Totally diggin the song Radioactive by Imagine Dragons.....

The Runes Series (Runes- Book 1, Immortals- Book 2) by Ednah Walters

   Once upon a time there was a girl named Raine.  She was a normal, not real popular, high school student.  Until she met Torin St. James.  Torin was the dark and dangerous guy who moved in next door, not to mention the hottest guy that Raine had ever seen.  It doesn't take long for Raine to fall into some crazy lust after him, but some weird things start to happen.  Like how Torin talks about being able to do things because of magic.  Well Raine doesn't even believe in magic until she starts seeing the results from what could only have been magic.  Then her world takes a very dramatic turn.
   Eirik and Cora are Raine's best friends.  They are brutally frank and Eirik ad Raine have had a crush on each other for a while now.  Although Raine has feelings for a certain someone else, she begins dating Eirik.  At the same time she is also dealing with the possible loss of her father.  He was in a plane crash months before, but his body had not been found.  Raine's mother is convinced he is still alive, but Raine isn't so sure anymore.
   And then bad things start happening.  She finds out the truth about her new neighbor.  He and some of the other new teenagers in town are all Valkyries.  They shepherd souls to the next life and use runes for things like super speed and healing.  It's almost impossible to kill them.  But then again, why would she want to when she was falling all over one of them?  It seemed like all of the Valkyries had the other teens her age all over them.  They were beautiful and magnetic.  But she and Torin share a closer bond than normal.
   And then there's Maliina.  She has a serious dislike for Raine after her man, Andris, decided to flirt a little with her.  Bad idea.  It turns Maliina crazy.  And a crazy Valkyrie is a dangerous one.  Now she must try to stay alive, which is turning out to be pretty hard to do.  Torin is the only one who can and will save her.


  Book two has many all new types of threats and a very confused Torin.  The awful Norns that Raine had to contend with in the last book completely wiped part of his memory.  The part with her in it.  So it feels like he has just moved in again next door and has no idea who she is.  She is totally devastated.  But Raine isn't so easily daunted and intends on making him remember no matter what she has to do.
   Eirik is not who anyone thought.  He is a very important person (who I will not identify in this review).  But he has a dark side that is threatening everything and everyone around him.  The Norns (which are the ones that guide the destinies of people) warn Raine about him.  But he is her best friend and she is willing to go through whatever she must to save him while trying to do the same with Torin.
   As if this isn't enough, Raine isn't who she seems either.  Her true nature comes out at the end and it is not what you will be expecting!  I never saw it coming!



   Secrets, lies, love and lust, hate, runic magic, a little Norse mythology, and death (lots of death).  Yes these two books have it all.  You've got the hormonal teenager side to contend with but it doesn't get too hot and heavy in the books.  Raine's family is just full of secrets, some of which were painful to her.  And things with her friends are ever changing.  They will always be her best friends, but it seems like she is always off trying to save someone, including them.
   And all the while, Torin is in the background watching.  His rule of never getting involved with a mortal is completely shot to pieces when Raine comes into the picture.  She is what he has been missing for so long and even after his memory has been messed with, he still feels it.  I hate how much they torture each other before they finally decide to just go with it and be together.  But that is part of what makes it good.  Torin goes through great lengths to keep her from becoming like him.  But as you see by half way through the second book, that was useless.  Raine is going to get her way.  So she's a little pushy.  The girl just knows what she wants.




*images via Ednah Walters

Secret Doors: The Challenge by Brian D. Meeks

   Abby is an orphan.  She was adopted by the Drapers two years ago after a horrible fire took away all of the family that she had.  The Drapers had swooped in and given her a new home immediately, but she never felt like it was her home.  Shunned by Mrs. Draper because of her red hair, and picked on by Trent and Trevor (the Draper twins), she now spends her days as a "guest" in their home.  And it is made painfully obvious to her that she is not really wanted.
   Stevie is also an orphan.  He and Abby meet and become best friends.  Stevie lives in an orphanage.  They are both drawn together because of their similar situations.
   Both Abby and Stevie embark on a journey into the world of secret doors and challenges.  A world where Alphie, a friend in this new realm, is an owl and a man.  They are grouped together with a few other kids around their age and begin a challenge that neither of them really seem to understand.  But seeing that this is better than going back to their homes, they decide to go through with it.  What they find is more friendship, leadership, and becoming more of who they were meant to be.  But first, they must make it out of the challenge alive.  Because someone is sabotaging it.

