Guest Post: Kirin Rise by Ed Cruz

An unlikely young female heroine takes on government corruption in martial arts master’s first book in a planned eight-part series
More than 30,000 Facebook fans await Ed Cruz’s ‘kickstarted’ novel this October
CHICAGO, Ill. – Changing the world for the better doesn’t always need to come in the form of a person with superpowers, but like in the new book Kirin Rise: The Cast of Shadows, through a young girl just brave enough to be who she truly is.
With the early backing of a Kickstarter campaign, more than 30,000 Facebook fans await the book’s arrival October 9. Ed Cruz weaves an inspirational adventure story of a heroic young woman with extraordinary martial arts skills who decides to stand up for humanity and take on government corruption and corporate greed in the year 2032.
The book follows underdog 19-year-old Kirin Rise who uses her Wing Chun Gung Fu to begin an unstoppable movement against the United Federation of Mixed Fighting, the organization that has overshadowed every major sport in the United States.
The story is fictional, but the skills and practices Kirin uses are real – and the only martial art created by a woman. Cruz is planning for The Cast of Shadows to be the first in an eight part series.
While Cruz found a thirst for martial arts, he explains how the lessons shared in the book will be the same for someone who’s spent their life mastering cooking, singing or any other passion.
“The overall message of the story is to embrace yourself. A simple unknown person can do great things; the key is being you,” Cruz said. “It would be great after people read the story they feel inspired by Kirin’s actions and often times we want to be just like our hero.”

Usually the first thing people ask me about the book is, “Who is the target audience?” “What genre does it fall under?” Immediately “young adult fiction” comes to mind, however when I sat down and began writing this book three years ago I was honestly targeting the entire world. And while it’s also easy to say it’s fiction, to me that’s the farthest thing from the truth.

I think in the beginning people aren’t quite sure how to approach the book. It’s coming from an unknown first time writer who is a Gung Fu teacher so it’s natural to assume it’s some kind of fighting book. For some this maybe interesting and for others they could care less. While, at first glance the book appears to be that, once you begin reading it you’ll come to understand it’s about life. That’s why I believe categorizing the book is to restricting. By the time you finish reading it I think it’ll change the way you see things and about yourself.

Kirin Rise The Cast of Shadows takes place in Chicago roughly 20 years from now. The book draws upon issues that we face upon society today. The story revolves around a 19 year old Korean girl who delivers a punch in an amateur fight knocking out a guy twice her size. She stuns everyone who saw the fight and now people are wondering how is this possible.

Fiction actually embracing reality is when I believe you have something that everyone can relate to. I often use the phrase, it’s just a story, but the skill is real. Being a Gung Fu teacher, everything I wrote in the book is real. I teach the art of Wing Chun Gung Fu, the only martial art in the world that was created by a woman. I honestly believe it is the greatest martial art ever and that it’s brilliant. It’s direct, effective, and simple. No guy could come up with something like this because we’re too bull headed and driven by testosterone. The art is based off common sense, a universal principle that we seemed to have strayed from. The story constantly looks at the world we live in and challenges whether or not we use that principle.

Kirin Rise I believe is a fascinating character. I can’t take credit for her creation because I stole her personality directly from my cousin Audrey. Her little quirks and sayings are something you just don’t hear too often. The story I believe is set in a unique format. There is a main story that begins in 2032 and we see how Kirin deals with things after knocking out her opponent. After every main story, there are three short stories per chapter. These short stories take place in the past when Kirin was younger and from her perspective. This ties in with the main story and gives you more depth and understanding of how Kirin came to be. Finally, there’s another section called Sifu’s Journey. Sifu means “teacher” in Cantonese and this section follows Kirin’s mentor and guide in her life. His story takes place in the past as well and links with the main story. Throughout the book you’ll find little quotes at the end of most of the chapters. Here are just a couple of my favorites.

“The choices we make create our own balance.” - Sifu

“The world will move on without you, unless you give it a reason to stop.” - Sifu

In the end the story stresses how important it is to find out who you are. That balance is never achieved in all aspects of life until we answer that question for ourselves. I plan on releasing eight books to tell the entire story. I honestly believe if you give the book a chance and read just one chapter you’ll be hooked and will be asking for more. By the end of it I have no doubt you’ll be a fan of Kirin Rise.

