Posted on by susannevalenti · 4 Comments

Cover reveal!

Okay, so this is the worst kept secret in the history of secret keeping not least because I’ve actually gone through two covers 🙈 but this is the final version and though it’s been on goodreads, amazon and been used in several reviews already I haven’t actually done the reveal yet! (I’m going to blame it on my hectic schedule with publishing day looming but I’m also going to blame it on my cat Hugo who distracts me by wanting cuddles all the time)

So here it is, the cover for Chained:

  
 😊 and this is the blurb for anyone who hasn’t seen it yet…

Terrified of the contamination and the creatures it has created, humanity hides behind The Wall. No one knows what lies beyond the wasteland. Maya has never thought much about what might still be out there, lurking in the forgotten places. But when she’s thrust into the unknown, she is forced to question everything she has ever been told. Not everyone outside died, some of them became something… else. As her heart is torn in two, every choice she makes is harder than the last. What she discovers will change her forever. She knows she will probably die, but Maya has seen enough of death and she won’t let it have her without a fight. 

If you would like to get a copy of Chained, it’s available on Amazon for preorder here the official release day is October 1st

And it’s been getting some reviews on goodreads already if you need help making up your mind 😊

But regardless of all that, how do you like the cover? ☺️ xoxo

Posted on by susannevalenti · 13 Comments

The High School Stereotypes Book Tag 💄🏈


I’ve been tagged to do this by Melanie and I’m looking forward to giving it a go! Check out her blog – you’ll be glad that you did ☺️ My method for these tags is to go with whatever comes to kind first and not overthink it so if some of answers are a bit odd, that’s why lol

The rules are:

  1. Choose characters from your favourite books who fit these high school stereotypes.
  2. Tag as many people as you want to do the tag
  3. That’s it!

1. The Mean Girl

 

Isabel Lightwood in The Mortal Instruments – this is more a first impression than a lasting one and I actually really love her. But right off the bat I can easily imagine her turning to any non-Shadow Hunter and doing her very best ‘you can’t sit here’ in glorious mean girl perfection

2. The Dumb Jock

 

Emmett Cullen from Twilight – he’s the kind of dumb jock I’d wanna be friends with though, he could totally beat up my enemies for me 😊

3. The Bully

 

Draco Malfoy from the Harry Potter books – I don’t think I have to explain this one. Is it okay that I kinda had a crush on him? No? I guess I didn’t then 😳

4. The Bad Boy

 

Ronan from the Raven Cycle – he’s just so bad and he really, really, really doesn’t care and it’s probably wrong but it makes him so hot lol if you haven’t read these books do it, do it now!

5. The Girl With The Bad Reputation

 

Clarke from the 100 – she’s a condemned criminal so I think that covers the bad reputation and I LOVE her, read the book and watch the show! Seriously… SERIOUSLY!

6. The Geek

 

Hermione from the Harry Potter books – if there was ever any doubt that geeks are cool then Hermione fixed that! She’s the best and there’s no reason for anyone to doubt it 😍

7. The Drama Geek

 

Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games – basically because she plays up to cameras and fakes a relationship to win votes so if that’s not a drama geek then I’m not sure what is (I’m English so this one may be going over my head) 😋

8. The Band Geek

Merry and Pippin from Lord of the Rings – I just couldn’t think of anyone else but they do love singing and don’t care who knows it!

9. The Wannabe

 

Bella Swan from Twilight – her wanting to be a vampire is pretty much the story for the first three and a half books lol so wannabe just made me think of her!

10. The Stoner/Slacker

 

Robert Baratheon from Game of Thrones – he slacked off so badly that he screwed up the security of the throne and threw the whole realm onto turmoil – nuff said lol
I hope you liked my answers and I’d love to see yours – I tag everyone who would like to do this! Xoxo

Posted on by susannevalenti · 18 Comments

Cover reveal!