   A great little novel that I would be comfortable letting younger kids read!  It is a very clean book, but still has the excitement of adventure.  It will definitely appeal to the younger readers!  Secret Doors is more than just an adventure, it's about the process of growing up as well, of getting the courage to go through all types of perils.  Great read!

If the zombie apocalypse happened....

   My main question, which might sound pretty strange, is if the zombie apocalypse actually happened, would it really be survival of the fittest?  If you think about it, it's kind of a curious question to ask because there could possibly be so many variables in the mix.  I have seen Zombieland and as hilarious as it really is, it could also have some very good pointers in this whole rule thing it has going on.
   If the zombie apocalypse happened in a very quick time frame, as in hours, most people who lived in large cities and were in crowded areas would just be out of luck.  I don't care how good of an athlete you are because unless you have some serious spider man skills, you're done for.  With that many zombies crowding you, lurking around every corner, and dead end alleys, it's just not good.  The body count is going to sky rocket (as well as the number of zombies).
   One of those weird unknown variables would be, how does one turn into a zombie?  If it's contagious even by getting bit like a lot of the stories say, then most of the world is going to turn zombie in no time.  If it's not like that, then there is a chance that we could stamp it out before it became a huge epidemic.
   Those who are living in the less crowded areas, the suburbs and rural areas are going to have a better chance at fortifying their homes or just plain running before it hits their area.  Chances are, the further away you are, the better chance you have of hearing about it beforehand.  This is a real advantage.
   Then there are those paranoid crazies out there who, believe it or not, will be the ones who are most prepared for something like this.  They will be the ones to have the food supplies, medicine, and safe area to stay in until this blows over or something.  Not to mention the possibility of weapons to defend yourself.
   As for those of us with any real medical issues, we are in for a world of trouble because once most of the world turns into one of those things, there will be no one to make medicine and no one to make sure we have heating and air or electricity.  It will be like we are essentially back in the stone age.  Most survivors will die from exposure to the elements or of infection from even the smallest of wounds.
   In some ways, it would be survival of the fittest.  The physically and mentally strong will have an upper hand, as will those with a strong immune system.  But it will also be those who are prepared that will have a better chance as well.  But never underestimate the power of sheer luck and determination.  And most of man kind has the ability to have one or the other of the two.

On a lighter note, I would much rather it be something like a vampire invasion. So many more perks lol.

       The Rules:

*image via www.zombielandrules.com

   

Light and Darkness (War of the Fae: Book 3) by Elle Casey

"The difference is in the way we believe humans should be treated and the role we should play in their society.  The Light Fae believe our best chance for survival and to have access to the resources provided by the humans is to stay hidden...to continue to operate in their shadows and dreams, not their realities.  However, the Dark Fae do not agree.  They want to be out in front of the humans, living in the open, no longer hiding who they are and what they do.  They want to exert their power over the humans and assert their fae dominance."

A great little tidbit of a book I recently finished reading.  Great stuff!!

*quote via Elle Casey
*picture via Elle Casey

The City of Bones -Movie

Today I got to go see The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones.  Now, there is just no comparing the movie and the book.  All of those who have read the book will notice quite a few differences between the two.  If you think this will really be a problem, then don't go see the movie.  As a whole separate deal, the movie was good.  It had plenty of action, it was funny, scary, and a little cheesy.  I could have done without that little bit of cheesiness that they added, but overall a pretty darn good movie.  But please don't take your little kids to go see this movie.  Those demons in it were scary.  Period.  They looked like something that mutated out of a Resident Evil movie.  Talk about nasty and creepy.  And yes, Clary seems just as helpless in the movie as she does in the book.  One little thing though.  Jonathan Rhys Meyers has a serious hair problem.  It may seem like a little minor thing, but his hair is just wow.  And not in a good way.  Picture a cross between Joe Dirt and Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean and you've got it.  Yes Jonathan Rhys Meyers your hair is causing you a 5 point loss in cool points.  It was downright distracting.  There is some redemption for him though.  He did act just as crazy as Valentine seemed, maybe even a little more so.  Jamie Campbell Bower was a very good choice for Jace.  As we have seen before, he can play the part for someone who is a dark character.  And even though he is one of the good guys, you can also see a little bit of dark and dangerous still and it really works.   The only character I was truly disappointed in was the one of Magnus Bane.  I was hoping for a more flamboyant and out there persona.  That is not what I really got.  Yes you get to see him in his underwear (don't worry his little "outfit" is really hilarious), but he isn't all the glitter and glam and outgoing warlock we see in the book.  And if you have never read the book, then you might be more than a little horrified about Jace and Clary's relationship at the end of it when they find out some rather alarming news about themselves.  But, on the upside, the fight scenes are amazing and the nasty, scary demons really give the movie an edge.  Overall, it was worth going to see in theaters.

Sneak Peak at Phoenix Rising (Book 5 of The Kindred Series) by Erica Stevens

"As it was meant to be, so has she risen."

Yes, Cassie died and has come back from the dead as a vampire, a whole new type of creature.  She has powers like no one could even fathom.  And she is out for revenge.  The Elders who have been such a thorn in her side for so long, making life hell for her, are in her cross hairs.  With the truly amazing power that she wields,  Cassie must be careful to not lose herself within it.  It would be too easy to get swallowed up in all of that power and just burn down the world, destroying everything including her self and  her friends, and Devon.  It will be up to them to try to keep her in check and try to help teach her how to control her powers.  Keeping everyone safe will prove to be a real challenge.  Keeping them safe from Cassie will be even harder.  Should they just accept her as she is now?  Can Devon accept that she could become a monster?  Would they be able to stop her if she went too far?

I've read the last book and have to say it is pretty awesome!  The ending is very satisfying.  So much action!  And don't forget the love story.  Cassie and Devon's relationship takes a new turn with this new revelation. Phoenix rising is due to come out on Amazon on August 27th!!

*image via Erica Stevens
*quote via Erica Steven

The Changelings (War of the Fae Book 1) by Elle Casey

   I can't take much more of this high school nonsense.  I feel like I'm not supposed to be here.  So, where would I be if I weren't here? ...I don't know.  All I do know is I'm in the middle of all this crap, going to class, taking tests- but I'm on autopilot, going through the motions, waiting for life to start happening.

