Free!
Tomorrow, my second book Linked is going to be released and in celebration my first book Chained is going to be free for the day!
And if you feel like really helping me out, I’ll be doing a post about this tomorrow on my Facebook page and a like and share would really help me get the word out! 😍 it’s tough promoting a new book and I’ve been very lucky so far with my sales and reviews but I would love for even more people to find out about Chained and even better: for them to get their copy for free!
Here is the blurb for anyone who needs to know more:
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
Thank you guys in advance and I’ll be reminding you all to get your freebie tomorrow ☺️ xoxo
Mean Girls Book Tag 💃🏻
In the general tradition that I have created for myself of just doing tags I haven’t been tagged to do, I’m doing this one! So here goes…
1.“It’s pronounced like Cady” – which fictional character’s name do you get completely wrong?
Hermione 🙈 she was Harmony to me for a long time lol
2. “She doesn’t even go here!” – which character would you like to place in a fictional world from another book or series?
I’d like to stick Celeana Sardothian in The Hunger Games because let’s be honest, she would be the best contestant ever!
3. “On Wednesdays we wear pink!” – Repetition. Repetition. Which book gave you dejavu of another book while reading it?
50 Shades of Grey gave me Twilight dejavu for obvious reasons lol. A friend of mine bet me I wouldn’t be able to guess what happened in the end and I laughed as I told her how the whole thing would play out. 😋
4. “You all have got to stop calling each other sluts and whores. It just makes it okay for guys to call you sluts and whores.” – which book gave you the complete opposite of girl power feels?
Watership Down. They’re all rabbits. And boys. (Also did the cartoon give anyone else nightmares? 😱)
5. “You go Glen Coco!” – name a character you felt like you wanted to cheer on while reading.
Katniss Everdeen! I mean yeah it was a trilogy so I was fairly sure she’d survive the Hunger Games but I was cheering her on all the way! 🎉
6. “Get in loser, we’re going shopping!” – how long do you typically spend in a book shop?
If I’m alone or with my sister we could be talking hours, if I’m with my husband I’ll be lucky to get 10 minutes *sigh*
7. “It’s not my fault you’re like in love with me or something!” – which fictional character would have to get a restraining order on you if they were real?
Probably Chaol Westfall and Edward Cullen 😳 Also if Dwayne Johnson ever got too close to me he might have a problem…
8. “I can’t help it if I’m popular.” –which overhyped book were you cautious about reading?
Twilight. I hated the idea of it and even let someone ruin the whole plot for me before eventually deciding to give it a go and loving it lol
9. “She’s a life ruiner. She ruins peoples lives.” – we all love Regina George. Name a villain you couldn’t help but love.
Eric in Divergent. 😍 so maybe I fell for him a bit too hard but I stand by it!
10. “I’m not like a regular mom, I’m a cool mom.” – your favourite fictional parents.
I generally hate parents in everything lol they’re always trying to be downers on everything (Clary’s mom 😡) but there is an obvious exception to the rule – Molly and Arthur Weasly! (Not movie Molly though 😡)
11. “That’s so fetch!” – which book or series would you love to catch on?
I think this series is already fairly popular but I never seem to find anyone else who has read it and it’s great!
12. “How do I even begin to explain Regina George?” – describe your ideal character to read about.
I think I just love a badass. Someone tough and in control who knows what they like and what they don’t and goes after what they want in life
13. “I just have a lot of feelings.” – what do you do when a book gives you a bad case of ‘the feels?’
Try (and fail) to explain it to my husband, get frustrated, search for someone who has read it and knows, usually fail, get frustrated, read on lol
14. “Nice wig Janice, what’s it made from? Your mom’s chest hair?” – which characters one-liners would you love to claim for yourself?
The one that springs to mind is Effie from The Hunger games
15. “Boo, you whore.” – name a time a character’s decision has made you roll your eyes
Tris. She made a great decision to be Dauntless and the rest of them often made me want to scream lol
If you’d like to do this tag then please do! Xoxo
Confessions of a writer tag…
I was tagged to do this by Melanie so thank you! This looks fun and a little daunting but here goes nothing…
This tag was created by a little bookish a little writerly and the rules are listed there!
1. When did you first start writing? Was being a writer something you always wanted to do?
I first started writing my Cage of Lies books in August 2013 but have been writing on and off since I was a kid. I always wanted to be a writer and it was something I always just said and bpnever really did much about so one day I just decided to stop talking about it and stat doing it!
