Paranormal Romance Author Shona Husk Blog Event

May 16, 2012 | 14 Comments

Author Interview and Giveaway with Shona Husk

Hey everyone, paranormal romance author of the Shadowlands series, Shona Husk, is at Book Savvy Babe today with and interview and giveaway of her new release, Kiss of the Goblin Prince, a paranormal romance book.  You can read my review HERE.  Here is the interview:

BSB: Thank you for this interview Shona!  Kiss of the Goblin Prince is book 2 in the Shadowlands series.  To start, can you tell us a little bit about the Goblins, give us a quick background?

SH: The goblin heroes are cursed Celtic warriors. While battling to hold onto their land when the Romans invaded they were betrayed and banished to the Shadowlands. The Goblin King is about Roan, the Celtic King and the quest to be free of the curse while book 2 is about his brother, Dai, and the after effects of the curse. Along the way both men learn that a little love goes a long way 

BSB: In book 1, The Goblin King, brothers Roan and Dai were able to use magic from the Shadowlands as Goblins.  In Kiss of the Goblin Prince, Dai has magic, but it is a bit different.  Can you help explain/clarify how the magic is different for Dai in book 2?

SH: Roan had the magic in book one. Because he was goblin he was able to draw on the power of the Shadowlands—but there was a cost in that it took part of his soul each time. All the men were able to move between the Shadowlands and the Fixed Realm (our world) by using peoples nightmares. While in the Shadowlands and trying to break the curse Dai studied human magic, all different kinds, which he couldn’t use as a goblin. Human magic doesn’t work in the Shadowlands as one is made of life and the other nightmares. Now Dai is human though he can put into practice all the things he learned.

BSB: Paranormal has become a popular genre.  There are many different paranormal creatures, what made you write Goblins as the protagonists?

SH: I wish I had a really clever answer for this but I don’t. It was a 2am idea while I was feeding a restless baby. I had a cursed hero, I had the Roman Britain connection and making him goblin seemed like a really good idea. I’d been working on a vampire story beforehand and I wanted to do something different and goblin was the creature that stuck. I can’t imagine Roan being anything else now.

BSB: There are already 2 books in the series, and a 3rd book is planned.  Will there be more books to come, and if so, how many books are planned for the series?

SH: For the Love of the Goblin Warrior is the last book in the series. When I write a series I like to know when it’s ending and I think book 3 ties up any remaining questions about the fates of the six men who were cursed.

BSB: Well, I am looking forward to book 3, can’t wait to see how it all comes together!  As a fan of myths, what is your all-time favorite myth (of any origin)?

SH: I’ve always like King Arthur and I’m a sucker for a re-telling of the tale. I think it probably started with the Mists of Avalon when I was a teenager but since then I’ve read more, watched numerous movies and I’m enjoying Merlin on TV.

BSB: Great choice, I love Arthur myths too  So, you have the Shadowlands Goblin series, and a vampire novella series, do you have plans for any other series?  Another type of supernatural being or a different genre all-together?

SH: There will be more in the world that I started in Dark Vow which I’m really excited about as it’s such a gritty world. Part western, part fantasy, there’s magic, guns, bounty hunters and vampiric horses. I will also have a new series starting with Sourcebooks next year which is full of magic and mayhem and just a little death.

Just for Fun: I always ask authors a few Would You Rather questions.  These questions are all in good fun, please explain your answers!

Would You Rather re-live junior high school OR spend a year in jail for a crime you did not commit?

SH: I think I’d go to jail as I’d be able to make a serious dent in my TBR pile, plus the idea of doing junior high again makes me shudder.

Would You Rather be a dog named Killer or be a cat named Fluffy?

SH: I’d be Fluffy. Cats have it good, they spend the day sleeping on the sofa/bed/sunny porch they get lots of cuddles and pats. Killer would be sleeping outside in the dog kennel.

Would You Rather live your life like a musical, singing and dancing everywhere, OR have your life narrated for all to hear by Morgan Freeman?

SH: Is it wrong that I paused to imagine the voice over? I think I’d have to say the voice over because the singing and dancing makes me think of the ‘red shoes’ fairy tale, which is kind of creepy.

LOL, I tried to imagine what my voice over would sound like too.  Thanks for the interview!  

KISS OF THE GOBLIN PRINCE BY SHONA HUSK – IN STORES MAY 2012

The Man of Her Dreams…

He is like a prince in a fairy tale: tall, outrageously handsome, and way too dark for her own good. Amanda has been hurt before, though. And with her daughter’s illness, the last thing she needs right now is a man. But the power of Dai King is hard to resist. And when he threads his hands through her hair and pulls her in for a kiss, there is no denying it feels achingly right.

In a Land of Nightmares…

After being trapped in the Shadowlands for centuries with the goblin horde a constant threat, Dai revels in his newfound freedom back in the human realm. But even with the centuries of magic he’s accumulated, he still doesn’t know how to heal Amanda’s daughter—and it breaks his heart. Yet for the woman he loves, he’d risk anything…including a return to the Shadowlands.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A civil designer by day and an author by night, Shona Husk lives in Western Australia at the edge of the Indian Ocean. Drawing on history, myth and imagination, she writes about heroes who are armed and dangerous but have a heart of gold—sometimes literally. You can find out more information about Shona and her edgy romances at http://www.shonahusk.com/ or follow her on Twitter, @ShonaHusk.

Paranormal Romance Review: Kiss of the Goblin Prince

May 15, 2012 | No Comments

Kiss of the Goblin Prince

Published by: Sourcebooks Casablanca

My Rating: 

Trapped for centuries in the bleak Shadowlands, Dai clings to his humanity with a thirst for knowledge. But now he’s free of the goblin curse, and some would say he knows too much—he can make nature bend to his will, influence the minds of others, and command magic. Yet love eludes him. Then he meets Amanda, a single mother with a sick daughter whom he feels compelled to protect. But could she possibly place her trust in the kiss of a goblin prince?

My Review:

The Shadowlands series by Shona Husk is a whole new brand of paranormal romance.  Gone are the traditional paranormal characters of vampires and werewolves.  Instead, Shona Husk brings in a seemingly obscure being, Goblins.  I have only been familiar with goblins from fairy lore, so when I heard about books centered around these traditionally ugly beings, my interest was piqued.  The Shadowlands series created by Shona Husk is detailed and intriguing and the heroes are spellbinding.

The first book in the series sets the scene for Kiss of the Goblin Prince.  A group of men (brothers and cosigns) had be spelled/cursed to live as half-Goblins for close to 2000 years.  They were trapped to live in the Shadowlands, a dark land full of magic and greedy goblins who would do anything for gold.  Everytime the brothers used magic, they were closer to succumbing to the Goblin call and loosing their humanity for good.  In the first book, the Goblin King (the oldest brother) breaks the spell by falling in love. This is where the story picks up in Kiss of the Goblin Prince.  The oldest brother is happily married and readjusting to life as a human, but Dai is adrift, he may no longer be a goblin, but the knowledge he has gained over his 2000 years has taught him new, magical ways to look at the world.

I really liked this installment in the series.  Now that I understood the background of the brothers, I was interested to see how Dai would cope with his life changing so drastically.  He was surprising as well, his magical abilities are intriguing and really keep the paranormal alive in the books.  He is cured of the Goblin curse, but he has to let the past go, and right some wrongs of the past as well.  His relationship with Amanda is really sweet.  Both of them are lonely people who have to let the past go and start living for the future.  I was also happy to see how well Dai adjusted to spending time with Amanda as well as her daughter.  I liked Amanda more than I liked Eliza (from the first book). She had a difficult time accepting the truth of the paranormal, but she didn’t wig out as much as Eliza did, and she came around pretty quick.

Paranormal fans, I recommend reading this series.  I found book 1 a little slow, there was a lot of world building and the heroine was not my favorite, but with Kiss of the Goblin Prince the series has a whole new feel, and I am intrigued.  I do recommend reading book 1, there is a lot of backstory and complexity to the world building and the curse placed on the brothers plays an integral role in the series.  I will be reading the third book in the series once it is released.  For those of you who love paranormal books, but are looking for something a little different, the Shadowlands series is a good one to try.

Kiss of the Goblin Prince released this month.  Both books are available at:

Happy Mothers Day! Have a laugh

May 13, 2012 | 5 Comments

Happy Mother’s Day

Happy Mother’s Day everyone!  I know that a lot of other bloggers and readers are momma’s so, enjoy today!  I hope everyone has a fantastic day.

I came across a super fun, funny video the other day, and decided to share it for mother’s day.  Saturday Night Live did a mother’s day sketch that pokes fun at Amazon and 50 Shades of Grey.  Sounds like fun already right?  Watch the video and have some laughs

YA Dystopian Review: Blood Read Road by Moira Young

May 12, 2012 | 7 Comments

Blood Red Road

By Moira Young

Published by: Margaret K McElderry Books

My Rating: 

Blurb From Goodreads:

Saba has spent her whole life in Silverlake, a dried-up wasteland ravaged by constant sandstorms. The Wrecker civilization has long been destroyed, leaving only landfills for Saba and her family to scavenge from. That’s fine by her, as long as her beloved twin brother Lugh is around. But when a monster sandstorm arrives, along with four cloaked horsemen, Saba’s world is shattered. Lugh is captured, and Saba embarks on an epic quest to get him back.

Suddenly thrown into the lawless, ugly reality of the world outside of desolate Silverlake, Saba is lost without Lugh to guide her. So perhaps the most surprising thing of all is what Saba learns about herself: she’s a fierce fighter, an unbeatable survivor, and a cunning opponent. And she has the power to take down a corrupt society from the inside. Teamed up with a handsome daredevil named Jack and a gang of girl revolutionaries called the Free Hawks, Saba stages a showdown that will change the course of her own civilization.

Blood Red Road has a searing pace, a poetically minimal writing style, violent action, and an epic love story. Moira Young is one of the most promising and startling new voices in teen fiction.

My Review:

I read/listened to the Audiobook of Blood Red Road. This book was referred to me by Jenn at The Bawdy Book blog, and I am very happy that I took that recommendation to heart. It took me awhile to understand the world which is slowly revealed as the characters travel through it. It is a dystopian world, a more simple world full of violence, open spaces, and dangerous creatures.

One day, Saba is home with her family when suddenly, a dust storm blows in bringing the TonTon who kidnap her twin brother Lugh and kill her father. Saba collects her younger sister and sets off to get her brother back. With every turn, her sister Emme proves determined to come with her and the entire trip is full of danger. Along the way, Saba makes new friends, enemies, and finds love.

While I really enjoyed this story, and the characters, I didn’t find it perfect. Saba is very stubborn, and at times her stubbornness and her single-mindedness is off-putting. She is mean to her sister a lot, given this does improve as the book goes on and Saba learns more about the world. Before she left home, her world revolved around her brother. With all of her adventures, she learns there is much more to the world than her brother. Even though she learns, she is always determined to get her way and flat out stubborn. She proves to be a vicious fighter, and I love her for her determination to stay alive and to find her brother. That same stubbornness that can be off-putting is why she manages to stay alive despite circumstances turning against her.

Saba’s love interest is Jack, a fellow fighter turned friend and guide to her brother. Jack is, in many ways, just as stubborn as Saba. He puts her down a lot, in front of her sister. He does help her to relate to her sister more, but their relationship is full of ups and downs. Neither wants to admit to the attraction between them, and instead they spend a lot of time being frustrated with each other. I will say that Saba manages to grow up a lot through the story. I always love when characters are able to grow and mature, and Saba is an excellent example of one of these characters.

Blood Red Road is a compelling story set in a unique world. While the book is marked as a Young Adult, it is definitely intended for more mature audiences, simply because of the violence. The violence is vicious and a constant throughout the book. The character development is excellent, the characters have their own faults, charms, and backgrounds and I was completely captivated with the story.

Readers, if you like fantasy, dystopian type books I highly recommend reading Blood Red Road. I am anxiously awaiting the release of book 2, Rebel Heart, when it releases later this year.

*Note about the audiobook* I am very happy that I listened to this book. The characters have various accents and slang that are sometimes off-putting when reading a book. The narrator does an excellent job with the accents and the slang. She even has to sing a bit on occasion, and I was very impressed with the quality of the narration.

You can find Blood Red Road at: