Top 10 YA Crushes–Guest Post & Giveaway with Ebony McKenna

I am so excited that Ebony Mckenna agreed to visit The Happy Booker to share a guest post about her book crushes! Ebony is the author of the fun & magical series Ondine. I recently read the first in this series titled The Summer of Shambles, you can check out my review here.
I have a few book crushes of my own, like Sirus Black from Harry Potter and Raffe from Angelfall. What about you? Let Ebony know who your book crushes are and you’ll be entered to win one of two copies of The Summer of Shambles!

Giveaway is INT – 2 Winners

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Top 10 Young Adult Crushes

by Ebony McKenna

 

Sure, I read novels for the escapism, the writing, the plot and all that. But what makes a book truly memorable for me is when I fall in love with the characters. I adore believable characters who make me sigh and give me goofy grins. I love the emotional connection between my heart and a book.
It’s time to confess I’ve fallen in love with far too many fictional lads over the years. Here are my top 10 favorites of all time.

1: Dread Pirate Roberts (The Princess Bride by William Goldman)
I first fell in love with Cary Elwes who played him in the movie, which I saw in the 1980s. Later, I read the book and fell in love with him all over again. Don’t get me wrong, Westley the farm boy is all kinds of sweet, but when he becomes Dread Pirate Roberts, he is brave and strong and clever, utterly devoted and a lot bit wicked.

2: Gale Hawthorne (The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins)
Katniss should have ended up with Gale, no question. He’s smart and strong and catches his own food. These are important qualities to consider when society is falling apart. Gale is a survivor. Usually I’m not a fan of the love triangle, but in this series it worked - only because I’d made my mind up very early on and didn’t budge from it. If only Katniss had listened to me.

3: Jon Snow (A Game of Thrones by George R R Martin).
Not a YA book per se, but the series A Game of Ice and Fire is filled with teens and tweens forging a new life in a kill-or-be-killed universe. One of the most intriguing characters (along with Tyrion Lannister) is Jon Snow, the bastard son of Ned Stark. Jon is an outcast who desperately wants to belong. He’s in constant battle with what he wants versus what the world wants of him. He’s understandably complicated without wallowing in melodrama. He’s a survivor. (Oh dear, I hope I haven’t spoken too soon.)
I was also partial to Robb Stark, Jon’s half-brother. Honorable, just like his father. Strong, brave and devoted to the cause, just like his father. Oh yeah, and dead, just like his father. Thanks for nothing George!

4: Bennett Cooper (Time Between Us by Tamara Ireland Stone)
Oh Bennett is divine. This is a new crush for me but the time-traveling Bennett will stand the test of time, if you’ll forgive the pun. He’s so believable and well written. He’s complicated (as a good teenager ought to be) and has loads of secrets, but he has such a strong sense of devotion and the need to protect the people he loves that makes him so eminently crushable. Yikes, this list is getting way too revealing. Oh well, it’s cheaper than therapy!

5: Josh Abrams (I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You by Ally Carter)
Reading the Gallagher Girls series by Ally Carter is pure fun, with added super cool gadgets and plot twists. Josh is both a love-interest and thorn-in-the side for Cammie. I’m a few books in to the series, which means I’m liking Josh all the more and yet trusting him even less. Is he a spy, a double-agent or something more dangerous?
Whatever the outcome (book 6 is out soon!) Josh is way too clever to forget.

6: Hamish McPhee (The Summer of Shambles by .... oh look, it’s me!) Yes, I am in love with my own creation. There is probably something deeply Freudian about this. Or it’s simply entertaining. But the thing is, I didn’t realize I was in love with him until a blogger interviewed me and said my face went all soft and silly whenever she said his name.

7: Étienne St Clair (Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins)
My husband is now reading these over my shoulder. I am in serious trouble. “But darling, it’s not like I’m some desiccated cougar, or whatever comes after cougar (Snow Leopard?) It’s me reading as my 15-year-old self, living vicariously though the protagonist. Honest!
Sure, I crushed on Étienne, but also, I grew very frustrated with his inability to ditch his current girlfriend and get with Anna. These situations play out very badly in real life. You do not want to be someone’s back-up plan, you want to be the centre of their world. But also, I’m a sucker for an accent.

8: The Man of Steel
No matter your orientation, if you’re not crushing on Henry Cavill in the rebooted Superman, check your pulse. OK, this is a movie not a book . . . but you can bet Henry is inspiring a great many writers all over the world right at this very minute. 
  
 

9:  Gilbert Blythe (Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery)
Yeah, I’m going old-school. I didn’t fall in love with him instantly. In later books, Anne gets wistful about her perfect husband. She says she couldn’t love a wicked man, but it would be nice if he ‘could be wicked’. At that point, it all fell into place. Gilbert is smart, easy on the eye and capable of being a big tease when the moment strikes. He’s also completely devoted to Anne. Ooooh, there’s that word devoted again. Sigh.

10: Ai Ling (Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon)
Yep, I’m crushing on a girl here, because Ai Ling is awesome without being arrogant. She’s also brave and daring while acknowledging how scared she is of the consequences. She’s so full of adventure and fighting spirit. And the girl loves her food. What’s not to love?

Honorable Mentions (because I can’t stop at 10)

 The Doctor (David Tennant’s incarnation).
OK, so not a book. But also, Dr Who, huge part of my youth spent behind the sofa being scared by Daleks, Cybermen and Bonnie Langford’s hair.
When the BBC brought it back to our screens with Christopher Eccleston as The Doctor, I was back to being a kid again. Then David Tennant stepped into the role and he took it to a whole new level. I am still crushing on him like crazy.

Michael Wagner (Forever by Judy Blume)
Notable because this book was my introduction to the topsy-turvy world of romantic love. First published in 1975, I would have been one of the ‘new’ audience reading it in the late 80s.  I read it because I was a perve and I wanted to know what I was in for, didn’t I?

Over to you.

Who are your favorite YA crushes?  Who should be on the list? I have two digital copies of The Summer of Shambles to give away in the comments below. I’ll choose one winner at random and the other winner will be someone who makes me giggle or grin or both.
 

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About the Author

Ebony McKenna lives in Melbourne, Australia with her husband and young son.

She has worked as a journalist, market researcher, website editor, and company director. She also waitressed, cleaned and prepared food in her family's restaurant when she was a teenager.

In high school McKenna excelled in English and Literature, earning herself a place in the journalism course at Melbourne's RMIT University.

In the 1990s she worked as a journalist on many leading Melbourne newspapers. She won many awards - including scooping first and second place in the one night for best news report. By day she wrote other people's stories, but by night she plotted epic adventures.
Now she writes novels for a living.

Connect with Ebony: Website | Twitter

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About the Book

This is a brilliantly witty story with a furry tail ending. One girl. One boy. One spell to be broken. Ondine de Groot is a normal fifteen-year-old who lives with her family in the European country of Brugel. She has a pet ferret called Shambles. But Shambles is no ordinary ferret...He's Hamish McPhee, a boy cursed by a witch. A witch who happens to be related to Ondine. When Shambles turns back into Hamish temporarily, Ondine knows that she has to help him break the spell. He is the most gorgeous boy she has ever met and her one true love! He just can't remain a ferret forever. Can he?

Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Goodreads

Giveaway

Answer the authors questions from the guest post and comment with your email address to enter to win one of two digital copies of The Summer of Shambles. Giveaway is INT. and ends on 7/31.

Review–The Summer of Shambles by Ebony McKenna

 

The Summer of Shambles by Ebony McKenna Kindle Edition 304 Pages Published 2013 by Egmont, Hardie Grant, Bookbaby Genre – MG-YA Fantasy, fairy tale, romance Rating 4 of 5 stars

 

 

 

Links:  Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Goodreads
Author Links:  Website  |  Twitter

The Summer of Shambles was a riot of quirky fun. Full of energy and vivacious characters, it was everything that I could wish for in a light summertime read. I was first drawn to the book because of the fabulous cover which is such a great reflection of what the reader can expect to find inside.

Ondine is just an average teen off for a summer at psychic summer camp when her life suddenly turns topsy turvy by an impudent talking ferret who just happens to be a boy named Hamish, cursed to live as a ferret by a witch he annoyed. Hamish's antics kept me entertained. The writing highlights his thick Scottish brogue which, in my head, I read his character with Hagrid's voice (from Harry Potter). This made seeing him as a love interest a little difficult, but no less entertaining for me! The author said David Tennant from Dr. Who was the voice that inspired Shambles accent. I'm sure he's more relationship-able than Hagrid, but it was incredible fun to imagine that gruff voice coming from a ferret!

This book was just so entertaining to read! The Summer of Shambles is absolutely original but with a classic fairy tale feel. One of the high points of the writing was the snarky footnotes scattered throughout. While this could have been a distraction, it ended up being an enjoyable element that helped to set the tone and added to the world building.

Of course there was the romance which was sweet and pretty well done. I liked both of these characters so much that I couldn't help but root for them! Hamish kind of steals the show, but Ondine herself is a feisty lass that is every bit a match for that roguish ferret.

Ultimately, The Summer of Shambles is pure brain candy. The dialog is amusing and easy to follow, the pacing is energetic, and the overall tone is lighthearted and playful. There's romance, accents, witchery, magic curses, footnotes, and a nefarious plot to uncover. In short, a perfect summertime read. I think this would appeal particularly to middle grade to younger YA readers. I would also recommend this to anyone who likes to enjoy a feel-good story in between books with heavier themes.

Rating 4 of 5 stars

 

Be sure to stop by The Happy Booker on Monday 7/22 when the author, Ebony McKenna will tell us about her top 10 fictional crushes and you’ll have an opportunity to win a copy of The Summer of Shambles!

I received a Kindle copy of The Summer of Shambles from the author in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influenced my opinion.

Blog Tour - Melanie Shawn - My First

Melanie Shawn's The Crossroads Series – 

What Makes Being At A Crossroads In Life Such a Compelling Theme?

The writing team of sisters Melanie and Shawna discuss why they chose the theme of “Big Life Choices” for their Crossroads Series.

Robert Frost, in his immortal poem, describes one of the biggest conundrums in life.
“Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood”

There is something so gut-wrenching about facing a metaphorical fork in the road. You can only go one way, and the what the rest of your life will look like is based on that one monumental decision.
Of course, people face these crossroads in life every day. They decide whether to enter or leave relationships, they decide what job to take and what job to pass on, they decide whether to move across the country or not. They decide whether the time is right to start a family.

It's not the rarity of the experience that makes the facing a crossroads so compelling, it's the struggle. We all do it. We go back and forth mentally, we try to see down the divergent paths to envision what our lives would be like under each of the two sets of circumstances we are choosing between, even though we know that's folly! There's no way for us to predict the outcome.

The truth is, the only way to make a big “crossroads” kind of decision is to follow your heart. You have to ignore the clenching in your gut, the uncertainty, the little voice in your head that says you aren't good enough, and just...leap. You have to take a giant leap of faith.

Decisions. Choices. Crossroads.

We knew immediately when the concept occurred to us that it simply had to be the theme of our second series of novels. There is such a great arc, and there is so much rich emotional material for mining, in a situation where one or both of the characters have to dig deep, determine what is right for them, and then take a huge leap of faith.

Of course, since we're romance writers, we know that leap will pay off for them. They will take that scary jump only to land in their lover's arms and find out that they were launching themselves right into their own HEA all along.

But the “good stuff” is in how they manage to get to the point where they feel ready to jump!

Bio:

Melanie Shawn Bio

Melanie Shawn is the writing team of sister duo Melanie and Shawna. Originally from Northern California, they both migrated south and now call So Cal their home.

Growing up, Melanie constantly had her head in a book and was always working on short stories, manuscripts, plays and poetry. After graduating magna cum laude from Pepperdine University, she went on to teach grades 2nd through 8th for five years. She now spends her days writing and taking care of her furry baby, a Lhasa Apso named Hercules. In her free time, her favorite activity is to curl up on the couch with that stubborn, funny mutt and binge-watch cable TV shows on DVD (preferably of at least eight seasons in length - a girl's gotta have her standards!).

Shawna always loved romance in any form - movie, song or literary. If it was a love story with a happy ending, Shawna was all about it! She proudly acknowledges that she is a romanceaholic. Her days are jam-packed with writing, being a wife, mom aka referee of two teens, and indulging in her second passion (dance!) as a Zumba instructor.  In the little free time she has, she joins Melanie in marathon-watching DVDs of their favorite TV programs.

They have joined forces to create a world where True Love and Happily Ever After always has a Sexy Twist!

Book Description:

Jason Sloan is known as Harper’s Crossing’s resident Romeo, and he’s never had to work too hard to live up to that nickname. With his easygoing charm, whiskey-colored brown eyes, and sinfully sexy half smile, women just seem to fall all over themselves when he’s around.

Well...most women, anyway. Katie Lawson’s the one woman who isn't putty in his hands, and she's the only one he’s ever wanted in his arms.

Katie Lawson left Harper's Crossing in the middle of the night ten years ago, immediately after her high school boyfriend Nick's funeral. She left behind all memories of Nick, and she left behind her life-long best friend, Jason Sloan.

Now she's on the fast track to junior partner at one of San Francisco's top law firms. She's made a life for herself that's all about maintaining order and sticking to the rules. Rule #1 is keeping herself WAY too busy to think about all that she ran away from. If she can do that, after all, she can keep everything under control.

But that rule is about to be broken. She’s headed back home to be the maid of honor in Nick’s little sister’s wedding. It's time to face the truth she's been avoiding all these years, the same one that sent her running ten years ago - that maybe she didn't lose her first love the summer after high school. Maybe her first love has been waiting for her all this time, at home in Harper's Crossing.

Excerpt:

My First Excerpt

Katie opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She snapped it shut. She tried again. Same result. She imagined she looked like a trout on the banks of a river, flapping her mouth open and shut for no apparent reason.

The realization of how silly she must look gave her just the extra edge of courage she needed to jump off the cliff.

“Jason, I...I wanted to...I wanted to tell you that...” she steeled herself for what she knew her physical reaction would be as she forced herself to look up into those gorgeous brown eyes, which resembled nothing so much as pools of warm and melty milk chocolate...

The expression on Jason's face when she raised her eyes brought her up short. She narrowed her eyes.
“Why do you look so smug?” she asked suspiciously.

Rather than answering, he smirked and bent down, putting his mouth right next to her ear. His hot breath assailed her neck and she began to feel light-headed again.

Wait...was this....OH NO! Panic attack #2 might be on the horizon.

Not in front of Jason, PLEASE, not in front of Jason, Katie begged the Universe.  It seemed like the Universe must have more important things on its mind, however because - oh, lord. Now the shallow breathing was starting.

Jason's breath on her neck, however, was anything but shallow. It was deep. And heavy. And warm. And full of desire. And...oh, man, that lightheadedness was just getting worse and worse.

Jason had her pinned up against the trunk of her car. Her mind was screaming at her to push him away and RUN as fast and as far as she could. Hey, it had worked in the past. Her body, however, was sending her some very different signals.

“I'm not smug, Kit Kat,” Jason informed her, his deep voice rumbling in his chest.

“Wha...huh...?” Katie mumbled.

Jason laughed lightly, “I was just saying that I'm not smug. Just happy to know that I still get under your skin.”

Katie didn't respond. She didn't even really hear what he said, she'd stopped trying to pay attention to the words. Stupid words. They just got in the way of listening to his voice...that silky, deep voice.
Jason traced his thumb down the back of Katie's neck slowly, sensuously, and then continued across her shoulder and down her arm. When he reached her waist, he slipped his hand around her easily, spreading his fingers slowly and firmly, grasping her back with a familiarity that felt as dangerous as it did comforting.
His thumb began to gently massage the small of her back, sending sharp zings of electricity ping-ponging off of her nerve endings. She wanted to stop those little zings of pleasure in their tracks. She wanted to ignore, suppress, deny...anything!

She needed to push him away and get some distance is what she needed to do. Her knees began to buckle. Any time now, a little voice in the back of her head whispered. Any time you want to get a jump on creating that distance would be perfect.

That was, however, not what Katie did. No matter how hard her lizard brain screamed at her to push him away...step away...jump away...DANCE away, even...all Katie found herself doing was looking up into his chocolate brown eyes as she melted into his embrace.

Katie heard a low moan escape from Jason's throat and was suddenly hyper-aware of how close their lips were to each other. A shiver ran through her as she contemplated the nearness of those delicious, sexy lips.
Katie's breathing became more labored, but not in an out-of-control, panic-attacky kind of way. No, it was more of a body-coming-alive-for-the-first-time-in-years kind of way.

She vaguely wondered what was going to happen next, but couldn't make herself focus too much on the future. Not when the present was this flipping interesting!

Her brain might be telling her to get out of this situation, to think about the consequences – but her body was perfectly content to ride this little scene out and see where it went thankyouverymuch.

Why did it seem that she was utterly incapable of listening to her brain in any situation where Jason Sloan was involved?








Links:
Buy Links:
Amazon: http://bit.ly/myfirstamazon
B&N: http://bit.ly/myfirstbarnes
Website: http://melanieshawn.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melanieshawnbooks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MelanieShawn
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mka92etUNsE

ARC Review and Giveaway- Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Shatter Me
Author – Tahereh Mafi
342 Pages
Publisher – Harper Collins
Date – November 15, 2011














Shatter Me introduces us to Juliette as she sits in solitary confinement in what seems to be a mental asylum, counting the days (264) since she’s seen, heard, or been touched by another human. The world outside those four walls (with 14 cracks) has gone insane, people starving to death, whole species of animals no longer exist, and the people in power call themselves the Reestablishment. The Reestablishment…these are the people who drug her away to this place for a murder she didn’t mean to commit, to a fate she’s sure she deserves, to be trapped by her guilt as much as by the prison walls. The power she holds within her very skin is one she doesn’t want and she will do anything to disprove the notion that she is a monster, even though she herself believes it. She maintains her tenuous hold on sanity by writing in her notebook and refusing to allow herself to acknowledge the thoughts that sometimes overwhelm her. When she awakes one day to find herself with a cellmate, her entire world begins to change.

The writing style of Shatter Me was like none I’ve read before, both haunting and at times a bit overwhelming. Written in an almost lyrical or poetic prose, Juliette’s inner thoughts and feelings were often uncomfortably intense, which would be understandable considering the situation she was in. Many of her words/thoughts were written and then struck out, as if she were refusing to allow herself to acknowledge those thoughts. I thought this was a powerful way to show how she was struggling to hold onto her sanity. As she began to have more human interaction, the strikethroughs became less common. It was such a fascinating progression. While, for the most part, I thought the writing was beautiful, there were also times when it felt like overkill and it became a bit tedious. Overall though, I enjoyed the unique imagery and the flow of the words.

“I always wonder about raindrops. 

I wonder how they are always falling down, tripping over their own feet, breaking their legs and forgetting their parachutes as they tumble right out of the sky toward an uncertain end. Its like someone is emptying their pockets over the earth and doesn’t seem to care where the contents fall, doesn’t seem to care that the raindrops burst when they hit the ground, that they shatter when they fall to the floor, that people curse the days the raindrops dare to tap on their doors.

          I am a raindrop.
       
          My parents emptied their pockets of me and left me to evaporate on a           concrete slab.”

The story itself was intense and reminded me very much of Xmen. Juliette’s power is reminiscent of Rogue and many of her characteristics also reminded me of Rogue from Xmen. The plot was action packed and thrilling. The villain, Warner, was out of his mind and made an even more effective bad guy because of the hint of a hidden past that may explain why he is the wicked boy he’s become. Happily, this did not become a love triangle since Warner is simply too psychotic to engender much sympathy from Juliette. The interplay between Juliette and Adam was extremely well done. This is a romance that I can believe. Things between them tend to get pretty steamy a couple times, but Mafi reins it in and manages to keep it PG. The ending also reminded me a lot of Xmen and has me incredibly excited about the sequel.

Overall, I think that Shatter Me has lived up to all the hype. Most readers will enjoy the intense and original writing style as well as the exciting premise, a steamy romance, and a villain you love to hate. In the sequel, I hope to see more details about the dystopian world and how it became that way and more about the two factions, the Reestablishment and the people who are not ready to succumb to that tyrannical rule and of course more Adam and Juliette! I would recommend Shatter Me to readers who enjoy dystopian or post-apocalyptic fiction, fans of Xmen, and anyone who enjoys a thrilling YA adventure.

Rating- 4

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The Giveaway


I somehow ended up with two ARCs of Shatter Me so I decided to give one away to one of my lucky readers. I will be shipping this myself so this will be US only. You do not have to be a follower to enter but following is appreciated! Extra entries for sharing the giveaway on Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus, etc. (leave me the link) and for commenting on yesterday’s discussion question located here.
You have from today (November 9) until Monday (November 14) at 11:59 PM to enter. Winner will be announced on Shatter Me’s release date, Tuesday November 15. Simply fill out the Rafflecopter form, if you have any problems please email me. Good Luck!!

Guest Post and Giveaway: A.J. Scudiere, author of God’s Eye

I am so thrilled to have bestselling author, A.J. Scudiere, on The Happy Booker today to talk about writing POV. A.J.’s newest book God’s Eye has recently been released and the good news is, the ebook format of God’s Eye will be available for just $2.99 from Amazon and Barnes and Noble beginning on 10/24 and lasting until 10/31!! Unbelievable price for such an incredible book! With such a wickedly scary cover, I couldn’t help but be curious about what’s inside!! God’s Eye is a thrilling novel that includes elements of horror, romance, and the paranormal. I’m so excited that A.J. Scudiere has offered one lucky Happy Booker reader a chance to win a signed copy!

The Thrill of Point of View. Let me start with a resounding ‘Yes! Point of view can be thrilling.’ No, wait . . . it’s always thrilling. Though I would never attribute the overall quality of a thriller to any one particular writing skill, I find that POV is often overlooked as the essential element that it is. We all know must have interesting characters, a suspenseful plot and a writing style that is hopefully great, but at the very least good! POV is something that must exist – it’s truly impossible to tell any story without it – and yet it is so often forgotten about. Maybe that’s because it’s so essential . . . Still, POV is often what makes a thriller . . . well, thrilling. Imagine the book told from the serial killer’s point of view. From the first moment, you know who he is. Likely why he does what he does. Who he’s stalking . . . etc. Now imagine your lead detective knows all this, too. And so do the next three victims. Thrill: gone. It’s what you don’t know that keeps you on the edge of your seat. It’s the fact that you are stuck there with the detective . . . with a profile, a handful of suspects and kill-pattern knowledge. You know someone is going to die – but you don’t know quite who, and you don’t know how to stop it. You only know that you have to. Yes, it’s two AM and you are still reading. And that’s because of the point of view. The author always has to make decisions about characters and their POV. I’d wager a lot of it isn’t done consciously. The writer may just have a feel for what makes a suspenseful read, just like some people feel the beat of music and others have to count it out. Other times, POV decisions are made very conscientiously. What’s revealed and when to reveal it is exactly why you are still up at two in the morning when you have to go to work the next day. And if the POV is played right, it’s worth every minute! In addition to deciding if the reader knows what the police officer knows, or what the victim or killer knows, the author has to decide how much to reveal of what each character knows. So, in addition to singular or changing POVs, there’s an omniscient POV (where you can see inside all the characters’ heads) and there’s also partial POV. At least, that’s what I’m deeming it here, because I haven’t heard it talked about before. Partial POV is this: though the author has put you in the head of one of the characters, you still don’t know everything that character knows. I worked hard at this in my latest book, God’s Eye. Though the demon and the angel both clearly know which they are, the POV doesn’t ever reveal it. So, while you are in Allistair’s head, you see what he sees, and you may examine things along with him, but he isn’t thinking about what species he is. And though he thinks about what his goal is for Katharine – the pawn in this otherworldly tug-of-war – Allistair doesn’t think in terms that reveal what he is, just what he wants. The other benefit of POV is that the reader can know more than the characters know. The reader gets the benefit of sitting in his chair and seeing what’s coming, even when the character doesn’t. With a single POV throughout the whole story, this is limited, but the more eyes we see through, the smarter we get, and the more exciting it is as we put the pieces together. Because of this challenge of POV, the thriller becomes a thinking man’s book. The POV has to reveal the story in a way that gives you enough information, yet hopefully keeps you from putting all the pieces together until the end. In the best cases, you learn the answers along with the characters (or maybe just a moment before they do!) And you find, when you solve one piece of the puzzle, that you had all the clues to put it together already in your hands. POV is the way the author hides those clues. It’s the biggest and most overlooked element of suspense writing. It’s what truly separates books from television and movies and the good writers from the great. So the next time you are up at two in the morning, still turning pages, ask yourself this: whose eyes do you see through and what is the author hiding there?

Wow! Thanks so much A.J. for joining us here at The Happy Booker today!Want to know more about A.J. Scudiere? You can find out more at these websites:

Author homepage: http://www.ajscudiere.com/
Audio Movies: www.AJsAudioMovies.com
Newest title, God's Eye, out October 2011: www.GodsEyeTheBook.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/AJScudiere
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ajscudiere

Goodreads Summary: Katharine Geryon is living the life her family name has dictated, and why not? After all, it has given her a good job in the family company and a fine life with all the things she should want. But all that changes as increasingly disturbing events begin to occur: soot stains on the carpet, glimpses of strange black animals, and cryptic messages written on her bathroom mirror. Baffled and afraid, Katharine begins to doubt her own sanity. At the same time, two charismatic men enter her life: Allistair, her new assistant at work, and Zachary, a well-heeled neighbor who just moved into her building. Katharine soon finds each of them inextricably entangled in her affairs. As her life becomes stranger and her dreams more terrifying, she realizes neither man is what he seems and that she's caught in something far beyond her own comprehension. For the first time, she must reach beyond her own boundaries. There Katharine forges her first true friendship with Margot, a librarian who helps her discover what these men really are, why she's drawn to them, and what they want with her. The answer places Katharine in the middle of a fierce battle that forces her to decide between the two men fighting for her soul. In the end, only one can be saved, but all three will be judged.

Sounds amazing right?? It sounds like an angels & demons paranormal romantic thriller with some kick!! A.J. is generously offering one lucky reader a signed copy of God’s Eye!! For those who don’t want to wait around for a giveaway, remember, the ebook format of God’s Eye will be available for just $2.99 from Amazon and Barnes and Noble beginning on 10/24 until 10/31!!  

GIVEAWAY
To enter:

US only (sorry, I’ll be having another giveaway that will be Intl starting tomorrow)

Simply fill out the form. 
Following my blog is not required but appreciated. 
Extra entries for commenting on this post, tweeting the giveaway, or following the author on Facebook or Twitter.
Last day to enter will be October 31. Winner will be chosen by Random.org and announced on November 1. 
Good luck!!