Okay, so this is the worst kept secret in the history of secret keeping not least because I’ve actually gone through two covers 🙈 but this is the final version and though it’s been on goodreads, amazon and been used in several reviews already I haven’t actually done the reveal yet! (I’m going to blame it on my hectic schedule with publishing day looming but I’m also going to blame it on my cat Hugo who distracts me by wanting cuddles all the time)

So here it is, the cover for Chained:

  
 😊 and this is the blurb for anyone who hasn’t seen it yet…

Terrified of the contamination and the creatures it has created, humanity hides behind The Wall. No one knows what lies beyond the wasteland. Maya has never thought much about what might still be out there, lurking in the forgotten places. But when she’s thrust into the unknown, she is forced to question everything she has ever been told. Not everyone outside died, some of them became something… else. As her heart is torn in two, every choice she makes is harder than the last. What she discovers will change her forever. She knows she will probably die, but Maya has seen enough of death and she won’t let it have her without a fight. 

If you would like to get a copy of Chained, it’s available on Amazon for preorder here the official release day is October 1st

And it’s been getting some reviews on goodreads already if you need help making up your mind 😊

But regardless of all that, how do you like the cover? ☺️ xoxo

Posted on by susannevalenti · 18 Comments

Why lighthearted parts of books are so important 😂

I love the drive, drama, passion and mission that make books and characters so great but I always enjoy reading those parts of the story that just emphasise the fun side of our favourite characters. This is a post about some of the lighthearted things which make these stories even better and make me fall in love with the characters a little bit more… *contains mild spoilers for some very popular series*

1. Zip lining in Divergent

  

It was the moment where I really felt that Tris truly became Dauntless and lived up to the name in the best possible way! I would love to do this too 🙈☺️

2. Magnus’ party in City of Bones

  

I loved his party and bits of it had me laughing to myself and wishing I got invited to things like that (I’d avoid the drinks though) 🍹

3.  The baseball game in Twilight

 This was so much fun until it all went to hell! I loved finding out things that the Cullens did with their vampire powers which were purely for the fun of being immortal and better than everyone else at everything! ⚾️

4. Quidditch in Harry Potter

  

So like 99% of the time when Harry was playing quidditch, no one was trying to kill him… Okay maybe like 50% of the time… Or 30%… Either way he was having fun and I felt like we got to know a lot about him and his friends and teammates through it without it having to do with being the chosen one! ⚡️

5. The Hunger games when…

  

Oh right, the games part of the Hunger Games was no fun in the traditional sense of fun 😳 but the interviews were pretty great

6. And in Game of Thrones when…

  

Remember when Ned found out about Cersei’s children and then… No that was no fun… But then there was the time when Drogo and Danerys were really happy and everything was coming together and… Okay maybe not then then… But then Robb and his wife and his mother went to that wedding and weddings are always fun… Well okay nearly always… But Joffrey’s wedding, that one was definitely worth smiling over! 🐲

That’s all of the ones I can think of off the top of my head, can you think of any more? 😊 xoxo

Posted on by susannevalenti · 39 Comments

Ultimate Harry Potter Book Tag

I found this tag on fandomsontherun and she kindly tagged any huge Harry Potter fans to do it so I am! Check out her blog, it’s really great ☺️

And now for the tag…

1. Favourite Book?

  

I always remember that first time I read this and I was sooooo shocked that Sirius wasn’t evil and Wormtail was Scabbers and just everything about it! I think it might even have been the first book I stayed up reading through the night 😱

2. Least favourite book?

  
This was a tough one but it basically comes down to Umbridge! I just hated her so much and I couldn’t bear being in her company lol 🐸

3. Favourite movie?

  

The Deathly Hallows part 2 adaptation was amazing! I was so excited for it to come out and I was blown away by it! I can’t even remember how many times I ended up going to the cinema, I just know it was worth every penny lol

4. Least favourite movie?

  

I just disliked the way they did goblet of fire 😪. I felt that Fleur was badly cast and didn’t look or act right at all, some of the excitement that was so present in the book was just missing from the film, they cut out so many of my favourite little bits, the maze was just wrong and did anyone see the god awful haircuts they all had? 💇🏽

5. Favourite quote?

  
This is a tough one because I love so many but today I’d say this one! 😊

6. Favourite Weasley?

  

An obvious one but any other answer would be a lie!