Meet Ed Cruz

Ed Cruz was born in Manila, Philippines in September 1970. Due to political unrest, his family decided to move and head to the United States. At the age of 3, Chicago became his home. His fascination and love for the city has always remained as he received his B.A in finance at Loyola University Chicago.

His father exposed him to martial arts at a very young age and, since then, his life has constantly revolved around it. For the first 11 years, he trained in multiple martial arts, being exposed to many different styles and concepts. Eventually, he discovered one that captured his attention and was unique to anything else. Of the hundreds of martial arts that exist in the world, Wing Chun Gung Fu is the only art ever created by a woman. Its approach was direct, to the point and extremely effective. But finding the style was not enough, he also had to find a master. It wasn’t until 1995, when he met the Legendary Gung Fu Master Augustine Fong, that everything changed. Since that time, he has devoted all of his efforts toward mastering and teaching the art. He has written several nationally published articles over the last 10 years and has a large devoted following on the internet.

The story of his first novel, Kirin Rise: The Cast of Shadows, came about through his years of training. He believed that once you find something in your life that you dedicate yourself to and master, the world around you begins to change. The birth of the internet, the growth of mixed martial arts, and the everyday happenings of the world helped forge his story. It would take years of training and dissecting the art before he finally began to create the story. The phrase, “It’s just a story, but the skill is real,” is his unique approach of sharing the art with the entire world. His plan is to preserve and share the entire art through the Kirin Rise series.

Author Links below: 

Author WebsiteTwitter FacebookGoodreadsAmazonYouTubeVirtual Tour Page 

Happy reading!

~Kristy

Review: Racing Savannah by Miranda Kenneally + Top Ten Book Boys!

Author:  Miranda Kenneally
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Page Count: 304 pages, Paperback
Date Published: December 3rd 2013
Find it on Goodreads: Racing Savannah
Source: Received for review for tour in exchange of honest opinion

 They’re from two different worlds.
He lives in the estate house, and she spends most of her time in the stables helping her father train horses. In fact, Savannah has always been much more comfortable around horses than boys. Especially boys like Jack Goodwin—cocky, popular and completely out of her league. She knows the rules: no mixing between the staff and the Goodwin family. But Jack has no such boundaries.
With her dream of becoming a horse jockey, Savannah isn’t exactly one to follow the rules either. She’s not going to let someone tell her a girl isn’t tough enough to race. Sure, it’s dangerous. Then again, so is dating Jack…

 Kenneally has wowed me once again with her ability to write a fast-paced and heart-warming contemporary novel that is unique, but still familiar. I love diving into the world of the Hundred Oaks series, revisiting old characters and of course, encountering the new main characters, as well. Plus, this book's sport was horses. Growing up, I loved horses and riding was one of the best feelings in the world for me, however that love got pushed to the side as I grew older and I haven't ridden in a few years now. That being said, it was nice to read a book so immersed in the world of horses... I don't know much of the technical side of it, especially with the terminology, but I still loved reading about these people who are so involved in the horse world.

 Racing Savannah was a witty and realistic story that touched on the subject of the division of social classes, which I found very interesting. I've always been a sucker for those "from two different worlds" romances, so I was excited about seeing how Kenneally would play this one out. I loved Savannah as the main character. Her development throughout the story was great and I adored her humour and drive, along with her love for animals. I have such a deep appreciation for the fact that Kenneally creates these female characters who are realistic and are completely kick-ass, even if they don't feel like it at some times. Savannah's strength and determination made her an incredibly intriguing character to read about and I loved being inside her head. 

It was so nice to dive back into a contemporary world that I was a bit familiar with, as lately I've been reading some heavier, classic books and so this book was a really nice break on my mind. I applaud Kenneally for another successful book about a strong and independent girl who deals with more than just boy problems... But of course, there was definitely a boy. ;) I loved this book and would absolutely recommend to any previous fans of Kenneally and any fans of contemporary who have not yet read her!

Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Growing up in Tennessee, Miranda Kenneally dreamed of becoming an Atlanta Brave, a country singer (cliché!), or a UN interpreter. Instead she writes, and works for the State Department in Washington, D.C., where George W. Bush once used her shoulder as an armrest. Miranda loves Twitter, Star Trek and her husband.

 Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook

MIRANDA'S TOP TEN BOOK BOYS 

Thanks so much for having me here to talk about my top ten favorite guys in YA!  I did this last year, but I decided to do it again to see if my list has changed (I’m fickle, I guess. Sue me). And it has changed: I added Trent, Jack, and Braden below.

