Debut of the Month - All About M.J. Hearle

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Bachelor Profile

Name - M.J. Hearle

Debut - Winter's Shadow ( Goodreads )

Genre - Paranormal Romance

Website - HERE

Twitter - HERE

Aspiring writers generally aren’t the most popular kids in school. There’s a reason why a bookish person holding a notepad isn’t held up as a stereotype of uber-coolness along with the jock and cheerleader. I would love to offer evidence to the contrary, to spin anecdotes about being celebrated by my classmates for my witty writing and startling imagination but, alas, I can’t. My job is to tell stories, not lies.

After school, I spent ten years trying unsuccessfully to be a filmmaker and then decided I might try and be a novelist instead. This turned out to be a much better fit. Winter’s Shadow, my first novel, was scooped up by the publishing house Pan Macmillan and hit bookstores in June. Now I’m a published author you might assume I find it easier to talk to girls. I don’t.

Dream Bachelor Suit - As much as it would be fun for M.J. to pick out a dress, it would be more realistic for him to pick out something he can actually wear :P
 

Notes from a YA Bachelor

 
Thank you for inviting me to be a Badass Bookie debutante. I’m absolutely thrilled to be here, especially as it looks like I’m the only man so far. At least I should have no problem finding someone to dance with. Now, I just have to learn how to dance.



Also, thank you for giving me an opportunity to dress like one of my heroes, Mr Roarke from Fantasy Island. Nobody rocks a white suit like Mr Roarke. Or should that be Roarke’s a white suit...? (yeah I know – lucky I don’t write comedies).


Okay, so lets talk about the inspiration behind Winter’s Shadow. I’ve always loved supernatural fiction, so it seemed like a logical step to write something with a spooky element. I also figured the best stories have some kind of romance at the centre. So, it seemed my book should be some kind of spooky romance. The hurdle I had to overcome was Twilight. The series was such a phenomenon that hundreds of authors had flooded bookstores with similarly themed novels featuring sparkly vampires, non-sparkly vampires, werewolves, angels, and fairies. If I was going to contribute a story to this crowded arena then it would have to be something original. Something special.


I finally found my inspiration – or it found me – in a cemetery.


Around the time I turned thirty, I noticed something alarming – my body was no longer trim and taught. It seemed my metabolism, after years of struggling to process a steady diet of pizza, milkshakes and apple pie had finally given up the ghost. Drastic measures were considered – should I change my diet? Not likely. I strongly believe a salad is a side dish and should remain so. The only option available to me, other than buying a new set of pants with elasticised waistbands, was to exercise.


So, I started jogging. I didn’t stick to a set route, I just went wherever my feet led. One day they led me to a cemetery.


Waverley Cemetery to be precise, which overlooks Sydney’s Bronte Beach. It was just on sunset when I entered the gates, and the cemetery was a place of long shadows. Here’s a helpful tip for the reluctant exerciser: run through a cemetery at sunset. You’d be surprised what a good motivator fear is.


As I weaved through the tombstones, I was unnerved to see I wasn’t alone. There was a teenage girl standing a few rows away taking photographs. She was dressed in black and had thick, flowing red hair. Rather than being alarmed by the wild-eyed, sweaty man barrelling towards her, the red-haired girl appeared curiously unperturbed. Raising the camera, she snapped a picture of me as I passed, and then turned her attention back to the graves. Almost immediately, the gears of my imagination began to whir and I started to think what would happen if there was something unusual about the picture the girl had taken.


And so, I began to write Winter’s Shadow. The story was about a teenage girl with red hair, named Winter, who takes a photo of a mysterious stranger in a graveyard during a school assignment. The stranger’s name is Blake and as the two of them grow closer, Winter learns Blake has a secret. A dark and terrible secret, which he is desperate to keep hidden. Blake isn’t a vampire, werewolf, angel, fairy, Frankenstein monster, mummy, or a creature from the Black Lagoon. He’s something else. Something readers have never come across before.