7. Favourite female character?

  

Again an obvious one but at the same time I don’t think there is anyone else who even comes close!

8. Favourite villain?

  

Bellatrix was just so utterly perfectly evil. She didn’t even seem to have much motivation beyond just liking to be evil lol 

9. Favourite male character?

  

Okay, you get it, I just love the obvious ones but I can’t imagine any other answer being true!

10. Favourite professor?

  

I love Mcgonagall! She’s firm but fair, sometimes she’s a cat and she’s a total badass when it comes to the crunch 😻

11. Would you rather a) wash Snape’s hair or b) spend a day listening to Lockhart rant about himself?

  

I’d have to take Lockhart, I actually find him kinda funny and I ain’t touching those greasy locks for anything!

12. Would you rather duel a) an elated Bellatrix or b) an angry Molly?

  

I don’t happen to be evil, so though she may well whoop my ass, I don’t think Molly would actually kill me 😲

13. Would you rather travel to Hogwarts via the Hogwarts express or flying car?

  

This is a no brainer, apart from all the great reasons to want to take the Hogwarts express, that car had no air con and no snacks! Screw that!

14. Would you rather kiss Voldemort or give Umbridge a bubble bath?

  

I’d give her a bubble bath and drown her!

15. Would you rather ride a Hippogriffe or a Firebolt?

  

I can’t really imagine any way that sitting on a broom is comfortable at all plus I love Buckbeak 😍

16. Is there any character that you felt differently about in the movies?

  

I loved Molly in the books but she sets my teeth on edge in the movies! I just felt she was so annoying and over-acted and her voice was so irritating and I could go on but I’ll stop myself…

17. Is there a movie you proffered to the book?

No, I can’t really compare them like that. I love books and movies in such different ways that I just… Can’t…

18. Richard Harris or Michael Gambon as Dumbledore?

  

I loved them both but I think of Michael Gambon when I think of Dumbledore so I’ll go with that

19. Your top thing (person or event) that wasn’t in the movie that you wanted there the most?

  

The chase through Hogwarts at the end of The Half Blood Prince, I loved that part of the books so much, it might even be my favourite! I can’t believe they cut it and I can’t believe they made that awful explosion at the Weasleys’ house instead 😡

20. If you could remake any of the movies which would it be?

   

 
It’s a toss up becuase I felt both of these weren’t done right. I did enjoy Half Blood Prince despite the changes though so I guess I’d do Goblet of Fire because I actually find that one hard to watch 😁

21. Which house was your first gut feeling you’d be a parof?

  

I know everyone want to be in Gryffindor but I do think I’d fall in that category ☺️

22. Which house were you actually sorted into on Pottermore?

  

Boom! It’s for true 💃🏻

23. Which class would be your favourite?

  

Defence Against the Dark Arts, obviously while Remus was there ideally but that’s the one I want to do!

24. Which spell do you think would be the most useful to learn?

  

And this says nothing about how clumsy I am… 😳

25. Which character do you think you’d instantly become friends with?

  

Fred and George! (This says nothing at all about the way I used to behave at school) 😋

26. If you could own one of the three Hallows, which would it be?

  

I’m not entirely sure why anyone would want anything else! I don’t even think Harry should have tossed it lol ultimate power mwahahah (totally for good though)

27. Is there any aspect of the books you’d want to change?

  

Not Colin specifically lol but all the deaths at the end of the final book. I’m not saying they shouldn’t have happened, I just thought they deserved better. I wanted to know how they died, who they were protecting and how it went down. I hated just seeing the bodies of Lupin and Tonks and Fred and the rest and them never getting their final moment 😭

28. Favourite Marauder?

  

I’d go with Sirius, I just felt like he was so much fun at school and I would have liked to be his friend!