2. What genre do you write?
So far Dystopia but I have an apocalyptic series running around in my head which will probably follow and I’d love to do fantasy one day too!
3. Can you tell us a little about your current work in progress? When did you start working on this project?
I’m currently working on Broken, the third instalment of my Cage of Lies saga. I’m in more of an editing stage with it than all out writing and as it’s the third book I won’t give too much away but this one is emotionally more difficult than the others. Maya, my protagonist, is dealing with a lot of difficult issues in her personal life as well as the ongoing struggles that run throughout the series. I’ve been working on the series for a few years but can’t be sure exactly when I started in this book!
4. What was your first piece that you can remember writing? What was it about?
The first piece I can actually remember writing was a fantasy with lots of dragons and people who lived in cities in the clouds. It started off with this little hermit guy who was guarding a town in the middle of the city. Some people came and kidnapped a girl from the town and killed the hermit… I didn’t finish it but maybe one day I’ll find it and see if there’s anything there that I can use going forward lol
5. What’s the best part about writing?
I get go on an adventure every day!
6. What’s the worst part about writing?
Killing off characters you love because the plot demands it 😭
7. What’s the name of your favourite character and why? (This can be from another author or your own work. Book crushes are perfectly acceptable here as well.)
Today, it’s Harry Potter I don’t have to tell you why because you already know!
8. How much time a day/week do you get to write? When is the best time for you to write (morning or night)?
Time of day doesn’t make much difference to me. I tend to write when I get in from work in the evenings or on my days off and I’ll squeeze some into my lunch breaks too. When I’m in all out writing mode I have a minimum of 2000 words a day to write but on my days off I make that 8000 and I’ve managed 12000 a few times ☺️
9. Did you go to college for writing? Or if you haven’t been to college yet, do you plan to?
I didn’t. I don’t think it matters as I think writing is a passion and you can either do it or you can’t. Everyone’s routes to it are different but for me college wasn’t part of my journey.
10. What bothers you more: spelling errors, punctuation errors or grammar errors?
They all bother me but I’d go for grammar because I can’t bear it when people get their there and they’re muddled – it sets my teeth on edge!
11. What is the best writing advice that anyone has given you?
Write what you love. If you love the story you are trying to tell then you will get it written, edited and out there. If you don’t love it you’ll lose momentum along the way…
12. What advice would you give to another writer?
Write the book you want to read. Don’t try and please anyone else, don’t compromise your vision and when you finish it you’ll be proud of it!
13. What are your favourite writing sites or blogs that you turn to for help, tips or encouragements?
To be honest I’ve never used any 😕 I just do what feels natural and I have my sister to discuss any issues with or offer encouragement!
14. Besides writing, what else do you enjoy doing? What are your hobbies?
Reading lol I love working out and watching movies and playing video games if I get the chance too.
15. What is the best book you’ve read this year?
Ahhhh this is so hard but I think Queen of Shadows pips it for me!
16. What is the best movie you’ve seen this year?
Ahhh this is hard too 😬 maybe the new Terminator as that sounds out in my mind
17. What is your favourite book or series of all time?
I don’t know I don’t know! I’m going for Harry Potter, Game of Thrones and the Twilight saga oh and Lord of the Rings and probably more too because I have too many!
18. Who is your favourite author?
I can’t pick. If I do a list it will have more than ten names on it so I just won’t lol
19. What are your plans for the rest of the year in terms of your writing?
I’ll be editing and trying to release Broken and I think I’ll try to write and release another novella called Embers (I can’t give away anything about that one for spoilers lol)
20. Where else can we find you online?
Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads and my books are available on Amazon 😊
I’m just nominating any authors out there who would like to do this, I’d love to head your answers too! Xoxo
The Ultimate Book Tag 📚
So I’ve seen this tag floating around the blogosphere and I really wanted to do it! No one tagged me but I’m taking a tag from the universe as I’m guessing he universe would really like me to do it 😂
1. Do you get sick while reading in the car?
No 💃🏻 I’m super lucky and I can read in the car (my husband refers to it as unsociable but that’s his problem lol)
2. Which author’s writing style is completely unique to you?
Moira Young wrote Blood Red Road phonetically with a Deep South accent and no speech marks. NONE. At first I was all WTF but I pushed on and I ended up loving the whole series! I can honestly say I’ve never read anything written like it and it takes a bit of getting used to but it’s brilliant and I definitely reccommend it 😊
3. Harry Potter series or Twilight saga? Give 3 points to explain your answer
I do love them both but it’s always going to be Harry P
1. Because there’s magic
2. Because their postmen are owls
3. Because Hagrid. ’nuff said 😋
4. Do you carry a book bag? If so what’s in it (besides books)?
Erm no lol. I carry a handbag (some would say my collection of handbags is bordering an unhealthy number but they’d be wrong 😳) in my handbag I’ll have my book or kindle plus my money and boring stuff like keys and hand gel because I’m a germs freak plus some make-up and my phone and sometimes my cat climbs in it when I’m not looking but I don’t take him out of the house…
5. Do you smell your books?
Not really, but I can’t say never
6. Books with or without little illustrations?
I probably prefer without because I love to let the words paint the pictures in my mind and if I see a picture I’ll just have that in my head instead although I do love illustrations too lol so maybe I can just look at them after I’ve finished reading and then I get the best of both worlds 😊
7. What book did you love while reading but discovered later is wasn’t quality writing?
Erm, I can’t think of one 😕 I know that I’ve noticed little things sometimes but generally speaking, if the story has got enough going for it then I can be pretty forgiving!
8. Do you have any funny stories involving books from your childhood? Please share!
Not really, that’s not to say there aren’t any but I can’t think of them right now 😬
9. What is the tiniest book on your shelf?
The Tales of Beedle the Bard by JK Rowling. It’s skinny mini but that’s okay ☺️
10. What’s the thickest book on your shelf?
I’ve got a stupidly old copy of Lord of the Rings which is all three books in one and it’s a hardback. So it’s biiiiig (and I used to take that into school with me every day for about a year when I was ten) It’s my one book to rule them all 😂
11. Do you write as well as read? Do you see yourself in the future as an author?
I do and I am 😳 it’s the best thing I’ve ever done!
12. When did you get into reading?
My dad used to read to me every night and as soon as I could take over I did ☺️
13. What is your favourite classic book?
I’m not really one for the classics (I know that’s not okay) I did enjoy Bleak House by Dickens though so I’d go with that!
14. In school, what was your best subject?
English and Drama, so basically reading/ writing stories or acting them out lol
15. If you were given a book as a present that you had read before and hated, what would you do?
Erm, probably tell them I’d read it and let them get me something else but I probably wouldn’t admit to having hated it (people usually gift books that they love themselves and I’m waaaaay too non-confrontational for that 🙈)
16. What is a lesser known series that you know that is similar to Harry Potter or the Hunger Games?
This is such a random question! I dunno if I can think of any that are similar to them but I guess you could get yourself a DVD of Battle Royale if you want something like the hunger games!
17. What is a bad habit you always do while blogging?
I dunno, maybe doing tags I wasn’t tagged for 😳
18. What is your favourite word?
Troglodyte. Hands down. Troglodyte.
19. Are you a nerd, dork or dweeb? Or all of the above?
I don’t think I’d refer to myself as any but I am a total fan-girl over many many things and I’m not afraid to show it!
20. Vampires of Fairies? Why?
Vampires. Vampires are cool and immortal and dangerous and fairies are…. Fairies. That said, I’ve read/watched many vampire based things and loved them (starting at The Strain and following the spectrum through to Twilight) and I can’t say I’ve had much to do with anything fairy based beyond Tinkerbell so maybe I could be won over
21. Shapeshifters or Angels? Why?
Can’t say I’ve read much of either sadly but I’d go Shapeshifters because I’d rather be one!
22. Spirits or Werewolves? Why?
Werewolves, mostly because they always seem to be pretty hot and I’ve not read books on either *sigh* Oh and Lupin was a werewolf 😍
23. Zombies or Vampires? Why?
Zombies! Becuase I LOVE The Walking Dead and I totally think I could make it in a zombie apocalypse 😊 but if you’re talking about what I’d rather be then it would obviously be Vampires because being a zombie would suck
24. Love triangle or forbidden love?
I’m happy with either if done right!
25. And finally: Full on romance or action-packed with a few love scenes mixed in?
I’m all for the action with a great love story thrown in 😊
I hope you enjoyed my answers and if you’d like to do the tag then I tag you! Xoxo
Competition time!
My book Chained is #205 in the dystopian best sellers list on Amazon already and it’s only my very first day!
To celebrate I’d like to do a little competition! I’m offering advanced e-copies of Cut Glass, the first novella in the Cage of Lies series.
Here’s the blurb to get you interested:
Crystal’s life ended in the forest when she was a child. She swore an oath to keep fighting but her heart will never be the same again. She craves the love she lost and fears the pain it left her with. The shadows of her past won’t leave her side but there is one person who helps her forget them for a time. Though she knows that she will never feel true happiness again it is a gift she wants to give. To the boy who saved her life when she had lost all hope. Crystal would do anything to see him smile again. She owes him that much, even if he doesn’t agree.
It follows the story of Crystal (a character you won’t meet in the main novels until Linked is out on October 15th) before the events of Chained. So if you’d like to enter just let me know in the comments
It’s so exciting to finally be setting my book free and I’m so grateful to all of you for supporting me on this journey ☺️ If you haven’t got your copy yet then head on over and grab one 😆 I’ve been getting steady goodreads reviews too with an average rating of 4.41 which you can check out here if you’re not swayed yet ☺️xoxo
2 months, 592 followers and an upside down dog…
I’m super excited to announce that after two months of blogging on here I have acquired an overwhelming 592 followers to my lil blog! I just want to take this moment to thank you all for taking the time to read the ramblings of mind and allowing me to read yours! 😍😍
As has become a kind of tradition for me on here with these milestone moments, I’d like to share something new with you from my writing journey! So today I’m going with the opening to the first novella from my Cage of Lies saga and I’d love to know what you think 😊 the novella is called Cut Glass and will be released in a few weeks in line with the release of the second full novel in the series.
The wind whispered through the trees above Chrissie’s head and she stirred.
She rolled onto her back and looked up at the waxy material of the tent roof which flexed against the breeze. Her mom reached for her, entwining her fingers with her own.
“It’s just the wind Chrissie, go back to sleep.”
The tent was hung with shadows, anything could be concealed at the foot of her bed, beyond the material that was so thin.
“Will we stop in a town soon?” Chrissie asked, her voice barely more than a whisper.
“In a day or two,” her mom replied, her voice laced with fatigue.
“I don’t like sleeping in the forest.”
“Neither do I,” her mom agreed though she knew it was a lie.
Her dad’s light snores filled the silence and Chrissie turned to face him on her other side. His chest rose and fell steadily. She studied his silhouette in the darkness. His wiry beard was reduced to a soft blur around his mouth which fluttered as he took another breath.
She released her mom’s hand and reached out to touch his face, running her fingers along his nose.
“Sleep,” he mumbled.
Something moved outside the tent, a shadow rippling across the fabric as it passed them where they lay.
“I’m afraid,” Chrissie whispered.
“That’s what makes you brave,” he said.
“Why?”
“You can’t be brave if you aren’t afraid. Bravery is standing up to your fears and saying ‘no, you can’t have me.'”
“What does that mean?” Chrissie breathed.
“That you should sleep even though you’re afraid to.” He rolled over and slung his arm across her, pulling her mom into the embrace too.
The wind rustled through the trees again and an owl cried as it swooped for its prey. Chrissie cringed against her dad’s chest and closed her eyes firmly. There was nothing to be afraid of. Nothing.
She started counting each breath she took as her eyes stayed firmly shut, the darkness pressing in on her. They’d slept in the forest a hundred times before, she’d never liked it but she’d never felt as nervous as she did at that moment.
There was a chill in the air. Summer was coming to an end and the nights were getting colder and colder. She pressed her frozen fingers to her dad’s chest, trying to leech some warmth from him. He grumbled something and pulled her closer.
The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, like a primal instinct telling her to run.
Chrissie counted to one hundred and opened her eyes again. The moonlight was shining brightly in the clearing which they had chosen for their camp. It was so bright that she could make out shapes through the brown material of their tent.
The trees shifted in the breeze again and she watched as the shadows cast by their branches swung back and forth above her head.
A branch snapped somewhere outside and Chrissie twisted in her dad’s grip.
“There’s something there,” she whispered.
I hope you liked it ☺️ my dog Ozzy didn’t have much interest so he’s lying upside down…
😊 xoxo
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
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
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
Susanne Valenti 