Author interview time again! This time, we have Wendy Knight visiting. She recently released the final book in an amazing series of YA fantasy that began with FEUDLINGS. The latest book is actually a prequel. – Check out this gorgeous cover! (and the book blurb)

Hate can start a war, but a shattered heart can fuel it for centuries.

Everything Ada does is wrong. She’s the daughter of a Duke but she isn’t proper or formal. She prefers the company of her servants—particularly Christian, the boy she’s loved since she was six years old, and his sister, Charity, Ada’s very best friend in the entire world.
Ada isn’t just the daughter of a Duke. No, she’s the daughter of one of the most powerful Edren sorcerers alive, and no matter how strong she is, it isn’t strong enough. Ada will give up almost everything to earn her father’s pride.
Christian has loved Ada since the day his mother became her governess. But two societies are determined to keep them apart—the aristocracy who say a groom will never be good enough for a Duke’s beautiful daughter, and the sorcerers who say a Carules and an Edren can never be together. Christian will do anything to make Ada his—even drive himself to madness.
When Ada suspects her father of hurting Charity and Christian in his quest for knowledge, she is torn between loyalty to him, and a fierce determination to protect them. The division tears her soul and breaks her heart.
The pieces of her broken heart will start a war that can only be stopped by the death of the most powerful warrior alive by the hand of the boy who loves her.

 ****

**Bonus Story –Feudlings in Peace**Join  Ari, Shane, Ada, Christian and everyone they love as they chase their happily ever after.

 

Sneak peek into the book with an excerpt:

He sprinted down the path, into the forest, leaping over huge rocks and tree roots and through streams he couldn’t see but his magic told him were there. He had no idea where he was going, but there seemed to be a tether from his heart to hers — he always knew where Ada was. He ran straight to them, nearly colliding with her father’s guards as he raced through the thick trees.

“What happened to her?” he bellowed, jerking Ada out of Davis’s bloodstained arms.

“She was hit, saving me,” Harrison answered. “Can you help her?”

If there had been time, any time at all, Christian would have paused at that. How exactly had his tiny little Ada saved the giant Harrison? But there wasn’t time. He laid her on the thick grass, searching for the wound. But there was so much blood.

“There!” Davis snapped, jabbing the air above her stomach.

Flames roiled across Christian’s hands and he held them above her, letting the flames soothe the skin before he tried to touch it. They swirled through the air, seeping and mending the broken, charred skin.

“Does she breathe?” Harrison asked, crouching close to put his face next to her mouth.

Christian ignored him. He didn’t care if she breathed or not.

She would breathe, or he would die with her.

“She does.” Harrison sat back, relieved.

“Can you not heal at all? Stop the blood flow from her shoulder!” Christian snapped.

Harrison gaped at him. “We’re Edren. We don’t heal.”

“I’m Carules and I can throw a lirik if need be,” Christian muttered under his breath, but he couldn’t argue with them now.

She moaned.

They all froze in shock, and then redoubled their efforts. Davis jerked his shirt off and held it to her shoulder while Christian’s blue flames leaped and danced from his hands, fighting the poison eating through her body.

“Christian. I knew—” she whispered as her skin healed, leaving only pink burns behind.

“Shhh. Don’t speak. You’re still very weak.” He moved from her stomach to her shoulder, pushing Davis’ shirt out of the way. It was stiff with dried blood and she shrieked when he ripped it from the wound. “Forgive me, dear one,” he whispered, his mouth near her temple, kissing the pain away. “Forgive me.”

“I knew… you would come. I knew you… could heal me.” Her eyes fluttered open, dazed with pain, dark orbs barely reflecting the moonlight.

“Always, Ada. Forever.”

Introducing, Wendy: 

Wendy Knight is the bestselling author of the young adult series Fate on Fire and Riders of Paradesos. She was born and raised in Utah by a wonderful family who spoiled her rotten because she was the baby. Now she spends her time driving her husband crazy with her many eccentricities (no water after five, terror when faced with a live phone call, no touching the knives…you get the idea). She also enjoys chasing her three adorable kids, playing tennis, watching football, reading, and hiking. Camping is also big—her family is slowly working toward a goal of seeing all the National Parks in the U.S.

You can usually find her with at least one Pepsi nearby, wearing ridiculously high heels for whatever the occasion. And if everything works out just right, she will also be writing.

Social Media Links:
Blog: www.wendyknightauthor.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorWendyKnight
Twitter: https://twitter.com/wjk8099
Instagram: http://instagram.com/wendyjo99

 

 

 

 

 

 

And now for our interview, as always, based on the title of the book-

 

SPARK OF A FEUDLING

S is for spells: your characters can do some amazing spells. If you could do a magic spell (not just the kinds your characters can do) what would it be?

Well of course, if I could choose any magic, it would be to end world hunger or create world peace. BUT, pretend someone already did that—I would have a magic that would make sleep unnecessary. Seriously, it takes up so much writing time!

 

P is for problems: What do you feel like your characters learn (without spoilers) from the problems that they face?

They learn that one, destiny might always win but it can still be on your terms. And two, that loyalty, love and friendship will overcome any trial, any evil, against all odds.

A is for admire: What things do you admire that inspire you in your writing?

I have to say, human nature is my biggest inspiration. I know there are so many bad things in the world, but I see so much good, so much strength, caring and love. I want to take those characteristics and capture them in my writing. I try to give them to my characters.

R is for wRiting: (see what I did there? 😉 )  Now that you have finished Feudlings, what are your next projects that we can look forward to?

Haha! I love it. Right now I’m working on a few different projects. I am just starting the final installment in the Riders of Paradesos series, which is about my battle unicorns and the teenagers who help them save the day. I’m also just finishing up a series I am involved in with five other authors called The Gates of Atlantis. My story is about a hybrid banshee who has to learn to embrace both halves of herself to save her brother and help save Atlantis. And I’m about half-done with the first story in a new trilogy—it’s a New Adult urban fantasy called The Soul’s Agent about a girl who is sort of a probation officer for ghosts. She recruits lost souls to fight in her army against demons. And of course, there’s this guy she can’t get over messing up her plans…

K is for kiss: You write some really great romantic relationships and elements in your stories. Who is your favorite couple in literature?

Oooh that’s a hard one! Okay, I’m going with the couple from The Scarlet Pimpernel. One, because I desperately love that story. Two, because I read it when I was in high school, and one scene has stayed with me ever since. When I write a romantic scene, I try to remember how it made me feel—when Marguerite walks away and Percy kisses each place her fingers touched the banister…swoon!

Feudlings: this is the end of a wonderful series, where did you get the name ‘feudlings’ from?

Well, I made it up. I started writing this story, and I was telling my brother about it, and he asked me what the name was. I didn’t have a name. But it was about two feuding sides, particularly, the people fighting—they were my Feudlings. And there was my title!

 

Thank you for visiting with us today, Wendy!

Everyone- run like Wendy’s Facebook author page so you can get the latest updates on all her new books!

We have another fun author interview today: Krista Wayment is here. Her new book, TRUSTED, (Middle Grade Fantasy) comes out this week! (March 27th)

There is also a Rafflecopter contest entry at the end (for a 10$ Amazon Gift certificate)

First, here is the cover and a blurb about the book:

Renick, the fifth son of a dragon breeder, crashes into an unexpected adventure that challenges everything he thought he knew about dragons, history, and himself.

 

Stranded in the massive Helath forest, Renick meets two other passengers: Thane, a noble training to be a dragon knight, and Lainey, the orphaned niece of a healer. Together they survive an attack by vicious wolves, rescue a baby dragon with a broken wing, and escape from a band of dragon hunters as they make a perilous climb into the mountains. What they discover there will change everything.

 

 Here is Krista Wayment:

 

Krista Wayment has been making up stories since she learned to talk. Writing naturally grew out of that. Krista is an avid Fantasy and Science Fiction fan, and a total nerd. She is also a software engineer and loves playing video games. Although, curling up with a good book is still one of her favorite past times.

Author Website: www.kristawayment.com

Book Website: dragonstrust.blogspot.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Krista-Wayment-Author/223311651035091?ref=hl

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KristaWayment

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5764548-krista-wayment

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20803900-trusted

 

 

And our interview, based on the title of the book: 

 

TRUSTED

T is for Trusted: What can you tell us (without huge spoilers)about the significance of your title?

Hmm, let me see. I can tell you in the world of Dragons’ Trust that dragons, especially young ones have the ability to see to the core of a person. They often give a person a name that identifies they greatest strength. Plyth, the baby dragon gives Renick the name, “Trusted.” There are more layers to the title but they are all spoilers 🙂

R is for reading: What is your favorite genre to read?

Fantasy. I also really love Science Fiction. But my main love is fantasy. Magic, dragons, castles, knights. I love it all.

U is for Unique: What is something that you feel is unique about your characters?

