Archive for Five by Five
Welcome to a special Five by Five post!
Mary Robinette Kowal was unable to participate in the original Five by Five Week but was very generous in visiting the blog today to share with us five books that have been influential for her as a writer and a reader.
Mary Robinette Kowal’s Glamourist Histories was made for me. As a diehard Jane Austen fan, Kowal’s mixture of Regency England and fantastical magic just called to me. And I boy was I glad I answered that call. After finishing her first book in the series, SHADES OF MILK AND HONEY, I was hooked on Jane Ellsworth, the brilliant heroine of the novel, and her brooding artist, Vincent. The magic, romance, and mystery of the story set a fantastic tone for the start of the series thereby cementing Kowal as one of my favorite authors. The follow-up, GLAMOUR IN GLASS, didn’t disappoint. The character development, further understanding of the system of glamour, tense intrigue and adventure, and, finally, heartbreak had me clamoring for the next book only to find it wasn’t set to release until April 2013. If you’re a Jane Austen fan but wish Anne Elliot could weave some magic, then pick up this series and enjoy. Get sucked into the imaginative world of the Glamourist Histories and you won’t be disappointed.
Please welcome one of my favorite authors, Mary Robinette Kowal, to the blog!
Mary Robinette Kowal & The Five Books That Inspired Her
1. Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein
For me, this was a formative book. I hit it at exactly the right time in high school and the idea of grokking someone, of having an inner circle of friends that understood you and loved you because of your flaws, was very empowering.
2. Persuasion by Jane Austen
Of all of Miss Austen’s works, this is my favorite. It is a book about second chances and standing firmly by one’s convictions. I love how quiet the story is and how intimate it is. Her use of the small detail taught me more about horror and suspense than anything else. Also, I weep every single time I read the Captain Wentworth’s letter. In fact, in the first draft Shades of Milk and Honey Jane’s last name was Wentworth.
3. Song for Arbonne by Guy Gavriel Kay
I love how he manages to write stories that are sweeping and epic yet remains focused on the personal narrative. It also sucked me into the idea of historical fantasies, although he files the serial numbers off the history. This is a book I return to repeatedly and it makes me cry every time.
4. The Sun, The Moon, and The Stars by Steven Brust
Again, a formative book for me. I read this in college when I was an art major. The main character was also an art major and going through the process of creating a painting. Mr. Brust captures the creative process so perfectly that I tend to reread this when I’m feeling blocked. My favorite sentence is: “Painting consists of long periods of minutes, followed by short busts of hours.” Yes. And writing is exactly like that, too.
5. An Old Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott
Part of why I was attracted to this over her other books is that the main character’s name was Mary, though she went by Polly. What I really liked about it was Polly’s self reliance and not in a Save The World kind of way, but in the way she could make a difference doing small kindnesses. There’s a point in the book where she’s feeling sorry for herself and decides to do something nice for someone else. Sure enough, even in the real world, that turns out to be the best way for me to get out of a funk. Plus, Miss Alcott is so good at characterization.
MY CHARACTERS ARE READING…
It is difficult to think of a book that would be a favorite of both Jane and Vincent. She enjoys fiction while he tends to prefer non-fiction. There is one book which holds a special spot for them both as it is the first one that they read aloud to each other. The Corsair by Lord Byron. Byron was a contemporary of Vincent and they ran in the same circles. He sent a copy of The Corsair, published in 1814, to Jane and Vincent as a wedding gift and they took turns reading it to each other. Jane, in particular, found elements which reminded her of Vincent.
Sun-burnt his cheek—his forehead high and pale,—
The sable curls in wild profusion veil;
And oft perforce his rising lip reveals
The haughtier thought it curbs, but scarce conceals.
Though smooth his voice, and calm his general mien,
Still seems there something he would not have seen:
His features’ deepening lines and varying hue
At times attracted, yet perplexed the view,
As if within that murkiness of mind
Work’d feelings fearful, and yet undefined;
Such might it be—that none could truly tell—
Too close enquiry his stern glance would quell.
On the other hand, if you were to ask Vincent, he would probably say that it was Herr Scholes’s “Treatise on the reciprocation of light and shadow,” but he would be making a joke with Jane. They sometimes refer to studying that work on glamour as a euphemism for their marital duties.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR MARY…
WITHOUT A SUMMER, the third book in the Glamourist Histories, releases April 3, 2013. If you’re a fan of Regency England, fantasy, and strong heroines, you really must read this series.
5 x 5 Giveaway – Mary Robinette Kowal
About the Author
Mary Robinette Kowal was the 2008 recipient of the Campbell Award for Best New Writer and her short story “For Want of a Nail” won the 2011 Hugo. Her stories have appeared in Strange Horizons, Asimov’s, and several Year’s Best anthologies. She is the author of Shades of Milk and Honey and Glamour in Glass (Tor 2012).
Mary, a professional puppeteer and voice actor, has performed for LazyTown (CBS), the Center for Puppetry Arts, Jim Henson Pictures and founded Other Hand Productions. Her designs have garnered two UNIMA-USA Citations of Excellence, the highest award an American puppeteer can achieve. She also records fiction for authors such as Kage Baker, Cory Doctorow and John Scalzi.
Mary lives in Chicago with her husband Rob and over a dozen manual typewriters.
Please visit MARY at her favorite spots:
WEBSITE | GOODREADS | TWITTER | FACEBOOK
Carlson wowed me this year with her debut novel, FULL BLOODED. I love a good werewolf tale and that’s just what Carlson gave me. Jessica McClain, the only female werewolf in existence, the embodiment of an ancient prophecy that foretells the end of the werewolf race? DRAMA. Full Blooded is full of action, high stakes and compelling conflict. The werewolf mythology is unique and bold. The world-building is well thought out and interesting. And Jessica is my kind of heroine – smart, scrappy, and independent. She can kick some ass but not too much. Jessica has a lot to learn and something tells me she’s going to have to learn it fast. Carlson peppers the book with a fantastic supporting cast and a love interest, Rourke, who has the potential to become legendary. Carlson’s new series is fresh, her voice is original, and she has quickly become one of my favorite new writers.
Please welcome Amanda to the blog as she discusses five books that have inspired and influenced her!
AMANDA CARLSON & THE 5 BOOKS THAT INSPIRED HER
Judy Blume’s ARE YOU THERE GOD, IT’S ME MARGARET. This is a coming of age story most of have read at some point in our childhood. It touched me the same way as most of you, but it was also the first book to inspire me as a writer. Judy Blume crafted a witty, funny tale about puberty in a way that was new and edgy. I remember picking up a pen to write my own stories not long after. All of them revolving around a girl coming of age. Thanks, Judy!
J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series. The SORCERER’S STONE was an amazing entry into an amazing series. JK opened up a world that still inspires me today. Harry and his friends are some of the most likeable characters I’ve ever read. To me, her writing perfectly showcases the books.
J.R.R. Tolkien’s THE HOBBIT (and the entire Lord of the Rings series). I recently re-read this series and it’s so amazing. For every fantasy buff out there, the world he created is incredible to fall into. This is one of my all time favorite reads and every time I’m blocked I think of pieces of his world and they inspire me.
Kresley Cole’s Immortal After Dark series, starting with A HUNGER LIKE NO OTHER. This was the first series under the paranormal umbrella I read after Twilight came into vogue. Kresley’s witty dialogue and unbelievable world opened me up to this genre, where Anne Rice has whetted my appetite all those years ago. I fell in love with her series, and thus began a five year love affair with urban fantasy. Along the way, reading and loving the genre, I decided to write something I wanted to read and FULL BLOODED was born.
Stephen King’s ON WRITING. Okay, this is not a typical pick, but if you’re asking for inspirations, Stephen King is the man. This book helped shaped my thinking as a writer. His advice is rock solid, plus you get a glimpse into what made him the writer he is today. I re-read it often. And the advice never gets old. I highly recommend this to all the aspiring writers out there.
Thanks for having me, She Wolf Reads! I hope these books have inspired others out there.
WHAT MY CHARACTERS ARE READING…
My heroine, Jessica McClain, would love Anne Rice. She would be impressed with how she crafted her histories. (She’d also know that Anne was likely an Essential.)
Rourke would love George R. R. Martin. Anything Epic fantasy would be his pick.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR AMANDA?
HOT BLOODED, the second book in the Jessica McClain series is due out in April 2013!
5×5 GIVEAWAY – AMANDA CARLSON
Please read terms and conditions before entering the giveaway. You must be 18 years or older to be eligible to win.
About the Author
I’m a Minnesota girl, born and bred. I started writing stories about teenage girls and their social missteps when I was in high school. I still have the handwritten spiral notebooks to prove it.
I started writing in earnest after my second child was born. After purchasing our first computer, I thought to myself, what better way to spend my time than e-mailing unsuspecting family members super cute stories about my exceptionally darling children? Isn’t that what computers were made for anyway?
The writer in me stretched and gave a defiant shove. I was hooked.
I started FULL BLOODED because kickass heroines rock and I love shifters of all kinds. There aren’t enough warm-blooded girls to go around, in my opinion. I fell into Jessica’s story and had such a great time writing it. I couldn’t imagine writing anything other than urban fantasy now.
When you’re creating a story in this fantastic genre, it can contain almost any elements you can dream up. Creatively, for me, there’s nothing better.
Amanda is a graduate of the University of Minnesota, with a BA in both Speech and Hearing Science & Child Development. She went on to get an A.A.S in Sign Language Interpreting and worked as an interpreter until her first child was born. She enjoys playing Scrabble to an unhealthy degree, shopping trips to Ikea and has a great weakness for tropical beaches. She lives in Minneapolis with her husband and three kids.
Please visit AMANDA at her favorite spots:
WEBSITE | GOODREADS | TWITTER | FACEBOOK
Suzanne Johnson is one of my favorite authors. I discovered her work this year with the release of two new series that very quickly became two of my favorite all time series:
The sexy PNR series PENTON LEGACY (written under the name Susannah Sandlin) about a vampire enclave in Alabama, and the UF series, THE SENTINELS OF NEW ORLEANS, about the junior wizard, Drusilla Jaco, or DJ, as she battles to keep the supernatural from overflowing into our mundane world.
Johnson created something special with both series but it’s especially in the Sentinels of New Orleans where she’s blown me away with her world-building. And you know me…I love a good supernatural world. Her concept of the historical dead is fun, original, and, with the famous pirate Jean Lafitte, very, very sexy.
The Sentinels series encapsulates everything I love in a good UF – solid character development, a great blend of mystery, action, and romance, and a love for New Orleans that shines through more than any other paranormal read set there that I’ve encountered in recent years. All of this makes Suzanne Johnson one of my favorite writers.
Please welcome Suzanne to SWR as she discusses five books that inspired her!
SUZANNE JOHNSON & THE 5 BOOKS THAT INSPIRED HER
1. The Stand by Stephen King
This is the first book I remember reading when I was old enough to really get caught up in the emotion of adult characters. It gave me an appreciation for a big, sprawling story with multiple points of view, each character richly drawn and deeply flawed—yet still heroic. It’s arguably the first modern dystopian novel—99.4 percent of the world’s population dies quickly from a pandemic virus, and the remaining .6 percent quickly divide into good and evil. With a supernatural element, of course.
2. All Over But the Shoutin’ by Rick Bragg
I adore Rick Bragg, and from his books All Over But the Shoutin’ and Ava’s Man, I learned what it meant when people spoke of an author having a voice. Hearing Rick’s voice helped me find mine—or at least recognize that I had one. Shoutin’ and Ava are both memoirs but read like the best fiction. And he grew up in my neck of the woods, in the Appalachian foothills of north Alabama, so his people and his family customs are not so different from my own, for better or worse.
3. Cashelmara by Susan Howatch
I spent my teens reading these huge gothic multigenerational family sagas by Susan Howatch—Penmarric, The Wheel of Fortune, Sins of the Fathers, The Rich are Different. But my favorite was always Cashelmara, which is set in Ireland during the Potato Famine and afterward. I’ve probably read that book at least twenty times. In fact, I’m eyeing it as I type this. It’s been quite a few years, and I wonder if it would still hold the magic for me. Susan Howatch was the first author whose work I obsessively collected in hardcover.
4. 1 Dead in Attic by Chris Rose
If you are going to read one book about what life was like in New Orleans during and after Hurricane Katrina, this is the one. You should read it. Before Katrina, Chris Rose was an entertainment writer for the Times-Picayune, New Orleans’ newspaper. During the storm, he camped in primitive conditions and wrote about his city every day for four months, providing a heartbreaking lifeline to those of us scattered around the country, evacuated from our homes and desperate for news. He fell into a very public depression and that, too, is on these pages as he chronicles the trauma we all went through and gave us a voice. This is a collection of his daily columns, and it still makes me weep to read it. He was a finalist for a Pulitzer. He should have won it.
5. Storm Front by Jim Butcher &
Something from the Nightside by Simon R. Green
Okay, this is two books so I’m sort of cheating, but after years of reading literary fiction and nonfiction, I stumbled across two urban fantasy series in 2008, started reading them, and fell in love. I’d read a few Anita Blake books years ago but hadn’t kept up with the genre, so it was like discovering a new world. I devoured all the Dresden and Nightside books back-to-back. I’d been toying with the idea of trying to write a Katrina novel to exorcise my own demons from the experience, and after reading these two series, I knew I wanted to write urban fantasy and its close cousin, paranormal romance.
MY CHARACTERS ARE READING…
DJ Jaco would claim her favorite is the Lord of the Rings trilogy, but in reality (she’ll deny this), it’s the Harry Potter series. She adores the Potter books in private, but in public enjoys making fun of how easy everything is for the fictional wizards.
Alex Warin reads a good bit of military history, but when he wants to relax he pulls out a Harlan Coben thriller such as Tell No One.
Jake Warin is not a big reader, but he has taken to studying books on wolf pack behavior.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR SUZANNE…
The third book in the Sentinels of New Orleans series, Elysian Fields, will come out next August, and I’m working on a digital short that’s sort of a “Misadventures of Jean Lafitte” and should be out in the spring.
I just released a digital short that is a standalone paranormal, Christmas in Dogtown.
Omega, the third book in my Penton Legacy series written as Susannah Sandlin, will be out on February 5.
And I’m working on a couple of proposals for new projects!
5×5 Giveaway – Suzanne Johnson
Please read terms and conditions before entering giveaway.
About the Author
Suzanne Johnson is the author of a new urban fantasy series beginning with ROYAL STREET and RIVER ROAD, both coming in 2012 from Tor Books, and ELYSIAN FIELDS, coming in 2013, also from Tor. A longtime New Orleans resident now living in Auburn, Alabama, Suzanne is a veteran journalist with more than fifty national awards in writing and editing nonfiction. She is a graduate of the University of Alabama, and a native of Winfield, Alabama.
During her daytime job, Suzanne is associate editor of Auburn Magazine, the quarterly magazine of the Auburn University Alumni Association. She has also worked at Tulane University in New Orleans, the University of San Diego, Rice University in Houston, and at the University of Illinois. Awards include: the Robert S. Sibley Award for the best university magazine in the U.S. and Canada, for the Rice University Sallyport; feature writing awards in 2009 and 2010 from Writer’s Digest magazine; and more than 50 awards in writing and editing from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education.
Suzanne is an active member of Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America, Romance Writers of America, and is a member of the Georgia, Southern Magic, and Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal chapters of RWA.
Please visit SUZANNE at her favorite spots:
WEBSITE | GOODREADS | TWITTER | FACEBOOK
I first came across Glass’ SHADOWCHASERS when scouring Goodreads and Amazon for a new UF series. To be honest, what first drew me to SHADOW BLADE, book one in the series, was the fact that the main character was a woman of color. You don’t often see this in urban fantasy, and I wanted to finally read something in my favorite genre that had a heroine who reflected some diversity. However, what brings me back to this series is more than that…Seressia created something unique with Shadowchasers. The magic in this supernatural world is based on African/Egyptian mythology, not something you often see in the genre. The world-building is off the charts and I love the attention to detail that Glass gives it. I also love what Seressia does with Kira, an antiquities expert with incredible powers – she absorbs the power, memories, emotions of anything she touches. Her touch can be deadly to people, and, as a result, she can’t touch anyone without hurting them or even killing them. Glass created a compelling character who is exceptionally strong, Kira is a Shadowchaser fighting the forces of darkness and chaos in the world, while also being incredibly vulnerable in terms of her personal relationships. I also the love the equally tortured Khefar who proves to be a worthy partner in more ways than one. Glass gives us exciting action, complex world-building, and emotional relationships that makes this series one of my favorites. She announced recently a new series she’ll put out next year…yes, I’m excited. Very excited.
SERESSIA GLASS & THE 5 BOOKS THAT INSPIRED HER
Ok, I admit it. I am going to cheat. She-Wolf asked me for five books that inspired me, and how the heck was I supposed to stop with five? So here’s my list of stories and authors that have stayed with me, fascinated me, encouraged me, and made me want to weave a word spell just like the authors did for me.
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
I don’t remember how old I was when I read this, but I know it was sometime during elementary school. I’d been reading comics and books about horses and other assorted animals up until that point but this book broke my mind open in a very positive way. Aside from comics, this book was the first stepping stone on my journey into fantasy and science fiction.
Dawn by Octavia Butler
I cannot tell you how over the moon with excitement I was when I picked up this book. Reading this book was almost a religious experience for me. First, because it was such a damn good story. Second and mostly importantly, it was a damn good science fiction story written by a black woman featuring a multicultural lead. Discovering Octavia Butler’s books inspired me to continue my attempts at putting words together in a coherent long form. I certainly wouldn’t have dared to go into paranormal and urban fantasy if not for Ms. Butler and her works, and I dearly wish I could have met her and told her that.
Dragonriders of Pern and everything else by Anne McCaffrey
What can I say about Anne McCaffrey’s body of work except to say that it was a balm to an angsty teenager’s soul. Strong heroines and heroes, the power of love and friendship and adventure and self, woven into tales of dragons and spaceships and other fantastical worlds.
The Belgariad by David Eddings
I have to say this series inspired me because Mr. Eddings was quite adept at making me feel for every single character in the sprawling cast. By the time I reached the last word of the last book, I felt like I’d left dear friends behind. I literally laughed, cried and felt I was a part of it.
Now, people are going to wonder why I don’t have a romance on here. Simply put, I don’t remember when I started reading romance, or when I started paying more attention to the relationships in the stories I read than the action. But when it comes to inspiration, that happened when I met the ladies of Georgia Romance Writers. A large contingent of published authors felt it their responsibility to “train their competition.” I wouldn’t have been encouraged or motivated to write, perfect, or submit my work without this fantastic group of ladies.
WHAT MY CHARACTERS ARE READING…
Kira enjoys reading The Art of War by Sun Tzu, but her favorite book is a battered copy of Grimm’s Fairy Tales. She used to read it to her sister until Kira hit puberty and her powers awakened. It’s the only thing she has left of her sister, and she’ll take it out once in a while to feel her sister’s presence and remember a time in her life before it went to hell and she became a Shadowchaser in self-defense.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR SERESSIA?
I’m writing for Harlequin Nocturne’s Cravings line– super sexy erotic romance novellas heavy on the paranormal elements. My first story, SEDUCING THE JACKAL, will be out May 2013, with the second story (with the working title TAKING THE JACKAL) coming out in October 2013. A third novella in this universe is slated for 2014, with hopefully lots of other stories to come.
5×5 GIVEAWAY – SERESSIA GLASS
Please read terms and conditions before entering giveaway.
About the Author
Seressia has always been a voracious reader, cutting her teeth on comics, cereal boxes–anything at hand. So it came as no surprise to family and teachers when she began creating stories featuring some of her favorite characters. One of her earlier works included the autobiography of a piece of bubble gum, and a short Halloween story was turned into a PTA play in elementary school.
Her proudest writing moment remains winning the first Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday “Living the Dream” essay contest as a high school senior and getting to meet Coretta Scott King. Since then, she’s channeled her belief in the power of the written word by creating rich, emotional stories of diverse people coming together to achieve the universal goals of love and acceptance.
When not working on her next story, Seressia is an instructional designer for an international home improvement company. She spends her free time people-watching, belly dancing, and watching way too much anime.
Please visit SERESSIA at her favorite spots:
WEBSITE | GOODREADS | TWITTER | FACEBOOK
The first thing that drew me to Painter’s HOUSE OF COMARRE series was the incredible cover art by the Spanish artist Nekro. I was instantly drawn to it by the black, white, and red color palette, the golden tattoos, and the intricate, gothic detail that frames every cover image. The world Painter creates within the books is equally as arresting as the art that covers them. I love Painter’s ability to give us something fresh in a genre that has seen it all. Her concept of “blood rights” is unique – humans known as Comarre are born and bred to feed vampire nobility, the rights to their blood sold off to the highest bidder. They are prized possessions, property. They have no freedom or independence. The heroine of the story is Chrysabelle, a coveted Comarre, who is making a bid for freedom and Painter makes Chrysabelle a force to be reckoned with. I love that she doesn’t come out of the gate as kick ass, rather she is smart and strategic, never revealing her true capabilities until necessary. And Mal…so tragically tortured. Double cursed and forced to hear the voices of all he has killed. When these two are thrown together, fireworks erupt and Painter does a wonderful job of drawing their attraction out. This has become one of my favorite worlds and one of my favorite series. I love Painter’s originality, deceptively strong heroine, her ability to give a great twist, and the dark world she’s created where blood is power and freedom is precious.
KRISTEN PAINTER & FIVE BOOKS THAT INSPIRED HER
1. Illusion by Paula Volsky
This is probably the first dystopian I ever read and I’m sure back then, I’d probably never heard the word dystopian. But this book is so much more than that label. It’s lush and dark and also sometimes bleak. If you haven’t read it, please do. Prepare to miss a day or two until you reach the end.
2. Until Forever by Johanna Lindsey
What can I say about a story that revolves around a 1000 year old Scandinavian sword and the woman that pulls the weapon’s owner into the present day? It’s the kind of campy, comfort read that I still reach for on occasion. It’s fun and it’s entertaining and it’s the book that made me think, “Hey, I should really try writing one of these…”
3. Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley
I’ve been an Authurian Lit nerd since way back and this is a seminal piece of work that puts the female characters up front and center. Not to be missed. A thousand pages of fabulousness.
4. Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
After reading this, I became a convert to the unexpected twist, something I try to do whenever possible in my own work. Yes, this is a male YA, but don’t let that stop you from reading it.
5. Anything by Shakespeare
I read a lot of Shakespeare when I was young. For fun. Yeah, I was that kid. But you really can’t deny the Bard’s way with words. I mean, the man invented the words puking, eyeball and alligator, just to name a few of the thousands he’s credited with coining. He’s kind of the Godfather of Writing.
WHAT MY CHARACTERS ARE READING…
Mal – Anything that might provide a way to remove his curses.
Chrysabelle – Her mother’s journals.
5×5 GIVEAWAY – KRISTEN PAINTER
You must be 18 years or older to enter this giveaway.
Please read terms and conditions before entering.
About the Author
A little about me: I’m a former college English teacher, but I’ve held a crazy mix of other jobs including maitre’d for Wolfgang Puck, personal trainer, and sales for Christian Dior Bijoux. On the writing side of things, I’m a two-time Golden Heart finalist and have been on the board of three different RWA chapters. What can I say? I like getting involved. I’m not adverse to bossing people around either.
My forays into writing have been as varied as the jobs I’ve held. I’ve written poetry, articles for magazines, short stories, paranormal romances (that include fantasy, contemporary and steampunk genres) and now I’ve found a home with urban fantasy. I love worldbuilding and few genres give you the kind of license urban fantasy does.
I’m also the co-founder of the award-winning writer’s site Romancedivas.com. I blog occasionally at www.fictionistas.blogspot.com and tweet at twitter.com/Kristen_Painter more often than I should. You can also find me on my Facebook author page here: www.facebook.com/KristenPainterAuthor
I live in FL with my retired Air Force husband and a horde of feline dependents. I’m represented by The Knight Agency.
Please visit KRISTEN at her favorite spots:
I first discovered Jennifer’s LUX SERIES around the time I started this blog. Some of my favorite fellow bloggers waxed poetic about the chemistry Jennifer created between Katy and Daemon, the series’ main protagonists. These books got such blogger love that it made me stand up and take notice. At the time, I didn’t read a lot of YA and I filed the books away as something to pick up one day. After reading a lot of review books and needing a break, I downloaded OBSIDIAN to my Kindle on a whim and then promptly got obsessed with it. I read the book in a day and a half and immediately read the next one, OYNX. Once I devoured that one I read SHADOWS, the series prequel. I read the Lux series wishing it had been around when I was a teen. Daemon is the perfect alpha hero you love to hate – the exchanges between him and Katy are priceless. She’s smart and can hold her own when it comes to the back and forth that fuels their relationship. I loved that Armentrout created this young, smart heroine who is willing to wait for love before giving into lust; I love that she created an alpha hero you love to hate and hate to love – Daemon cracks me up at just what an ass he can be. Armentrout has become one of my favorite writers because of this series. Her writing is fun, smart, and, as an adult reading her YA work, she reminds me constantly of what it was like to be a teen…in a good way.
JENNIFER L. ARMENTROUT & THE 5 BOOKS THAT INSPIRED HER
1. Ritchie Cusick’s The Lifeguard
(and just about every other book of hers)
Ritchie Cusick is the reason why I wanted to be a writer. I loved reading her books as a teen — The Lifeguard, Trick or Treat, The Locker, Overdue, Silent Stalker — I could go on and on. Her books always had such wonderful plot twists and full of romance. The Lifeguard was the first one that I read and I remembered being so surprised by who the bad guy was.
2. The Secret Circle by LJ Smith
The old school Secret Circle; the original first three books. It was the first series that really engrossed me to the point that I had to read the next. My parents had gotten me the first two books for Christmas and I read it while they all watched Christmas movies. I was so in love that I had to get the third book the next day. It was the first book series that captured me.
3. JR Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood
It’s really simple. These are the only books that really made me laugh out loud. I think it’s so rare to find books like that.
4. Playing Hurt by Holly Schindler
Her writing–her beautiful, lyrical writing–makes me want to be a better writer. I’ll never have her style or way with words, but reading her work makes me want to be a better writer.
5. Historical Romance
Okay. This really has nothing to do with writing but I grew up reading them along with the YA of my time and they taught me to have really high expectations of sex. And that pirates were sexy. So were knights and Scottish men in kilts. And that petticoats seemed like a fun thing to wear. And unless you were in the noble class, your life sucked.
5×5 GIVEAWAY – JENNIFER L. ARMENTROUT
You must be 18 years old or older to enter this giveaway.
Please read terms and conditions before entering.
About the Author
USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russel Loki.
Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She also writes adult romance under the name J. Lynn.
Please visit JENNIFER at her favorite spots:
WEBSITE | GOODREADS | TWITTER | FACEBOOK
Earlier this year, I started a new feature at She-Wolf Reads called “Five by Five” in which five of my favorite authors discussed five books or authors that inspired them. It was a fun week of great book recommendations and giveaways. I had so much fun with it that I decided to do it again! Starting Monday, SWR will host another Five by Five with more incredible authors and fun giveaways. The participating authors are some of my favs and their books include aliens, golden tattoos, werewolves, wizards, and a Nubian warrior over 3000 years old.
Check out these posts from my first Five by Five week.
And don’t forget to stop by on Monday for the first post in the new series!
Five Authors and the Five Books that Inspire Them –
Five by Five, May 7th – 11th:
Due to unfortunate, unforeseen, and totally understandable circumstances, the author originally scheduled for today, was unable to contribute. So, I decided it would be a great opportunity to introduce you to a new author. I was lucky enough to get the wonderful Jes Young to step in and save the day!
Jes Young is a former copyeditor who decided to leave the publishing world for a bit in order to be a full-time mom. She is back with a vengeance now that her debut novel, Tab Bennett and the Inbetween, has been released. A dark fairy tale, it is the first in a new UF series called “Princess of Twilight and Dawn.” I read a small short on her website and I am excited to get my hands on the full-length novel. Read the synopsis. You’ll want to get your hands on it, too. It looks to be a great start to a new world and heroine.
Without further ado…Jes Young!
5 Books that Inspire Me
Jessamy by Barbara Sleigh
Jessamy is the first book I ever loved. It’s about a girl who is transported back to 1914 every time she enters the schoolroom of the old house where she spends summers with her Aunt. It’s a book about wonder and magic and mystery and it unlocked my eight year old brain and filled it up with stories.
The Immortals After Dark series by Kresley Cole
For some reason I can’t fully explain, Kresley Cole’s Immortals After Dark series is like writing fuel to me. Reading them never fails to inspire me to write. Maybe because every book is just the right combination of funny and sexy and sad. Demon from the Dark is my favorite because of quotes like this:
“He’d swiftly collected those monsters’ heads, tying them together with a piece of the rope she’d hoped never to see again, then strung them over his shoulder. Periodically, he offered his catch to her.
“No, no, I have a pair just like them at home,” she’d said. “I would just regift them.”
Still Life with Woodpecker by Tom Robbins
Still Life with Woodpecker is just so full of words. No. Not words. Language. Of beautiful, thick sentences that go on and on. It’s convoluted and silly and a little bit dirty. It’s about true love and redheads and bomb making. And every time I read it I end up wishing I was the one who wrote it.
A Kiss of Shadows by Laurell K. Hamilton
Before I read A Kiss of Shadows, there was hardly any magic in Tab Bennett and the Inbetween. This book and the others that followed in the Merry Gentry series made me think about magic and sex and menace in a way I hadn’t before. This is where my urban fantasy education really began.
Darkfever and the Fever series by Karen Marie Moning
Urban fantasy is populated by kick-ass heroines; women with long hair and high heels who literally fight monsters for a living. Leather pants are practically a genre-wide epidemic. For me the thing that sets Darkfever and the rest of this series apart is that Mac, the main character, is exactly the opposite of that. At the beginning she’s innocent and sweet and very, very pink. Over the course of the series she fights, she fails, she kills, and she dies. She loses everything and from the pieces she builds someone tough and sleek and strong. Darkfever taught me that a cream puff can become a tough cookie with the proper motivation – something I was definitely inspired by when I was writing Tab Bennett and the Inbetween.
What books are my characters reading?
Tab would be really interested in Fifty Shades of Grey right now. I think she’d find Ana’s struggle between acquiescence and rebellion easy to relate to; Tab’s got a lot of strong-willed, over protective men around her too.
Robbin has Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson on his nightstand but I don’t think he’s much of a reader. It’s probably been sitting there for a long time.
Alex is reading Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien.
What’s up next for Jes?
Book #2 of the Princess of Twilight and Dawn series!
Tab Bennett and the Underneath will be out in December. Unlike Inbetween, which was a talking book, its sequel, Underneath, is an adventure. There’s a dark forest to cross, a dungeon to escape, and bad guys to vanquish. It’s been incredibly fun to write.
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Go get your copy of Tab Bennett and the Inbetween here.
And, please, stop by and say hello to Jes at some of her favorite spots:
WEBSITE | TWITTER | GOODREADS | GOOGLE+
Now, enter for your chance to win an ebook copy of “Tab Bennett and the Inbetween” along with ONE book of choice from Jes’s top five list!
Five Authors and the Five Books that Inspire Them –
Five by Five, May 7th – 11th:
Jenn Bennett is the Atlanta-based author of the wonderful Arcadia Bell series. She is also a visual artist, a Tiki bar expert, and a dark fairytale enthusiast. Now, this totally explains the inspiration for Cady Bell and her world. If you have not read this series, please do. Jenn has a knack for creating characters you really care about, living in a world you want to explore.
Here are five things I love about the Arcadia Bell series:
1. Diversity? Why, yes.
A forty-something, divorced love interest with a biracial teenage son, who has a married same-sex couple as caretakers when dad isn’t around? This is fantastic. This is real. This is my world. These are people I know. Drop some magic into this, some fantastic paranormal elements, and you have an urban fantasy I can relate to. I’ve been known to go off on a rant about the lack of diversity in the genre as a whole, but Jenn Bennett rectifies this by embracing diversity in her world and I can’t tell you how much I love it.
2. Jupe
He’s so damn cute. What a cool kid. Jenn channeled her inner teenage boy and created an endearing character that you want to spend more time with. A movie buff myself, I want to hangout with this kid, give him a camera, and help him produce a remake of some horror classic.
3. Lon and Cady Sitting in a Tree
Arcadia is just…cool. Smart and funny; clever with her magic, independent, tough, and loyal. Lon is just…cool. Sexy, older, pirate mustache and all, strong, silent type. These two together is just right. They have a chemistry that jumps off the page. I count them as one of my favorite UF couples. Please, Jenn, don’t break them up! Ever. That is not meant to sound threatening. Nope. Not at all.
4. What a Wonderful World
Arcadia lives in a world of magic and demons. Demons that look like you and me, called Earthbounds, and those living in the Aethyric plane. Earthbound demons have special abilities like reading minds, sensing or manipulating emotion. Arcadia is a magician with strong powers and the ability to call and banish demons back to the Aethyric plane. She also has come into new powers which she is just starting to understand. This is a wholly unique world and an totally original magic system.
5. She Makes Me Laugh
There is great, clever writing in the Arcadia Bell series. And a lot of the humor is spot on. From the back and forth between Lon and Jupe, Jupe and Cady, to worrying about losing a vintage Zippo lighter when investigating a booby-trapped grave site, Jenn has a knack for finding the funny in tough situations while also creating humorous dialogue that feels authentic and unforced.
(I’m reading book two now so stay tuned for a review of Summoning the Night!)
So, without further ado…Jenn Bennett!
Five Books I Love Oh-so-dearly
I write urban fantasy slash paranormal romance. Horror-tinged, demonic, sexy, funny, weird occult stuff. You might imagine that a list of my five most influential books would be dark and dangerous. Well, some of it is. Kind of. Because if you’ve read my books, you also know that my work is very character-driven. Less about action and the apocalypse and more about the experience of getting to know the people who inhabit my worlds through an unravelling mystery. Maybe knowing more about where I come from as a reader will help you to understand the strange—but charming, yes?—world of Arcadia Bell.
5. Henry and June by Anaïs Nin
For those of you who don’t know, Anaïs was a French-Cuban writer who is famous for her affair with Henry Miller. She’s been accused of being egotistical and a whore. She published erotica in a time when it wasn’t hitting the bestseller lists. She lived her life as she wanted, independently, boldly, and without shame. This book is taken from her unexpurgated diaries (the sex isn’t censored). It made me want to have a torrid affair with a literary giant and then out-write him.
Five Authors and the Five Books that Inspire Them –
Five by Five, May 7th – 11th:
