Shrouded Soul - The 3rd book in Clare Davidson's Hidden series is out today!

If you haven't checked out Clare Davidson's Hidden series, you're missing out! 

Today, Shrouded Soul, book 3, is out!!! I read it in one day! Good stuff...

The Hidden series


Book 1

When everyone thinks your sister committed suicide, it’s hard to prove she was murdered. 

Kim is unable to accept Charley’s sudden death. Crippled by an unnatural amnesia, her questions are met with wall after wall. As she doubts her sanity, she realises her investigation is putting those around her in danger.

The only person who seems to know anything is Matthew, an elusive stranger who would rather vanish than talk. Despite his friendly smile, Kim isn’t sure she can trust him. But if she wants to protect her family from further danger, Kim must work with Matthew to discover how Charley died – before it’s too late.

 Book 2

 

When you know magic is real, complacency is not an option.

 It’s a new school year and ten months since Kim’s sister died. She wants to forget about magic, rebuild her life and start fresh. But it’s not easy when she has to lie to everyone: her family, best friend, Sophie, and secretive new guy, AJ.

But when Sophie’s grandmother falls ill, Kim can’t help but notice the parallels to Charley’s death. Convinced she’s the only one who can help, Kim sets out to discover what’s really wrong with Sophie’s grandmother.


The new release!

Book 3

Keeping secrets. Telling lies. Kim is protecting everyone. Isn’t she?

Kim’s secrets are pushing Sophie away, whilst AJ’s fears are damaging their fledgling relationship. Kim tries to reassure him, but she knows he should be worried. He should be running. She keeps telling herself they can all have a normal life, free from the influence of the Baneem—but it’s the biggest lie of all.

The illusion Kim is clinging to is shattered when AJ vanishes. But he isn’t the only one put in danger by the information Kim is hiding. How can she defend everyone from enemies who keep growing stronger?

For a preview of Shrouded Soul, click HERE.



My Review: I'm a big fan of Davidson's Hidden series, and it just keeps getting better! Shrouded Soul kept me guessing. Lots of suspense and mystery at play. I'm usually not too keen on alternating POVs, and this is the first book in the series to use them, but I think it really enhances the story. Seeing things from both Kim and AJ's perspectives gave Davidson's world of Shamari and Baneem a whole new depth. I was a little concerned near the end of the book that nothing would be resolved in time, and while there was a bit of a cliffhanger that makes me yearn for the next book, I did find the end satisfying. I'm looking forward to what comes next for Kim and AJ and seeing where they find themselves in the battle between good and evil.

About Clare: Clare Davidson is a character driven fantasy writer, teacher and mother, from the UK. Clare was born in Northampton and lived in Malaysia for four and a half years as a child, before returning to the UK to settle in Leeds with her family. Whilst attending Lancaster University, Clare met her future husband and never left. They now share their lives with their young daughter and a cranky grey cat, called Ash and an insane white kitten, called Pirate. Clare juggles family life with writing, teaching and a variety of fibre craft hobbies.

Find Clare all across the interwebs...

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Amazon | Goodreads | Mailing List

Writing Process Blog Hop

Clare Davidson, a lovely YA author from the UK, tagged me in the writing process blog hop. Woot!

The internet is such a fun place. I’m always meeting new and amazing people from all over the world. I “met” Clare a little over a year ago, when she invited me to participate in a huge indie blog hop. Clare is really fantastic at bringing writers together and organizing fun and interactive blog tours. I always enjoy being a part of her online events. Her YA novels are pretty amazing too! You can find out more about Clare and her writing process here.

Now for the hop questions…

What am I working on?

I am juggling several projects, which I really don’t recommend. At least, not to the extent I’m doing right now. I’m finishing up edits and rewrites for PSYCHOPOMP, the fourth novel in my Lana Harvey, Reapers Inc. series. I am also trying to work on BACKWOODS ARMAGEDDON, a comical hillbilly apocalypse novel I’m coauthoring with my husband. I have several short stories I’m working on for magazines, and I’m polishing some synopses and outlines for two different series that I hope will attract the agent I’m stalking—er, I mean querying.

How does my work differ from others of its genre?

My Lana series, which is my baby, is technically urban fantasy. I love vampires and werewolves, but they’ve been done. A lot. I was afraid that I wouldn’t have anything new to offer in that arena. I still knew I wanted to stick with urban fantasy. It just sets my heart on fire. I really enjoy studying world religions and mythology, so I decided to take my writing in that direction. My series is set in a modern afterlife, where all the faiths are right and all the deities exist… and have to work together. So, while it’s an urban setting, it’s still not quite “of this world”, and I’m playing with less familiar supernatural beings than most urban fantasy readers are used to.

Why do I write what I do?

Aside from my love of urban fantasy, I thought it would be fun to put my mythology and religious research to good use. I’m also a big supporter of religious tolerance, and while the deities in my series don’t always get along, my readers are still learning things about different faiths that they might not have known before. Intolerance is a cousin of ignorance. We fear the things we don’t understand. While my primary goal is entertainment, I still like the notion that I might also be subliminally promoting tolerance and peace.

How does my writing process work?

Not very well. I wish that was a joke.

Ok. Seriously… I have a plot board. I’m a bit OCD and ADD, so I NEED the plot board to stay on track. I have oversized post-its that represent my chapters. The post-its are big enough to hold a 2-3 sentence description of what’s going down in that particular scene. I fill out the big events first and shuffle them around until they make some sort of sense. Then I fill in the chapters where foreshadowing needs to happen, where character bonding and development is crucial, ect. ect. ect. Until I have somewhere between 25 and 35 chapters.

Then the actual writing happens. Once again, ADD, so the plot board comes in handy. I do not write my books in order. I often have the last chapter written before the fourth or fifth. If I don’t feel like a lovey-dovey scene, I skip ahead to a fight scene. If I’m not feeling the dialog in one spot, I play with the scenery or narrative somewhere else. My muse has mood swings, so I just go with it. Eventually, I have a book written. Then I read through it and make sure everything is still in order. I do some shuffling again. I polish up a scene here or there. I rebalance the dialog/narrative ratio where it feels off.

Then I email the draft to an author friend or two, a couple beta readers, my husband. I print it out and deliver it to my former college comp professor who volunteers to edit my novels (this is why he has the honorary title of THE professor—he also teaches Shakespeare, and he introduced me to Jasper Fforde’s Thursday Next series, so I trust his judgment and taste in literature). Then I’m bombarded by a plethora of plot holes, grammatical errors, and general typos… which I face palm my way through as I fix. A final read through and BING! It’s done. Yes, it sounds like an Easy-Bake Oven in my head. This has happened in a matter of three months… or a matter of three years. Once again, I wish that was a joke. I have become more consistent and persistent over the past few years, so I’m hoping that means it’s a skill I’m able to hone… and not just a sadistic muse I’m at the mercy of.

Want to hear how other authors do it? (Cue immature giggles here.) I’m tagging two awesome authors to share their secrets next week. These ladies rock! Check them out.  :  )

Monica La Porta is an Italian who landed in Seattle several years ago. Despite popular feelings about the Northwest weather, she finds the mist and the rain the perfect conditions to write. Being a strong advocate of universal acceptance and against violence in any form and shape, she is also glad to have landed precisely in Washington State. Stop by her blog to read about her miniatures, sculptures, paintings, and her beloved beagle, Nero. Sometimes, she also posts about her writing. http://monicalaporta.com/

Elisa Nuckle is a twenty-something fantasy and science fiction novelist. It's always been her dream to chase ideas down and put them into concrete words. Currently, she's undergoing enlightenment at University of Houston, and plans on getting an English major in the hopefully-not-too-distant future.  http://elisanuckle.com/

Broken Bargain pre-release tour: Interview with Clare Davidson

It's here! It's here! Right HERE!!! Unless you're on Clare's side of the big pond in the UK, and then it's HERE!!! 

That's right! Broken Bargain, book 2 in Clare Davidson's Hidden series, is officially available! And here's my official review:

“Broken Bargain” picks up almost a year after the events in book 1, “Reaper’s Rhythm”. Kim is starting a new year at school. Though she is clearly still affected by the death of her sister, her own near death experience, and the startling knowledge that Shamari and Baneem, or angels and demons, are real. She also knows that magic is real, but that’s not something she can tell anyone, ever. Most of her classmates think she’s crazy anyway, after her meltdown when her sister Charley died. The only person who doesn’t think she’s crazy is her best friend, Sophie. And maybe the mysterious new boy, AJ. 

Kim does her best to forget the secrets she cannot share and the trauma of the previous year. She has a full schedule of classes and a cute boy to distract her, but it’s hard not to look over her shoulder for signs of the dangerous world she knows is hidden beneath the surface. When Sophie’s grandmother suddenly falls ill and the details don’t add up, Kim begins to suspect magic. Especially when Matthew, the Shamari who came to her rescue when Charley died, appears to warn her away from investigating for herself. Not that she listens to him. How can she, when her best friend’s family is suffering? 

This was such a great read! I could really feel Kim’s inner turmoil as she worked through some very serious issues she was left with after “Reaper’s Rhythm”. The details and emotion were fantastic! There were some really delightful and unexpected twists. The editing was top notch too, as was the cover design! This novel is 5 stars all the way around. I can’t wait for the next one in the Hidden series!!! 

 

Clare Davidson

Hi Clare! Welcome to my blog, and congratulations on your new novel. It was a great read! 

I’m glad you enjoyed it and thank you for having me over to celebrate Broken Bargain’s official release day. 

This is the second novel in your Hidden series. Would you recommend that readers start with the first, “Reaper’s Rhythm”? Would they be lost if they picked up “Broken Bargain” first, or would they still be able to follow along? 

I would recommend they start with Reaper’s Rhythm, as it’s an introduction to the central characters and the paranormal aspects of the setting. However, I think it’s possible to read and enjoy Broken Bargain if you haven’t read Reaper’s Rhythm, as the plot stands on its own. You just won’t know as much about the world set up. 

Do you have more novels planned for this series? If so, how many? 

There will be four in total. I’m editing book 3 at the moment. 

What made you decide to write YA? 

Advice from an editor! I didn’t start out consciously writing for a teen audience. However when I was getting feedback on Trinity, I was advised to make it shorter so it would appeal more to a teen audience. The reason? The central character, Kiana, was sixteen. I did as I was advised (it’s a better book for it) and from that point on decided I’d write books pitched at teens but with a strong crossover appeal. A lot of my readers are adults. 

Does your daughter read your books? If so, is she a good critic? 

She’s four and three-quarters (that three-quarters is very important!), so she’s only just learning to read. She recognises my books though and proudly proclaims: “that’s my mummy’s book”, whenever she sees one when we’re in public. I’d love to be able to write a short story that she could read, but writing an engaging story using the phonics system is a completely different skill and challenge to writing for teens. Maybe when she’s a little older I’ll write a book she can read.

From the pictures you've posted, it looks like she's the perfect mascot, displaying your author swag. lol So adorable! : ) You do a lot of really great online events. Do you also do live events, like store signings or school readings?

Over the summer, I did a short book tour, which my good friend Louise helped me organise. I sold and signed books in three shopping centers and I also did a book signing at Waterstone’s in Lancaster. Each stop on the tour was very successful, but very nerve-wracking. I’ve also done author workshops at a local high school, which was a lot of fun. I’ll be looking to do more now I’ve settled after our big house move. 

Have you ever met an author you admired in person? 

Does the Internet count? No, probably not! I haven’t met many authors in the flesh, to be honest. I have met Fred Nath and fellow indie author David Rashleigh. I’m going to WorldCon in London in August, so I’m hoping to meet up with more of the authors I’ve made friends with via social media there. 

Thanks for stopping by my blog, and thanks for allowing me the chance to review your new book early! : ) 

You’re welcome. Thank you again for having me and for the fun interview. 

You can find Clare all across the interwebs…. 

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | YouTube | Mailing List

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Broken Bargain pre-release tour: Interview with Kat Ellis

First of all, congratulations to Cynthia, Sally, & Tiffany, who won ebook copies of "Crazy Ex-Ghoulfriend" by entering the tour giveaway yesterday. Thanks for entering & happy reading!

BROKEN BARGAIN, the amazing Clare Davidson's new book, will be available tomorrow! Woot! And this lucky lady got to read it early. Perks of the author gig. : ) I'll have the full review up tomorrow, along with an interview featuring Clare herself! There are two days left in the tour giveaway, and some awesome goods up for grabs! Today's featured author is Kat Ellis, whose debut novel BLACKFIN SKY will be released by Firefly Press (UK) & Running Press Kids (US) in May. Enter the giveaway after Kat's interview for a chance to win some awesome swag!

KAT ELLIS

Congratulations on your debut novel BLACKFIN SKY being released this May. It looks like an exciting read! Can you tell us a little about it? 

Thanks, Angela! BLACKFIN SKY is about a girl called Skylar who falls from Blackfin Pier on her sixteenth birthday and drowns. The whole town goes into mourning – until Sky shows up three months later like nothing happened. 

Unravelling the mystery of those missing months takes Sky to the burned-out circus in the woods, where whispers of murder and kidnapping begin to reveal the town’s secrets. But Sky’s not the only one digging up the past – the old mime from the circus knows what happened to her, and he has more than one reason for keeping quiet about it. 

Mysterious, no?? ;) 

Very mysterious! Can’t wait to check it out! You’re fairly new to the publishing scene. Can you tell us a little about yourself? 

I’ve lived in North Wales my whole life (except for a few years when I hopped over the border to England) and work sort of in IT. I say sort of because I’m a bit like Jen from The IT Crowd, who thinks The Internet lives inside a black shoebox - because who really needs to know what it is, as long as it works? 

Apart from writing and fudging my way through HTML code, I’m also a keen photographer, and I love adventuring through ruined castles and abbeys and cemeteries (of which North Wales has A LOT) to take photos. I post them online on Tumblr, and use the images as inspiration when I’m writing. 

That sounds like a really great way to stimulate your imagination! What’s next for you? Are you considering other genres, or sticking to YA? 

I’m a YA girl at heart, although I like to dabble a bit with genres within the YA category. The first MS I wrote was science fiction, then I worked on fantasy for a while, and now I’m writing a contemporary thriller. 

I try to challenge myself to change things up every time I work on a new project – writing from different points of view, switching from first-person narrative (my home ground) to third-person, setting the story somewhere really unique – stuff like that. I want every story I write to be different and exciting, and the way I make that happen is to make sure I’m excited about what I’m writing. 

Who are some of your favorite YA authors and books? 

I try to read a wide range of genres, and there are a lot of authors I could mention here…so I will! 

One of my all-time favourites is Lisa McMann, who wrote the Wake trilogy and now has a new series about psychic visions. Yangsze Choo’s The Ghost Bride is a beautiful historical fantasy set in colonial Malaya, and I can’t recommend it highly enough! 

Michael Grant is another longstanding favourite, in particular his Gone series about kids trapped in an invisible dome who start to develop strange abilities. And there’s A. G. Howard’s Splintered series, based on Alice in Wonderland with a fantastically dark contemporary twist. 

In the contemporary genre I have to mention Erin Fletcher, whose debut Where You’ll Find Me came out this month, and it’s absolutely gorgeous. Also Laura Jarratt and Lucy Christopher, whose novels are way up there on my favourites list. I think I need to stop now, or this list will grow tentacles and take over the world! 

When I’m not wearing my writer hat, I’m a graphic designer, so I’m always curious…. your cover design is beautiful! Who was the artist? And how much input did you have in the creation? 

I am so jealous of anyone with artistic skills like yourself – I’m challenged by drawing stick figures! 

The cover that’s ‘out there’ at the moment is the UK cover for BLACKFIN SKY, and the artwork is by the amazing Shane Rebenschied (blot.com is his website – he had loads of fantastic examples in his gallery). I actually asked Firefly, my UK publisher, to approach Shane – not thinking I’d get him in a million years, so I was thrilled when I found out it was happening. I love his vision and how he has translated my story into such a gorgeous cover. 

I will also have a US cover for BLACKFIN SKY, and the drafts I’ve seen of that one are so different, but really fantastic too – I’m so lucky that I love them both! The US one should be revealed sooooon. 

That’s so awesome! I can’t wait to see your US cover too. Thanks for visiting my blog, Kat! Good luck with your future projects, and I can’t wait to read BLACKFIN SKY! 

Thank you so much for hosting me on your blog, Angela! This interview was great fun :D 

Find Kat Ellis all across the interwebs… 

Twitter | Goodreads | Blog | Tumblr | Amazon UK | Amazon US

 

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