I think that the most unique thing about my character has to do with how they interact with each other and the world around them. Renick is very quiet and strong. He connects with people really easily and feels things very deeply.

Lainey is bright and spunky but has experienced a lot of pain in her life. She has a hard time letting people in but is very loyal.

Thane is brave. And more than just the monster fighting/hero saves the day kind of brave. He could face anything and conquer it, though he doesn’t know that yet. Thane is a protector and will come to the rescue of those he cares for no matter what the danger to himself.

S is for share: Would you share your plans for future books?

Yes. Book 2 of the Dragons’ Trust series is in the works right now. I don’t want to give too much away but it involves a rogue dragon and Thane gets the chance to be a hero. I’m also working on a humorous science fiction series that will probably be released after the Dragons’ Trust series is complete.

T is for trials: What are a few things your characters learn through the trials they encounter and what do you think you learned from their growth?

Renick learns a lot about leadership and trust. He kind of gets thrown into being the leader because he is the one the others trust the most. He also learns to be confident in himself. Renick’s growth taught me that even though we may not want to utilize one of our talents—we are not really our true selves until we do.

Lainey is terrified of dark enclosed places. At one point she is faced with a choice, over come her fear and save a life—or let her fear stop her. She taught me that fear, no matter how strong, is not stronger then we are. Who we are always manages to shine through even the darkest of trials.

Thane learns a lot about companionship and what it is like to care for people who care for you in return (something he hasn’t had a lot of experience with). He also learns about friendship. Thane taught me that sometimes we have to set our pride aside before we can really let anyone in.

E is for exciting: What kinds of things are exciting to you? What are your favorite things to do?

Reading and writing, but that’s a given, right?

I LOVE getting packages in the mail. And I’m kind of a tracking junky. If I order something and it has a tracking number I check the website like 50 times a day. At any given time you can ask me where in the country  my package is and I will know 🙂

The thrill of solving a puzzle or accomplishing something that I have been working on for a while also excites me. I notice this a lot when I play video or board games (I’m a gamer.)

Learning is another thing that I enjoy doing. Mastering a new concept is really exciting to me.

D is for Dragons: (Because DRAGONS 🙂 ) What draws you to dragons, what is your favorite thing about them?

I’ve thought a lot about this lately. When I think of dragons, I think of wise old beings who have lived a lot time and gained knowledge from their experience. They are also beautiful and graceful. I think it is the ability to imagine what a real dragon would be like that draws me to them. Plus, you know they fly and breathe fire which is totally cool! 

 

 

Finally: The contest entry! (click the link)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Find the answer and tomorrow’s question at:

 http://www.jamesduckett.com

Along with the scavenger hunt, we also have a fun interview based on the title of the book! With the first book in the series, we interviewed Jaclyn, the author. This time, we have Megan and Jared, two of the main characters, answering the questions. 

Thanks for stopping by today, you guys. Good ‘Luck’!

Author interview time again! Today we have Laura Bastian with us. Her wonderful new book (YA light sci fi)  “Eye On Orion” just came out.

First: the cover and the back blurb:

Falling in love with your gorgeous new neighbor isn’t a bad thing, but when he turns out to be the bodyguard of a princess from a planet nine billion light-years away, life gets complicated.

 Seventeen-year-old stargazer Holly Adams never imagined she’d find herself trying to prevent the overthrow of an alien government. When Jai and his sister Amira move into the house down the street, Holly is immediately drawn to them. Jai acts suspicious of her from the start, making Holly more curious about their oddities. When Holly learns they are from a different planet, she does what she can to help protect Amira from Shander, a man who wants to marry her by force in order to take over the kingdom her father rules.

Mistaken identity, a botched kidnapping, and a first kiss that bonds Holly and Jai for life are hard enough, but when Shander believes Holly to be the princess, things get even more dangerous.

Next: an excerpt from the book:

“Do you think there could be life out there somewhere on other planets?” he asked quietly.

“I do.” I rolled onto my side, and propped myself up with my elbow to see him better.

“Intelligent?”

“Yes.”

“Green?” he asked.

“No.” I smiled.

“Really? What makes you think there are others out there?”

“Why not?” I shrugged with one shoulder. “Why would God stop here? Why not make more? What about you? Do you think there is life out there on other planets?”

“I do.”

“Green?” I asked.

“No. And I am sure they are intelligent,” he said with a small smile.

“And what makes you think so?” I asked, returning the smile.