Please tell me who your favorite guys are in the comments. This list is no particular order. I wouldn’t want to hurt any of these guys’ feelings! J

1.    Jonah from Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta: Jonah is a real guy. Broken but strong, and very loyal. Also, he is yummy.
2. Po from Graceling by Kristin Cashore: Funny, sweet, loyal, and he’s a badass warrior prince? Sign me up!
3. Trent from A Little Too Far by Lisa Desrochers: I thought he was hot. Yeah, he was the step-brother, but don’t we all have our faults? ;)
4. Jack from Smooth-Talking Stranger by Lisa Kleypas: A manly-man who hunts and boats, but also loves women and babies.
5. Braden from On Dublin Street: Such a smart-ass jerk… who I couldn’t help but fall for.
6. Grayson from Such a Rush by Jennifer Echols: He’s a pilot who wears aviator sunglasses and a straw cowboy hat. That is all.
7.  Conner from Not that Kind of Girl by Siobhan Vivian: I love how soft spoken, honest, and generous he is. I also like that he kisses the main character for the first time in the girl’s bathroom at school. That takes guts!
8. Wes from The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen: Wes is the sweetest guy ever. I like how he’s one of those artists who makes cool pieces out of stuff he finds at yard sales and junkyards. I’ve always wanted to be that kind of artist, but alas, I am not as cool as Wes.
9.  Jordan from Two Way Street by Lauren Barnholdt: Jordan is another real guy with crazy hormones and an attitude, but he’s funny and loyal and super sexy.
10.  Brigan from Fire by Kristin Cashore: I’m not sure Brigan qualifies as a “guy.” He’s a man! 

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Review: All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill

Author:  Cristin Terrill
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Page Count: 368 pages, Hardcover
Date Published: September 3rd 2013
Find it on Goodreads: All Our Yesterdays
Source: Received for review from publisher/author in exchange of honest opinion

"You have to kill him." Imprisoned in the heart of a secret military base, Em has nothing except the voice of the boy in the cell next door and the list of instructions she finds taped inside the drain.
Only Em can complete the final instruction. She’s tried everything to prevent the creation of a time machine that will tear the world apart. She holds the proof: a list she has never seen before, written in her own hand. Each failed attempt in the past has led her to the same terrible present—imprisoned and tortured by a sadistic man called the doctor while war rages outside. 
Marina has loved her best friend James since the day he moved next door when they were children. A gorgeous, introverted science prodigy from one of America’s most famous families, James finally seems to be seeing Marina in a new way, too. But on one disastrous night, James’s life crumbles apart, and with it, Marina’s hopes for their future. Now someone is trying to kill him. Marina will protect James, no matter what. Even if it means opening her eyes to a truth so terrible that she may not survive it. At least not as the girl she once was. 
All Our Yesterdays is a wrenching, brilliantly plotted story of fierce love, unthinkable sacrifice, and the infinite implications of our every choice.

Y'all know I love time travel books and this one was a fantastic read! Action packed and full of suspense, it was difficult to put down!

This book was written in two different points of views and I liked it a lot how it alternated between the past and the present. It was interesting and kept me reading into the late hours of the night! I thought the characters were extremely well written, as well.... Terrill wrote characters that you can't help but care about and I was a big fan of how their relationships with each other were handled. The romance didn't overpower the plot and I appreciate when authors are able to write books that have a unique romantic subplot... It's unique and refreshing, compared to all the novels we read that are just romance! Terrill did an excellent job at keeping her story new and different from what I've read before.

Ambitious, intense and crazy awesome, All Our Yesterdays was a wild ride that I thoroughly enjoyed. It lived up to it's hype and I would recommend this to anyone who can wrap their minds around the whole "wibbly wobbly timey wimey" situation with time travel.

Cristin Terrill is a young adult author and aspiring grown-up. She grew up semi-nomadic and graduated from Vassar College with a degree in drama. After getting her masters in Shakespeare Studies from the Shakespeare Institute in Stratford-upon-Avon, she lived in London, Austin, Boston, and Washington, DC while working as a theatrical stage manager. Now she writes and leads creative writing workshops for DC-area kids and teens. All Our Yesterdays is her first novel.