After three months of writing (and several new grey hairs) I had a first draft, which led to me getting an agent, which led to me getting a publishing deal. I still can’t believe how quickly it all happened. Now, I just have to write the sequel.

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SO everyone meet our first ever Bachelor, M.J.! I'm not sure if he's eligible but Winter's Shadow definitely is! I just reviewed the book yesterday, so make sure you check out the review, I'll be very heart broken if you don't! :P It's really quite fantastic and I can't make any kidn of connection to Twilight *fist pump* Make sure you come back tomorrow to learn more abotu Winter, her shadow and the awesome Bachelor behind it all! Oh and we're giving away copies.

Badass Bookie xx

Winter's Shadow

Review Time! So I know all I have been posting lately are reviews but I'm seriously behind on them and it's killing me to see the review stack grow higher and higher. This will be my fifth consecutive review BUT tomorrow starts Debut of the Month and to make it up to you guys, I have two Debut Authors and NINE (9) books to giveaway! Thanks to Pan Macmillan for the review copy!

(Goodreads) Blake Duchamp... He's all that Winter Adams can think of. Ever since their fateful meeting at Pilgrim's Lament. Ever since he looked at her with those emerald eyes. Ever since he saved her life.


But Blake isn't all that he seems. There is a strangeness about him, something dark and otherworldly. Something dangerous. In his attic is a secret he would kill to defend, but Winter seems to have a special ability to make him forget his duty. And he is her only protection against the gathering darkness.


The only problem is, to protect Winter, Blake must risk exposing her to an even greater danger. Himself

The Short Story ? - A remarkable debut! An original paranormal romance that will leave your heart aching for more. Beautifully written, a dark and captivating plot and fantastic characters that you will grow to love! M.J.'s debut is a master piece that will stay with you long after the last page! A paranormal romance you wouldn't want to miss!

The Long Story ? - Can I point out the M.J. is a guy? And that he's written Winter's Shadow from the perspective of a girl? To add that he's actually written a decent novel, fantastic actually! I'm quite biast in thinking that guys can't write well in perspectives of girls but M.J. has definitely proved me wrong! Not only is his novel captivating but the words he puts to paper are simply wonderful, enticing and makes you want to read on and on. He has a great YA voice and a unique writing style that is  very memorable. I actually though M.J. was a girl to begin with! ( Yes, that's just how ninja skilled he is)

While the blurb might suggest something along the lines of Twilight, I really couldn't make the connection and I'm always looking for flaws in novels. Yes, the novel has the 'love at first sight with the paranormal twist' element but Blake is definitely not a vampire and  I personally liked the romance in Winter's Shadow better than Twilight. However the romance is still developing and I would like to see where Winter and Blake's passionate, undeniable love for each other goes in the sequel. It's a rather slow paced novel but it's got a nice flow to it ( not boring though) and to an extent quite normal. Contemporary lovers might find this one in their taste.

The characters were well developed. Just to clear thing's up, Winter is actually our protagonist. Blake is the love of her life and hides a dark secret, brownie points for M.J. for picking something paranormal that hasn't been written about. I actually grew to like Winter very much, she's sweet and brave but more than anything she's real, she's believable. A nice cast of minor characters, some who annoyedme while others I found entertaining.

Winter's Shadow is a romance you wouldn't want to miss! Dark, haunting and beautiful, it's unforgettable and amazing! A fresh take on the paranormal, a guy writing as a girl and a romance that gives love a whole new meaning! A remarkable debut! M.J. is Australian too :P

Rating - 5/5

Badass Bookie xx

The Unidentified

Review Time! The Unidentified by Rae Mariz is a 2010 Debut, it's also a dystopian! The US cover is different but the story is the same! I've been wanting to read this for quite a while now and would like to thank Text Publishing Australia for the review copy!

(Goodreads) Fifteen-year-old Katey, aka Kid, goes to school in the Game—a ‘school’ run by corporate sponsors. Social networking is as natural as breathing, your online profile is everything, and striving to get ahead in the popularity stakes involves a careful navigation that could go wrong at any turn.

The corporations watch the students to spot the next trend and the kids vie with each other to be noticed and sponsored by the corporations. Being ’branded’ means celebrity status, not to mention financial freedom.

But what kind of freedom is it when you’re always being watched? And how important is it to be the coolest and most popular kid when your identity is owned by a corporation? When Kid witnesses a mock suicide staged by an anonymous group calling itself the Unidentified she begins to ask herself those questions.

The Short Story ? - A clever and well-written debut! A wonderful and well portrayed dystopian society, based on the influence of pop culture and teenagers. Clever, witty and insightful. A psychological novel about teenagers, their influences and what freedom is to them!

The Long Story ? - Okay, the short story was really hard to write because it's so hard to sum up this novel in three sentences! I'm still a little unsure about what to think of it. I enjoyed it, it was highly original and Rae has teenagers down pact. She pretty much summed up teenagers in and out in this amazing debut. Okay, let's break it up.

I really like the whole dystopian society that Rae has built. It was highly original and a society I actually wouldn't mind being part of. Basically the government has converted shopping malls into Game Centres ( aka school) where kids spend all day doing things they love and trying to rise in popularity. If you get sponsored then you're pretty much a celebrity and social networking is the key to success. It's a shallow society and pretty much sums up the life of teenagers.

The plot was confusing at times but it's not because it wasn't well-written more like it was too complex, I never fully understood how this society worked and some parts of the novel required a little re-reading. More than anything I felt that even though I really enjoyed it, I felt it was still a little lacking. I kind of finished the novel like 'great novel, loved it but...what exactly did I love?'. It's one of those novels that you just can't pick out what parts you like. It's a love it or hate it novel. It's also rather slow paced but it flows nicely, not a long novel either, you could easily finish it in one to two days.

I liked the characters, Kid was your stereotypical social outcast. I really liked her, she was shy, quiet but had punch to her as well, there were times where I wanted to shake her and say ' WHAT ARE YOU DOING' but for the most part, she's a smart cookie :P The minor characters were all intriguing and believable. The romance department was a little lacking, it wasn't well developed and the love interest didn't hold any appeal to me. I would liked to see a more of a scandalous romance :P However, The Unidentified ( who shall not be named) were brilliant, loved them. They were your ideal ' rebels'.

Overall, I really enjoyed the novel but could see spots of improvement here and there. It's really hard to pick out specific good parts since I really just enjoyed the novel as a whole. Picking it apart just ruins it. I would definitely recommend you guys to read it though, it's a fresh take on teenagers, controlling societies and life in gene real, this is really what being a teenager is all about. So we can add educational to the list of good things! Highly original, clever, witty and educational!

Rating - 4/5

Badass Bookie xx

Darkest Mercy ( Spoiler -Free!)

Review Time! Darkest Mercy is the fifth and final book in the Wicked Lovely series written by Melissa Marr. If you haven't read the series, you're lacking a proper paranormal romance education. It's a series every reader should read :) Big thank-you to Harpercollins for the review copy, your guys are the best!

(Goodreads) The Summer King is missing; the Dark Court is bleeding; and a stranger walks the streets of Huntsdale, his presence signifying the deaths of powerful fey. Aislinn tends to the Summer Court, searching for her absent king and yearning for Seth. Torn between his new queen and his old love, Keenan works from afar to strengthen his court against the coming war. Donia longs for fiery passion even as she coolly readies the Winter Court for battle. And Seth, sworn brother of the Dark King and heir to the High Queen, is about to make a mistake that could cost his life. Love, despair, and betrayal ignite the Faery Courts, and in the final conflict, some will win . . . and some will lose everything.


The Short Story ? - An epic finale to a brilliant series! Heart-stopping romance, non-stop action and a dark and captivating plot! I couldn't have imagined a better ending! All the loose threads from the previous novels were finally tied together and I going to miss these brilliant characters and this wonderful world the Melissa has created! A phenomenal conclusion to one of the best paranormals out there!

The Long Story ? - It's a weird series. It's very clever how Marr wrote it and can I just say the five is a weird number to end on? Is it just me? It's not three and it's not an even number. Anyway, the series is written so that each novel follows the individual stories of different characters, it's like sharing the spotlight. However while each book has it's own characters with it's own issue, all the issues are based around this one BIG idea. SO they're all connected but they loose threads that all become tied together in this epic ending, Darkest Mercy is THE END.

Putting it out there - the plot was EPIC. My favourite part of the whole novel, it was brilliant. Best part - everyone gets their own little happy ending! That's right, did I mention there's like a love triangle ( or a few)? I salute you, Marr, for your ability to give everyone a happy ending without introducing babies for character's to fall in love with. Epic and not creepy at all! It was clever how Marr captivates our attention, the plot is layered. We're drawn in by all this action and tension and just as we're thinking 'boring, this is getting old' something else happens and we're thinking 'ohhh, hang on, it's only just getting interesting. Before you know there's no more pages to turn! A page-turner, fast-paced, dark, suspenseful and mysterious...it's wicked :P

Characters are brilliant as always. By the time you read Darkest Mercy, you're pretty familiar with the crew. You have your favourites and you know who to hate. I was really drawn into the development of relationships between the characters. Marr has portrayed her characters to be dark, scary, enticing and dangerous. These faeries are mean and manipulative but in Darkest Mercy, we see the better side of them. They are capable of "mercy" and they are rational and they do care for each other. Lots of love going on in this novel whether it's a romance, a bromance or what do you call the "mance" between parent and child?

Lastly, Marr you are a brilliant writer. Secretly I think you're a faerie, the way you write is ...inhuman. Very distinctive YA voice, it's mature and sounds old yet young at the same time ( another reason I think you're a faerie). Very unique writing style and the flow of words suggest something dark and sinister ( are you sure you're not a faerie?). Marr definitely has an original writing style!

Bottom line, I'm lost! I've just finished reading this phenomenal, dark and twisted paranormal series. It's engrossing, captivating, enticing. It's brilliant, amazing, beautifully written. It's dark, sinister, edgy and dangerous. It's a 5/5 for me! BUT, what am I to read now? Melissa Marr, I can't wait to see what you have planned for us next! If you haven't read The Wicked Lovely series, um, you're lacking a proper education!

Rating - 5/5

Badass Bookie xx

Feast of Fools ( Spoiler Free!)

Review Time! I met Rachel Caine a few while back when she flew all the way to Australia for her Bite Tour! Penguin not only invited me to a lovely breakfast with her but provided me with copies of every book in the Morganville series up to date! So I would like to thank Penguin for the review copy!

(Goodreads) The wait is over. dig into the feast...


In the town of Morganville, vampires and humans live in relative peace. Student Claire Danvers has never been convinced, though especially with the arrival of Mr. Bishop, an ancient, old-school vampire who cares nothing about harmony. What he wants from the town's living and its dead is unthinkably sinister. It's only at a formal ball, attended by vampires and their human dates, that Claire realizes the elaborately evil trap he's set for Morganville.

The Short Story ? - My favourite book in the series so far! The arrival of Mr. Bishop has stirred up some chaos  in the quiet town of Morganville. Lot's of action and romantic tension between our favourite couples. Gripping plot with non-stop action, Dark secrets to be revealed and again, another fantastic installment in an awesome vampire series!

The Long Story ? - I love reading novels full of action and romance and for the most part, it's hard to get the best of both worlds. I end up with either a novel with lot's of romance and little romance or a novel with fantastic romance with little action. What I loved about Feast of Fools is that it was both action-packed and romantic :P

We quite a bit of development in relationships between the characters. Shane and Claire are as cute as ever, lots romance between the two and they've definitely grown alot closer since we were first introduced to them, for one, Shane is not denying his feelings for Claire anymore. Claire and Amelie have grown closer as well, I do think that Amelie has started to care for Claire which is nice and Eve and Michael are just ...together. In all even with the town in chaos, love never fails.

