Interiew with the Lovely Kallie Ross.

Seventeen year old Ollie Miller is ready to leave all of her hurt feelings behind, but moving on seems impossible while living next door to her ex-best friend, Mateo. When curious earthquakes begin to shake and rip open the foundation of her small town, the ground becomes as unsteady as her feelings for him. When they fall, they fall hard…
Ollie’s disastrous attempt to save Mateo’s brother from falling into a curious chasm results in their descent into a cavernous wonderland. Ollie, Mateo, Jesse, and Alexis search for a way back home, and encounter a mysterious tribe of natives. Gabriel, the next in line to lead his people, is granted permission to guide them to the surface. On their treacherous journey, an overzealous elder threatens all of their lives, because he can’t risk them exposing his people, or the power he wields. The group discovers ancient secrets, unexpected truths, and uncharted feelings. Ollie must find a way out or risk being stuck in the caves forever—or worse, dead.



Today I'm thrilled to be interviewing the beautiful Kallie Ross. I had the honor of meeting Kallie for the first time at UtopYA Con in 2013, and instantly fell in love with her sweet spirit and smiling face. So when her first novel debuted over the summer, to say I was excited is an understatement. And omgosh, don't you adore that cover?

Without further ado, the lovely Kallie... 

* How did you come up with idea for Descent? 

The idea for Descent was unearthed during a hot, dry Texas summer when a natural gas drill was erected in the field behind my former home. Kids ran through sprinklers and picked giant sunflowers for two months before the first earthquake was reported. My first thought was that one of the underground reservoirs would cave in, and our entire neighborhood would be swallowed up in a sink hole... As you can imagine, my mind took and ran with it from there! 

After the local media covered the multiple tremors, the natural gas company put a stop to drilling temporarily. I headed back to the classroom (teaching High School English), and I immediately wondered what a group of my students would do if they fell into an underground world. My imagination got carried away the thought evolved into brainstorming and research. I knew that if there was any believable life found under the surface of the earth it would be in a labyrinth of caves and it would derive from our own documented history. 

* What inspired you to write a novel that takes place primarily underground?

Caves and caverns are fascinating! I remember going to Carlsbad Caverns  in my elementary years, and wishing I could climb in, through, and around all the crevasses and chasms. Growing up, we all have fears. Mine vary (being in an elevator that’s free falling to being eaten while still alive), but being underground is the perfect balance of fear and intrigue for me, so writing about it felt challenging and exhilarating.

When I started working on characters for Descent, I wanted my main character to have the same enthusiasm. Ollie's story unfolded when I decided to base it amongst shadows, a mysterious light, and a ruthless villain. This underground wonderland is where her past, present, and future collide. 

* I'm totally a name person. Some of your characters have unique ones. What factors went into choosing those you did?

Keeping the historical integrity of the backstory of the tribe Ollie encounters was a big part of naming the characters. I knew there needed to be an ancient sound, even if the tribe had evolved from it’s original language and location. I actually studied some Hebrew to make sure that the names of characters, food, and traditions were authentic. 

I love giving my characters names that mean something. It builds them into 3D characters, and pulls them out of the page for me. I chose Olivia (a.k.a. Ollie) because of its correlation to the olive tree, and the uses of an olive branch in Biblical times. Hopefully, she’ll bring some peace and prosperity underground with her. Keren means glorious dignity. She’s the daughter of a leader in the tribe, and while she yearns to know more about the surface she also can’t help but seek the approval of her father. I’m really looking forward to having fun with some new characters in the second novel.

* The idea behind noor (the light certain underground tribal members can produce) and how it's used. How did you come up with that notion?

This one’s easy… The characters had to be able to see underground, and the tribe had to be able to survive underground all of these years. The light in most ‘center of the earth’ novels is made out of the earth’s core, but I wanted the noor to be more than just light. I wanted the tribe to attribute more to the light, like guidance, nourishment, and security. The most interesting truths about the mysterious light are still to come…

* Your characters are so much fun! And I love that your brothers Mateo and Jesse are Latino. Were any of your characters influenced by yourself or people you know?

I’m so glad you asked me this question! I have to give credit to a few of my students for Mateo and Jesse. I taught two brothers (Christian and Edward) a few years back, and their  relationship just stuck with me. They were devoted to their family and it’s Latino heritage, but they also fought with each other about everything. I have a lot of students I’d love to turn into book characters, but it will take a massive amount of time to work them all into a story of their own. 

Alexis is another character that I hold dear. She is loosely based on my sister when she was a teen. My sister is a year younger than me, and while she loved her girl-friends, she always had a boyfriend in tow. Alexis is colorful, sarcastic, and at times self-consumed… And, my sister is still two out of three of those as an adult! ;)

* Are you a plotter or a pantser?

I like to think both, but if we were getting specific I’d have to say I’m more of a plotter. I love working on character building exercises, outlines, and research. There are moments when ideas just come to me, and I have to rearrange the outline, but I know it’ll be worth it in the end. There are some twists and turns I can’t plan for in the plot, they just have to work themselves out while I’m typing. 

* What inspires you?

Courtesy GutterLily10 - DeviantArt

Ooooo… So much! Music is a big one. I have a playlist for Descent, and it contains the songs I listened to most while writing the book. History as a whole inspires me as well. While I’m drawn to the fantasy and science fiction genres, there has to be an element of truth (from our own world) to the story or backstory for it to resonate with me. Nature is a world of inspiration that I like to lose myself in from time to time. Whether it’s hiking or a picnic, there’s something about the bluejay’s song and the wind’s cool caress that removes me from the routine and into the resplendent. Some other inspirations are a great cup of coffee, anything dark chocolate, and visiting museums.

* I know you're a mom and probably don't have a lot of it, but what do you enjoy doing in your free time?

Splurging on any of the above inspirations is considered a win on a day that I have laundry, carline, and cooking to do. I think the biggest splurge would be collecting a few days worth of free time and creating a writerly weekend to dive into a few chapters at once. On a selfish note, if writing had nothing to do with the free time, I’d love to travel through Europe. I think I’d take away a lot of inspiration while riding trains from city to city and taking in the culture and art! 

* What awesomeness can we expect from you in the future?

I’m working on the second book in The Lost Tribe Series. Descent is only half of the story. I’m hoping to have Defend finished and released by Summer 2015. I also have a high fantasy novel in the works… Lots of mind games, murder mystery, and otherworldly mayhem happening. I’m not great at multi-tasking, so I only write one novel at a time. My fantasy novel will have to wait a few months for me to jump back into it.

Rapid Fire:

* What 3 things would you take to live on Isle Kallie: A pencil that never grows dull, a journal that always has blank paper, and my husband.

* Favorite book character: Anne of Green Gables & Elinor Dashwood

* Best YA read this year: Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers (The most elaborate, breathtaking bow to wrap up His Fair Assassins Trilogy.)

* Top 5 favorite authors: This is so not cool… So, I’m kickin’ it old school. Jane Austen, C.S. Lewis, Arthur Conan Doyle, William Shakespeare, and J.K. Rowling

* Your life’s theme song: I love music so much, that this seems cruel! With that said, this year I’ve listened to ‘We Come Running’ by Youngblood Hawke a million times! It’s more of a challenge song for me, it reminds me to keep my mind on what’s ahead.

HUGE thanks to Kallie Ross for the interview! 

Check out her books on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and everywhere books are sold.

  

You can find more about Kallie and her books here:

Descent: ~You can read an exclusive excerpt, HERE!~

Website: KallieRoss.com

Facebook: Kallie Ross Facebook Page  

Twitter: @KallieRoss 

Review: Awry by Chelsea Fine

Sometimes love is meant to be. But sometimes...love is the death of you....

Seventeen-year-old Scarlet has just died. Only, dying isn't unusual for a girl under a centuries old curse that left her semi-immortal.

This time, though, she comes back to her current life instead of awaking in a new one, and she realizes the curse is changing. Together with the immortal Archer brothers, Scarlet must piece together her life and try to break the curse before her impending death comes again.

As y'all know, I absolutely loved Anew, book 1 in Chelsea Fine's Archers of Avalon series! So, you can imagine the expectations I had going into Awry. Sadly, sequels don't always live up to their predecessors...BUT I'm so excited to say, this one did and more!

We finally get a chance to touch on Scarlet's history, going all the way back to the 1500's. And let me say, Chelsea did a great job of realistically incorporating the times without it being "stiff" or fake. We really get a feel for the characters' relationships leading up to the present. You can totally see how everyone wound up in their predicaments, and it comes across in such a real and relatable way.

Leaving Anew with a cliffhanger, I couldn't wait to dive in. Things have changed for her this time around, because the curse has changed. We soon learn this is a result of a shift caused by Tristan and Scarlet breaking the rules in her past life. After an attack by a strange, ashy villain, Scarlet decides to spill the beans about the curse to Heather, who totally rocks the "stand by your BFF" role. Who wouldn't want her watching their back?

We soon learn that Gabriel's ex isn't the only one involved in the curse. While she set it in motion, there's more the situation than we might've suspected. While I had my suspicions about things, I was surprised to see which paths certain characters ended up following! Anew definitely kept me guessing till the end.

Trust me when I say, this is one triangle you'll never say is cliche! Chelsea had me in every kind of knot trying to figure out how she was going to work things out. The Archers of Avalon series isn't like anything I've ever read, and I can't recommend it highly enough!

If you love fantasy, great characters, and magic, this is series to read!

Review: ANEW by Chelsea Fine

Two years ago, Scarlet awoke in the forest alone, afraid, and unable to remember anything. Lost and confused, her life was a mystery...until she met a boy with a familiar voice.

Gabriel Archer has a voice from her past, and Scarlet's determined to remember why. She immerses herself in his life only to discover he has a brother he's kept hidden from her: Tristan Archer.

Upon meeting Tristan, Scarlet's world becomes even more muddled. While she's instinctively drawn to Gabriel, she's impossibly drawn to Tristan--and confused out of her mind. As she tries to piece together her history Scarlet realizes her past...might just be the death of her.

Okay, I have to start this post with a fact: Chelsea is one of the sweetest and most hilarious chicks ever. I had the chance to "officially" meet Chelsea and hang out a little at UtopYAcon this past June. If you haven't read about that experience, you can here. Chelsea even shares her own thoughts on What Not to Do at Book Conference. HILARIOUS video. We'd known each other through Twitter for some time, but as most of you have probably experienced, the face-to-face introduction is always more interesting. I mean, you can only say so much in 140 characters, right?

Continuing on, I got a signed copy of the first in her Archers of Avalon series, ANEW. After hearing everyone RAVE about it, and listening to Chelsea's experiences writing the series, working with the models, and various inspirations, made me all the more eager to get started. Thankfully, I had 12 hours worth of flying and layovers to get me started! Yay me!

Needless to say, between dinners, meetings, and changing time zones, I finished ANEW in no time flat ... then proceeded to immediately download the sequel, AWRY. Yeah. It's that awesome.

And here's why:

We begin the story with Scarlett, a teenage girl who lives with her amazing foster mom, Laura. Scarlett came to be under Laura's care when she woke up in the woods with full-blown amnesia wiping her mind of anything about her life leading up to that point. Yeah, talk about freaaaky.

Scarlett is a super down-to-earth girl who cares about her interim family and zealous friend more than fashion and boys, much to her BFF, Heather's disapproval.

They crew of awesome characters live in a small town called Avalon, Georgia. Much to my delight, Avalon is like less vampire-werewolf-doppelganger version of Mystic Falls when it comes to fun activities and festivals. And one of Scarlett's least favorites is The Kissing Festival--that is until she bumps into Gabriel Archer.

Sigh.

Gabriel Archer, that gorgeous, selfless, heartthrob of a guy. Chelsea definitely has the swoon worthy boys in her stories! Why do I say boys as in more than one? Because Gabriel happens to have an identical twin brother named Tristan! ::flatline::

Now, before you go thinking, "Is this going to be YA?" Let me say, yes. Yes it is. ;) Actually one of the things I love most about this series is how Chelsea works the love-triangle-but-not-a-love-triangle ... angle. Stay with me here.

See, Scarlett has ties and emotions and all kinds of stuff going on in her pretty little head, but it isn't because she's wishy-washy or a player. I can't tell you more than that because I don't do spoilers. You're welcome. But throughout the story, you really feel her distress and experience the challenge of the twins as they try to navigate the situation. Chelsea knocks it out of the park when it comes to believable and relatable characters. Their responses and feelings toward things are spot on, and you can't help but sympathize with their tragedy and triumph!

I will caution you now though ... have the second book on hand! OMGosh! I didn't sleep for waaay too long trying to find out what happened after book one ended! Good job, Chelsea!

So, with that, I give ANEW five very enthusiastic top hats! It's a definite must-read!!!

 

Buy. Read. Be happy.

Review: MYSTIC CITY by Theo Lawrence

 
Aria Rose, youngest scion of one of Mystic City's two ruling rival families, finds herself betrothed to Thomas Foster, the son of her parents' sworn enemies. The union of the two will end the generations-long political feud—and unite all those living in the Aeries, the privileged upper reaches of the city, against the banished mystics who dwell below in the Depths. But Aria doesn't remember falling in love with Thomas; in fact, she wakes one day with huge gaps in her memory. And she can't conceive why her parents would have agreed to unite with the Fosters in the first place. Only when Aria meets Hunter, a gorgeous rebel mystic from the Depths, does she start to have glimmers of recollection—and to understand that he holds the key to unlocking her past. The choices she makes can save or doom the city—including herself. 



So I totally lucked out and snagged an ARC of MYSTIC CITY at Half-Price Books. My review is for the ARC since I don't know what (if any) changes might've been made. Here we go!

The Good: I absolutely can't praise Theo's writing style enough! Can we say beautiful and the perfect example of Show don't Tell and Avoid Passive Voice. The descriptions are stunning. Each scene is brilliantly set and fully fleshed out. The characters are so unique, and you can totally connect with them in a real way. I'm generally not a dystopian fan, but MYSTIC CITY isn't the typical dystopian... at least, it isn't the struggle-every-moment-for-life kind. It's more futuristic than anything. I'm not sure what genre it's classified as anyway.

The progression of our protag's life is perfectly paced. Aria grows and changes throughout the story, going from the (non-cliche) rich girl to the caring young-woman who's willing to risk her comfortable life and promising future. And not just to win the guy but to save her city. Talk about an inspiring female lead! 

Our male lead, Hunter, is intriguing and by far the most mysterious part of the entire story. He proves himself to be swoon-worthy! He's not the kind of  guy you love to hate or admire because he's so wholesome. But he's real and genuine. Nothing about him feels fake or forced. He's the kind of boyfriend you would've actually wanted at 17. Too bad it's not that clean-cut for Aria.

The Mediocre: As the plot moves forward, there isn't a lot of "surprise" going on. I kept thinking, "Where's the mystery? What's the twist supposed to be here?" Really, it felt more like a contemporary novel with a futuristic setting. Like we know the obvious hurdles our characters have to overcome, so where's that *gasp* moment??? The outstanding writing and interesting characters kept me reading, but there were a few places where I just skimmed because it wasn't exciting. I will say there was one epic twist at the end I didn't expect which was fabulous! I love surprises! I just wish there could've been more.

Another issue I encountered was Aria's reaction to certain people in her life. Something epic would happen, and she was just like, "Meh. Okay." And while I get Lawrence's intent to keep her low key so she wouldn't give up the ghost so early, even her internal reaction was disappointing. Still, it wasn't enough of a let-down to stop reading. Also, Aria's best-friend Kiki is kind of annoying. I wish she would've been more likable. I'm a big fan of heroic secondary characters. I feel like they should really enhance the story and bring out a lot about plot and why our lead is the way they are. If you're going to the trouble to bring them up frequently, there needs to be a reason for them. Kiki was more like that irritating person you hang out with for the sake of obligation. She and Aria were so different in ways that would cause two people not to want to spend time together. I LOVED Hunter's bromance though.

There were several parts where I just skimmed through the story because it wasn't interesting. It didn't move the plot forward and felt more like a placeholder than an integral scene. There were maybe a total of 20 pages or so that could've been entirely culled, and no one would miss them. 

Conclusion: Based on the originality of the story, the lead characters, and the writing, I'd give MYSTIC CITY 5 Hats, no problem. But due to the slow plot at times, the mediocre secondary characters, and the lack of page-turning mystery, I'm going to say 4 Hats: still an awesome read and recommendation but not without a couple of flaws. 

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It's almost here - the end of school and the beginning of sweet summer freedom! ::cue Alice Cooper's School's Out:: Whether you're planning a season of traveling and vacation or chilling at home, one thing's for sure ... you're going to have plenty of time to read. 

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