   Jayne is the usual 17-year-old trouble-maker.  She constantly gets in trouble at school and really doesn't care that she does.  Tony, her best friend of the last two years, is her polar opposite.  He never gets in trouble and is doing his best in school.  He wants to go to college some day.  Tony never has a girlfriend and gets embarrassed when Jayne talks about certain body parts.  He is socially awkward.  But then again, she doesn't fit in either.  They are both outcasts in their school and neither has a good home life.  One day they both run away to Miami.  Tony has a strange link with Jayne where sometimes he can feel her emotions if they are pretty intense.  One night he felt what was going on with Jayne at her house and that was the turning point.  Bad things happened that night and Tony was resolved to get them both out of town.
   The minute they get to Miami they meet Jared.  He is different than normal people.  He does weird stuff, like put the butts of his cigarettes in his pockets, instead of throwing them on the ground.  They stay in a very quaint warehouse with others that Jared had found.  There was Chase, Spike, Finn, Becky, and Samantha.  They live on what they can, using porta potties and getting money when they can for food and other necessities.  They all seem to be outcasts as well.
   An opportunity comes up for them to make quite a little bit of money that the group needs.  A flyer for a clinical trial for a fitness study is found.  But this is no ordinary trial.  During the preliminary test, they are asked very strange questions.  Then are interviewed and asked about the answers they marked on the test.  One of the strange questions is if you could be a super hero, which one would you be.  Besides Samantha, the group is flown out to a remote forest to go through the "clinical trial".  But things get weird when they have to battle strange creatures that suck blood, sirens, and come into contact with tiny gnomes.  They are in danger as long as they stay on this obstacle course, but there is no way out until they finish or give up.  And it could take days.  Although they are armed with some simple weapons, the best help they encounter is the forest itself.  Jayne figures out she has a strange connection with the trees and environment in the area.  She can "talk" to the plants and trees.  As they battle through the forest, they learn that they are in the world of the fae.  And when the group gets to the end of the course, there is even more surprises in store.

I didn't want to be the old Jayne anymore- the one who sat in high school history class waiting for  life to happen; the one who feared men coming into her room at night; the one who looked at amazing things and only wondered what they could mean.  I wanted to be special.  I wanted to be more.

   I have not really read that many books involving the fae, but this was definitely a good one.  The interesting thing about it is that they include the incubus and the succubus as a type of fae as well.  This is something completely new, but also explains the whole taking from humans.  It seems that most fae need the humans for various reasons.  The small group has fae blood in them, unknowingly of course, and this test was to see what type of fae they might be.  When they learn they most likely have the blood of the fae, they must make a life-changing decision.  For most of them, it is the choice to become something  better, to become who they were meant to be.
   The book has a lot of action, and just a little bit of love in it.  It's a great combination of the two.  Jayne starts becoming interested in Spike.  For some reason she really likes his teeth.  It seems like a strange thing to like about someone, but it's a good start.  But then at the very end of the book, she starts having some strange feelings for Chase, but she just isn't sure what they are yet.  Loved it and I cannot wait to read the next book!  Check it out!!

                                                                http://ellecasey.com/




*images via Elle Casey
*quotes via Elle Casey

The Born Trilogy by Tara Brown

  It's us and it's them......

   It was something that Emma had drilled into her head since she was little by her dad.  When the end had come, just like her father said it would, they hid out.  They were prepared.  But her father was killed and she was left alone, and stayed alone for ten years, hiding out in a cabin deep in the woods.  She only came out when she needed supplies, which wasn't often since she and Leo, a wolf, were the only ones.  Until there is a knock on her cabin door one day.  Then everything changes.  She is no longer alone.  But Emma has been away from people for so long that she is more than awkward around them.  And she trusts no one except Leo.
 
I wasn't born into this world.  I had to learn how to survive and live with the other people in it.

   I honestly don't even know how to convey into words all of the feeling and realism that this series brings to its reader.  All three of the books are amazingly well written.  And the emotions feel so real.  Emma seems to be cold-hearted and unfeeling.  She kills when it's necessary without a second thought.  There is a serious disease going around making people into zombies.  If you come into contact with them, you get infected and you eat anything that moves.  You stay that way until you just waste away.  Once Emma has other people around her she must learn how to act more normal.  Her emotions constantly run high and she falls in love with two brothers, who are also both in love with her.  The sister of the two brothers becomes Emma's best friend and confidant.
   When the disease started, other people started building safe places to breed the healthy young women.  The only thing was that they were kidnapping them and horrible things were happening to these women.  Promises of safety and prosperity were what drew in some, but there was no truth in it.  Death is everywhere.  And Emma has not cared for anyone in ten years besides Leo.  So when her friends get hurt, she goes on a rampage.  The anger inside of her threatens to burn her up from the inside out.  But there are things about herself that she doesn't know.  And even things about the government that are the types of secrets you never want to hear.  (Spoiler alert ahead)-  The man in charge of this craziness....is her biological father.   In the end, she knows she must stop him.  Stopping her father comes with a price.  A price she finds very hard to pay.  It's wreaks havoc on her heart.  Conspiracy, betrayal, love, heart-break, healing, and lots of death.  This series has it all.

