Blog Tour Stop: SILLY FEELING by Willowy Whisper

Silly Feeling by Willowy Whisper

Church camp is one week. Five days. What could possibly go wrong? Nothing. She's just being silly...

But Hannah can't rid the feeling, and as the week unfolds, she wonders if perhaps it's not such a silly feeling after all.

Author Interview

What made you get into writing? When did you realize you were a writer?

I first discovered my passion for writing when I was twelve. I was standing in the kitchen with my mother, and she told me that my cousin had started writing a novel. “I think I'll do that,” I had said to her. She got me started with a plot, and helped me with some names, but she never really thought it would go anywhere. She was wrong. 

How did you come up with ideas for your stories?

It's hard to say, really. My mother has helped brainstorm plots for a few of my novels, but basically I think them up as I go. I'm not sure where it all comes from, but I usually just start with a slight idea and a charming character, and my story unfolds. 

Who’s your favorite character in your book and why?

Probably Hannah. She is so much like me, in so many ways. Thank goodness I'm not as unlucky as she was. :)

What are some of your favorite books and authors? What inspires you?

I have so many favorite books that it would absolutely take a thousand years to list them. Probably some of my favorites are The Hawk and the Jewel, Loving Libby, and The Cape Refuge Series. My favorite authors are Lori Wick and Terri Blackstock, hands down. 

What’s your next writing project (If you don’t mind sharing)?

I'm currently finishing The Letter (book 2 in The Hills of Innocence Trilogy) so my next novel will be the third book in that series. I have the general plot, but I haven't really worked out the details yet. 

What is your favorite part of writing?

There's something so beautiful about having a story to tell—about having the sweet power to create and do anything you want, anywhere you want. About pouring your heart into words, creating a cover, then watching other people fuss and worry over your characters. It's a sweet feeling. A beautiful feeling. It's a feeling, in all other words, that can never be matched. 

What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Read and write. If you don't give it your all, you give it nothing at all. So many people set out with the goal to be a “writer”, but very few succeed, because very few are willing to sacrifice for their dream. If you truly want to be a writer—if you truly want to see your book in a store—if you truly want to get published, then you'll do whatever it takes, and that is WRITING. Writing all the time. I mean, ALL THE TIME. It can't be a hobby. It must be a passion. What would seem like a sacrifice to others, will come just as natural to you as taking a breath of air. If you really have a dream, you'll pursue it—and no one will have to tell you to. 

Links

Willowy Whisper's Blog: willowywhisper.com

Purchase Link for Silly Feeling

Review: DENTON LITTLE'S DEATHDATE by Lance Rubin

Title/ Author: Denton Little's Deathdate (Denton Little #1) by Lance Rubin
Genre: YA, contemporary
Rating: 3/5 stars
Synopsis: Denton Little's Deathdate takes place in a world exactly like our own except that everyone knows the day they will die. For 17-year-old Denton Little, that's tomorrow, the day of his senior prom.

Despite his early deathdate, Denton has always wanted to live a normal life, but his final days are filled with dramatic firsts. First hangover. First sex. First love triangle (as the first sex seems to have happened not with his adoring girlfriend, but with his best friend's hostile sister. Though he's not totally sure. See: first hangover.) His anxiety builds when he discovers a strange purple rash making its way up his body. Is this what will kill him? And then a strange man shows up at his funeral, claiming to have known Denton's long-deceased mother, and warning him to beware of suspicious government characters…. Suddenly Denton's life is filled with mysterious questions and precious little time to find the answers.

Debut author Lance Rubin takes us on a fast, furious, and outrageously funny ride through the last hours of a teenager's life as he searches for love, meaning, answers, and (just maybe) a way to live on.

Review

Thoughts on the Overall Book: Dark humor, a hearse on the cover--had to check it out. I had a couple complaints about it, but overall, I will admit it was definitely a quirky, and funny read.

Cover--Yea or Nay: Totally yes. That plus the title is what made me pick this book up.

Characters: Denton Little is overall not a bad protagonist. For the most part, he's a pretty nice guy and kind of quirky. The problem I had with him was that he was a little wishy-washy. Maybe he was just a too accurately portrayed teenage boy, but I don't hold the belief that they're all like that either. I would have liked him better if he could have just stuck to liking one girl. Just because he was going to die, didn't give him the right to do that, especially since it was kind of a mistake the first time. But apart from that, I did like him, and his narration was quirky and sarcastic and darkly humorous which is exactly what I expected from this book. I really liked his best friend Paolo, he was funny, typical side-kick kind of guy. I did like Denton's girlfriend Taryn, but I had to feel sorry for her because Denton practically cheated on her. This book had a pretty good cast of supporting characters, I particularly liked Denton's brother Felix and then Phil was a character who was annoying and enjoyable to hate. So it had a fun variety of characters who usually ended up surprising you in some way.

The Romance: This was my main problem with the book. I hate love triangles. And the fact that this one happened more or less by accident, but then Denton didn't do anything about it irked me even more. I really saw no reason his sleeping with Veronica furthered the plot at all, it only caused trouble that didn't really have to do with the story line. And Taryn was trying to be supportive but Denton was making that hard. (view spoiler)

Writing Style: I did like the writing style. It was easy reading, fast-paced and funny. I always appreciate dark humor and making fun of death. Denton made a good narrator. The idea of knowing your death date was really interesting and kind of made a neat twist on normal every day life with the new customs of pre-mortem funerals and self written eulogies. I find this sort of thing hilarious anyway. There were times when the plot got a little on the ridiculous side, like the strange rash Denton develops. It was just a little far fetched, especially when he ended up being totally purple. But I guess this is the kind of book where you just have to go along for the ride. There was a bit more espionage sort of story like to this that I was not expecting. I won't say too much in fear of spoilers but it made for a more interesting story than I thought this would be at the beginning.

Accuracy/ Believability: Not really applicable.

Problems/What bothered me: There was a little too much dirty humor in this book. It's a guy book, and I expect guy humor, yeah, and I can deal with that, but this was a little more graphic than I like usually. Plus the all too casual way the characters slept together bothered me because it just seemed like a 'last night on earth' kind of thing and I get annoyed by that, especially in teen fiction. Particularly since no one seems to have a problem with it, even the parents.

Conclusion: 3 stars. A quick fun read with a surprising cliff-hanger. I'll probably read the next book out of curiosity, but this wasn't really a favorite either.

Recommended Audience: Guy read or girl read ages 18 and up due to content. If you like dark humor or quirky contemporary novels check this out.

(Read this review with spoilers on Goodreads)

Review: UNDERDOGS by Markus Zusak

Title/ Author: Underdogs (Wolfe Brothers #1,#2& #3) by Markus Zusak
Genre: YA, contemporary
Rating: 4/5 stars
Synopsis: From the bestselling author of THE BOOK THIEF

Before THE BOOK THIEF, Markus Zusak wrote a trilogy of novels about the Wolfe Brothers: THE UNDERDOG, FIGHTING RUBEN WOLFE, and GETTING THE GIRL. Cameron and Ruben Wolfe are champions at getting into fights, coming up with half-baked schemes, and generally disappointing girls, their parents, and their much more motivated older siblings. They're intensely loyal to each other, brothers at their best and at their very worst. But when Cameron falls head over heels for Ruben's girlfriend, the strength of their bond is tested to its breaking point.

We're proud to present these novels together for the first time, and to be introducing American readers to THE UNDERDOG, never before published in the United States. Fans of THE BOOK THIEF won't want to miss reading the novels that launched Markus Zusak's stellar career.

Review:

Thoughts on the Overall Book: I decided to just review this addition so I can review all three books together in order to compare them. They were, of course, brother stories, and that always makes me enjoy things so much more and I really did love reading about the Wolfe brothers.

Cover--Yea or Nay: Meh, it's okay. Nothing really special, but I do like silhouettes as opposed to character impersonators.

Characters: These are definitely character driven stories, so having good characters is very important, and I ended up really liking Cameron and Ruben Wolfe. Their dynamic was so true to life between siblings and especially brothers that I couldn't help but love them. Just the way they interacted, and lovingly abused each other and always got into trouble together was so perfect. It's obvious that the author had lots of personal experience between siblings, so many writers can't get it correctly and I think it's because they either are only children or had a poor relationship with their siblings. These books were perfect though, and even the 'chick flick' moments between them were perfect, not too mushy, but enough to get the point across. I also liked reading about the rest of their family. Their overachieving older brother who originally thought they were losers and their older sister who they were protective of as they should be, which I thought was sweet. And their parents having to deal with it all and not going crazy, like the boys, I came to appreciate them as well. What I loved most though, was how the dynamic on the family only grew through the hardships they went through and became closer. None of the characters in this were static, they were all very dynamic and enjoyable to read about. Oh yes, and how could I forget Miffy the Pomeranian? I grew to love that dog as much as the boys did, even though they would never really admit it ;)

The Romance: No romance until book three Getting the Girl and that romance between Cam and Octavia was actually very sweet and enjoyable to read about. And don't worry, despite what it sounds like, it's really not a love triangle between her and the brothers, otherwise I would have hated it. I didn't totally understand the problems that ensued from Octavia's standpoint, but I liked how it was quietly reconciled. Book Three, however, really turned more into a story about the brothers reconciling than an actual romance which only got more points from me.

Writing Style: I think it's fair to point out that the first book The Underdog was the author's first novel and it tells, it really wasn't that good, and the writing style was a little jerky, but the second one is much better and the third even better than that. It's written in Cam's voice and Cam being a teenage boy, it is understandable that the thought process is a little disjointed and it actually made it easier for me to get into his head. I really liked how there was a little extra bit at the end of each chapter though; in the first book, it was a recounting of one of Cam's dreams, in the second, a conversation he had with Ruben, and in the third, one of his writings that he took up. I really like it when authors do stuff like that and it kind of helps to end the chapters and go to the next more smoothly.

Accuracy/ Believability: Not much you can mess up in contemporary, but I will say again that the relationship the brothers shared was very true to life.

Problems/What bothered me: Not really any major problems, I was afraid things would get messier than they did in the third book, but everything turned out right. Several times I wanted to shake my head at the boys for the choices they made, but they were very realistic characters and I can't hate them for being human.

Conclusion: The Underdog: 3 stars Fighting Ruben Wolfe: 4 stars Getting The Girl: 4 stars. I really enjoyed this series and I'm glad I decided to pick them up. I wanted brother stores and I was not disappointed. The brother feels at the end of Fighting Ruben Wolfe were lovely and I actually teared up during the 'he ain't heavy, he's my brother moment' in Getting The Girl Just lovely :)

Recommended Audience: Good guy read, ages 17 and up, if you love sibling stories, definitely check these out, you won't be disappointed.

Review: THE VISCONTI HOUSE by Elsbeth Edgar

Title/ Author: The Visconti House by Elsbeth Edgar
Genre: YA, mystery, contemporary
Rating: 4/5 stars
Synopsis:Fourteen-year-old Laura Horton doesn't quite fit in. She lives in a grand crumbling mansion on the edge of town that everyone calls "the haunted house," and she has more in common with her parents' eccentric artist friends than with the girls at school. So when loner Leon Murphy moves in next door, Laura avoids him at first; she doesn't need anything else different or weird in her life. But when Laura becomes obsessed with uncovering the history of her house--the Visconti House-- she finds that Leon understands her need to know what happened to the lonely Italian gentleman who built it. Together, Laura and Leon begin to unearth the mansion's history, a history of elegant dances, thwarted love, and secret rooms. In their quest for the truth, the unlikely pair forms a deep friendship. But will their friendship, sparked by a shared interest in the past, survive the present?

Review

Thoughts on the Overall Book: I actually got this book because I thought it was a ghost story, but it's not, it's actually just a mystery. However, I was still not disappointed with it and found it to be a very nice charming little almost coming of age story.

Cover--Yea or Nay: I do like the cover, I am always rather fond of simple silhouette artwork.

Characters:Laura was a nice character to read about. She was very quiet and slightly unassuming, but at the same time I was instantly drawn to her. Maybe because I was a little bit like her, though when I was younger. By the time I was her age I was a firebrand. Still, she's the kind of character a lot of introverted, artistic people can relate to, shy, for the most part living in her own world, and pretty much misunderstood and outcast from "normal" people. Her struggles were very realistic with the need to fit in, even if she wasn't entirely sure that she wanted to fit in with the other kids, and struggling through being for the most part alone. I also really liked Leon. He too was quiet, but more for his own reasons than that he was actually shy. He was more like I was at that age, secluded by choice, and he saw in Laura a kindred spirit that eventually grew into a friendship. I also liked the supporting characters, they provided a colorful backdrop to the story, but it's really Laura and Leon's story. I actually find it interesting and enjoyable that so much characterization can be crammed into such a short book, but it was.

The Romance: There's a little romance between Laura and Leon, but it grows from friendship and I enjoyed seeing that a lot.

Writing Style: It's a very simple, yet descriptive style. I was instantly pulled into this book from the first chapter, and was able to relate to Laura. The characters made the book come alive, but the storyline itself was intriguing enough to make me keep reading. I love stories set in old houses, especially old houses with secrets and this one did not disappoint. While not necessarily sensational in any way, there was still the anticipation of finding out about Mr. Visconti and his house, and seeing the friendship between Laura and Leon grow. This book actually reminded me of The Secret Garden in many ways, it kind of had the same feel to it.

Accuracy/ Believability: Not really anything to be accurate about, it's just a simple contemporary mystery.

Problems/What bothered me: Nothing, it was just a nice little story.

Conclusion: 4 stars. I had a feeling when I saw the cover of this book that I was going to like it, and even if it wasn't what I thought it was going to be, I really enjoyed it. The ending was nice and happy and this made for a good in-between book for months of heavy reading.

Recommended Audience: Girl read ages 13 and up.

Review: GHOST HOUSE by Alexandra Adornetto

Title/ Author: Ghost House by Alexandra Adornetto
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Supernatural, Romance
Rating: 3/5 stars
Synopsis: From the New York Times bestselling author of Halo comes the start of a beautiful and powerful new series.

After the loss of her mother, Chloe Kennedy starts seeing the ghosts that haunted her as a young girl again. Spending time at her grandmother's country estate in the south of England is her chance to get away from her grief and the spirits that haunt her. Until she meets a mysterious stranger…

Alexander Reade is 157 years dead, with secrets darker than the lake surrounding Grange Hall and a lifelike presence that draws Chloe more strongly than any ghost before. But the bond between them awakens the vengeful spirit of Alexander's past love, Isobel. And she will stop at nothing to destroy anyone who threatens to take him from her.

To stop Isobel, Chloe must push her developing abilities to their most dangerous limits, even if it means losing Alex forever… and giving the hungry dead a chance to claim her for their own.

Review:

Thoughts on the Overall Book: I actually ended up liking this book more than I expected to. Every YA romance I've picked up lately has been annoying, but this one was actually enjoyable with likable characters. Plus an awesome setting always helps. I can't really hate any book set in an English manor house when ghosts are involved ;)

Cover--Yea or Nay: I do like the cover…but not the guy on it. He's just too bleh.

Characters: Chloe is actually a very likable and sympathetic character for this sort of book. She doesn't have an attitude, and when she does show a little bit of one, I can understand why she feels that way, and she has just lost her mother when the book begins. Considering what she's gone through, I think she handles herself pretty well. Plus she's sweet to her younger brother, and I always think it makes a character better if they are a good elder sibling. The only complaint I had about her character was her infatuation with Alex because it was a little too fast and without explanation for me, but besides that, I did like her. I also really liked her younger brother Rory. he was adorable and quiet and I just wanted to hug him. I liked her grandma as well, I actually would have liked to see more of her. I didn't mind Alex as such; he wasn't really dislikable, I just didn't overly care for him. He really didn't have enough character for me to give an opinion on and what you find out about his backstory, didn't make me sympathetic to him at all. Likewise with Isobel. I didn't feel sorry for her at all, she was obviously the reason this whole mess happened and Alex was just as guilty for not being a man and stepping up. If he wanted her so badly, he should have said so, not snuck around like a coward. And I really didn't see why her husband was so bad to begin with, we only ever were told he was (view spoiler) Anyway, so I couldn't really feel bad for Alex. My favorite character was Joe. He was just so sweet, and funny, and the perfect guy, really. And it goes without saying that I loved Mavis and May, the paranormal investigator sisters. They were really fun.

The Romance: It wasn't exactly terrible, but it was sort of borderline insta-love. Though to be fair, I suppose having a handsome ghost hanging around would be a little bit mind-boggling. This was also a book that had a potential for a love triangle and didn't, and, this might sound odd, but I almost wish it had. Here's why: I didn't really like Chloe and Alex together. We pretty much know it's sort of impossible, plus it just seems like he's two-timing because of Isobel. And, honestly, if he hadn't professed his feelings for Chloe that happened way too fast to be at all genuine, this whole problem never would have happened, and just like in his past, he can't be man enough to fix it. I really wish Chloe had paid more attention to Joe, I really liked them together and while there is some hints, it was obvious she still totally went for Mr. Ghosty. So yeah, that was my main issue with this book. I just couldn't understand her infatuation with Alex and even more, the fact that she never questioned his loyalty to her because of his relationships with Isobel.

Writing Style: Nothing really special, but not bad. It was first person past tense which was nice. Chloe wasn't a bad character to have as a narrator. And actually, I will say, that despite the fact this is a romance, she really didn't spend a lot of time mooning over the guys, there was a little bit of it, but I think the action and the problems with Isobel carried the book forward so that it was more than just all the blah romance stuff that gets on my nerves after a while. There were parts that were actually scary too, and I loved the overall setting. The whole thing felt like a misty moorland which is always awesome. Pretty much any time you give me a book with ghosts set in England I will at least enjoy it for that alone.

Accuracy/ Believability: Not totally applicable, but there was a nice amount of traditional folklore, what with the salt and lavender and other ghost-repelling herbs. Though it would have been easier if they had just called in the Winchesters to salt and burn ;P

Problems/What bothered me: Aside from the romantic issues that I already addressed I didn't have any other problems with this book. And I am interesting in continuing the series, even though I have a feeling it might get more into the annoying territory later on.

Conclusion: 3 stars. A quick and enjoyable read despite a couple issues I had. I'm interested to see where it goes next.

Recommended Audience: Girl read, ages 16 and up. Would probably appeal to readers who enjoyed Anna Dressed in Blood though it's more romance than horror.

(Read this review with spoilers on Goodreads)

Review: VANISHING GIRLS by Lauren Oliver

Title/ Author: Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver
Genre: YA, contemporary, psychological thriller
Rating: 4/5 stars
Synopsis: New York Times bestselling author Lauren Oliver delivers a gripping story about two sisters inexorably altered by a terrible accident.

Dara and Nick used to be inseparable, but that was before the accident that left Dara's beautiful face scarred and the two sisters totally estranged. When Dara vanishes on her birthday, Nick thinks Dara is just playing around. But another girl, nine-year-old Madeline Snow, has vanished, too, and Nick becomes increasingly convinced that the two disappearances are linked. Now Nick has to find her sister, before it's too late.

In this edgy and compelling novel, Lauren Oliver creates a world of intrigue, loss, and suspicion as two sisters search to find themselves, and each other.

"Alarming and uplifting, a rare psychological thriller that has a kind heart at its center. Read it with all the lights on." -- E. Lockhart, author of We Were Liars.

Review:

Thoughts on the Overall Book: This is a book that I have had my eye on since it came out. While I sort of expected more of a page-turning suspense novel, I was greeted by a very surprising and just as page-turning psychological thriller. I was not disappointed.

Cover--Yea or Nay: Meh. It's okay, but it doesn't do anything for me. The title is more interesting than the cover art.

Characters: This is kind of one of those books where I didn't really care overmuch for the characters. Nick wasn't, overall, terrible, I didn't mind reading from her POV. I definitely felt sorry for her, and I think she, as a character, did exactly what she needed to for the story. I was more interested in her overall relationships with Dara. Dara I didn't necessarily care overmuch for. I don't like those kind of crazy party girls. But again, it's the kind of book where the characters serve their purpose whether you like them or not. I did actually like Parker, he was a nice guy and think he was a good addition to the cast.

The Romance: The romance in this book is really just too complicated to explain without too many spoilers so I'll just tell you that, yes there is romance of various natures.

Writing Style: While the writing itself isn't anything horrible special, I loved the way it was put together, and the plotting was definitely really well done. I read this book in two days (most of it the second) because it was just one of those that you literally can't put it down. i think I sat for at least three or four hours and finished it because I actually couldn't stop. I did actually like the random journal entries and news articles scattered throughout it too. I don't always like that, but in this case, I think it helped the reader to know more of what was going on. I really can't say a lot about this book because if I say too much it will spoil the twist which was amazing but it was well done.

Accuracy/ Believability: Again, for the sake of spoiling it, I can't say much, but the problems this book dealt with were portrayed pretty accurately to my knowledge.

Problems/What bothered me: As I said before this is more of the kind of book you read for the plot and not because you like the characters, so I won't say much about my personal feelings about some of the characters. It didn't bother me because I knew it was all part of the story and it had to be. I am continuously skeptical as to how sixteen-year-olds can get around so much and find a steady flow of liquor though. Every once in a while, I can understand, but the amount of times it happened in this book was a little ridiculous. Not to mention them being able to get into clubs.

Conclusion: 4 stars. It was a 3 star book right up until the twist which almost warrants 5 stars, in all honestly because I literally gasped and had to stop and process what I had just read but factoring in everything else, it's a four star book. This is one of those that I really want to re-read not that I know the twist so I can fully appreciate all the little hints throughout it. Overall, really enjoyed it and for my first Lauren Oliver YA book, I was not disappointed.

Recommended Audience: Girl read 17 and up due to content. If you like sister stories and psychological thrillers, you really need to read this one. You will not be disappointed.