Noble YA Holiday Hop! Meet Lisa Kuehne!

***NEWS FLASH!  Although the Hop ended last night, you have until Wednesday Night to get your answers in!***

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Bad Boys Who Inspire. . . .

By: Lisa Kuehne

What girl hasn’t been attracted to a bad boy at least once in her life?

Sometimes once isn’t enough. At least it wasn’t for me. There was something about a bad boy that grabbed my interest. Like a gambler who can’t say no to the game, I thought I could change them. We’ll just say “luck” wasn’t on my side and most likely wasn’t for any other girls they dated either.  

I failed miserably at converting them. But my love for a bad boy hasn’t completely ceased. I love them in the movies and books. And I especially like to write them as characters. Bad boys bring adventure, a challenge, and danger. Maybe that’s why we can’t give them up . . . they make us feel alive.

One question has always lingered in the back of my mind. Are certain guys destined to become bad boys or is there an event in their lives that push them there?

In the True Intentions Trilogy, two main characters each have unique stories to their bad boy origins.

In book one, True Intentions, we meet Samuel Perry. He may not have started off having bad boy blood, but one crucial event at seventeen changed him forever. . . .

In book two, Deadly Intentions, we come face to face with a new bad boy, Drake, who may look like a typical bad boy hottie, but Drake comes with enough evil and danger he makes the devil look like a kitten. If I had any doubt certain guys are destined to be bad boys, Drake makes me reconsider.

My failure to convert the bad boys in my life just left me with a few scars on my heart. In heroin, Ava O’Brian’s case, failure means certain death.

Will luck be on Ava’s side?

 Ava O'Brian is dealing with more than a teenager's typical temptations of right versus wrong. Ava is unaware she possesses a rare and unique gift, a soul with the ability to influence. Unfortunately, Satan will stop at nothing to gain control of her special ability.

Ava's faith is seriously shaken when she is the sole survivor of the car accident that kills her father and twin brother. When she relocates and faces the ultimate temptation in Samuel Perry, her mysterious classmate living on earth since 1798 to tempt and damn mankind, Ava isn't sure she can resist.

Sam must decide if he will lead Ava straight into the devil's trap or place his immortal existence on the line in order to keep her alive.

What ultimate price is Ava willing to pay for love? What if it means giving up her life or turning over her soul straight into Satan's hands for the boy of her dreams?

Buy Links:

Noble Young Adult: https://www.nobleyoungadult.com/Books?author=139

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/True-Intentions-ebook/dp/B0057GG41G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1323861444&sr=8-1

Barnes And Nobles: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/true-intentions-lisa-kuehne/1102966245?ean=2940012921376&itm=1&usri=true+intentions

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Now, you've gotta earn your chance at the prizes, which includes an eBook reader!   Read over the post and think really hard.  Then, answer this question:

What does Drake make the devil look like?

Please send answers to Erika at: erika@nobleromance.com

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Okay, Readers, keep hopping for more great posts, authors, and PRIZES!

I'm the next hop.  Just click on the link and read about how I learned to Love Fiercely, Wanting Nothing Else!   Kimber An at Ella's Muse   http://ellasmuse.blogspot.com/
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Here are the other Hop Stops, just in case-
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Saewod- http://lisakuehne.wordpress.com
Lisa http://fabulouslyyoungepubs.blogspot.com
Kimber http://ellasmuse.blogspot.com
Ella- http://steppingquietly.blogspot.com
Bonnie http://saewod.webs.com/apps/blog

The Noble YA Holiday Hop Stops Here in the Morning!

Be sure to pop in and find out how to win prizes!   I'm hosting Lisa!  Gorgeous cover art, huh?

SWEET BYTES: A Review by Kimber, Jr.

Welcome to the very first review of my new novel, Sweet Bytes.  As always, my daughter, Kimber Jr, gets the first shot.  She's also my first critic and editor, a thoroughly professional teenager who doesn't hesitate to tell me when my story is crap.  Take it away, Baby Girl!  Mommy wuvs you so much!  (Oooh, she's going to be so cranky when she reads that part.)

REVIEW by Kimber Jr
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Really Awesome Young Adult Fiction Review #1
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Hi, everyone! Miss me? Yep, I’m back, and this time I’m reviewing a rather good book about blood-sucking dead guys (aka vampires) called Sweet Bytes. Please note, though: this is the third in a series so if you haven’t read the others yet I suggest you either go do so or at least read my reviews of them. FYI, they’re called Crushed Sugar and Sugar Rush. They’re awesome books too! OK, now to the review!

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The story opens with Ophelia saying a final good-bye to her father, who had been killed the previous Christmas, right before the whole fiasco with Martin-the-ultimate-jerk-ex-boyfriend and his psycho family. She then meets Tristan who’s been assigned to protect her from attack. Her twin sister, Bianca, has also been assigned a protector-Maya.  Both are the adopted children of Joseph, the leader of the Benevolent Oldbloods (good vamps.)

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The whole family has been hit hard. Ophelia’s grief for her dad, Brandon (the very cute and lovable…uh-oh! In books, it tends to be an extreme hazard to your health to be cute and lovable. Just ask Dobby! L), Worf (her old dog), and her true love Adrian is driving her to smash everything from her snowman to Bianca’s new sewing machine. To be perfectly honest she’d probably give Harry Potter from Order of the Phoenix a run for his money! Bianca and Mom aren’t much better, and if anything Bianca’s worse. She won’t even sew, and that is a sign that we should all be extremely worried.

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On the upside, though, she gets to go visit her grandma in Seward. There she discovers even little old ladies aren’t innocent anymore! Her grandma’s name is Victoria Greylyn, and she could give Buffy the Vampire Slayer a run for her money! Even the local vamps share this opinion!

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So Grandma starts educating Bianca on how not to behave like a proper damsel in distress and Ophelia on how to not stab herself in the forehead with a pair of rather sharp fighting knives. While at Seward, they find out that everyone’s favorite cute, lovable shapeshifter isn’t entirely gone.

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The bad news is the Malevolent Oldbloods (bad vamps) have this thing for Ophelia. See, to be perfectly honest, they’re not much better than the Newbloods. They know she’s a Sweet, and they have nothing against eating people like her. Except for one thing…..she’s also an empath. And this throws a monkey wrench into their chomp-Ophelia plans. So they really want to do one of two things: Turn her into a blood-sucking dead gal, or chomp away.

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Needless to say, Ophelia doesn’t much fancy either option. Eventually, the Malevolents (for future reference, they’re what I call the Nasty Faction) try to bribe her.

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 (Ophelia and the Benevolents are the Goodies (huh). Martin and most Newbloods are the Baddies. And the Malevolent Oldbloods join the age-old, intensely proud faction of the Nasties.)

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Some Twinkies, Supermario, and peppermint tea later, and Ophelia’s dealt with that little bribe to her own satisfaction.  If you’ve read Sugar Rush, you’ll be yelling “Yes!!!!”

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Unfortunately, before we can all start skipping around the room with joy, Joseph decides they need to return to Togo, because the Malevolents now know where Grandma is, and that is very bad.

So they do, and immediately Bianca stirs up some comic relief with a little help from a new/old accomplice.  They throw a massive food fight in the cafeteria! Between that and the cruise ship finally arriving, we get to have a bit of fun before the next major battle.

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Unfortunately, we don’t have long to wait. One day, Ophelia and Tristan KISS (yeah, you heard me-KISS!!!). Afterwards, Ophelia realizes-hey, I’ve done that before! But-I haven’t! What’s going on here?!

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It’s what I call Tristan’s “No Way Out moment”. See, No Way Out by Phil Collins (specifically, the theme version) is a song from Brother Bear. It’s all about being in despair-like Tristan is here-and then someone comes along and says…sorry, can’t say!  It’s a really great song, and it’s this scene here that inspired me to assign it as Tristan’s theme song.

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In Tristan’s case, that “someone” is Ophelia.

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Then, it’s time for the prom. Everyone has a rather good time-or, at least, they do until some Malevolents literally crash the party.

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One of them, our old buddy Jean-Pierre, captures another old buddy, Katelyn the super-bully, and threatens to kill her.

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When Martin makes an untimely entrance and kidnaps her from her kidnapper (whoah, that’s a lot of kidnapping), there’s only one way for her to get out of this fix, save her friends, and reunite with her beloved, Adrian. The only problem is…well, I can’t tell you.  My mommy won’t let me!

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All in all, it’s a great book! It has awesome themes of love, forgiveness, sacrifice, and loyalty. If you like Twilight but are sick and tired of Bella’s never getting to actually kick butt, this is totally the series for you!

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Don’t worry, I’ll still review. Until the next review, though, happy hippogriffs to you!

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Thank you Baby Girl!  (Yeah, she hates it when I call her that, but I just can't seem to help myself.)
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Okay, now scroll down or click on this link-   SWEET BYTES Release Festivities   Comment under this post and that one to enter the GRAND PRIZE DRAWING.  *This contest ends October 24th.*

Visit the other blogs and comment to win a free copy of the Sweet Bytes eBook.  Thank you!

Book Reviewer: Alaiel Kreuz the Librarian Mouse

I think ePublished authors rely heavily on blogging book reviewers especially, because we're still the new kids on the industry playground.  I used to be one over at Enduring Romance  until finally achieving publication ate up every last second in my day.  So, I tossed a few interview questions over to blogging book reviewer, Alaiel Kreuz and she graciously answered them.
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Here's the interview:

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Hi again Kimberley,

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Here you have my answer to your questions:

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1. Why be a blogging book reviewer?

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- In fact I found this kind of blogs a few months ago, thanks to a friend who likes to read as much as I do and after becoming friend with a few bloggers I thought: "Hey, this is fascinating... I want to do this, I want to share my opinion about the books I read and make people laugh with my reviews",

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2. How do you hope all this helps you on the path to publication?

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- Somehow I believe that by doing this the readers of my reviews will recognize my writing and, if they like it, they will consider one day to read my books.

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3. So, it's easy to to see what you like to read, but what kind of stories do you like to write?

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- Fantasy, I love to write about fantasy, loyalty and love. And I want my future readers to have fun too so I try to balance all those things.

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4. If you could travel in a Time Machine would you go back to the past or into the future?

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- The future, I would go to the future and see what is awaiting us there, maybe get some new ideas.

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5. If you could invite any 5 people to dinner who would you choose?

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- Hum... I think I would choose:

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Margaret Wise and Tracy Hickman because they were the first ones to create a character that I love even when he was being bad. Raistlin Majere in the Dragonlance books.

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Anne Rice for showing me a different side of the vampires. I believe it takes a marvelous imagination to create so many different characters.

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Louise Cooper for rocking my world with her trilogy "The Time Master", I believe I've read these books a hundred times each.

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Meg Cabot because her fantasy and love stories are really sweet and funny.

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6. Authors rely on book reviewers. Do you have some advice for us?

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- For me, since I'm still new on this I believe that we, reviewers, are the ones who should be grateful to you all authors for letting us read you books before everybody else and share our opinions about them.

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Until now all the author that have contacted me were really polite and nice and that surely helps.

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7. What sort of books are you hungry for right now?

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- I think that I'm a little tired of vampires. Don't get me wrong, I love vampire stories but right now what I love are romances that make laugh and clap (yes, sometimes I clap xD) and books about some sort of mythology.

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Thanks for the interview, I had a really great time responding your questions!

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Alaiel

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www.librarianmouse.com

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Thank you, Alaiel! 

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On her Blogger profile it says "Spanish girl living in her own amazing and cool world of books. I love to read. Expect to read about any kind of book and about everything I care about."  Right above that, it gives her location as Switzerland.  Switzerland!  How cool is that?  Talk about 'scope for the imagination!'

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Everyone pop over to her sites now and explore the wonderful stories.

Guest YA Reader: Pick a Theme Song

***Kimber An here.  I call my YA daughter my secret weapon.  I can always count on her to tell me when something I write is crap.  So, I thought I'd share her unique perspective as a Professional Teenager.  She's going to throw things at me when she realizes I slipped her baby picture into this post!  Ha!  Can't help it.  Hard to believe this little baby is taller than me now.  That's what I get for mating with a skyscraper!

Take it away, Kimber Jr!***
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Hi everyone! You might know me: I’m Kimber Junior from Enduring Romance. I’ll be guest posting here from time to time. Today I’ll tell you to pick “theme songs” for your book, character, romance, or situation. (Kimber An here: Jr always does most of this for me and it really helps too.)  Please note however, I am going to do a two-part thing because this is quite long, so you’ll just have to wait a little longer for Part 2. (hmmm…..where’ve we heard that before?)

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You’re probably thinking: “What?! How’s that going to help me write better?” Well, let’s put it this way: it helps you really think about what makes up a good book. It also helps figure out your “tone”, or general feel, of your story. And plus it’s just plain fun to do.

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Now there are three main types of songs: “sad” songs, “medium” songs, and “active” songs. “Sad songs” are songs such as “Sound the Bugle” by Bryan Adams, or “No Way Out” by Phil Collins, which are pretty sad and, in a movie, are generally played at the point when all hope seems lost.  (Kimber An here: Jr chose these two songs for me when I was writing Sweet Bytes.)  “Medium” songs are not sad but not particularly active, either. They are beautiful, and often very heartfelt, and they take their time about it. Some examples that come to mind include: “Look Through My Eyes” by Phil Collins, “Wunderkind” by Alanis Morissette, and “There’s A Place for Us” by Carrie Underwood. “Active” songs are the kind that make you want to get up and dance, or otherwise get you really wound up.  Some examples of this category are: “You Can’t Take Me” and “Get Off My Back”, both by Bryan Adams  (Kimber An here: Jr chose these two songs for Ophelia in Sweet Bytes to inspire her maturing into a Kick-Butt Heroine)  “On My Way” by Phil Collins, and “I Learned From You” by Miley Cyrus. A fourth category is movie soundtracks. These songs generally don’t have words (except for theme songs, usually) and are played during a movie. You usually don’t notice them at first but after you listen to them separately a few dozen times you can pick them out. These are very beautiful too but as they generally don’t have lyrics they aren’t the best choices for theme songs.

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OK. So now we’ve got the three main types of songs. This is critical because the point of a theme song is to bring out the best of the book, character, romance, or situation. For example, you wouldn’t set a romance-y type song for a single character. And you wouldn’t set an “active” song for an “All Is Lost” moment. You’ve got to make sure the song-and especially the lyrics-fit the description.

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The first type of theme song is for the whole book. First off, look at the overall tone of the book. Is it really sort of, well, I wouldn’t say depressing but not overly cheery either? Are there lots of deaths or other gloomy happenings? Well, then, a “sad” type song would fit best. Is it still not overly cheery but with fewer gloomy happenings and more laughs and more, well, morals and things that make you think? A “medium” song would probably cover it pretty well. Is it pretty cheery, lots of laughs, not too many gloomy happenings (though a word of caution: don’t put too few gloomies in there. If you do, it just won’t seem serious enough.) and has a happy ending? Well, then, I think an “active” song would fit just fine! Another note is that most “sad” songs have a happy ending. Though, there are exceptions: “No Way Out” by Phil Collins (the movie version: the theme song version does have a happy ending) doesn’t, and neither does “Where” by Lisbet Scott. Also, a general rule of picking theme songs is: LISTEN TO THE LYRICS! If you pick a song whose lyrics are the complete opposite of what you’re trying to say, even if the type is right, it just won’t make sense.

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Well, that’s it for today! Next up we’ve got picking theme songs for characters, romances, and situations. Should be fun! Until next time, happy hippogriffs to you!

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***Kimber An here: As a writer, I use the music to instantly transfer my imagination into the story's 'universe.'  With four children, I don't have time for a muse!***