Nothing is instant; evil and hatred take time.  It isn't as easy as using the internet to make hate, or commit crimes from a speeding car with a gun out the window.  Everything takes time and effort.  The good and the bad.



                                           http://tarabrown22.blogspot.com/

*images via Tara Brown
*quotes via Tara Brown

Denounced (Exalted Book 2) by Tara Elizabeth

"Your race is the product of a government experiment gone wrong.  Some of the Exalted overtook the U.S. military.  They started bombing every country that they saw as a threat.  Those countries retaliated.  And that was the end of the world, as we once knew it.  What people that were left, they cowered from your race.  But we finally devised a plan to get control back.  And it worked.  We were able to modify a common drug that would kill your emotions, thus making you more manageable."

   This is how the world ended, according to Dr. Fredericks.  A few minutes before that, Mena decided to take a stand and not let Ryker be executed.  There was no way she would ever do that.  She was in love with him, and he loved her.  The whole idea of uniting with Ethan had not been nearly as appealing as it once was.  She had met Ryker and things had changed.  Things had been nothing but weird between she and Ethan for a while now.  After all, she got a position working for Dr. Fredericks even though she had technically been second in the trials.
   Mena had decided to come back and try to help her parents, friends, and everyone else who's life had been altered by the drugs they were giving them.  At the time, she had no idea why they were being given drugs to kill their emotions.  She had left Ryker and Lily behind for the greater good.  Once she got back, she realized Kinah, one of her enemies, had come in before her.  She was first.  She would be the one to unite with Ethan, who had finished first out of the male Exalted.  Then, the announcement is made that Kinah had broken the rules by killing one of the Exalted during the third trial.  So she would be brought down to third place.  Now it would be Mena to unite with Ethan.  She would be honored for her placement in the trials.  It was still going to be a month before they were united.  Mena hoped she had time to find out some information to help their cause, but no sooner than she walks in the door to see Dr. Fredericks to start her new job does Ryker appear.  He is also working for the evil doctor. Should she trust him now?  It seems like he betrayed her.  But there is more to that story than meets the eye as well.  The two of them begin working together, which brings Mena's feelings for him to the very front of everything.  She constantly tries to remind herself and Ryker that she will be united with Ethan, but the feelings for Ethan are just not there.  While she struggles with her warring emotions, they are also trying to find out more information about where the Pump is made and why.  And  any other information about the rebel forces outside of their own little colony.  Turns out that there are two others just like it.  And there is an island where the Pump is made.
   In a sudden turn of events, Mena is placed among the Citizens to find any rebellion and those that might be off of the Pump.  In this position she feels like she is helpless.  There is no way she can help Ryker like this.  But more problems arise when one of the Citizens that Mena meets is executed for sending information out to the rebels and being off the Pump.  This is a dangerous world indeed.
   Then we get to the United Ceremony and that is where Mena decides to start being her own person.  She steps up and decides that things have to change.  Before Ryker is denounced and executed.  She will no longer let anyone else rule over her or her life.  Then she finds out why the apocalypse happened....

Am I crazy like he says?  I felt stronger emotions once I got off the Pump for a while, but I wasn't crazed.  Do I have the potential to kill millions of people? No. Never.


This book was everything I expected of it.  Danger on every corner.  The sudden appearance of Ryker, and even Lily.  Then Mena trying so hard to deal with her emotions.  She has a hard time doing what she feels like is the right thing to do, and doing what she wants to do.  She feels like the right thing to do is give up Ryker for the greater good of all other Exalted who are being controlled.  But he is not about to let Mena go so easy and shows up again as a double agent.  Since Ryker is so good at being a double agent, it makes you wonder for a while just how trust worthy he is.  But his affection for Mena is very real.  And so are hers.  But she is trying to put them away, hidden so they can't be found.  In the end, she realizes she can no longer deny her feelings.  And she can have Ryker while helping the others as well.  A total turn of the tables comes for Dr. Fredericks and when it happens all hell breaks loose.  Brother fighting brother.  It ends in a faction of loyalists fleeing the colony and the ones willing to change remain.  The bad news?  Mena's parents and friends are missing, along with Kinah and Dr. Fredericks.  A war could be coming....


                                                 http://authortaraelizabeth.com/




*image via Tara Elizabeth
*quotes via Tara Elizabeth

  

Denounced is out!

Denounced (Book 2 of The Exalted Series) by Tara Elizabeth is now                                                                                  available!!!

Kindred (Book 1 of The Kindred Series) by Erica Stevens

  Seeing as to how I recently had an interview with Erica Stevens, I felt it would be good to do one more review of her books.  It's another vampire love story...but just as good as her other books!

   Cassie grew up not knowing much about her parents.  They had died when she was a baby, along with her best friend's dad.  Chris and she had known each other since they were born.  He lived with his mom and Cassie lived with her grandmother.  They knew almost nothing about their dead parents because no one liked to talk about.  That is, until Luther and Melissa came into their lives.  Melissa was their age, and Luther took care of her.  Her parents had died as well.  When he found them, Cassie and Chris were shown what the world was really like: crawling with dangerous vampires.  And they had been born to hunt these savage beasts.  In that moment, when their hands joined, her life was irrevocably changed.  The course of her destiny forever altered.  Over the years that followed, Cassie often wondered if she would have run screaming from him, and the changes that he would bring to her life if she had known.  So they began to train with Luther, to become what they were destined to be.  It took a lot out of them, hunting and killing things that were once human before they had died, turning into vampires.  Their innocence was lost and it wore heavily upon their hearts, souls, and bodies.  It required intense training to learn how to fight and kill a vampire.  They were superior in their strength, speed, and other abilities.  But the hunters were not without their skills.  Most hunters were born with some special gift.  Chris was able to read people.  He could tell immediately whether they were good or evil.  Melissa got predictions about the future.  However, she could not control it.  It just happened.  But Cassie had no special gift.
   At school, all three were popular with other teenagers always hanging around them.  And while rumors floated around that Chris and Cassie would probably get together sometime soon, there was only a platonic sibling love there.  And Cassie never really noticed any of the guys at school anyway.  That is until Devon came along.  Who couldn't resist such a hot guy?  Although all the girls at school were drawn to him, Cassie and Devon have a strange connection between them.  Intense feelings begin to form between them.  They never want to be away from each other, but it's necessary.  Unfortunately, Devon is a vampire.  A very old vampire.  And if he wants to be with Cassie, he is going to have to play by humans rules: dating and being patient, and going to high school.  For some reason they both stay completely ignorant of who the other is until the very end of the book.
   School gets more challenging for Cassie as she starts to acknowledge her feelings for Devon, and he is willingly returning them.  But all of the girls are jealous of her, and it is clear to Devon that the guys want her.  Things get even more strained when a fight breaks out between Mark (a guy who's been trying to get with Cassie forever) and Devon.  Although it was not much of a fight.  When Cassie sees the type of raw strength that Devon has, she begins to question just how much she knows about him and what exactly he is.

He could only hope that she didn't hate him for what he was.  He couldn't stop to think about that, if he did he would lose it.
 
   This brings a whole new meaning to love your enemy.  Cassie and Devon have a very intense connection with each other, even though he is a very old vampire who can walk in the day light and she is just a 17-year-old girl.  Because of what she does outside of school, Cassie feels much older than she is though.  Having to kill like that can make one age overnight.  Her friends, Chris and Melissa, seem to have a much easier time reconciling themselves to what they are and the fact that their lives will be much shorter than the average human.  It's just a fact that in this world people didn't live long once they started becoming a vampire hunter.
   Then there is Julian, another old vampire, who comes to town and starts wreaking havoc on the innocents.  The hunters know that they are dealing with something that will probably destroy them.  They have no idea just how much power he has.  The only one who can possibly keep them all safe is Devon.  And towards the end of the book, Cassie starts getting an idea of what he is and it's awful.  She questions whether his ulterior motives to hanging around her is to kill her.  The end leaves you in a cliff hanger as Devon speeds off through the forest with a very injured Cassie, and Julian is still alive and well.  My question: what exactly is Cassie?  By the end of the book, you get the feeling she is no ordinary hunter.

...she eventually came to realize that there was no outrunning destiny.  It was very much like the Reaper in that way, and like the Reaper, destiny could be cruel and indiscriminate. 



*images via Erica Stevens
*quotes viz Erica Stevens

Surprise Interview....and the author is.....

And the surprise email interview is with.....Erica Stevens!  Here is what she had to say!

How long have you been writing?

  

  -I wrote my first book when I was nine but I was always writing stories before then. I even wrote plays for my friends and I to act out. I loved it, they probably hated me for it, but they were good sports.

 Do you feel like your personal experiences in the past (childhood and adulthood) have had an impact on your writing?

 -Absolutely. I loved my childhood, you couldn't keep me inside. My friends and I were always coming up with new ways to keep ourselves entertained whether it was imaginary worlds, sports, games or building forts and exploring the woods. It gave me an opportunity to let imagination run free. I've moved around since my teens and have had some really interesting and not so common jobs. I've been fortunate enough to make some really good friends and meet some really interesting people. Some of them share traits with more than a few of my characters!

 What was your main reason behind becoming an Indie author?

  -I tried the traditional publishing route for years. I kept querying agents and getting rejected. My husband urged me to try self-publishing and one day I finally listened. I took books from three series I had been working on and put them on Amazon before I could chicken out. Looking back, I wish I hadn't done all three at once, but I was just hoping someone would read it and like something. I didn't have an editor at the time, but thankfully Leslie has found me since! She's edited everything new I've released and is working on editing the stories I had first put out. I'm hoping to have them all edited and re-released eventually.  

 Do you feel like you have achieved your childhood dream of being a writer?

  

  -Yes. Writing was the only thing I ever I wanted to do. It's a part of me and I love it so much. I bounced through college majors because everything interested me, but I always knew I just wanted to find something that would give me the opportunity to write.

What/who is your biggest inspiration?

  -That is a good question. For writers it would have to be Dean Koontz, J.K. Rowling, James Rollins and Stephen King. I love the way they can keep me on the edge of my seat throughout most of the story. In my life, it would have to be my parents. They're both unbelievably strong people and have worked incredibly hard their entire lives. They never let anyone, or anything, hold them back.

The books that I have read so far (the captive series and the ravening series) both have a continuing theme in them that two people/beings who should hate each other end up falling in love.  Is there a particular message that you are trying to relay to your readers?

  -I really just like to put people into already difficult situations and then give them something even more

difficult to have to deal with. However, I do believe that love isn't a choice and that it is worth fighting for.

 As a writer, what do you do to keep from “burning out”?

  

  -I work on a different book. If I get stuck somewhere I don't stress about it, I start a new book or go to a different book I was already having trouble with. I find it gives me a new perspective and I'm able to figure out what was bothering me. It also helps to keep me from getting frustrated, and gives me an opportunity to start one of the many stories I have running through my head or written in my notebook. I also allow my husband to drag me away once in awhile, though sometimes I'm still clutching my laptop!

What advice would you give to aspiring authors out there?

  

  -Don't ever give up and don't be afraid to try something new even if it might scare you.

                                               Don't forget to check out Erica's blog:

                                                http://ericasteven.blogspot.com/