A rock & roll fairy tale.
Jason plays guitar in a teenage garage band called the Assorted Zebras, but they have no fans, no gigs, and they’re going nowhere. Even worse, Jason has a crush on their lead singer, but she doesn’t seem interested in him at all.
Then Jason steals instruments from the fairy world. Soon the band is enchanting crowds, and Jason is a step closer to the girl of his dreams, but the new gear is brimming with dangerous and destructive magic they can’t control.
Their shortcut to success has cost a troupe of innocent fairies their livelihood and turned Jason and his band into enemies of the powerful Queen Mab, who sends supernatural bounty hunters to track them down, including one of the most dangerous horned creatures in Faerie…a small unicorn named Buttercake.

Hi Anna, welcome to the blog please tell us a little bit about yourself.


I am a debut historical fiction author from Australia. My novel Asenath is set in Ancient Egypt and is about the little-known wife of Joseph of the coat-of-many-colours. Many people tell me, "I didn't know Joseph was married!" Given that she is only mentioned in passing, I suppose this reaction is expected. After all, even I didn't know about Asenath until later on in my life. I am an ancient history buff. I love Egypt, Israel, Greece, and Rome, and hope to know more about the Ancient Near East. I've read about it mostly in terms of its relation to Egypt and Israel, but from the little I've gleaned, it sounds extremely fascinating. I travelled to the Middle East last year - Lower Egypt (Cairo and the Sinai), Israel, and Jordan. When not writing, I love to read (being a writer, I guess this is by default); listen to music; watch movies; and do some photography. Also, I am a dog lover.

What inspired you to write ASENATH?

I have been an enthuasiast of the Joseph story for the longest time. Sometime ago, I grew curious about the woman he married. Like I said, Genesis mentions her only in passing; all we know about Asenath is that she was the daughter of a priest and that she was given in marriage to Joseph as his reward for interpreting Pharaoh's dreams.When I looked her up, I found hardly anything on her. I then thought it would be interesting to imagine what she might have been like.

Did you have to do any major research or traveling to write your book?

Certainly, what with this being a historical novel and all. I went through my old notes and syllabi from university (I did Ancient History for my degree), then perused the library of my alma mater. There were some grey areas, however, which is typical of ancient history. For instance, we don't really know, for how Ancient Egyptian wedding ceremonies were like. There are some conjectures about this but nothing seems to be certain. So here, I employed artistic licence. My Middle Eastern trip helped as well - when I was doing the edits, I was able to truly describe the sights, sounds and smells of Egypt.

What song would you choose to fit the mood of your book and why?

Hmmm... probably Loreena McKennitt's 'Marco Polo.' It has a very nice Egyptian feel to it.

What are you reading right now?

I have just begun Maria Dahvana Headley's 'Queen of Kings.' I was intrigued by the plot: Cleopatra turning into a vampire. So far, it seems pretty interesting. I just finished Mary Renault's 'The King Must Die' which a friend recommended to me. It was a bit dragging but beautifully written. I love Renault's style; it is very descriptive and poetic.

Whats on the horizon for ANNA PATRICIO?

I am currently researching for my second novel which is still set in Ancient Egypt but hundreds of years after the events of ASENATH. To be more specific, it is set during the time of Moses. It probably seems intentional that after writing about Joseph, I would write about Moses. But actually, the idea came to me at a really random moment (the same thing happened with ASENATH, by the way). Some people have also been recommending I write a sequel to ASENATH. And I really did have a lot of fun with that story, so I see no reason why I shouldn't. This could be after my Moses novel though. Also, I will be returning to Egypt in the next year or so. My recent Middle Eastern trip had Israel as its main event, so my time in Egypt was very brief. I am definitely not complaining though, as Israel was the other must-see place for me. Now that I've had an in-depth tour for it, it's time to see more of Egypt.

Welcome to the Married with Zombies scavenger hunt read along, hosted by Missie, Jen, Loretta, Ashley and myself. Its our last week and what a blast it has been. Link up your answers over at Missies today and be on the look out for the winners...:)

Its time for Mini-Reviews, where I get out a few thoughts on a bundle of books I have read. This week was a little hard for me cause yeah I don't like to write negative reviews.....but oh well it has to be done sometimes. So here's the bad and the DNF's.






Nothing by Janne Teller
February 9th 2010 by Atheneum
Borrowed

So I guess before I launch into Tina-rant time, I must tell you up front I only read this because last summer I was on a YA committee that read award winning novels...and now that that's out of the way......When I finished Nothing my very first thought was as follows:

This turd called literature actually won an award?

Hey guys!!! Today Im over at Alyce's blog At Home with Books for her feature Best and Worst. I will be discussing my favorite author of all time, Alice Hoffman and you guessed it, sharing my thoughts on her best and worst books I have read....a task much harder than you would think when sitting down to write one of these out. It was fun and challenging to put my thoughts into a guest post.......but thanks Alyce for letting me try!!!!

So go check me out and let me know what you think....:)

The Girl Below by Bianca Zander
Paperback: 352 pages
Review Copy

Suki Piper is a stranger in her hometown. . . .

After ten years in New Zealand, Suki returns to London, to a city that won’t let her in. However, a chance visit with Peggy—an old family friend who still lives in the building where she grew up—convinces Suki that there is a way to reconnect with the life she left behind a decade earlier. But the more involved she becomes with Peggy’s dysfunctional family, including Peggy’s wayward sixteen-year-old grandson, the more Suki finds herself mysteriously slipping back in time—to the night of a party her parents threw in their garden more than twenty years ago, when something happened in an old, long-unused air-raid shelter. . . .

Glamorous Illusions by Lisa T. Bergren
June 1, 2012 by David C. Cook
Paperback, 416 Pages

It was the summer of 1913, and Cora Kensington's life on the family farm has taken a dark turn. Not only are the crops failing, so is her father's health. Cora is carrying on, helping her mother run their Montana farm until a stranger comes to call, and everything changes. Cora then learns a secret that will radically change her future: she is the illegitimate daughter of a copper king who has come to claim her.

Cora is invited to take the "Grand Tour" of Europe, a journey intended to finish a person's education, to solidify an understanding of ancient culture and contemporary refinement.  As she travels from England to France with half-siblings she's never known, Cora encounters the blessings of the Kensington family name, as well as the curses. But when an unbidden love begins to form, she realizes the journey is only beginning. Faced with the challenge of accepting her father, new family, and the identity that comes with it, Cora also struggles to accept that she is also the daughter of the one true King-a Father who is the only One who can truly heal.

Hi. My name is Nancy Mangano and I am the author of A Passion for Prying. The 330 page read is a mix of the murder mystery/humor/women’s contemporary fiction genre, and an all around fun read!

Natalie North is a Los Angeles licensed private investigator who chases cheating partners while always wearing a great pair of high heels! Natalie aches to work a gritty felony case, and when she becomes the target of a botched homicide, Natalie gets her wish to solve a murder case: her own attempted slaying!

Toss into the mix Natalie’s love quandary, torn between Darren McAllister, the hotshot L.A. deputy district attorney, and Jett Jaso, the hunky Hollywood actor, and Natalie’s life takes on a deeper web of intrigue, danger and passion. 

Whew-Hew, its zombie time! Its week four of our Married with Zombies scavenger hunt read along. Hosted by Missie, Jen, Loretta, Ashley and myself. This week Im hosting, so link up your answers at the end of the post and head over to Missie's to find next week questions.

Its time for Mini-Reviews. Today my guest blogger Tonya will be sharing some of her reads over the past few weeks. From the great to the not so great here they are..............

Ugly to Start With by John Michael Cummings

Take This Regret by A.L Jackson
July 28, 2011 by Coffee Shop Publishing
Paperback, 242 Pages
Purchased

Christian and Elizabeth have sizzling chemistry, a future as brilliant lawyers and the world in the palm of their hands.....well that's how they see it anyway. Elizabeth cannot wait to be a lawyer and career means everything to Christian and as expected by his presumptuous father, he aspires to take over the family law firm in New York. Life is going to be a great and Elizabeth will be with him, the only possible outcome is success. Little does Christian know that life can be turned upside down in a second, when Elizabeth shares the news of her pregnancy, Christians knee jerk reaction is anger and frustration, no way is he giving up his dreams or all his hard work to be tied down to some kid and a life he doesn't want even before his life has begun. He has one year left of school and its off to become that successful rich lawyer and while he wants his life to be with Elizabeth, family and parenthood isn't something he's contemplated. So what does this immature, selfish boy do? Out of shock and confusion Christian walks away from Elizabeth, breaks her heart in the process and doesn't look back...until five years later.

Not a day has gone by that Christian hasn't had second thoughts and grieved over the choice he made, knowing that Elizabeth and his child are out in the world somewhere he carries around constant guilt. While five years have moved along, the thoughts of his mistake have never seemed to fade, he knows what he did was wrong but has no idea how to fix it. Even the wealth that comes from working for his fathers company can't quiet the pain inside him. So when opportunity arises for Christian to take over the firms San Diego office he quickly jumps at the opportunity, not so much for the promotion but in the hopes that Elizabeth might be there, seeing how its her hometown. Working up the courage to contact her or even see her though is something he's not ready to face until a fated almost freaky encounter leaves him face to face with none other than the daughter he left behind. Without knowing who she is, there is an immediate change in his soul and he knows he must make amends for his mistake, he must be a part of his daughters life and do all he can to win back the only woman he's ever loved.

Elizabeth has had a long five years. Still recovering from the loss of Christian, his betrayal and the loss of her dreams to become a lawyer, shes done everything in her power to make a life for her and Lizzie, things have been hard financially but with the support of a few close friends and family and a good job at a bank, she has made a happy home for them.

When Christian returns like a hurricane back into her life, Elizabeth is terrified and furious. How dare he come back after five years to find them and try to be a father. How can he make up for betraying her, abandoning their child? How can her heart stand to see her daughter fall in love with him and watch as her tender broken heart begins to fall back in love with him too? She's so angry and jealous that she can't even see straight, her family is mad, her daughter is joyous and Christian is doing everything a broken man trying to win his family back is doing. A reasonable likable character we meet in the beginning becomes a sour and desperate woman, so many questions present themselves but the only real question that matters is, can she trust him or will he just get his full and leave them again to pick up the pieces?

Oh this book was amazing. I know I gush like a school girl, but I cannot contain myself when I find a story that leaves me clutching its pages to my heart....or in this case my Nook to my heart. Christian and Elizabeth's story is so common, yet so redeeming as we see Christian transform from this arrogant young guy into an astounding developed man. It was a breathtaking read of emotion from hating Christian in the beginning and loving Elizabeth to in the middle seeing the character roles reversed and wind up loving Christian and detesting Elizabeth and in the end loving them both. For me personally I was able to relate to Elizabeth profoundly due to being a teen mother myself {although Elizabeth was 20} and remembering the dreams I gave up but knowing instantly that I wanted that baby more than life itself. The road paved with second chances has the power to capture even the toughest cynic and it certainly captured me. My heart broke with this story, I cried for this story and I fell in love with all the characters from beginning to end.


Rating

Take This Regret is recommended to adult readers and contains: Sexuality {One graphic scene} mild violence, mild language, death and pregnancy.

5/5- Contemporary Romance


Read This on Kindle for 3.99

January 13, 2013 by Simon Pulse

A sixteen-year-old boy whose family, in an effort to cure his ailing brother, relocates to a remote island where legendary magic fish are said to have healing powers, and he discovers the island has terrible secrets, including a half-teenager, half-fish.