some harrowing scenes that made me feel quite uncomfortable and I actually had to put the book down to process what I had just read.  But still I was absolutely captivated and I needed to know what was going to happen next, how they were going to get themselves out of the situation they were in, why they had done whatever it is that had just happened?  Its such an enthralling read.

The revelation of what the Taker is, happens quite close to the end of the story.  I must admit I did not guess the twist that Alma had in store, I actually kicked myself for not realising.  But I always love a surprise and these days its quite rare to get a good shock from a book.  Well done Alma!!

The end of the story left me a little deflated, with some questions still to be answered.  I have since found out that there will be a sequel - YESSSSS!  I am so excited to see what happens next, I really do need these nagging answers!!

This book had me up for hours a night, I just couldn't put it down.  I couldn't be woken in the mornings, so it was guessed very quickly I had 'one' of them books that was amazing.
The only reason I won't be giving this 5 out of 5 is because there were parts that I just couldn't relate too (thankfully) and so my connection to the characters wasn't as deep.  However I shall be recommending this to everyone.  It is a great jumping book from YA to adult, just be prepared for shocks and turmoil.

Rating 4 1/2 Out Of 5

Published In The UK By Century

This Can Be Purchased From HERE & good book retailers