The highlight of Feast of Fools would be the brilliant plot. Unlike the first three novels, the plot is based around Morganville itself because of the arrival of Mr. Bishop which is Amelie's father. I have to say I prefer this kind of plot to the usual Claire based plot. It's alot more exciting as there is alot more is at stake :P ( pun intended). There's plenty of action and I was blown away by Rachel's creativity, I don't know how she comes up with half of all these things! Most interesting plot up to date, beautifully written and not a boring moment!

If you haven't read The Morganville Vampires yet, I strongly urge you to pick up a copy! It's not like any other vampire series I have read. Extremely engrossing and captivating, it's definitely a OSR ( one-sitting-read). It's a novel to be enjoyed by all readers of all ages!

Rating - 5/5

Badass Bookie xx

Angelfire

Review Time! Angelfire written by Courtney Alison Moulton is a 2011 YA Debut, that I've been dying to read! I read it a few weeks ago but I'm lazy and slack and haven't bothered to review it til now :P I would like to thank Shannon @ Stalking in Bookshelves for sending me a lovely hard covered copy for April RAK! Oh! And counting this towards my Bucket List Challenge.

(Goodreads) When seventeen-year-old Ellie starts seeing reapers - monstrous creatures who devour humans and send their souls to Hell - she finds herself on the front lines of a supernatural war between archangels and the Fallen and faced with the possible destruction of her soul.


A mysterious boy named Will reveals she is the reincarnation of an ancient warrior, the only one capable of wielding swords of angelfire to fight the reapers, and he is an immortal sworn to protect her in battle. Now that Ellie's powers have been awakened, a powerful reaper called Bastian has come forward to challenge her. He has employed a fierce assassin to eliminate her - an assassin who has already killed her once.


While balancing her dwindling social life and reaper-hunting duties, she and Will discover Bastian is searching for a dormant creature believed to be a true soul reaper. Bastian plans to use this weapon to ignite the End of Days and to destroy Ellie's soul, ending her rebirth cycle forever. Now, she must face an army of Bastian's most frightening reapers, prevent the soul reaper from consuming her soul, and uncover the secrets of her past lives - including truths that may be too frightening to remember.

The Short Story ? - A fantastic debut! Fast-paced and action-packed, one of the most adventurous novels I have read! Brilliant characters, gripping plot and beautifully written. Angelfire is a paranormal debut you wouldn't want to miss! Looking for a summer read? You found one!

The Long Story ? - I was absolutely thrilled to find this book waiting for me on my doorstep, it's one of the debuts that I've had my eyes on for a long time. I initially heard about this novel from Kristi @ The Story Siren who plans the 2011 Debut Author challenge. Thanks again to Shannon for the RAK ;)

The plot would probably be the highlight for me. It was a rather slow start but for the novel to flow well and for readers to understand what's going on, it was necessary. I sometimes feel that paranormals are the hardest books to write because not only do you have to tell a story but you have to explain the story behind the story as well. In this case, the story behind the story was told at the start. So after we all warmed up to the idea of Angels and Demons, we're pretty much taken on a roller coaster ride. Non.Stop.Action. I was literally sitting on the edge of my seat! Lot's of action, lot's of fighting and lots of romance! You'll never get bored with this one!

The characterisation very well-developed. Our protagonist, Ellie, was badass enough to be my sister! On a emotional level I can really understand some of the stress and pain Ellie goes through as she decides between wanting a normal life and saving the world from evil, she's a strong heroine that I've grown to admire. Will, her smexy guardian is exactly that, sexy as hell! He's got the protective streak down pact as well as the good looks, hopefully we get to see more of Ellie and Will's blossoming romance in the sequel ( Wings of the Wicked)

Overall, Angelfire is an extraordinary debut that I would strongly recommend to lovers of action and paranormal. Even if you don't normally read paranormal, I encourage to check this one out! I prefer to read paranormal romance that's more romance than paranormal but this action-save the world stuff is really great too! Kick-ass plot, fantastic characters and beautifully written!