Website|Twitter|Facebook|Goodreads|Amazon

Happy reading!
~Kristy

Review: Jump When Ready by David Pandolfe (TOUR)

Hey everyone! Today, I'm so excited to be a part of the blog tour for Jump When Ready by David Pandolfe! I've been super excited about this book for a while and I'm so glad I got to be a part of the tour! Thanks Book Nerd Tours for organizing this awesome tour.

Since he drowned, Henry has remained with the same group of teenagers and he keeps wondering why. After all, what could he possibly have in common with a Mohawk-sporting punker from the 80s, a roller skater from the 70s with a thing for kimonos, and an English "rocker" from the 60s? Add to that, Henry can hear the other groups but he never sees them. Soon, Henry learns that his new friends all possess unique skills for making themselves noticed by the living. Is Henry’s group kept isolated because of their abilities? If so, are they considered gifted or seen only as a potential bad influence? Before Henry can reach any conclusions, he witnesses his sister being kidnapped. He knows who did it, where she’s being held and what will happen if the kidnappers don’t get what they want. As the police chase false leads, Henry comes to realize that he’s his sister’s only hope. But for Henry to even have a chance, he has to convince a group of teenagers that dead doesn’t mean helpless.

As soon as I started this book, I knew it was going to be good. I absolutely loved the style and voice of the writing. It charmed me right away and I was pulled in to this really cool world. Jump When Ready is a book that you would think would be kind of sad and depressing, as it's about a boy who dies and tries to help his family from the "in between" but the author does an excellent job of incorporating humour into it and keeps the story with a lightness to it.  Here's a quote from the beginning that I liked:

"I’d drowned, met a bunch of kids in a tree, slept in a hammock 

that had turned into a house which had disappeared again, then gone 

to my own funeral. Now I basically had an apartment in a house the 

size of Texas with an arcade, food court and inside pool."

I thought the writing was really well done and I was never bored with the story. The characters were all very distinct, which is one thing that always sticks out to me in a book, and they were very well developed as well. Another plus to this book was the pacing. It was fast-paced and exciting, because even though it was an 'after-life story,' it was still suspenseful and the story was always moving. My heart ached for Henry as he watched his sister's kidnapping take place and the fact that he couldn't do anything about it... I was constantly guessing how it would turn out and I couldn't stop reading until I found out.

Overall, Jump When Ready was an impressive debut that I would recommend to anyone, really. I loved this book and am looking forward to seeing what the author will come up with next!

.5

David Pandolfe has been a bartender in Seattle, the front man for an alternative rock band in Los Angeles and a college writing teacher in Richmond (among other things). One day, it occurred to him that sometimes these experiences felt like completely different lives altogether. Which got him to writing Jump When Ready, a novel about of bunch of teenagers trying to get over their past lives while getting ready to jump into their next.While he’s still writing about himself in third person, David Pandolfe should probably mention that at one point he received a Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing at Virginia Commonwealth University. He has had short stories published in Millennium and the Georgetown Review. Jump When Ready is his first YA novel but he’s currently working on another, to be released in the fall of 2013.

WEBSITE   GOODREADS    FACEBOOK

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Happy reading!
~Kristy

Review + Giveaway: Catherine by April Lindner (TOUR)

Hey guys! Today I'm taking part in the Catherine blog tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours! Thanks Jamie and Rachel for organizing this tour and don't forget to check out the other stops! 

Author: April Lindner
Publisher: Poppy
Page Count: 320 pages, Hardcover
Date Published: January 2nd 2013
Source: E-galley in exchange of honest opinion

A forbidden romance. A modern mystery. Wuthering Heights as you’ve never seen it before.Catherine is tired of struggling musicians befriending her just so they can get a gig at her Dad’s famous Manhattan club, The Underground. Then she meets mysterious Hence, an unbelievably passionate and talented musician on the brink of success. As their relationship grows, both are swept away in a fiery romance. But when their love is tested by a cruel whim of fate, will pride keep them apart?Chelsea has always believed that her mom died of a sudden illness, until she finds a letter her dad has kept from her for years—a letter from her mom, Catherine, who didn’t die: She disappeared. Driven by unanswered questions, Chelsea sets out to look for her—starting with the return address on the letter: The Underground.Told in two voices, twenty years apart, Catherine interweaves a timeless forbidden romance with a compelling modern mystery.

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | GOODREADS | FACEBOOK

This book is one of a kind. There are two different perspectives, set 20 years apart, as Chelsea is searching for her mother, Catherine, who disappeared and was thought dead until Chelsea found a letter. The author did a great job in keeping the chapters distinct and clear... I didn't have a difficult time switching from one POV to another and that made a huge difference in the story.

I have yet to read Wuthering Heights so it's impossible for me to compare Catherine with the original story, however, I enjoyed the retelling immensely and am looking forward to reading the classic this summer. As I said before, I really liked the different perspectives. Catherine's POV is more focused on her teenage life and her relationship with Hence, but Chelsea's is a bit more suspenseful as she is trying to find her mother whom she believed to be dead until she discovered a letter, written to her when she was three years old. I liked the fact that we knew Catherine disappeared in the end and with everyone we meet in her story, we had to wonder if they played a part in her disappearance. It was really interesting and quite chilling.

Overall, I found this book to be very well written and it captivated me and kept me wanting more. The pacing was good and I was never lost. From what I know of Wuthering Heights, it's not exactly filled with the most pleasant characters in the world. I think Lindner did a good job of making this her own story while still taking inspiration from the classic. I'm really looking forward to reading Wuthering Heights this summer and to compare it to this retelling!

April Lindner is the author of two novels, Catherine, a modernization of Wuthering Heights, and Jane, an update of Jane Eyre.  She also has published two poetry collections, Skin and This Bed Our Bodies Shaped. She plays acoustic guitar badly, sees more rock concerts than she’d care to admit, travels whenever she can, cooks Italian food, and lavishes attention on her pets—two Labrador retriever mixes and two excitable guinea pigs. A professor of English at Saint Joseph’s University, April lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two sons.

TWITTER | WEBSITE | BLOG | GOODREADS

Giveaway ends July 4 at 11:59 p.m.

Winners will be chosen via Rafflecopter and contacted by email.

Mandatory requirement is to leave a comment. Optional entries are to Like the CATHERINE Facebook page, follow the author on Twitter and Tweet (daily) about the tour/giveaway.

All giveaway options are weighted evenly.

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Review: Click to Subscribe by L.M. Augustine (TOUR+GIVEAWAY)

252 pages, ebook

Published May 9th 2013
Find L.M. on Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Blog

 1,135,789. That’s how many subscribers sixteen-year-old West Ryder has on his web vlog series. But he only has eyes for one of them. 

As one of the internet’s most prestigious video bloggers, West talks about high school relationships under the name “Sam Green.” As far as he knows, no one from school, not even his best friend, Cat, has seen his videos. But the highlight of the whole thing is Harper Knight, who comments every day at exactly 2:02 in the afternoon. He doesn’t know anything about her aside from the occasional deep philosophical messaging on why pizza tastes so delicious, but as stupid as it sounds, he might be falling for her. So when they finally agree to meet in real life, West’s hope for romance seems more and more in reach. But that all changes as soon as he arrives at their meeting spot and sees Cat walking toward him, wearing the same “I <3 Sam Green” T-shirt Harper promised she'd have on.
To his alarm, West realizes he is falling in love with the best friend who has always been a sister to him.

This was a really cute book. It wasn't too fluffy, but it was definitely leaning towards it. Corny but cute, that's how I'd describe it. Corny in a good way. Mostly.

There are quite a few things that  I liked about Click to Subscribe. One was that the protagonist was a male and he has a vlog channel! I've never really read about anyone who does something like that on the internet. Obviously, I watch vloggers on YouTube and all that, but I've never read a fictional book about a person who does that. It was kind of cool. I also liked the dialogue between West and Cat. They were awkward and weird and reminded me a lot of my friends and I. They were quite cute. The thing is, I also found this book to be pretty predictable. I knew what was going to happen, it just took a while for it to get there. West, c'mon man. YOU'RE IN LOVE WITH HER. GO GET HER BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE! 

I also really liked the fact that there was a more serious side to the book, involving West's father. He was an alcoholic and didn't work or do much of anything. The interactions between West and his father were tense and there was one scene where it was very powerful. I thought the writing was, while yes a little cheesy, pretty good and I really enjoyed the story. It was a quick read and it's a good book for a day when you need something light. 

Thank you so much to the author and Bookcase to Heaven for sending me a copy of Click to Subscribe to review! I enjoyed it very much! Now scroll down for an awesome giveaway!

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Happy reading!
~Kristy

Writers Workshop Tour: Excerpt!

Writers Workshop Excerpt

“Nothing fills a page faster than dialogue,” the writer said.