29. If you could bring one character back to life, who would it be?

  

This was so tough! But I just think that Sirius had such a crap time of it. His best friend died and no one knew the truth but him and then he was sent to Azkaban only to finally escape and have to live in secret stuck in that house he hated and then he just died in such a random way when he and Harry could have had so much together – I just felt that he deserved a chance at happiness 

30. Hallows or Horcruxes?

  

Hallows! Apart from all of the obvious reasons, Horcruxes seem to steal your nose! 😲
I hope you liked my answers and I’d love to hear yours 😊 I tag everyone who loves Harry Potter! xoxo

Posted on by susannevalenti · 95 Comments

An offer of ARCs! 


On October 1st my book Chained is going on sale and I’m looking for anyone who would be interested in having an advanced copy in return for an honest review (feel free to love it 😍). If you know anyone else who would be interested then please let them know too ☺️

I’m also up for doing cover reveals and interviews and anything else that anyone would like me to do!

I can’t think of a better group of people to read it first and I’m seriously excited whilst simultainiously terrified but that’s okay lol.

So if you don’t know what Chained is about, here’s the blurb:

Terrified of the contamination and the creatures it has created, humanity hides behind The Wall. No one knows what lies beyond the wasteland. Maya has never thought much about what might still be out there, lurking in the forgotten places. But when she’s thrust into the unknown, she is forced to question everything she has ever been told. Not everyone outside died, some of them became something… else. As her heart is torn in two, every choice she makes is harder than the last. What she discovers will change her forever. She knows she will probably die, but Maya has seen enough of death and she won’t let it have her without a fight.

It’s a dystopian ya and the start of my Cage of Lies series. I really hope you like the sound of it and are interested in giving it a go 😊. And feel free to do a favour swap with me if you would like anything done for your own blog!

Comment with your email address if you’re interested and I’ll send your arc over 😊 (let me know if you’d prefer an ePub or PDF)

Xoxo

Posted on by susannevalenti · 8 Comments

The Real Neat Blog Award 🏆

  
Thank you Laura for nominating me! Check out her blog because it’s awesome ☺️

The Rules:

  1. Put the award logo on your blog
  2. Answer the 7 question set by the person who nominated you and create 7 new ones
  3. Thank the people who nominated you, linking to their blog 
  4. Nominate however many people you like, linking to their blogs
  5. Let them know you nominated them

Laura’s questions for me:

 1. Do you read non-fiction books? If so which one is your favourite?

Harry Potter is based on real events right? 😁 If not then my answer is no… I like a bit of escapism so I don’t really read non-fiction but I like some historical fiction which has factual elements to it so maybe that counts!

2. Do you like open endings or not?

I like a bit of both. I do like to have major issues dealt with and if there is a relationship brewing I at least want to see one kiss! But I don’t mind having a few lose ends that leave various options open to the characters – that way I can just make up an ending for them that pleases me lol

3. What do you want to be when you grow up?

I want to be an author! My book is out soon so maybe my dreams will come true 😍

4. Your favourite animal is…

  

Tapirs rock my world! I could explain why but I know you know, just look at how squishy he is 😍

5. Mention 3 book pet peeves (if you have any)

1. Random deaths. I’m not talking deaths in general but if a main character is killed off for no good reason and it doesn’t progress the story or need to happen for any reason it drives me nuts. 2. Characters without a backbone (male or female) in relationships. I want them to stand up for who they are and to be loved for it or not, no sappy puppy eyes for me please! 3. Killing the dog. If there’s a dog IT DOESNT DIE or I’m out and I’m angry 😡

6. Do you play any musical instruments?

I’m very proficient in the art of loudly singing in the car just like Beyoncé 😂

7. How many languages do you speak?

One 😪 I’m in awe of people who can speak multiple languages but sadly I’m not one of them

The questions for my nominees are:

  1. Which book character would you want to meet and why?
  2. Which book do you wish they’d adapt into a movie or TV series?
  3. Who is your favourite author?
  4. Which Disney character would you be?
  5. Do you have any pets and if so what?
  6. Is there any book that you would change the ending of and how if you would?
  7. What’s your idea of a perfect night in/out?

My nominees are:

Tanazmasaba 

Caroline

Amanda

And anyone else who would like to do it 😊xoxo

Posted on by susannevalenti · 23 Comments

The Reading Habits Tag 📚

  
Thanks to giovanna for tagging me! Check out her blog, it’s great! 😊

1. Do you have a certain place at home for reading?

I’m a bit of a Sheldon  😳 I have a spot on the couch and I don’t even like other people to sit there if I’m not there… I also take books up to bed too.

  
2. Bookmark or random piece of paper?

 I used to do random bits of paper but when one of my besties found out I was writing a book she got me a lovely bookmark which I now treasure. It means a lot to me because she believed in me and it always makes me smile when I open a book and find it! 

  
3. Can you just stop reading or do you have to stop at the end of a chapter / after a certain amount of pages?

I tend to binge read so I’ll be cramming a book into every available moment when I’m into it. That may mean I end up stopping randomly half way through a page and doing the shifty sideways bookmark malarkey! But I prefer to finish a chapter, although if it’s a cliffhanger I’ll read another page or two, or three…

4. Do you eat or drink while reading?

 Much to the detriment of my clothes the answer is yes lol. I tend to hold my book away safely but then I’m not paying enough attention to the fork – mouth ratio and sadly it doesn’t always end well. I know I shouldn’t do it but I can’t always bear to put a book down for something as boring as dinner 🍕

5. Multitasking: music or TV whilst reading?

I always have the TV on. Always. I find one thing alone doesn’t keep me occupied unless it’s really good (walking dead and game of thrones are pretty much the only shows I’ll give my full attention) and if a book sucks me in far enough then I’ll just block the TV out. But generally I can do both simultainiously and know exactly what’s going on in both. Maybe I’m odd but I’m okay with that 😊

IMG_0309
6. One book at a time or several on the go?

One book to rule them all! (Shameless lotr reference) if I’m in then I’m in and I don’t really do dnf. I’ll force my way through regardless and reserve my opinion until the very end. But generally I just get obsessed and zoom through books one after another so quickly that I don’t really consider picking up anything else.

7. Read at home or everywhere?

Everywhere! Home, work, car and if I’ll toss it in my handbag wherever I’m going just in case some free time appears. I actually enjoy waiting rooms lol. 

  
8. Read aloud or silently in your head?

In my head. Reading aloud is just words but in my head there’s a whole world of people and voices and places going on! 

9. Do you read ahead or skip pages?

Never!!! Sometimes I put my hand over the bottom of the page during something tense so I can’t even skip a few lines. 

  
10. Breaking the spine or keeping it new?

I don’t particularly do either. I don’t bend my books back on themselves but I do open them – I’m not going to squint into the middle just to avoid a crease on the spine. 

11. Do you write in books?

Why would I?

  
Tag, you’re it!

Notanotherfireyredhead

Claudette

Aura

Booksatdawn

Samer

Do it, don’t do it, I don’t mind! If anyone else fancies it then please go ahead and let me know that you did so I can read your answers too! Xoxo

Posted on by susannevalenti · 5 Comments

The freestyle writing challenge 🎉

Thanks to Caroline for nominating me for this cool challenge, I hope I do you proud! Check out her blog if you haven’t already – it’s really great.

So the challenge is as follows:

  1. Open a blank document. 
  2. Set a timer to 5 minutes. I’ve posted a topic at the bottom of this post for you to use as your inspiration but don’t scroll down until the second you’re ready to write! Once you start writing, don’t stop until the alarm sounds. 
  3. Don’t cheat by going back and spell checking or correcting grammar. (The challenge is only meant for you to reflect on your own control of sensible though-flow and for you to reflect on your ability to write with correct spelling and grammar.)
  4. You may or may not pay attention to punctuation or capitals. 
  5. At the end of your post, put down the amount of words you managed to write. 
  6. Copy and paste the entire passage on your blog post with a new topic for your nominees and post these rules too. I’m nominating three bloggers but feel free to choose as many as you’d like. Also no pressure for the people I’ve nominated if you don’t fancy it and feel free to have a go if I didn’t nominate you because I’d love to see what you write from my idea ☺️

This is the freestyle writing challenge I was given by Caroline:

You drop in unexpectedly on a friend to surprise them after returning from a long trip. You find their front door open and decide to go inside. After calling out and receiving no response you move further into the house. On inspecting the lounge you spot a bookcase across the room which has been dragged forward to reveal a door. You cross the room and hear angry voices approaching from behind. What do you do?