Rating - 4/5 ( I would have like to see a little more romance, personal thing so don't let it stop you from reading this awesome debut!)

Badass Bookie xx

Breakfast with the Bookie - Bookie’s Ultimate Pet Peeve: Greedy, Jealous Bloggers

Breakfast with the Bookie is a “regular feature here at Badass Bookie taking place every Wednesday. It’s a discussion that you can read along with your morning cup of coffee! I haven’t done one of these in a while, sorry! Life’s gotten in the way but they should be back now!

This Week’s Topic – Bookie’s Ultimate Pet Peeve: Greedy, Jealous Bloggers

I’m fairly tolerant about most things but I can’t stand greedy, jealous bloggers. It’s my ultimate pet peeve, usually I like to keep quiet about my negative opinions because the blogging community is really great and I’ve made some really friends in this community but this is really getting on my nerves.

What’s a greedy, jealous blogger?

1) Review Copies: Requesting More than You can Review – This really gets on my nerve, bloggers who request dozens of review copies when they only review one book every few weeks or so. I feel bad for Kristi over at The Story Siren, some authors and bloggers had some really mean things to say to her about In My Mailbox, according to them it’s just some feature where bloggers flaunt all their books (“oh look my review pile is bigger than yours”). What started as a good intention is now being looked down on because some bloggers are really taking it as an opportunity to show off their review pile. Worse, sometimes when I look at their IMM even I feel like they’re trying to flaunt their review pile because I follow their blogs and know that they can’t possibly review every one of those books before they put more requests in. I request novels from publishers but I really do make an effort to try read and review every one of those before I start requesting again. Unsolicited copies or accepted? Fine, no problem but it’s really disappointing to see bloggers request a load of copies and review maybe two of them before they request more.

2) Asking for Other Bloggers Publishing Contacts … in Public – Really guys? Where is your pride? No offence but it makes you sound jealous and desperate. Even if you were to ask for their publishing contacts at least have the pride and decency to send them an email and ask politely, maybe a ‘Hi, I noticed you review for so and so, do you know how I can contact them?’, over a social networking system or worse, through a IMM post is really embarrassing and sad. I really don’t think publisher want us passing their emails around between ourselves. I don’t mind sharing my contacts privately, that’s what friends are for right? But don’t do it in public, it just gets on my nerves and quite frankly puts me in a difficult spot because I don’t want to seem like a bitch and not pass them on but it’s really uncomfortable for me. I’m sure this applies to other bloggers as well. If you are going to ask for publishing contacts do it privately. I’m really big on manners and social etiquette and this is really something I frown upon.

3) Line cutting, taking more than one copy etc. at Book Events – Not something I can relate to personally since Australia has about zero Book Events but I have been reading BEA recounts recently and some of the things bloggers have been saying really make me glad I didn’t go. Lots of talk about bitching and line cutting, even read one incident about some assholes that made a girl cry when she told them not to cut in line. Making someone cry is really low, where are your manners? Another thing, taking duplicates of a book, I asked one of my blogger friends if she could get this one books I really, really wanted to read that didn’t happen to be released in Australia and she said sorry, but no. I told her I totally understand, it was worth a try :P but being big on manners, I understand getting duplicates can give you a bad name. Even if you think no one notices you sneaking two copies, think again. Bloggers are very observant.

I’m not trying to single anybody out or be negative through this post but I’m just trying to get people to understand what gets on my nerves and why. I’m sure everyone has their own pet peeves but this just happens to be mine. Please don’t run away, I’m really a nice person  Your turn : Do you agree/disagree? What are your pet peeves?

Badass Bookie xx