There it is, the blank page or screen, the intimidating and recurring challenge every writer must face. The temptation is to fill that page as quickly as possible, to advance the narrative however you can. Often the easiest way to do that, even for writers who are not masters of dialogue, is to get the characters talking. A few A few writers are even bold enough to begin novels or stories with a line of dialogue, something I don’t recommend unless you possess the skills of the early Robert A Heinlein, who began his story “Blowups Happen” with the suspenseful line: “Put down that wrench!” Orson Scott Card also opened his popular novel Ender’s Game with a piece of dialogue that immediately rouses the reader’s curiosity: “‘I’ve watched through his eyes, I’ve listened through his ears, and I tell you he’s the one.” Writing good and convincing dialogue is usually enough of a challenge without relying on it to hook a reader right at the beginning of one’s story. Writing dialogue, whatever the difficulties, is generally easier than, for example, crafting descriptive passages, offering insights into a character’s

psychology, creating vigorous and absorbing action scenes, or presenting necessary exposition in a graceful way.

Writers who harbor dreams of scriptwriting may be especially prone to fill pages with dialogue, but others also succumb, partly because dialogue is a shortcut and a very useful one. Sometimes a few well-chosen words of conversation can accomplish as much in a story as pages of description and exposition. There are also a fair number of readers who are more absorbed by stretches of repartee than by beautifully and poetically rendered descriptions. (Writers meet these people all the time; they’re the ones who tell you they skip all the dull parts, often meaning those carefully wrought passages that cost you so much effort.) Better just to cut to the chase, or in this case, drop in on the conversation.

The strength of dialogue—namely that it can be a useful shortcut—is also its weakness. Writers who rely too much on dialogue risk leaving too much out. The writer may hear the characters clearly and easily envision the scene, but that doesn’t mean that the reader will. (In a review of a novel some years back, Joanna Russ wrote that passages in that book seemed to be largely about names drinking cups of coffee, noticing the designs of ashtrays, or riffing on the furnishings in a room, the characters were so indistinguishable.) The beginning writer is likely to produce dialogue in which the reader will find it hard to tell one character from another. The useful shortcut can produce a story that is sketchy, in which too much has been left out

Review: How I Lost You by Janet Gurtler + Interview!

Hey guys! Today I am participating in a blog tour for the novel How I Lost You by Janet Gurtler!

320 pagesPublished April 23rd 2013Sourcebooks FireGoodreads
There are a few things Grace Anderson knows for sure. One is that nothing will ever come between her and her best friend, Kya Kessler. They have a pact. Buds Before Studs. Sisters Before Misters. But in the summer before senior year, life throws out challenges they never expected. And suddenly the person who's always been there starts to need the favor returned. Grace and Kya are forced to question how much a best friend can forgive. And the answer is not what they expected.

I was so excited to hear that Janet is Canadian! I love reading books by Canadians, because I almost feel like I can connect with them more and they always have little Canadian jokes in there, which I find so cute and funny. I adored How I Lost You and am so thankful I had the chance to read it! Thank you Book Nerd Tours and Janet Gurtler!

Gurtler really knows how to tell a story. How I Lost You is strong on the characters and the reader can really feel for the characters in the story. I loved Grace. She was relatable and easy to like, but still a typical teen. Her hormones around Levi, the guy from Vancouver (BONUS POINTS FOR THAT), were sometimes really funny, just because of how she reacted to him and I loved her protectiveness of Kya. Grace  kind of reminds me of my best friend in some ways, so I loved her a lot! I loved that the main focus of this book was friendship. I've never really read a book like that, so it was kind of cool!

I also loved the fact that their hobby was paintball! That was such a unique element to the book and I really appreciated that Gurtler didn't have their sport be something typical like soccer or basketball. I've never read anything about paintball, so it was really neat!

This was a very powerful book about friendship and how much one friend will do for the other and I really and truly loved it. It was well written, cute but intense and it had a few little Canadian jokes that made my day. (I do not say oot instead of out, thank you very much!)

I'd recommend this book to anyone looking for a great read for the spring time, to do with friends and a really cute romance!

Do you share any traits with your main character?

Well we both have pale skin. Hee hee. I think the thing I share most with Grace is loyalty. I am super loyal to my friends.  I am the type of person who has lots of acquaintances but only a few really good close friends. I would do anything for those friends.  And we both love ice cream.