And this is my freestyle response, I managed 224 words 😁

The rain pounds down on my umbrella as I race down the street. I suppress a grin as I reach Jenna’s apartment block and let myself in with the code. She’s going to be so psyched to see me. 

I take the steps two at a time, almost tripping on the final one before reaching her floor. 

The smile slips from my face as I see the broken door. 

“Jenna?” I call uncertainly as I take a step towards it. 

A chill runs down my spine. I move closer and peer inside. 

“Jenna?” Her apartment is a mess, furniture flung everywhere and he belongings scattered. Her bookcase is broken on the ground and where it always stood there is a door. 

I’ve spent so much time in this apartment that I can’t count it but I’ve never seen that door. 

“Check inside!” Someone shouts from the stairwell. “Make sure no ones left alive. 

I duck into the apartment, my feet slip on an upturned book but I make it to the door. The handle is warm. I ignore the urge to run and twist it instead. 

Inside the air burns hot as a furnace and I recoil. 

“I’m gunna kill that little cow when I catch up with her,” the voice shouts, closer still. 

I step inside and slam the door, my heart racing. 

My nominations are:

Matt

Wordweheart

S.W.Lothian 

Your challenge is:

You wake up to the sound of a news broadcast. There has been an outbreak of some kind of disease that is sending people crazy. People are panicking. The streets are filled with looters and everyone wants to get out of the city. What are you going to do?

Posted on by susannevalenti · 10 Comments

The infinite playlist: songs for favourite OTPs tag 🎼

  

Thank you Tanazmasaba for picking me to do your new tag 😍 this is a really fun one and I’ll do my best to do it justice! 

So, the idea behind this tag is to make a list of your favourite books and what songs make you think of them. I can’t promise that my choices will make much sense to anyone else but I’ll give this a go lol

  1. Harry Potter – With a little help from my friends by The Beetles For me this is fairly self explanatory, Harry, Ron and Hermione forever 😍
  2. The Hunger Games – Killing in the Name of by Rage Against the Machine If Katniss’ mantra isn’t ‘f**k you, I won’t do what you tell me’ then I’m not sure what else it would be 
  3. Twilight – Halo by Beyoncé  I think the words pretty much encompass Bella and Edward’s relationship for me, for example ‘It’s like I’ve been awakened, Every Rule I had you breakin’, It’s the risk that I’m takin’, I ain’t never gonna shut you out!’ 
  4. Blood Red Road – 8 Mile by Eminem This song is all about struggle and trying to achieve something that seems out of reach without ever giving up which sums up these books about as well as the blurb
  5. Throne of Glass – Roxanne the Moulin Rouge version because it’s badass Okay so this one has nothing to do with lyrics but the feeling of the song is so gritty and raw and I just love it. 
  6. Divergent – Numb by Linkin Park It’s the lyrics again for this one, basically the whole song but here’s the chorus I case you don’t know it ‘I’ve become so numb, I can’t feel you there, become so tired, so much more aware, I’m becoming this, all I want to do, is be more like me and be less like you’ 
  7. Game of Thrones – Bad Blood by Taylor Swift I’m fairly sure that this covers the relationships between the Starks and the Lannisters and just about everyone else in the books too ‘now we’ve got problems, and I don’t think we can solve them, you made a really deep cut, and baby now we got bad blood’ ha 😂
  8. Prince of Thornes – Cry me a River by Justin Timberlake It’s not really the song in general but that ‘cry me a river’ I-couldn’t-give-crap-about-you attitude part of it really makes me think of this book because Jorg is such a sadist a-hole. (In the best possible way) 

That’s my lot lol here are my nominations for the tag but if this catches your eye and I haven’t tagged you then please do it and let me know!

Magini – books

Notyourmommasbookreviews 

KimsiangLim 

Xoxo