He rolled onto his back and looked at the sky. “Because with so much space, there has to be something else like Earth somewhere. It is just so far away you would never find it unless you knew where to look.”

“I wish I knew where to look.” I lowered myself onto my side, resting my head on my arm extended straight on the blanket. “The discovery of other worlds out there would be fantastic.”

He turned to face me again. “It would be.”

Then: The author herself and the interview –

Eye On Orion

Eye: They say “the eyes are the window to the soul”. If we could look into your main characters’ eyes, what do you think it would say about them?

          Jai’s eyes would show he’s brave with a hint of nerves hiding behind it. He’s rough, with tenderness peeking through when he looks at those he cares for. He’s willing to fight for what he believes in and will hold tight to the promises he’s made.

          Holly’s eyes would show she’s confident but only when she reminds herself to be. She’s not afraid of looking or being different from those around her. Her eyes would show she believes in the unbelievable, and she’s willing to look past the surface to see the truth.

On  is for “On film”- If you had to pick a movie cast for your main characters, who are your top choices?

          Oh, man. I never know how to answer this question. I know who would play the bad guy, Shander: Simon Baker who plays Patrick Jane on the CBS show The Mentalist. (http://www.imdb.com/media/rm209510144/nm0048932?ref_=nmmd_md_pv#) The rest would be up to someone else to pick.

O is for “Origins” – What is the story behind this story? How did you come up with the idea for this book?

          Two things came together to blend into this story. I had a dream once upon a time where some teens from another planet came to Earth and had some adventures. Then a little while later, I was given an assignment for an online writing class I was taking to help me renew my teaching license I’d let expire while I stayed home to raise my family. The assignment was to look at 3 pictures, pick one and then write a five page story about that picture. I took the one that had two teens at a bus stop looking lost and confused. I wrote the five pages, then continued on because the story didn’t feel done. Ended up with over two hundred pages. Funny thing is, on revisions, that scene with them at the bus stop was taken out and rewritten to something else. But that’s where it started.

R is for “Reader”: What are your favorite genres to read?

          I love Young Adult fiction. Fantasy and sci-fi are my favorites. I read a lot of them. Lots of times it’s to learn my craft, but I think those are my favorites. I also love epic fantasy and anything with magic is my first pick. I do enjoy a good clean romance, and have found those are now the only books I can read for pure enjoyment because I’m not dissecting everything about them to learn how to make my own writing better.

I is for “Inspiration”: Your main character finds inspiration in the stars. What kinds of things inspire your writing?

          Life. There is so much magic and surprise and joy and heartache and redemption in everything around us. The man who is struggling to overcome an addiction. The woman fighting to keep her kids fed. The teens enduring then overcoming bullying. A child fighting cancer or some other debilitating illness. You see something on the news, or online that sparks and idea. You see how people overcome the real life hardships and you just want to incorporate that magic into your own writing.

O is for “Obstacles”: What kinds of obstacles (without spoilers) do your characters overcome and what do you feel like you learned from their growth?

          Personal self-worth. Realizing each person is a wonderful creation in a universe full of unexplained wonders.

          Standing up for yourself and Doing hard things. There’s a scene where Holly is mistaken for the princess and kidnapped in her place. She has to figure out how to save herself and what to do with the results of her actions.

          I learned that even though we may or may not chose something in our own lives, there are always consequences that follow. And the way we deal with things dropped on our laps, or something that slaps us across the face determines how the world sees us as well as how we see ourselves.

N is for “New”: Your main character runs into a lot of ‘new’ things in this story, from things she didn’t know existed to new relationships. What kinds of ‘new’ things have you encountered in your life that you think have changed you?

          Being a new mom. Five times over and seeing that each one of my kids is an individual, and what worked with one may not work with another. Being a new teacher even though that’s what I had wanted to be since I was in 4^th grade. Being a new writer and learning all the ins and outs of writing a story that works. Being new in a town and neighborhood after finally feeling like I felt welcome in my old neighborhood. Being a new published author and seeing my book baby take its first steps out into a big world.

          We all have to try new things. Some are harder than others. Some are fun and exciting, and some make us want to cry. But I really think the reason we are on this Earth and not somewhere else completely is to try new things and see what we do with that experience. Learn from it or fight it.

Thanks so much for letting me visit your blog.

Laura

Thanks to Laura for coming to visit!

Finally: Here is where to find Laura:

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLauraDBastian

Website:   http://www.lauradbastian.com/

And to find her book:

Amazon: 

Barnes &Noble: