Nightingale by David Farland

So, I was excited to read David Farland's new book, Nightingale, and I started off being really intrigued, then I got to a part where it started feeling like a horror novel and I don't do well with horror, so I turned it over to my awesome friend, Jennifer Moore, who loves Stephen King novels and figured she'd do the review justice. I'm hiding in the closet writing this.... so if you love psychological thrillers, this is the one for you.
 Here's her review:


Some people sing at night to drive back the darkness.  Others sing to summon it. . . .

Bron Jones was abandoned at birth. Thrown into foster care, he was rejected by one family after another, until he met Olivia, a gifted and devoted high-school teacher who recognized him for what he really was--what her people call a "nightingale."

But Bron isn't ready to learn the truth. There are secrets that have been hidden from mankind for hundreds of thousands of years, secrets that should remain hidden. Some things are too dangerous to know.  Bron's secret may be the most dangerous of all.

In his remarkable young adult fantasy debut, David Farland shows why critics have called his work "compelling," "engrossing," "powerful," "profound," and "ultimately life-changing."

Bron is a teenage boy that has been shuffled through various foster homes, and has every right to be bitter. However, I didn’t end up pitying him as much as admire him. He has an uncanny way of reading people and situations, brought about by the survival skills he’s had to develop over the years of foster care. And he’s bright and observant, and vulnerable—really great main character.
As the book begins, Bron is taken out of a horrible situation, and given to the care of Olivia Hernandez who is a High School teacher. She is a musician and a little eccentric, but I immediately connected to her because of how much she wanted to have children, and Bron seems like such a perfect fit. But it’s not just the fact that he is a kid who plays the guitar and needs a home, Bron and Olivia have more in common than he knows. She understands things about him and where he comes from that he can’t even begin to imagine. And she is the perfect person to help him develop and understand his powers.
From the first page, there was suspense and tension—on the surface with a kid who is going to a new school, and finding his place in a new family—but beneath all of that, there is a group of super-humans searching for him, and there were times when I didn’t know how David Farland was going to get Bron out of some of the scrapes he was in.
The way he describes settings is wonderful, it emotes feelings and is so visual and tangible. The dialog and the relationships seemed to be genuine to me, too. I loved the world he built—it was fascinating

You can learn more about Dave and his books/writing seminars here:
 FB: 
http://www.facebook.com/david.farland1
Twitter handle @DavidFarland
Websites:
Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/83308.David_Farland


INDIE-Giving Blogfest and Top-Ten

This is a big shout-out to all my fans and the army of people who have helped me become a bestselling author this last year!

For you-an awesome giveaway!
Your choice of one of ten books and a $20 gift card

Go enter to win HERE

There are so many things I have to be thankful for, it's hard to choose one!
Maybe a top ten list would be best


1.  My God
1 of 4
2.  My family
3.  My friends
4.  Forgiveness







5.  This country
6.  My home

7.  Electricity

8.  Smiles
9.  Laughter









10. Hugs




What is your TOP TEN?

32K and Holding

Participant 180x180 (2)
We are on day 17 of Nano and I'm at 32,000 words right now and aching to write some more... You see, I got stuck on Wednesday when I started signing at Costcos again. I haven't written a word since

.....and I love the story I'm writing.

It's told from a 17 year-old boy's perspective and I'm loving it. The scene is a small town in Tennessee-did you know I used to live in Tennessee? HOT, MUGGY summers and bone-chilling cold in the winters.

When I say I'm aching to write some more, what I really mean is that I wish I was writing more because I haven't even really tried to get back on the bandwagon.

Facebook Cover

However, Monday is truly the day of vengeance. I'm at Ogden Costco and I have to be there a bit before 11:00. I'm going to pump out 2K before I go and another 2K get home. Three days is long enough to get used to a new schedule, right?

I'll be working on the next step of discovering who killed my main character's father in a hit and run.

So excited. 

Cheer me on, everybody.

What do you do when you've lost motivation to do something you really love?


Emergence by C. Michelle Jefferies

Buy Me here

What's the book about?

Hit man Antony Danic has never killed an innocent man. At least, the corporation he works for has never given him a reason to think otherwise—until now. Reeling from a series of demanding assignments, the assassin is desperate for some downtime. As he sits on a beach in Tahiti watching his wife play in the ocean, a messenger from his employer delivers a death threat. In a matter of seconds, the hunter has become the hunted. While Antony scrambles to find a way out of his “till death do us part” contract, he’s faced with the decision of a lifetime: kill another innocent man, or do what’s right—even if it puts his family in jeopardy.

Now to sit down with Michelle and get our burning questions answered- I think you'll end up loving Michelle just as much as I do.

What is your favorite movie right now?
 My favorite movie is Master and Commander. I like guys with long hair. :) I also love the whole feel of the movie. My second favorite is How To Train Your Dragon. (Although I really liked watching "The Avengers" this fall.)

 Do you wear socks to bed?
No, I really dislike socks at any time. Even in shoes.Especially if they are colorful or toe socks. I hate having things in between my toes. My feet are my temperature control in bed. if I'm cold they are under the blankets, if I'm hot they are out of the bed.

 What do you do to warm up in the winter?
I sit on heater vents with blankets. I also wear fuzzy slippers and sweaters. I'm usually not that cold, but this year I've been loosing weight and I am freezing all the time. Brrrrrrr!

 What is your favorite activity to do in the summer?
I love taking my kids to the park or pool in the mornings before it gets too hot. In the dead heat of the summer I prefer dark and cool basements and watching a movie with my kids. I do love a good baseball game though.

 Have you ever skinny dipped?
No I haven't. Should I have? LOL    Cindy's answer: Why yes, it's the best thing ever...

 What scares you the most?
Losing my family is my worst fear. Rolling a car in a snow storm (again) is the second worst fear.

 What are the top 3 tips you'd give a new author about creating interesting and believable characters?
1, We don't need the little details as much as we need their motivations. Why they do things. Why they react that way. 
2, Make them flawed, they need to have quirks and fears and other things that make them imperfect. 
3, Know your character like you know your kids or spouse just don't tell us all of that info. Let us pain the story ourselves.

Do you outline or are you a seat-of-your pants writer? 
I am a structure gal. I have my basic story structure planned out as well as my character arc and my basic chapter idea. Kinda of like a Skeleton.  Then I pants the rest. Fleshing it out into a full story.  (See Larry Brooks Storyfix.com)

I can't wait to read this book. 
Do you like the cover? How does it make you feel?

Go buy her book here 

Go to her website here


  

Thanksgiving Giveaway!


I'm so thankful to finally have my
Costco signing schedule for Created, check it out here, that I'm giving away a Barnes and Noble gift card so you can choose what book to buy!
Easy entry! Join the fun. (Lots of prizes at the end of the post, too.) Go enter all the giveaways!

Some books I just picked up-

Laini Taylor's Days of Blood and Starlight
preorder-Reached by Ally Condie
Ethereal by Addison Moore-mature teen audiences (swearing and sex)
Dead Heat by Lisa Nowak-mature teen audiences(swearing, themes)
Beguiled by RaShelle Workman

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Hey guys! My cute friend, Abby is having a blog make-over party. And she's celebrating with a massive giveaway. You'll love her blog! Go check it out. Created is up for grabs, too!

Hello!  I'm Abby from My Yellow Sandbox Twist Me Pretty.
My blog started out as My Yellow Sandbox.  It was originally a place to compile all the crafts and interior decor I saw and loved online.  Yes... before Pinterest!   As I happened upon a love of hairstyles and found my niche in this online world, I decided to change the name to Twist Me Pretty.  To celebrate the new name and look I've teamed up with my favorite shops and bloggers to bring you a massive giveaway.  A giveaway to top all giveaways.  There will be over $1,500 in prizes and over sixty five winners!  
 To enter the rafflecopter and see what exactly is up for grabs visit twistmepretty.com
You might find a little of this over there too... :-)
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