Saturday, May 31, 2014

Sekret by Lindsay Smith



  Sekret by Lindsay Smith has to have one of the most intriguing plots I have ever read.
  It's during the Cold War in Soviet Russia, and things couldn't be any more tense. It doesn't help that our main character Yulia is a ward of the state and is constantly on the run in fear for her life. But that's not the only secret (or Sekret) Yulia is hiding. When she picks up items, she can find out details and secrets about their owner...details and secrets the KGB wants and needs from Yulia.
  Yulia is now being held against her will with other young adults with mind powers, learning ways to benefit the KGB and take over Soviet Russia.
  This book is unlike any other. Throughout, I kept thinking to myself, "Is this like (insert book title here)? No, it's like (insert other book title here). Wait, no it's not!"
  It is so different, so unique, and so unlike many YA books out there, it's quite extraordinary.
  This book was very addicting. I couldn't put it down for fear of something bad happening to the characters if I left them alone for more than five minutes.
  At the last stop of the Spring Fierce Reads Tour at the Vero Beach Book Center, I had the pleasure of meeting Ms Smith and I have to say, she was absolutely extraordinary! She was sweet, intelligent, and just amazing. I could easily see where the brilliance of Sekret came from.
  I actually returned to the Vero Beach Book Center a few days later, and on the way home, read as much as I could of Sekret before I got home. I could not put it down!
  The beginning will captivate you, the middle with entrance you, and the end will have you holding your breath. It's fun, exciting, and scary as heck!



Book                                 ebook
          

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay




  When I was first introduced to The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay, I could just tell by its cover that it was going to be a book I would treasure. They say to never judge a book by its cover, but are there any rules when it comes to falling in love with a cover?
  The Sea of Tranquility sat on my To Be Read shelf for a year, but it was never read.
  Until now.
  Nastya Kashnikov died two years ago. Everything from the world she knew was taken from her on that one tragic day. Her identity, her life, her history- all gone. But she lives on today, going to high school for the first time, as a walking shadow.
  Josh on the other hand is living, but he is alone. Everyone around him has died and left him to grow up on his own. Josh can't stand the thought of someone else close to him dying, so he's stayed a loner, not allowing anyone else to get close to him.
  Everyone except Nastya.
  There are books by certain authors (like John Green, Rainbow Rowell, Ally Condie, and Markus Zusak) that are just pure magic and escapism. Their normal, every day paragraphs turn into pure poetry, and the simplest sentence can transform into magic. You'll read a sentence, paragraph, chapter, etc. and you'll just stop and savor it in your mind. That's what Katja Millay's Sea of Tranquility was like. It was raw, pure, and genuine poetry. The only frustration I had with this book is when the characters stirred raw emotions in me. You know the writing in a book is good when you feel the same exact emotions the main characters are currently feeling (in addition to a whole boat-load of emotions you feel as the reader).
  When I finished the book, I had a few days (and weeks) of confusion. When someone would ask me, "Did you like the book?" I'd say, "Yeah..." When asked if it was incredible, I tell them yes but I'm confused. Why aren't I gushing about how brilliant this book is? Why aren't I baffled, shocked, surprised, stunned, and completely blown away by this book?
  Because I expected brilliance. I expected this book to be absolutely breathtaking and gorgeously written...and I was right. This book didn't shock me with its brilliance because it lived up to the expectations I never thought could be fulfilled.
  The Sea of Tranquility is beautiful, powerful, emotional, heart-warming, and a definite must read.



Book                                 ebook
          

Sunday, May 25, 2014

Falling Back Together by Kristen Hope Mazzola



  When I first launched The Literary Connoisseur and dove headfirst into the blogger/Indie author community, I was intrigued by Kristen Hope Mazzola's Crashing Back Down. It seemed that everywhere I looked, I saw that iconic black and blue cover.
  Not to mention every time I turned around, another blogger friend was gushing about how incredible Mags and Walker's story was.
  I started Crashing Back Down, I finished it, my jaw dropped, and I cried out for book two.
  There was no bigger "OMG" moment than the one at the end of Crashing Back Down.
  But soon enough, Kristen Hope Mazzola heard my prayers and published Falling Back Together. It was just as beautiful, just as entertaining, and just as blissful as the first book (minus the major angst that occurred after the book was over).
  Falling Back Together mends our broken hearts and picks up the pieces from where Crashing Back Down left off. Kristen Hope Mazzola's books are truly a treasure to behold.
  These two books completely balance each other out. Where you have angst in one book you have calm in the other. They're both exceptional, they're both addictive, and they've both had my heart pumping.
  When I finished Falling Back Together I was overwhelmed with ease. Everything was right with the world and Mags was happy (therefore I was happy).
  These books are truly irresistible. Kristen Hope Mazzola will forever have a fan in me.



                                          Book                                ebook
           

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

The Spring Fierce Reads Tour Stop at The Vero Beach Book Center/Book Review for Katie Finn's Broken Hearts, Fences, and Other Things to Mend







After all of the excitement from the Fierce Reads tour stop at The Vero Beach Book Center last night, I'm sad (and pleased at the same time) to say, "I don't know where to begin!" Shall I start with my mind-blowing experience at the ever-so-lovely Vero Beach Book Center? Shall I start with how charming and personable each and every Fierce Reads author was? Or should I start with a book review, so you all can get a good taste of how wonderful these authors' books really are?

It's a tough choice, but I think I'll start with Katie Finn's Broken Hearts, Fences, and Other Things to Mend.






  Well, well, well! Did this book give me a book hangover. Broken Hearts, Fences, and Other Things to Mend has to be one of the craziest, most chaotic, and most head-smacking books I've ever read. I've read about revenge, and I've read about back-stabbing, but nothing compares to our main character, Gemma's, secret. 
  We start off this book with some pretty disappointing news. Gemma's boyfriend thinks it's time for them to move on from each other. Gemma is heartbroken, and she doesn't understand why this is happening JUST as summer's starting, but...life must go on. 
  After a mishap on a train to the Hamptons to visit her father, Gemma has now taken the identity of her best friend, Sophie, and makes her way to the beach, hoping to start again with a clean slate. 
  But of course, Gemma is long overdue for a clean slate after what she did to her former best friend, Hallie. 
  Broken Hearts, Fences, and Other Things to Mend has so many secrets, I could not put the darn book down in fear of them telling themselves without me there to witness it. 
  Then...once I got far enough into the story for things to start unfolding...my heart started to beat out of my chest. I gripped the pages tightly (so tightly I almost, ALMOST bent the cover...but I love my books too much to damage them), my palms got sweaty, and I chewed my bottom lip to bits. 
  Broken Hearts, Fences, and Other Things to Mend is not for the faint of heart when it comes to drama. 
  Katie Finn is a genius! I loved, loved, loved her story and writing! In fact, I loved it so much that I will now read anything and everything by her (and Morgan Matson, since they are the same person). She rocks! 
  Also, the entire way through the book, I kept telling myself, "I'll probably rate it four stars. It's really good!" Oh, no way. This baby deserves five! 
  I cannot wait for Katie's second chaotic book in this series; wait for it...Revenge, Ice Cream, and Other Things Best Served Cold. 



Book                                 ebook
          







Now on to some Fierce business!

So, not only did I have the incredible experience of reading Ms Finn's book, Broken Hearts, Fences, and Other Things to Mend, I got to meet her at the Vero Beach Book Center on the last stop of the spring Fierce Reads tour last night along with Anna Banks, Lindsay Smith, and Marie Rutkoski.









I arrived early in the day to help out with some Fierce planning (making sandwiches, setting up questions for the Q&A portion of the event, buying books- of course- etc.), and after a few hours of some hard work, it was almost time for the four authors to arrive!








I had my books all ready! (Thank you, Tiffanie from the Vero Beach Book Center, for helping me organize my book explosion!)




So, with my books all ready, my speech printed out (although not needed because I kind of free-styled once I realized I was in front of a LOT of people), my questions all written down for the authors to answer, and four empty seats at the front soon to be filled, it was time!










(From left to right, Katie Finn, Anna Banks, and Lindsay Smith)




(Katie Finn, Anna Banks, Lindsay Smith, and Marie Rutkoski)




(Anna Banks, Lindsay Smith, and Marie Rutkoski)




(Katie Finn)






(Katie Finn, Anna Banks, Lindsay Smith, and Marie Rutkoski)




Once I was done fangirling (yes, I fangirl), I had the opportunity to sit down and look at the beauties these incredible authors, Fierce Reads, and the ever amazing Vero Beach Book Center had bestowed upon me...






































The Fierce Reads stop at the Vero Beach Book Center with Katie Finn, Anna Banks, Lindsay Smith, and Marie Rutkoski was beyond extraordinary. I had the time of my life, and this event absolutely, without a doubt places in my top three favorite days of all time. I had the honor of meeting these incredible authors, introducing them, asking them questions in front of a plethora of fans, and having them sign some of my favorite books. 

This was a once in a lifetime experience, and I could not be more grateful for this memory.


I want to thank Fierce Reads for running this whole tour, and for putting together such a wonderful event. Fierce Reads is the bomb!


I want to thank the four authors who could make this crazy busy tour, Katie (also known as Morgan Matson), Anna, Lindsay, and Marie. Thank you, ladies, for writing such wonderful books, for coming out and meeting devoted fans, and for always being so sweet and personable. You've made so many bookworms' (and my) dreams come true! Thank you.


And last, but definitely not least, I want to thank the Vero Beach Book Center. Thank you to everyone who works, helps to run, and helps manage to the bookstore. You all are rock stars! You make every event special, you make every experience memorable, and you create memories that will last forever. You are the best. You amaze me every time I stop in, and you are- above all- my favorite place to come shopping. I love you all so much!






This concludes my retelling of the Fierce Reads event last night. I hope you all enjoyed my blog post about the book tour! It was so much fun, I am still grinning from ear to ear.


If you're interested in any of the Fierce books, check them out below:






Of Poseidon by Anna Banks


Galen, a Syrena prince, searches land for a girl he's heard can communicate with fish. It’s while Emma is on vacation at the beach that she meets Galen. Although their connection is immediate and powerful, Galen's not fully convinced that Emma's the one he's been looking for. That is, until a deadly encounter with a shark proves  that Emma and her Gift may be the only thing that can save his kingdom. He needs her help--no matter what the risk.


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Broken Hearts, Fences, and Other Things to Mend by Katie Finn


In Broken Hearts, Fences and Other Things to Mend by Katie Finn, Gemma had her summer all planned out, but it takes sharp turn when she gets dumped and finds herself back in the Hamptons after a five-year absence. 

Being there puts her at risk of bumping into Hallie, her former best friend (that is, before Gemma ruined her life). But people don’t hold grudges forever. Do they? 

Gemma intends on making amends, but a small case of mistaken identity causes the people she knew years ago—including Hallie and her dreamy brother Josh—to believe she’s someone else. As though the summer wasn’t complicated enough already. 

Can Gemma keep up the charade? Or will she be found out by the very people she’s been hiding from?



Book                                ebook
          













Sekret by Lindsay Smith


An empty mind is a safe mind.
Yulia’s father always taught her to hide her thoughts and control her emotions to survive the harsh realities of Soviet Russia. But when she’s captured by the KGB and forced to work as a psychic spy with a mission to undermine the U.S. space program, she’s thrust into a world of suspicion, deceit, and horrifying power. Yulia quickly realizes she can trust no one—not her KGB superiors or the other operatives vying for her attention—and must rely on her own wits and skills to survive in this world where no SEKRET can stay hidden for long.



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The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski


Winning what you want may cost you everything you love
As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions. One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction. Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin. But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined.
Set in a richly imagined new world, The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart.



Book                                ebook
         

Saturday, May 17, 2014

Of Poseidon by Anna Banks



  We've all gotten into the Young Adult paranormal romances that have loved us, had us fall in love with them, used us, and abused us (in the very best ways a book can abuse us), and we all admit that we're hopelessly addicted to them.
  Girl meets boy, boy sees girl, they fall in love, but there is something keeping them apart...
  One of them is a paranormal creature that cannot fall in love with a human! (The best part of the paranormal romance in my humble opinion.)
  But Of Poseidon by Anna Banks is unlike these others... It is a real "fish out of water" story. Almost literally.
  The Syrena Legacy is about mermaids.
  Although Galen, his sister, and his best friend do not like to be called mermaids, they are in fact not mermaids, they are Syrena.
  Emma, our main character, bumps into Galen (literally) on her trip to Florida and cannot stop thinking about him. After Galen recovers from being semi-attacked by Emma, he starts to think about her non-stop as well. But Galen is not the only mysterious being in this new and budding romance... Emma is showing some clear signs of Syrena as well, but nobody has ever seen anything like it before.
  This book is HILARIOUS! I laughed so hard at times, I almost cried! Emma is completely 100% normal. She trips, she falls, she says embarrassing things in front of gorgeous guys, and she's basically like every single normal teenage girl I know. (No typical stereotypes, thank you very much, Anna Banks!)
  Galen is beyond charming, and Anna Banks' secondary characters are the most lovable characters in the bunch!
  Of Poseidon is such a charming read. It's funny, witty, adorable, goofy, and I loved every bit of it!
  Also... If (when) you read Of Poseidon, make sure you have book two (Of Triton) and book three (Of Neptune) right near you. I didn't, because it hadn't come out yet, and it's been killing me ever since!
  These books are so worth a marathon read. Read them straight though, on vacation, near the water, with a floofy summer drink near you, because I cannot imagine anything quite as blissful.



Book                                 ebook
          

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Complete by Lindy Zart



  All of the genres that Lindy Zart puts onto paper are amazing. I've read dystopian society stories by her and loved them. I've read a romance about grief and growth and I loved it. I've read Young Adult/New Adult romances centered around characters named Lily and Grayson, and I loved them just as much.
  I didn't think that I could love Complete (the sequel to Incomplete) more than the first one, but... I did.
  The more stories, pages, and writing about Lily and Grayson, the better!
  If you've read Incomplete, I'm sure you understand how anxious I was to start Complete. I put aside the many books on my TBR list for Lindy Zart's work. Yes, I love her books that much. If you have not read Incomplete, a) I wholeheartedly recommend it, it's a beautiful read, and b) here is where we left off.
  At the end of Incomplete, things aren't as grand as they should be for our two enigmatic main characters Lily and Grayson.
  Against Grayson's will, Lily has left him to his own devices so he can follow his dreams.
  But Grayson's dreams are incomplete (no pun intended) without the love of his life, Lily.
  I dove right into Complete without a second thought. Just like its title, I had to fill the empty gap that was currently inhabiting my heart. I was incomplete without Lily and Grayson's happily ever after.
  I read, and read, and read, and it paid off.
  Lindy Zart's writing is truly captivating. I love everything she's written! I thought it impossible, but it's true. After I had read Ordinary, Unremarkable, and Take Care, Sara, Lindy informed me that there's bound to be a book of hers that I will not love as much as the others.
  So far, I have proven her wrong. Lindy Zart's books are Anything But Ordinary.



Book                                 ebook
          

Monday, May 12, 2014

An Interview with New York Times Bestselling Author, L.J. Smith







Introduction:


YES! I got to interview the incredibly talented, beautiful, and remarkable L.J. Smith.

When I say, "I honestly could not be more thrilled to do this interview right now, it is a dream come true!" I mean exactly that. 

Interviewing author L.J. Smith (author of The Vampire Diaries--yes, I got to talk to the creator of the Salvatore brothers, The Secret Circle series, and the Nightworld series) was beyond a thrilling experience for me, I never thought that something this extraordinary would ever happen to me, a blogger who's only been around for eleven months. A newbie.

But it happened! Ms Smith was more than willing to do this for my blog, and because of her kindness, I am eternally grateful. This interview isn't just a dream come true...it is mind blowing. I had the pleasure of interviewing this incredible author! An author who I've looked up to ever since I started reading Young Adult books! (Nine years old or so?)

So without further ado, and before I turn this introduction into a short novel, here is my extraordinary interview with New York Times Bestselling author, L.J. Smith.





An Interview with Author L.J. Smith:


The Literary Connoisseur: Let's start with some questions about you first. Do you have a literary influence when it comes to your writing? An inspirational author perhaps? 

L.J. Smith: I was heavily influenced by science fiction and fantasy books when I was growing up.  I especially gravitated toward tales of magic, of wishing rings and flying carpets and phoenixes and mysterious, otherworldly lands.  My favorite authors during my childhood were C.S. Lewis, who wrote the Chronicles of Narnia, and J. R. R. Tolkien of Lord of the Rings fame.  They had a tremendous influence on me, as did many other writers about magic—so many that I had to keep a list of them in the back of my diary (I always kept a diary until I was thirtysomething).

You can easily see this influence on my first two books: The Night of the Solstice and Heart of Valor.  I wrote those when I was quite young and they received excellent reviews, but didn’t sell.  One possible reason was that they’d been written as YA, but were sold as middle grade (I’ll never know why) and Solstice had a cover that even a mother couldn’t love.  Also—and this is a big reason—they were hardback pure fantasy and right then the market was rabid for paperback original horror books.  Not romance horror—pure horror.  This was the heyday of Christopher Pike and Goosebumps.


The Literary Connoisseur: What does your success as a bestselling author mean to you? Where would you like to see your success take you? 

L.J. Smith: All I want—all I want—is to write books that show young girls how they’re being exploited.  I don’t need more money; I don’t care about writing in the popular genre of the day (which seems perhaps to be zombies—which leaves me cold anyway).  What I care about is that every one of my female readers is fighting a great battle that she might not even be aware of.  One project I really would like to do is to watch 24 straight hours of TV and count the number of times that girls are:
·         Told that they must be pretty to succeed
·         Told that they must buy products to make them pretty (= succeed)
·         Told that they look best wearing certain clothes (often tight) or shoes (often high) in order to be acceptable
·         Told that in order to be acceptable they need to smear multicolored goo all over their faces (otherwise known as makeup)
·         Told that they are only competent enough for certain things: to be the token female on an otherwise all-male news journal.  To be the supporting anchor on a news story, not the lead.  To be a policewoman—inside a room of thirty policemen.  Ditto fire fighter, doctor, CIA operative . . . oh, you name it with TV shows and commercials and you’ll find discrepancies everywhere.


The Literary Connoisseur:  What would you like to say to your fans? Your old fans, your faithful fans, your new fans, and everyone else who adores your work? 

L.J. Smith: I’d like to say forgive me.  Strange Fate will come out.  I’m having a bit of a metamorphosis now, and it’s hard to write quickly when one is in a chrysalis.  But the book will come out—in two volumes, I hope, as it is already over 800 pages long.  And thank you all from my heart for waiting.


The Literary Connoisseur: Are you currently working on a project? 

L.J. Smith: I’m working on several.  Strange Fate, of course.  Also The Last Lullaby, which ought to have come out this August but will be delayed because of a huge drama that that had very little to do with the manuscript itself (and which I hope to be able to explain in detail at a later date).  I’ve also recently begun work on the sequel to The Forbidden Game, which I think may be called All I Refuse.

And then, of course, there is Evensong, the Vampire Diaries “fanfics” that are published on Amazon.com’s Kindle Worlds.  As you undoubtedly know, these take the story up from right after Midnight, the last Vampire Diaries book published that was by me and not written by the ghostwriter.  Right now the first book, Paradise Lost, and the first third of the second book, The War of Roses, is up.  You don’t need a Kindle to read them: Amazon provides a free, legitimate app so you can read them on your computer.


The Literary Connoisseur: If you hadn't written the books you've written, which of your series or novels would you say would appeal to you the most? 

L.J. Smith: Uh . . . that’s a really, really hard question and I’m going to weasel out of it.  I’d like the books I’m writing right now (I always do or I wouldn’t write them).  I suppose best would be a tie between The Last Lullaby and Evensong.  Mainly because Elena is such a strong character that I count her as a boy (which was why I mistreated her so horribly in Nightfall, by the way).  In Evensong she’ll be even stronger, and will determine her own destiny.


The Literary Connoisseur: Many authors say that when they become inspired to write a story, the plot comes to them, as well as some helpful insight from the characters "speaking" to them as they write. Do your characters speak to you? 

L.J. Smith: Oh, yes.  I couldn’t write if they didn’t speak.  I’m writing the Evensong series (nine books in total) for pocket change simply because Elena and Bonnie and Damon and Stefan told me the end to their story long ago and then continued to speak to me after I was no longer publishing books in the series.

If the characters won’t act out their parts I can’t write down what they feel and think and do.  It’s useless to try to write then: all that comes out is drek.


 The Literary Connoisseur:  I'm a huge fan of both your Vampire Diaries series, and your Secret Circle series. Which do you feel is more fun to write, witches or vampires? Do you have a favorite character that you like to write? 

L.J. Smith: I honestly can’t say which is more fun to write.  I did more writing about vampires because 1) I was known for that after The Vampire Diaries, and 2) vampires were more popular.  But I really enjoy writing about witches because the witches I’ve created—like the ones in Secret Circle—are matriarchal and have an egalitarian society.  I like to write about scenarios where girls are the ones in control.  I also quite like researching ancient spells and making up new ones.


The Literary Connoisseur: What was your inspiration for the Night World series? 

L.J. Smith: I came up with that after having written two trilogies, The Forbidden Game and Dark Visions, for Simon & Schuster.  I wanted to write an open-ended series about people of all sorts—vampires, witches, shapeshifters, falling in love with clueless humans.  And I wanted to make sure that each of the girls in the stories I wrote about was a strong character with a vocation.  Thus came Poppy North, future musician and world traveler, Mary-Lynnette Carter, future astronomer, Rashel Jordan, present vampire hunter and future Circle Daybreak operative, and my own secret favorite, “I’m just a grunt” Keller, who probably doesn’t need a description.


The Literary Connoisseur: Do you prefer it when your characters' stories connect? When they meet one another and their stories overlap? 

L.J. Smith: Not particularly.  I’ve only written one series that way—Night World—and that was planned from the beginning.  I don’t feel any need to have Julian meet Kaitlyn Fairchild or anything like that.


The Literary Connoisseur: I find that the Salvatore brothers' heritage is very important in the plot of the Vampire Diaries. Out of all the ethnic backgrounds, what made you choose to make brothers Stefan and Damon Italian? 

L.J. Smith: Do you know, I don’t remember?  That was a long time ago.  I do remember doing the research though—I read a quintillion articles and books on Renaissance Italy to try to get things right.  I do know that I wanted the boys to be exotic and that I myself am quite familiar with Florence, having had the good fortune to have visited there three times so far.  I think it’s important that the brothers come from somewhere with an ancient history of its own, and a place of astonishing beauty and you can’t beat Italy for history or gorgeous old art. 


The Literary Connoisseur: The Secret Circle, the Night World series, and The Vampire Diaries date back to the early 90s, and I'm sure there are still adventures we as readers have yet to experience. Are their stories not quite over yet? Do you think you'll be writing more about them in the future?

L.J. Smith: Better make a note: you actually sent me this interview a week before Evensong debuted on Kindle Worlds.  It’s my fault entirely that I’ve taken so long to answer the questions.  So, yes, obviously, the characters of The Vampire Diaries have lots of adventures to come.  Also, of course, Strange Fate will complete the Night World series.  As for Secret Circle, a ghostwriter has taken over the series.


The Literary Connoisseur: If you were to look back at yourself as a writer, do you think you would ever expect to be where you are today? What would you like to say to aspiring writers out there? 

L.J. Smith: Well, I expect this sounds egotistical, but honestly when I was teenaged and starry-eyed I thought I’d be a different kind of writer entirely.  I didn’t really plan on writing “popular” books; I wanted to write books that would change the way people thought about girls and women and their rights . . . and the wrongs that have been done to them.

If I’ve succeeded in doing this at all with the books I already have written or those I am to write, then I’d say I’ve done what I set out to do.  Just change a few minds.

What would I say to young writers?  Two things, I think.  Write every day, even if it’s just a diary entry or a letter.  And never give up.  The publishing world can be harsh.  But if you’re writing from your heart—if you truly believe in your book, and if it says what is in your heart, you’ll succeed.  Oh, yes, and make sure your grammar is superb.  You can’t afford to make mistakes.  There are excellent grammar courses to be found online if you’re not quite confident about your ability.


The Literary Connoisseur: Thank you so much again, Ms Smith, for joining us and for answering some well-anticipated questions! I look forward to reading more of your work in the future. 

L.J. Smith: Thank you, Rebecca, for some very intriguing questions.  





Wowee! I am still reeling from this interview! While I'm recovering, why don't you all check out Ms Smith's websites?


Visit her website here!


Her Facebook page here!


Her Goodreads page here!


And her Amazon page here!



Have you read Ms Smith's books yet? Start with these!





The Vampire Diaries



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The Secret Circle



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Nightworld


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The Forbidden Game


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Dark Visions


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Love candles that are inspired by book characters? Well, Book Scents Candles has made a few specially for L.J. Smith's own Delos and Circle Daybreak.






Buy a book inspired "Delos" candle here!





Buy a book inspired Circle Daybreak candle here!









About L.J. Smith:


Lisa Jane Smith is the New York Times #1 Bestselling author of The Vampire Diaries, The Secret Circle, The Forbidden Game, Dark Visions, Wildworld and Night World series. She has written over two dozen books for children and young adults, and has enjoyed writing every one of them. She lives in the Bay Area of California, with a backyard that is full of flowers, which she adores, especially with many different shades of roses.

She loves to visit a friend's little cabin in the Point Reyes National Seashore area, which has lots of trees, lots of animals, lots of beaches to walk on, and lots of places to hike. Once, while hiking, she saw a snow-white buck which allowed her to follow it nearly half a mile. She also likes to collect things: angels (they remind her of her late mother), tiny boxes from different countries or of fanciful shape, nineteenth century children's literature, and books about quantum physics--especially about the mystery of the dark energy in the universe. A militant optimist, she is also part of the Velociraptor Sisterhood (a fancy way of saying that she likes to read, write and discuss books with strong female characters), and she has traveled extensively in Europe and the Far East. The two countries she loves to visit most are Great Britain, with its historic monuments and amazing country landscapes, and Japan, with its bustling urban life and exquisite mountain scenery.

Her favorite current writer is Terry Pratchett, the author of the Discworld series, for its wild and witty satires on life, death, war, love, assassins, coppers, and Australia. Her favorite classical writer is Jane Austen. Her favorite poets are Robert Frost and Emily Dickinson. Her favorite movies are The Seven Samurai and Avatar (analyze that!). She doesn't have a favorite TV show, because she doesn't have time to watch TV (and only owns one for playing movies).

Her favorite people are her readers, each of whom she cherishes with deep and lasting affection.











A note from your blogger:



Thank you all so much for taking the time out of your day to read this remarkable interview with L.J. Smith! It was an honor, a pleasure, and a dream come true to host her. Every new step I take with my blog is a step in the right direction, and I can't thank you enough for taking this journey with me. I love you all, my lovely, lovely Lit-Wits! I cannot wait to see what new and exciting adventures we go on next! 

Happy Reading!!!