Where's your favourite place to read/ write?

I’m pretty easy to please. I usually just sit in the living room with my lap top on my lap, my feet stretched out on the coffee table (like now) I do have to wear socks though. That is a writing essential.

What are you reading right now?

I’m currently reading I’M WITH STUPID by Geoff Herbach. It is soooo good. Have you read his books?. Hilarious. Touching.

 No, I haven't! But I'll check them out!

Favourite childhood author/book?

 

S.E. Hinton, That was Then, This Is Now- teen years

Favourite colour?

Black. Which my son argues is not actually a color, but let’s ignore him.

Hahaha I used to tell my mum that!

Favourite thing to get from a coffee shop?

Skinny Vanilla Latte. Mmm.

Happy reading!
~Kristy

Belonging Tour: Excerpt + Giveaway!

I left everything I knew behind.
But it was worth it. He was worth it.
No one thought an ordinary girl like me would last two minutes living with the Amish, not even me. There are a lot more rules and a lot less freedom, and I miss my family and the life I once had. Worst of all, Noah and I aren't even allowed to see each other. Not until I've proven myself.
If I can find a way to make it work, we'll be NOAH & ROSE
together forever.
But not everybody believes this is where I belong.

Goodreads, Amazon, B&N, Indiebound

About Karen Ann Hopkins

A native of New York State, Karen Ann Hopkins now lives with her family on a farm in northern Kentucky, where her neighbors in all directions are members of a strict Amish community. Her unique perspective became the inspiration for the story of star-crossed lovers Rose and Noah. When she’s not homeschooling her kids, giving riding lessons or tending to a menagerie of horses, goats, peacocks, chickens, ducks, rabbits, dogs and cats, she is dreaming up her next romantic novel.

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Excerpt from Belonging, A Wild Night, Amish Style

“Did you hear that?” Miranda whispered.

            Dead silence filled the room after her words.  I craned my neck to listen for any sounds, turning my ear in the direction of the doorway that Suzanna had said led to the stairway.

            “Was it coming from up there?” I pointed at the black opening in the wall.

            Miranda shook her head, “Outside.”  She spoke so low that it was as if I were lip reading to understand her.

            The four of us moved closer together until our arms were brushing.  Summer reached out taking my hand into her sweaty ones and held tightly. 

            I was not usually a scaredy-cat sort of person, but at that moment my heart was pounding madly against my chest.  The sudden dawning that here we were, four teenage girls out in the middle of the woods in a broken down old spook house, sent an adrenaline rush coursing through my veins.  My sharpened senses caught the scraping against the outside wall, followed by a wailing sound that sent the image of a cat having its heart carved out past my vision. 

            Instantly, our arms all tangled around each other and I could feel Summer shaking beside me.    Her face was hiding against my shoulder. 

            I was afraid, but I was also pissed off.  We were supposed to be having a fun girl’s night out, but instead we’d ended up in a Halloween sequel.  I was not going to let whatever was out there, ruin my evening—or kill any of us.

            I disengaged from Summer about the same time the loud stomping could be heard on the front porch.  Quicker than I thought my fear frozen legs would carry me I had the long skinny board that was beside the fire in my hand and I was in the shadow of the doorway.

            I didn’t have to wait more than a second when the door flung open to reveal three dark figures crashing into the room.  I wasn’t sure if the screaming was coming from the intruders or the girls, but either way it was too loud to think.  That’s when I swung the board as hard as I could manage.  The thud of hitting something solidly jolted my arm, causing some pain, but I didn’t care about that.  The human sob that followed my well placed blow brought me to my senses.

“Damn it. I’ve been attacked.  I think I’m bleeding.”

            The voice was mildly familiar.

            “Oh, you poor dear,” Suzanna cooed to the psychopath, wrapping her arms around him as she led him to the fire.  Her voice changed to a shrill yell when she addressed me. “What are you, Rose, one of those Amazon women Summer’s always talking about?”

            Everything happened rather fast at the point she said my name.  Before Suzanna had even finished her sentence, I was being swept up into a bone crushing embrace—by Noah.  

I knew his arms, his chest, and his scent. 

            I squealed in delight as he picked me off the floor and swung me around, my face buried in his neck.  When he stopped, his mouth found mine and the urgency of the kiss left me breathless.  This was turning out to be a better night than I could have ever imagined.

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Happy reading!
~Kristy